IBDFSML Chapter 36

A few days later, Sion’s entrance test took place.

The location was the indoor training hall of the main building.

“You’ve arrived, Young Lord.”

Upon entering the training hall, Sion was greeted with respectful bows from Ulrich Thurman and Diene Schuto, who approached him.

Sion nodded in acknowledgment, then looked around the quiet hall and asked.

“Are these the only people observing the test?”

“Yes. The entrance test for the First Order of Knights is a confidential procedure, so aside from Dame Diene and myself, no one else is allowed to observe without permission.”

“I see.”

“I figured this kind of atmosphere would help you concentrate better, but if it feels too dull, shall I call in a few more people to liven things up?”

Ulrich asked playfully, teasingly, but Sion shook his head.

“No, I prefer it quiet.”

Sion removed his robe and handed it to Garen, then lightly stretched his body as he spoke.

“Let’s begin as soon as you're ready.”

“Understood.”

Ulrich Thurman’s eyes gleamed with amusement at Sion’s demeanor, he showed absolutely no signs of nervousness, which was not what one would expect from a young man about to take the entrance exam for the knights.

“Both of you, please come with me this way.”

Diene Schuto said this as she guided Garen and Genevia to the edge of the training hall.

Garen was attending in place of Sion’s usual aide, while Genevia was present as a healing cleric, in case of any injuries during the test.

And now, I was currently hiding inside Genevia's curly hair, quietly observing the situation.

But then.

“Huh?”

The one I assumed would be Sion’s sparring opponent, the senior knight Diene Schuto, stepped back, and instead, Ulrich Thurman came forward.

I gasped and whispered in shock.

“What the-? Don’t tell me that big, captain-class brute is going to be Sion’s opponent!?”

“…It seems like it.”

“No way!”

Seriously, no way!

How could a nineteen-year-old who had just come of age be matched against the Deputy Commander of the Knights?

Even in the original story, Sion only joined the First Order of Knights after gaining far more experience, and even then, his sparring partners were elite senior knights, not the deputy commander!

Garen looked just as bewildered as I was and spoke up.

“Excuse me, but are you saying the Young Lord’s opponent isn’t Dame Diene, but the Deputy Commander himself?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

Diene Schuto replied nonchalantly, making Garen gape in disbelief.

“Isn’t that an incredibly unfair matchup? No matter how talented the Young Lord is, he’s only just come of age and has no real combat experience. How could he possibly take on someone at the deputy commander’s level?”

Diene Schuto only shrugged and smiled.

“That’s just how things are done in the First Order.”

“But-!”

At that moment, Ulrich Thurman stood before Sion, rolling his broad shoulders.

“As Dame Diene said, this is the standard procedure for the First Order of Knights. To properly assess Lord Sion Luxior’s capabilities, the most suitable sparring partner was chosen and that just happens to be me. Nothing more.”

Ulrich looked directly at Sion as he continued.

“Of course, Dame Diene over there is a fine elite knight as well, but personally, there’s something I’d like to confirm with you, Young Lord. If you have any objections, feel free to raise them.”

“There’s none. Let’s proceed.”

Sion replied plainly, and Ulrich nodded in satisfaction.

Then, without hesitation, he took off his shirt.

“…Holy crap.”

“…Wow.”

Genevia and I simultaneously let out exclamations of shock and awe.

Ulrich Thurman’s upper body, easily one and a half times the size of Sion’s, was covered in thick, battle-hardened muscle and lined with scars, both large and small.

In short...

He looked insanely strong.

'…Tch. I’ve got a bad feeling about this.'

There’s no way Sion’s going to lose… right?

Nervously, I bit my lip.

Of course, Sion was a swordsmanship prodigy who could go toe-to-toe with the main male lead in this world.

But even with all his 'sub-male-lead' buffs, if he didn’t use aura, going up against a veteran like this meant he’d be hopelessly outmatched in terms of experience.

“No, this can’t happen.”

I couldn’t just stand by and let Sion’s rare chance for advancement be crushed like this.

After a short moment of internal struggle, I made my decision.

'No way around it. I’ve got to help him.'

I whispered into Genevia’s ear.

“Genevia. Take me to Sion.”

“Huh? Right now?”

“Yeah, right now.”

Genevia let out a sigh.

“Okay, excuse me for a moment!”

She raised her hand lightly, drawing everyone’s attention.

