Chapter 48: The Moonlit Duel

The alleyway was far more complex, a maze-like tangle of paths.

After wandering through it for quite some time, I finally arrived at a spacious area.

Thankfully, the boy I had been chasing was there, slumped over on a small wooden box.

In the silence that enveloped the space, we met for the first time.

The boy seemed oblivious to my presence, muttering something inaudible under his breath.

Not even a glance in my direction. Clearly, something was off.

Even as I approached him, there was no reaction.

Frowning, I looked down at the ground.

A glass bottle, reflecting the moonlight, was rolling around, leaking an unidentified liquid.

His vacant gaze, slack body, and occasional incomprehensible mumbling made it obvious—he was under the influence of some hallucinogen.

I picked up the glass bottle and sniffed it.

From a distance, I hadn’t noticed, but up close, the pungent, acrid smell hit me hard.

For him to come to a place like this in the dead of night to consume it, this substance was likely illegal.

It seems that, no matter the world, some things never change.

As I pondered in silence, the boy began to stir.

His limp body tensed, and his bleary eyes started to regain focus.

Suddenly, he jolted in surprise and stumbled backward.

“W-Who are you?!”

I smiled faintly at the boy’s reaction.

This situation might be more advantageous than I thought.

A boy secretly consuming illegal substances out of sight—if this secret were exposed, he’d find himself in deep trouble.

“Had a nice dream?”

“What…?”

He feigned ignorance, though belatedly.

I rolled the bottle toward him.

The glass clinked softly as it rolled and stopped at his feet.

He gasped, his eyes flickering nervously.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“That thing would cause a lot of trouble if someone found out, wouldn’t it?”

“I don’t know what that is,” he said, his demeanor turning hostile.

His aura shifted, becoming sharp as a honed blade, and his once-vacant eyes began to shimmer faintly with moonlight.

I raised both hands in a placating gesture.

“Relax. I’m not planning to tell anyone what I saw.”

“Go ahead and tell them. No one will believe you anyway.”

“Hmm…”

He had a point.

Who would believe a random adventurer claiming the champion of the swordsmanship tournament had been caught intoxicated, slumped on the ground?

I wouldn’t have believed it either.

But what if I didn’t mention him specifically? Perhaps I could report this place instead, noting its suspicious nature.

After all, there were several glass bottles strewn about, likely used for the same purpose.

I decided to change my approach. Calming my voice, I began to speak.

“Look, I don’t mean any harm. I just stumbled in here by accident.”

I took a step back with a gentle smile.

I knew how people typically perceived me.

My bright demeanor often drew goodwill from others, even soothing those in foul moods.

And this boy, barely an adult, was unlikely to be an exception.

As expected, his sharp hostility softened.

“What brought you here?”

Though his tone was still wary, there was no malice in his gaze.

In fact, there was a subtle fondness that reminded me of boys my age back in the village who would bring me gifts.

It was… mildly uncomfortable.

After a brief pause, I spoke slowly.

I couldn’t directly ask him to teach me swordsmanship.

After all, the Radiance of Elune was a sacred technique exclusive to paladins.

“Could you show me your swordsmanship?”

“My swordsmanship?”

“Yeah, I saw you win the tournament. It was incredible.”

“Hmm…”

The boy visibly relaxed further, his voice losing its edge.

It seemed he had finally let his guard down.

“I’m a swordsman too, and I feel like I could learn a lot from you.”

I lightly touched the sword strapped to my back as I spoke.

The boy gave a faint smile and nodded.

The wary expression he’d first worn had entirely disappeared.

“I see… so that’s how it is.”

“Will you show me?”

“What will you give me in return?”

At his question, I glanced silently at the numerous glass bottles scattered on the ground.

Then, with a subtle look, I turned away and spoke.

“Hm… If you don’t want to show me, that’s fine.”

“Wait…”

“What?”

“Where are you planning to go?”

“I was thinking of heading back to the inn.”

“And after that?”

“I’ll probably leave this city.”

The boy hesitated briefly at my answer, his expression conflicted.

After a short moment of deliberation, he finally spoke the words I had hoped to hear.

“If I show you my swordsmanship, will you stay here longer?”

“Maybe.”

“Fine. I’ll show you.”

“Really?”

“Tomorrow. Come here at this time, and I’ll bring my sword.”

If all that was needed was a sword, I already had one.

I gestured to the blade strapped to my back.

“You could use my sword.”

“One cannot demonstrate perfect swordsmanship with an unfamiliar blade.

Besides, your sword looks shorter than the one I use.”

“Hm…”

I nodded, accepting his reasoning, and turned to leave.

