Volume 1 Chapter 19 Interlude ~iron Lion~
While Randy and the others were entertaining Elizabeth's parents... they were in a small tavern located in a corner of the town. The adventurer party known as [Iron Lion], one of the most famous in the Dukedom, was in the middle of an unusually quiet feast.
The reason, of course, was Randy and Ian's match.
"What the heck is up with that young guy...?"
Ian, taking a big gulp of ale, covered his face and hunched over, saying, "That's way too scary."
When Randy brought in a huge log, Ian even thought, "Is he underestimating me?"
It looked like a complete super heavy weapon. It was slow, but there was no doubt that a single hit would be heavy. Ian considered blocking it with his shield or dodging, but he chose to dodge and counterattack.
To put it simply, it was arrogance. No matter how long or big it was, the speed of the hit coming from that weight was limited. So, dodging was the better option. This was the arrogance born from his past experiences.
Of course, he wouldn't let his guard down while fighting and was focused on facing Randy. Still, his pride wouldn't allow him to fight with serious gear against a wooden sword.
As an adventurer, he had been through many tough situations. So, he aimed to dodge that heavy hit and finish it with a counter. Ian was fully focused, determined not to miss the start of Randy's technique, but... the result was instant defeat.
Measuring strength. Having a match. This was a difference in power that was on a whole different level. Randy's unimaginable strength was beyond what even high-ranked adventurers like Ian could measure.
"Does it seem like using a shield won't work?"
The voice came from Sarah, a female adventurer who served as the team's scout. She was sipping her ale, and Ian glanced at her and shook his head silently.
"That speed and weight... Even if I could react, I'd probably get blown away with the shield."
What Ian was looking at was his trusty shield, which had blocked many attacks until now. He couldn't believe that a sturdy yet light shield would lose to a log. He was confident that a log wouldn't even leave a scratch on such a high-quality shield.
However, the difference in skill between the users was too great.
No matter how sturdy the shield was, it was still held by Ian. He didn't feel confident that he could fully take Randy's hit with his whole body.
This was also true when it came to deflecting attacks with the shield. Since he couldn't react to Randy's hit, he didn't have the confidence to perform a move that would deflect it. If he could do anything, it would be to quickly slide the shield between his body and the wooden sword.
And that would still lead to Ian getting blown away. He couldn't even imagine stopping a super heavy hit without being in a proper stance.
"Do you think it would be impossible even if we fought as 4?"
At Shaun's words, a male cleric, Emma, who was next to him picking at some meat, looked at Ian with interest.
"My buffs and healing magic, I'll strengthen you to block a hit. We'll have Sarah distract him while Emma hits hard..."
What Shaun described was the [Iron Lion]'s specialty pattern. They had defeated many strong enemies with this teamwork, making it a reliable way to fight, even if it was basic.
Ian felt the expectation of a confident strategy, but he quietly shook his head.
"Did anyone see Sir Randolph's movements?"
Everyone shook their heads quietly. With just that one line, they all understood what Ian was trying to say. They must be pretty smart to get it so quickly.
They couldn't see Randy's movements. This meant that no one had a way to defend themselves from Randy's attacks.
Buffs?
Distract him?
Hit him with magic?
It was impossible. Right from the start, the rearguard was blown away. Ian, who turned around in a panic, got crushed, and in the end, Sara was blown away too. The image of that scene flashed in everyone's minds, and they shivered at the same time.
"And even if we did manage to buff ourselves..."
Seeing Ian's pale face, Shaun dropped the meat he had speared with his fork, saying, "No way."
"You, who got my buff, should be able to push back a troll, right?"
Ian just shook his head, looking even more pale.
"After that, Mr. Harrison let me hold a wooden sword. It was so heavy, I was scared."
Ian took another gulp of ale and let out a big sigh.
"That weight at that speed. Plus, with his height and speed, a troll is no different from a goblin."
"Seriously?"
Shaun gulped hard, and this time he dropped his fork from his hand.
"Maybe we should call him the 'Red Battle Demon'..."
Shaun's murmured words made the 3 nod in agreement.
"He probably wouldn't lose to S-rank guys."
"Not just that, I think the current so-called S-rank wouldn't even be a match."
The two guys were getting excited, and the two girls joined in.
"So, what about the 'Sword Saint' who was called the strongest back in the day?"
"What about 'Black Flash'? I heard he was amazing."
"The 'Sword Saint' is one thing, but 'Black Flash' is way too old, right?"
"I think it's fine. ...Romance is important."
In the end, they were all adventurers. They couldn't resist legendary tales and heroic stories, especially if those heroes were their predecessors.
As they continued their pointless discussion comparing Randy to past heroes...
"But, doesn't it make you curious?"
Sara, holding her ale tightly, looked around at the 3 faces.
"Why is he so strong?"
"Well, that's..."
"Yeah."
"...Right."
Each of them had different responses, but it was clear that everyone was interested in Randy's otherworldly strength.
"Guys, I have a suggestion..."
With a smile, Ian began to talk about their future activities.
"After this job is done, how about we come back here again?"
"Train in the Beast Forest?"
"It won't pay, you know?"
"Actually, it might not be that bad. The truth is──."
Ian started explaining to the 3 that Harrison was looking for people to hunt beasts. Randy's clever request to Harrison seemed to be greatly piquing their interest.
The night had just begun... their passionate discussion continued for a while longer.
Please bookmark this series and rate ☆☆☆☆☆ on here!
Donate me
Support Me with USDC
(ERC20)
Support Me with XLM
(Stellar Lumens)