Chapter 107
Chapter 107
Ron Winterbell panted as he tried to raise his body once more.
“Still……. I can still do it.”
As he forced himself up, the blood pouring from his body gushed out even more violently.
Lux Winterbell simply watched the scene with an expressionless face.
“Ron. Stop being stubborn and accept your defeat. Isn’t it about time you learned to distinguish between recklessness and courage?”
Ron shouted angrily and grabbed his sword, but no strength went into his hand.
“That mouth……!”
Then came the intense pain that surged again.
He bit down on his lip as if resentful.
“Damn it!”
One by one, the spectators in the stands began to speak.
“Looks like the winner’s already decided.”
“As expected of Lux Winterbell. The greatest talent of Winterbell really is Lux Winterbell, isn’t it!?”
“Well……. There’s no way Ron Winterbell could beat Lux Winterbell. It was an impossible dream from the start.”
“Still, Ron Winterbell performed better than expected. Honestly, I thought the match would be decided not long after it began…….”
“It’s a shame. If his opponent hadn’t been Lux Winterbell, the result might’ve been different.”
“As expected of Winterbell. Somehow, all their children possess incredible talent.”
“That’s because they’re Winterbell. Their bloodline is special.”
After lowering his sword, Lux Winterbell turned his gaze toward Arkan Winterbell. It was a signal asking him to announce the result of the match.
Arkan Winterbell opened his mouth.
“The match is over. The winner is Lux Winterbell.”
The audience burst into applause and cheers.
Lux Winterbell approached his younger brother. Then, with a gentle smile, he extended his hand.
At first, Ron Winterbell tried to brush it away, but then he changed his mind and took his brother’s hand.
“Well done, little brother.”
“…Don’t say things you don’t mean.”
“I’m serious. During the match, I deliberately provoked you to get on your nerves, but inwardly, I was quite surprised by your growth. As your older brother, I feel proud.”
It didn’t feel bad.
Although I couldn’t defeat my brother, it became an opportunity to clearly confirm the gap between Lux Winterbell and me, and how far I had come.
My entire body was drenched in blood, but I let out a faint smile.
“One day, I will definitely cut you down, brother.”
Lux Winterbell burst into laughter as well.
“Hahaha. Good. I’ll sincerely look forward to that day.”
The two of us then left the training grounds like that.
The spectators who had been watching the scene seemed quite shocked. They already knew the Winterbell family was special, but just moments ago, the brothers had been swinging their swords as if trying to kill each other, and now they were leaving covered in blood, smiling—an utterly confusing sight to behold.
---
After the match between Ron Winterbell and Lux Winterbell ended, I immediately headed somewhere.
A knight who recognized me asked,
“……Aren’t you the youngest young master? What brings you here?”
“I came to see my brother.”
“Ah, I understand.”
The place I went to was the residence where Ron Winterbell was staying. In the past, I wouldn’t have even been able to enter, but the family’s knights treated me with great respect.
After entering the residence, I was guided by a servant toward the room where Ron Winterbell was resting.
Knock, knock.
When I knocked on the door, a voice came from inside.
“Who is it?”
The servant answered in my place.
“Young master, the youngest young master has come.”
“The youngest? The youngest came to see me?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“Tell him to come in.”
Without hesitation, I opened the door. Inside, Ron Winterbell was leaning against the bed, his entire body wrapped in bandages.
He looked at me and let out a faint chuckle.
“What brings you here, Ran?”
“Brother, I came to check on your condition.”
“You didn’t come all the way here just to mock this pathetic state of mine, did you?”
“Do you really think I’d come all the way here just to do something like that?”
“Well……. You’re not that kind of person.”
I pulled a chair closer and sat down beside him.
“Are your injuries alright?”
Even from a distance, Ron Winterbell’s injuries looked quite severe. Especially his chest—it looked like it had been deeply cut…….
“I’m fine.”
Just as he said, he seemed fine.
“Have you already received treatment?”
Ron Winterbell nodded.
“The family’s healer came by.”
The healers of the Winterbell Ducal Family boasted remarkable skill befitting the family’s reputation. Moreover, since they had selected top-tier healers for this friendly match, their level was even higher than usual.
Well, it made sense. With the children of each family gathered here, if someone were to die during a duel, it would cause absolute chaos.
I didn’t even want to imagine it.
If something like that happened, it would almost certainly lead to bloodshed, and if things escalated, it might even spark a war between families.
The Winterbell Ducal Family was called the strongest family on the continent, but the Helios Family was just as formidable.
Not to mention the Imperial Family.
“Their skill is impressive.”
“They even repaired most of my severed tendons. They said that if I recuperate for a few days, I’ll be completely fine.”
“In that case, I can proceed with peace of mind as well.”
Ron Winterbell spoke.
“Your next opponent is…….”
“It’s Sister Lin Winterbell.”
Ron Winterbell let out a faint chuckle.
“Of all people, you had to run into that one.”
“Do you think I’ll win?”
“……I don’t know.”
That was understandable.
Because Lin Winterbell was a monster.
“I will win.”
“…How can you be so sure?”
