Chapter 335. The Shortcut to Becoming a Hegemon (1)
“Your Majesty, do you not feel a strong desire to torment me and beat me to a pulp?”
“…What?”
Her eyes widened slightly.
Her eyebrows furrowed as if asking, ‘What nonsense are you spouting?’
Seeing the Queen’s reaction, Lloyd was confident.
‘It worked.’
Lloyd suppressed a meaningful smile.
The proposal he had just made to Queen Alicia.
It was the kind of offer that, knowing Queen Alicia, she would find impossible to refuse.
‘Of course. She finds me subtly—no, openly—annoying. She must have often thought, ‘I’d like to smack that guy just once.”
He had sensed this feeling long ago.
The sharp glances the Queen occasionally shot his way.
The way her eyes sometimes gleamed like a predator eyeing its prey.
‘Well, I suppose I’ve given her plenty of reasons to dislike me. I’ve openly exploited her at times. Though, it’s not like she’s ever actually lost out because of me.’
On the contrary, she had reaped numerous benefits.
But despite those benefits, he knew she found him irritating.
That’s why he decided to take full advantage of the Queen’s emotions and desires (?).
He prepared a proposal so irresistible that she wouldn’t be able to turn it down.
“Therefore, I humbly propose, Your Majesty, that I, Lloyd Frontera, dare to challenge you to a duel in your training ground.”
“A duel? Against me?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“So, you’re saying you want to challenge me to a duel?”
“Indeed, Your Majesty.”
“You mean now? Immediately?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Why?”
“Because I wish to answer your earlier question in a somewhat special manner.”
He spoke in a roundabout way.
But Queen Alicia, being the Queen, caught on instantly to the true meaning behind his ambiguous words.
“…You’re saying you’re bothered by other ears hearing your answer. Is that correct?”
“I am deeply grateful for your understanding, Your Majesty.”
“This means it’s something that others shouldn’t hear.”
“I humbly ask that you listen and judge for yourself, Your Majesty.”
“You’re quite audacious.”
“I apologize, Your Majesty.”
“Are you really sorry?”
“I apologize for that as well, Your Majesty.”
“…Tch. You don’t give in, do you?”
“I am deeply sorry, Your Majesty.”
“…”
Is he provoking me on purpose?
Is he asking to be beaten?
Queen Alicia’s eyes narrowed slightly.
“Your proposal, it sounds as if you’re saying I can beat you up if I want to. Am I understanding this correctly?”
“How could I possibly…”
“Because you’ve become a Swordmaster. Isn’t that right?”
“…You knew?”
“Of course.”
Queen Alicia nodded.
In fact, she had realized it as soon as she saw Lloyd during the audience earlier.
That this man had become a Swordmaster.
It was both surprising and strange.
‘The last time I saw him, he was merely at the intermediate level of a Sword Expert. But in such a short time, he’s gone through something and has now reached the threshold of a Swordmaster.’
She was curious.
Her competitive spirit was aroused.
And part of her felt it was audacious.
“Very well. Whether you’re a Swordmaster or not, I appreciate your understanding of my desire to beat you. And as a ruler, it would be improper not to acknowledge your sincere request.”
“Then, you are granting my request for a duel?”
“If you are prepared to die by my wooden sword, then by all means.”
“…”
“Let’s go.”
Ah, the mental fatigue from managing the state affairs had been quite significant.
Today, I can release all that stress to my heart’s content.
Queen Alicia, with a strangely excited (?) heart, stood up.
She left the office, taking Lloyd with her.
They went to her private training ground.
As soon as they arrived, she ordered all her guards, including the captain of the guard, to move far back.
Whiiing…
The training ground at night with only the two of them.
Under the lonely moonlight, the Queen stood proudly with a wooden sword.
She glanced at the distant guards and smiled.
“Is this far enough?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. Probably.”
Lloyd politely replied while unfolding a portable folding shovel.
“The guards may have excellent hearing, but they won’t be able to hear our conversation over the sound of your wooden sword clashing with my shovel.”
“I see. That must be what you’re aiming for.”
“I apologize for the trouble of setting up such a tedious meeting, Your Majesty.”
