This was meant to be a battle devoid of all suspense!
At least, Malt had genuinely believed this until now.
When the first two individuals were sent sprawling, he dismissed it as their carelessness. He did the same for the young man instantly knocked back, attributing it to a similar oversight.
Even as dozens of his soldiers combined proved unable to faze Leya, Malt could still, remarkably, delude himself.
‘So she was a little powerful, wasn’t she? Fine, he conceded that much, but what did it matter?’
‘She was, well…’
‘She was just… that…’
‘She was merely a girl!’
‘Indeed!’
‘How could a mere girl possess such formidable strength?’
‘Moreover, a girl of such striking beauty—how could she possibly dedicate her efforts to such pursuits?’
‘What conceivable reason, then, did he have to suffer defeat?’
Emmmmm…
Yet!
Ideals, certainly, were beautiful.
Reality, however…
Was that he now stood with a sword pressed against him, his life hanging precariously in the balance, a single misstep away from oblivion! Damn it all!
“Then… shall we continue?”
“…………”
‘Continue?’
No, no, no—
‘We might desire to continue, but at the very least, you must first withdraw that blade, which radiates an ominous, chilling aura, before we can even consider it!’
Alas…
“Very well, I… it is I who have lost…”
As if Malt’s surrender had been the designated signal, the surrounding guards, observing the irrefutable turn of events, exchanged uneasy glances.
Their gazes, laden with complex emotions, flickered towards Malt. After a prolonged moment of wide-eyed silence, they collectively and without a word lowered their weapons.
Well then…
A resounding victory!
Witnessing this, Leya nodded, a look of profound satisfaction gracing her features.
Though…
“You… all of you… who gave you permission to stop? Hasn’t a single one of you fallen yet!?”
Debbie demanded, her voice laced with fury.
It was glaringly obvious to her that the guards had deliberately held back, conspiring with that individual!
‘Otherwise… how could it be that not a single person had been injured? To simply declare the fight over, and then cease all combat, made no sense!’
“…………”
The guards, at a loss, exchanged helpless glances, utterly unsure how to offer a satisfactory explanation.
After all, in the current predicament, the victor was undeniably clear! It was obvious that anyone who dared to charge would meet their end. The opponent possessed the power to dispatch Malt with a single strike, yet they had been deliberately concealing their true strength, toying with them like performing monkeys.
Though a burning resentment simmered within everyone, making them long to rush forward and teach Leya a harsh lesson, still…
‘But even for the most fundamental act of vengeance, one had to consider the overwhelming disparity in strength, didn’t they?’
‘To speak of revenge against an utterly insurmountable foe—what was that but a blatant embrace of death?’
‘And even setting aside such considerations…’
‘A person capable of wielding such power…’
‘Realistically, wouldn’t that imply at least [Lv4] strength? A grand deity of the [Twelve Pillars] caliber, worshipped like a god throughout the entire kingdom—that was a realm far beyond the comprehension of mere mortals like themselves, wasn’t it?’
Even Harvey, who had been silently observing the unfolding events from the sidelines, began to sense that something was profoundly amiss.
‘This entire affair was growing increasingly bizarre, heavens above!’
‘How had things devolved to this current state?’
‘He had only intended to flirt with a pretty girl…’
‘Who had he possibly offended to deserve this?’
‘Furthermore, wasn’t this utterly humiliating?’
Tsk, tsk…
Of course, what would truly shatter Harvey’s composure was still to unfold…
“Darling, look… just look at what they’re doing! Aren’t they clearly in league with her?”
[Pfft—]
Alright, alright, alright…
‘In league with her, Goddamn it, they were in league with her…’
‘This wouldn’t do. If he continued this charade, his entire lifetime of good reputation would be utterly ruined today.’
While it wasn’t entirely beyond his means to escalate the situation—to directly order troops into the city, for instance—
‘But good heavens, to resort to such measures over something so trivial? Upon his return, his father would surely flay him alive!’
Alas…
Thus, a swift decision was made: if he wasn’t playing, then he simply wasn’t playing.
Yet, Harvey then turned his thoughts inward, considering once more…
‘This, it seemed, wouldn’t do either.’
‘This woman, Debbie, was utterly exasperating. If he simply abandoned her and walked away, what would prevent her from spreading malicious rumors about him everywhere?’
‘Would he ever again be able to enjoy pleasant conversations and intimate chats with other beautiful young ladies?’
Emmmmm…
Thus, maintaining appearances was absolutely essential.
At the very least, he couldn’t allow this foolish woman to believe he had wronged her first, as that would undoubtedly lead to immense trouble.
After much deliberation and internal debate…
Finally, a sudden flash of inspiration struck him.
Casting a glance at Leya, Harvey quickly declared: “Excellent! You just stand right here and don’t move! I’ll return immediately with reinforcements!”