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Card story: What he said in that moment
Akira: (Wow the knight apprentices are all so passionate)
At the training ground where the swordplay examination to select knights was held, the candidates were diligently practicing in preparation for the actual duel. I spotted Owen in the midst of the swords clanging as they clashed with each other and the lively chatters of the knight apprentices. He was holding in his hand a sword of the type that the knights used.
Akira: Did you borrow that sword from someone, Owen?
Owen: Don’t be silly. I don’t borrow what I can seize. This sword was lying on the ground over there so I picked it up.
Akira: Over there… that would be the armory. It wasn’t lying around, right? Was it….
Knight apprentice: Hey, bro!
A lively voice cut in as I was talking.
Owen: What? You mean me?
Knight apprentice: Yes, you. You’re a knight candidate, aren’t you? Do you want to have a practice match before the real thing with me? You’re holding a sword already, right?
The person who talked to us with a bright smile was a youth who appeared to be a knight apprentice. He invited Owen to practice with a casual attitude.
Akira: (I suppose he mistook Owen for a knight apprentice because of that outfit)
Akira: Sorry, we aren’t going to take the swordplay……
Owen: Fine by me. I’ll spar with you.
Akira: Eh?!
Knight apprentice: Nice! I’ll wait for you over there then. Hurry!
[Sound of footsteps]
Owen: What was that reaction, Master Sage? And here I was all nice and gracious when I accepted his invitation.
Akira: I- I’m sorry. I didn’t expect that you’d accept so I blurted that out.
Akira: Uhm Owen. He’s just a human so please be hold back when you fight him.
Owen: Hmm, let’s see. There’s no fun or glory in killing that weakling of a human, but… Ah well, it’ll all depend on his behaviors, I suppose.
Knight apprentice: Hey, are you going to spar with me or not? If you keep dallying there, the exam will start before we can practice, you know.
Before I could say anything else, the knight apprentice impatiently called out to us. Leaving me behind, Owen headed in his direction.
Akira: (Does Owen even know how to wield a sword? His magic focus is a suitcase.)
Knight apprentice: Ready? Start!
Owen: …..
Akira: !
Knight apprentice: Heh, you look pretty haphazard waving that sword around but you’re doing pretty well!
Owen: And you are acting all high and mighty but your fighting is a mess. You seemed so confident when you challenged me, but apparently one stare is enough to make you keel over.
Knight apprentice: Haha, let’s wait and see!
[Sword fighting effect]
The knight apprentice breathed heavily as he fought with all his might. On the other side, Owen’s face was completely cool as he countered his opponent with his sword.
Akira: A- amazing.
Akira: (It’s hard to imagine Owen fighting with a sword, but he is pretty proficient with it!)
Oz: What’s going on there?
Akira: Oh, Oz! A knight apprentice asked Owen to spar with him.
As I explained the situation, Oz looked at the duel between Owen and the knight apprentice again.
Akira: That’s an impressive match, isn’t it? Owen carries himself so effortlessly graceful, while his opponent looks pretty agile too.
Oz: …….
[Sword fighting effect]
Knight apprentice: F- fuck!
Owen: Hey, are you really aiming at a spot in the Knights? What do you hope to protect with this level of skill? Livestock in a backwater village? Your favorite handbag? Looks like you won’t be able to manage even that in this state.
Knight apprentice: Argh, just watch me!
[Sword fighting effect]
Oz: That sword fighter is being killed off.
Akira: Eh?! B- but they are sparring pretty normally?
Oz: Not his body. I mean his heart. Owen’s words are confusing him and causing him to become sloppy. On top of that, it looks like Owen is using magic to amplify the speed and threatening aura of his attacks. A mere human can’t win against that.
[Sword fighting effect]
There was the sound of swords clashing repeatedly, so I looked at the duel. The knight apprentice was on one knee as he blocked Owen’s sword.
Owen: Oh, you manage to finally stop my attack? Come, launch your counter-attack? Where has your earlier swagger gone?
Knight apprentice: *breathes heavily* How come your sword is so heavy?
Owen: Haha, you should already know why though. It’s because your confidence is completely baseless.
Knight apprentice: Tsk, I’m capable of much more than this!
[Sword fighting effect]
The knight apprentice talked on as he pushed Owen’s sword aside.
Knight apprentice: I’m the best sword fighter in my hometown! I’ve made a name for myself with this sword….
Knight apprentice: When it comes to skills with the sword alone, I won’t lose to even that wizard who was Knight Captain Cain! I don't need some strange power to become a knight!
Owen: Heh.
As I wondered to myself if Owen had just narrowed his eyes bewitchingly, his attack became even faster as it charged at the knight apprentice.
Knight apprentice: Whoa!
Owen’s mismatched eyes stared fixedly at the knight apprentice, who had fallen on his backside on the ground.
Owen: Shall I be magnanimous and teach you something useful?
