《Reformation of the Deadbeat Noble》 Prologue - Diary of a Villager

Prologue - Diary of a Viger

1 Someone new came to the vige. He did not leave a good impression. He must have been through some pretty tough times. That is probably why his eyes seemed to have an unknown me in them. They always gave the impression that something was about to happen. I wanted to get rid of that man, but the vige head epted the stranger, as always. Well, because of that attitude, I am here too. I decided to not care too much about it. 2 It had been four days since the man settled in the vige. He seems like a quiet man, so quiet that his existence can be questioned. It seems like he hardly ever leaves his house. A few noisy residents in the vige showed interest in him, but I was not particrly interested. I just hope for the peaceful days to continue. 3 A week since then, roughly ten days have passed since the man came. Now I have an idea as to what that man is doing. The kids who were peeking over his fence told me. That he wields a sword every day. It always looked like he had a backstory. Now I know what it is. Still, I am not interested in him. Whether the children talk or not, I decided to do my job. 4 Another month had passed. He still wields his sword in his yard. Haven¡¯t seen him though, just heard it and still not interested. 5 Another month has passed. The man still wields the sword, and the vigers continue to chatter about it. That he was sharpening his sword skills for some kind of revenge, that he was a fallen knight or a famous mercenary. They are nosy. And I¡¯m not particrly interested. But telling them to stop would be more annoying, so I went ahead with doing my job. The thing he is doing¡­ it iste. I need to take a nap. 6 Tomorrow I¡¯ll go see him wielding his sword. He has been training for half a year. Every day, whether the sky is raining or shining. I used to be indifferent to other people¡¯s affairs, but now I have no choice but to admit it. My curiosity rose. How fast is he? How strong? How much effort was he put into honing his excellent swordsmanship? I¡¯ll know it all tomorrow. 7 Disappointing. I am utterly disappointed. It might look great for residents who know nothing about the sword, but I have seen several swordsmen working, I can tell for sure. He wasn¡¯t great. To be blunt, he was average. As I walked towards the yard, I thought that there should be something, a backstory. A story. There has to be a painful story that will make my heart swell and burn. But it didn¡¯t look like he would solve his problems. He is a stupid person. And a pitiful one too. Now, I really need to stop paying attention to him. I should have a drink before heading to bed. 8 A family came into the vige. A retired mercenary, one son and daughter. However, his daughter was quite a beauty. When she smiled and greeted the vigers, I thought an angel hade down from heaven. It has been so long. It has been so long since I felt like this. Even now, when I am writing my diaryte at night, I can¡¯t stop sweating. I¡¯ll try talking to her tomorrow. Definitely, I need to do it. I wrote it down, so I don¡¯t dy it anymore. Ah, and this isn¡¯t very important but, The man swung his sword today. It has been 3 years now. 9 Today was a strange day. Without a doubt, I am pleased today. Since this is the result of 2 years of courting. Right now, beside me, my beautiful wife Rema is asleep. I am so happy that I might burst into tears at any moment. By the way, Oddly enough. The guy, who has absolutely nothing to do with me, keeps popping into my head. 5 years is a long time. To the extent that I, who had been engulfed in pessimism due to my broken dreams, regained hope, fell in love, got married and found happiness. To the extent that Jackson next door had grown up and left the vige to be a mercenary. But, that person didn¡¯t change. While many people faced joy and sorrow dozens of times, he just stood there in the same ce, swinging and swinging and swinging again. When I think of the man who continues his asceticism as if he had promised to do the task just yesterday, with the same way that he looked when he came into the vige, with the same unknown emotion that still reflects the me in his eyes... As I said, it¡¯s weird. It is toote to look at the man when everyone¡¯s attention has left him. But I decided to ept it. How long could his penance continue? I will have to check every day from tomorrow. 10 5 years 1 month, and 12 days. The man has kept training with his sword. 11 5 years 2 months, and 25 days. The man has kept training with his sword. 12 5 years 5 months, and 3 days. The day is insanely hot. Still, he trained. 13 Our child was born. Rema and I had a lovely child. A daughter, my lovely daughter. Everyone, including my father-inw and the vige chief, celebrated the birth of a new life. My wife and I were greeted with smiles by all the residents. And the man continued his training. It has been 6 years, 2 months and 27 days. 14 9 years 6 months, and 16 days. He trained today too. 15 Ah, it is 10 years with this day. The man trained with the sword. 16 Oops, I didn¡¯t check. So¡­ today has been 12 years and 3 months. It didn¡¯t matter since he must have been training, just like yesterday. Actually, I am not as interested as I used to be. Just like the sun rises in the morning and moons rises at nights, like springes after winter, how could that man be obsessed with it for such a long time? All of a sudden, I felt like a fool. Right, I need to pay more attention to my daughter Laura and wife Rema instead of caring for that nonsense. I need to stop from tomorrow. I mean it. ¡­ ¡­ This is the end of the diary written by a vige man, Cheonbu. And 20 years have passed. Vige man with his wrinkled face woke up early in the morning. He was the vige chief. He was Rema¡¯s husband and Laura¡¯s father. When he was young, he used to be pessimistic and had a bad personality, but not anymore. Everyone in the vige liked him for treating others with a warm smile. The years have changed him. ¡®Right. For a day toe when I, who was selfish to the core, turned into a vige chief who received greetings from people. The passage of time is truly amazing.¡¯ A small smile appeared on his lips as he walked around in the cold. The vige man moved slowly. He received greetings from hunters who got up early to hunt in the morning. He heard the snores from the shopkeepers and remembered the locations which needed repairs. After carefully examining every nook and cranny of the vige, thest ce he went was where not many people visited. ¡®¡­ It has been 35 years since then.¡¯ The house of the man who trained with a sword in his hands. At first, he wasn¡¯t interested. Later, he got interested, but the man wasn¡¯t good. A sneer formed on his mouth, remembering the futile efforts of the swordsman. The emotions the vige man felt was regret. And pity. However, after 5 to 10 years, that wasn¡¯t the case. The emotions he felt were so heavy and massive that he couldn¡¯t put them into words. ¡°¡­¡± What the hell has he been through? What on earth was driving him? What could it be, what! Even that thought was long done. The vige watched the man practice as if he was witnessing something holy. It was for the very reason that he moved. But, Something different came into his eyes. The viger quickly moved as he was shocked. ¡°Huk, huk, huk!¡± The old man was now over 60 years old. He wasn¡¯t particrly ill, but he wasn¡¯t strong enough to run. Even though he didn¡¯t run for a long time, he was running out of breath. But he didn¡¯t stop, he ran. Thanks to that, the old man was able to see the end of the miracle. Woong! The old man stood with his wide eyes. A colossal sword was supporting the swordsman. And the silver-grey light on the sword was clearly fading away, along with the man. The vige man didn¡¯t say anything until it ended. ¡°¡­¡± The old swordsman¡¯sst moments. How great it was. How vast and dazzling the sword of light he created was. The vige man who arrivedte didn¡¯t get to see it entirely. But even if he didn¡¯t, he could not understand it as he was no knight. But that didn¡¯t matter. What he saw so far was enough. The efforts of the swordsman and what he had umted. The pain he had been through. His entire life. The process was more valuable than the fruits achieved. The viger looked down at the old swordsman¡¯s body for a moment and spoke with tears in his eyes. ¡°Please, I hope you go to a good ce¡­.¡± And after a long time. When it became a past where no one could remember the man who wielded the sword, the viger was the only one who watched him. ¡°¡­. Uhm¡± The eldest son of the Pareira family, Duke Irene Pareira, became aware of his past life. Chapter 1: The Lazy Prince Picks Up a Sword (1)

Chapter 1: The Lazy Prince Picks Up a Sword (1)

However, there was something else which was more famous than that, it was the kids of Baron Pareira. Located in the southern part of the Hael Kingdom, the Pareira estate was famous for its trade. Because it was close to the new neighboring kingdoms, there were a lot of movements of goods and people. A veteran security guard, who has been in charge of the gates for over five years, spoke with a huge smile. ¡°Haha, are you talking about Young Lady Kirill? Isn¡¯t she great! There is no other word to describe her! She is only eleven years old, and she has already received an official title?¡± ¡°Ah, i-is that so! Did she get directly appointed by the royal family?¡± ¡°I am telling you! You know this too right! How precious a magician title is!¡± At the senior guard¡¯s question, the rookie nodded with a puzzled expression. ¡°Ah- I know! I¡¯ve heard that they are harder to find than wizards!¡± ¡°Right! They can¡¯t bepared to the wizards who are piled up in the tower! Now that she has been titled as a magician, the future of the Pareira estate must have turned solid, right?¡± The face of the senior guard, who spoke about Baron Pareira¡¯s daughter, Kirill Pareira, was full of pride. There was no way he wouldn''t. He had lived his entire life here and had been loyal to the Baron family. Pareira¡¯s pride is his pride. But that was all for a while, a guard with arge nose, who had been silently listening until then, spoke. ¡°Huh, so what! No matter how great the princess is doing, in the end, the eldest son is that prince.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t intend to get out of bed, or the estate, what is so great about him? I will be d if that kid doesn¡¯t get eaten by the hyenas around him¡­¡± ¡°You! Be careful of what you say!¡± The senior guard, who had been all praises for the princess so far, was shocked. However, the big-nosed guard didn¡¯t stop mumbling, and a fierce quarrel broke out. ¡°This bastard keeps talking back even though the senior guard told you not to do that¡­¡± ¡°I- I don¡¯t get it, it is no life, it is the truth! Can¡¯t I speak the truth too! This rookie, youe from a foreign country, so you know nothing about, so don¡¯t act like you know what is going on¡­¡± ¡°Even then, you¡­¡± Both the guard¡¯s faces turned red as they stopped. The rookie, who was stuck between them, wasn¡¯t sure what to do. ¡®No, even I know that much but¡­¡¯ Right. It was true that youngdy Kirill is famous, but there is another person who is more famous than her. Thezy young baron, Irene Pareira The main character. Of course, it wasn¡¯t in a good way. As the guard said, he was always ridiculed and ridiculed. By the time he was 15, he was ignored by too many people, since he did nothing but sleep all day. ¡®Last month, the young master of the neighbouring estates, tantly humiliated him, yet, our young baron didn¡¯t even respond¡­¡¯ This kind of information was nothing to those who had been in the estate. They knew why Irene Pareira had turned into azy person. It probably had something to do with the ident in which he lost his mother¡­ that had to be it. ¡®Well, seeing his mother die right in front of his eyes at that young age, must have been shocking¡­ however¡­¡¯ It was when he was in thought. A high-pitched voice came from behind. ¡°What are you doing now?¡± ¡°Huh!¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± The two guards who were arguing, turned around and were shocked. It was Kirill Pareira and her mother, the second wife of Baron, Amel Pareira. Their blue eyes were focused on the guards. The three of them immediately bowed in front of them. ¡°We apologize!¡± ¡°Who told you that you could make such a mess while being on duty?¡± ¡°We are really sorry!¡± ¡°Why do something that you need to apologize for?¡± ¡°We will never repeat this!¡± ¡°I need to let it go because you won¡¯t do it again? What are you going to do about the mistake you made now?¡± ¡°T-that¡­¡± As if ustomed to reprimanding the guards, Kirill Pareira spoke out. Amel stopped her in a calm voice. ¡°Enough, Kirill.¡± ¡°But, these people¡­¡± ¡°This much is enough. They know what they did was wrong. Right?¡± ¡°Y-yes! We realize our mistake!¡± ¡°Good. I don¡¯t know what you were talking about, but make sure to focus on your work rather than other things.¡± Even though she smiled, they could understand what she meant. The guard, who was sweating, answered once again loudly, and the young magician and Baroness disappeared towards the garden. The rookie, who had been watching the scene, gulped at the scene. ¡®I need to be very careful when working in the future.¡¯ Neither the ferocious princess nor the gentle second wife seemed to be happy. At that time, Irene Pareira, the eldest son of the Baron, was lying in bed. It wasn¡¯t a strange thing. He rarely left his bed after witnessing the ident which took away his mother when he was 4 years old. He would sleep in the morning when others wake up, and slept the entire day when people were struggling to make a living. And when others sleep? Of course, he sleeps then too. Even if he can¡¯t sleep, he forces himself to sleep. At least when he slept, his heart hurt a little less. His actions were very few. But strangely. Right now Irene Pareira couldn¡¯t sleep. ¡°¡­¡± It was truly strange. The usual Irene hardly dreamed. Even if he dreamed, he only dreamed of being immersed in warm water, as if his mother was holding him in her warm embrace, over and over again. But the dreams he had been having for the past few days werepletely different. ¡®Swordsmanship training¡­¡¯ sh, wield, stab. The memory of a man who continued to torture his body without taking a break while holding onto a heavy iron sword reyed throughout his sleep. It didn¡¯t feel like he was dreaming about a third party. During the dream, Irene wasn''t Irene. He turned into a middle-aged man and wielded the sword. Until his mouth hurt, and his muscles screamed. That was the reason why Irene couldn''t sleep. He would always stay in bed to escape from pain, but now the dreams were making it harder for him. ¡®What the hell was that? That dream.¡¯ No matter how much he thought, nothing made sense. He didn¡¯t know who the man was. Maybe it was a dream, and it wasn¡¯t like his memory wasn¡¯t perfect, but even if it wasn¡¯t, it was a problem. In a very normal yard, did he evere across a man who wielded his sword an entire day? ¡°¡­¡± However, there was another important thing. Irene Pareira, who had been covered in a warm nket, slowly got up. He sat and then started to get up. Once. Twice. Three, four and five¡­ ten times. He was already out of breath since he had never exercised. Him moving like a normal person couldn¡¯t even be imagined. ¡­ still, he couldn¡¯t stop. Twitch. He could feel every part of his body, every muscle hurting. Wanting to move, he got up and tried to stretch. The pain he felt in the dream disappeared and only the rewards of the training remained, encouraging Irene¡¯s body to move. ¡°¡­ phew, phew.¡± Irene, who finished sitting, stood and took a deep breath. Yet, his body¡¯s thirst to move didn¡¯t stop. His heart was beating faster than usual and his entire body seemed to be screaming. It was the same when he forced himself to lie down again. The boy sighed. And spoke while looking at the door. ¡°Over there, is anyone there?¡± He didn¡¯t speak too loud. It was because he hadn¡¯t spoken in a long time and his throat was stuck. But the reaction was quick. A servant, dressed in neat attire, came in quietly opening the door and bowed. ¡°Yes. Do you need anything, young lord?¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± Irene sighed. He cleared his throat. His face looked like he had been concerned about something. That made the servant curious about Irene. ¡®What is he trying to say?¡¯ Normally, thezy prince didn''t ask for much. He would ask for water or a light meal. Except for that, there was almost no interaction. So, why was the young one so worried? The servant looked at Irene with a hint of hope. And thezy prince made a shocking remark which didn¡¯t disappoint him. ¡°I, sword¡­I want to swing a sword.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Can you prepare everything needed for that?¡± ¡°Hu-yes! There, I can¡­¡± The servant was flustered. He heard something he never expected to hear. So he asked the young prince once again, to confirm what he heard. ¡°By any chance, just now, did you say you want to practice sword¡­ from your words, you seemed to have asked me for guidance in preparing things like wooden swords¡­ am I correct, young lord?¡± ¡°¡­ huh, right.¡± The skinny body nodded. The servant took a minute before he went out, without even trying to hide the surprise on his face. And after a while. For the first time in his life, thezy prince, Irene Pareira, stepped out of his room. Chapter 2: The Lazy Prince Picks Up a Sword (2)

Chapter 2: The Lazy Prince Picks Up a Sword (2)

