At the start of the award ceremony, someone delivered a parchment to the head of Thunderford house, who quickly left, flying on his sword. His departure was hurried.
After the matches had ended Regen was announced the winner and the others in top ten were presented with respective prizes.
For Regen, it was a sword bead. The moment they announced it, gasps were heard from the crowd.
And it only increased, when people found out that the sword bead contained the technique of the First Ancestor of Sokyro House.
He was lucky. Though even while receiving his reward, he didn't seem to be much excited, and only showed poker face. Though it was quickly broken by my cheering from the crowd.
Monkey Ears and Slec received a similar prize that was a sword and a chance to train at any of the four top sword houses.
People envied but I was very much happy for Monkey Ears.
The girl who made it till the final, was given the opportunity to join any of the top houses as a trainee.
As everything had ended, and we were just on the way out of the sword field. One swordsman blocked our path.
"I Earlone requests Seken Sokyro for a duel." He shouted from the top of his lungs and it reached everyone nearby.
Even the heads of the significant sword houses, stopped to look at the commotion.
Everyone was looking my way, waiting for the answer.
I sensed an unrequited headache coming my way.
***
"Do you know what you are asking?" Regen asked the man. Regen had been bandaged, and fed some medicines. I had even asked him if it was okay to move around like this, and he just said it was an everyday thing for him.
"I do. I am once again requesting Seken Sokyro for a duel." The man once again said, as a crowd started to form around us. And people instead of going about their work were waiting for my response.
After all, in this world, a challenge to duel was considered a challenge to the sword weilder's honour. Duels were often used as a way to resolve conflicts, and the thing was, even if the other party was wrong, and they won the duel, they were considered correct.
That was so stupid in a way.
I could feel the malice behind his voice. Someone had either instigated him, or he had seen it as a fun thing to ask me for it.
So I replied back, certain of my decision.
"No."
As a gamer I didn't care much about honour. All I had to do was survive, whatever was coming for me.
Meanwhile, find something to grow stronger in the meantime. After all, as things were, and the vision I had. I was acutely aware of my deficiency.
Being weak here was a curse.
The crowd and even the man were perturbed by my response as if they hadn't expected me to respond this way.
"But, why? Don't you care as the chosen one of Ember Sword?" The man smirked as if sure, I had no choice but to accept it.
Even the crowd had started to murmur at my decision. Though I didn't care about them at all.
"Are you stupid?" I asked.
"Huh?" He was confused.
"Deaf?" I asked again.
"Are you saying you won't duel with me?" The man asked quickly as he was certain, I was going to come up and say something else.
"So you are just a coward. Can everyone hear him, the chosen of the sacred sword is a coward. Who won't even duel me because he knows, he is just useless." It was as if it was the most exhilarating thing for the boy to hear.
Even some of the swordsmen around us started snickering.
Regen's jaws tightened.
Even Monkey ears beside me wanted to say something but I held his hand.
I just sighed.
"Yeah I am useless, so what?"
"Huh?" The man who had asked for me to duel stopped laughing bewildered with my response.
It was then my turn to smirk.
"Aren't you more useless, to ask someone who can't even wield a sword to duel with you. I mean, look at you using your sword around to bully those who are weaker than you, I am sure you must enjoy hurting women and kids, who can't fight with you."
Crowd, hissed around us.
Even Regen's eyes widened as if looking at me in a new light. A smirk appeared on his face just like mine.
The silence stretched as the boy digested my words. HIs face grew hot as he clenched his other arm around the sword hilt.
"Y-you." He couldn't form words around his mouth.
"Hmm, did I say something wrong? Choose someone to fight of your caliber. After all, even sweepers can easily pick up trash on the ground."
It was as if it was the final blow to his ego.
"Trash who can't even wield a sword…" He jumped for me, with his sword swinging for my head.
Regen was ready to respond.
But I decided to step. In his anger, he was weak. Weak to wield the sword, weak to properly move his body. All his body screamed for recklessness.
I didn't do anything, just moved somewhat closer to him, and at the last moment, just as the boy was sure he got me, I stepped sidewise with my foot engaging him.
His knees buckled, and he fell a meter away from us.
*Crash*
Everyone fell silent. Nerve wrecking silence came over the entire sword field.
I looked at everyone. Those surrounding me, the current head of the smaller houses, and even the trio from the top houses.
It was my response, not in the sword way, but in a gamer's way.
I decided to spread some more salt to his wound.
"I mean come on. At least tell me, you know how to stand, before going around swinging sword at just anyone."
The ground was covered in dirt, to reduce the damage from falling. But it was the same dirt, which increased the anger in the boy.
Even though he looked around 18 years in age, he was much older than me.
His clothes, covered in dirt. His face was equally dirty, only his red face peeked from behind all the dirt.
He trembled feverishly.
"And don't start crying all of sudden. Anyways, I don't have time to entertain you anymore."
Even as we left, I took the liberty to look at the expression on everyone's faces. The way, all had awkward expressions on their faces, some even looked like they had a bad stomach or something similar.
It was delightful to say the least.
Even the head of Sokyro House seemed to smile just for that bit. Though I didn't know if it was just an illusion of my mind.