“I have something to relay to the Young Lord.”

“If it’s not urgent, please wait until after the match.”

“Unfortunately, it is urgent.”

Ulrich Thurman gave a small nod after a thoughtful hum.

Genevia approached Sion and leaned in as if to whisper something.

The moment Sion furrowed his brow at what she said, I popped out from behind Genevia’s hair.

“Sion.”

“…Lin?”

Sion looked puzzled to see me coming back to him on my own, after I had deliberately stepped aside for the duel.

Quickly avoiding the gazes around us, I slipped inside Sion’s armor.

“I’m here to help you.”

“What?”

Sion froze, looking flustered.

I wiggled my way into a spot near his collarbone and spoke again.

“That deputy commander guy, you can tell just by looking at him, he’s really strong. He’s older than you, and way more experienced. This duel isn’t fair. That’s why I have to help you, to make it even.”

“…Even if I fail this test, that’s my responsibility to bear. Don’t interfere in the duel, Lin.”

Sion’s gaze was firm and serious. But I pretended not to notice and played dumb.

Just as Sion was about to say more, Ulrich Thurman, who had been warming up across from us, called out.

“Are you finished talking?”

“Ah, yes.”

Confirming that I had clung to Sion, Genevia quickly stepped back and returned to her original spot.

And so, the duel began.

“Then, let’s begin.”

With those words, Ulrich Thurman charged forward, moving with incredible speed that didn’t match his solid, muscular frame.

His sword came slashing down from a diagonal angle, accompanied by a terrifying sound.

Rather than taking the heavy blow head-on, Sion swiftly twisted his body to the side and slashed at Ulrich’s exposed waist.

Clang!

“…!”

“…!!”

Their swords collided mid-air with a resounding crack that sliced through the silence.

After matching blades along those sharp trajectories, the two exchanged sharp glances, both now having gauged the other’s skill.

“As expected. My judgment was right.”

Ulrich Thurman let his blade slide down with a grin, his voice tinged with excitement and a strange thrill.

“….”

Sion didn’t reply, but his eyes were more focused than ever.

That only proved how formidable an opponent Ulrich Thurman really was.

Clang! Clang, clang—!

The number of times their swords clashed kept increasing.

And their speed grew faster and faster.

Their movements were far swifter and more precise than when they had fought the trio of assassins who had once broken into the annex.

My head felt like it was spinning just from watching their duel, but I forced my eyes wide open, determined not to miss a thing.

“If I see an opening, I’ll unleash my fangirl skills right away.”

I didn’t know how effective my skills would be against that giant knight, but if I could just create even the smallest gap for Sion, that would be enough.

Sion, who hated underhanded methods, had warned me not to interfere in the duel. But really, this duel had been unfair to him from the very start, so it wasn’t like this counted as cheating in the first place.

Besides, if it had been the main male lead in Sion’s place, he probably would’ve cruised to victory with the help of plot armor, rare items, and overpowered stats.

But unfortunately, my favorite, Sion, was the sub male lead.

The unlucky sub male lead who, throughout the original story, never had fortune or destiny on his side.

“That’s why just a little support fire from his fangirl fairy should be forgivable.”

The moment I muttered that.

Ulrich Thurman, who had been exchanging powerful blows with Sion head-on, suddenly leapt back.

“…?!”

And in the next instant, something shot toward Sion’s chin like a dagger.

A kick with enough force that, if it landed, would probably have knocked out at least five of his teeth.

“…!!!”

Sion narrowly dodged the kick, ducking his head just in time.

Using the momentum from evading Ulrich Thurman’s strike, he charged forward, closing in on him.

Ulrich’s eyes gleamed, as if this was exactly what he’d been waiting for. He shifted his sword’s trajectory to come crashing down toward Sion from above.

At this rate, they’d both land hits but with the sheer power of Ulrich’s strike, it was clear Sion would take the worse of it.

I decided it was time to play my trump card.

“<Fangirl Sparkle Anywhere, Anytime>!”

The ultimate move, the blinding flash that even heavyweight UFC fighters couldn’t withstand.

Flash!

“…!?”

Struck by the sudden, mysterious burst of light, Ulrich Thurman flinched for the briefest instant, his eyes narrowing in reaction.

Sion didn’t miss that moment.

His sword surged toward Ulrich Thurman.

Whoosh—!

And the blade stopped just in front of Ulrich’s thick throat.

“…….”