¡°What? The young lord, at this hour?¡± ¡°What is happening?¡± ¡°Kum, hm!¡± At the cough of a high ranking servant, the maids of the mansion hurriedly bowed their heads. ¡®The young lord is awake?¡¯ could be heard everywhere. There was a momentary silence. But the silence was bound to break again. It was because the prince, the young lord, Irene Pareira, known to bezy, was going to leave the mansion. ¡°What? Where is he going?¡± ¡°Because the Baron called for him, I thought he was going out because of that¡­¡± ¡°Out of the mansion? Is he going for a walk?¡± Walk. It wouldn''t be a shocking thing for the others. March usually had chilly mornings and evenings, but it was midday now. And, anyone would want to take a walk in a garden full of flowers. However, it was none other than Irene, that made all the difference. The maids continued to talk for a long time, even after he left. ¡°Order!¡± ¡°Right. What is the situation at the knight''s training ground?¡± ¡°Huh? What is that¡­¡± ¡°Soldiers training and knights¡­ no, you see, the young lord wants to practice swordsmanship.¡± ¡°¡­after regr morning training, there is enough space.¡± The officer who answered, gulped and looked at the one behind the servant. White, fair skin, sender buildpared to his nice height. He is the young lord. The officer had to blink several times. It was as if he had seen someone who shouldn¡¯t be here. ¡®No, how did this happen? It can¡¯t be!¡¯ He wondered if the young lord Irene, really wanted to use the training grounds. No matter how much he thought, it was absurd. But the servant continued to speak. ¡°Yes, I knew that, yet I wanted to confirm. Hm. Let¡¯s go ahead, young lord.¡± Irene nodded without responding and followed the servant into the training grounds. The officer looked at him with bewildered eyes, and soon his colleagues gathered around him. ¡°Wh-what?¡± ¡°Am I dreaming now? Am I seeing things right now?¡± ¡°Pinch me¡­ ahh! Thezy prince¡­ Did young lord Irenee all the way here?¡± ¡°Well, maybe he came to look around?¡± ¡°Right. There is no way he would practice sword or anything.¡± The soldiers who were doing their personal training, each made their own guesses. None of them thought that Irene would practice. ¡°Huh¡­¡± ¡°Is that true¡­¡± Murmur. Gazes filled with unease. The soldiers gradually gathered after hearing the rumors, and the employees in the Baron¡¯s mansion came. Irene didn¡¯t care about anything. Rather than that, it was because of the things which were in his mind, he didn¡¯t care of others. ¡°Should I call a soldier who is well versed in swords?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Not all wooden swords are the same. They vary in shape and length. I am sorry, but even I am not familiar with swords, so I can¡¯t rmend a suitable sword for the young lord. So if you want a minute¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡± The servant stopped at those words which were clearer than usual. He quickly bowed and stepped back. His eyes, which slowly looked at the young lord. Irene seemed different from usual. And when there is a change in the actions of the lords, it was better to stay quiet. Thanks to that, Irene was able to concentrate. He closed his eyes, as he didn¡¯t want anyone disturbing him. As if looking for something, he soon skimmed through the entire ce. And slowly picked up a sword. ¡®Uhm¡­¡¯ The servant¡¯s expression darkened. It¡¯s not an unusual sword. Rather, it was close to the standard one. Since it wasn¡¯t a real sword, there was nothing dangerous about it. But the size... was too big. To the extent where it felt like the young lord might have trouble handling it. ¡°Uh, that one?¡± ¡°That will be a tough one. Unless you are an adult¡­¡± The soldiers who were watching, mumbled under their breath. Of course, the sword Irene picked up wasn¡¯t that huge. However, for a first time user, grabbing that sword or swinging it would be tough, especially since the weight wasn¡¯t light. Unsurprisingly, Irene was already sweating from his forehead, as he took the basic stance after holding the sword. Whoops! The sound of the wooden sword being swung in the training ground reverberated. ¡°Hmp!¡± ¡°Uhm!¡± The sound of suppressedughter and groans could be heard. It was an unavoidable oue. A kid had confidently picked up arge sword and took the stance, but his swing was weak. His sword movements were so disappointing that they couldn¡¯t help butugh at. ¡®Well, this is natural. There is no way that the mostzy person of the kingdom can wield the sword well as soon as he picks it.¡¯ ¡®The first time I saw him take the stance, I thought maybe he could do it, but¡­ I was stupid for expecting something from him.¡¯ ¡®Did hee because of that young lord who humiliated him?¡¯ ¡®If that is the case, then one thing is for sure. He is going to crawl into bed in no time.¡¯ ¡®He should just do what he always does.¡¯ People''s interest faded in no time. It was disappointing to see Irene swinging the sword. It was even more so because the basic stance Irene took was rather usible. Their negative attitude could be felt by the servant who was standing on the side. His eyes widened in rage. ¡®Those bastards!¡¯ He knew. He knew that Irene was called the Lazy Prince. And the fact that he waszy that he couldn¡¯t be considered as a noble. But that didn¡¯t mean that the soldiers'' actions were justified. The servant grinded his teeth. And spoke to Irene with a bright smile like he always did. ¡°Young lord, swordsmanship requires constant effort. There are a lot of things which are difficult to do when alone.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I will try to find a good teacher, so why not start training tomorrow?¡± ¡°Thanks. But you don¡¯t have to.¡± Irene raised the sword again. It looked tough looking at him. He couldn¡¯t stop his hands which were holding onto the sword from trembling. Doing that, Irene said. ¡°I am not doing this because I want to be good at swordsmanship.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The servant kept his mouth shut at the words of the young lord. Looking at the young lord, who seemed like it would hurt his pride to get a teacher, the servant decided to save his words. But that wasn¡¯t it. Irene was telling the truth. Right now, he was just moving his body, because it was hard to stay still because of the dream. ¡®And¡­ I already have the memories of that man in my dreams.¡¯ He never thought of the man in his dreams to be a great swordsman. It was an iplete memory, but Irene knew. The clothes the man in his dream wore were ragged, and the ce he stayed was shabby. But like he said, it didn¡¯t matter. Irene¡¯s purpose was to simply get his body to stop twitching. Woo! Whoo! Whooo! One time, ten times, twenty times. He continued to swing his sword, and his muscles ached ordingly. It was strange. It was the arm that moved, but the parts other than the arm were also hurting. He had never been so exhausted. However, ¡®It strangely feelsforting.¡¯ Right. Even if not right now, Irene was always hurting. It wasn¡¯t the body which was hurt. His insides, it was his heart which would hurt a lot. However, as he was swinging the sword like the man in his dreams, he didn¡¯t feel his body hurt like that. So he swung. He continued to swing. Swish! Once Wish! Ten times. Wheek! Another twenty and one hundred times. It was like he was in a state of trance and wielding his wooden sword while staggering on his foot. A loud voice entered Irene¡¯s ears. ¡°Lord Irene! Lord Irene!¡± ¡°¡­ ugh?¡± It was the servant, who guided him. Worried, he approached the young lord, thinking that he was going to die from exhaustion. ¡°Young lord! I think it is better to stop now. Don¡¯t. Stop! You have done this for long enough!¡± ¡°What¡­¡± Irene questioned. It was because the person who talked to him didn¡¯t normally speak in such a strong tone. He took a step forward to ask. No, he tried to get closer. But he couldn''t, he stumbled and sat on the ground. The intense pain spread around, as if drawing concentric circles in theke. ¡°Euk!¡± ¡°You pushed yourself too much! Look now! It has already turned dark!¡± ¡°¡­ it¡¯s dark?¡± Irene mumbled with a nk expression. It really was dark outside. Although it wasn¡¯t night, it was close to purple, the time when the sun sets. Still looking nk, he looked up at the servant and said. ¡°If it has been that long, you should have gone somewhere. Or called me out.¡± ¡°How dare I leave the young lord and go somewhere else! Besides, I kept calling for you, for a long time too!¡± ¡°Really? Uhm, euk¡­¡± Irene Pareira, who was about to get up with the help of the wooden sword, groaned and sat down. From the expression he was making, it was evident that he was in pain. The servant trembled. ¡°I will take you. I will inform the maids to prepare hot water, so wash up and get some rest. The therapist will be waiting for you.¡± ¡°No, no need for a therapist¡­¡± ¡°Oh, then young lord will be sick and I will get into trouble!¡± Hearing the servant¡¯s swords, Irene nodded his head reluctantly. Honestly, it was weird. It isn¡¯t like he was a soldier who did this everyday, but it felt like his body could take on the muscle pain. Probably the influence of the dream. To be honest, what he did today was embarrassingly insignificant whenpared to what the man in his dreams had done. ¡°Young lord, you aren¡¯t going to push yourself like this tomorrow too, right?¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± ¡°Promise me. It is a nice thing for the young lord to pick up the sword, but it isn¡¯t good for you to push yourself this hard, right from the beginning. A famous knight said that rest is also a part of training.¡± ¡°I get it. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll do it again.¡± Irene ced the wooden sword back in the weapons rack, and spoke. The servant looked at him suspiciously, but he seemed sincere. As Irene said, he had no intention of learning swordsmanship. He just didn¡¯t feel like staying still, so he just moved around. ¡®It will be like what I have been doing uptil now in my life, lying down again tomorrow.¡¯ Those were what he thought as he bathed, ate, and went to bed. A pain, worse than the time when he moved his body, was spreading throughout his body. ¡®I did something crazy. I was drunk in that dream and did somethingpletely crazy.¡¯ Regrets flooded in. it seemed like he wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep. But that was all an illusion. Fatigue greater than the pain drifted him into the world of sleep, and he dreamed again. The dream of a man who had been tormenting him for several days, visited him again. ¡°¡­¡± Once again, Irene Pareira had no choice but to head down the training grounds. Chapter 3: People who keep watching (1)

Chapter 3: People who keep watching (1)

It was morning. No, it was closer to dawn. However, the servant in charge of the family¡¯s young lord, Irene Pareira, had no choice but to be awake. Since he couldn¡¯t be asleepter than his master. After rubbing his sleepy eyes and yawning, he decided to wash up and dress as perfectly as always. After epting food from the maid, he stood in front of the young lord¡¯s room. Knock knock. ¡°Young lord, may Ie in?¡± ¡°Huh. Come in.¡± When he opened the door, he saw Irene Pareira, who was awake. Making the servant think ¡®I thought that he wouldn¡¯t be able to make it through another day¡­¡¯ It has been three days, but Irene woke up early once again. If it was someone else, they would ask what¡¯s so great about it, but it was indeed great. Because the young lord had never once woken up at such an early time in the past 10 years. ¡®And it¡¯s not just waking up.¡¯ If the first day of the training was counted, it would be a total of 4 days. While contemting, the servant spoke up in a polite tone. ¡°Here is your meal.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± He swallowed down the sandwich after chewing it a couple of times and then took a sip of milk. After finishing the sandwich, he took another sip of milk. Irene sighed after he quickly finished the meal. This too seemed different from before. He seldom ate like a normal person. He hated doing anything to the point that he rarely even walked, so there was no need for him to intake any calories. But that wasn¡¯t the case anymore. ¡®I need to eat a lot to wield a sword.¡¯ Irene nodded to himself. The unknown dreams were still tormenting him, and he had to raise his sword constantly as long as the dreams didn¡¯t stop. He couldn¡¯t resist it. Yesterday too, he tried to force himself back to bed, but he just couldn¡¯t stay still. Even sleeping after training was difficult. But, he didn¡¯t feel too pained when he was training with the sword. No, it was tough, but¡­ ¡®¡­ it was worthwhile.¡¯ Irene thought. The moment he lifted the sword, the muscle pains he had umted would hurt, and once he finished training, the pain would spread all over his body. Still, it didn¡¯t feel that bad. It was like finding a new refuge for his bleeding heart. Before, sleep was the only refuge he had. ¡°Young lord, are you going to train today too?¡± Irene looked up at the servant, who was the source of the worried voice. The servant¡¯s eyes were full of concern. Irene ignored the look and nodded his head a couple of times. ¡°Huh.¡± ¡°¡­ I understand.¡± Irene left the room, and the servant, who bowed his head, followed him. The maids who were cleaning the hallways looked at them and whispered. ¡°Wow, again?¡± ¡°This is interesting. To see this happen in my lif¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t just the maids. The employees who were on duty, the guards on patrol, the soldiers who were in the training grounds, were all busy making fun of the young lord, who seemed to have changed. ¡°Young lord hase again. It has been three days¡­ no, it¡¯s the fourth day, right?¡± ¡°Is he getting his mind straight now? If that is the case, then that¡¯s very nice¡­¡± ¡°Huh. I don¡¯t believe that. How can a person change that easily? Toe over and change now, as if¡­¡± ¡°Well, that is true¡± Shock, astonishment, and back-talk, these three things can all be considered positive, however, in this case, they are more negative. Irene didn¡¯t know what they were saying. He couldn¡¯t hear the words, but he knew how to read the room. Although he waszy, he wasn¡¯t stupid. But he understood. He wasn¡¯t angry. It only made it clearer that he didn¡¯t have to do these things. What could he say? What would you expect people to say about a noble who had been neglecting his duties for 10 years? Irene Pareira picked up the wooden sword as always from the weapons rack and took his stance. ¡°Phew.¡± Deep breath. Focus. He quietly closed his eyes and thought of the man. When he wielded his sword, he kept his concentration on his sword instead of getting himself swayed by thements. Even if it rains, snows or people make noise it wouldn¡¯t be enough to make Irene lose his concentration. ¡°Phew.¡± Thinking of the man helped him out. Taking another deep breath, Irene raised the sword to the sky. And brought it down hard. Wheeik! A vertical hit that was neither to the left nor right. With many people watching, thezy prince¡¯s long day began. ¡°Wow, he¡¯s at it again.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Two senior guards and one rookie, who had finished their shift of guarding the gates, went to the training ground. However, they weren¡¯t there to train their body. They weren¡¯t thezy kind of guards, but they weren¡¯t passionate ones either. The reason the guards came over to the training ground was to watch the young lord of the Pareira family train. To be more precise, it was to watch his progress, since they had a bet. The bet was ¡®How long do you think he will keep practicing?¡¯ Of course, it wasn¡¯t because they looked down on the young lord or despised him. They were soldiers who served the Pareira family for a long time, they wouldn¡¯t do that. But apart from that, the current situation was so exciting that they couldn¡¯t hold back themselves from betting. Without such entertainment, their lives would be far too work-based. In the case of the senior guard, it was a little damaging. ¡°For him toe 4 days straight to the ground¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? It is probably because of that one who humiliated him. Well, we won¡¯t be able topletely understand the situation since we weren¡¯t there, but sometimes one needs to be humiliated to finally stop being an idiot¡­¡± ¡°Damn it, why was I the only one uninformed about this?¡± ¡°Have you lost it? How could I tell my senior about such things? Besides, everyone knows about it, excluding you.¡± ¡°Huh, maybe a week, but that will be all, he won¡¯te for more than a week.¡± The big nose guard mumbled as he snatched the money. ¡°Hm¡­¡± Seeing the seniors argue again, the rookie guard decided to concentrate on the young lord, instead of the bet. It wasn¡¯t because he had no money, but because he was more interested in seeing the most famous person in the estate. Of course, he didn¡¯t n on looking at the young lord for long. Being a person who only recently got his uniform, he was afraid to look at the nobles and his superior¡¯s training. But slowly, those kinds of thoughts began to disappear. The neer was getting more focused on the young lord, who wielded his sword with a serious expression. ¡®¡­ doesn¡¯t it look like he is only passing time?¡¯ It was truly like that. Irene Pareira was really doing that, despite swinging the sword. One could say, ¡®What kind of fuss is everyone creating for someone who is only swinging the sword for 4 days?¡¯. However, the guard knew that not many people can properly disy their enthusiasm. That¡¯s how humans are. No matter how dedicated one is, they¡¯ll end up thinking ¡®I¡¯ll put in twice as much effort tomorrow¡¯, but very few people actually do. Most people value sleep over the ns they made yesterday. Even if he managed to get up and raise the sword, that isn¡¯t the end. The more one repeats the practice with that huge wooden sword, the more the pain umtes and the more the will erodes. While the only thing you gain is pain in the morning. The neer was the same. He remembered when he first started practicing with the sword, after only three days of practice, he started whining that he couldn¡¯t practice anymore. But¡­ ¡®Until now, the young lord has never shown a sign of stopping.¡¯ A person who never exercised in his life. Was working like someone, who has been exercising his entire life. The neers couldn¡¯t understand how that was possible. Of course, the sword skills of the young lord were poor. Due to theck of muscle strength, he couldn¡¯t hold the sword and his stamina made it difficult for him to take proper inhales. He was nothing whenpared to the nobles of the same age who used a sword from an early age, and even some other healthy young men could show a much better image than what the young lord of Pareira was showing. However, if one evaluated the mental strength alone, the boy, the young lord, wasn¡¯t the kind of person who could be ridiculed by the guards. Rather, they should be calling him as strong. No. Looking at the young lord''s eyes, it should mean something more¡­ It was when the neer was lost in thoughts. Suddenly, the air around him changed. But it wasn¡¯t just that so he tapped the senior guard¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Yah, what is he¡­ gasp.¡± The neer couldn¡¯t even finish his words. Without realizing it, his expression hardened as he looked at one ce. His posture turned stiff, and his shoulders dropped. The same thing happened to the others. Kwaack! A small and cute cry, but the thing that cried out had an incredibly majestic appearance. It was the roar of the legendary animal, the Griffin, who was painted in red. And riding on it was the bright future of the Pareira family, the one who obtained the title of ¡®Magician¡¯ at the age of eleven. The half-sister of Irene Pareira, Kirill Pareira. Chapter 4: People who keep watching (2)

Chapter 4: People who keep watching (2)

