Upstart Pastry Chef ~Territory Management of a Genius Pâtisserie~ - Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Lineage and Duel

The appointed time arrived, and Tina and I came to the courtyard of the mansion alone.

There stood Jorg, my father, and their attendants.

“Kurt, Jorg, show me your strength. The selection ceremony is next week. This will be your final match. Fight with all your heart.”

Jorg and I stood in the center of the courtyard.

We both had spears.

The spearheads were covered with cloth to reduce lethality, but they were still pure weapons.

“Brother, I’m not in a good mood today. I can’t go easy on you.”

“Jorg, you never intended to go easy on me in the first place, did you?”

As far as I can remember, I’ve never seen Jorg hold back.

“Both of you, get ready. We will begin the match.”

The first head of the Arnoldt family excelled in bravery, earning numerous military achievements with just a spear as a common soldier, and was granted a title and land.

Therefore, the head of the Arnoldt family selects the most skilled in martial prowess from among the clan. Magic usage is prohibited, and only pure martial skills are tested.

And because of its origins, the children of the Arnoldt family trained their spear skills.

The selection ceremony is a ritual where the next head of the family, upon reaching adulthood, duels, and the winner becomes the head. To improve each other’s skills, Jorg and I have been having matches about once every two months.

“Match, begin!”

At my father’s command, we moved.

Tina clasped her hands in front of her chest, praying for my victory.

This was just a match; there was nothing to gain from winning.

However, the result of the previous match would inevitably lead to a psychological advantage in the selection ceremony.

“I’m coming, brother!”

Jorg brandished his spear.

It was a one-handed strike, lacking any proper stance or weight transfer, just a feeble swing.

But it was fast. Unnaturally so. It seemed as if some unseen mysterious force was pushing the spear forward. I concentrated all my nerves, anticipated the spear’s trajectory, and deflected it firmly with both hands tightly gripping my spear.

My hands tingled.

Despite releasing most of his strength, the impact was still powerful.

“Ha!”

However, I deflected it firmly.

I didn’t miss the opportunity created.

I unleashed a thrust, covering the shortest distance possible. From the age of five when I first held a spear, I had never missed a day of training in ten years.

That training had become ingrained in my flesh. A thrust where all the muscles of my body worked in harmony, gathering power at a single point with a spiraling motion. The strongest, fastest strike I could unleash with my body.

But…

“It’s light, brother.”

His seemingly casual spear was quickly withdrawn, and Jorg’s spear, which he swung effortlessly, caught up to my fastest spear and easily deflected it.

The fact that it was a one-handed strike meant there was still a center of gravity, so I understood why it could be quickly withdrawn.

But it was too fast. Without even using magic, Jorg’s spear unnaturally accelerated as if aided by some “mysterious force,” and unnaturally heavy.

“I thought so.”

I anticipated this. Taking advantage of the momentum from being deflected, I executed a one-turn, sweeping strike, laden with centrifugal force.

Even though it should have been an attack that could easily blow away a person, Jorg effortlessly intercepts it with a cool expression.

“Brother, you’re quite skilled… Clean forms, polished martial arts, truly impressive. I can’t even imagine how much effort you’ve put into it.”

Jorg casually launches a thrust.

Despite being casual, each strike carries deadly force.

An unfair barrage propelled by that “unseen force.”

Just one direct hit would be the end. Evade, deflect, counter – I counter with all my skill.

However, while Jorg can rack up hits with ease, I, needing to use my entire body’s strength, face different challenges with both rotational force and stamina depletion. I fall into a progressively worse position.

In this world, there exists such unfair power.

There are forces at work beyond the principles of martial arts. Both Jorg and my father are like this. Their spears possess unreasonable speed and weight.

That is the talent bestowed upon those of the Arnoldt lineage. It’s the power I’ve yearned for, an unreachable power.

I’ve trained tirelessly to bridge this unfairness. I’ve honed my body and martial skills. But…

“Brother, you’re amazing, truly amazing. You judge my spear purely on skill alone! But you know… it’s all pointless without talent! With just superficial skills, I can never reach what you’ve achieved!”

Jorg declares victory. He must be convinced that I’m weakening.

I’ve reached my limit. My breath is labored, and my focus is fading.

The numbness in my hands accumulates, and my grip weakens. I can’t defend against the next strike anymore.

“Well done, brother. I’ll take everything you’ve built up.”

Jorg’s smile deepens.

“Even the position of lord.”

For ten years, I’ve swung the spear every day, dreaming of this moment.

“The village I painstakingly built.”

A village that took three years to establish, all for the dream of becoming the world’s best pastry chef.

“The woman you love.”

Tina, who has always supported me. Her smile kept me going when I felt like giving up.

“It’s a shame, isn’t it? My brother, who can do anything! Such a wonderful, talented brother. Yet, just because you lack talent in spear handling, everything, everything, will be taken from you by me!”

Jorg, convinced of his victory, brandishes his spear.

I won’t joke around, I won’t accept this, I won’t give up.

I… I…

With my emotions, magic erupts.

My entire body is enveloped in a faint green light.

In that moment, the sensation returns to my hands. Not only do I regain the lost grip strength, but I feel empowered. I firmly grasp the spear and confront Jorg’s spear.

Jorg’s spear flies away.

My father speaks up.

“The winner is Jorg. Kurt, you used magic. It’s your loss due to foul play.”

After releasing that strike in a trance-like state, my father’s words bring me back to reality.

I see, I used magic…

“Haha, brother, you surprised me. To resort to using magic, even cheating, just to win, you’re finished.”

With a somewhat strained smile, Jorg speaks up.

“Father, Jorg… I’m sorry.”

I bow my head obediently.

My head feels fuzzy.

Father said I used magic.

But that’s not it. What I used was sorcery.

One in a thousand children is born with magic. With magic, there are benefits such as enhanced physical abilities, increased natural healing, and the ability to use attribute magic of earth, fire, wind, and water, among which one has an aptitude.

Among children with magic, one in a hundred can use sorcery.

Sorcery is the essence of the individual, a unique power. That’s what I used.

“Brother, please refrain from getting disqualified in the actual match.”

“I understand.”

I answer absentmindedly. After pondering something, Father instructs us to disband.

I wasn’t absentminded because of the joy of mastering sorcery.

It was because an inevitable reality had been thrust upon me.

“Kurt-sama!”

Tina rushes over.

Though I was aware of it, tears flowed naturally from my eyes.

“What’s the matter, Kurt-sama?”

Tina asks with concern.

“Tina, may I cry for a bit?”

I ask, and Tina embraces me.

I hugged her back.

The sorcery I acquired is “healing.”

In my mind, I began to grasp what it meant.

Healing: the power of restoration, healing heals, analyzes heals, modifies heals, and devastates heals.

At that moment, I healed myself and regained my grip strength.

Healing means returning to a normal state. To do so, one must know the normal state of the subject being healed. Therefore, this magic grants the user the ability to see everything.

What I came to realize was my own talent and the unfair system of this world. I understood the secret behind my father’s and brother’s unjust spears.

Even though I had realized I lacked talent in spear handling, somewhere inside, I had hoped that if I continued to strive, someday my talent in spear handling would blossom like my father’s or brother’s.

Having the ability to see everything confronted me with reality. All the ten years of training I had done were in vain, and I would never possess the power to wield an unjust spear like my father or Jorg. And if I hadn’t been fixated on the spear, I could have defeated Jorg.