欧美级韩国三级日本三级

Gulp.

‘He told me not to get involved no matter what, but……’

His palms were soaked with sweat.

Tripier, the Knight of Mist, was not a name to be taken lightly.

A knight who had already reached the intermediate Expert level five years ago.

Moreover, he had reached the so-called realm of manifestation.

In other words, he was a cut above the rest.

The question of whether one had the potential to become a master depended on whether they could manifest mana into another form.

Although at the same intermediate level, Count Arsene himself couldn’t achieve manifestation.

‘Ah, as expected……!’

His concern became reality.

One of the top five strongest in the entire count’s household.

Rodri was unable to even make a proper move and was defeated.

‘What on earth are you planning?’

Should he step in now?

He even felt a bit of belated regret.

Wasn’t he still just a child?

If only he had continued to defend the castle gates based on the information obtained beforehand.

Or, if he had aimed for an ambush, the results could have been much more effective……

‘……No, let’s believe in him. I must believe him.’

That was the promise.

To never step in under any circumstances.

Count Arsene, struggling to hold onto his wavering heart, shook his head vigorously.

‘Hasn’t he already proven his ability enough?’

Count Arsene barely managed to calm his breathing.

He wasn’t the only one tense.

“Count, he’s just about the same age as the young lord…… Is this really right?”

Even the count’s retainers, who had been silent due to their guilt, voiced their concerns.

“Master……”

“This is too reckless.”

“This is madness. It’s a suicide mission!”

The apprentice knights, including Harun, Kirian, and Jan, were also worried.

“What are you thinking? No matter how great the hero’s will he inherited, the difference in level isn’t easy to overcome.”

Even the head of the Mask of Night.

Everyone’s attention was focused on this first battle.

Among them, Narakas found it particularly interesting.

“If you win, I’ll make sure to provide thorough after-service.”

After all, this was just a preliminary skirmish.

The outcome of this battle would affect the civil war in the Kingdom of Hart.

In other words, it would influence the morale of both the royalists and the nobility.

“I’ll make sure the name ‘Ancelot’ is known throughout the kingdom, no, the entire continent.”

In this field, reputation was everything.

Narakas, eyes gleaming, focused on the battle.

***

‘I don’t know how much I can do as I am right now.’

I lightly wetted my lips with my tongue.

In this life, it was the first time I’d encountered someone of such skill.

‘That assassin called Jake from before was approximately an intermediate-level Expert in terms of prowess.’

However, assassins are fundamentally specialized in ambushes.

In a direct confrontation, he would be several steps below this guy named Tripier in front of me.

But still.

“……Well, he’s just a small fry.”

Compared to knights from the Empire of the same caliber, he was several levels lower.

“Why use a knight’s sword to kill a dog? I’ll handle it, captain.”

“Hm? Kieran?”

Meanwhile, Small Fry Two stepped forward.

“Kid, you have no complaints, right? Our captain, whom you want to fight, has just finished a battle.”

“Well…… if that’s the pretext, I have nothing to say.”

“You should feel honored.”

Shiiing.

A short metallic sound followed.

“To face the sword of Kieran, the vice-captain of the White Lion Brigade.”

Step, step, step.

Small Fry Two approached confidently.

I let out a sigh.

You could ascertain his skill from his stance.

‘It’s riddled with openings.’

His sword wavered towards the ground like the leg of an octopus.

His steps were leisurely as if he were on a stroll.

And his expression?

He looked like an uncle playing with his nephew.

“In place of your foolish parents who failed to raise you properly, I will personally educate you.”

“Hey, Small Fry Two. Did you say your name was Kieran?”

“……I should crush that impudent mouth of yours first.”

“I’m just curious, do you have any children?”

He looked well over thirty.

So, I asked just in case.

“Why does that matter?”

“You keep talking about family education, so I wondered if you raised your own kids well.”

“Unfortunately, I’m still single.”

“That’s a relief.”

Shiiing.

I immediately drew my sword from my waist.

The dwarf-made sword gifted by Count Arsene.

“Oh? That’s too good for you.”

Still, even as a knight in name, he could recognize its quality.

Look at his eyes instantly filled with greed.

“Your rotten eyes, which can’t even see your own grave, are full of desire.”

“Not bad. Consider that sword as the fee for this lesson……”

About five steps away.

Small Fry Two had completely entered my range.

Usually, he would need to take two more steps for my sword to reach, but……

‘Considering the length of my sword aura, this is just right.’

And in an instant.

Flash!

As if throwing a jab, my shoulder lightly shrugged.

Then.

Slash!

The sound of something being sliced immediately followed.

“……?”

The opponent still had a look of confusion, not knowing what had happened.

“……Huh……?”

Soon after, realizing what had happened, Small Fry Two opened his mouth in shock.

He stared blankly at his now completely severed left arm.

“For someone with no skills, losing one arm is a cheap price to pay for a life lesson, isn’t it?”

“……!”

“I’m generous, so I left you your dominant hand.”

Splat!

I flicked the blood off the white blade, which was now dotted with crimson.

Thud!

Small Fry Two staggered back and fell on his rear.

It wasn’t the physical pain, but the psychological shock that was overwhelming him.