Griffins are legendary animals, which don¡¯t exist in reality. With the body of a lion, wings of an eagle, and the skin which was as tough as steel, it is a monster that looked like something out of a fairy tale. However, the creation Kirill Pareira was currently riding had the appearance of a Griffin. Seeing that, people in the training ground, especially the rookies, couldn¡¯t hide their shock. ¡®So this is the power of the magician Kirill Pareira!¡¯ To use creation magic, to move the creation, and to infuse it with mana to make it seem as if it were alive. It was a skill that cannot be exined bymon sense alone. Of course, it wasn¡¯t something anyone could teach or learn either. Such a special power had awakened at the age of 10, and now at the age of 11, she was recognized as a magician by the royal pce, it made it difficult for one to guess howrge the prestige of Kirill was. ¡°You.¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Kirill Pareira jumped off the griffin and pointed to someone. A small cute looking girl slightly raised her head and pointed. As a result, the sun shone on her dazzling blonde hair, giving her a cute and bright look. When the neers saw this their hearts sank. Kirill then moved to point to two more people. ¡°You and you.¡± ¡°Hah!¡± ¡°Hu-yes! Youngdy!¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you working? Are you still messing around?¡± ¡°I- I just finished my shift, so I don¡¯t have an afternoon shift, and I am not creating any problems! No, I don¡¯t n on creating any problems!¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! We don¡¯t ck off when on duty!¡± The two senior guards made excuses in trembling voices. Their legs were shaking, and hearts pounding, and although they were making up excuses, they were only telling the truth. They couldn¡¯t act any other way. Youngdy Kirill Pareira is the pride of the Baron. Just as the people of the kingdom rejoice and hold their shoulders high at the appearance of a genius, the people of Pareira estate too felt proud about Kirill¡¯s reputation. However, that was all when they weren¡¯t this close to her. She wasn¡¯t scary because she is a celebrity, but because she is their superior and surprisingly demanding person for her age. Someone who made others nervous. She had a frown on her face as if she was displeased. And above all. ¡°Really? Are you saying that I¡¯m wrong? That I, who pointed you out, is the one who made the mistake?¡± ¡°Ah-no! absolutely not!¡± ¡°As if. What No? Instead of training in the sacred training grounds, you¡¯re chatting again, right? Is this how veterans set an example?¡± ¡°T-that¡­¡± ¡°You too! It hasn¡¯t been that long since you were hired, can you be doing all this stuff?¡± ¡°Sorry! I¡¯m sorry!¡± Biting the insides of their mouth, they apologized. This was the biggest reason why the soldiers respected Kirill but avoided her. Of course, she wasn¡¯t always like that. Although she was an arrogant child because of her great abilities, she was still a good-natured child of the Baron. However, she seemed to be in a bad mood today. It was at that moment when she continued to yell at the guards. ¡°Kirill.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Phew. Pant¡­ what is it?¡± Irene Pareira walked closer to her and as he walked with shaking legs, he wiped off his sweat. ¡°¡­¡± Kirill stared at the guards and then turned to the young lord. With a dissatisfied expression, she opened her mouth and closed it, twice. She wasn¡¯t the kind to hold back her words. That was her character. Kirill spoke with a furious tone. ¡°Stop all this.¡± ¡°¡­ what.¡± ¡°What? This, this stupid thing.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Irene looked at his younger sister without saying anything. Her bitter expression. He couldn¡¯t believe that she was four years younger than him. If he was the old self, he would have nodded and obediently returned to his room. No, if that was the case such a collision would have never happened. But things are different now. He wasn¡¯t satisfied. His body was itching and didn¡¯t show any signs of subsiding yet. Irene went back to where he was and began to train again. ¡°Th, this¡­!¡± Kirill¡¯s eyes turned angry. She trembled in anger, never had she thought that her words would be ignored. However, in a short moment, a voice resounded in the training ground. ¡°Do you think swordsmanship is that easy?¡± ¡°What do you think? You slept all your life and then you suddenly pick up a sword and swing it?¡± ¡°Look there! That is so awkward! You know the neers guard over there can do much better than you!¡± ¡°Was it because of what you heard two weeks ago? Ha, if that is the case, then you really are stupid.¡± ¡°Kirill.¡± A clear and beautiful voice was heard amidst the abuse the youngdy threw. It was weird. The voice wasn¡¯t that strong or loud, rather, it was soft, but everyone¡¯s attention focused on it. Kirill too stopped talking and turned back. The second wife of the Baron, and her mother. Amel Pareira. A look of disappointment crossed Kirill¡¯s face as she saw her mother. ¡°Kirill. Don¡¯t disturb your brother ande here.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Did you understand me?¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Now.¡± Amel treated her daughter with the usual smile. But the atmosphere contained a force that seemed different, even the ferocious Kirill couldn¡¯t resist her mother. In the end, she trudged towards her mother, turning into a subdued dog. ¡°Then, everyone please continue to work hard.¡± ¡°¡­Yes!¡± ¡°Yep!¡± ¡°Irene, you too. But don¡¯t push yourself too hard.¡± ¡°¡­I know.¡± Everyone, including Irene Pareira, responded to her. Amel turned and walked away with Kirill, leaving everyone. Despite her departure, it took a while for everyone to go back to normal. A strange silence kept lingering in the air. Wheeik! Whheeeiikk! In the meantime, only the young lord, who was practicing the vertical sh, continued as if nothing happened. It was rather early in the evening to call it night. Irene Pareira fell asleep early. It wasn¡¯t the usual forced sleep he used to escape reality. It was sleep he fell into because of all the energy he consumed during the day. Unlike the usual sleep, today he was in a deep state of sleep, not caring about anything that was happening. At that moment, Kirill Pareira snuck into his room with a bag in her arms. ¡°The young lord is asleep.¡± The voice came from behind her. Kirill looked around in shock. Behind her, was none other than Irene¡¯s exclusive servant. With a fierce expression, she responded. ¡°So?¡± ¡°I think you shoulde backter.¡± ¡°I have something to do.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be possible toe back when the young lord wakes up?¡± ¡°Are you talking back to me?¡± Kirill started letting out energy from her body. It wasn¡¯t just his body, even his voice was subdued. The magician¡¯s mystical power managed to subdue the entire body of the servant. ¡®What¡­¡¯ Sweat began to flow from the servant¡¯s head. A girl, younger than his daughter, was doing this to him. As if he was looking into the eyes of Medusa, he went as still as a stone. ¡°Hmph¡­ you are not that great.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Never think of telling anyone what happened here today. If you do¡­ you know, right?¡± Kirill Pareira entered the room of the young lord after giving out a threat. The servant looked at her back, but couldn¡¯t say anything. Early morning. Irene Pareira opened his eyes. Even considering that he went to sleep early, his sleep didn¡¯tst very long. It was much shorter than usual. Still, it felt refreshing, and his muscles hurt less than before. Irene felt puzzled when heard music, then he slowly turned his head towards the source of the melody which was entering his ears. And burst into a smile. Ahhhh! Ahhhhh! A soft voice that calmed the heart of the listener. It wasn¡¯t a human voice. It was the sound of a paper doll that had been processed into something. It was shocking enough that any other person would have thought that a ghost possessed the doll, but Irene wasn¡¯t shocked. He picked up the paper, which was next to the paper doll. [To Brother, I am sorry for what I said earlier. When I heard that my brother wasn¡¯t eating and overdoing it, I was so worried¡­ when I said those things, I wasn¡¯t able to convey my emotions properly. I got mad at mom too. I was just too pissed. ¡­ omitted¡­. Anyway, I hope you don¡¯t overdo it because of that garbage¡¯s words. I¡¯ll leave the doll to help you rx, I hope it helps you. Then¡­ sleep well. PS. Keep this a secret from mom. She told me not to visit you. I wasn¡¯t going to disturb you¡­ but I worry too much.] Kirill¡¯s letter was written in a crooked font that didn¡¯t look neat. After reading his sister¡¯s letter, Irene burst intoughter. Thanks to his sister. The precious little sister who gave him a chance tough in his depressed life. ¡®Even though I haven¡¯t been such a great brother¡­¡¯ Irene put down the letter with a bitter expression. Then, he looked over at another note which was next to him. [If Kirill is bothering you, tell me. Until then, I¡¯ll pretend to turn a blind eye to her - Your dear mother.] As far as precious people came, his mother was no less important to him than Kirill. Although not his blood-rted mother. Amel loved and cared for him. A warm smile, words that valued him, and a hug. Thanks to that, Irene¡¯s heart, which was always closed, opened up for his family. And was it the influence of the dream? Or was it because his narrow thoughts opened up because of his vigorous training? The window in his heart, which had only been slightly open, opened a little wider. Knock. ¡°May Ie in, young lord?¡± While he was immersed in various emotions, he heard a voice from outside the door. Irene gave a low answer, and the attendant brought in a tray just like the day before. But today when the servant came in thezy noble shook his head. ¡®Do you not want the meal, sir?¡¯ The servant asked with a puzzled expression. He was puzzled because the young lord wasn¡¯t someone to be picky about his food, but now he didn¡¯t want to eat. However, unexpected words came out of his mouth. ¡°I¡¯ll have my meal with my family today.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Call me when it is time. I¡¯ll be ready by then.¡± ¡°¡­ ye, yes! Then, I will call for you, sir!¡± The servant barely managed to walk properly with all the thoughts running in his mind. Gradually, his pace picked up, until it turned into running. There was a smile on his face, a smile he hadn¡¯t had for quite some time. ¡®Young lord¡­ has changed!¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just the change in sleep cycle. It wasn¡¯t even about the swordsmanship training he had been doing for a couple of days. It was more fundamental, a change in mindset. After confirming that the cold heart of the young lord had defrosted a little, the servant couldn¡¯t help but feel happy. It was the family he had been serving, so he felt connected to them. ¡°¡­ pay special attention to today¡¯s meal.¡± ¡°Ye, yes! Lord!¡± Baron Harun Pareira ordered. He had a serious expression, but he couldn¡¯t stop his lips from twitching. Unlike his blunt tone and rough appearance, he had a very delicate and kind personality, so he had no choice but to leave his son be, who had locked himself up in the room. So did Amel, and his little sister, Kirill. ¡°Brother, have this!¡± ¡°Huh.¡± ¡°This too, and this one, this is a good one too!¡± Kirill Pareira clutched her fork and kept on cing her food on Irene¡¯s te. Because of her small figure, she had to stand up to do this. Seeing that, Amel tried to hold her back, but then Irene smiled. And cautiously spoke. ¡°Thank you. Father, mother and Kirill.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I always wanted to thank you. For letting me lie in bed without doing anything¡­ not even scolding me. I am very sorry and I love you all.¡± Totally unexpected. Even more shocking were the happy words from his son. Upon hearing that, Amel greeted Irene with a warm smile. Kirill began to cry, and the Baron¡¯s eyes turned slightly red. Even if he knew what his son was feeling, hearing them in person was different. At that moment, the family had a realization. Harun Pareira, who had been seated silently for a long time, spoke. ¡°¡­ I love you too, my son.¡± ¡°Sorry for worrying you.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to say that. Let¡¯s have our meal.¡± With the Baron¡¯s words, the meal continued again. Without a word, only the rustling of dishes continued. Yet the room felt good. Warm. A meal together for the family of four finally happened after 10 years. It was full ofughter and smiles that took 10 years to surface. How long had everyone been looking forward to experiencing such a precious moment? After a while, Baron Harun Pareira¡¯s question came. ¡°Son.¡± ¡°Yes, father.¡± ¡°I heard that you have been focusing on the sword these days. It is good to train your body, even if it¡¯ste, I am d you picked it up, but don¡¯t overdo it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Irene stopped eating. Not being a Baron, but as a father, he looked at his son with concern that couldn¡¯t be hidden and continued speaking. ¡°There is a saying that excess effort doesn''t make one catch up with theck of effort they''ve shown so far. If you try too hard from the beginning, you may get tired easily and get hurt. I will give you a trustworthy knight to train under, so how about taking a little break till then?¡± ¡°Thank you for your concern. But it¡¯s fine.¡± Everyone was shocked at those words. Baron, Kirill and even Amel. It was because Irene never disyed stubborn behavior before. ¡°It¡¯s really okay. I am not overdoing myself, so there is no need to worry.¡± Although his voice wasn¡¯t loud, it held power. Because it wasn¡¯t a lie. He actually wasn¡¯t overtraining. ¡®Compared to the training that the man in my dreams did. This is nothing¡­¡¯ Irene Pareira continued to eat, and no one else talked about it again. The show of confidence by the boy who had always crouched his shoulders. They didn¡¯t want to break it. Even if they were worried. ¡®Even though¡­ it will be difficult.¡¯ ¡®Even if he gets frustrated in the middle, you need to have the strength to get back up.¡¯ ¡®Idiot brother, I see everything you are doing, but I know your lies.¡¯ The family didn¡¯t have high expectations for Irene. They loved him and were happy with the change in him. But that was all. They didn¡¯t wish for something bigger since they knew not to hope for something that they weren¡¯t sure the young lord could handle. However, the thoughts of the family went wrong, one after the other. Irene didn¡¯t even give up. He didn¡¯t even take time to adjust to his intensive training. Instead, he increased his practice time slightly, making people around him go quiet. As a result, Kirill Pareira began to turn tense, which caused soldiers to groan in pain. However, after ten days, the wandering knight who visited the mansion was different. He was a person who could only look at the present, regardless of Irene¡¯s Pareira¡¯s past. Chapter 5: People who keep watching (3)

Chapter 5: People who keep watching (3)

It was in the early morning with morning dew everywhere. The troops of the Pareira estate entered the training rooms with tired faces. They all longed for sleep in nice and warm nkets, but they had no other choice. As they had to keep at least one regr training session a week. The soldiers yawned and began to move. ¡°What are you still doing there? Move up already!¡± ¡°These bastards acting like this! Can you even catch a goblin?¡± A knight sternly shamed thezy soldiers. However, he was nothing less than a troublesome existence to the soldiers. The man was in his forties. And now, he had no passion or will, and now even his hair was losing the spirit of youth. He was just doing this task because he had to. ¡®Damn it, my head hurts because of all the drinks I had yesterday.¡¯ Since the task he was doing wasn¡¯t what he wanted, he was annoyed. The knight looked around and bluntly shouted at an old man who was watching the training from afar. ¡°You there!¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yes, you! What the hell are you doing! How can an outsidere to watch the training of the soldiers!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t get it, this is no special training, right? This is just basic physical strength training!¡± ¡°Even then¡­¡± ¡°I got permission from the lord, so what is your problem? I¡¯ll just sit here quietly and watch your training, so don¡¯t worry about me and get back to work.¡± ¡°¡­ you! The one in the back! Can¡¯t you do one thing right!¡± The knight, who couldn¡¯t find anything to refute, took his anger out on another subordinate. The soldier who was pointed out got startled and swung his sword more vigorously. The old man in the corner of the training ground was a wandering knight, Bran Somerville, who clicked his tongue because of what he saw. ¡®Not good. Everyone is mentally drained.¡¯ Bran Somerville, who¡¯s almost lost his former glory now that he is seventy, was the one who fought against the demon sorcerer 40 years ago without backing down. For such a person, the troops in front of him were nothing more than a disgrace. Of course, it wasn¡¯t just the troops of the Pareira estate. For the past few years, most of the estates he stayed in had soldiers of a simr level. ¡®It¡¯s because thend is peaceful. The current setting is a problem, problem¡­¡¯ Bran Somerville shook his head. Peace wasn¡¯t the problem. The problem is the leisure thates from peace, it ces a smile on the people¡¯s faces, and they end up treating a warrior like him as a regr person. That was how he was able to stay in Pareira¡¯s residence. However, he knew. That all the effort which was being put into the current society was to enjoy the peace for as long as possible. ¡®Even if I said such things outside, I would end up being treated as a traitor.¡¯ The old wandering knight smiled bitterly. And turned his head and looked towards the entrance of the training grounds. A boy with bright blonde hair caught his eyes. Bran frowned as he looked at the pure white skin. ¡®That one must be the young lord, the one rumored to bezy.¡¯ It had been one day since he came to Pareira estate, but the old man already knew about Irene through the rumors. As he had been a wandering knight for so long, he was quick to catch up on such things. He was even aware that the boy was insulted by the son of the neighboring estate, and that just recently the young lord started to focus on swordsmanship. It was funny. Bran Somerville couldn¡¯t stopughing as he thought about it. ¡°Heh heh heh heh!¡± ¡°What is he doing now, that bastard?¡± The knight, who was training the soldiers, mumbled as he looked at the old man. Despite hearing it, the old man ignored thement. And watched as the young lord took a wooden sword and moved to a corner of the ground. Of course, his eyes weren¡¯t expecting anything. ¡®He must think that swords are easy to handle.¡¯ Just because one learns the sword, doesn¡¯t mean they have to take it seriously. And when someone treats swords as an easy thing, they wouldn¡¯t be able to be a temr unless they were from a family of knights. However, swords weren¡¯t something one should take up easily. The old man couldn¡¯t appreciate the young lord¡¯s actions of taking up the sword on a whim just because he heard something bad said about him. ¡®Was today supposed to be a full moon? He seems to be working hard.¡¯ There will be a time when he gradually gains strength however, the young lord could also choose to quit. That is why such an act was called ¡®being on fire¡¯. At first, they will burn hot as if they can do anything, but soon the fire will burn out, and they turn just as cool as before. And once the fire burns out, it will never burn again. Bran saw countless young ones who gave up and never picked up a sword again. Even some of the kids who were supposed to be gifted and geniuses would give up and never touch the sword again. Which was why he could say. That the young lord was simr to them. The problem wasn¡¯t because he startedter than others, but because his attitude towards the sword was impure. ¡°Hmm, let¡¯s take a look¡­¡± Contrary to all sorts of murmuring around, Bran Somerville watched the young lord. Because he had nothing to do. He was old and on the verge of retirement, on top of that, he couldn¡¯t wield his sword amid young people. Even the soldiers who were training didn¡¯t seem interested in learning from him. So the old man sat on a chair under the cooling shade of a tree and began to observe the blonde boy. The soldiers left after their morning training. But the boy continued training even after lunch. Even when twilight wasing, despite most people leaving, he trained. Bran Somerville continued to observe the young lord until the end of his training and only left the ground after the young lord was ready to leave. He lightly dusted his clothes as he mumbled and left. ¡°I guess he wasn¡¯t ying around for the past few days.¡± But if one pushes themselves like that, it would be difficult to train tomorrow. And the young lord was indeed very young. Whileining, the old man left the ground only toe back to the training ground the next day. The young lord appeared again. Ten days passed like that. One trains and the other watches the same routine every day. **** Wheik! Wheeeik! The sound of the wind could be heard in the quiet training ground. It was the sound of Irene Pareira¡¯s wooden sword. No one was surprised. The surprise and shock of the first day were gone, and now everyone considered it as regr training. However, no one thought that Irene would achieve great things. It is good to get rid of the titles of ¡®Sloth andzy¡¯, but that was all. Swordsmanship cannot be expected from a man, who was several years behind whenpared to others. ¡°¡­¡± However, some didn¡¯t think like that. There was one person who highly valued the potential of the young lord. Bran Somerville. A man not from the estate, yet seeing how Irene had been training for the past ten days without missing a single day, he thought. ¡®Ipletely¡­ misjudged him.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t a misjudgment about the boy¡¯s talent. He thought of the young lord¡¯s nature in the wrong way. The old man only realized it as the wrinkles on his forehead grew deeper. ¡®I thought that he was just doing it on a whim and for the sake of his pride¡­¡¯ Fire isn¡¯t a bad thing. Most young geniuses lead a sparky life and improve their skill. Some people burn with passing talent, and some people burn with the desire to brighten their lives. That was the privilege only young people had, and something that the elderly wouldn¡¯t be able to do. However, he thought the fire for the young lord¡¯s training was a wound to his pride and his inferiority. Bran knew how short such firessted, which was why he underestimated the young lord. Right. Thezy prince, no Irene Pareira, was not running on a short fire. The young lord was spending each day with the heart of a cksmith, who beats steel. Irene waspletely different from the other boys. ¡®How is this possible?¡¯ The old man had a hard time understanding Irene. Because that was the only thing he could do. Hitting iron was a very tedious task to do. Without a desire or passion, most people wouldn¡¯t be able to do what they dream of. Even in the 70 years of memories that Bran had, only a handful of people held onto the fire without letting it burn out. And those handful of people were currently old and some no longer lived in the world. ¡®But¡­ from that one, the young boy, why do I feel their spirit?¡¯ It was supposed to be impossible. Yet, he was witnessing it directly. Even at that moment, the boy was honing his swordsmanship without bothering what was happening around him. The young boy seemed like he had devoted his life to the sword. As if it had been decades since he devoted himself. Swoosh! Bran Somerville felt a chill run down his spine. He got up from his seat. No matter how great of a hero they were in the past, the will and hopes they had would end once they reached old age. If a person with a will of steel at the age of 15 continues down the path of sword¡­ where would the end be? ¡®Talent isn¡¯t a problem. Startingter than others won¡¯t matter either.¡¯ If he had the right teacher to guide him, the young lord won¡¯t fall onto the wrong path. If so¡­ ¡°Hmph!¡± The old man who thought so made a loud sound. Hearing that, the handler of the training ground was puzzled. The old man, who did nothing but sit still for days, was disying abnormal behavior. But that wasn¡¯t the end. The wandering knight who looked around for a second approached the handler. And asked. ¡°You, there. Handler! Let me ask you one thing!¡± ¡°Huh! Ye-yes! Feel free to ask me.¡± ¡°That young lord, who is training over there. Does he have a teacher?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± The handler paused for a moment. It was because he wondered if it was alright to inform outsiders about the affairs of their estate. However, he didn¡¯t worry for long. It wasn¡¯t a big deal. He immediately opened his mouth. ¡°Well, the lord did say that he would appoint a teacher soon enough. The young lord said that it wasn¡¯t necessary as he wasn¡¯t aiming for anything, yet he keeps working hard. He could get hurt if he continues to do things his way¡­¡± ¡°Yes, all right. Then, could you tell me who your swordsmanship teacher is?¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t something we are hiding. It is Knight Zukran¡­¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°Wh-what?¡± Bran Somerville shouted as he heard the knight¡¯s name. The handler got startled and took a step back. Not caring anymore. The old man went into the room near the training grounds and took out two pieces of paper. One was a letter to Baron Pareira. Bran wrote a letter saying that Orn Zukran can¡¯t be allowed to teach Irene. He also said that entrusting the young lord, or even a prince to such a bastard meant that the lord was ditching any possibility of growth. ¡®Orn Zukran¡­ it must be that guy. The one who drank too much alcohol on the eve of the weekly training and shouted at the young soldiers!¡¯ He couldn¡¯t let that happen. He couldn¡¯t let the jewel-like boy get bossed around by that knight. All of a sudden, Bran¡¯s worries of Irene¡¯s future grew more than anyone else in the Pareira estate. With sincere worries and expectations, he wrote down on the second paper. ¡°Nice, I¡¯m done!¡± The second letter was also done. The wandering knight smiled as he rose from his seat. And asked to meet with the Lord. Baron Pareira looked at the letters handed down by Bran Somerville. Especially the second one. ¡®¡­ might be true, my son might have some potential.¡¯ One of the most prestigious ces in the kingdom, Krono Swordsmanship school. With the letter in his hand, Baron closed his eyes. Chapter 6: Krono Swordsmanship School (1)

Chapter 6: Krono Swordsmanship School (1)

