Water Magician

Editor: Tseirp

Unsurprisingly, Agnes did not anticipate his deduction that this was the land of the vampires.

“How did…”

“I made a comprehensive judgment based on a variety of information. Lady Agnes’ beauty was also a factor in reaching that conclusion.”

Maintaining such beauty, even after the age of ninety, certainly can’t be possible for a human …probably.

It all came down to Ryo’s sole discretion and prejudice.

“I’ll tell you one thing, just so there is no misunderstanding, Count Haskil Kalinikos did not sell out his people.”

“I see. So you were there when Kalinikos disintegrated.”

Her words contained neither blame nor accusation.

It was simply a confirmation.

“Yes. I witnessed his last moments at the hands of the clergy of the Western Church…”

“Right, Archbishop Graham.”

He could observe the slightest flicker of emotion in those words.

“Well, that’s all right. I honestly didn’t expect you to find out the secret of this country, Master Ryo, but it can’t be helped. In fact, all the more reason why…I really can’t afford you to wander around, knowing what you do.”

“And if I insist on leaving?”

“You’ll lose your life.”

Agnes’s expression looked genuinely sad when she said that.

“I have no desire to do this either, but I must fulfill the obligation assigned to me…”

“You can’t guarantee the safety of my fellow delegates while I am here, can you? I can easily imagine them being executed along with the Grand Duke.”

“To be honest with you, I reckon that’s how it’ll play out.”

Agnes wanted Ryo to stay, but she was not willing to lie.

She felt that if she lied and he stayed, only to find out the truth later, everyone involved would suffer most horribly….

“Then I guess I’ll have to leave.”

“No matter what?”

“Yes, no matter what.”

Hearing Ryo’s words, Agnes shook her head slightly.

At that moment, all the walls of the dining room, including the windows, turned into stone.

Then, a man entered through the door.

“I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to force Master Ryo to stay put…and depending on the circumstance, you may even lose your life…”

“You do what you have to do.”

“You can’t use magic, you do know that right? Even if you could use a sword…how do you intend to fight vampires who outperform humans in both speed and power? You know what, there is no use in saying anything. Let’s just…get this over with right away. This person is…”

Agnes pointed to the man who appeared through the door.

“He is Sir Griffin, one of the greatest vampire swordsmen of all time. You have no chance whatsoever, Master Ryo.”

“That may be so. But…people have battles they can’t run away from. I guess this is mine.”

Ryo was very well aware.

That it was a battle that he could not win.

Still, he had no choice but to fight…he somehow had the feeling that Abel and the others were waiting for his help.

Ryo, as usual, brandished Murasame, and the blade materialized.

Seeing this, Agnes gasped.

But the swordsman in front of him, Sir Griffin, did not waver at all.

Both Ryo and Sir Griffin, began closing in on each other.

Getting ever closer…Sir Griffin made the first move.

Striking at a frightening speed, with a diagonal slash.

Ryo didn’t catch it with Murasame, but instead avoided it with body movement, and cleaved Murasame to the side while he dodged.

Sir Griffin dodged it by backstepping with unusual speed.

However, even Agnes could see that it was an extraordinary sword fight, even though they’ve each only traded one blow.

Duchess Agnes Alba is known as one of the most famous and most powerful magician in Land.

She is also outstanding with a sword.

Therefore, it would have been fine to confront Ryo with a sword after neutralizing his magic, but to be on the safe side, she came up with a contingency.

In case ‘Ryo, who is an extraordinary water-attribute magician, turns out to also be extraordinary with a sword’.

Hence the reason, she called Sir Griffin, one of the best vampire swordsmen.

Perhaps Ryo would insist on going to join his comrades…with that assumption, and while she clearly didn’t want that to happen….unfortunately, it turned out exactly as she feared….

Even if he were to die like this, at least she wanted him to die without suffering….

Agnes liked Ryo.

At first, she was aware of him as a powerful water-attribute magician, and today, she came to like him entirely as a person, including his mannerisms.

Of course, not in a romantic sense.

As a vampire, it was more like her realizing that he was pretty good for a human.

Still, she liked him.

She felt frustrated and saddened…that she had to let go of something she liked so much, and wanted to let him die without suffering.

It was with this mixture of feelings that she began to watch their sword fight ….

She knew from the first blow that her prediction was way off.

It wasn’t so much ‘Ryo is also extraordinary with a sword’, as it was…‘Ryo is also extremely extraordinary with a sword’.

(This is bad…)

Ryo felt this way the moment he dodged Sir Griffin’s diagonal slash.

Indeed, as Agnes said, the adversary was overwhelmingly superior in both speed and power.

Then, perhaps like Abel and Hugh who could compete against the Hero Roman, with their ‘sword handling skills’, maybe he could do the same… but probably not.

His opponent wasn’t just all power and speed.

(Meaning, there is no winning factor.)

He felt a wall as high as when Sera uses ‘Wind Equip’….

And Ryo was no match for Sera when she uses Wind Equip.

With no idea of how to break through, the sword fight continued.

Of the three, it was probably Sir Griffin who was the most surprised.

Yesterday, the ‘Duchess’ had asked him to fight a human magician with a sword.

He didn’t understand the reason behind the request then.

The opponent was a ‘human’ and a ‘magician’ no less.

They’re so vulnerable that vampires need not take them seriously.

Of course, some have something to offer in terms of learning ability, diligence, creativity, and so on.

They don’t refute that.

However, when it comes to combat, they don’t stand a chance, be it with swords or magic.

Of course, seeing as it’s a request from Duchess Alba, who stands at the summit in Land, there is no way that he would refuse, no matter how futile it may seem.

Moreover, it’s to be a ‘sword battle right in the middle of a magic neutralizing field in the mansion’.

Pure swordsmanship.

If she asked him to, he would no questions asked, but he probably wouldn’t last more than a few rounds.

Even the infamous Hero and the A-rank adventurer swordsman who’s currently visiting Land would only be able to hold out for at most ten rounds.

That’s what Sir Griffin said to Duchess Alba.

At that moment, Duchess Alba laughed and said.

“Yes, I agree with you. Although I agree with you…there’s no telling what could happen…that’s the kind of person you’ll be dealing with.”

With those words, Sir Griffin finally became interested in his opponent…a human magician who could make Duchess Alba say such a mouthful.

Then came today.

The sword fight had already lasted more than twenty rounds.

He had the advantage in speed and power.

In terms of skill, it was hard to tell the difference between them.

And yet, he couldn’t break the defense in front of him.

(Is this guy really a magician…?)

He was a more troublesome opponent than an actual swordsman.

He didn’t think he would lose.

But he also didn’t think it would be an easy victory.

A battle that seemed to go on endlessly, but also a battle that could end at any moment, continued to play out.

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