Chapter 15
The adventurer's guild is the bookmaker for the duel bets.
I wonder if it's okay with match-fixing and all that.
"Now, we will begin the duel. Both of you, please listen as I explain the rules."
Oh, finally, the rules explanation.
"You will now swear an oath to the goddess of duels. Once the oath is completed, the duel pieces granted by the goddess will appear."
Hmm, an unfamiliar item and an unfamiliar system.
When doing PVP, you normally just apply for a duel and choose the method.
All: use up all your life.
Half: lose when half your life is gone.
One-hit: lose when you get a clean hit.
These were the three options.
"You must wear the duel pieces. You can wear them even if you have accessories equipped, so don't worry about that."
But I didn't expect an unknown item to appear here.
"The winner is the one who destroys the barrier created by the duel piece. The barrier will envelop your bodies, and if a vital spot is hit, the barrier will be consumed. When the barrier is gone, the piece will shatter. Be careful, as anyone who attacks after that will be punished by the gods for defiling the duel."
I see, so this is how they prevent injuries, allowing even children to duel with weapons.
And no corpse kicking, strictly prohibited.
If the gods are the arbiters, then humans have no say in the matter.
"Understood?"
"Yes."
"I know that already!! Hurry up and start!!"
And this must really be a common thing.
Dasse seems bored, having heard this before.
"As per the rules, now, swear to the gods."
Crap, I don't know how to swear to the gods.
Is it like an athlete's oath?
"I, Dasse, swear to the gods that I will face this duel fairly and squarely!!"
Ah, so it really is like an athlete's oath.
"I, Liberta, swear to the gods that I will face this duel fairly and squarely!"
I've never done this in a game, so it's a bit embarrassing, but I'll do it properly.
By confirming the intent to fight properly, they must be preventing match-fixing.
If the oath is half-hearted, the light from the scales held by the statue's left hand won't come towards us.
"...Moai statue?"
The light stops in front of me and gently extends a hand, revealing a wooden Moai statue hanging from a leather strap, like something you'd find in a folk craft corner.
I understand I'm supposed to hang it around my neck, but what's with the design sense?
I silently hang it around my neck, and it adjusts to fit snugly without choking me. Then, a film of light envelops my body.
Honestly, it's amazing.
This kind of skill wasn't in the game, so I want it.
Can I somehow get it for my future life?
"Are you ready?"
Oh, let's finish this duel first.
Both Dasse and I have the Moai-like thing hanging from our necks. The receptionist, seeing this, raises her right hand with a solemn expression.
I take my bamboo spear from my back and ready it, while Dasse draws his dagger from its sheath and takes a stance with his feet shoulder-width apart.
"Then, begin!"
As the raised hand is lowered, the receptionist jumps back, leaving nothing between Dasse and me.
"I'll finish this quickly!!"
A reckless charge.
Dasse attacks immediately after the start.
His speed isn't that fast.
I believe the most important thing in PVP is skill composition.
It determines the combat style and how to counter it.
Dasse's weapon is a dagger.
Normally, one would consider the weapon's range and move swiftly, using hit-and-run tactics.
"With a bamboo weapon like this, I'll do this!!"
But Dasse's movements are more suited for longswords or greatswords.
He's not aiming for rapid consecutive attacks but seems to be trying to crush with a single blow.
Knowing the spear's range is troublesome, he tries to destroy the tip of my bamboo spear with his dagger while running.
Given the level difference, I'd definitely lose in a contest of strength.
So then.
"Hah!"
I relax appropriately and take a step back to create distance.
"Ha!"
I thrust the spear as Dasse's attack timing goes off.
Just that, and the spear pierces Dasse's solar plexus.
"Guh!?"
By the way, how does pain work here?
If there's no pain, you could do a zombie attack or something.
But normally, this would hurt more than just a little.
"It turned red."
After thrusting the spear and landing a hit, Dasse's surface turned red.
Does this mean the barrier is nearing its limit because I hit a vital spot?
"Damn damn damn damn damn!!"
If so, it might end soon. I keep thrusting the spear to prevent him from closing in.
Dasse desperately tries to deflect the spear's tip, but the spear is pulled back before he can.
"Damn it. Why, why?"
I chip away at Dasse's stamina from a distance with the bamboo spear, while Dasse sweats and gasps for breath.
In games, managing distance is an essential player skill for any weapon.
Whether it's close-range swords, mid-range spears, or long-range bows and magic, distance management determines victory or defeat.
Being able to manage this distance can somewhat negate level differences.
"You've been attacking from afar all this time!! That's cheating!! Fight fair!!"
"No, this is how spears work."
Dasse is getting irritated because I'm attacking from a distance, but that's not my problem.
I'm openly carrying a bamboo spear on my back, so it's obvious what weapon I'm using. Calling it unfair is just annoying.
"And what's with that bamboo spear!! I've been trying to cut it, but why won't it break!!"
Finally, he complains about my bamboo spear.