Krono Swordsmanship School. Regardless of nationality, gender or status, it was a school that had a different reputation from other schools, which only taught select and talented children. Just from graduating from Krono, or turning into an official trainee, one could get a treatment simr to that of a noble. It would boast more fame than getting a title from the Royal Academy. A ce where any child with the will to handle a sword wants to set foot. However, ¡®¡­ it¡¯s a difficult one. Even if he enters, if he enters.¡¯ That was natural. Only those with brilliant talent from all over the continent get to graduate from the Krono Swordsmanship School. Those who have been eliminated from thepetitions in the school returned to their homnds with a sense of frustration and inferiority. That was why Baron Pareira was worried. He had no choice but to worry for his son. ¡®Will Irene be able to ovee the endlesspetition?¡¯ Bran Somerville¡¯s words made him happy. Justst night, heughed and smiled all night while imagining his son turning into an outstanding knight. But the Baron didn¡¯t want to force his will onto his son. He didn¡¯t want to pressure Irene. But he knew how difficult the road would be for Irene. Thinking that the son who barely managed to walk out of the bedroom could turn broken again, he decided to hold back his hopes. And two days passed. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± A calm tone. Yet, seeing how Irene Pareira answered with a stronger expression than usual, the Baron patted his son¡¯s shoulders without saying anything else. It was that moment when the bird, who had never thought of letting go of his young one, saw that the young one was ready to spread his wings and fly into the outside world. Rustle! At the end of April, the springtime cold had disappeared. For the first time in his life, young lord Irene Pareira, thezy prince, went outside the Paraeira estate. It was because he was going to the ce where the Krono Swordsman School trainees met. Of course, that wasn¡¯t all. Although he received the letter of rmendation from the wandering knight Bran Somerville, Irene still had to take the exam as a trainee. In order to get officially admitted to the Swordsmanship school, one had to endure one year of training And one would also have to get good grades in all of the evaluations. Recalling that fact, Irene closed his eyes. ¡®Will I be able to do well?¡¯ He doubted his possibilities of staying there. Except for the past month, he had spent his entire life in bed. Expecting high grades in the school seemed greedy. Yet, Irene epted his father¡¯s offer for two reasons. The first was to use the opportunity as a turning point in his life. ¡®I¡¯m in a strange state right now¡­ I don¡¯t know how long this willst.¡¯ His present self didn''t like staying idle. Rather, he was more sincere in training than anyone else. But it wasn¡¯t because of his own will but purely because of the mysterious dreams he had. In other words, once the unknown phenomenon was over, he might turn back to his former helpless self. ¡®I don¡¯t hate that either. No¡­ I don¡¯t want to stay idle anymore. For me and for the sake of my family who love me.¡¯ An ident did happen when he was young, but they were the family who supported him for 10 years. Irene wanted to be a son and older brother that his family could feel proud of. And to do that, Irene would have to move forward without hesitation while taking on new challenges. He had to put himself in a harsher environment. ¡°Hew¡­¡± Irene sighed heavily. New environment, new people. For the boy who had been confined to his room, it was nothing less than a burden. Although he tried to gain courage, the urge to turn the wagon around and return home stayed in his mind. And the second reason. A strong desire to ¡®reproduce the sword of the man in his dreams, into reality¡¯. Irene had been swinging his sword like a crazed person for the past month. Thanks to that,pared to the first time he entered the training ground, his posture and strength had improved. But that wasn¡¯t enough. There was a limit to what he could achieve from training alone. The young lord wanted to be close to the man in his dreams. He wanted to recreate that sword. It didn¡¯t matter if he turned into a great swordsman or not. And there was no doubt that Krono Swordsmanship School was the best environment for it. ¡®By the way, what does the man in the dream even do?¡¯ Irene didn¡¯t know much about the man in his dreams. Why did the man train like that, how long had he practiced the sword, what kind of achievements did he have, what happened at the end? In the beginning, the man¡¯s potential was underestimated. It was impossible to imagine that a man who wielded a sword in a barrennd would be so powerful. But it didn¡¯t matter anymore. The will and effort. Gave Irene the strength to move forward. And that was enough. When he was done thinking, he opened his eyes. ¡°We have arrived, young lord.¡± The carriage arrived at the school. It wasn¡¯t the main building. However, there were rows of majestic buildings beyond what the eyes could see. Did they invest so much just to teach the trainees? Or was it used for another purpose? Those thoughts ran through his head, but he soon discarded them. Because it was unnecessary to know that. Irene Pareira, who took a deep breath, got off the carriage and said to the coachman. ¡°Thank you. You can head back now.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better if I escort you to the entrance?¡± ¡°If I wanted that, I would have brought my family along. I am just a trainee here, shouldn¡¯t I be used to walking alone? Don¡¯t worry and go.¡± ¡°¡­ understood. I wish you great sess.¡± The coachman nodded his head and politely bowed before he left. There was a small smile on his lips. It was because he felt better seeing the change in the young lord. Of course. Irene was unaware of this. After the carriage left, he took a deep breath and exhaled. With determination, he headed towards the entrance of the school. A group of trainees who arrived earlier were already waiting. ¡°Khm. This is young lord Bratt Lloyd, the son of Count Lloyd, a noble of Gerbera Kingdom. Rmended by Sir Cole Swede, a respectable knight.¡± ¡°Right! It is an honor to wee someone from the noble lineage of the Lloyds!¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard of Sir Cole¡¯s name too! I feel like I¡¯m seeing a future graduate!¡± ¡°Hmm! Hmm!¡± Count Lloyd and his family were famous enough that even Irene knew them. It was no exaggeration to say that Count Lloyd was the real power of the Gerbera Kingdom. As a result, the arrogant nature of high-ranking nobles was evident in their every word and action. It wasn¡¯t unreasonable for the guards near the gate to be flustered. They handed him a map and politely guided Bratt Lloyd inside. Eventually, the servants of the Lloyd family left, and Irene¡¯s turn came. He nodded at them and said. ¡°Irene Pareira from Baron Pareira¡¯s family. I have received the rmendation from Sir Bran Somerville, the wandering knight. Please take good care of me.¡± It was an ordinary introduction that highlighted nothing. In fact, Irene did nothing to boast about himself. Although the Pareira family was the lowest ranking Baron family, they were quite wealthy due to therge volume of trade that happens on theirnd. It wasn¡¯tparable to the Lloyd family, which had high-ranking fame and power but considering that people wanted to emphasize something about themselves to show off in the school, Irene seemed different. He knew that it was his father who earned everything. ¡®I¡¯m a noble, but I¡¯m also just azy person who did nothing for 10 years.¡¯ He didn¡¯t have a reason to show off to anyone. In addition, Krono Swordsmanship School was supposed to have no difference in status, age, and gender. After finishing, Irene waited patiently, after hearing his introduction the guards trembled. ¡°Ah, you are the young lord of the Pareira family!¡± ¡°It is an honor to meet such a person. Sir Bran Somerville recognized you. Isn¡¯t he the person who took the lead in the subjugation for decades? To get a rmendation from someone like that, it is natural that you will pass the exam!¡± ¡°Whatever the result, I n to work hard.¡± ¡°We support you. This is the map, and the ce shown here is the auditorium. Good luck.¡± Irene also bowed his head to the guards and then left. Watching the boy disappear, the two guards open their mouths. ¡°Bran Somerville, what is wrong with him? Writing that rmendation!¡± ¡°Right. Why do it for thatzy prince?¡± ¡°Whatzy prince?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know? Thezy prince of Pareira.¡± ¡°I Don¡¯t know. But, when I see that body, I understand.¡± ¡°Right, he looks so weak. How the hell did he get caught up with that old man?¡± The guards were in doubt. One guard, a man with a scar, spoke indifferently. ¡°Well, I see that you¡¯re curious. I guess you¡¯ll have to find out.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. Ah, another one.¡± ¡°It looks like almost everyone is here. It¡¯s nice to see peoplee quickly¡± The moment that another trainee arrived, their shining eyes diminished. The two of them suddenly returned to their modest appearance, treating the remaining trainees politely. The meeting ce, the auditorium, was farther than first thought. It was because of how wide thend was. However, the directions were so detailed, so no one got lost. Irene Pareira, who looked at all the unknown structures, arrived at the front door of the auditorium. Then, as if everything changed, a huge sense of pressure-filled his chest. ¡®Calm down, stay calm.¡¯ There will be countless trainees inside. And each of them must have worked hard and had talents Irene could never think of. Some may be gifted. Unlike himself. But did that have to matter? ¡®I am not here topete with others.¡¯ The boy wanted to escape from his past self and live a better life. Hispetitor was himself. Thinking about that made him feel morefortable. Go and give your best so you don¡¯t have any regrets. Irene told himself that and opened the door. The inside of the auditorium caught his eyes. ¡°¡­¡± The eyes of people were fixed on him. Irene couldn¡¯t hide his embarrassment. ¡®What is it?¡¯ Why was everyone looking at him? Irene thought to himself. It wasn¡¯t a reaction because someone they knew appeared. They looked at him with interest. Despite not knowing him. ¡°¡­¡± Fortunately, no one spoke to him. If someone did speak, Irene wouldn¡¯t have been able to answer properly. For him, who had no experience hanging out with people outside the family, the current situation was very ufortable. With a hundred pairs of eyes scanning him in silence, he didn¡¯t feel good. Fortunately, that didn¡¯tst long. Bum! Bum! Bum! ¡°Haaa!¡± ¡°That person¡­¡± ¡°What? The gua¡­¡± A middle-aged man was standing on the podium where no one was there until a moment ago. There wasn¡¯t a single trainee who didn¡¯t know that face. The man with a scar on his face, the guard by the entrance, it had been less than two hours since all the trainees passed by him. ¡®He is not a guard¡­¡¯ ¡®An instructor?¡¯ As if knowing what the trainees were thinking, the man with scars opened his mouth. ¡°Nice to meet you. Trainees. No, prospective trainees.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°My name is Ahmed, the instructor who will teach and evaluate you from today on.¡± Ack! After a brief introduction, pressure erupted from Ahmed¡¯s body. It wasn¡¯t just an air of dignity or power. In fact, Ahmed¡¯s pressure quickly spread throughout the auditorium. Chapter 7: Krono Swordsmanship School (2)

Chapter 7: Krono Swordsmanship School (2)

The instructor had been there since the beginning. The children, startled by the sudden appearance of the instructor, went stiff. It was because somehow as the instructor appeared, the air around them felt heavier. ¡°This¡­¡± ¡°Hmm!¡± Even those who were in the middle or back couldn¡¯t avoid the pressure. After a brief moment, the entire auditorium was filled with the pressure that instructor Ahmed emitted. The children weren¡¯t able to hide their expression at the pressure they were feeling for the first time in their lives. ¡°Ouch!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ uhk¡­¡± Most of the trainees had anguished expressions. Even those who walked the path of the sword for the past 3 years were unable to use their body and mind to ovee the pressure that the powerful man was giving off. Not being able to withstand it, they fell to the floor. ¡°Whew. Ugh. Ugh.¡± ¡°Pant¡­¡± Of course, not everyone was like that. Those who went beyond the level of simply being ¡®talented¡¯, were called ¡®geniuses¡¯. Such children were able to endure it. Some had strong personalities. Some used their mental strength, others on their physical power. Of course, not a single thing went well with Irene¡¯s personality. ¡°¡­¡± Yet the body didn¡¯t fall. He wasn¡¯t gasping for breath, nor staggering. He simply closed his eyes with a stiff expression on his face. Considering how the other children were, this was certainly shocking. However, Irene didn¡¯t fall. He kept clutching the sword-shaped ornament which was hanging from his neck. ¡®Thank you, Kirill.¡¯ An item made with love by his younger sister to her older brother, who was trying to do something for the first time in his life. Actually, it wasn''t effective. Although it did help in calming his mind, that alone couldn¡¯t ovee the pressure from Ahmed. However, just holding the ¡®sword¡¯ was enough. ¡®That man¡¯ never cared about what was happening around him when he was holding his sword. ¡®Compared to that man, this is nothing¡­¡¯ Phew, Irene let out a light sigh. He watched the man in his dreams for over a month. Thanks to that, as long as there was a sword, he was able to borrow a little bit of strength. Right, just like that. It wasn¡¯t like he was doing well with the pressure from the instructor. At least, that¡¯s what Irene thought. ¡®That old man didn¡¯t rmend him for nothing.¡¯ Instructor Ahmed, who was watching the prospective trainees in the auditorium, looked at Irene Pereira. He didn¡¯t know how that kid was able to stand with his meager body. However, the reason wasn¡¯t important. It was just important to stay standing. For some reason, he thought about finding out more regarding the kid. As his lips formed into a smile, he focused on a few more ces. A girl with red hair, which looked like she had been taken out from a furnace. The child from the Lloyd family, who seemed to hold a lot of power. And a silver-haired child staring calmly at him. ¡®The second genius of Lindsay¡­ It was said that she is more gifted than her brother. It shows here.¡¯ Not bad. Fine trainees. Ahmed thought so, as he stopped releasing pressure. The feeling which pushed them down disappeared. The children, who were on the floor, looked like they were about to cry. But the man didn¡¯t care. As if he didn¡¯t see the troubled kids, he continued to speak. ¡°As I said before, you aren¡¯t trainees yet. Just prospective trainees. As you may have heard, the training process in this school is very different, and the two evaluations will be a lot harsher.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you can ovee all that and still be able to stand here after a year, then I will remove the word ¡®prospective¡¯. Of course, if you be an official trainee, an even greater hell awaits you.¡± Seeing the instructor smiling, all the trainees already looked tired. They didn¡¯t evenplete the inauguration ceremony, and they were being subjected to training and whatnot. Considering that the average age of people gathered were all kids from 12 to 13 years old, it wouldn¡¯t be too strange if any of them cried. However, no one did. Everyone¡¯s eyes lit up. Not a single person cared if their legs were shaking, and sweat was trickling down their body. Those who were weak enough to cry would never set foot down in the Krono Swordsmanship School. Of course, even instructor Ahmed knew that. He smiled and snapped his fingers. ¡°There is no cumbersome ceremony like an entrance ceremony. We will start with the lodging and then notify you of little things you need to know. Get that?¡± ¡°Understood!¡± ¡°From now on, answer with a simple ¡®Yes!¡¯ got it?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Great. Act ording to the instructions given.¡± After speaking, instructor Ahmed left the auditorium. And the dry voice of the assistant was heard. ¡°Listen, prospective trainees. There will be a number assigned to each one of you. From 1 to 100, move this way.¡± ¡°From 101 to 200,e this way!¡± ¡°Those between 201 and 300 over there!¡± ¡°You! Move quickly!¡± The children had difficulty coordinating due to the overbearing atmosphere. The same was the case with Irene. Growing up like a flower in his home, he was even more flustered at the hard tone of the assistant. However, he made no mistakes. Irene followed the assistant¡¯s instructions without any mistakes, had a meal, washed himself up, and was able toy down in his bed in his assigned, solitary room. Yet it was ufortable. Terrifying. He regretteding here a little. But soon he shook his head and covered himself with the duvet. While holding onto the sword pendant his younger sister gave him, he fell asleep. The second day of school. A little more than 400 trainees had gathered at the grand hall at 10 am. It wasn¡¯t a tight schedule for the trainees. They were allowed to sleep, have breakfast and have some time to themselves. But the eldest son of the Lloyd family, Bratt Lloyd had a bad expression. Even though his hair was neatlybed, he didn¡¯t feel any better. He looked at the silver-haired girl who was quietly standing at a distance with an ufortable expression. ¡®Ilya Lindsay¡­ what the hell is she evencking¡­¡¯ The Earl of Lindsay. They were the best in the Adan Kingdom and one of the best families of swordsman on the continent. They were not inferior to the swordsman produced by Krono. Lord Joshua Lindsay is one of the top ten swordsmen in the world, and the eldest son, Carl Lindsay, is known to be one of the top three geniuses. And Ilya Lindsay, who was here, was rumored to have potential greater than her older brother. In other words, she didn¡¯t have toe to Krono. ¡®Damn, the possibility of being number one here disappeared.¡¯ Bratt Lloyd gritted his teeth as he thought. That wasn¡¯t it. He had been practicing sword fighting since he was six years old. In the process, he was taught by countless people, and he was recognized for his skills. This meant that he had been on the path of the sword a lot longer than others. Which was why he was sure. As long as something horrible doesn¡¯t happen, he will be able to achieve a brilliant result which will raise the fame and reputation of his family. However¡­ ¡°Damn it!¡± Bratt swore as he kicked a stone on the ground. It wasn¡¯t aimed at anyone. However, the stone flew and fell at the feet of another boy. A blonde boy who was about an inch taller than the average trainee. Bratt Lloyd looked at his face and spoke loud enough that others could hear. ¡°Tch, that one is getting old so why¡­¡± Was it Irene? He didn¡¯t remember who the blonde one was. And the reason why he didn¡¯t like Irene was the opposite of why he disliked Ilya. It was because he didn¡¯t like that a dumb guy was allowed into Krono. He looked older than others. Despite that, his body didn¡¯t seem to be physically trained. And that gave him the answer. ¡®Something must have happened. He must have paid a lot of bribes.¡¯ Bratt Lloyd was the arrogant kind who relied on his family. Nheless, he was a boy with talent. In his point of view, Irene Pareira, who was standing there without putting any effort in, was nothing more than a bastard who lowered the dignity of a noble. ¡®A man less than amon person.¡¯ Brett looked to the side. A girl with crimson red hair. Contrary to her young and cute face, her body was quite forged, and her palms had calluses. ¡®What was her name¡­ Judith? Well.¡¯ Yes, he¡¯d rather have that girl. Rather than an ipetent noble who didn¡¯t deserve any respect, themon girl with struggles seemed better¡­ It was when he was thinking. The same girl opened her mouth while looking at Brett. ¡°What are you looking at, jerk.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking what you are looking at.¡± ¡°Di-did you just talk to me?¡± ¡°There is no one else here looking at me, but you.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Brett was speechless. It was shocking that amon girl was speaking to him, but even more shocking that she was swearing. To Bratt, this was even more shocking than finding out that the guard with a scar turned out to be their instructor. He stuttered back. ¡°Yah! Yo-you spoiled brat! I am the young lord of the Count Lloyd family of the Gerbera Kingdom. To act this rude to someone¡­¡± ¡°Move.¡± Red-haired girl, Judith answered. And she quickly turned her head as if not wanting to deal with Bratt. Seeing that, Bratt frowned again. Anger began to settle on his face. ¡°I can¡¯t even get back at her¡­¡± ¡°Ah, pay attention here.¡± Unfortunately. Brett was out of luck. The instructor appeared, and he had no choice but to stop with his n and swallow his anger. He looked ahead in silence. A smiling man with a dark beard. Like the eyebrow scar Instructor, he too was one of the guards. ¡®Damn, I don¡¯t like this.¡¯ ¡°Hhaha, nice to meet you. My name is Karaka, one of your instructors. How was everyone¡¯s first night here? Was it good?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Was the meal good?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Fortunate. You all seem to be in good condition. Nice.¡± Whether Bratt Lloyd was offended or not, the instructor kept giving out his speech. Fortunately, he seemed to have a better personality than Ahmed. In such a rxed ce, the instructor who had been talking for a few minutes pped his hands. Even with a light p, the sound spread far. The prospective trainees felt the atmosphere change and looked straight at the instructor. He seemed to enjoy that, or maybe he was just lost in thought. Karaka stood there for a long time with a heavy expression on his face. After a while. He smiled brightly and opened his mouth. Chapter 8: Krono Swordsmanship School (3)

Chapter 8: Krono Swordsmanship School (3)