Owen: The wizard who defeated that Knight Captain was me. The left eye that is looking at you now originally belonged to him.
Knight captain: What….?!
Owen: Even if he doesn’t use his magic at all, there’s no way you can win against him.
With that as the parting shot, Owen raised the sword he had been holding in his hand.
Akira: Owen, wait!
Oz: Vox nox.
[Flash]
Faster than me calling out, Oz cast his spell. The sword Owen was swinging was blocked by an invisible wall.
Akira: Phew…
Owen: What’s the matter with you? It’s barbaric to barge into a sparring session, you know.
Oz: Don’t bully a human. There’s no way he could be a match for a sword boosted with magic.
Owen: I’m just teaching this sheltered little knight what reality is like by example. No need to look so scary, Master Oz.
Avoiding Oz’s gaze, Owen waved his sword to and fro. The knight apprentice, who was staring at them dumbfoundedly, slowly spoke up.
Knight apprentice: So you’re a wizard?
Owen: Oh, you finally realize that? No matter how hard you try, you have no other choice but to helplessly kneel in the face of my magic. The difference in power between wizards and humans has been set since our birth, you see.
Akira: O- Owen, that should be enough!
Knight apprentice: In that case, if I defeat you, I’ll become a super knight that surpasses Knight Captain Cain?!
Owen: What?
Akira: Eh?
The knight apprentice paid no attention to us, who were staring in shock. His eyes were radiant with hope.
Knight apprentice: I’m glad I asked you to spar! Here, let’s shake hands!
Owen: Hey, don’t touch me so willy-nilly. Urgh, you got mud all over me.
Knight apprentice: I’m more determined to achieve my goal more than ever thanks to you. I’ll definitely win in the exam. Mind coming here again sometime in the future? I’ll definitely become stronger than now. Bye!
[Sound of footsteps]
Akira: He’s gone already….
Owen: He was shaking in fear just a few seconds ago. Is everyone in Central Country like this?
Akira: Ahaha, they’re certainly very optimistic people.
Owen: So what? All they can do is flapping their gums. With skills like that, he will never make Knight Captain even if he trains for a hundred years.
Oz: You don’t know enough about swordplay to make such a verdict though.
Owen: *Sneers* I still know more than dullards who only blast things with brute force like you or Mithra. Unlike you lot, I know how to use my brain.
Oz: ………..
Raising his eyebrow slightly, Oz suddenly summoned his staff.
Akira: (The way things are going… Is he going to hit Owen with that? Or is he going to use magic? What would he do?!)
Akira: O- Oz, please put your staff away!
Right after that, Oz heard Cain calling for him and left. I was alone again with Owen.
Akira: Owen, thank you.
Owen: What? Why are you thanking me?
Akira: It’s for when you sparred with the knight apprentice. I could tell he was doubting Cain’s capability as a knight, even though Cain’s skills with the sword are first class even without magic. You said what you did to that knight apprentice because you were angry for Cain, right?
[Clanging sound]
Owen: You’re mistaken.
Akira: …..!
All of a sudden he pointed the sword at me. The words he had said earlier were sealed in his mismatched eyes that were shining sharper than even the blade.
Owen: Since you’re babbling nothing but stomach-churning nonsense, shall I give you a taste of reality too? How about me gouging out that bird-brained eye of yours like I did with Mister Knight?
Akira: Ehh…
The words flowing out of his thin lips were so terrifying that they would make me tremble in fear. However, perhaps because he had the same eyes as Cain, the Owen who wielded a sword and donning different from outfit from usual somehow looked knightly too.
Card episode: What he typically enjoyed
Akira: The training ground we went to was so lively. It felt nice to be there, didn’t it? The knight apprentices were all trying their best to achieve their goals. What do you think, Owen?
Owen: It was certainly quite fun there. I had a grand time coming up with ways to break it to those knight apprentices the reality that their dream wouldn’t never come true.
Akira: Uhm…
Owen: Yes, yes. They looked just like that. I had my fill laughing when I saw how confused and helpless they were when they listened to me.
Akira: (He is meaning a totally different thing from me? It’s just like him to do that though)
Akira: Oh, uhm, it was heartening to see the overflowing passion in their gazes, I think. They were radiating with ‘I’ll definitely do it’ aura. You know, we were dressing in the outfit of the knight apprentices too, so we got to see a lot of the emotions in their eyes.
Owen: Sure, that wasn’t half bad. Especially the lot who were looking me with distaste and resentment.
Akira: Eh?
Owen: Some of those knight apprentices definitely knew about me gouging Mister Knight’s eye, you see. They must be filled in unbearable fear and hatred of me. It was really funny how they stared fixedly at me.
Akira: I- I see. So that’s how it is for you.
Akira: (Owen is certainly in a good mood. He definitely doesn’t view things the same way as me, but it looks like he enjoyed being at the training ground too.)
