1-Second Invincible Player in the Game

139. Oh, Erucel (1)

Donathan had said that Erucel had a critical flaw.

“Your stride is always exaggerated. Every time your opponent attacks, your movements waste too much energy. This is evidence that your body reacts too sensitively, almost reflexively.”

The moment he senses even a hint of strength from his opponent, he shrinks back like dried meat.

This was a fatal weakness for the inspector.

“In such cases, it is usually because one is seized by fear of the opponent, paralyzed by terror.”

And the cause was likely this.

“Still, it’s strange. Such things typically improve with experience, yet the lack of progress means…”

Trauma.

“I can’t help but wonder if those unpleasant memories have embedded bad habits deep within.”

The culprit who had shaped him was all too clear.

Who else but the notorious wastrel, Hessel van Tenest, would dare to leave his easygoing half-brother alone?

Yet the problem was that the very man in question was me.

* * *

As Hessel approached, Eruzel’s mind became a tangled mess.

Surely, the words “Hand over my brother” had slipped from his lips.

Eruzel found it utterly incomprehensible.

“After all this time of merely standing by, now he decides to act?”

Then, suddenly recalling his aggressive demeanor, a knot of anxiety twisted in his gut.

The first-year students and the tenth were currently at odds.

Here he was, facing a key figure from the enemy camp.

“If it’s this man, he might just seize the opportunity and shatter everything… No, he’s more than capable of that.”

Eruzel subtly nudged Amenda with his back, signaling her to rise.

Fortunately, Amenda stood up.

She turned her gaze toward him.

Eruzel silently mouthed the words.

“Just go.”

Amenda raised an eyebrow, as if to say she didn’t understand, then let out a soft sigh.

“Hmm.”

She tilted her head slightly, then shrugged her shoulders.

“Take him. I’ve already met my quota for today anyway.”

As she spun on her heel, Eruzel urgently redirected Hessel’s attention.

“Ah, yes, what business do you have with this brother of mine?”

But Hessel was not an easy opponent.

“That woman, the one sitting in the fourth seat. Hmm…”

Eruzel felt his long silence hang in the air, unsettling.

The thought that he might leap out at any moment to ambush Amanda crossed his mind.

Yet, fortunately, such a thing did not occur.

“Well, it’s not much. You heard, right? Riamon was taken to the infirmary.”

“I heard that. I was actually thinking of paying a visit.”

“So, here’s the thing. I have a task for you.”

Eruzel blinked, taken aback.

“A task?”

“It’s simple. Bring me a seat from the tenth row.”

“…What on earth are you talking about, out of the blue?”

“Well, everyone’s been recommending you.”

His response came out in a flat tone.

There was no hint of expectation in it.

Eruzel felt a strange relief wash over him.

‘If I throw out some excuses and refuse, they might just look for someone else.’

Eruzel scoffed lightly.

“Do you genuinely believe I could take down a tenth-row seat?”

To his annoyance, Hursel answered without hesitation.

“No.”

“…It stings a bit to hear it so bluntly, but anyway. I refuse. Don’t waste time on something that’s realistically impossible; just find someone else.”

“Haah…”

Hursel let out a deep sigh. His gaze was fixed on Amanda’s retreating back.

“This is troublesome. Just as they did to Riamon, do we need to deal with someone without a soul knowing?”

“Amanda, don’t touch her.”

Hursel looked at him, puzzled.

“Why?”

Eruzel suddenly realized his mistake.

He had unwittingly spoken in defense of an enemy in front of this man.

‘What a foolish blunder! I need to fix this…’

Hershel would not let this slip by unnoticed.

His wicked nature was matched only by his cunning mind.

Eruzel, with a heart pounding in anxiety, hastily spun words before he could even think.

The lie that escaped his lips was a betrayal.

“No, the truth is… the fourth seat was what I was aiming for.”

Perhaps it sounded suspicious, for Hershel’s eyes opened slightly, a glimmer of intrigue in their depths.

“You said you couldn’t do it earlier, didn’t you? When did it become realistically possible?”

“The truth is, it was an unseemly method, and that’s why I hesitated. It’s not the way of a man to toy with a woman’s heart.”

Eruzel thought his lie wasn’t half bad.

His mother had taught him that there are lies born of good intentions in this world.

Perhaps it was the absence of guilt that allowed the words to flow so easily.

“And they say, if you’re going to deceive, deceive your allies first, right? That’s why I did it. Yes, that’s exactly why.”

Eruzel felt a swell of satisfaction.

He couldn’t recall where he had picked up that phrase, but it fit the situation quite well.

