BXBX NOVEL Chapter 15 – Duel (3)
“So, can we consider the duel to be confirmed?”
“A duel? A duel, you say? Are you mocking me? How can you call it a duel when I’m up against a mere halfwit?”
“Anything can be considered a duel if there’s something at stake. If you win, I will never touch the paperwork again. But if Sylvia wins, you and everyone who signed this document must leave the estate.”
“Are you serious?”
Leon sneered, his lips curling into a mocking smile.
He seemed to question whether he had heard correctly.
Yes, it’s a duel.
A duel between a Sword Expert and a washed-up knight who can’t even use mana.
“We’ll need a witness for this.”
“I’ll write up a notarized document right here. The terms and results of the duel will be guaranteed and enforced by imperial law.”
“Good! Very good!”
Leon quickly signed the notarized document with a broad smile.
He scrutinized it carefully, perhaps thinking I might add hidden clauses or small print to trick him.
But there were no tricks.
None were needed.
For Leon, the duel itself was already a trick.
“The duel will take place tomorrow morning at 8 AM in the Vermont estate training grounds. Armor is forbidden, and weapons will be limited to wooden swords.”
“Are you sure about that? Given that she can’t use mana, she’d have a better chance with a real blade.”
“We’ll see about that.”
“I’ll return tomorrow! I wouldn’t want to risk staying here overnight and being sabotaged in my sleep!”
Leon left with a hearty laugh.
Finally, Sylvia fully emerged from the shadows, her face pale and her lips trembling.
“Wh-What? Why… Why…?”
“Speak clearly. It’s hard to understand you.”
“Why… Why did you decide this without asking me?”
“If you don’t duel, you’ll be executed as an embezzler. You had to duel anyway.”
“But I’ll die! Leon won’t miss this chance to kill me, even if it looks like an accident…!”
She’s worried about dying?
It’s quite the opposite.
She should be worried about killing Leon.
I would prefer if she did, to leave no loose ends.
“Ah! Ah! Is the wooden sword I’ll use a legendary wooden sword or something?”
“There’s no such thing.”
“Then how…!”
Sylvia stared at me with desperate eyes, hoping I had a plan.
So, she has started to trust me a bit.
“You can’t generate mana because your heart is injured, but you can still use mana, right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Then as long as you have mana, you can win?”
“Of course! Even though Leon is also a Sword Expert, he has no real combat experience and can’t compare to me!”
Sylvia, slightly offended, raised her voice.
Right, if she had mana, it would be an easy win.
The problem was how to provide her with that mana.
Transferring mana from one person to another didn’t exist in this world.
“Where am I supposed to get mana from… Ah?! Are you going to give me one of those precious mana stones?”
“Are you crazy? Using mana stones, a strategic resource, for this purpose is illegal.”
Mana stones are stones that emit mana and are considered strategic resources in the Empire.
They require imperial approval to use because of their potential military applications.
Of course, permission wouldn’t be granted for a duel, and we don’t have the financial resources to waste on something so valuable.
“Then how am I supposed to get mana?”
“There’s one source. A being that generates and emits mana.”
“Do you mean a spirit? To get mana from a spirit, we’d need a spirit mage. There are very few in the Empire, and I don’t know any…”
“There is one. Someone close by.”
“…?”
Sylvia looked bewildered.
Surprisingly, there is someone.
Quite close.
“What? A spirit mage? Me?”
“…”
Julia looked up from her book with a frown, clearly not understanding what I was saying.
That can’t be possible…?
“Didn’t you spend nearly the whole day in the library?”
“Staying in the library? That’s harsh. I was studying. You gave me so many books that I had no choice.”
“Then how is it you haven’t managed to control mana yet?”
“S-Sorry! I’m slow to learn!”
Julia turned away, yelling.
[Julia’s affection has decreased by 1.]
Of course, her affection dropped.
I didn’t mean to pressure her.
Ah, but it’s true.
Julia must immediately become a spirit mage by tomorrow morning before the duel.
‘This wasn’t part of the plan.’