Well, that's just the cheat function of this weapon.
The skill "Indestructible" literally means it won't break.
If bamboo and a metal dagger clash, the bamboo would normally lose, but this bamboo spear is fused with the "Weakling's Proof," so it won't break.
"Why do you think?"
"Stop messing around!!"
"I'm not messing around, I just don't want to give away my information."
Plus, with the spear's range and the player skills honed through thousands of PVP battles against stronger opponents, did you think a mere level difference would be enough?
I once tested with gamer friends how much of a level difference an initial character could overcome.
Even against stronger opponents, with the right equipment, you could win one out of a hundred battles against mid-tier Class 2 opponents!!
Compared to those battles, fighting Dasse is a walk in the park.
"Hey, there's an opening."
"Ah."
If the barrier prevents injuries, then I don't need to hold back. I feint a body thrust and aim the spear at the hand holding the dagger, hitting the wrist directly.
The impact makes him drop the dagger, and as Dasse scrambles to pick it up.
"Full of openings."
Did you think I'd wait for you?
I thrust the spear with all my might at Dasse, who's crouching, and as the spear hits his neck, a strong shock runs through my hand, and it's deflected.
"What!?"
I quickly create distance, but Dasse is also sitting on his butt, looking surprised, so it's not like he did anything.
"That's it!! The winner is Liberta!!"
But it seems the match is over.
Amidst the losers' cries of disbelief, I'm left feeling unsatisfied and wondering what to do when the Moai pendant around my neck glows and returns to the scales as light.
I instinctively reach out to grab it, but the light slips through my fingers.
What a shame, I wanted it.
"Why!! Why did I lose!! You!! You cheated!!"
As I'm lamenting the lost item, Dasse gets up and starts accusing me.
"I didn't cheat. I have no level, no skills. If you lost to me, it's just that you're not good enough."
"What!! I've defeated goblins!! There's no way I'd lose to someone with no level!!"
"Well, you did lose."
Being accused of cheating is annoying, especially since the duel was under the gods' supervision, so they should know I didn't do anything underhanded.
"I didn't lose!! I wasn't serious just now! Come on, tatatatatatatatata!?"
"Huh? What's going on?"
Just as I'm thinking how to make him give up, Dasse suddenly clutches his head and crouches down.
"Don't worry. It's the penalty for defiling the duel. It'll subside soon."
"Penalty?"
I was worried because he suddenly clutched his head and crouched, but the receptionist casually picks him up and says it's fine.
The sight of a beautiful elf holding a chubby boy who's moaning in pain is surreal, but I'm more concerned about the word "penalty."
"Dasse's words earlier, saying he wasn't serious. He declared to the gods that he'd fight fair and square, lost, and then refused to accept the loss, trying to challenge again in an unsightly manner. That means he lied to the gods, so a light penalty was imposed."
"Is this light?"
"Yes, it's just a headache that immobilizes him for about an hour."
Looking at Dasse and hearing the receptionist's words, I think to myself, that's not light.
A headache so bad you can't move seems pretty severe to me.
"Duels can be purely for competition, but many people also wager things. When they lose, they often make excuses. Don't you think they shouldn't duel if they're going to make excuses?"
"Yeah."
If this is light, then there must be heavier penalties.
Thinking about that sends a chill down my spine.
If you don't like it, don't do it.
The receptionist is right.
"We'll let this boy rest in the guild's lounge, so you can go home without worrying. If you stay, he'll just bother you when he wakes up, and your companion is waiting, right?"
"I'll do that."
I got caught up in some trouble this time, but I'll take it as a chance to learn something new.
I need to look into the gods a bit.
There's a church, so maybe I can find out something there?
"Liberta!!"
"I won."
"Yeah! I won too!!"
"Of course."
For now, let's ignore the princess who was in a bad mood after being picked on, now smiling with a jingling bag by her face.
"Let's split it later!"
"Eh, it's fine. You won that."
"No! You fought and won too!"
"By the way, how much did you win?"
I heard you bet 500 zeni, which is about 50,000 yen in Japanese currency, but I didn't catch the odds.
"Hehehe, it's 4,000 zeni now."
"...You earned more than before."
Eight times, huh? You easily surpassed the amount we earned from the tanuki, and I'm worried Nel might get addicted to gambling.
"Nel, I understand that as a merchant, you sometimes need to take risks, but don't overdo it, okay?"
"I know. But my father said if you're sure you'll win, don't hesitate."
"Is that so?"
"Yes, my father was right. Maybe I should bet a bit more next time."
"Don't."
Did you bet because you believed I'd win?
If so, I'm happy, but seeing the gambler in you is worrying.
There must be casinos in this world too.
If we ever go to that town, I'll really have to be careful.
"Ehh."
"Don't 'ehh' me. We've taken too much time already, so let's get back to shopping."
"Okay."
The current situation isn't good.
The losers are glaring at Nel with resentment.
We should leave this place quickly.
No, maybe we should stop shopping and go home.