Vol 4 Chapter 48: Sparring with an Elf

The morning in the Elven village was serene, with sunlight filtering through the trees, casting a beautiful pattern on the houses and the ground.

Farmers were busy with their work, and children played outside. This idyllic scene reminded me of the village I once lived in, filling me with a wave of nostalgia.

Our mission, given by Queen Ramielle, was to investigate the Elven village. The vague nature of this task led us to decide last night that each of us would interact with the Elves to gather information. However…

“Well, now, what should we do?” Nina muttered, tilting her head slightly.

Lena, Alice, and I exchanged silent glances. With Kaguya and Fana-san acting separately, the four of us were left to try engaging with the Elves. Still, an invisible wall seemed to stand between us and them.

The Elves observed us from afar, their gazes wary and unapproachable. Some even regarded us with outright contempt, making it all the more uncomfortable to approach them.

Repeating Nina’s question in my mind, I could only think, What should we do? Then, unexpectedly, someone broke the silence.

“Hey, human—let’s spar.”

The atmosphere froze at those few words.

The speaker was an Elf, her tone sharp and hostile. She had silver hair cut at her shoulders and piercing eyes that radiated confidence. Her slim dress clung to her form, emphasizing her curves. This was the same Elf warrior who had detained and interrogated me yesterday.

Her sharp gaze carried hostility, and she tossed one of the wooden swords she held to my feet. Even though it was just a wooden sword, the intensity in her eyes made it feel like a challenge to the death.

Caught off guard, I stared at the sword, unsure how to respond. Seeing my hesitation, the Elf smirked and spoke again, her tone dripping with mockery.

“What’s wrong? Are human men so cowardly that they run from women? I thought human swordsmen were worth testing, but I see now—you’re just a spineless wimp. Hah!”

Her taunts were clearly intended to provoke me. Truthfully, I was reluctant to spar with a woman, even with wooden swords, but…

“Shin, just go for it,” Lena said firmly.

“A debt’s a debt—you’ve gotta repay it!” Nina added with a grin.

“Hah… Looks like there’s no chance for peaceful exchanges at this rate,” Alice sighed.

Their voices carried trust and encouragement, giving me the push I needed. I couldn’t let them down.

Smiling faintly, I stepped forward to face the Elf warrior.

“All right, let’s spar. But are you sure? You’re an archer, aren’t you—”

Recalling how she had drawn her bow at me when we first met, I couldn’t help but wonder if swordsmanship was her specialty. However, before I could finish, she cut me off with a sharp snort, gripping her wooden sword with practiced ease.

“I may use a bow, but don’t think for a moment that I’d fall behind in swordsmanship. Instead of worrying about me, you’d better focus on yourself.”

Her sharp retort dismissed my concern entirely.

“Understood. Then I’ll give it my all. My name is Shin—magic swordsman of the White Lightning party!”

I declared my intent and picked up the wooden sword, gripping it with both hands.

“Tch. Just hearing a human’s name makes my skin crawl, but fine. If I’ve issued the challenge, I’ll give you mine. I’m Grace, warrior of the Elves—and I’ll settle the score.”

Grace glared at me sharply, her eyes like those of a predator stalking its prey. While I wasn’t entirely sure what “score” she was referring to, I assumed it had something to do with yesterday’s interrupted interrogation.

I hadn’t forgotten her rough treatment either. Though it hadn’t been entirely unpleasant, it left me with mixed feelings. More importantly, this was my chance to confirm something.

“Please, go easy on me,” I said with a slight bow, gripping the wooden sword.

“I won’t hold back,” Grace replied curtly, her sharp gaze measuring my stance.

Since being expelled from my party, I’ve fought countless opponents: dragons, slimes, goblins, golems, succubi, and more. But I haven’t crossed blades with another person since my duel with Kaguya, back before she became an ally.

Even before my expulsion, I had trained diligently with the sword. Afterward, I worked even harder, honing both my swordsmanship and magic. Now, I wanted to know—how far had I come? How would I fare against another skilled opponent?

“…Here I come!” Grace growled, signaling the start of our match.

Exhaling sharply, she lunged forward. Her wooden sword was held in a reverse grip, the blade pointing backward. While I’d seen Nina and Kaguya use similar stances with short knives, it was rare to see this technique used with a longer blade.

Focusing intently, I tracked her movements. As soon as she entered striking range, she swung her sword upward, aiming for my shoulder—a swift and precise attack.

I caught the motion and tilted my sword to intercept. The clash of wood-on-wood echoed as I blocked the strike. Her speed was impressive, but her attack lacked weight, suggesting her technique prioritized agility and surprise over power.

For a moment, our blades locked. Grace grinned, taking advantage of my momentary distraction.

Releasing her grip with one hand, she smoothly switched her sword from a reverse grip to a standard one. Using my force against me, she disengaged and leapt back. Then, spinning on her heel, she launched a powerful overhead strike.

The sound of her blade cutting through the air sent a shiver down my spine.

Though off-balance, I twisted my body and raised my sword horizontally to block. The sharp sound of wood colliding echoed once more.

As I swung my sword upward with full force to regain my stance, she seemed to anticipate it. With light, deft footwork, she leaped backward, tapping the ground as she widened the distance between us.

Fast and nimble. Just as I had suspected, the warrior before me was undoubtedly skilled.

If ranked by guild standards, she could easily be at least an A-rank.

—But, even without support magic, I could see her movements. And my body was just barely managing to keep up.

“Shin! Do your best!”

“Don’t lose, Shin!”

“Keep at it!”

