Chapter 15 1+1 is 2 after all
{TL: By Creed}
"Guildmaster, this result is not possible!"
They seemed to think Sofia was a bad match for them, so in desperation Lector appealed to Aizen.
"A-rank Sigurd losing to that useless slave is impossible! He must have cheated!"
"That's right, it's so unfair! I can't believe it."
Both of them insisted that I cheated.
In response to that, the Guildmaster's reaction was...
"Then you two can fight."
"What!?"
Did he just say something outrageous!?
"Well... does that mean we'll have another mock battle, is that alright?"
"Yeah, that's how it's going to be. You could even fight against Stuart together if you want."
"No, no, no!"
What is Aizen deciding on his own?
It's my problem, so I wish they wouldn't continue without me.
"Guildmaster... what are you saying without asking for our opinions?"
Sofia asked with a scary smile.
Her hand extended halfway to the hilt of her sword.
Seeing that, Aizen hurriedly explained as if making an excuse.
"W-wait, I have my reasons for this."
"Reasons?"
"Listen, both of you."
Aizen spoke quietly to us away from Lector and Mira, so they couldn't hear.
"They are stubborn, you know. If we leave them alone, it might become troublesome in various ways."
"Specifically?"
"They might say Stuart cheated, or that I showed favoritism. Stuart doesn't have any acquaintances among the adventurers, right? Some might believe bad rumors about someone they don't know. If that happens..."
"It would indeed be troublesome."
"That's why we should gather many adventurers here and turn it into a public mock examination. With many witnesses, no one will believe their claims. Besides, their reputations will be ruined, and they won't be able to say anything foolish."
"Couldn't we have done that from the beginning?"
"The mock battle was decided suddenly. I'm actually arranging witnesses in secret right now. I tried to let them watch midway, but the mock battle ended faster than I thought. Next time, they will watch from the beginning."
"I understand the reason, but why should I face both of them at the same time?"
"It's better to crush them completely. It's more straightforward that way. Also, other adventurers will recognize Stuart's strength if he defeats both of them."
"But facing both of them..."
"It's fine. Fate can handle it. Those two seem decent, but they're still below Sigurd. If Fate, who overwhelmed Sigurd, faces them, even if there are two, they won't be enemies."
"Alright, I get it. If Sofia is saying so, as a man, I can't back down. I'll show them."
"Yes, I'm cheering for you."
"Don't flirt at a time like this."
Aizen said with a somewhat exasperated expression.
――――――――――
One hour later.
Around thirty adventurers had gathered at the training ground, and preparations were complete.
There was a concern that Lector and Mira might protest against having an audience, but...
"Hehe, with this many spectators, it won't be possible to cheat. I'll make him regret tarnishing Sigurd's honor by using tricks."
"I won't let it end easily either. I'll make him suffer, and even if he begs and kneels in apology, I won't forgive him."
In fact, they seemed highly motivated.
They probably thought they could embarrass me in front of everyone.
Two against one.
A little nerve-wracking, but...
I'll believe in Sofia and do my best.
"Are all three of you ready?"
"Yes."
"Yes, no problems."
"Hahaha, I'll finish this in seconds."
I held my wooden sword.
Lector and Mira also readied themselves.
"Alright... begin!"
――――――――――
"Th-this is... absurd. This can't be, it can't... it must be a dream, a bad dream."
"Lies, lies, lies... There's no way I could lose to such a useless person... Seriously, it's impossible... it's a lie."
Lector and Mira were lying on the ground.
They couldn't get up, and their faces were twisted in pain.
The one who ended up in seconds were Lector and Mira.
Lector was the first to move.
He held a wooden short sword in both hands and threw one while running toward me.
The tactic was to attack with the other sword while I dodged the first one.
However, I had predicted that completely.
Moreover, it was remarkably slow.
After avoiding the attack, I struck Lector in the side with the wooden sword.
As he staggered in pain, I delivered another blow.
As soon as Lector fell, I quickly moved to aim for Mira.
Mira had used a wide-area attacking magic.
Lector confronting me, while Mira finishes with a powerful large-scale magic.
Her chanting speed was fast enough to allow such a tactic.
But I had also anticipated that tactic completely.
Even though she used wide-area magic, its power was not significant and concentrated enough. So, I charged without stopping.
"What!?" Mira was taken aback, and I struck her with the wooden sword and pushed her into the ground.
That was the main flow of events.
From the start of the mock battle, it took just ten seconds.
"W-why did we..."
"It's as if our minds were being read..."
Read our minds? Lector and Mira had used that tactic countless times in front of me.
We had been together for five years, so I had almost memorized their tactics and understood their fighting habits.
Their inability to realize that was probably the reason for their defeat.
"Hey hey, those guys finished in seconds. They put on a magnificent act."
"Are those guys really 'Flare Bird'? Are they secretly comedians? making me Laugh so much..."
"Haha, it's possible. If that's the case, they've made me laugh quite a bit. They might have a talent for comedy."
"Grrr..."
Hearing the comments of the adventurers who had been watching, Lector's face turned bright red.
"It's invalid!!!"
He suddenly shouted.
"This match is invalid! There's no doubt this guy cheated! Otherwise, there's no way we would lose... yes, this can't be happening!!!"
"...Lector says that, but what do you guys think?"
Aizen, who served as the referee, asked those around him without making a judgment himself.
The adventurers who had been chuckling just a moment ago suddenly put on serious expressions.
"They didn't cheat. I heard they even checked beforehand, and during the mock battle, nothing seemed strange. I'm willing to bet my adventurer life on it."
"Besides, there's no need for them to cheat. That guy over there... uh, is it Stuart? His strength is unbelievable. We couldn't even see his swordsmanship."
"The difference in strength is huge. There's no reason to cheat. It's simply a difference in skill."
"T-this is..."
Lector looked shocked and slumped down, unable to argue any further.
However, Mira didn't seem to give up, and flames of anger gleamed in her eyes.
"But, but, this can't be happening! We're two against one, and still... isn't it strange!?"
"No, that's the truth."
Sofia stepped forward.
"Fate's power, if we were to quantify it, is a hundred. However, both of you are only worth one. Even if two of you join forces, it's just two. To face Fate, it's overwhelmingly insufficient."
"Ugh... th-that's..."
"Ugh... this is unbelievable..."
Seemingly unable to argue further, Lector and Mira hung their heads.
"Guildmaster, it's about time for the judgment."
"That's right."
Aizen took my hand and raised it high.
"The winner, Fate Stuart!"
TL Note: It's finally over right? They aren't clowns but rather zombies.
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