The Great Sword is not the Main Body!-Chapter 20: Loholan Village (3)

From then on, Lubyia and I spent the rest of the evening chatting away until the jelly bag was nearly empty.

We talked about the secret of my Giga Sense. Why Lubyia started to dislike people. The monsters I’d fought. The things Lubyia had gone through in her five years as a priestess.

Moreover, when she first led me to the blacksmith’s shop, she apologized for thinking I was teasing her, because she’d thought I was doing it on purpose.

I didn’t think much of it...

As we talked so much, the bottom of the jelly bag became visible.

"Miss Ailyn, little one! Have you had dinner?"

Hansel and Luchi came to find us.

"Little one...?!"

This jerk!

I glared at Hansel and shoved a jelly into my mouth in anger.

"Heh-heh... We haven’t eaten yet. Luchi, Hansel, haven’t you eaten either?"

"We were just about to eat. If you haven’t, that’s good. Want to join us?"

Luchi pointed to the shop behind.

"Stone plate steak? Sounds good. What do you think, Noah?"

"Hmmm...!! Mmm!"

I mumbled with the jelly in my mouth, nodding my head eagerly.

"Heh-heh... Yes. Let’s eat together."

Lubyia gently let go of my hand and stood up from her seat.

"Mmm... Mmm!"

Why... why did she let go...? What if a wizard shows up...!?

"Here, give me the bags."

While I was in a panic, Lubyia turned around and took the bags from my arms.

Then, she whispered into my ear.

"Hold my hand with one, and the greatsword with the other. There might be a wizard."

Lubyia! You’re not just a priestess... you’re a saint!

"Mmm, mmm!"

Since my mouth was full of jelly, I nodded with my whole body and took Lubyia’s hand.

Then, Lubyia’s fingers unfurled.

"No."

As usual, her fingers slipped between mine, sticky.

"This way, we won’t lose each other."

Maybe it’s because I hadn’t grabbed the hilt yet, or maybe it was because of Lubyia’s enticing whisper...

Her fingers, slipping between mine, felt like the sweetness lingering on my lips.

Like the soft texture of the jelly filling my mouth.

"Right, Noah?"

I couldn’t do anything but swallow that bliss.

"Yes, yes..."

"Let’s go quickly. You must be hungry."

"Yes... let’s go..."

"Keheh-heh-heh-heh! So, that manticore I...!"

The quiet restaurant was filled with Hansel’s loud voice.

Typical weird uncles who, when they drink, talk about how amazing they were in the past.

"Heh-heh! So, you’re saying you took down that manticore all by yourself?"

"Huh? I almost took it down alone!"

"Heh, ridiculous. Who cut its ankle tendons?"

"Luchi, you did, but didn’t I attract its attention in the front?"

"Stop boasting and do something else, man."

"W-What...?!"

Hansel’s forehead bulged with veins.

Wow... even though I’m seeing this with my Giga Sense, how much did those veins actually pop out?

"Ha... everyone. Let’s calm down... and finish our meal first."

Lubyia sighed deeply and began cutting her steak.

So, what am I doing?

"Alright, little one. Who do you think did better?"

"Noah. No matter how I look at it, I don’t think it was that idiot."

I’m the fair judge of these childish fights between the uncles.

"Well... the finishing blow was by Hansel, though... especially the manticore. Its bones were tough, right? Breaking them, so... I think Hansel won this time."

I admit, breaking the manticore’s skull was impressive. That’s something no one with a one-handed sword could try!

"Keheh-heh-heh-heh! Luchi! You lost this one! Drink up!"

"Heh, I will."

Luchi drank the huge cup of alcohol, which was as big as my torso, all at once.

They’d already drunk about six glasses each by now.

"Alright, Noah. Aaah-"

"Aaah- Mmm."

Mumbling-

Mmm, delicious.

Thanks to the uncles fighting so loudly, the leftover meat was all gone between Lubyia and me.

"By the way, if you want to learn how to use a sword, you’ll need a new one."

Luchi, having drunk bravely, wiped his mouth and spoke.

"Ah, that’s true. What’s the right size?"

Lubyia also wiped the sauce from her mouth and set down her fork and knife.

"Well, would you like to try my sword first?"

Lubyia nodded and took Luchi’s sword.

Then...

"Whoa-!"

She dropped the sword immediately.

"Mmm-!"

I barely caught the sword. Phew.

"Thank you, Noah... But... it’s heavier than I expected?"

"Heh-heh-heh... Yeah, my sword’s heavier than it looks. Looks like... you’re not much for strength, huh?"

"Yeah... I’ve never trained in this area..."

I patted Lubyia’s back meaningfully.

"Then, a wooden sword would be better."

Luchi nodded and started mumbling about the size, weight, and appearance, going into all the details.

"Little one. Which one do you think looks cooler, a sword or a halberd?"

Hansel quietly came up to me and asked me to choose between a sword and a halberd.

Without a second of hesitation, I said.

"Both are lame. °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° The greatsword is the coolest..."

"Mm?"

Luchi, who had been mumbling, stopped and looked at me.

"Heh, really?"

Hansel, who had been bent over, straightened up and looked down at me.

"Yeah... the greatsword is the best... I’m the strongest."

A brief silence.