“It’s a shame. If you had children, I would have ended it with one ear.”

“……”

“After all, I can’t turn someone’s precious father into a cripple, can I?”

The surroundings were silent.

It was as if no one could believe what they had just witnessed.

Breaking that long silence was,

“W-Woooaaahhh!”

It was our side.

Specifically, the Count’s knights, who had been disheartened by the shocking defeat of Viscount Rodri.

“When did he even draw his sword?”

“You, too? I couldn’t follow it with my eyes!”

“Honestly, when the Count referred to this young boy as ‘honored guest’, I couldn’t understand it at all……”

“We just didn’t see it in person. This is the kid who even captured an assassin. He wasn’t an ordinary person, and our Count recognized that!”

A faint smile formed at the corner of my lips.

This was why establishing dominance was important.

The situation had flipped in an instant, and the five hundred members of the White Lion Brigade, who had been rigid in shock, moved in a hurry.

“P-Protect the vice-captain!”

“Ah, take him, take him.”

I waved my hand dismissively, as if shooing away annoying flies.

“Now, are you going to step up yourself?”

“……”

Finally, Small Fry One slowly spoke.

“……Kid, who are you?”

“Now you’re curious about my identity?”

“I’ve never heard of anyone your age with such skills.”

“Geniuses of extraordinary caliber tend to appear out of nowhere.”

By now, he must have realized.

That fighting me half-heartedly would never lead to victory.

“I don’t want to hear any nonsense about being beaten because you let your guard down against a kid. So, give it your best from the start.”

Normally, I wasn’t the type to give such friendly advice.

‘This isn’t a playground; it’s a battlefield.’

A place where you can die at any moment from a stray sword.

A single mistake can cost you everything.

Letting your guard down is something only fools do.

Nevertheless, I acted the same way as my opponent for a different reason.

‘Like him, it will have a far more dramatic effect in boosting our side’s morale.’

Another reason.

This was one of the few opportunities to objectively evaluate my current skills.

“Just like before.”

“……?”

“You were talking about that mist nonsense earlier. That’s the best you can do right now, isn’t it?”

Boooom!

Soon, the killing intent emitted by the opponent enveloped my whole body.

“……Step back.”

“Y-Yes, sir!”

Immediately, the knights who were supporting Small Fry Two retreated.

“……Right. Even a tiger gives its best effort to catch a single rabbit.”

“I’m telling you, you’re not a tiger, you’re a dog.”

“Regret in the afterlife. Your arrogance is what has brought you to your death.”

Hummm!

Along with the familiar sound of resonance.

Shhh……

The mist, which had dissipated, reappeared.

In an instant, the manifestation of mana covered the surroundings in a gray haze.

Before I completely vanished from sight, I glanced to one side.

“Viscount Rodri.”

“……Huh?”

“Keep your eyes wide open and watch from there.”

Perhaps it was because he had already seen my skills?

The look in Viscount Rodri’s eyes as he stared at me was different from before.

“The sins you’ve committed won’t disappear. They are karma imprinted on your soul.”

“I…… know that better than anyone.”

Viscount Rodri, biting his lip, replied with difficulty.

By then, the mist had fully formed, obscuring everything from sight.

“No matter how hard you try, it’s not easy to restore trust once it’s been betrayed.”

“……Right.”

“But.”

Fwoosh!

Suddenly, crimson flames flared up on my sword.

“Flowers can bloom again, even from ashes.”

“……!”

“The decades of dedication you gave to the Count’s family, the resentment of losing a child, and the betrayal from a moment’s poor judgment. If you bury all of that in your heart and strive again…… Perhaps your lord might reconsider?”

Actually, this is a question I once asked myself.

The five subordinates I trusted the most.

One of them was a traitor.

If that traitor had a reason similar to Viscount Rodri’s……

For instance, if he was forced to betray me because his aging mother and child were held hostage.

Could I forgive him then?

‘……Of course, I’d only know if that time came.’

Whoosh!

The flames on my sword spread out in all directions.

“M-Mana manifestation!?”

Tripier’s voice was filled with astonishment.

Not just keeping the flames on the sword but spreading them across a wide area was also a form of manifestation.

Sizzle!

Soon, the collision of two opposing forces produced thick steam.

The fog was ‘evaporating’.

‘One thing is certain.’

Painful memories.

Constant regrets.

All kinds of negative emotions.

Dwelling on such a past and blaming yourself only ends up hurting you.

Because it’s an act of corroding your own soul.

“Like this mist dissipating before your eyes, burn away the inner demons troubling your heart.”

“……!”

“Only then can you move forward again.”

I knew better than anyone the agony of losing a child.

That’s why I could offer sincere advice.

“Hey, hey! You crazy bastard!”

But in this touching moment, someone had to ruin it.

‘Was it Baron Tucker?’

Another traitor of the Count’s family and Viscount Rodri’s loyal right hand.

“What are you thinking, burning that!?”

“……Why?”

“‘Why’, you idiot!? Did you forget? This place is surrounded by oil!”

“……Ah……?”

At the same moment as my exclamation.

Fwoooosh!

An enormous inferno, incomparable to anything before, engulfed the surroundings.