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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 38
Chapter Title: The Master-Disciple Wager
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“ Ah, but we don’t have swords for a proper duel.”
Cale suddenly pointed out the problem with the abruptly decided match.
Luciano paused, finally noticing his empty hands.
Luciano didn’t usually carry a sword around, and Cale hadn’t prepared one since he hadn’t planned to teach in the first place.
A frustrated expression rose on Luciano’s face, as if he were annoyed at not being able to duel.
“How about it? Want to go at it barehanded?”
Cale’s expression was smug.
It was a taunt implying that Luciano could back out if he was scared.
But there was no way Luciano would give up after seeing that look.
“Barehanded is fine.”
Cale’s smile deepened.
‘Luciano’s completely fallen for it.’
Maybe because he was still young.
Unexpectedly, Luciano had taken the bait just as Cale intended.
She wondered if she should stop him, but seeing Luciano’s eyes, she doubted he’d listen.
He was fired up now, too.
“The match: If you land a clean hit on me, I lose. If I subdue you, you lose. Sound good?”
Luciano nodded in agreement.
“One round?”
“Yeah, one round. Loser accepts defeat gracefully.”
“I will. You’d better accept the result cleanly, too.”
At Luciano’s words, Cale flashed a grin as if it were obvious.
They took some distance, and Cale rubbed his foot against the floor.
“Per our deal, I won’t move from this spot.”
Luciano’s gaze turned icy.
“You can move.”
It was as if he was saying he didn’t need that kind of consideration.
“A deal’s a deal. Besides, I’ve got to give a little against a kid. Gotta give you some excuse for losing later, right?”
Cale shrugged.
That seemed to irk Luciano even more.
Luciano clenched his fists, his aura sharpening.
“Begin.”
As Luciano signaled the start, Cale let out an exclamation like something had just occurred to him.
“Ah!”
Luciano halted his charge and asked irritably.
“What?”
“If I win, you’ll have to pay for underestimating me, right?”
At the word “pay,” Luciano’s eyebrow twitched.
It was a sign of displeasure, but Cale just smiled leisurely.
“Proving your skills? What kind of payment are you after?”
“You underestimated me. You’ve got to pay for insulting someone with real ability.”
It sounded like twisted logic, but it wasn’t entirely wrong.
A true expert would have immense pride, and dismissing that would be rude.
“A polite apology suffice?”
Luciano offered terms, but.
“No. If you lose, you take me as your master with utmost respect.”
Cale proposed something else.
Luciano’s face twitched in dissatisfaction.
“That doesn’t seem fair.”
“In exchange! If I lose, I become your slave.”
Cale’s offer was bold.
“Slavery’s been gone for ages. What nonsense is this?”
It was a world where slavery had been abolished.
Of course, some probably kept slaves in secret.
But officially, slaves didn’t exist.
Thus, Cale’s proposal was nonsense.
“Of course, no paperwork. But I’ll obey your every word like a slave. Jump if you say jump, die if you say die. Fair enough?”
Not an official slave, but he’d serve as a master’s bidding, doing anything asked.
Cale’s attitude seemed lighthearted, but she could feel his sincerity.
Luciano’s eyes calmed as he pondered.
“Can I trust that promise?”
“I’ve got my pride. I keep my word.”
“Fine. Prepare to be a slave.”
At Luciano’s agreement, Cale grinned in utter satisfaction.
“You’d better prepare to call me master.”
In an instant, an absurd wager was set for the duel.
The situation began to flow strangely.
At a glance, it seemed Luciano had fallen for Cale’s scheme.
But her having Luciano and Cale become master and disciple was what she’d hoped for.
It was ambiguous whether this was going badly or well.
“Alright. Come at me.”
As Cale spoke, he slipped his left hand into his pocket.
Meaning he wouldn’t use his left hand, per the deal.
Naturally, sparks flew in Luciano’s eyes.
“Begin.”
Cale wiggled only his right fingers at Luciano’s gritted-teeth voice.
Even with the gesture urging him to attack quickly, Luciano didn’t move rashly.
Despite his burst of anger, Luciano carefully observed Cale.
Cale remained utterly relaxed.
Like he was just out for a stroll in the breeze.
But in contrast, Luciano’s expression gradually hardened.
Confusion flickered—uncertainty on how to attack.
“Being cautious is good, but how long are you gonna make me wait?”
At Cale’s question, Luciano—who had been scrutinizing with utmost caution—shot forward like lightning.
He closed in on Cale, thrusting a fist toward his side.
It was a fairly sharp punch.
But Cale lightly tapped the back of Luciano’s hand, deflecting it.
