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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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The sparring match was decided rather suddenly, but it wasn’t entirely a bad thing.
I also wanted to check the prosthetic’s performance.
Testing it in a real battle was an option, but…
It could lead to serious injuries, even death.
Plus, as Cluna said, Yuren and Bayard were too strong and could potentially destroy the prosthetic.Sparring with Helia didn’t seem like a good idea either and Ruby was on guard duty.
So, the most suitable opponent was, without a doubt, Clara.
The sparring match took place in the fortress courtyard.
I slowly moved my fingers.
Was it because of the combination of Dwarf technology and Cluna’s magic?
It moved smoothly.
Cluna had mentioned that it could actually weaken someone with superhuman strength.
But I was on the weaker side, so it wouldn’t be a problem.
On the contrary, there was a chance it could make me stronger.
A punch from a steel fist would hurt more than a regular punch.
“Ready?”
“Yes, Commander. I’m ready.”
“Alright, let’s go.”
We started the sparring match with simple wooden weapons.
The first to surrender or draw blood would lose.
I held my wooden sword and looked at Clara.
She said,
“It’s already been a year, Commander.”
“Since we rebuilt the Royal Knights?”
“Yes. Honestly, I didn’t believe in you back then.”
“That’s understandable.”
“You’re still a sneaky bastard.”
Despite my consideration in choosing my words, she called me sneaky.
I didn’t know what she meant, but for now, testing the prosthetic’s performance was my priority.
“Let’s begin!!!”
With Yuren’s energetic shout, the sparring match began.
I immediately charged forward but at that moment, I saw it.
Clara, retreating.
She wasn’t running away.
Her hands, which had been holding a wooden sword, were now equipped with a wooden bow and arrows.
They were practice arrows with blunt tips, but…
A direct hit could still knock me out, so I had no choice but to use Time Stop.
The world turned gray in an instant.
Only I could move.
Clara’s arrow was already right before my eyes, aimed at my neck and forehead.
If I got hit and fainted, I would lose all my authority as commander.
I quickly assessed the situation and dodged the arrow by a hair’s breadth.
At the same time, I charged towards Clara.
Then, Time Stop ended.
“As expected, Commander… You’re so fast!”
“It’s like you teleported.”
“I didn’t expect you to get hit by that!”
Clara said it as if she had expected it, but honestly, if it hadn’t been for Time Stop, I would have been hit.
Her surprise attack was that good.
A knight who wielded both sword and bow?
Cluna had even said that Clara’s archery skills surpassed her own.
She had a bright future ahead of her.
I swung my steel fist at Clara.
But she twisted her body and dodged my attack and then, she drew her bowstring, not from a distance, but at close range? She was going to use a bow in close combat? 𐍂ÄＮÔ฿ÊȘ
She had guts.
I pulled back my steel fist and held it up like a shield.
Fortunately, my steel fist easily deflected Clara’s arrow.
It was only natural, considering it was a practice arrow.
“It’s hard. But can it withstand this?”
“Uh…”
Clara kicked my prosthetic arm, creating distance, and nocked another arrow.
A blue light emanated from the arrow as she touched it.
Instinct or not, it looked dangerous.
I tried to stop her, but it seemed like she took it as a challenge.
She shouted,
“As you wish, Commander! I’ll use my full power!!”
“….”
That’s strange.
I never asked her to use her full power.
How did she come to that conclusion?
I was baffled, but I had to react.
I had no choice.
If I got hit by that head-on, I might actually die.
I hoped Yuren or Cluna would stop her, but they didn’t.
Don’t tell me they think I’m strong enough to handle it?
I desperately hoped that wasn’t the case and stopped time.
The world turned gray again, everything frozen in place.
Now, what to do about this?
I crossed my arms and thought.
The best option was to make her surrender.
To do that, I had to show her overwhelming power.
Of course, that would only strengthen the misconception that I was strong, but it was better than losing my authority as commander after getting hit by an arrow.
I felt a brief sense of unease and hesitated, but I quickly snapped out of it.
First, I grabbed the arrow flying towards me and took it outside the fortress.
Should I bury it?
I considered it, but if it exploded, the other members might notice.
The best option was to break the arrow in half.
I grabbed the arrow and snapped it in two.
Then, I placed the pieces far apart, just in case they exploded.
After that, I released Time Stop.
I couldn’t emphasize this enough.
Presentation was key.
How things appeared to others mattered.
As long as I disguised it well, I could get away with anything.
Time Stop ended.
Clara looked around frantically for her arrow.
I purposely opened my fist, which had been clenched the whole time.
Something fell to the ground with a thud.
It was the broken arrow pieces.
I had been holding them in my fist as a precaution and now dropped them in front of everyone.
Clara was flustered.
“M-My full power… neutralized so easily…”
“Want to try again?”
“…No, I lost.”
She smiled weakly and shook her head.
I finally let out a sigh of relief.
For now, I didn’t have to worry about my authority as commander.
Suddenly, I felt a strange sense of unease.
Why was I so concerned about my authority?
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[I want to be acknowledged.]
That was the fundamental desire that drove Clara.
Growing up under Cluna’s protection, she had naturally followed in her mother’s footsteps.
But Cluna, wanting Clara to be safe, had urged her to stay out of trouble.
That frustrated Clara.
She knew her family was gone.
That was why Clara wanted to be Cluna’s strength, to protect her mother.
That desire grew into a need for acknowledgment and that need intensified after meeting the commander.
Her desire to be acknowledged by her mother had transformed into something else.
She didn’t even know what it was.
[I want to be stronger.]
[But I’m still too weak.]
[Can I become stronger here?]
Her sole desire burned brightly.
Even her peers, whom she considered equals, were surpassing her.
She felt like she was always standing still, alone.
Anxiety gnawed at her.
So, she trained relentlessly, pushing herself to her limits.
Her efforts even surprised Cluna.
She had acquired her own unique weapon.
[This is…?]
[Mom, how is it? The new power I gained…!!]
[…This will be unstoppable.]
Clara’s talent lay in archery.
She possessed an overwhelming talent that surpassed even Cluna’s.
That was Clara’s strength, and that talent, combined with her burning desire, had created a monster.
It wasn’t simply about enhancing arrows with mana.
It was the power of her ancestors, capable of piercing through anything.
A power bordering on the legendary artifacts of the elves.
A power only accessible to elves who had undergone rigorous training and received the World Tree’s blessing.
Clara had achieved it with talent alone.
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Though unstable now…
With a little more effort, alongside Ruby, she had the potential to become one of the Royal Knights’ strongest assets.
Yuren shuddered at the growth of her juniors.
Her hands trembled.
Strong.
Potential.
Undeniably so.
But why? Why was she feeling this jealousy?
It was a good thing for her comrades to grow stronger.
Why was she so uneasy?
Yuren forced herself to swallow those emotions.
Cluna was also awestruck by that power, but she was even more surprised by the commander’s response.
She knew he was strong, but to subdue the power of an artifact, even if unstable…
What was the commander’s true identity?
Could he really be… the First Hero’s…?
Cluna quickly shook her head.
That was impossible.
Yes, it had to be.
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