Fortunately, Hershel seemed to buy it.

“Oh, is that so? Your plan was to use that woman’s heart. Excellent, Eruzel.”

“Yes, indeed. This was all part of my plan.”

Hershel lightly patted his back as he spoke.

“Ah, so your twisted nature remains unchanged. That cold-blooded mentality you had when you were about to strike down that young girl. I’ve known since then that you were a rotten seed.”

…Wait, that praise feels a bit off?

“Strike while the iron is hot, they say. How about we prepare from now on?”

“Prepare? What do you mean by that?”

“There are many ways, aren’t there? Lure her to a quiet place. There, you can have a nice conversation.”

“Lure her? You can’t mean…”

Though his perception had dulled with the passage of time, he knew this man’s essence was that of a vile creature.

A creature driven mad by lust for women.

A nice conversation meant a conversation of bodies. It was certain that disgraceful acts would follow.

Eruzel’s eyes widened in rising fury.

“If you’re thinking of such wicked deeds, I will not stand idly by!”

It was only after he had blurted it out that he realized he had revealed his hostile stance.

A matter that could lead to death at any moment.

Eruzel watched Hessel with a heart full of trepidation.

‘He wouldn’t hit me again for crawling back, would he?’

Hessel blinked slowly, his expression sour.

“Now this is getting dull. The games end here.”

“W-what? Games?”

Caught off guard, Eruzel’s reaction drew a narrowed gaze from Hessel.

“Surely, you don’t think I believed such cheap lies?”

“…Since when did you figure it out?”

“Since you started toying with that woman’s heart.”

Eruzel found himself at a loss.

That alone seemed insufficient for Hessel to have caught on.

“Stop lying. You’re no ghost, brother.”

“It’s a rather simple deduction. Ah, should I even say this? You might get hurt unnecessarily…”

“Ugh, stop being so vague. Just speak plainly like usual.”

Hessel replied with a pitying look, his voice tinged with bitterness.

“I thought it impossible for you to charm a woman. From the start, it sounded like nonsense even a passing dog wouldn’t believe.”

Eruzel let his gaze drop.

In silence, Hessel patted his back.

Then, as if a question had crossed his mind, Hessel asked.

“But what do you mean by ‘wicked deeds’? What do you think I would do?”

Eruzel cleared his throat and turned slightly to respond.

“Ahem, well, it’s obvious, isn’t it? The things you’ve done until now.”

Hessel’s eyes widened in disbelief.

He soon wore a fierce expression, clenching his fist tightly.

“You little brat, you’ve got a lewd devil in your head.”

His fist came crashing down toward Eruzel’s head. It was a painfully dirty smack.

Eruzel covered his head with his hands, but Hessel showed no signs of stopping his assault.

“What I meant was subtle persuasion. A backdoor deal to withdraw from the ten-point position! I knew it was impossible from the start, but I was just playing along!”

“Argh!”

—

Indeed, Eruzel despises Hessel…

* * *

Truly, there is not a single pretty facet to be found in this wretch.

All the times I’ve taken him to the tavern, how well I’ve treated him, and yet he still thinks I’m that reckless fool Hessel.

But even so, I could not become a true scoundrel, so I ceased my playful assaults.

My aim was to rid him of his trauma, after all.

“Ahem, it’s been a while since we’ve shared such brotherly camaraderie. Isn’t it delightful?”

“Ugh!! You think hitting someone’s head like a drum is just a game?”

I was irritated enough to strike him again, but like a decent person, I relaxed my fists.

First and foremost, I needed to mend our relationship.

Yes, in moments like this, praise is the way to go.

Come to think of it, didn’t he just glare at me and shout earlier?

-If you dare to do something so wicked, I will not stand idly by!

This is a good sign. Perhaps he has begun to overcome his trauma.

Let’s frame this positively.

“Did you not just say you wouldn’t stand still…?”

I cast a soft, knowing smile toward Eruzel.

“How bold of you to shout at me. It seems your courage has grown while we were apart?”

Yet, he responded with a face full of terror, uttering a mere sound.

“Eek!”

It seems he took my words as mockery.

Let’s move past that.

What other topic could I bring up…?

Ah, that’s it. He seemed to have an interest in that girl earlier; let’s broach that subject.

“Did you say her name was Amenda from the Fourth? For someone involved in that, she’s quite a fine woman.”

“To say she’s involved in that, coming from you, sounds rather strange.”

“I merely wished to say she’s a decent woman.”

“Surely… you’re not aiming for Miss Amenda, are you?”

