The year's first official match was only a month away, in the middle of the
sixth month. The final rankings may be decided based on just the one right
before graduation, but a complete loss to Raios and his ally would only
create unease in his future. A major reversal like how the Swordswomanin-training
Solterina who was always ranked second overthrew the
unmovable head, Uolo Levanteinn, in the final match was not common at
all—or so, Gorgolosso said in high spirits, as though it concerned him
personally.
The head this year, Raios, and the second-ranked, Humbert, were warriors
who received special training in the High Norkia-style since they were
young, just like Uolo. Their characters were utterly unworthy of respect,
but their swordsmanship would probably be a head above that of the other
noble students. To be honest, even with only a month to go until the match,
he could still not find that something he should put in his sword that would
be capable of competing against their Mighty Sword.
—But at the very least, I definitely won't lose to you guys in terms of
number of sword swings.
Ending his pensive thoughts and the four hundredth strike at the same
time, Eugeo slowly straightened his body.
He removed a towel from his belt and first wiped clean his wooden sword.
Next, he wiped off the sweat that soaked in from his forehead to his nape
while taking fleeting glances behind. Raios and his cohort were practicing
in the middle of the practice arena as always, apparently reviewing the
forms of each other's styles.
The moment he turned back and took a breath of air, the «Bell of Time
Telling» hung at the academy's main auditorium tower rang out the melody
for 6 P.M., the same way the bell at the church back home did. The
swordsmen-in-training's dormitory left much to the students' discretion,
unlike the trainees' dormitory that was full of regulations, so dinner could
be taken anytime from six to eight. Hence, a little more practice was
perfectly possible, but he had to bring food back to the room for his partner
who was hard at work studying for the tests today.