Summoned by the Heretics – Even in Another World, the Zealot Who Worships Death Remains an Outcast - Vol 3 Chapter 59

“You want to increase your hand-to-hand combat training?”

The scene shifts back in time to the inn.

A few days had passed since the organization was defeated, and Sukui was teaching Horo some academic skills.

Horo had no formal education to speak of. Born into a life of slavery in a mining town, he had never had the opportunity to study. Yet, knowledge and culture can be even more valuable than raw combat ability.

Sukui often held not only training sessions but also study sessions.

Horo picked things up quickly; he had already mastered basic arithmetic and was beginning to understand fractions. Sukui felt it wouldn’t take much longer for Horo to reach the academic level needed to attend a noble school in this country, a goal Sukui had set for him.

“Yes, I tend to rely too much on magic in combat,” Horo admitted.

He had just solved a fraction multiplication problem and was consulting with Sukui, who was grading it.

“Indeed, Horo-san’s abilities are very specialized in magic,” Sukui replied.

Horo’s magical prowess far surpassed that of an average mage. Within the framework of magic, Sukui thought, Horo was superior. His rock magic, honed through rigorous training, was formidable—its power, precision, and attack range were unmatched. Even though it wasn’t on par with his rock magic, Horo’s fire and water magic had also improved, and the magma magic he used in the battle against the organization boasted lethal capabilities.

Furthermore, the blessing of the Goddess of Love granted him an effectively limitless amount of magic power.

Incidentally, Sukui himself had far less magic power than an average person. However, since his immortality magic didn’t consume magic power, he never felt the lack and didn’t pay it much mind.

“Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Horo-san is small and lightly built. While this doesn’t mean you can’t improve your hand-to-hand combat skills, it might not be worth investing too much effort given the required labor.”

Of course, basic physical strength and stamina training were already part of Horo’s regimen. However, learning martial arts or combat techniques on Sukui’s level would take an immense amount of time, and it would be a long road before he could use them in actual combat.

“For example, even with knife techniques, Horo-san could achieve similar results with magic, so I don’t think it’s necessary to spend extra time learning them,” Sukui added.

“That’s true, but…” Horo replied, not entirely convinced.

“What I realized in the last fight with the organization was that having a variety of techniques gives you a significant advantage in real combat. That’s why I’d like to have non-magical combat methods at my disposal.”

Sukui considered Horo’s opinion. He had a point. No, he was absolutely right. In the battle against the organization, Horo had exhausted his massive reservoir of magic power, even with the added amplification from the blessing. If he ran out of magic power, he’d be left defenseless—a situation that could easily occur again in the future.

“I see. It’s true that having multiple strategies is important,” Sukui admitted, stopping Horo from continuing.

“However, learning martial arts from scratch would be time-consuming,” Sukui noted.

In fact, Horo was already studying martial arts at a basic level. His foundational physical training also covered the basics of martial arts, and he had already learned some combat movements. However, he wasn’t yet at the level of truly mastering any techniques.

“Do you think it’s too difficult, then?” Horo asked, wondering if he was aiming too high too soon.

Sukui thought it over.

“No, while it may not be easy to fully master a martial art, if you just want to prepare for alternative combat methods aside from magic, there are ways we can go about it,” Sukui replied with a plan in mind.

And so, at the Aquitaine estate—

Horo announced that he would fight without weapons or magic.

“Forgive me, but…” The Duke of Aquitaine looked perplexed. Sukui stepped in, stopping the Duke mid-sentence.

“If it’s impolite, it would be best left unsaid.”

For a brief moment, the Duke recalled the knight who had been thrown back earlier. It could be taken as a threat. But in reality, the Duke was more concerned about Horo’s safety. He knew Horo mainly fought with magic. For him to go into battle bare-handed, and against multiple opponents, no less—it was questionable whether this would even count as a fair match.

Sukui refused to entertain such doubts. Essentially, he was saying, “Don’t underestimate us.”

“Then, let’s do it this way,” the Duke proposed, cutting short his musings. “A one-on-one duel with my knight commander. If a girl can defeat the strongest man in my knights’ order with her bare hands, then perhaps it would be fair to call my knights nothing but decoration.”