With Cale’s force added to the momentum, Luciano’s balance crumbled in an instant.
“Uh-oh!”
She cried out as Luciano seemed about to topple forward easily.
At that moment, Luciano twisted his body and swung his left elbow.
Instead of falling, he countered with a follow-up attack.
Cale’s eyes sparkled, surprised Luciano could chain attacks.
Luciano’s elbow looked set to strike Cale’s side.
‘Is Luciano going to win?’
Just as that thought crossed her mind.
Cale performed a simple motion, flicking Luciano’s attacking elbow upward from below.
The result of that simple action was astounding.
“Ugh!”
Luciano’s right arm flew up, his balance collapsing instantly.
As he started to fall backward, Cale grabbed his collar.
Luciano’s tumbling body was caught mid-air.
“Attacking recklessly when your balance is already off? Too hasty.”
Staring at Luciano’s shocked, incredulous face, Cale grinned like a victor.
“Call me Master. Disciple.”
Even as Cale steadied him, Luciano couldn’t snap out of his daze.
“Ah, since you’re the one I’m teaching now, no complaints if I call you a brat, right?”
She could picture Luciano’s mind racing.
Me, lose?
And so quickly?
To that drunkard!
He was probably fuming inside.
She was equally stunned.
Even accounting for child versus adult.
One trained consistently, the other lived as a drunk.
She hadn’t expected Cale to subdue Luciano so effortlessly.
She thought he’d at least put up a fight.
To toy with him completely.
Oh!
This was Luciano’s second loss already.
Consecutive defeats.
Worried for the prideful Luciano, she watched his reaction.
Fearing he’d sink into depression like after Prince Steven.
“Y-You okay?”
As she spoke, Luciano blinked as if waking from a dream.
Then he looked back and forth between her and Cale.
“Who is that guy? What’s his deal? How do you even know someone like him?”
Questions poured out in rapid succession.
“Hey now, ‘that guy’? No respect for your master.”
Cale, who’d been watching, drawled.
Luciano gritted his teeth, eyes flashing fiercely.
Cale mouthed silently, ‘Promise, promise.’
Childish antics.
“What’s his identity?”
Trembling with suppressed rage, Luciano finally changed his tone.
“!”
As she stared wide-eyed, Luciano pretended nothing happened.
But the shift in speech revealed his intent.
He’d honor the promise.
She hadn’t expected Luciano to accept defeat so cleanly.
Cale seemed to catch it too, grinning.
He approached Luciano and slung an arm over his shoulder.
“Keuk, that’s right. Bratty disciple, you gotta revere your master like the heavens.”
Due to the height difference, Cale’s body awkwardly bent, but he leaned on Luciano.
Luciano grimaced in disgust but didn’t push him away.
He pressed his lips tight and endured Cale.
‘Well, he does keep promises to the letter.’
“Cut it out and stand straight. Don’t harass innocent people.”
“Hey, a master harassing his disciple? Bratty disciple, does it feel like I’m harassing you?”
Where was the guy who said he didn’t want to teach?
Master and disciple this, master and disciple that.
“No.”
At Luciano’s reply, Cale chuckled in satisfaction.
He seemed overjoyed at crushing Luciano’s arrogance.
He’d regret it later.
“You two should introduce yourselves properly.”
At her words, Cale finally straightened up.
Luciano subtly put distance between them.
He looked like he was holding back from brushing off where they’d touched.
She closed in on Luciano and whispered quietly.
“You sure?”
“Promises must be kept.”
His quiet response was firm.
“Then, can I tell him?”
She cautiously asked if she could reveal his identity.
Luciano nodded indifferently.
Resignation?
Or had he realized Cale’s value?
‘Either way, it’s fine.’
“Feels a bit late, but. Lucci, this is Cale Pedro.”
She gave Cale’s name to Luciano.
Luciano wore an expression asking if that was all.
His gaze demanded a proper identity, then furrowed as something clicked.
“Cale Pedro. Cale Pedro.”
He murmured the name softly, as if it rang a bell.
“Huh? You know me?”
“!”
Luciano’s eyes widened, finally recalling.
“……The former Knight Commander?”
At Luciano’s incredulous mutter, Cale feigned surprise.
He hadn’t expected him to figure it out from the name alone.
But then he glanced at her and nodded.
Assuming she’d told him who Cale Pedro was.
He soon grinned.
Like, finally realizing how great I am?
Cale Pedro.
The one hailed as the empire’s greatest genius.
A commoner who seized the youngest Knight Commander position through sheer skill.
I Thought I Was the Protagonist
