Chapter 497.1

Mock Battle

――Allysia Kingdom, Royal Capital, Alshir.

In a training hall adjacent to a church, there was the sound of sword clash so intense that it could hardly be considered training.

Wielding a wooden sword was Carlotta Demeyere, the leader of the female Knights of the Holy Order.

Her opponent was Nell, a human hero.

Both of them were so-called “magic swordsmen” who used magic a lot in battle, so the training ground was filled with colorful, though not very beautiful, lights, explosions, cracks, and holes.

Normally they wouldn’t go this far…but today, since it was their first clash in a long time, they were both doing mock battles as seriously as they could.

Carlotta Demeyere was an outstanding figure who, in addition to her political skills and ability to command troops, had originally made a name for herself with her strong arm and rose to the position of Commander of the Order of the Holy Knights at a young age.

She observed, read movements, and set up and destroyed her opponents with logic, just like a puzzle.

The opponent who fought her would feel as if all of their thoughts were being read, and their movements would lose their refinement, leading to their defeat.

Humans, who tend to be physically inferior to other races, had often learned to fight with their brains, something that Carlotta pushed to the utmost limit in her swordsmanship.

More specifically, her sword arts were honed by her predecessor, the hero Remillo, who was called the Sword Sage, and were passed down among the humans.

Carlotta also learned from him, made his techniques her own, and improved and sublimated it to make it easier for her to use.

In addition to such swordsmanship, Carlotta herself had trained with Nell and knew everything about her, including her quirks, and was able to play with her even now, but there was a difference in ability between the two of them that could not be filled by that alone. But it was more than enough to fill the gap in their current mock battle.

As for Nell, if there was a trap, she would jump and run away before the trap could be activated and show its full effect.

While attacking, Carlotta intentionally left an opening to lure Nell in, but Nell forcibly stopped midway after she judged it to be too dangerous, and evaded Carlotta’s attack with an incomprehensible counter.

Carlotta too managed to interrupt Nell’s counterattack with her own two or three surprise moves, along with magic, which Nell blocked, sending it the opposite direction.

The most troublesome part when Carlotta fought Nell was her direct attacks.

Nell’s attack may look light, but the sound of it slicing through the air showed its power.

Perhaps, even a blow that looked like a jab, if it were to be received, would immediately knock Carlotta out of her stance, and at that time, it would then be the end of their mock battle which would lead to her defeat.

So Carlotta focused on diverting Nell’s attacks while working around to find an opening, but it wasn’t as easy as it sounded.

Nell’s growth rate was quite extraordinary. This was the potential of those who were chosen to be heroes.

In terms of skill, Carlotta was better than Nell, so the match was not yet settled.

However, Nell also learned swordsmanship from Carlotta and the previous hero.

She, too, had an eye for observing her opponents.

However, it was also because of her daily life that she was able to hone this ability.

Her husband did dangerous things without hesitation, not unexpectedly, but without hesitation, and two of her fellow wives, although they had become really reliable recently, still occasionally play pranks on each other.

So observing her surroundings spontaneously became a habit for Nell already, and it was carried over into the current situation.

Nell thought to herself, ‘I wonder if this move will work.’