“That’s a good idea,” Sukui agreed.

“And furthermore,” Sukui added, “it would be entertaining to use real swords for such a duel, though that would make judging the winner and loser challenging.”

“Hmm,” the Duke pondered, agreeing with Sukui’s reasoning.

Since this wasn’t a slave show, he couldn’t ask them to fight to the death. Nor could he say that the match should end if someone lost their weapon. Horo, after all, was a young, seemingly delicate girl, and a fistfight wouldn’t present a pleasant spectacle.

“So, let’s do it like this.”

The knight commander would win if he could touch Horo. Horo would win if she could make the knight commander lose consciousness.

The Duke widened his eyes at this proposal.

“Seeing a grown man hitting Horo-san would not look good, and considering the difference in size, if the knight commander can manage to touch her, that would likely mean Horo would lose in a real fight. On the other hand, even without magic, Horo has no way to defeat the knight commander with a single strike.”

Thus, the requirement was set: Horo had to decisively defeat her opponent.

The Duke of Aquitaine, already known for being difficult to please, was left speechless by Sukui’s increasingly demanding conditions for Horo’s victory.

“And of course,” Sukui added, “the knight will be permitted to wear his armor. It would be disrespectful to disregard an item provided by the Duke of Aquitaine in his presence.”

“That is…” the Duke started, but Sukui clapped his hands, cutting him off.

“Now then, let’s begin immediately! Duke, please give the necessary orders to your knight.”

“Ah, yes,” the Duke replied, slightly taken aback. He clapped his hands, and a figure who appeared to be the knight commander emerged.

Clad in full armor with his face hidden by a helmet, the knight’s appearance was more ornate and imposing than the other knights.

“Reasonable size,” Sukui murmured, observing the knight commander take his place opposite Horo.

It was like comparing an adult to a child—he was almost a head taller than Kama, making him an exceptionally large man. And he was armored, further amplifying the weight difference between the two.

The Duke of Aquitaine seated himself in one of two chairs prepared near the duel, prompting Sukui to take the other seat.

“Shall we begin, Your Grace?” Sukui asked politely.

“Yes,” the Duke replied.

Everyone present briefly tensed, expecting Horo to show some annoyance at Sukui’s disregard for her by asking the Duke’s permission rather than hers. Yet Sukui remained remarkably calm.

Horo understood that in this kind of contest, there was no formal signal to start; her opponent could strike at any moment. Even if the knight commander attacked suddenly, she wouldn’t complain.

“Begin!” the Duke announced.

The knight commander took an aggressive stance, lowering his body with arms spread wide—a posture designed to capture her by sheer force rather than relying on a simple touch that could be avoided given their size difference.

In contrast, Horo didn’t adopt a stance. Sukui had taught her that, in certain situations, not taking a stance could offer advantages, like concealing her initial intentions. Though a proper stance could improve her response time, Horo respected Sukui’s teachings and chose to forgo one here, displaying a sense of pride that Sukui found endearing.

For a brief moment, they measured each other’s intentions.

“Begin!”

At the Duke’s signal, the knight commander lunged at Horo. His stance allowed for a quick, full-body charge, aiming to overwhelm her rather than attempt a simple touch that she could dodge.

The Duke of Aquitaine and Sukui both appreciated the knight’s judgment, as adapting to these unconventional rules with such decisiveness showcased his experience.

However, Horo dodged him with a quick step back.

“Oh, she dodged first,” the Duke muttered, admiring her, while Sukui didn’t react; he’d predicted this move and found it unsurprising.

Even so, it was a move beyond the capacity of an ordinary girl—or even most grown men. Sukui knew that Horo’s combat training was far from ordinary.

What impressed the Duke even more than her evasion was her method. The knight commander had reached out with both hands, aiming to grab her head, leaving his torso exposed. Had she crouched to avoid him, she could have slipped in and struck his unguarded body. However, if she’d tried that, he would have likely overpowered her.

Horo didn’t fall for the bait and pulled back calmly.

