Thus it was decided I would duel Dodriel, a true genius of the blade.
Now that I’d had a moment to think about it, I realized that it was a foolish thing to do.
But if someone said the same thing to me now…I would probably challenge them to a duel all over again…
My morals would not allow me to stay silent as my mom was insulted.
But Dodriel is really strong…
He was a prodigy in every sense of the word. Though he didn’t practice that much, he would immediately soak up any technique he saw and make it his own, like a sponge.
Rumor had it that he was even being recruited by the Elite Five Academies, the prestigious schools of swordcraft in the capital.
I totally get that he’s stronger than me. But tomorrow at least, there’s no way I can lose…!
Losing would mean I’d have to withdraw from the academy. But most importantly, I needed to make him take back his insult to Mom.
After we went our separate ways and I returned to the dorm, I then headed straight for the forest with a sword in hand. Arriving at my usual practice spot, I focused my undivided attention on wielding my blade.
“Hah, yah, ho…!”
Surrounded by the silence of the forest, I frantically trained as if my life depended on it. I wasn’t doing this out of desperation. It was simply the only thing I knew how to do.
After I enrolled at the academy, I approached each of the teachers and begged them to let me into their schools of swordcraft. But the response was always the same.
“You have no talent with the blade, unfortunately. I cannot take you into my instruction.”
“What did you say?! I’m almost impressed that someone as unskilled as you would have the guts to ask to be my pupil. Have you no shame?”
“Ever heard the phrase know your place?”
Everyone had rejected me out of hand, so I’d had no one to learn from. As a result, I didn’t know any forms, nor schools of swordcraft, nor techniques. All I’d learned in class was how to swing my weapon and hone my body.
The only way I knew how to train was to simply keep swinging, like I was now.
I kept at it for a while, finally letting up when the moonlight began to illuminate the surrounding area.
“Ha, ha-ha, ha-ha-ha-ha…!”
I let out a dry, humorless chuckle.
“I’m such an idiot. No amount of practice will get me the win tomorrow…!”
Swinging my sword around like a madman was utterly pointless. I was going to lose to that prodigy the next day, no matter what I did. It would be a brutal defeat.
The gap between Dodriel and I couldn’t be shored up in a day.
I hate it… I hate it, I hate it, I hate it!
Though I was loath to admit it, no matter how many times I played out our duel in my mind, I just couldn’t envision myself beating him.
“What can I do…?”
Tears of frustration slid down my face.
…I want to win. I want to strike Dodriel down and make him take back that insult…
But I just wasn’t good enough, not by any stretch of the imagination. I lacked strength, I lacked ability—and most of all, I lacked time…
“Dammit!”
Stricken by helplessness, I pounded a fist onto the ground. That’s when I suddenly heard a hoarse voice from above.
“Hyo-hoh-hoh. Something appears to be troubling you deeply, young swordsman.”
“Wh-who’s there?!”
I jerked my head up to find a short old man standing directly in front of me. The hair on his head, his eyebrows, and his beard were all snow-white. His back was clearly bent, and he was gripping a cane in one hand. What unsettled me more than anything was how he’d managed to get this close without me noticing him at all.
“Who am I? Hmm… I suppose you could call me the Time Hermit,” answered the mysterious old man, running a hand through his impressive beard, which nearly reached the ground.
“Anyhoo, is something the matter, young swordsman? How would you like to share your problems with this weary old man?”
“…Talking to you about it won’t change anything.”
“Are you sure, sonny? Keeping your troubles to yourself takes a real toll on the mind. You’ll be surprised by how much better it feels to confide in someone. You don’t need to hold back. I already have one foot in the grave anyway! Hyo-hoh-hoh!”
He laughed as if he had said something hilarious.
“…Yeah, you might be right.”
I was getting desperate. Not knowing what else to do, I began to recount the hopeless situation I’d gotten myself into.
I told him about how I had no talent with the blade; about the bullying at the academy; about my mom, who I’d left in my hometown; and about the duel the next day. Spilling everything that had been building up in my mind definitely made me feel a little better.
“I see… So that’s what has you in such low spirits…”
The Time Hermit listened to me earnestly, without making fun of anything I said. He was a surprisingly good listener, which I suppose came down to the wisdom of old age.
“Hmm, if that’s your predicament…I may be able to give you some help.”
“…How?”
If there was some magical method that could flip this totally hopeless situation on its head, I was all ears.
He twisted his wrinkled face into a grin.
“Hyo-hoh…by using this.”
From out of his pocket, he produced a fist-sized red button.
“…What is that?”
“The ‘100-Million-Year Button,’ an incredibly rare magical item.”
“Hundred-million-year button…? Magic item…?”
“Indeed. Anyone who presses this button will instantly receive the effects of having trained for one hundred million years! Can you imagine a more useful tool?”
“…That sounds hard to believe.”
Those were my honest feelings.