¡°Everyone, how about we go for a morning walk?¡± The sound of sighs andughter erupted from everywhere. Instructor Karaka¡¯s actions had put pressure on them until he opened his mouth. The prospective trainees all answered ¡®Yes!¡¯ one beatter. Karaka nodded and pped his hands. ¡°Nice. Then, take a look around here. There is no need to match eachother¡¯s pace, just enjoy yourself.¡± Of course, there was no way it would be that simple. No matter how friendly and easy-going his words were, he was still an instructor. The children remembered the pressure Ahmed released yesterday. Thanks to that, they were able to understand what was happening. And with that, a group of 400 students began to move around the school. ¡°This here is the indoor fitness room. It is a ce we use when the weather outside gets bad.¡± ¡°This is the ce for theory education. Ah, is this your first time seeing such a ce? Krono isn¡¯t just a ce to learn how to sharpen your sword skills. Appropriate theoretical education is necessary toplete all the courses in the school¡­¡± ¡°Haha, this is turning into a long talk. In the end, there is one thing I need to say. Before sharpening the sword, we need to make sure that you are thinking straight. You get that?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Nice. Oh, we¡¯re just about that there.¡± Karaka was a pretty talkative person. nd expressions shed across the faces of the prospective trainees as he spoke, yet, the uninteresting talk continued throughout the walk. However, there were quite a few people who thought otherwise. However, it all came to an end. The moment a long and wide road stretched out in front of them, Karaka made a surprising remark. ¡°Lastly, this is a ce where physical training, endurance as well as muscr endurance are done. There are a few bumps, but overall this is a normal running course.¡± ¡°Uh, huh?¡± ¡°Then now¡­¡± ¡°Come on, have fun running!¡± After speaking, the instructor quickly sped up. From fast walking to slow running, little by little, he sped up. However, he never slowed down. Although the prospective trainees were flustered, they followed Karaka with eager expressions. ¡°Phew, Phew.¡± ¡°Pant, pant.¡± ¡°Nice. Isn¡¯t it nice to move our bodies?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± A roar of replies. Even though they were young, they were all children who walked the path of the sword. Each of them had more stamina than an adult male, so not a single person made a sound of difort. Of course, it was only the beginning. Karaka smiled. ¡°Nice. Really good. Then we¡¯ll speed things up from here!¡± ¡°¡­ yes!¡± Unlike before, this time, the answer waste. After a while, their anxiety turned into reality. ¡°Huk! Huk!¡± ¡°Haa, haaa, ahh¡­¡± ¡°Nice. A little faster!¡± Ever-increasing speed. Moreover, the distance between the instructor and the trainees kept increasing. The faces of the prospective trainees turned pained. Their breathing, which had been stable, began to turn rugged. Some of the younger ones could already feel the strength in their feet loosening. However, Karaka didn¡¯t stop. Even the tired children showed no intention of stopping. Because they all knew that thepetition had just begun. ¡®I need to run till the end!¡¯ ¡®I need to endure this at all costs!¡¯ ¡®Damn, if I am kicked out early, I won¡¯t be able to look my family in their eyes¡­!¡¯ Competition, pride, self-esteem. All their other emotions burned as fuel. The trainees were ready to run until the fire inside them went out. Perhaps it would take quite a while for the surprise test to end. Not everyone could afford to take it easy. ¡°Kuk, pant, pant!¡± A child was vigorously panting in the back like he would run out of breath any moment. No, he was too old to be a child. The oldest trainee, the deadbeat noble, it was the first time he ran in years. Beforeing to the Krono Swordsmanship school, Irene had swung his sword harder than anyone else. It was a truly fantastic thing. One day a boy who never did anything for thest ten years of his life began to change. He trained so much that even his family, who hoped for him to re-enter the world, and the soldiers who watched him felt the need to stop him. No one has the qualifications to denigrate Irene¡¯s efforts for the past month. No matter how brilliant he had acted over the past month. Even if he managed to exceed what an average boy could do. Compared to those who trained for a long time, Irene would only see despair. The results were appearing. ¡°Gag, pant, kuk¡­. Pant¡­¡± The correct breathing of inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth while running was unknown to him. It had been a while since his nose ran and he shed tears; even saliva mixed with dust came out of his mouth. In that state, Irene was struggling to keep himself in the ranks. But there was no one to help him. Instructor Karaka was gentle yet cold-hearted, and the other instructors were all watching the test. And other prospective trainees? They wanted Irene to fall more than anyone else. That was the kind of ce the school was. Only by trampling on others¡¯ dreams could one rise. So, everyone prayed. In particr, the children of the lower sses who were already short on breath prayed. May the old trainee fall quickly. They prayed for his will to break, for him to fall on his knees and for him to fall from the ranks and end up inst ce Of course, Irene couldn¡¯t do that. Irene could continue running. ¡°Gurgle, kuk, kuk, kuk¡­¡± ¡®I¡­ I can run!¡¯ Making a sound like a wounded beast, the young lord thought to himself. It hurt so much that his lungs felt like they were going to tear, and it felt like someone stabbing him. His joints even felt like they were cracking. His muscles were screaming for him to stop. Could he even run anymore? If asked, there was a definite answer. Irene could still run. It wasn¡¯t just amitment or pride either. He was just stating what he knew. The man who swung his sword in Irene¡¯s dreams never stopped. It was only when facing his own ¡®limit¡¯ that he fell to the floor and took a rough breath. Since Irene had ¡®experienced¡¯ this indirectly, he couldn¡¯t copse at this point. ¡®What is that bastard doing!¡¯ ¡®Idiot! He looks so weak, yet he¡¯s still running.¡¯ ¡®Please fall down, fall down! I¡¯m reaching my limit!¡¯ ¡®Isn¡¯t this how one dies?¡¯ The trainees who were falling back looked tired. Some even looked at Irene with fear in their eyes, concerned about what would happen if Irene kept pushing himself. Of course, Irene wasn¡¯t the kind to care. He couldn¡¯t afford to. In his blurred vision, the deadbeat noble did his best to move his body. He ran for another 5 minutes. Then he fell like a marite doll with a broken thread. ¡°Give him a potion and quickly move him to the recovery room!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± The assistant ran to an exhausted Irene Pareira. Fortunately, there was no major problem. He could be back to normal in a day or two. Of course, he should¡¯ve been stopped before his body gave out. However, instructor Ahmed couldn¡¯t stop him. It was because an unbearable curiosity was creeping into him. ¡®I was trying to figure out how far he would go, I almost made a mistake and threw away a capable novice.¡¯ Ahmed shook his head. With his excellent observation skills, he was able to grasp Irene¡¯s physical condition. To use an analogy, it was like he squeezed a wet towel hard enough that not even a single drop of water was left. One could say that the body had done it¡¯s very best and then copsed from exhaustion. ¡®That isn¡¯t some impossible task.¡¯ Himself, Karaka, and even the other swordsmen who graduated from Krono felt like that at least once. The thing is that they had to move past their limits until their bodies couldn¡¯t keep up with their minds. Conversely, it also meant that one¡¯s who graduated from Krono would never feel that thrill again. ¡°He¡¯s a weird one. Despite being weak.¡± Ahmed pulled out a list from his pocket. And then picked up a pen he brought along and wrote ¡®potential¡¯ next to ¡®Irene Pareira¡¯. After thinking, he put down a question mark next to Irene¡¯s name. Shaking his head once more, he moved away. ¡°¡­¡± The next morning. Irene Pareira looked up at the unfamiliar ceiling and woke up. It was the white ceiling of the recovery room. The boy, who had been lying there, nodded. ¡®I copsed while running.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t remember the details. From the moment the pain crossed a certain level, the boundary between the conscious and unconscious turned blurred. He wasn¡¯t sure if he was running or the old man from his dreams was. And then his blurred vision stopped as he copsed. He was worried. Was his body fine? Irene raised his upper body with a stiff face. A deep voice ran in his ear. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about your body. You are a healthy one.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I am instructor Rune Tarhal. I am also in charge of the recovery room.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ thank you.¡± That man healed him. Irene thought to himself and bowed his head to express his gratitude. Rune Tarhal nodded. ¡°Of course you should thank me. Without me, you would have had a hard time recovering.¡± After that, the instructor talked for a while. About how huge the investments in the recovery room were, how great the equipment is and how skilled he was. In addition, he said that the reason the recovery room was so well invested in was that the training in Krono was hard. ¡°Maybe, I¡¯ll see you often. Irene Pareira.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°That was meant as a joke. Don¡¯t answer me so seriously.¡± Contrary to the solemn appearance, the instructor was talkative. As he was thinking about that, the man held out something. A paper. Numerous names and numbers are written on it. Irene asked. ¡°What is this, instructor?¡± ¡°The test ranking. Don¡¯t worry. It¡¯s different from the mid-term evaluation and the final evaluation which affect the official admission. We just wanted to know the fitness levels of the trainees, so this training was done lightly.¡± Irene couldn¡¯t think of it that lightly. For a light test, each trainee had been ranked individually. Instructor Rune Tarhal, perhaps aware of what was happening, added. ¡°Well, getting a high rank does feel good but getting a low rank motivates one to work harder, doesn¡¯t it? Don¡¯t worry too much about it, as it willpletely mess you up.¡± Irene nodded his head. The instructor was right. It didn¡¯t matter what rank he was. However, it was true that he was growing. The boy who gulped confirmed the results of thepetition for the first time in his life. Chapter 9: Krono’s Failing Student (1)

Chapter 9: Krono¡¯s Failing Student (1)

Krono¡¯s Swordsmanship training willst for a year. Four days have passed since the year started. There were no more hellish runs until thest day, just like the first day, it would test the human limitations. However, the general schedule was also arduous. For the first four months, holding a sword was forbidden, and the four months will be dedicated to physical training only. ¡®Holding a sword without basics, will only cause problems. Swordsmanship training starts after the midterm evaluations.¡¯ Hearing the instructor''s words, all the trainees sighed deeply. However, there was nothing they could do. After the remarks, the children had to spend each day like soldiers. ¡°All! Get up!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Already?¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Waking up at 5 am. Training for 2 hours after the 6 o¡¯clock meeting. By 9:30, students will have their given meals and personal time, and then trainingmences again. Then, the afternoon training follows along with mental training and liberal arts ss at the end of the day. That was the daily routine of the Krono Swordsmanship school. ¡®Phew, when will this day end?¡¯ ¡®I am tired, tired. I need to do this for an entire year¡­¡¯ ¡®Exhausted. Shall I close my eyes for a second?¡¯ More than a few children, especially those in the back seats, would fall asleep. It was unavoidable. They were being forced to listen to a boring lecture after the training. Even an adult would have a hard time sitting through the ss. Especially for children who had no other thoughts than, ¡®I want to be strong¡¯. Of course, the instructors who knew that didn¡¯t overlook them. ¡°Oi, there! Don¡¯t seep!¡± ¡°Do you think this is a break time? Krono Swordsmanship school isn¡¯t a ce where fools are given the right to handle weapons!¡± ¡°In order to acquire the virtue of a swordsman, it is necessary to train the head and not the body! If you neglect the liberal arts ss, you won¡¯t be in a good shape.!¡± The instructors yelled out words such as modesty, honor, and protection of the weak. It wasn¡¯t a warning. The Krono Swordsmanship school, ever since the beginning, taught the right attitude that a knight should have along with the right amount of power. In fact, the graduates need to aplish feats for the welfare and peace of the continent, which is also a reason for the prestige of the swordsman to be elevated. Most of the prospective trainees are also aware of that fact, and even those who didn¡¯t know knew what the instructor was trying to say. In the end, the children had no choice but to keep their minds and bodies tense until dinner time. ¡°Huh, the rice is so delicious.¡± ¡°Right. Rice was never this good¡­¡± ¡°Sigh. I can rest for a while now.¡± 7 pm. Everything was really over. From this point on, neither the tiger-like instructor nor the assistants would intervene. It meant that they didn¡¯t care about the students after the school timings. Of course, there were no children who got into serious trouble. It was probably because they wanted toy down and rest. It was the time for most children to go back to their dormitories. A familiar voice filled the dining room. ¡°Ah! There is something I forgot to say, so I will say it now.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°All the gyms, indoor fitness rooms and the other training areas are always open, so the trainees who want to practice and use them at any time.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Karaka left the dining room after saying that. The children sat for a moment with nk expressions on their faces and then started swearing. Some of them were so harsh that one wouldn¡¯t believe that a child could say that. Of course, some trainees didn¡¯t say anything. They were the children who got good grades in the running evaluation, and they thought of continuing their training even if Karaka hadn¡¯t informed them. It was the same with Irene. After finishing his meal, he waited for his stomach to feel empty and then moved to the fitness room. His expression was so calm that one couldn¡¯t associate it with either like or dislike. An unfamiliar instrument used to train the lower body, which had never been seen in his estate. Standing in front of it was Irene Pareira, who remembered his rank in the test. ¡®Lowest rank.¡¯ It was true. He tried it with all his might, he even pushed his body till its end, but the result didn¡¯t change. All he did wasst a little longer in the race. In a way, it was good that he was able to move ahead. However, he didn¡¯t seem disappointed. Not the least bit upset. It wasn¡¯t because he had beenforted by the instructor¡¯s words, ¡®The current ranking isn¡¯t the future results.¡¯ It was because he knew that such a result was natural for him to get. ¡®I didn¡¯te here to win thepetition with others.¡¯ Irene Pareira didn¡¯t dream of being a knight. Nor did he want to be a great person. He had no intention of breaking down kids who tried to walk the path of the sword. He reflected on his past, where he never even moved, and how he was able to move forward a little. That was the only reason he was here. ¡®Let¡¯s go.¡¯ After thinking that, Irene took the pose. It was awkward as it was his first time using it, but he knew how to use it as he saw the other kids do it. He took a deep breath as he tightened his legs. The body which got tired from the entire day¡¯s training was barely standing, yet his mind was as hard as a metal. However, the others didn¡¯t know how strong Irene¡¯s mind was. One of the trainees in the room spoke with a grin. ¡°Yo, that deadbeat noble, who iszy as hell, is self-training?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Sarcasm. That wasn¡¯t the end. The other children who heard the words opened their mouths. Then, as they looked into each other¡¯s eyes, they burst outughing. ¡°Uh-huh, right. What will change just because he is working hard from now on?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand him at all. If that is the case, then why didn¡¯t try to do anything since he was 15?¡± ¡°When I saw him during the physical test, he was a spectacle. He drools and runs as if he is crossing the kingdom by himself.¡± ¡°How the hell did youe into Krono Swordsmanship?¡± It wasn¡¯t a subtle mockery. It was outright criticism. It was too severe to simply see that Irene had been thest one to pass the test. But nothing could be done. The person who finished at the bottom of the test had a body that didn¡¯t look like it had been trained. He was the oldest among the trainees. And even in the kingdom, he had the title of ¡®Deadbeat Noble¡¯. Which was why the children spoke out. ¡°Phew!¡± Irene wasn¡¯t the least bit shocked. It was something he had gone through in the estate. Of course, it wasn¡¯t like he was unhurt. The wounds on the body slowly heal. However, the wounds on the heart would only be more profound and never recover. However, Irene took the first step to changing his lifestyle. And he nned to keep moving. Irene, holding onto the ne, concentrated his mind for a moment. The surrounding sound ceased to have any effect on him. Having found peace within himself, he pushed the heavy equipment with his two legs and started to train his lower body. Like the man in the dream wielding his sword. Just as Irene had been wielding his sword for the past month. ¡°Sheesh. Pretending to not hear us.¡± ¡°Just stop it. He¡¯s going to fall away from us.¡± When there was no reaction from Irene, the children immediately looked away from Irene. Not knowing what to do, they decided to concentrate on their training. Although challenging, it wasn¡¯t as hellish as the first day¡¯s running test, so all the trainees had more energy. They were only mentally exhausted. In that way, the training room regained calmness in the scorching heat. But after a while. The silence was broken by a trainee who started training earnestly. ¡°Woah¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The silver-haired girl was performing the most extreme movements. The back muscles were the basis of swordsmanship. And the barbell weight training had to be done. However, it looked nothing special when she did it. But the weight was significant. The weight was double or maybe tripled. It was so heavy that even veteran mercenaries would sweat. ¡®How is that possible?¡¯ ¡®She is supposed to be one year younger than me¡­¡¯ ¡®No matter how much of a genius she is in Lindsay¡¯s family, does this make sense?¡¯ ¡®How the hell is her body taking it? Is she even human?¡¯ Groans. And many more eyes were on her. The emotions the eyes held was nothing that kids their age would have. Astonishment, anger, and awe. But, not a single person felt inferior. Compared to the top geniuses on the continent, their existences were rather humble. So they didn¡¯t see Ilya Lindsay as apetition. They epted her as someone on a higher level than themselves. Precisely the opposite of what they felt with Irene. Of course, some didn¡¯t care. ¡°Tch.¡± ¡°¡­ damn it.¡± Red-haired girl Judith who came 2nd in the test. And the high-ranking noble, Bratt Lloyd, was third. They were different from the other trainees. Anger, jealousy, inferiority, fighting spirit, and other ferocious emotions. Their bodies were hot and raging. The two opened their eyes as if they wanted to swallow the existence of the silver-haired girl. However, Ilya¡¯s gaze didn¡¯t even turn towards them. It was as if she had no interest in them and went back to training her body. The trainees, too, gaining motivation from that, went back to their training. Judith and Bratt frowned. Ilya had not once spoken to them, nor did they approach her. Rather. ¡°You.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°If it is okay with you, can I talk to you?¡± ¡°¡­ yes?¡± The silver-haired girl who finished her routine opened her mouth. She talked to Irene Pareira, a boy who didn¡¯t care what was happening around him. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The first and thest. The meeting of these two people attracted the attention of all the trainees, even the top-ranked ones, and left everyone dumbfounded. Chapter 10: Krono’s Failing Student (2)

Chapter 10: Krono¡¯s Failing Student (2)