“I see, it’s not just magic she’s skilled in,” the Duke remarked, while Sukui remained silent, as if saying it was only natural.

This quiet confidence in Horo slightly irritated the Duke.

Horo was quick to act again.

As the knight commander’s hands sliced through empty air, she turned her back to him.

“That’s the way,” Sukui murmured approvingly.

Both the Duke and knight commander realized her intent immediately: escape.

Horo didn’t have the knight commander’s stamina, but that only applied if he weren’t weighed down by his armor. If Horo kept her distance and made him chase her, he’d tire first. Then, it would be easier for her to bring him down.

“Don’t let her get away!” shouted the Duke, urging the knight commander forward. Without waiting, the knight commander charged after Horo.

Sukui allowed himself a slight smile as he watched.

Without looking back, Horo also smiled.

The next moment, she vanished from the knight commander’s sight.

“What…?”

The knight commander, who had lunged forward, let out a gasp.

Then came the loud clang of metal striking metal.

He couldn’t process it—not because he didn’t understand what he saw, but because he could no longer perceive it.

A louder metallic sound echoed as something struck forcefully. Before he could recognize that it was coming from himself—

He collapsed.

“An impressive choice,” Sukui praised as he stood up.

Horo’s attack had been a reverse spinning kick. She bent forward, placing both hands on the ground, and kicked backward in a spinning motion. This move turned the vulnerability of exposing her back into a tactic, luring her opponent to pursue recklessly. She then spun, planted her hands, and delivered a roundhouse kick, followed by a second kick using the same momentum.

“Hah…” Horo took a breath.

This technique allowed her to compensate for her small frame. By using her legs, she extended her reach and amplified her striking power. The rotation added even more force. The handstand posture, lowering her head, enabled her to kick at a high angle, making it difficult for an opponent to counter.

Sukui believed that, while teaching Horo comprehensive martial arts would take time, mastering a few surprise techniques like this one would significantly enhance her combat abilities. This was her alternative strategy beyond magic.

“I also taught her another technique,” Sukui noted, “where she could lure her opponent to chase her, then suddenly reverse and slip in to knock them down. She made the right choice by opting for this one.”

“Considering the size difference, trying the other move could have ended with Horo getting overpowered,” the Duke replied calmly.

“What do you think?” Sukui asked. “Some of your knights may doubt Horo-san’s abilities, but she’s certainly—”

“That’s indulging her,” the Duke interjected, cutting him off.

“Indeed, Horo-dono is strong. But who set the stage to perfectly accommodate her technique?”

The most important factor in using a surprise move like Horo’s is creating the right conditions for a decisive strike.

In this case, the rules had been set to maximize her chances, misguiding her opponent and allowing her to exploit the situation.

“The setup was yours, Hero-dono. While Horo’s technique is excellent, she still needed this stage.”

“Heh,” Sukui chuckled.

Despite the unexpected outcome and the previous violence, the Duke fearlessly assessed Sukui.

“It seems you’re more capable than your reputation suggests,” Sukui remarked.

“Reputation means little,” the Duke replied, reassessing Sukui.

Though he believed close bonds could be both an asset and a risk, he recognized Sukui’s exceptional ability to nurture a girl’s potential. It wasn’t just strength, but skill in diplomacy as well. The Duke, who had intended this match as a spectacle, realized he’d been unwittingly drawn into Horo’s combat training.

High abilities, if mishandled, could become dangerous assets. Even a tool must be handled with care.

Ignoring the Duke’s musings, Sukui approached Horo, who had finished her battle.

“Excellent choice, Horo-san. Landing a second kick to the jaw in actual combat would be difficult.”

“I managed because I could predict his movements, but I don’t think I could do it twice…” Horo admitted humbly.

Sukui, proposing adjustments for multi-opponent combat, conversed briefly with her.

The Duke observed Horo’s hands. Her rigorous training was evident—not just in technique but in the wear on her hands, telling the story of her journey from a nearly-dead slave to a skilled fighter.

At the same time, he looked at the fallen knight commander.

“Indeed…”

Nothing but decoration.

For once, the Duke conceded defeat to Horo.