The voices of Lena and the others cheered from the sidelines. But their shouts weren’t the only ones filling the air.

“Grace! Show them the strength of the Elves!”

“Don’t let that scrawny guy beat you!”

When had it happened? A crowd of adult and child Elves had gathered around us, cheering just as loudly for Grace. At this point, it felt almost like a contest between our two races.

Ignoring the voices around me, I kept my gaze locked on Grace. Her beautiful, stern expression showed no signs of distraction as she stared straight back at me.

Grace stood at a distance, twirling her sword with fluid movements that seemed like a dance. She spun it from one hand to the other, even passing it behind her back.

At first glance, her movements looked unnecessary. However, they made it nearly impossible to predict where her attack would come from.

Carefully observing her, I noticed the moment her sword stilled in her left hand. Without hesitation, I kicked off the ground, the earth tearing beneath my foot as I charged.

Even without support magic, my strike was swift and powerful. I aimed it at the sword in her left hand, bringing my blade down in a decisive arc.

In that instant, her sword vanished—or rather, it floated.

My strike, its target gone, sliced through empty air. Grace, now holding the sword in her right hand, swung it horizontally toward my torso.

Her unexpected move left me stunned. “—What?!” I gasped, my eyes widening in disbelief.

Her movements defied every swordsman I had faced before.

I raised my sword to block her strike, but her blade glided along mine as though slipping away. It shifted downward, aiming for my legs.

I leaped to avoid it, dirt scattering beneath me. Yet, her wooden sword came from below in a sharp, upward arc.

I stepped back to evade, but as though she had anticipated it, a clump of dirt flew into my eyes. My reflexes forced my eyelids shut.

For a single, fleeting moment, my vision was gone.

When I reopened my eyes, Grace had vanished, like a phantom disappearing from sight.

“Where—?!”

I felt the flow of air, the unmistakable presence of killing intent. It came from behind.

Spinning around, I raised my sword just in time to protect my head. The heavy clash of wood-on-wood echoed as Grace’s blade collided with mine.

She had moved behind me, either by leaping or dashing, and launched her attack.

“Well… You managed to block it. For a human, that’s not bad—hmph.”

Her words were laced with condescension as she sneered. Even as our swords remained locked, Grace taunted me, then leaped back to create distance once more.

I had the advantage in strength, but her speed and unpredictable movements were formidable.

“I’m not done yet… Here I come!”

Grace charged forward, her expression calm and confident. Her attacks came from the right, left, above, and below, all flowing together in one continuous motion.

I followed her blade with my eyes and felt its trajectory with my instincts, barely managing to block each strike.

Even so, pained grunts of “Tch!” and “Ugh!” escaped my lips as I struggled to keep up.

“What’s wrong? All you can do is defend!”

Her taunt rang in my ears, her confidence growing as though she had already claimed victory.

But I noticed two things. Grace’s attacks, while fast, lacked a decisive blow. And my eyes and body were slowly adapting to her movements.

If so, then I only needed to aim for one thing.

Her swordplay grew fiercer, almost like a dance. It felt as if she were pushing to corner me, yet something about her movements seemed rushed.

I blocked a diagonal slash, dodged a sharp thrust, and followed her movements as she leaped.

She spun mid-air, turning to face me, and with both hands gripping her sword, she swung down with all her might.

A final, decisive strike. —Now!

I sidestepped her blow, guiding it downward with my blade. The momentum pulled her off balance, disrupting her flawless movements for the first time.

“Hyaaah!”

With a sharp cry, I mustered all my strength and speed, swinging my blade straight toward her neck.

Grace’s eyes widened in surprise. “Shi—!” she gasped, her voice trembling.

Certain of my victory, I stopped my sword just before it struck her neck.

The wooden blade lightly tapped her skin. Grace flinched and clenched her teeth, opening her eyes to reveal a frustrated expression.

“Hah… hah… Phew. That’s… my win.”

With my breathing uneven, I announced my victory while still holding my sword against her.

“You did it!”

“Man, that was nerve-wracking!”

“No magic, just skill—impressive.”

My companions’ relieved cheers filled the air, followed by the sound of applause from the Elves around us.

The clapping wasn’t just for me.

“That human’s pretty good!”

“Onii-chan was amazing!”

“Grace-san was so cool!”

“That was a great match from both of you!”

The voices of admiration for both Grace and me swirled around, a mix of children and adults, Elves and humans alike. Their honest, heartfelt words warmed me.

As I stood there, slightly embarrassed but proud, Grace’s shoulders began to tremble.

“—Tch! Don’t think this means you’ve won for good…! N-next time—!”

Her voice, so full of confidence earlier, now quivered with frustration, fading toward the end.

“What?” I asked.

“Next time, I’ll definitely beat you!”

Her shout came suddenly, her eyes glistening with unshed tears as she pouted like a child. Turning bright red, she ran off.

Her pride must be strong—and she must hate to lose.

She was strong, but I won. Clenching my hand tightly, I reflected on the result and what I had learned about my current abilities.

And another thing—fighting without getting flustered against a woman. Though honestly, as long as there’s no seduction involved, I can manage… probably.

Watching Grace retreat, I silently thanked her for the invaluable experience.

As I considered sparring with her again someday, I walked back toward my smiling companions.

“Shin—!”

Lena spread her arms dramatically and started running toward me.

But before she could reach me—

“You were strong, Onii-chan!”

“That was so cool!”

“Hey, human! Spar with me next!”

“Human swordsmanship isn’t bad at all!”

I found myself surrounded by Elves. Their voices came one after another, and children tugged at my clothes.

Flustered, I wasn’t sure how to respond.