Julia’s awakening was supposed to happen towards the end of Chapter 1, which was quite early.
In the game, even with limited resources, Julia progressed at that pace.
I expected her to be faster with all the resources I provided, but I was wrong.
‘The plan was perfect.’
The main idea was to use the spirits’ mana generated by Julia’s summoning, and then have Sylvia absorb it for the duel.
But things went off track from the start.
“Where are you stuck? Tell me.”
“Why should I tell you!”
“Because I need you to use magic sooner for my benefit. Now, speak.”
“Ugh. I managed to sense and feel the mana in my body, but whenever I try to manipulate it, it explodes and disappears…”
Julia explained, looking embarrassed.
Mana exploding and disappearing… That’s a mana surge.
It happens when someone has an excessively powerful mana core that generates too much mana.
‘It’s a common obstacle for prodigies at a young age.’
But this isn’t something that can be overcome with a simple trick.
Mana surges require time and familiarity with mana to control.
Even for a genius like Julia, this isn’t something that can be solved overnight.
“Eat well and sleep well. That’s all I can say.”
“What?! That’s no help at all!”
“It is. Stop insisting on sleeping alone. It’s not working.”
“Hmph. I slept without you last night, and I slept fine.”
“Tell that to your dark circles. Kids should sleep well to grow strong and useful.”
“…”
Julia’s face showed a flash of fear.
I could feel Sylvia glaring at me from behind.
I didn’t say anything strange.
Julia hesitated before looking up at me with wide eyes.
“Okay then. I’d like to take a nap now.”
“Why are you asking for my permission?”
“Because I need you beside me to sleep. Hold my hand.”
“…”
“Hurry!”
Julia grabbed my hand and placed it on her forehead.
Brat.
Sighing, I activated the skill, ‘Touch of Death.’
The air around us cooled, and Julia fell into a deep sleep.
“Hmm?”
“What is it?”
“Young master, just now, I felt a bit of mana returning. My mana core should have been damaged…”
Sylvia emerged from the shadows, puzzled.
Mana was returning?
Why?
Looking at Julia’s forehead, I realized.
‘Spirits are being made of mana. Killing spirits turns them into mana.’
I gained enlightenment.
All that talk about summoning spells and spirit language was unnecessary.
If I just killed spirits, they turned into mana. No need for complex rituals.
“Sylvia, come closer. Do you feel anything?”
“I feel the creepiness of you holding a sleeping child’s head.”
“Besides that.”
“Oh? Mana… It’s increasing…!”
Julia naturally attracts spirits, and my skill kills them, converting them into mana.
This is practically a perpetual motion machine.
“How much mana has returned?”
“About a quarter of my core is full.”
“Do you need more?”
“No. This is enough to deal with Leon. But young master, are you sure about this?”
“What do you mean?”
“Are you okay giving me mana?”
Sylvia looked at me with wide eyes, like a startled rabbit.
Why was she acting like this?
I’ve been doing odd things for a while now.
“You need to win the duel. For your sake and the family’s.”
“For the family…”
“Is there a problem?”
“…No. It was a slip of the tongue. Please forget it.”
[Sylvia’s affection has increased by 1.]
What? Suddenly?
Her affection had only ever gone down or up marginally. This was a first.
What caused it?
“Uhh, mom.”
“…?”
Julia’s tiny hand gripped my arm tightly.
“Mom… I’m sorry… Don’t be disappointed. I’ll do better. I’ll do better…”
“…”
Julia whimpered in her sleep, hugging my arm.
Was she awake?
No, just having a nightmare.
Even in sleep, she couldn’t rest peacefully.
Feeling sorry for her, I gently stroked her hair.
“You’re doing great. I’m not disappointed. Just do your best.”
“Mmm…”
She stopped trembling and her breathing became steady.
The problem was a new habit forming.
…If I stopped stroking her hair, she would start whimpering.
“What a handful.”
I sighed but continued stroking her hair.
Annoying, but also endearing.
When she’s asleep, she looks like an angel.
I wonder what kind of sick mentality one must have to think of tormenting such a child…