“No need to apologize. Soon, you can express your apology not with words, but with your body.”
“…”
“I hope your skills don’t disappoint me. Come on, then.”
She took a stance.
It wasn’t anything grand.
Just a slight change in the angle of her front foot.
But with that one movement, her aura changed.
Rumble…
The massive circulation and resonance of mana.
The aura of a seasoned warrior who had fought countless battles.
The truly murderous intent filled the training ground.
It made Lloyd’s throat move up and down.
“…”
As expected, the Queen is no joke.
Even though it’s a duel, she’s not going to hold back at all.
‘This is on a different level from Javier.’
With Javier, the gap in skill was so wide that the pressure didn’t feel real.
But the Queen’s aura was palpable.
She was just slightly superior, making it feel even more menacing.
But Lloyd didn’t shrink back.
‘I’m a Swordmaster too.’
Although the difference in level might be significant.
Still, if I try my best and give it my all?
I should be able to manage.
I can endure her attacks and convey what I need to say.
‘That’s the only way to secretly deliver my proposal without the sharp-eared guards overhearing. The Queen is always surrounded by countless people, receiving their tight security 24/7.’
Especially after the assassination attempt on the Queen, the security had become even more impenetrable.
Thus, seizing a moment like this was not easy.
‘So, I must endure. I must endure and say what I need to say. If this negotiation succeeds, the grand plan will succeed for real. I can obtain the royal family’s artifact, the Eye of Summer.’
Lloyd resolved firmly.
He steeled his determination.
And exactly 0.5 seconds later.
He experienced the feeling of his freshly renewed resolve being shattered like glass.
KABOOM!
“…”
A tidal wave was surging towards him.
No, correction.
It was a storm of aura coming at him.
It was the onslaught of Queen Alicia’s attack.
‘…What the?!’
His heart dropped.
He instinctively raised his shovel.
He infused it with aura.
BANG!
The wooden sword clashed with the shovel.
It sounded like a grenade exploding.
Simultaneously, Lloyd was pushed back about 6 meters.
‘Urk!’
What kind of power is this?
It felt like his hands were disappearing.
The immense shock traveled up the shovel handle, making his palms and entire hands lose feeling in an instant.
But the problem didn’t end there (?).
SWISH! BAM!
“…!”
Even faster than he was pushed back.
The Queen’s wooden sword came rushing in like a raging storm.
‘Whoa! Sister! Wait! Just a moment!’
He wanted to shout.
But there was no time to shout.
From that moment on.
Lloyd had to frantically move his shovel just to survive.
‘…Head! Shoulders! Knees! Toes! Knees! Toes!’
Blocking, dodging, deflecting, enduring, blocking again, and barely deflecting.
In the midst of it, he noticed.
The expression on the Queen’s face as she looked at him.
‘She’s smiling happily. Damn it!’
He was desperately trying to avoid getting beaten to death.
But Queen Alicia was smiling happily and contentedly, like a newlywed who just bought a 34-pyeong apartment in Gangnam.
She even threw out a casual question as an option.
“By the way, Lloyd Frontera. Didn’t you challenge me to a duel because you had something urgent and secret to tell me?”
BAM! CRASH! BAM!
“…Gwah! Ack! Gyah!”
“Surely, you didn’t request this duel just to let me hear your bizarre shouts, did you?”
THUD! BAM! CRASH!
“…Ugh! Ack! Squeal!”
“Should I go easy on you if it’s hard to answer?”
“Yes! I love you, Sister!”
“…”
“No, I mean Queen Sister!”
“…”
“No, that’s not it! Your Majesty! Please!”
“I feel like I just heard some outrageous nonsense.”
CRASH! THUD! BAM!
“…Ack! Gah! Ugh! It’s! Actually!”
“Speak softly.”
With the Queen’s advice, her attacks became a little less intense.
But still, it was a storm-like series of strikes that could inflict serious injuries if he let his guard down even for a moment.
Lloyd barely managed to block and dodge her attacks while opening his mouth.
“Actually, it’s about the angel that descended earlier. Huff!”
BOOM! CRASH!
The clash and shockwave drowned out his words.
