I Became the Villain of a Romance Fantasy

172 – Rival (1)

“There is no one, past or future, who has greater qualities than you.”

These were the words his grandfather Maximilian had spoken to Reinhard when he had been in the sword for three months.

It was an outrageous thing to say to a young child who seemed to be barely ten years old, and a rookie swordsman who had only been holding a sword for three months, but Maximilian’s eyes were filled with conviction as he said these words to Reinhard.

If someone else had said something like that, it would have been easy to dismiss it as just a comment made out of love for his grandson, but he was a swordsman. For him, who was praised as the best swordsman in the empire, love was not a subject that was included in the evaluation of martial arts. His evaluations were accurate and cool, and they carried as much weight as his reputation.

He praised his grandson as the greatest genius of all time.

If so, then this must be the truth.

As if to prove this, Reinhardt reached his father’s level five years later, when he was fifteen years old.

Although Ludwig Crommel was unable to take the title of Master Swordsman from Maximilian due to his innate nature, his skills were far beyond the reach of a young swordsman who had not yet reached adulthood. The sword, honed with innate talent and accumulated experience over many years, was clearly not something that could be made easily.

However, Reinhardt made it possible. The words of the sword master were true. He was already a completed sword, so he did not need the process of making a sword that others would need. He only needed the practice of taking the completed sword out of its scabbard.

The path to the top, which seemed vague to others, seemed very clear and distinct to him. It was certain that Reinhard would reach the top if only a little time passed. Perhaps because he knew that fact himself. He had no impatience.

It was before the personal problems of arrogance and humility. Since he had nothing to lose, Reinhardt did not feel the need to make efforts. It was not that he did not have a competitive spirit, but the problem was that there was no one to compete with him.

The summit was not far away, and he had a feeling that he would reach his grandfather’s level before he became an adult at the latest. He was a unique being who had his eyes set on the summit from an early age, and there were not many people who could stimulate his competitive spirit.

The absence of such competition was killing Reinhard’s fighting spirit.

A competitor who can look at the same place from the same eye level. Can such a person really exist? To find a competitor in him is the same as finding another Reinhardt with the same talent.

The absence of competition is no problem for his growth. Even without such competition, the top is not far away. No matter how much the fighting spirit is a catalyst for growth, it is not necessary for Reinhard.

The peak that could be climbed at any time was closer to a new starting point than the end, so if he wanted to satisfy his competitive spirit, he could cross swords with his seniors who had already reached the end. Whether it was close or far away, Reinhardt was able to persevere just by knowing that there was still a peak to look up to.

It was quite fortunate that he had this patience, considering that other writers have been intoxicated by their talents and become arrogant from a young age.

Although he may have let down the expectations of his potential competitors because he possessed such overwhelming talent, it was a self-awareness of his position, not a disregard for others. He could not let down the expectations of others because others had already reached the top.

Of course, if he gets to the top and becomes unique among them again, then who knows what will happen.

God did not leave him alone, as if to show him that such worries were useless.

***

My stamina, which had been more depleted than I had thought, quickly recovered. Perhaps due to the resilience of my body beyond human capabilities, my body recovered from fatigue very quickly.

I got up from my seat and headed to the stands where Elena and the kids were sitting. I couldn’t just lie on the floor forever. When I arrived, surprisingly, Noel was there first, and when we saw each other, we laughed for no reason.

“Isn’t it too late for you all? I was bored being alone.”

Awkwardness was not a word that suited Noel.

As if to tell me that the conflict between us was already over, Noel’s appearance had returned to the way it was before I met Altair. In fact, our relationship had not changed at all. She was still my friend and Elena’s friend. Elena sat down next to Noel. I followed suit.

I looked around and saw no other children. Now that I think about it, it was Reinhard and Richard’s turn next. Even so, it seemed like one person was empty, and I wondered who it was, but Orcus was nowhere to be seen. The last I saw of him was when he collapsed in the hall after his duel with Elena.

“Noel. Where’s Orcus?”

Noel shook his head with a look of ignorance on his face at my question. It seemed like he hadn’t seen Orcus either.

I wonder if that guy is still lying down.

It wasn’t that Orcus was worried about the guy, he just thought it was strange that he hadn’t seen him yet.

The divine nature of the royal family grants its owner a healthy body and powerful healing powers. As you can see from Noel alone, I was the one who won the duel, but Noel was the first to recover. Of course, you shouldn’t talk about Noel and Orcus on the same level. Noel lost in the last move while competing with me on equal terms, and Orcus was simply defeated.

It seems like it’s been quite some time since the duel with Orcus, but seeing as he’s still out of sight, there’s no other explanation than he’s still stretched out. But he’s not the type of guy to hide in shame over defeat… His duel with Elena must have taken a toll on his body.

‘Should I go visit the patient?’

Well, I don’t think I’ll be lying down that long.

Elena must have been controlling her strength, so I think she won’t wake up before the Holy Spirit Festival is over.

With so many duels underway, there aren’t many left. The finals aren’t far away, and the Holy Spirit Festival is nearing its end.

I looked down at the hall, leaving behind these useless worries about Orcus. The cheers of the audience told me that the duel was about to begin. After overcoming the crisis, my tense mind found stability, but the mind that had been immersed in that comfort demanded that I focus on watching this duel.

Richard and Reinhard stood facing each other in the hall. The two extraordinary men looked like they could have been the main characters of a story. No, the two who came up on stage under the cheering crowd were already the main characters.

The winner of this duel will probably become my opponent.

I didn’t really think about who I should root for. It wasn’t because they were both friends, but because even if I rooted for them, it wouldn’t change the fact that the stronger one would come out on top. No matter who came out on top, I would be the one who would suffer. So I couldn’t root for the enemy.

I was pretty relaxed, but I hadn’t given up on winning yet. My promise to Elena was still valid, and I didn’t want to lose to anyone else.

Whoever wins this duel, it will definitely help me in my future battles. If their opponents have been lacking in showing their skills so far, in this duel, since they are the opponents, they will not be lacking in showing their true strength.

My power was revealed in the battle with Noel, so there’s nothing I can do about it. I just have to analyze it like this to make sense.

“Who do you think will win, Damian?”

As I was looking closely at the two people who entered the hall, Elena, who saw this, asked me. If it was a duel between a warrior and a warrior, I wouldn’t know, but since it was a duel between a wizard and a warrior, I couldn’t answer right away. A duel between the future great wizard and the next swordsman. Is the wizard stronger? Or is the swordsman stronger? It was just a quick question.

If the opponent was Elena, I would have been able to say without hesitation that the magician was the strongest, but if it was Richard, it would be ambiguous to answer. It’s not only because I’m ignorant of the magician’s realm, but also because the one I clashed with the most was Reinhard, so my opinion could be biased.

I thought deeply about the situation where, among Richard and Reinhard, who were standing in the chairman’s chair, Reinhard was removed and I was put in and Richard and I competed. It was just an assumption, but the answer came easier than I thought.

“It’s Reinhard.”

As soon as the answer came, I said the guy’s name without hesitation. It seemed like a lot of personal opinion went into it, but even so, I couldn’t give any other answer than that name.

Elena didn’t ask why I gave her answer. She just nodded as if she agreed with it.

With that declaration, the duel began.

And there was no change in the result.