Eruzel’s eyes widened in shock, trembling with disbelief.

I began to wonder if it was truly possible to improve my relationship with this fellow.

—

The rogue visage embedded in that fool’s mind far surpassed my expectations.

No matter how hard I try, it feels as if all is in vain.

Then, the choices left to me are······.

“Heh heh heh.”

I burned the ‘embers of noble blood’ with a grim smile.

Reality struck me hard.

Though I was accustomed to mimicking the insect Hessel, this felt too base, too distasteful to embrace.

Yet, for the sake of motivation, there was no other way but this wretched threat.

“Well then?”

I no longer wished to chip away at my own dignity, so I stopped at this level.

That alone seemed enough to stir his imagination.

Eruzel clenched his teeth, his face contorting in a grimace.

“Ugh!”

I looked down at him, as if he were nothing, and concluded in a dispassionate tone.

“Break Meldon’s legs. I’ll ask my little brother for you.”

In any case, it was useless to be kind; he only drained my dignity while demanding more of my time.

Truly, there was nothing beautiful about this wretch······.

* * *

Eruzel accepted with a reluctant nod.

His expression resembled that of a woman held hostage by a villain, but the beginning held its own significance.

I gazed at Eruzel and Mircel, swords in hand, in the backyard of the Shulafe manor.

Donatan had said that to truly gauge Eruzel’s abilities, one must witness him at full strength.

‘Hessel, it’s nearly impossible to fix that fool’s mind.’

‘I think so too.’

My approach had failed.

I attempted to dilute Hessel’s fear through a limited engagement, but the results were dismal.

Still, he was the only useful card I had, so I had to make the most of it somehow.

‘Hmm, is there a good way to break Meldon’s legs? If only it could be disguised as an accident…’

‘…Stop with such petty schemes. It’s not that there’s no way at all.’

‘Huh?’

Jonathan replied in a voice steeped in memories.

“My former master was one who taught his disciples with a harsh hand. Among them was a coward like that one over there. Do you know what the swordsman did?”

“What did he do?”

“He beat him.”

It seemed he was trying to toughen them up.

If you make the blows hurt less, perhaps the exaggerated movements would decrease, wouldn’t they?

Still, I wondered if that was wise.

“Toughening up is good. But doesn’t that come with side effects? What if you end up taking a dangerous hit head-on?”

Relying solely on resilience and becoming recklessly aggressive could be fatal.

After all, one usually dies the moment a sword cuts deep.

I had grasped a core truth, yet Jonathan’s intent was misaligned with my thoughts.

“It’s not about building resilience. It’s about teaching through pain. It’s instilling in the body that excessive movements can be harmful.”

Upon hearing this, it sounded plausible.

If you make a mistake, you get hit; if you act too recklessly, you get hit again.

Like how a whip can make a circus elephant raise its front foot, perhaps that’s the kind of correction he meant.

“If that happens, the unconscious will fight for survival. If doubts arise in the conscious mind, it will reject death and move on its own.”

“That means…”

“Yes, you must strike. You must push them to the brink. Until the words ‘I want to die’ escape their lips, again and again.”

I relayed Jonathan’s words to Mircel.

“Mircel, hit him until he says he wants to die.”

“Hmm? Sure, why not.”

Mircel responded nonchalantly, causing Erucel to step back in shock.

“W-what? Wait, Mircel. That’s your brother. You can’t do that to him.”

“Take it up with the older brother, not me.”

We set a deadline of two days.

Within that time, I had to draw out Erucel’s potential.

“Ah! My bones! I’ve been hit in the bones!”

“Then why are you running away? This isn’t a game of tag.”

I tore my gaze away from the battered Erucel and began to write a challenge to Meldon.

* * *

Kendell slid a letter across the long table, letting it glide effortlessly.

The destination was the seat where Meldon sat.

“A challenge has come for you, Meldon.”

“Ah, yes. Thank you, senior.”

Meldon carefully opened the envelope.

“Hm? Erucel? That fool who’s always getting himself into trouble, isn’t he?”

“I’ve heard he’s from the Tenest family, but he’s got more flaws than a cracked mirror. You should be able to handle him easily.”

Kendell’s words eased Meldon’s mind.

If it was a trivial opponent, victory would come swiftly.

For someone who had already vowed revenge, this was the best news he could hope for.

“This is splendid. Just hearing the name Tenest makes my blood boil.”

Meldon clenched his fists, veins bulging on his forehead.

Crisp—

The thought of crushing one of their bloodlines like a crumpled letter made the corners of Meldon’s mouth curl into a grim smile.