Thanks to that (?), Lloyd could continue speaking without worrying about the guards overhearing.
“That angel, it was indeed I who summoned it.”
“What?”
BAM!
Queen Alicia’s strikes grew fiercer for a moment.
Lloyd barely swung his shovel.
He parried her thrust and answered.
“To get straight to the point, I need the royal family’s artifact, the Eye of Summer.”
“…”
“…Ugh! Gah! Ack!”
THUD! BAM! CRASH!
“Please just hear me out. This isn’t something that will harm you, Your Majesty.”
“Harm me? Are you saying this won’t harm me?”
“Th-that’s! Huff! Correct.”
“Continue.”
CLANG! CLANG!
The wooden sword aimed at Lloyd’s neck.
Seven strands of aura shone in sixteen rapid changes.
A total of 112 consecutive thrusts pierced the air.
But Lloyd parried all of them while gradually retreating.
THUNK! THUNK! THUNK!
The wooden sword and shovel clashed, creating continuous shockwaves.
Amidst them, Lloyd continued to speak.
“The truth is, it’s because of the Heart of Winter that I obtained earlier.”
“The Heart of Winter?”
“Yes, Your Majesty. The divine artifact I absorbed back then, it’s slowly killing me.”
“Killing you?”
“The cold is accumulating in my heart. Even though I try to expel it, it’s only a temporary measure. Instead, it’s growing stronger and spreading throughout my body.”
“So, you’re saying it’s killing you?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
CLANG!
After blocking all 112 thrusts.
For the first time, Lloyd attempted a counterattack.
It wasn’t anything grand.
Just a simple sweep with the shovel, infused with mana.
But he packed it with aura as much as he could.
He swept the area like fanning flames.
WHOOOSH!
“…!”
For the first time, Queen Alicia’s expression hardened.
After all, this was a duel.
So Lloyd had the right to attack too.
She realized this anew and raised her wooden sword.
From below to above.
She slashed upward.
SLASH!
The wind stirred by Lloyd’s sweeping shovel was cleanly cut by her sword strike.
The Queen leaped through the gap.
She swung her wooden sword horizontally towards Lloyd’s neck.
Lloyd hastily raised his shovel.
CLANG!
The wooden sword collided with the shovel handle just in front of his neck.
At that moment, Queen Alicia tossed her wooden sword into the air.
Her now free hand swiftly reached out.
She grabbed the back of Lloyd’s neck.
“…!”
There was no time to react.
The Queen’s knee shot up like a flash.
It struck Lloyd’s solar plexus accurately.
THUD!
“…Urgh!”
He instinctively bent over.
A satisfied smile appeared on the Queen’s face.
“Let me confirm if your words are true.”
With her other hand, she pressed on Lloyd’s chest.
Pressing her hand on his chest, she manipulated mana.
She swiftly sensed and diagnosed the state inside his chest and around his heart, as if using a stethoscope.
At some point, the Queen’s eyes changed.
“…It’s true.”
“Thank you… cough! for believing me. Ugh, gasp.”
Lloyd barely managed to catch his breath as he stepped back.
The blow to his solar plexus was so severe that it was still difficult to breathe.
But their conversation wasn’t over yet.
He needed the shockwave to hide his words.
So, the duel had to continue.
Lloyd raised his shovel.
He pointed the shovel head at the Queen.
Understanding Lloyd’s intention, the Queen extended her hand.
The wooden sword she had tossed earlier was drawn back into her hand as if magnetized.
THUNK!
This time, without a word.
Both of them charged at each other simultaneously.
Each infused their weapons with aura and clashed.
Both of them were slightly pushed back.
Amidst the shockwave, the Queen’s fierce smile intertwined.
“Alright, I understand that what you said is true. But what of it? Just because your life is in danger, does that mean I have to grant you the royal artifact?”
“Of course, not without reason.”
That’s only natural.
The Magentano royal family is not a charity.
Whether he’s in pain or at death’s door.
That alone is not a reason to grant him the Eye of Summer.
“Therefore, I humbly propose.”
“Speak.”
“If you grant me the Eye of Summer… I will carry out a project that will ensure the Magentano royal family’s dominance over the continent for a thousand years.”