the one who remembers

"Where in the name of the gods did you learn to fight like that?", Sir Freigoud exclaimed in horror as he was thrown back with full force once again and slid across the floor as if it were ice. Cale gently distanced himself from the duke, who was exerting tremendous force on him as well. If he hadn't supported his body with mana, he would surely have lost long ago.

"From a fierce old man whom I have never once defeated."

"He must have been a swordmaster."

"You're right about that."

"I would like to meet him sometime. Perhaps he could teach me a trick or two on how to break through your defense."

"That might prove difficult, he's no longer alive", Cale announced, swinging his sword back and forth to loosen his muscles.

"That's unfortunate to hear. You're as fast as lightning", Sir Freigoud commented, closing in on Cale again.

"Lightning is already taken, unfortunately. I'm more like the thunder", Cale replied, raising his sword to strike.

But contrary to expectations, Sir Freigoud simply jumped over Cale, despite his size. Cale immediately turned around and swung his sword in the direction of the duke, but he pushed off from the tree behind them and abruptly changed direction. Cale automatically followed his direction and struck the man from above, who performed a half pirouette and jerkily parried Cale's blow. Cale staggered back, while Sir Freigoud pushed off with his free hand, almost flying, and landed on his feet a meter away.

"Thunder?", Sir Freigoud replied, remaining in a slight crouch while holding his sword in front of his face with both hands and breathing heavily. "That fits as well. Unnoticed until you suddenly stand in front of someone."

"You can easily follow me. Do you know why I'm attacking you head-on?"

"No - tell me."

"Because you are superior to me in terms of strength, and this prevents you from gaining enough momentum. I interrupt..."

"So that's why it feels like I'm at a disadvantage."

"Exactly."

"You're playing with me?"

"Not at all", Cale replied calmly, getting goosebumps for a moment when he noticed Loy's gaze.

"You are too kind", Sir Freigoud replied ironically.

"That is the only hint I will give you."

Cale also used the mana to control the direction of his movements with wind magic, but he mainly used it to help his arms and legs withstand the impact. In a way, he was trying to use magic to strengthen his body, just as Rangar could do with his Igrikum.

Loys of Freigoud rushed at Cale one last time. Cale immediately stood up steady, ready to block the attack, but Loys of Freigoud passed him by. Surprised, he turned his head and upper body back, only to see that the Duke was already in full rotation and planning to launch an attack from behind.

The broad blade shot toward Cale, leaving him no time to block it or launch a counterattack. Cale ducked down abruptly and felt the metal fly just above his head. He could hear and feel Sir Freigoud reaching for his sword again and guessed what he was planning next. With a powerful thrust, Cale shot upward and held his sword horizontally in front of him as the duke performed his Sky Strike.

But once again, Cale prevented him from building up his full power and blocked the attack midair before kicking Sir Freigoud in the chest with his full body weight. This propelled him away from his opponent and he flew backwards with a backflip, while Sir Freigoud used earth magic to keep his footing.

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For a moment, Cale thought the duel was over, but Sir Freigoud had not given up yet. Just as Cale's feet touched the ground, he ran towards him, dragging his heavy weapon across the ground. It was a scene that made Cale guess what the man was up to. He reflexively dodged backwards as Sir Freigoud swung his weapon from bottom to top, kicking up a cloud of dust and dirt. Cale deliberately closed his eyes and continued to back away as he heard Sir Freigoud swing his weapon toward him. Based solely on the sound, Cale grabbed his sword and raised it to the side, suddenly releasing a large amount of mana.

With a loud bang, the two swords clashed, and Cale felt every muscle in his body scream.

Sir Freigoud had taken advantage of his opening within a minute and launched an attack, using all his strength. He made sure that Cale was at a disadvantage and could neither dodge nor attack, but had to parry the blow he had been avoiding since the beginning of their fight.

Promptly, Cale conjured a wave of wind that pressed against Sir Freigoud's attack like a wall, preventing it from getting through. However, when Cale sensed that the man in front of him was also releasing mana, he knew that this was not the end of his attack. He could feel an obstacle made of earth appearing behind him, presumably with the intention of making him stumble over it when he stepped back. For a moment, Cale was indeed in an uncomfortable situation in which his instincts were of no help. For a full three seconds, he visualized his current situation and decided to use the duke's attack against him.

He suddenly opened his eyes and stared directly at Sir Freigoud, who, captivated by his gaze, looked back at him. Cale took advantage of this moment of inattention to stretch his upper body backward and let the sword glide just above the tip of his nose. He used the raised earth behind him to push himself up with his left hand and, in the same movement, kicked Sir Freigoud's hand, causing him to cry out involuntarily and drop his weapon. Still halfway through his turn, however, Cale pulled his other leg up and swung it at Sir Freigoud, who was expecting it and blocked the attack with his bent arm, pinching his foot between his upper and lower arm.

The two men stared at each other in silence. Cale was holding himself up with only one hand, as he was hanging horizontally in the air and did not want to attack a man who was unarmed with his sword. Instead, he simply raised his weapon and pointed it at Sir Freigoud's chest, who was now holding his foot with both hands.

"I am truly not accustomed to such dirty fighting."

"Never fought a life-and-death battle?", Cale said calmly, lowering his weapon.

"Of course, but you are probably the first in a long time to evade my attacks with such ease. Respect, I have to give you that. I thought I hadn't underestimated you, but I did. I just didn't expect such ingenuity."

"Despite the fact that I told you beforehand that I have spent my life fighting?"

"Fights between humans and creatures are different", Sir Freigoud said, finally letting go of his foot. Cale landed elegantly on both feet and straightened up before sheathing his sword and brushing the dirt off his uniform. "Or am I wrong?"

"No, you're right. Despite their peculiarities, creatures behave completely differently from humans. But that's exactly what taught me not to trust only my eyes. Have you ever encountered an Elosian?"

"An Elosian? I don't think so, but I have a rough idea of what kind of creature it is. The spirit of the plains, correct?"

"That's right. It's invisible and really hard to spot unless you can sense every subtle source of mana. Your last two attacks felt like I was fighting an Elosien."

"That's why you didn't mind being blind. I was actually hoping you would raise your arms to protect your eyes."

"I must have confused you quite a bit, huh?"

"Did you know what I was up to?"

"I had an idea, yes", Cale confessed and bent down to pick up Sir Freigoud's large sword. It was unexpectedly heavy, but Cale didn't let on and handed it back to Loys of Freigoud without comment.

"I think it was a good idea on my part to invite you here. Seems like you already have some admirers."

Confused, Cale followed the duke's gaze and turned around, only to notice how quiet the other people had become, watching their fight. He had been careful about how close he got to the other soldiers, but he hadn't realized they were watching him.

"I'm not sure if I want that", Cale said ironically, causing the duke to laugh loudly and pat him on the back.

"Don't be shy, you'll quickly feel at peace here."

"I almost feel at home", Cale replied mockingly, glancing up at the sky. It had grown light, which meant that more than an hour must have passed. He had lost track of time during the fight and completely forgotten that the day had not even begun. "I should get going, or I'll be late."

"Conscientious", Sir Freigoud replied, walking back to their equipment with Cale. "I should get going too, or I'll get scolded again."

"Who would scold you?"

"Julius."

"Sir Venlan?" Cale replied, pricking up his ears. "Isn't he the teacher of the royal princes?"

"You are well-informed."

"Ah - please excuse my inappropriate question."

"It really wasn't a well-kept secret...", Sir Freigoud replied simply, waving it off. "Oh, just to be clear, I could have kept fighting even without a sword."

"I would have been surprised if you couldn't. If you're ever up for a fistfight, let me know."