Chapter 7 - Leon, the Magic-Cutting Swordsman
My senses sharpened, allowing me to calmly observe every movement my opponent made, even the rhythm of his breathing.
Clark's stance wasn't bad.
It was the stance of someone who knew what he was doing. He wasn't weak, either.
His focus was slightly forward, meaning he wasn't the defensive type who waited for his opponent to attack. He preferred to take the initiative himself.
On the other hand, his defense was sloppy, leaving plenty of openings for me to strike.
However, he had magic on his side.
The department head had forbidden its use, but only a second-rate fighter would blindly rely on that kind of restriction.
I had to be prepared to deal with any method or attack and make sure to finish my opponent.
"Phew..."
Clark took a breath and slowly approached, sliding his feet along the ground.
The distance between us was less than ten centimeters.
He continued inching closer, but I didn't move at all, maintaining my middle guard stance.
His killing intent continued to intensify.
In contrast, I grew calmer and colder with every passing moment.
It felt as though I could see not only the movements of his muscles but even the flow of his blood.
Then, I sensed heat building in Clark's right leg.
"Yah!"
Clark stepped forward and swung his sword at me.
Naturally, I had seen it coming, so I parried it effortlessly.
"Gh!"
His strength and speed were exactly as I'd expected.
Nothing worth being surprised about.
"Tch!"
Clark backed away and resumed his stance.
As I'd thought, he was an offensive fighter with a weak defense.
I'd be able to finish him off for certain with my next attack.
"What's wrong?! Aren't you going to attack?!"
Clark called out to me.
"Are you sure you want me to?"
I asked in a voice so cold that even I was surprised by how chilling it sounded. Clark took a slight step backward.
"Come on!"
Clark stepped forward, seemingly trying to conceal his fear.
But despite moving forward, he was no longer adopting his aggressive stance. He had shifted into a defensive posture.
Honestly, his previous offensive stance had been much better.
He was going against his own personality, training, and fighting style. As a result, he was now so full of openings that he barely resembled the fighter he'd been moments ago.
The reason was simple: I'd completely overwhelmed him.
As proof, Clark was drenched in sweat despite barely having moved.
—I can finish him.
Thinking that, I stepped forward.
"Damn you!"
The instant I moved forward, I sensed an intense murderous intent.
"—Clark!"
The department head shouted.
And with good reason. A fireball more than a meter in diameter was hurtling straight toward me.
It was Clark's magic.
It was a clever use of magic, launched as a counterattack at the precise moment I'd stepped forward.
However, I'd anticipated that move, so I swung my sword.
The fireball split cleanly in two, and my eyes met Clark's as he stared at me in disbelief.
"That was an impressive spell. However, you should always have a follow-up attack ready."
I swung my sword at Clark, who was now completely defenseless.
It was the perfect opportunity to finish him off.
"—Leon!"
At El's shout, I brought my sword to an immediate halt.
Its tip stopped just five millimeters from Clark's forehead.
"Th-That's enough!"
At the department head's words, Clark dropped his sword and fell flat on his rear.
Seeing that, I lowered my sword and bowed.
"Ooh! Leon, you're amazing! You're really strong!"
While silence enveloped the area, Aria came over and enthusiastically patted me on the back.
Aria's carefree voice brought me back to my senses, thawing the icy state of mind I'd slipped into.
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"Representative Morgan, what did you think? That is Leon, the Magic-Cutting Swordsman."
We had been watching Leon and Clark's match from the top floor of the building across the street.
"Hmm... Magnificent. That's the only word I can use to describe him."
"Clark was a promising elite in the military, highly skilled in both magic and swordsmanship. He was by no means weak."
I'd recognized his abilities and recruited him into the Public Security Department.
"I can see that for myself. However, it looked like a child standing against an adult. He was completely intimidated, wasn't he?"
That was how enormous the difference in their abilities had been.
"Even someone like Clark wouldn't stand a chance against Leon. He's the man rumored to have cut down a thousand enemies single-handedly."
"Leon the Genius, huh... He's that knight who was once the subject of rumors claiming he could cut through magic and even iron. Hah, so the rumors were true after all. He really did cut through magic. I've never seen anything like it. How did he do that?"
Representative Morgan was clearly excited.
I could understand how he felt.
It was the first time I'd ever seen someone cut through magic, too.
And Leon had done it with a wooden sword, no less.
"I don't know. But now you understand why I was so determined to recruit him, don't you?"
"Quite clearly. But why was a man of that caliber languishing in obscurity?"
"He's a man who's clumsy at everything except swordsmanship, and as an orphan, he has no influential backers."
Even when I met him in person, my impression was that he didn't seem like someone who would ever get far in his career.
"Hmm. So he was envied and pushed out of the competition for promotion?"
"Yes. They kept him around until his abilities deteriorated, then planned to cast him aside."
Even in the strongest knight order in the Kingdom of Valtenburg, politics ultimately mattered more than strength.
"He's deteriorated? Even in that state?"
"I wouldn't know. I'm simply not capable of judging his true limits."
How could a sheep possibly measure the strength of a tiger?
"Nor can I... Very well. This kingdom certainly needs that kind of power, something beyond magic. Rufus, I'll leave everything to you."
"Understood."
Leon was an honest and straightforward man.
He wouldn't betray us, either. He was someone I could confidently entrust with a job.
"But is that really an appropriate team for dealing with magic?"
Representative Morgan turned his gaze toward Aria.
Everyone else had been left speechless, staring at Leon in awe and fear. Yet she was the only one making a cheerful commotion, looking as though she were having the time of her life.
"I selected Aria with Leon in mind, placing greater importance on personality. The other two members were chosen with the same consideration. If we assign people with too much pride, they might clash with him or become jealous, potentially recreating the same problems he faced in his previous position."
Otherwise, I wouldn't have chosen people who were barely more experienced than rookies.
The Public Security Department was part of a national policy initiative, after all.
"Hmm... Yes, that might be the better approach. It could work out quite well."
As for Leon, I wonder how he'll take to it...
"That was part of my intention, too. It's the best way to persuade him to stay."
In fact, the reason Leon had agreed so readily was precisely because he'd been alone.
"Understood. In any case, make sure you treat him well. I have high hopes for this."
"Yes, sir."
After I bowed, Representative Morgan left the room.
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