Just as I was about to go, the boy’s voice called out again.

“Your name?”

“It’s Seris.”

I flashed him a small smile before disappearing into the maze of alleyways.

As I walked back to the inn, I realized I hadn’t asked for his name, but it didn’t matter much to me.

The next evening, the promised time approached.

The alleyways, bathed in soft moonlight, were as silent and empty as the night before.

Would he keep his word and show up?

I made my way back to the clearing, navigating the maze-like paths with ease this time.

When I emerged into the open space, I saw him there, leaning against a wall with his sword at his side.

I hadn’t noticed him enter, which meant there were likely multiple routes leading to this place.

“You’re here,” he said.

“Hello.”

“I realized something important yesterday.”

“What’s that?”

“That I didn’t tell you my name.”

It wasn’t particularly important to me, but it seemed to matter to him.

With a serious expression, he introduced himself.

“Foldrin. That’s my name.”

“Foldrin,” I repeated.

Foldrin hesitated for a moment before speaking again.

“Shall I show you now?”

“Yes.”

At my reply, he nodded, a flicker of nervousness crossing his face.

Then, with a determined expression, he began his demonstration.

The dull-edged practice sword he wielded wasn’t sharp, but the movements it traced were precise and deliberate, as if drawing the soft glow of the moon itself.

I watched intently. The techniques were familiar, reminiscent of what I’d seen during the tournament.

But observing them up close gave me a better understanding—how he controlled his breathing, how he maintained strength through each motion.

The sequence consisted of ten distinct moves.

The slashes and thrusts I recognized were merely transitions between more intricate actions.

When Foldrin finished his demonstration, he steadied his breathing and turned to me with a question.

“How was it? Did you learn anything?”

“Quite a lot, actually.”

I replied to Foldrin’s question as I drew the sword strapped to my back.

The blade, forged from Crodium, gleamed faintly under the moonlight, its seven engraved stars coming to life as the light played across its surface.

Watching the sword, Foldrin muttered softly, “That’s a fine sword…”

“Want to spar?”

“Me? With you?”

“Yeah.”

Foldrin frowned slightly, as if reluctant, but didn’t outright reject my proposal.

Truthfully, I wanted to ask him to demonstrate more of his swordsmanship, but merely watching might raise suspicion.

It was better to learn through direct engagement.

Thus, our sparring session was unexpectedly set.

While I wielded a sharpened sword, Foldrin seemed unbothered. His confidence in his skill was evident.

“Your stance is impressive. How long have you been practicing swordsmanship?”

I hesitated briefly before answering.

If I combined all the time I’d seriously trained, it would amount to just under a year.

“About a year.”

“I’ll let you have the first move.”

I didn’t decline Foldrin’s offer.

With a quick dash, I closed the distance and swung my sword.

Since it was just a sparring match, I refrained from putting full force behind the attack.

As my blade carved faint starlight through the air, the tip of Foldrin’s sword moved subtly, creating a soft glow reminiscent of moonlight.

Clang!

Stars and moonlight collided, scattering a delicate shimmer of light in all directions.

I immediately transitioned to my next move.

My sword arced through the air in a peculiar trajectory, and for a moment, three stars seemed to rise simultaneously.

But just as they appeared, a radiant beam of moonlight surged up from below, erasing the stars.

Beyond the glow, I caught sight of Foldrin’s face.

His expression was one of genuine surprise as he stared at me. A faint smile crept onto my lips.

It seemed he had underestimated me.

The brief exchange continued, a flurry of blows and counters.

I swung my sword with all my effort, but it wasn’t enough to secure victory.

My blade was deflected to the side, and a cool sensation brushed just beneath my chin.

It was Foldrin’s blunt-edged practice sword.

“I lost…”

After admitting defeat, we continued sparring a few more times, but the outcomes didn’t change.

It wasn’t surprising, considering I focused more on observing Foldrin’s swordsmanship than the matches themselves.

Even if I’d concentrated entirely on the sparring, the result would likely have been the same.

Foldrin’s raw skill in swordsmanship was far superior to mine.

“That’s enough for today,” Foldrin said, glancing up at the sky. He seemed to be gauging the time by the position of the moon.

I asked him, “Will you be here tomorrow?”

“If you show up.”

“Then, see you tomorrow.”

Returning to the inn didn’t take as long as I’d expected.

As soon as I reached my room, I began practicing the techniques I’d observed and stolen from Foldrin.

It would take quite some time to execute them perfectly, but simply familiarizing myself with the movements seemed achievable in just a couple of days.

Two more days, and I could leave this city.

A faint smile played on my lips.