“Because I’ll make it happen.”
Ron Winterbell spoke like a dejected puppy.
“You still have incredible confidence. I don’t know. I thought I had that same confidence…… but the result turned out like this.”
“Is it really something to be so disheartened about?”
“……What do you mean by that?”
“To be blunt, you didn’t actually think you could defeat Second Brother, did you?”
Ron Winterbell shook his head.
“No. I thought I would win. More precisely, I tried to believe that I would. If he didn’t use mana, if we could compete purely with swordsmanship alone, I believed I could surpass him. But the result was miserable. I thought I had gained enlightenment, yet it seems I was nothing more than a frog in a well.”
“Aren’t you being too hard on yourself? You’ve more than proven your skill. I also gained a lot from watching your swordsmanship. So why are you the one criticizing yourself the most?”
“……Don’t feed me empty words.”
I felt irritated.
At his attitude of not understanding even when I spoke sincerely.
The person who had once been so arrogant and full of confidence was now only tearing himself down, and it was frustrating to watch.
“Empty words? Frankly, what would I even gain from saying something like that to you? I’m simply stating what I genuinely felt.”
“…Are you serious?”
“Yes. I am. Your sword has advanced to a level incomparable to before. You must have gained a great realization. In my opinion, it would be best for you to have confidence and continue carving your own path as you are now. This version of you doesn’t suit you.”
“Doesn’t suit me…….”
Ron Winterbell fell silent, pondering something deeply. Had he realized something from what I said?
I blankly watched him for a moment before quietly closing the door and leaving. He seemed more deeply absorbed in thought than I had expected, so I couldn’t just stand there waiting.
“Lin Winterbell, huh…….”
If I had to pick the one sibling I’d been most entangled with, it would be Lin Winterbell.
Since we had spent a long time together, we shared all kinds of memories.
That didn’t mean our sibling bond was strong or that we had any special affection.
What we felt toward each other was closer to a mix of love and hatred.
On Lin Winterbell’s side, the hatred might be stronger.
“I’m looking forward to it, Sister.”
---
The next day.
After making thorough preparations, I headed to the training grounds. Upon spotting me, Lin Winterbell curled the corner of her lips.
“You’re early?”
“You came even earlier, Sister.”
“You ready to die today?”
“……Pfft.”
“You’re laughing? You crazy bastard. What’s so funny?”
“Isn’t it funny how you’re running your mouth without knowing your place?”
A furious Lin Winterbell snorted and brushed her hair back.
“Fine. You piece of shit. I’ll take your head today. Begging for your life won’t do you any good. Got it?”
“Do as you please.”
With that, Lin Winterbell stepped onto the training grounds first. As I was about to follow, Cecil grabbed my sleeve.
“…Hm?”
“Young master.”
“Yeah, Cecil.”
“Please try not to get hurt too much.”
“Alright.”
Cecil took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the sweat from my forehead.
“I’ll be cheering for you from below.”
“Thanks.”
I stepped onto the training grounds.
From the stands, the roar of the crowd could be heard.
“Uoooooooh!!!”
Winterbell versus Winterbell.
To them, it was the most exciting match.
The fight between Lux Winterbell and Ron Winterbell had, in a sense, already been decided from the start, but this match was different.
Because the variable called ‘me’ had appeared.
When I first showed up, there was no information about me, so most people bet their money on someone from the Helios side—but that was no longer the case.
I had overwhelmingly defeated Ian Helios.
Until just a few months ago, I had been half-crippled and considered abandoned by the family. It was already strange that I even appeared in this tournament, but then I went and crushed the youngest of the Helios Family with overwhelming skill. Naturally, the evaluation of me skyrocketed in an instant. That was why this match had become a hot topic among gamblers. The Mad Wolf of Winterbell, Lin Winterbell, versus the Half-Crippled Ran Winterbell of Winterbell.
The odds were about 6 to 4, with Lin Winterbell at 6.
Sixty percent believed Lin Winterbell would win, while forty percent predicted my victory.
Naturally, I had Cecil place a bet on me as well.
The money I earned from the previous match against Ian had been quite substantial, so I was looking forward to this one too.
Arkan Winterbell opened his mouth.
“I will now begin the match between Ran Winterbell and Lin Winterbell.”
The moment he finished speaking, Lin Winterbell charged forward at tremendous speed and thrust her sword.
‘As expected of Lin Winterbell.’
I lightly tilted my head and avoided her attack.
Lin Winterbell’s sword sliced through the air. But her attack didn’t end there. Twisting her steps, a series of consecutive thrusts poured out.
“You son of a bitch!!!!”
Her blade shone like a meteor trailing a silver tail. Countless strikes covered all directions, but I calmly twisted my body and evaded them.
‘She’s…… really furious.’
Everywhere her sword brushed past, the sound of air tearing apart rang out. The force behind it was monstrous. If even one attack landed properly, it would undoubtedly be fatal. But in her eyes, I could sense impatience.
“Sister. You seem more worked up than usual. Did you make all that noise just to show me this level of swordsmanship?”
At my words, her face twisted for a moment. Even fiercer attacks came pouring down.