Free Web NovelChapter 54: The Bossy Hero versus the Lazy Hero
When Victor and Philipe started walking, each to one side of the training ground, Aria looked at Rufie, concerned about the situation unfolding in front of them, and Rufie nodded, understanding what Aria wanted to do.
"Philipe, you know that’s not necessary. We’re colleagues, and we don’t need to settle our differences with duels," Aria argued, approaching Philipe while opening her arms to gesture.
Philipe shook his head negatively. "Duels are a tradition in this world, and if Victor also wants to be treated like someone from this world in the future, he needs to start understanding that. This will be a lesson for him." fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm
Victor shrugged at Rufie’s attempt to convince him not to duel.
"Philip started it, I can’t go back. Besides, it won’t be a real duel. It’ll just be a demonstration of skills." Victor replied.
Eadric and Roy watched the scene with concern, but when Eadric seemed inclined to say something, Roy said:
"Let them get on with it. Maybe that will help Philipe and Victor."
"What do you mean?" Eadric was confused.
"Philipe is undoubtedly the fastest to adapt to this world of all the heroes summoned. At first, I thought he was waiting to be summoned from the other world, but no, now I believe he was the one who understood the weight of the responsibility of being a hero the quickest and accepted it. So if he loses to Victor, it will be proof to himself that he’s not as good as he thinks. And if Phillipe wins, Victor will have to come to training earlier. There are no disadvantages here."
At that moment, Eadric looked at Phillipe and Victor with slightly raised eyebrows and analyzed them. fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm
Aria and Rufie seemed to give up trying to argue quickly, both convinced by Victor and Philipe’s initial arguments. They retreated to a safe distance to watch the fight.
With their positions firmed up, Philipe and Victor stood at attention on the training field.
Philipe held his sword firmly. The expression on his face was serious and focused. He had the posture of a classic knight.
Victor, on the other hand, looked relaxed, and almost as a mockery he put his sword in front of his back and his left hand behind him, as if he were imitating a fencing practice pose.
"Shall we begin?" asked Philipe.
"Go ahead, I’m ready."
So Philipe was the first to act and thus showed everyone that he would take a totally different stance from when he fought Aria. He advanced quickly, raising his sword in a downward attack position.
Victor retreated a few steps to gain some time to assess his opponent’s posture.
Despite Victor’s retreat, Philipe caught up with him quickly and struck the first blow with his sword.
Any rational person would have blocked Philipe’s blow, but Victor wasn’t someone who followed the traditional method of fighting to the letter. So, instead of blocking, Victor dodged the blow, moving to the right, and thanks to this risky decision he almost had his arm hit by Philipe’s wooden sword, but managed to come out unscathed.
The spectators watched in fascination, as Victor’s move wasn’t perfect but he managed to completely break Philipe’s plan with such an apparently simple action.
Philipe was startled, because at that moment he was caught off guard. He had no chance of dodging or blocking an attack coming from his side in this pose.
When Victor raised his sword to attack Philipe in the middle of all this dodging, he overbalanced slightly with his footwork and stumbled, falling on his butt on the ground, which frustrated everyone watching.
"You lost the first round." Philip pointed his sword at Victor’s neck as he stood up and said.
Watching from above, Roy and Eadric had a good view of what had happened, so Eadric looked at Roy and said with a weak, almost relieved smile:
"Now I understand what you said about Victor’s peculiar way of showing off his talents. Perhaps if he tried a little harder..."
Roy nodded positively. "Yes, as I said, Victor is talented, just like all the summoned heroes from this other world who talk, but make no mistake, Victor is hard-working."
"What? But the others..."
"Eadric, that’s your name, isn’t it, acolyte?" Roy asked and the blond-haired boy agreed. "Well, Eadric, you shouldn’t judge the world based on what people say or claim, you should see it with your own eyes. And in my opinion, Victor is the hardest working of all the heroes here."
Eadric looked more confused, so as Victor and Philipe walked to opposite sides of the pitch again, Roy explained to him what he meant.
"Every day, from Sunday to Sunday, since these four heroes arrived at this temple, after morning and afternoon training, Victor has been in the library for at least eight hours."
"Eight hours every day for the last six months? Why?"
Roy shrugged. "I don’t know, I’ve never asked him directly. But you want to know my opinion? I believe that Victor thinks he’s the least combat-talented of all the summoned heroes. In the last year, eight of them have awakened extraordinary magical abilities, others have learned unique skills with weapons or discovered unique talents, whether in leadership, like Philipe, or perseverance, like Aria."
Eadric put a hand to his chin. "He’s trying to make up for that difference with knowledge."
"It’s a possibility. Learning about the cities, kingdoms, languages and history of this world will give him a considerable advantage, but for now, none of it will be of any use to him."
With Philipe and Victor once again positioned on opposite sides of the training ground, the tension between them was palpable.
Despite having won the first round, Philipe knew that the only reason he hadn’t been beaten was because Victor had been a little inattentive with his own feet and he knew that this time he couldn’t underestimate his opponent, so he adopted a defensive stance this time.
"Ready to try again?" Philipe asked with his eyes fixed on Victor.
"Sure, let’s go."
In the end, the sixty-year-old Priest Eadric no longer even remembered who had won that training fight between Philipe and Victor. So, in his study, he closed his diary, massaged his temples and said to himself:
"Forget it, old man. It’s impossible that the man you saw today is that young hero, after all, Hero Victor disappeared many, many years ago."