Then, it was Luchi who broke the silence.

"Then, how about deciding which weapon is better with a spar?"

"Mm, good idea."

"Yeah, I’m fine with that..."

"Yes...?"

Another silence.

This time, it was me who broke it.

"On one condition... don’t use your unique abilities."

"You know about our unique abilities? Definitely, we should do it that way."

"Mm, good idea."

"Noah...?"

I patted my chest as I looked at the flustered Lubyia.

"Ailyn, watch carefully. See how strong I am..."

"Keheh-heh-heh-heh! I’ve noticed, little one’s got guts!"

"I hope it’s not reckless."

"Wait... What’s going on...?"

Hansel and Luchi packed up and got ready to leave their seats.

I, too, stood up, holding Lubyia’s hand tightly.

And then, all three of us said at the same time.

"Let’s go."

"Let’s go!"

"Let’s head out."

"Why fight after dinner...?"

Hah...!

"Nice words... pretty Ma-al..."

"Ha... Noah, you shouldn’t say that. Now, let’s get out of here."

"Yes, yes..."

We left the restaurant and headed toward a wide open space.

The source of this c𝐨ntent is freёnovelkiss.com.

On the outskirts of the village, outside the monster-prevention fence.

We settled there.

"Alright, one of you has to go up by default. Since the first place is the only thing that matters."

"Mm, good idea."

"So, what should we do?"

"What’s to decide? Let Noah go up by default."

"Mm, very good idea."

Me?

Why?

I tilted my head.

"Little one, aren’t you the weakest? So it’s only right you go up."

"Yeah, we have more real combat experience, so this is a handicap."

Heh.

They’re completely underestimating me...?

"Heh, don’t regret it..."

I gritted my teeth and stepped back.

"Noah... do you really think you can win?"

"Yes. I’m... I will definitely win. No, I have to win."

For the honor of the greatsword...!

"Sigh... Okay. Just don’t get hurt. I’m behind you, so even if you get hurt, I can heal you, but... still, don’t get hurt. Understand?"

Lubyia gripped my hand tightly.

I also held her hand firmly in response.

"The rules are simple. We fight within 100 meters, and stop before inflicting fatal damage. That should be enough of a clear distinction."

"Mm, good idea. But you’ve only got one eye, can you even see it?"

"Well, it’s possible that the bald head is too blinding to see."

Creak-

Hansel gripped his halberd’s handle like he was going to break it.

"Keep your eyes safe."

The atmosphere shifted.

Swish-

Instead of Luchi’s voice, the swords answered.

"I’ll count."

 Luchi’s sword was horizontal to the ground.

 Hansel’s halberd was vertical to the ground.

 Their bodies vanished.

The empty open space echoed with sounds that were almost impossible to believe.

I focused my Giga Sense in one direction and drew the battle’s information in my mind.

Hansel’s halberd was violent.

Luchi’s sword was fluid.

The violence crushed the fluidity.

The fluidity restrained the violence.

The sword flowed.

From right to left.

The halberd rose.

From below to above.

Hansel struck first.

The halberd extended upward and deflected the sword.

But the sword’s movement didn’t break.

It continued.

The sword, rebounding upward, flowed diagonally.

Its trajectory bathed in moonlight.

Kaang-

The halberd’s handle snuffed out the moonlight.

The ensuing halberd strike.

A horizontal slash from left to right.

The sword, thrown far away, could not stop the halberd.

But it didn’t falter.

It spun, retrieving the sword.

Soon, the sword was gripped in reverse.

The sword pressed to the waist.

The halberd hit the sword’s edge.

The sword flowed.

Luchi’s movements were fluid.

Not rebounding, but flowing.

After the horizontal slash, there was a gap in Hansel’s defense.

Luchi didn’t miss that opening.

In reverse grip.

A thrust upwards from below.

Hansel gritted his teeth and contracted his muscles.

A force that ignored inertia pulled the halberd toward him.

Crunch-

The sound of muscles tearing rang out as the sword that had been rising from below pierced the ground again.

The halberd’s handle slammed into Luchi’s abdomen.

Luchi’s body leaned backward.

At the same time, he reached out and planted his hand on the ground to stabilize himself.

Hansel relentlessly pursued.

His battered muscles contracted again.

Blood sprayed from his arm.

Hansel didn’t stop.

The halberd swung diagonally.

Luchi swung his sword.

The battle continued.

Violence gripped fluidity.

Fluidity resisted violence.

Hansel threatened Luchi’s life.

Luchi wore down Hansel’s stamina.

Clang-

At the end of the chaos, the sword and halberd met.

Hansel stretched out his right arm.

Luchi spun his body and deflected the blow.

Luchi’s body turned.

Hansel stopped in his tracks.

The sword came down from above.

Moonlight embraced it.

The halberd rose from below.

Blood scattered.

Steel met steel.

Violence met fluidity.

The beast and the hunter collided.

The beast’s claws shredded the hunter’s body.

The hunter’s trap...

Caught the beast by the neck.

"You lost."

It landed.

Hansel’s declaration of defeat.

Hansel’s blood streamed down his neck.

Luchi’s blood.

"Shit... even if I win... hack... spit... I didn’t really win..."

It soared toward the sky.

The hunt was over.

Ah... was it pointless to fight after all?