BSS 48

Chapter 48

“People’s hearts are like reeds, you know. And come to think of it, that guy is so annoying that I don’t feel like yielding to him.”

Leo bristled at being pointed at so directly.

He seemed even more full of himself than yesterday—probably because he thought all the adults were on his side.

“Did your mind change overnight?! You coward!”

“No? I said from the beginning I didn’t want to duel.”

“Just admit it! You don’t think you can beat me. That’s why you keep avoiding my challenge!”

[Master, those three are all in it together. They really want to see you lose miserably.]

Rai whispered quickly.

Listening to him somehow made him sound sly. Well… he is a snake.

“Whoa, calm down, Leo.”

…What? The Knight Commander was calming Leo down? Didn’t he want me kicked out of the delegation?

“A duel is something sacred. It must follow proper rules.

If the two of you fight fairly over the right to participate, I will serve as the judge.”

There it was. Transparent old man. That was basically silent pressure telling me to accept the duel.

I’d said no like ten times already—he was completely ignoring it.

“I am a highly reputable knight, so I am more than qualified to judge.”

“I guess I don’t know what ‘reputable’ means.”

“Is it a tradition for mages to tuck their tails and run when it matters?”

“I’m a spirit contractor, actually.”

“Same thing.”

It is not the same, you idiot!

More than anything, what pissed me off most was lumping spirit contractors together with mages.

Spirit contractors are not a type of mage! It’s a completely separate ability!

“Face me, Ginny Crowell! For my honor, I will duel you!”

“Sigh…”

“I’ll beat you! And reclaim my honor!”

If Leo and I dueled, we would both be bound to accept the outcome no matter what. Whatever was wagered had to be surrendered.

Not even the king could overturn the result. That was what this world called honor.

A duel was a battle waged on honor itself.

Honor was as precious as life; anyone who didn’t value it was treated like a dead man walking.

I didn’t stake my life on pride or honor… or at least I thought so. But being disrespected was something I really hated.

Congratulations, Leo—you succeeded in getting on my nerves.

“What do you even gain from fighting me? A spot in the delegation?”

“I’ll restore the pride that you damaged!”

“Did it not occur to you that it might break even further? I see now how little you think of me.”

I did have a speck of pity for Leo. A tiny bit of understanding, too.

Even if he was eliminated from the delegation for political reasons, if he beat me he could regain his status and honor.

But too bad— I had no intention of losing.

“Fine, a duel ends when one person yields or drops their weapon, right?”

“Yes! Now you’re talking!”

“Not really. I just realized you won’t stop pestering me unless I deal with you.”

“You never stop running your mouth! Pick up your weapon, Ginny Crowell. It’s a duel!”

And you never stop yelling.

If I had to do this, I might as well finish it quickly.

“A weapon… Are we doing it here?”

This was my first duel ever.

I looked around. Even though the dining hall was wide, it felt cramped now with all the kids who had gathered to watch.

When did this become a whole spectacle?

People must have taken my glance as a signal, because tables and chairs were immediately pushed aside.

Soon, only Leo and I stood in the center of the empty hall.

People in this world really love watching fights. Maybe because it’s part of daily life.

“Nothing in the way now! Pick up your weapon!”

Drawing your weapon marked the start of the battle.

A mage would use a staff, but spirit contractors didn’t have such things.

I looked at the faces around us.

Excited delegation kids, knights, and the only ones who looked worried—Hansen and Philo.

They clearly assumed I’d lose.

If only Teacher Iritho were here—she’d call this a pointless duel and stop it. But she had gone to the Mage Tower for warp preparations.

Maybe they planned this timing on purpose.

Either way, no one seemed willing to intervene.

A cold world. If you stayed quiet, people trampled you.

“Ginny, if you look weak, they’ll step on you. Become strong.”

I suddenly remembered Anel’s advice.

She had been the only woman in the Shavel Mercenary Corps, yet she was never belittled—always confident, never pushed around.

Anel chose to protect rather than be protected.

And she could do that because she was strong.

“I don’t like fighting… but I really hate losing.”

I walked slowly to the corner where a large glass water jug sat.

It was clear, heavy, and full of clean water.

Almost too clean to waste like this.

While I was staring into it, Leo got irritated and shouted:

“What are you doing?! I said grab a weapon!”

“This is my weapon.”

“That’s a water jug, you idiot!”

“We’ll see who the idiot is.”

People didn’t understand spirit contractors. That ignorance was my weapon too.

“Undine.”

With the Shavel Mercenary Corps, I’d learned something: you didn’t have to call a spirit out loud.

If I strongly wished for Undine to come, she would appear—anywhere.

Thinking was enough to summon her.

Whether all spirit contractors could do this, I didn’t know.

“Watch closely. This is a spirit.”

I only spoke aloud for show—pure showmanship.

I wanted everyone to see what a spirit really was.

To teach the ignorant.

[Master.]

As I smiled, the water inside the jug shot straight upward.

Ignoring gravity, the rippling water gathered and formed into the shape of a transparent mermaid.

With a soft wave-like sound, Undine swooped above my head.

I’d only recently learned this too: when there was no nearby water, Undine appeared from the air; when water was available, she used it as a medium.

And of course, using water as a medium consumed far less mana.

“Wow…”

“What is that?”

“I know! It’s a water spirit!”

A mermaid made entirely of water floating in the air was a rare sight—beautiful enough to be mesmerizing.

Cheers erupted nearby—mostly kids.

While I enjoyed their reactions, Leo apparently found it unbearable and charged forward with a battle cry.

“Hyaaaa!”

So impatient. Yes, the duel had technically begun now that my spirit appeared.

With his gauntleted fists raised, Leo charged, and the people who disliked me watched eagerly.

I’d learned to distinguish peaceful air from the beginning of a fight. Compared to monsters, Leo was nothing.

“Begin!”

The Knight Commander announced the start in a rush. Shouldn’t he have paused us first?

Too late—Leo was already sprinting.

The spectators probably wanted a flashy show, but I had no intention of giving them one.

No plans to lose pathetically. No plans to trade blows dramatically either.

I was a lazy person who valued efficiency above all.

“Undine—Water Breathing!”

At my whisper, the remaining water in the jug shot toward Leo like an arrow.

He flinched, but the water moved freely, wrapping tightly around his head before he could resist.

Simple. A neat sphere of water formed around Leo’s face.

“Wha—glub!”

Leo tried to say something, but his words drowned inside the water.