Actually, it was an interestingbination. Irene Pareira, who was 15 years old, was in bad shape despite being much older than the average student. In short, he was nothing less than a failure of a swordsman. No trainee had ever spoken to him. He, who looked like he was going to drop out any moment, made the other students avoid him. But the genius of the Lindsay family, who didn¡¯t interact with anyone, who didn¡¯t show any interest to the second rankers, spoke to him. What? Do they two know each other?¡® ¡®No, it can¡¯t be. They can¡¯t know each other¡­¡¯ ¡®What? How?¡¯ Strange curiosity rose. The children stopped what they were doing and watched their every move. Judith and Bratt Lloyd were no exception. Instead, they were the ones more interested than others. However, they couldn¡¯t figure out what was happening. It was because they conversed in low voices. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± There was a murmur, and it was barely audible unless one was beside them. She spoke, and Irene nodded. Sometimes he opened his mouth to ask questions, but most of the words came out of Ilya¡¯s mouth. In the end, not one single person could hear what they talked about. After a short time passed, the silver-haired girl returned to her seat with a calm face as if nothing happened. And the training continued. The harsh training that she did made other students feel deprived. ¡°Hmph!¡± Irene Pareira, too, continued with his training. Compared to Ilya, he was a lightweight. But the face on his expression was more serious than anyone. The boy, who was immersed in his exercise, would breathe loudly. However, his concentration didn¡¯tst long. After Ilya Lindsay, another trainee came to visit him. ¡°Oy.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ignoring me? If someone calls you, shouldn¡¯t you answer?¡± Judith, the red-haired girl who came in second ce in the running test, despite being amoner. Irene Pareira responded with a bted tone. ¡°Right, sorry. But why? Talking with me¡­¡± ¡°I have nothing to do with you.¡± Judith cut off Irene¡¯s words. It was as if she wasn¡¯t interested in him. The girl had a dissatisfied expression as she stood next to Irene. Then getting close to his ear, she asked him. ¡°What did you just say to her?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What the hell were you talking about, that quietly? Did you know each other before? No, just tell me everything she told you. From start to finish.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hurry up!¡± Judith was reckless like a single fire. Irene was perplexed seeing her. However, the feeling didn¡¯tst long. He already knew that the girl in front of him had a rough personality, and he had experienced a simr kind of thing before. His sister, Kirill. Besides, it wasn¡¯t a difficult request. Irene nodded and opened his mouth. ¡°It was nothing. She just¡­¡± ¡°Shh, say it in a low voice, so only I can hear it.¡± ¡°¡­ it really doesn¡¯t matter. She just told me about things like posture when using the equipment.¡± ¡°You want me to believe that?¡± Judith¡¯s tone turned ferocious. The emotion was so intense that it felt like she was breathing fire. Irene¡¯s ears felt hot. She looked like she didn¡¯t want to believe it at all. But Irene had no choice but to repeat it all over again and again because that was the truth. The boy spoke again with a calm expression. ¡°Ugh. When I was training, she told me that my posture was bad. She was really helpful because it was my first time actually using it¡­¡± ¡°Really? Is that all?¡± ¡°Really. I am not lying.¡± After stopping the whispering, Judith stepped back and looked at Irene. Cute face. But his expression looked terrified like he was being tortured into giving a confession. Of course, Irene still looked confident, and Judith had no choice but to return with an unpleasant look. Irene sighed. ¡°Phew.¡± Judith¡¯s behavior was understandable. The first-ranker, who showed overwhelming results like a God, who had no intention of interacting with others, suddenly approached Irene and talked to him. From the position of the second ranker, who was burning with apetitive spirit, it would definitely make her curious. However, Irene also didn¡¯t know what Ilya Lindsay was thinking, so there was nothing he could tell the others. ¡®Why did she help me? Is it because she is feeling bad for me? Sympathy?¡¯ Irene thought before shaking his head. It wasn¡¯t a question with an answer. Actually, it didn¡¯t matter to him. It was much more vital for him to use his time wisely. Having wasted more time than others, he had to put in much more effort. Irene, who regained hisposure, tried to continue training. But there were other uninvited guests. Bratt Lloyd, who came 3rd in the test, approached him. ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°¡­ what?¡± ¡°I have a question, so I am going to ask you¡­ can you tell me what you talked about with Ilya Lindsay?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ah, tell me what you spoke with Judith too.¡± With his mouth close to Irene¡¯s ears, he asked, making Irene sigh looking at Bratt, who asked the same question as the 2nd ranker. Ten days have passed since entering the school. The daily routine was the same. Endless physical training and brief liberal arts sses. It wasn¡¯t unreasonable that the children¡¯s expressions were rotten. ¡°Damn, I never thought it would be like this¡­¡± ¡°You know, fitness is important. But isn¡¯t it too much to stop us from holding swords?¡± ¡°I know.¡± It was a disappointing thing. A painful and challenging environment, but because of that, they were able to get to know each other more. The appearance of awkwardly greeting each other had disappeared long ago. It was amon sight to see like-minded trainees having meals together and chatting in their free time. However, some didn¡¯t form a group. ¡°Hmph! Hmph! Hmph!¡± Sweat dripped from Judith¡¯s body as she ran down the running course. Her loose red hair and a frown on her face showed that she was in a state of despair and had reached the limit of her body. Yes, she hardly rested. Contrary to the fact that other people gathered and chatted with each other in their breaks, she continued with her training. Bratt Lloyd, who was resting near the course, stopped and mumbled. ¡°Strong bastard.¡± She really was a strong one. He also thought that he wouldn¡¯t lose to anyone with his strong mentality. It was his pride of being a high-ranking noble. Born to embrace the lower beings, he knew his lineage¡¯s weight, so he lived a more fulfilling life than anyone from a young age. But in front of Judith, his shine faded. ¡®I am being pushed back by amoner.¡¯ He didn¡¯t want to admit that. But he couldn¡¯t help but admit. His high pride began with self-objectification. From the moment he tried to deceive himself, he knew that every effort he put in would end up throwing mud on him. ¡°Damn it.¡± ¡°What is it, Sir Lloyd?¡± ¡°Did something bad happe¡­¡± ¡°Judith, that lowly wench, did she say something to you?¡± He only said one word, but one after another, the trainees around him began to ask him for a reason. Bratt looked at them. The short-fame ones, who came under the Krono school, and those whose ranks weren¡¯t recognized, all came under him. But it wasn¡¯t to the point where he could depend on them. If he had the right support, he could have done a great job. ¡®I can¡¯t show weakness in front of people who only want to rely on me.¡¯ The eldest son of a high-ranking family thought so as he spoke. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Let¡¯s get going.¡± ¡°Huh. Already¡­¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t, follow me slowly. But if you can, follow me with all your might.¡± He didn¡¯t have the luxury to give up as he was the eldest son of the Lloyd family; he had to do his best to defeat everyone. Bratt Lloyd struggled over the sandy course with a strong determination. It was then. A voice came from behind. ¡°Stand up.¡± ¡°Kuak, ugh.¡± ¡°Even if it is hard, don¡¯t breathe in through your mouth, use your nose. Don¡¯t turn your ankle, use your foot.¡± ¡°Pant, pant pant pant!¡± The voice of a gorgeous girl and the sound of a gasping. Bratt knew who the voices belonged to. ¡®Ilya Lindsay, Irene Pereira¡­¡¯ A bizarrebination of the genius of the Adan Kingdom and theziest person of the Hale kingdom. Ilya took care of Irene for only a short amount of time, and most of the time, she devoted herself to her own training, like Judith. However, seeing the two of them together was strange. In fact, all the trainees who followed Bratt couldn¡¯t take their eyes off the two. ¡®I don¡¯t have to worry about it.¡¯ But Bratt Lloyd didn¡¯t care. He was curious about their rtionship, but in fact, the two had nothing to do with him. First of all, one has a talent that cannot be surpassed. He didn¡¯t think like that in the beginning. Bratt thought he could surpass her, that there was no need to be afraid of how strong Lindsay was. But now he knew that his precious body couldn¡¯t do that. And Irene Pareira¡­ ¡®¡­ he is the opposite.¡¯ A failed swordsman who had never tried his best in his life and entered the school by using the family name. No matter how hard he tried, there was no way Irene could reach Bratt. No, even if he struggled, Irene would never move up in rank. Now, because of the ridicule of the trainees, and thanks to Ilya¡¯s Lindsay encouragement, he was working hard¡­ ¡®As soon as he gets used to this, he will revert back to his old self.¡¯ There was a reason why a deadbeat is called a deadbeat. There was no lie in those rumors. After thinking, Bratt Lloyd looked away from them. And started running down the road. ¡®The goal is to be second.¡¯ ¡°Pant, Pant!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go together, Sir Lloyd!¡± The trainees followed Bratt with serious expressions. Although they were nothingpared to the top ones, they were putting in enough effort, which people their age wouldn¡¯t. So, they were thinking simr to Bratt. Irene Pareira wasn¡¯t even worth being considered as their opponent. Even the trainees of the lower ranks were better than Irene. Either way, Irene Pareira was someone who was just doing his best. Time passed. Ten days and then another ten days. One month had passed after the trainees entered. They were all slowly getting used to their daily routine. Krono¡¯s evaluation was absolute. In other words, there was no need topete to stay in school. If things went ahead as such, everyone could pass without losing a trainee except for Irene. Irene Pareira didn¡¯t care. He just did what he could. Time passed. 2nd month. As the seasons changed, the sun slowly stayed longer. From this point on, trainees gave up on their training. It was because the daily routine turned tougher. The time didn¡¯t increase. The training difficulty had been raised to an unbelievable level. Most of the children, except for the upper ranks, began to feel their limit. Physical fitness and injuries weren¡¯t an issue. The recovery room of Krono was the best, and Rune Tarhal managed to look after the trainees. Right. As long as they were mentally strong, the children could still focus on their training. Or they could choose to take a rest. But that wasn¡¯t the case with Irene. He was still giving the best he could. Again, time passed. Three months since admission. Trainees and the assistants were exhausted from the sweltering heat. Now, the majority of the trainees had given up on self-training. They had no choice but to do that. After all the work they were doing, they didn¡¯t want to lift the hand. If it weren¡¯t for the instructor''s words, the number of people skilling dinner and falling asleep would have increased. And some trained. The top three, Ilya, Judith, and Bratt, were still diligently training. Thanks to their incredible talent, they worked better than others, yet not one of the three stopped trying. Plus, a few of Bratt¡¯s friends and a few other sincere ones trained. A total of ten children continued to train. And Irene was among the ten trainees, Still, he kept doing the best he could. It was from then. The one who was being called the deadbeat noble by the trainees was no longer considered a deadbeat. Chapter 11: Growth (1)

Chapter 11: Growth (1)

Late at night, the gym was quiet. It wasn¡¯t because of the time. It had been like that since July had started. Most of the mes that were burning in the hearts of the trainees during the admission had extinguished. Of course, it wasn¡¯t their fault. The training, which was difficult for even adult soldiers, continued for the students day in and day out. With the sweltering heat of summer added to that, it was strange that people were still training. And one of those strange people was Judith. The girl with red hair cut to her shoulders started training more. ¡°Hmph! Hmph! Hmph! Hmph!¡± She was training her lower body using bands. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, she was lifting a bar that had heavy disks on both sides, making herself look intimidating. At first nce, she would look like a cute girl of 12 years. Well, Judith is a genius. Krono¡¯s school instructors selected and chose only the gifted people on the continent, and she had both talent and the body for it. Nevertheless, she never rested and continued the rigorous self-training every day. The band she was using didn¡¯t look out of the ordinary. However, it was a band with high resistance magical power that no ordinary person can use. Yet that girl kept on pulling it. She didn¡¯t even stop despite being tired. She endured the pain even when her body felt like it was on fire. Because the quality of the muscles changed depending on whether the training was done once or more. Judith quit using the band after breaking her own record. ¡°Ahh! Sigh! Sigh! Sigh!...¡± She flopped down onto the ground. Her head was dizzy, and she was bing nauseous. But she had gotten used to it. Rather, a sense of aplishment that she got from taking that one extra step made Judith feel happy. Happiness turned to satisfaction, and satisfaction soon turned intofort. Having achieved what she wanted, it was natural that she felt at ease. Let¡¯s stop with this much for today. It was the moment when she was about to get up with a smile. Thud! ¡°Hmph! Hmph! Euk! Euk!¡± A loud noise came from the side, making Judith frown. It wasn¡¯t because she hated the sound. The man gasping was doing heavy squats, and it was natural that he felt nauseated after training his lower body. Judith had also experienced it countless times. The problem was the person, not the sound. No, to be precise, it was the mental power that person showed. She mumbled his name with a frown. ¡°Irene Pareira¡­¡± Judith couldn¡¯t understand him. Even when he entered the school, he had the most trashy appearance. A deadbeat noble who is older than her and hadn¡¯t aplished anything, yet the man lived a life without any problems. Which was why Judith ignored him. As soon as she looked at him, she didn¡¯t want to get close to him, and when she did, she wanted to grab his neck. At first, she thought that he wouldn¡¯t be able to show anything in the mid-term evaluation. It was because she knew how harsh the environment in the school would be. ¡®However¡­ he is still here.¡¯ A mistake. The deadbeat noble, Irene Pareira, was a stubborn one. Even though his physical condition was far inferior to others, he participated in the training and tried to move ahead. However, no matter how hard he works, the progress was slow. The things he learned before entering the school weren¡¯t enough to push him up in the ranks. Which made it even harder for Judith to understand. ¡®How can he keep moving forward with that body?¡¯ He was a lot better whenpared to the initial admission. He had strong muscles on his body, and his overall physical abilities, including stamina, had dramatically increased. It was an outstanding achievement that one wouldn¡¯t be able to believe unless they saw him with their own eyes. However,pared to Judith, Irene was far behind. It meant that even if the both of them were training for the same amount of time, Judith had consumed more of her mental strength. Physical and mental strength weren¡¯t separate concepts. It is only natural that people with more physical strength are more flexible mentally. But Irene didn¡¯t seem like he would be satisfied until he finished the day exhausted. Judith was shocked. And upset too. ¡®Am I more weak willed than the guy who is known to bezy?¡¯ The red-haired girl clenched her teeth. Her hair was drenched in sweat, but the hair looked like it was on fire when it fluttered. Even Judith was aware of it. No matter what kind of person he was in the future, Irene was no longerzy. At the time, she felt respectful towards Irene Pareira¡¯s mental state. A spirit of steel. But she couldn¡¯t admit it. She didn¡¯t want to admit it! ¡°Hmph!¡± Thinking so, she got up from the ground. ring at Irene, she continued her training. That day, Judith only came out of the training room after Irene left. A smile crept onto her face as she fell asleep after showering. ¡°Woah.¡± A little earlier than Judith fell asleep. After a hard day, Ireneid down in bed. It didn¡¯t matter to him that he left the training room earlier than the red-haired girl. It was because he wasn¡¯tpeting with others. Complete the sets and rest at set times. That was all he needed to do. ¡®Ilya said I was doing good. Don¡¯t be too conscious of others and move at my own pace.¡¯ That was right. The man in his dream, too, only cared about his training. Irene, who remembered his appearance once more, thought of someone else this time. ¡®Judith¡¯ She was unbelievably strong for a 12-year-old. Her overall abilities, such as endurance, strength, agility, and flexibility, weren¡¯tparable to his own. And that strong child kept looking at Irene these days. Of course, Irene wasn¡¯t dumb. So he knew what those eyes looking at him meant. ¡®She is starting to get conscious of me.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just her. Along with Judith, Bratt Lloyd, who was excellent, and the other children with outstanding talent were looking at Irene. And even those trainees who were in the lower rank were wary about Irene. It was apletely different atmosphere from the early days of admission, where people disregarded and ridiculed him. ¡®Feels weird.¡¯ He lived his entire life having people point their fingers at him. Even Irene knew about the nder and gossip which went around his back. However, he didn¡¯t n on changing himself. At first, he didn¡¯t like it, but then he began not to consider the words. He was that kind of person, and he was sure that he would live his entire life like that. And that feeling of desperation continued until the age of 15. But, no more. The wandering knight Bran Somerville, whom Irene never met, had recognized Irene¡¯s hard work. The high-ranking noble, Bratt Lloyd, had turned wary of him. The unmatchable Judith, who never cared for anyone, was trying topete with him. All of these were like miracles that he had never imagined before. ¡®Let¡¯s stop thinking.¡¯ Irene shook his head as hey on the bed. To be honest, it wasn¡¯t a bad feeling. But he wasn¡¯t sure how he was supposed to feel. The door to the boy¡¯s heart was too narrow to enjoy positive evaluation for the first time in his life. On the other hand, there was a lot of fear. Which was why he decided to think about other stuff. ¡®Why am I helping you? Well¡­¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t like it when people form opinions on others without really knowing about them.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t worry about what is happening behind you. No need to worry about me either. Shall we run again?¡¯ When asked why she was helping, that was Ilya¡¯s answer. It wasn¡¯t a convincing answer. She wasn¡¯t the kind to care about other people. Neither did she have a burning sense of justice or sympathetic personality. Irene was the kind of person who could tell what a person was like by looking at their eyes. It felt strange how she was considerate of his situation. There should be another reason¡­ ¡°¡­¡± After thinking for a moment, Irene shook his head. Another problem which had no answer. Besides, he wasted half an hour thinking about useless stuff. He shouldn¡¯t have done that. For the past few months, he had been deeply aware of how vital rest is. In addition, in the case of Irene, there was another thing. The unknown man appeared in his dream. Thanks to that, the boy was able to strengthen his mentality constantly. He was able to greet the morning with the same spirit as yesterday. ¡®It is hard to fight the urge to hold onto a sword, but¡­¡¯ A little longer, and then he would be able to hold it again. Irene closed his eyes as he touched the sword pendant his younger sister had given him and fell asleep. The next day. ¡°¡­¡± The dream he had was different than usual. He greeted the morning with a different heart than before. Chapter 12: Growth (2)

Chapter 12: Growth (2)

Dawn. Irene woke up earlier than usual, staring nkly at the ceiling. After a while, he got up from the bed and looked out of the window. A familiar scene. A familiar room. The scenery that stood still, the smell of grass, the sounds of birds, everything which was boring and friendly at the same time. Everything he saw was the same as yesterday. But that didn¡¯t feel the same in his heart. He quietly pondered aboutst night¡¯s dream. ¡®It has been long.¡¯ A dream he hadn¡¯t had recently. But before the man appeared, it was a dream he had at least once a week. It was a sweet paradise, like a dream. It was dark all over but had a cozy feeling, and although it felt full of something, the space wasn¡¯t stuffy. Rather, it felt warm and nostalgic, and Irene, as a child, used to force himself to sleep by using that dream. Because it was an illusion, he created of being held in the arms of his dying mother. ¡­ right. Just an illusion. The boy had known for a long time that it wasn¡¯t his mother¡¯s arms. But Irene couldn¡¯t leave. When Irene opened his eyes, he was afraid of the anxiety that would take over him, and if he got out of the bed, he was scared of the gazes of those around him. It was hard to bear. Therefore, the boy who suffered from the ident went to sleep and slowly became obsessed with the dark ce in his dreams. However, ¡®Not today.¡¯ The silver-gray sword lit up the darkness in his dream. The moment it appeared in front of him, it felt like a pir of warm light, and Irene held onto the sword. It was because he hadn¡¯t grabbed one in four months. So the boy grabbed it and swung it as hard as he could. Just like the man in dreams would do countless times. Then, the ck veil that had been blocking his vision broke open and brilliant light poured out. Brighter, warmer and purer than any energy he¡¯s felt. Irene Pareira, who escaped from the prison, felt his heart turn light. With eyes closed, Irene knew how much clearer his mind felt. And that lingering sound, even after waking up, immersed his entire body in various emotions. ¡°¡­ it¡¯s time to get out.¡± Mumbled Irene softly. He knew it. As far as the fact that he was obsessed with being in his false mother¡¯s arms felt nice, he knew that it would only serve as an obstacle to his future growth. And today, finally, he managed to ovee it. He opened the window and took a deep breath. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He would never forget it. Memories of the past made it difficult for him to move on, yet they were precious to him. Even now, 10 yearster, Irene¡¯s heart would beat for his mother, missing her. However, he was not going to be bound to those emotions. Never. With that in mind, Irene left his room. And walked for morning training. To spend the day the same as yesterday. Nothing changed. But that wasn¡¯t the truth. Inside Irene, something greater was taking ce. ¡°You probably know what I am going to say.¡± After all the bloody training, all the Krono prospective trainees gathered in the auditorium. It was because Ahmed had a message for them. Naturally, the children knew what he was going to say. It had been 3 months and 20 days since they entered the school. It was that time. ¡°The mid-term evaluation.¡± Silence filled the room. Everyone looked at the instructor with nervous expressions. The ¡®mid-term¡¯ evaluation waspletely different from the physical fitness test, which the children experienced for the first time after entering the school, or the monthly tests. Unlike the previous tests, where the results had no effect on their life in school, this test would decide which trainees would pack their bags. ¡®I should never quit. No matter how hard things get here.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ve endured that hellish schedule for four months, and they want me to go home again? No! I will see my parents only after the final evaluation, when we are given time for vacation!¡¯ ¡®Even if I have to die, I won¡¯t leave this ce. I will never!¡¯ All these terrifying eyes looked at the instructor. Even though they were only children of 12 to 13 years, they managed to endure the hellish training. Therefore, they were looking at Ahmed with confidence. Of course, no amount of confidence on their faces would persuade Ahmed, who reached the greatest heights. On the contrary, the instructor smiled. ¡®Not bad. They are stronger than thest batch.¡¯ It made him feel so proud to see these guys who were determined to stand against evil would be his students. The feelings of being a teacher strengthened as he saw the children. ¡®¡­ about 30 people or so.¡¯ Despite the pressure of the test, few trainees remained calm. They all had something inmon. The fact that they were top scorers inst month''s evaluation. It was because of the self-training they did even in the heat. Knowing their strengths, they didn¡¯t have any doubts about getting eliminated from the midterms. Which meant that they were at ease. ¡®Don¡¯t stress. The evaluation is an absolute one. If I have faith in your abilities, there is no reason to worry.¡¯ That was right. Ahmed mumbled to himself. He hated the cheeky bastards the most, but he wasn¡¯t so brash to show his feelings. Even more so because he was an adult. He burst intoughter and pped. Then, magic appeared in front of the auditorium. A rectangr screen with detailed information on the course map for the mid-term came up. The eyes of all trainees quickly followed them. The already quiet auditorium grew even quieter. However, the atmosphere broke over time. Unknowingly, sighs and moans and low-pitched swears words flowed from children¡¯s mouths. ¡°You crazy¡­¡± ¡°Nonsense. How can we do it at that time¡­¡± ¡°Strange! No matter how much I think about it, this is too much!¡± ¡°Isn''t the time limit miswritten? Or the number of repetition¡­¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t wrong.¡± At the words of Ahmed, the trainees turned quiet. And looked like they were about to cry. Either way, Ahmed decided to exin. ¡°As you can see, there is nothing special. The first five steps are the things you learned in thest 4 months, not to mention running and swimming. You just need toplete it within the set time. Regardless of rank.¡± An easy exnation. But it wasn¡¯t that easy. The number of repetitive movements that verify the overall body ability over the entire course was to check muscr strength, agility, and endurance, a course of high and lows, and sand. The swimming course at the end was mediocre. However, even the 30 or so confident trainees who looked at the time went stiff. Seeing that, Ahmed grinned. He liked the looks on their faces. He continued. ¡°The mid-term evaluation will start exactly 10 dayster at 9 am, the end of the month. As it is an absolute evaluation, I hope many of you pass.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ah, by the way, the top 5 will be given a personal prize from the master. I hope this motivates you all.¡± It was supposed to be good news, but the children didn¡¯t respond. It was an impossible situation where their pass in the course seemed hard, and to think that their School Master would give them an award was a far way off. Of course, Ahmed knew that. Smiling, he spoke. ¡°There will be no sses for the next 10 days. The rest of the time, except for meals, can be spent freely. You can rest or train¡­ good luck.¡± Ahmed and the assistants left the auditorium. The children stared nkly for a long time. Of course, it was only for a while. The children, who realized the reality, cried out in despair. ¡°Ah! They are being too harsh!¡± ¡°Ugh! I knew that fewer than 20 people would stay after the mid-term, but how did midterm get this tight¡­¡± ¡°So, will 20 people be able toe within the time limit?¡± ¡°Even if we try with our luck. I don¡¯t think there will be 20 people¡­.ahh.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this what you should be looking forward to?¡± ¡°Right¡­ I can¡¯t go back without learning anything about the sword¡­¡± It was like a battlefield. They weren¡¯t very old, but the children were ready to devote their lives to holding the sword. Therefore, whenrger walls approached them, they couldn¡¯t help but shudder in frustration. Even in that chaos, there was a calm person. ¡°Sir Loyd! Are you alright?¡± ¡°Of course he is fine! Is Sir Lloyd like you? Not only will he pass but also get the personal award from the master!¡± ¡°Well, I know, but I was just asking¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. You people can do it too.¡± ¡°Re-really?¡± ¡°Right. It will be a close call, but if you can move with all your might, it¡¯s possible. Will you believe me?¡± I will! With a shrill voice, they shouted. Bratt nced at a few other kids. Among the top 30, there were a few who had the best skills. Ilya Lindsay, Judith, and¡­ A few others who weren¡¯t much of a risk factor. He was definitely in the top 5. He nodded and looked at thest boy. ¡®¡­ it is strange.¡¯ A guy who continued his training was standing there. He was a guy who hadn¡¯t risen to even the middle-ranks. Irene Pareira. He would fail this time. Contrary to his first impression, Irene seemed to have a noble¡¯s pride, but there was a gap in the training period between him and the others. But¡­ ¡®Why, why does he look like that?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t understand. He was usually a weird guy, but he was even more strange today. Although the face looked the same, the feeling felt different. Today¡¯s Irene was making even his rival Judith¡¯s heart flutter more. ¡®I guess I am not the only one who feels the difference.¡¯ Everyone except Ilya Lindsay. Judith, who was at the top, and he and most of the other trainees were all ncing at Irene Pareira. Bratt Lloyd didn¡¯t like that. He forced his gaze away as he spoke to his followers. ¡°¡­ let¡¯s start slowly with the course, to get an understanding.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Yes! Sir Lloyd!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± Lloyd and the other kids too left the auditorium in groups of three or four. Others moved individually, like Judith or Ilya. Irene was thetter. As he stroked his pendant, he closed his eyes, immersing himself into thought and moving on. No matter how much he thought about it, there was only one thing he could do. For the remaining ten days, he had to do his best. Irrespective of the chances of his sess. And after a week. ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s much better to see for ourselves than to hear about it.¡± Three days before the evaluation where the fate of the trainees would be decided. The School Master of Krono Swordsmanship School, renowned over the continent, appeared. Chapter 13: Growth (3)

Chapter 13: Growth (3)

Ian. The school master of Krono and a great name that is never left out when discussing the strongest knights of the continent. An existence that transcends status and lineage, capable of holding much greater wealth and fame if wished. Hearing that exnation alone, it would seem like he was an unapproachable person, but wrong. ¡°Look here. Did you say you were from the Adan Kingdom?¡± ¡°Ye,Yes! I am working as a mercenary in Adan. Al-although I am not a swordsman, it is still an honor to meet Sir Ian, who is the pinnacle of the Krono¡­¡± ¡°No, there is no need for such a pretense. How old do I look?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°The people of Adan have a special love for their culture and art. I am the same. So tell me, how old do I look?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ that¡­ 45¡­?¡± At the words from the assistant, who was sweating profusely. It was a tant lie. The Ian was 90, and he looked 70. However, Ian smiled broadly at the words. Ian, who tapped the shoulders of the assistant, smiled while looking at Instructor Ahmed. ¡°You have chosen a very good assistant Ahmed. I like this.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Starting next month, their sry will be doubled.¡± ¡°¡­. Yes, school master.¡± ¡°Right, how old do the other assistants see me as?¡± ¡°Y-younger than the fifties? ¡°No! No matter how much I look. You are 45!¡± ¡°Wait! Somehow, you look to be just over forty¡­¡± ¡°You bastard, if you say it like that how can¡­.!¡± Ian smiled as he asked the question, and the assistants spit out ridiculous ages. The initially frozen mood, quickly released. It was natural. Because Ian was famous for his good personality and his non-abuse of authority. Ian¡¯s great personality also yed a big part in the fact that the knights of Krono received better evaluations. However, Ahmed and Karaka remained silent and looked at the school master, who was joking. ¡®Certainly, it is difficult to find a person with the same personality as our school master.¡¯ Although he had great influence, Ian wasn¡¯t greedy. Rather, he valued chivalry more than other knights and worked harder for the salvation of people than the priests. asionally, even a cheeky person with an attitude who met with Ian would never disy the same attitude again. Nevertheless, the two instructors were afraid of their school master. It was because they witnessed what lurks behind that peaceful expression. ¡®Perhaps there are things I haven¡¯t seen¡­¡¯ ¡®I have been watching him for over 30 years, but I still don¡¯t know anything about the school master.¡¯ It was when they were lost in thought. The school master, who was exchanging jokes, slowly turned his gaze towards the two. The two gulped down. This kind-hearted man would sometimes look like an old man from the countryside. With a warm smile, he spoke. ¡°Then, to what extent have the trainees been able to achieve¡­ should I take a look?¡± ¡°That kid isn¡¯t too bad.¡± ¡°That guy¡­ looks like nothing? He¡¯s been neglecting the training recently.¡± ¡°Lower body is a little weak. Unfortunate.¡± People hiding their identities were keeping a watch on the students. Ian, the school master, looked back at the kids who were self-training. Nevertheless, his judgment was correct. Even more than the assistants who had been with the trainees for the past 4 months. ¡°Wow¡­. Can you tell by just looking at the way they run?¡± ¡°Just seeing that kid stand there, Sir Ian was able to recognize the problem with his flexibility.¡± ¡®Of course he can.¡¯ Ahmed grinned as he heard the assistants whisper. Even he, who had pretty good eyes, was like a firefly in front of the sunpared to Ian. There was no human with deeper insight than Ian on the continent. Of course, Karaka had the same thought. Unlike the assistants, the two quietly followed Ian. While feeling sorry about the much stricter cross reference standards Ian had. However, there was a trainee who made even Ian arouse in admiration. It was Bratt Lloyd, the noble from the Gerbera Kingdom. Seeing the boy repeating the mid-term items while sweating profusely, Ian showed a positive reaction. ¡°A good kid seems to havee in.¡± ¡°He is the eldest son of the Lloyd family. He is smart and talented.¡± ¡°I see. It can be seen that he is adjusting his conditions ording to the evaluation. Besides, looking at his body, it seems like he didn¡¯t neglect his training until now¡­¡± Thinking, Ian¡¯s words died down. It wasn¡¯t like the school master, and the instructors were hiding their hopes from the students. Although he was somewhat arrogant, Bratt Lloyd had excellent talent, which everyone appreciated. When he was praised, he would only end up working harder. ¡°Hmm, Nice.¡± ¡°That one is good too.¡± ¡°He looks better than I thought? Is it because everyone seems to be working hard? Hahaha.¡± Fortunately, since then, several trainees have received good reviews. As a result, the faces of the instructors brightened. It was natural. There were the guys who made the trainees roll and run every day. It was because they wanted the trainees to do well, so they pushed them past their limits. And when a girl appeared in front of them, everyone had no choice but to hold their breath. A genius who was going to be number one on the continent. A monster that never missed the eyes of Ian. Ilya Lindsay. ¡®Indeed, what kind of evaluation will Sir Ian give to her¡­¡¯ ¡®Even if he is Sir Ian, he will be shocked with her!¡¯ ¡®Woah, only a few people in history are this skilled for someone her age¡­¡¯ Were the predictions of the assistants correct? A little more, and she would be the genius swordsman from their school. Even the assistants could feel the difference between her greatness and their efforts. However, the words which came from Ian¡¯s mouth after a long time were different from their thoughts. ¡°Such a pitiful child. She should walk the path which is right for her, why is walking down someone else¡¯s path¡­¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Maybe the world made her like this¡­ tch. I wish there would be a day when she let¡¯s go of regrets.¡± All the assistants were bewildered at his words. And the school master and the two instructors had sad expressions on their faces. Of course, they couldn¡¯t ask anyone why he said that. Silently, they continued as if nothing happened, and eventually, they encountered another trainee. When Ian asked. ¡°Is it that kid??¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I see, I know why you are worried.¡± ¡°Naturally, but she doesn''t listen to us. She is probably the most stubborn one out of everyone here.¡± Instructor Karaka gulped as he looked at the student. A girl with a hot temper, trying to look like a boy. She was practically abusing her body. Unlike the other trainees who were only working to maintain their condition for the midterm, Judith¡¯s training was different. She was overusing her body as if there was no tomorrow. ¡°You need to stop that.¡± Even Ian had the same idea. The muscles on her body were excellent, and the recovery ability seemed great. The one called Judith was someone born with a blessed body. However, even the blessed ones had a limit. Couldn¡¯t she be a little merciful towards her body instead of putting it through excessive training? Ian, who knew that, slowly approached the red-haired girl. One of the assistants, who watched that, asked Ahmed. ¡°Will he stop her?¡± ¡°Yes. And she will probably understand after a couple words from the school master.¡± ¡°Is that so? Well if she knows that he is the school master¡­¡± Ahmed shook his head. Ian wasn¡¯t the kind to oppress people by disclosing his identity. He would never reveal that he is the school master of the Krono. But, if the 12-year-old felt the sincerity, weight, and emotion of his words, there would be no other way but to stop. ¡°He is just curious. What drove that child to that extent¡­¡± There had to be some reason. Did she want to take the lead over Ilya? Or was it her rival Bratt Lloyd? ¡®If not¡­¡¯ It was the time when Ian was thinking. Ian¡¯s walk ended. And Judith was still lifting weights to the extent where it looked like she would puke. Karaka approached Ian and asked. ¡°Uh, School master?¡± ¡°Hahah. She indeed is a stubborn one.¡± Unbelievable. She ignored the words of the school master. At this point, it became clear. Judith was the most stubborn one in Krono. But that was one thing, and Ian¡¯s curiosity rose. Ahmed, who was standing next to Karaka, asked another question. ¡°Did you hear the reason? Why the hell is she doing that? She didn¡¯t even tell us¡­¡± ¡°Irene Pareira.¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, yes.¡± Ahmed was shocked at the name. But then he calmed. ¡°Irene Pareira, a sincere trainee. As said, the child is also continuing his excessive training these days, like Judith.¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± ¡°Maybe the reason Judith is doing that¡­¡± ¡°Right. Because of that one.¡± Ian nodded his head. A guy much weaker than herself was training all day, so why should she stop? Ian said she should stop first if she feels like it, but Judith said she would only stop after Irene. Ahmed, who heard Irene¡¯s name, thought. ¡°Well, if ites to that, then we should stop Irene.¡± ¡°Is that one as reckless as her?¡± ¡°He isn¡¯t that kind, but¡­ this time, he is the same. Even when we tell him to stop, he won¡¯t listen.¡± ¡°And his skills?¡± ¡°Honestly, he is nowhere near Judith. Barely entered the mid ranks¡­ and there are many who managed to grow.¡± It was true. And that was why they never thought that Judith would be conscious of Irene. Peoplepete with those who are on the same level or rank as theirs. Sadly, Irene Pareira was nowhere on the same level as Judith. ¡°Well, shall I take a look at him? What is he doing?¡± Speaking, the school master exited the room. And without hesitation, they moved in the direction of the second room. Judith told him about Irene¡¯s room. Instructors could see how excited Ian was in meeting that child. ¡®He isn¡¯t that great as a trainee¡­¡¯ ¡®He is a good one, but there are many areas Irene needs to develop.¡¯ ¡®Honestly, there is a high possibility that he will fail the midterm. Sir Ian will be disappointed.¡¯ Even Karaka and Ahmed couldn''t hide their negative thoughts about Irene. However, Ian¡¯s expression while entering the training room was more serious than they thought. ¡°¡­¡± A minute passed. 2 minutes passed. 5 minutes passed, and more. All Irene Pareira did was repeat the same lower weight training that Judith did. He improved a lot, but that didn¡¯t mean that he was great. But that wasn¡¯t the case for Ian. His eyes, as clear and deep as ake, observed the body. After 30 minutes, the old man spoke. ¡°I was going to stop the boy and Judith, but I guess I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Was it Irene Pareira? Leave him alone?¡± ¡°Right, don¡¯t stop until he gives up. Even if he doesn¡¯t make it to midterm evaluation.¡± ¡°¡­¡± An unexpected order. The mood became bizarre. Everyone except for Ian kept confirming what the orders meant. ¡°Hmph! Hmph! Hmph!¡± And the deadbeat noble was continuing his intense training, unaware that people were watching him. Chapter 14: Growth (4)

Chapter 14: Growth (4)

How is physical and mental strength rted? It wasn¡¯t a question with an answer. Both are difficult topare, and the case varies for each person. But people who depended on training their body... Especially knights and soldiers, will give the same answer. ¡°A healthy mind resides in a healthy body.¡± Yes, most people would think that the mind and body have a strong rtionship for growth. Among them, they think that the growth of the bodyes first and the mind follows. ¡®It is natural. Would the mental power of a kid who has never done anything difficult in his life be strong, or would the mental power of a knight who overcame pain and boredom wielding the sword everyday for 10 years, training his body, ovee the pain?¡¯ Quite convincing enough that even an ignorant mercenary would learn. Instructor Ahmed held such a view for a long time. By training day and night, the body would surpass the efforts little by little, and endure greater pain every day. In that process, mental strength also grows. Just as the muscle fibers are torn and recovered, there are invisible muscles in the human mind too. Obviously¡­ ¡°The mind controls the body.¡± Krono¡¯s school master Ian¡¯s evaluation of Irene was different from Ahmed¡¯s. Of course, it wasn¡¯t iprehensible. It is something everyone has heard. The story of a mother who exerts superhuman strength to save her child who was about to get crushed by a rock. But they never thought that it would apply to this case. Ahmed didn¡¯t stop talking to Ian, and Ian didn¡¯t care what Ahmed was saying. He simply continued to think while touching the teacup, which had cooled down a long time ago. ¡°Strange one. Weird too. Of course, it isn¡¯t impossible. Because there are cases where mental power dominates the body resulting in enormous power. I have also received such help in desperate times. How about you?¡± ¡°Just once.¡± ¡°I too¡­¡± ¡°But it is a miracle which works only in momentary situations.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°As continuously¡­. I have never had such an iron-like mentality in my 90 years of life.¡± Saying so, Ian closed his eyes. And he remembered the image of the trainee he saw, Irene. The tremendous power in that pitiful body. A body that is forcibly growing to catch up with the supreme mental power, or rather evolving. Even though it was evident that he reached his limit, the trainee kept moving his body forward. Ian had no choice but to be surprised when hismon sense about training had been destroyed. ¡®The word magic won¡¯t be enough. It was as if someone had casted some magic on him.¡¯ A mental power that was maintaining the strength of his body, keeping the bones from breaking and absorbing the energy in the world to recover. Then, after applying enough weight to the body, mental energy was repeating the same process. Ian took a deep breath. A breath of anticipation and a little ecstasy. The boy''s future was being pictured in his mind. Ian opened his eyes and spoke. ¡°As I said before, don¡¯t touch Irene for a while.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ahmed and Karaka answered. It didn¡¯t mean to let Irene ruin his body. But because they knew that the school master knew something. And in the following words, they were flustered. ¡°By the way, the child, Judith¡­.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°That¡­¡± To stop Judith, Irene had to stop. But now they couldn¡¯t do that. The wrinkles on Ian¡¯s forehead deepened. ¡°We have a lot of unique trainees this time. At other times, it was hard to see even 4 talented ones¡­ hahah.¡± Ian¡¯sughter echoed through the room. The midterm would determine the ¡®pass¡¯ and ¡®failure¡¯. Most kids stayed in optimal shape. All the top ones, Ilya Lindsay and Bratt Lloyd and the other kids too. Only a few tensed ones couldn¡¯t stand the pressure and ran around. However, Judith is amoner. And Irene Pareira came in wearing the stigma of being a deadbeat. They were both different. They continued their training desperately as if they had forgotten what tomorrow was. ¡°Those crazy bastards.¡± ¡°Have they really gone crazy? What are they thinking?¡± ¡°Their bodies will copse, they won¡¯t be able to participate tomorrow.¡± ¡°Too bad. If this was an evaluation, it would be a good match for those two¡­.¡± Looking at those two, the other kids shook their heads. Even Bratt and Ilya, who returned to their rooms, were shocked. Nevertheless, they didn¡¯t stop. And the night came. Thud! ¡°Pant! Pant! Pant!¡± Sitting on the outside floor, Judith looked at the indoor training room. Lights were shining inside. It was clear. ¡®That guy¡¯ hadn¡¯t stopped training. That terrified Judith. For the first time, she felt a sense of defeat that she had not felt even with Ilya Lindsay. ¡°Crazy bastard! That damned thing! Pant, how is he going to do the test?¡± Idiot, stupid, bastard, pathetic. A constant barrage of swear words directed at Irene. The girl who sat there made her way to the dormitory. She never backed down. Getting enough sleep was essential for taking the test. A reasonable thoughtforted Judith, but it didn¡¯t make her feel any better. It was because what guided her until now had been her fiery spirit, not reasoning. But she couldn¡¯t help it. Any more training was unreasonable. ¡®Tomorrow, I will destroy you.¡¯ The red-haired girl brushed her teeth, washed herself andid in bed. Even though all the trainees fell asleep. Even in thete hours, Irene Pareira didn¡¯t stop moving. ¡°Hmph! Hmph!¡± His muscles were moving. ¡°Huk! Huk!¡± Blood kept flowing through his body. As a result, oxygen, nutrients, and the unknown energy was being delivered to every corner of his body. The body, which had been damaged, was being restored as he moved again. ¡°Ouch, uh, uh¡­.¡± Of course, the process wasn¡¯t smooth. The pain was indescribable because it would take several days for him to recover. The pain was too much that any ordinary person would give up right away. Any person would fall to the ground and burst into tears. But not Irene Pareira. The boy who broke out of his shell was no longer a boy. ¡®A little more, I can do a little more.¡¯ The pain that far exceeded the first physical fitness test came for him with every training. But Irene kept on moving despite the waves stopping him. On and on and on. Forgetting time, pain or looking back on the bad memories of the past, forgetting all the little things which bothered him. Like the man in his dreams, when he only worked to move forward for his goal. Irene Pareira could feel it. It meant that the limitations of the body that had been blocking him had shattered. ¡°¡­¡± Irene stopped moving and lowered his head to look at his body. Drenched in sweat as if he had been hit by rain. He weed the faint salty taste in the sweat and a strange smell worse than the stench of sweat. Still, it didn¡¯t feel bad. It was refreshing to him. Irene took off his shirt and left the training room. Swoosh! Morning wind blew, sweeping his cold body. He instantly felt better. Irene moved with a smile brighter than the one he had on the day he joined the school. Swish! His fists were moving faster than before. Pah! His body jumped lighter and reached a higher point than before. The same was true for other actions. Iparable to the previous days, Irene Pareira felt curiosity and a bit of anxiety at the same time as his body moved easily. ¡®What is it?¡¯ The past ten days, Irene had surrendered to his instinct. It wasn¡¯t something he was sure of. It was like holding a sword for the first time. As if he couldn¡¯t bear not wielding it, an impulse of not running took over him. Much more than ever. Thanks to that, he seemed better yet a little ufortable. ¡®¡­ after all, this time, I got help from the dreams.¡¯ Confused. Only for a moment. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and opened them. ¡®Let¡¯s not focus on things that we can¡¯t solve.¡¯ Instead, think about what can be done and achieve it in the future. A precious lesson he realized after having the dreams. Irene Pareira, who quickly thought so, turned his head. A few people followed him out of the second training room. People who probably watched him train all night. Ahmed and Karaka and Rune Tarhal and an old man. Looking at their expressions, Irene asked. ¡°How many hours until midterm?¡± ¡°¡­ 15 minutes left. It¡¯s pretty tight.¡± ¡°Am Ite?¡± ¡°What? Hahahahah!¡± Irene asked that question with an innocent look. Seeing that, the old man burst intoughter. Stopping himself after a while, he spoke. ¡°The physical condition of the other trainees is their best. It has been a while since the others rxed. On the other hand, you overworked your body until now, like a foolish bear.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Even then, will you take it seriously?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Good. Let¡¯s head to the midterm.¡± Ian took the lead. And Irene, who couldn¡¯t understand the old man, slowly moved. Following them, he realized that all three of them had serious expressions. Finally, the midterm evaluation, which determines the future of the prospective trainees, was about to begin. Chapter 15: Midterm evaluation (1)

Chapter 15: Midterm evaluation (1)

Early morning. Krono Swordsmanship School hall was crowded with many people. And the reason was the midterm evaluation. Since the test would basically depend on the luck of the prospective trainees, a couple swordsmen were hired for personnel help with the process. One of them was a bald mercenary who spoke. ¡°Well. I¡¯m going to be an assistant for the physical test of little kids.¡± ¡°Yeah. Well, it¡¯s a fine pastime. It¡¯s safe and the pay isn¡¯t that bad.¡± The person receiving the words had a simr thought. He had experience as a test assistant for a mercenary agency, but all the participants then were adults. On the other hand, this time, they were supervising children between 12 to 13. No matter how well trained they were in the school, they had no expectations from the kids. ¡®Of course, I don¡¯t n on saying it out loud, but if there is nothing interesting I¡¯ll be bored.¡¯ ¡®Aren¡¯t these ones better than normal kids? I hope they are.¡¯ It was when those two and the rest of the mercenaries were thinking the same. One by one, the trainees began to gather. ¡°Woah.¡± ¡°I can do it. I can do it.¡± ¡°Unwind my body¡­¡± Trainees kept arriving trying to self-hypnosis themselves, while the others seemed rxed. However, their actions felt so insignificant to the outsiders. The bald mercenary, who watched the kids, gulped. ¡®¡­ is this the growth of kids who are 13?¡¯ He was confused. They were at an unbelievable level. Aside from their faces and short height, the trainees seemed to show credible appearances even as adults. Some children were moving so quickly that even mercenaries would have trouble reaching them. A colleague, who was beside him, mumbled under his breath. ¡°¡­ is this a gathering of all the monsters in one ce?¡± ¡°¡­ looks like it.¡± No one looked like trainees. Trained bodies which they never saw before, and a heavy expression as if they were waiting for a war to break out. This was by no means a child¡¯s test. The mercenaries who felt the greatness of Krono held their breath. In the midst of that, the trainees warmed up. However, not all the trainees were focused on themselves. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why isn¡¯t that one here yet?¡± Top rank. The trainee who should have been in the top ranks for his effort. The really talented people who could easily pass the midterm evaluation, which is known to be impossible toplete, were all concentrating on something other than the test. It was because the people who should have been there, Ahmed and Karaka, who were in charge of the test, weren¡¯t present. Besides, ¡®He isn¡¯t here.¡¯ ¡®¡­ what the hell is he doing? The evaluation will start soon.¡¯ At first, no one was expecting him. However, with every passing day, he turned into a strange guy who was capable enough to hone his skills through training. Irene Pareira, that kid hadn¡¯t shown up. That fact made Bratt Lloyd, Judith, and even Ilya Lindsay troubled. It was then. Commotion broke out at one corner. The prospective trainees who sensed that the instructors had arrived turned their heads only to be shocked. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What? He didn¡¯t even change his clothes.¡± ¡°No way¡­¡± ¡°All night¡­ Did he workout?¡± The children couldn¡¯t get rid of the suspicious look. They had no choice but to do so. Wasn¡¯t it out of the ordinary? There were idiots in the world who would work all night knowing that there was a physical ability test the next day! Some thought that Irene would make themugh during the test. But that wasn¡¯t it. Everyone realized it. Even if the soaked clothes on him were fake, the salt which stuck to his face couldn¡¯t be faked. What that meant was clear. Irene Pareira really didn¡¯t stop training all night long. And given the circumstances, the instructors who discovered this btedly stopped him and brought him to the test. It was time for trainees to get ready. The old man who was quietly standing next to Ahmed moved. Week! Tat! Most kids who saw him took ten steps back in one step. The quick-witted ones who knew his identity and the hired mercenaries nodded their heads silently. After a while, Ian, the school master of Krono, stood on the podium and opened his mouth. ¡°Well, how should I introduce myself? Hmm, what should I say? As many of you know, this old man is the school master of Krono.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see, time¡­ five minutes left. The rules, I know you have the rulesmitted to memory, so there is nothing else I need to say, right? The rest of the time you have, prepare yourselves. And don¡¯t have any regrets. That¡¯s all I want to say, I don¡¯t want to get in your way, so I¡¯ll stop here.¡± p! When Ian finished, he pped his hands. Soon the kids came to their senses. Right, what was important was their midterm, not the other things. Once again, they regained theirposure. 4 minutes. 3 minutes. 2 minutes and one minute. Finally, a few seconds before the time, Ahmed opened his mouth. ¡°The midterm evaluation starts now!¡± With that, the midterm evaluation began. ¡°Woah! Woah.¡± With the mercenary supervising them, Irene exhaled briefly. Then he quickly moved to grab a barbell with a heavy disk. Then, one of the evaluation movements, the Push Press, started. ¡°Hmph! Hmph!¡± Unlike the general press movements that use the strength of the upper body, this required the strength of the lower body, flexibility, and agility. Of course, there was no awkwardness as he had done it countless times in the past four months. But that wasn¡¯t the only emotion Irene was feeling. ¡®Light!¡¯ His body felt light. The barbell was light, too, to the extent where the weights on both ends seemed to be halved. Even now, he was repeating the same movements faster than his usual speed. And with no strain on his body. He pondered for a moment. He had been training all night. Could he end up making a mistake? No. Thinking that Irene increased his speed. A look appeared on the supervisor¡¯s face. ¡°Hmph! Hmph! Hmph! He quickly finished the reps and put down the barbell. And approached the rectangr box in front of him. Box Jump. A simple task, but it wasn¡¯t easy considering the height and time limit. However, he didn¡¯t feel burdened. Irene put strength into his lower body and jumped up lightly, and then came down to the floor. He repeated that at an unbelievable speed. ¡°That bastard?¡± ¡°Crazy! He won¡¯t be able toplete it.¡± The sarcasm of the other trainees stuck in his ears, but he didn¡¯t care. Rather, after finishing the set at a faster pace, he moved to the next movement and finished it, then approached the barbell. And he started repeating. Even faster. More stable. The supervisor¡¯s expression changed. Irene could understand him. ¡®Even I am shocked at myself.¡¯ Last night, he was aware that something had changed in his body. But he didn¡¯t know that it changed by this much. Even though his pace had changed more than normal, he didn¡¯t know. On the contrary, it seemed like if he put in a little more effort, he could finish it. No, he had to finish it faster. A stronger thought than before. Confidence was guiding him. Irene increased his speed again and performed repetitive movements at a frightening speed. And the noise grew louder. ¡°What is he doing?¡± ¡°Does he want to get exhausted or something?¡± ¡°Hu¡­ ¡°One crazy bastard he is! Maniac!¡± More and more kids began to curse him. And he went back to ignoring them. He focused on his task and let the sounds not bother him. However, he couldn¡¯t. It dawned on him. It was because something changed, and he knew. ¡®When I was immersed in other things, was I always able to hear the voices around me?¡¯ No. Unlike before, when he enlisted in the school, Irene¡¯s mentality had changed. In order to not be hurt or ridiculed, Irene continued his loneliness and blocked any external influences on him. It was as if he hid from the world through sleep and raised his sword to escape from the rumors around him. But not now. ¡°Damn it, are you kidding me?¡± ¡°He¡¯s going to fall anyway. Let¡¯s not worry. Enough of this.¡± His ears were bringing him the voices of the others. ¡°Phew. Phew.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Clear vision captured the trainees¡¯ faces who stared at him and the supervisors who looked stiff. Irene was able to handle those reactions. He didn¡¯t care about their reactions anymore. So there was no need for him to close his eyes and ears. For the first time in his life, the eldest son of Pareira felt nice. ¡°Hmph, Hmph, hmph¡­¡± More, a little more, and a little faster. Iparable to any other child. Even the other top-ranked ones like Bratt couldn¡¯t keep up with him. After a short time, the noise began to subside. Only gazes full of jealousy and astonishment radiated more intensely. One minuteter. Irene finished all the reps and passed the first course. He looked straight ahead, running on the sandy road. There was only one person who was running there, Ilya Lindsay. Nodding to himself, he mmed the ground. A harsh, ungirly voice came out of Judith¡¯s mouth as she watched it. ¡°UGHHHHH!¡± Chapter 16: Midterm evaluation (2)

Chapter 16: Midterm evaluation (2)

A strange urrence in the midterm evaluation of Krono, which wasn¡¯t supposed to have any variables. Irene Pareira. Even when he enrolled, he was inst ce, yet he was despised by everyone. It wasn¡¯t the case anymore. Because 4 months wasn¡¯t a short time. He did a tremendous amount of training, ignoring the reactions of the people around him, and he hade to a position where he could conversely ignore those whoughed at him. But even so¡­ ¡®He, he shouldn¡¯t be able to show such a great performance¡­!¡¯ A person of noble lineage, Bratt Lloyd¡¯s expression hardened. His body was moving toplete the reps, but his head was different. He was thinking of something else. All because of Irene. He somehow struggled to grasp the current situation. And, there was another thing he couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°Wait up, you jerkkkk!¡± Someone unlike him, someone who was his rival, a girl who was as cheeky as a human could be. Even Judith had finished the course earlier than expected. As he watched the red-haired girl move away, Bratt grunted. ¡®You bastards!¡¯ Right. They were all wrong. They weren¡¯t considering the entire course at all. They were all being swept away by the atmosphere, not being aware of their limitations. And that was a stupid move. It was obvious that things would favour them in the second half. ¡®I am different!¡¯ After the midterm evaluation course was released, he made a thorough n for ten days. How to handle his stamina for the best record, what he wascking and what he was good at. Apart from that, he even maintained his diet to keep his body in top condition. He was sure. This time he could beat Judith. The overwhelming genius, Ilya Lindsay, couldn''t be beaten, but Bratt was ready to take second ce. But¡­ ¡®Calm down. Don¡¯t be anxious.¡¯ Phat! After the box jump, Bratt pped himself. Right. He had to calm down. He wasn¡¯t supposed to care how other people did. He had to go on his own path at his own pace. And if he could truly believe that, he would get the results wanted. After making that promise, he began to concentrate again. Thanks to that, Bratt was able toplete the first course in the expected timeframe. There was a difference from 1st, 2nd and 3rd, but the difference can be reached. ¡­ However, he couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious. The boy, who was bing terrified, speeded up and ran the second course. Bratt Lloyd¡¯s worries turned into reality. Unfortunately for him, Irene Pareira, running the second course, was in excellent form. There was no strain on his body. Rather, it seemed like Irene was getting used to his body and could still show better performance. ¡®Let¡¯s forget about my status and the records of the past.¡¯ Irene thought in a steady breath. At what speed and how should he arrange the stamina to get the best record with his new body? A very abstract and challenging task. Surprisingly, however, he calcted it without any errors. Partly thanks to his improved vision and insight and a little bit of luck. It was a clear boon. Irene sprinted down the sand at the most efficient pace for him and soon found a silver-haired girl. Ilya Lindsay. The one who always sat alone, the master ofpetition in Krono. The moment he saw her, whom neither Judith nor Bratt Lloyd could reach, Irene¡¯s heart began to swell. ¡°¡­¡± A tiny spark. Much smaller than themon embers, which rose in ordinary people. But for Irene, it wasn¡¯t trivial. ¡®What is this feeling?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t figure it out. It was only natural. Irene, who lived his entire life confined to himself, entered society for the first time because of the man in his dream and evenpeted for the first time. Irene¡¯s experience wasn¡¯t enough to understand fighting spirit. He was worried. Irene thought Should he maintain the current pace or increase it? Or should I move faster to resolve that strange feeling inside me? Time to choose. Between the lines drawn by two beautiful colors of silver and gold, a line hot and red likeva cut in. ¡°Pant, pant, pant, pant, huaaak!¡± A messy breathing and loud roar followed. It was Judith¡¯s voice. As Irene was lost in thought, he looked back in shock at the voice. The red hair was galloping at them at a frightening speed. ¡°Hhaaaaah!¡± Another roar and Judith¡¯s speed increased. She passed Irene, who was running at a stable ce and even passed when Ilya Lindsay was ahead. And the distance widened. ¡®She seems to have overdone it, will she be fine?¡¯ Worry shed across his face. Ilya Lindsay didn¡¯t change. As always, she stuck to her pace. ¡®Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!¡¯ An endless stream of swearing. And the anger showed no signs of subsiding. The heart was on fire. It felt like the lungs would burn out any second, and blood flowing in the body seemed like they were turning into stones. Judith knew that her body reached its limit. If she didn¡¯t take a break to cool off the heat, something would go wrong. But she couldn¡¯t do that. Anger in her heart and the body turning hotter made her run ahead. ¡®Never! I will never lose! I need to win!¡¯ She didn¡¯t want to lose. Bratt Lloyd, who was born with a golden spoon, or Ilya Lindsay, who had been praised since her birth, annoyed her. So did the other nobles, which was why she didn¡¯t want to get overtaken by the people who lived afortable life. She couldn¡¯t lose to a deadbeat noble who didn¡¯t even move for 15 years! ¡°Pant! Pant, pant, pant!¡± She knew. How much growth had happened within that guy in 4 months? Although he worked so hard that even Judith was unable to catch up, despite being able to do the evaluation tests at a fast pace, he could only be called a diligent trainee. But what? What was that guy doing before he entered the school? Is that supposed to be ignored? Is this something that he had to hold on to and not give up like he did in the past? ¡®Damn it, I don¡¯t know!¡¯ Judith shook her head. She knew it. The world is like this. Just as she looks at Ilya and Irene with irritation, there was someone else who would think of her the same way. She knew how talented she was; she knew how the other kids would treat her. But that didn¡¯t matter to her. Let them be angry. Whatever the reason, get angry, annoyed, curse, and swear till their heart''s content. It doesn¡¯t matter if it is fighting spirit, the desire to win, or a feeling of inferiority, use it. Breakthrough the limits. Just like how that deadbeat noble did! ¡°Ahhhhhhh!¡± A third groan erupted from Judith¡¯s mouth. And her legs seemed like they wouldn¡¯t be able to speed up any longer. She, too, was clearly breaking through the limits. ¡°Huk, huk!¡± The ranking stayed for a while. Judith, Ilya Lindsay, Irene Pareira, and Bratt Lloyd. All followed that ranking. Quite far away, several people werepeting for fifth ce. And finally, the final course of midterm evaluation began. Across theke, Judith threw herself in without any hesitation. It was because if she stopped, she knew her body would never move again. ¡°Puah! Puah! Puah! Puah!¡± A different ce with a different sound. The girl was still angry, still zing. This was why she was able to keep moving, and she was able to continue being in the first ce. It was amazing. If she could cross the finish line at this pace, she¡¯ll be beating her own record. It would be no exaggeration to call it a ¡®miracle¡¯. However, miracles don¡¯t happen that easily, which is why they are called miracles. Judith¡¯s body, which entered, slowed down. Little by little, little by little. Then in an instant. It was too much. She was unable to move a single finger and slowly sank into the water. In the silence, she thought. ¡®Shit!¡¯ Was it because she didn¡¯t care about anything? Or was theke too cold? Judith felt a calm sensation as if her anger was being sucked away. She could see that Ilya passed her. Expressionless as always. It looked like there was still plenty of room left. Judith smiled sadly. ¡®That bitch is a real monster. What did you eat to grow up like that?¡¯ Awe. She couldn¡¯t help but admit it. She was a god from the beginning. Not a single trainee could pass Ilya. For the first time, the red-haired girl felt aplete sense of defeat. And then she felt more at ease. Even though she couldn¡¯t breathe, it was refreshing, and she wasn¡¯t angry anymore as she knew that less confident people would overtake her. ¡®Irene Pareira will soon outrun me. Maybe Bratt too, that scoundrel wille second. Then¡­ damn it, it¡¯s annoying.¡¯ Judith stopped thinking. Irene Pareira¡­ yes, even Bratt would. But frankly, it was annoying that the rest of the low rankers would overtake her. Of course, she couldn¡¯t do anything anymore. She was sinking, and she was about to lose consciousness. Her vision was bing blurry. She smiled bitterly as she closed her eyes. No, she was trying to. Snap. ¡®What?¡¯ Arms around her neck. A boy, a little taller than other trainees, moved dynamically. Judith looked through her blurry vision and felt the heat rise from her head. ¡®Irene Pareira! This crazy bastard¡­¡¯ Whether he stays or gets sent out depends on this test. In addition, it was an evaluation with the school master Ian, being present. At such a crucial moment, he came to rescue her instead of continuing with his task? ¡®This dumb¡­ hell.. he doesn¡¯t know what is important and¡­ what is not¡­¡¯ Had it not been for the water, she would have spoken. But she couldn¡¯t. Irene managed to pull her out. The assistant, who arrivedte, gave her first aid. And Irene, who watched for a moment, threw himself back towards theke to finish. Of course, the others were all going ahead. They all worked hard to stay in the school. The same was true for those who exceeded the time limit. There were no kids who wanted to quit midway. They didn¡¯t stop moving despite bursting into tears. Everyone but Judith crossed the finish line. Atst, the midterm evaluation of the Krono Swordsmanship school, which had many surprises, came to an end. Chapter 17: Midterm evaluation (3)

Chapter 17: Midterm evaluation (3)

The most important evaluation in the Korno Swordsmanship School had finallye to an end. And the evaluation criterion is an absolute one and not a rtive one. Therefore, everyone knew their results the moment the rest finished. Pass and fail could be decided without a final notice. However, the atmosphere at the school was a little strange. Instead of the 35 trainees who passed, less than 400 have been dropped. They were focusing on their training. ¡°Hmph! Hmph!¡± ¡°This time¡­ I need to!¡± ¡°I can do it! This much I can easily do!¡± The reason was the words from instructor Karaka. Second evaluation. The so-called revival of the losers. He announced it with a smile on his face, and the children rejoiced at it yet swore at the instructor. It was because the criteria for the second evaluation was a lot easier than the first. In fact, the first one was absurd. It was normal to control the number of passers in the mid-term to 100 instead of 30. However, thanks to the second evaluation, the instructors will know more urately about the trainee¡¯s strength and potential. ¡°That Theron, he has more than enough skills to pass the 2nd evaluation. But he gave up in the first round, and gave up early on. Honestly, I am disappointed.¡± ¡°On the other hand, Macan held a decent level in the second one too, and he didn¡¯t give up in the first round either, which was a lot more difficult than that.¡± ¡°Right. Thanks to that he broke his best record.¡± ¡°If he passes this test, we¡¯ll have to pay attention to him.¡± ¡°Ah, in the case of Judith¡­¡± Krono was a ce where only talented people were nurtured. Therefore, they didn¡¯t just evaluate the results but also the character and mental strength. The instructors evaluated each trainee individually with their colleagues. The children who gleamed at the second chance didn¡¯t know that. ¡°Then, finally¡­¡± ¡°This one.¡± As all the other ones were done, from the highest ranks to the lowest such as Ilya and Bratt. Only one was left. Instructors, including Ahmed and Karaka and Rune Tarhal, looked at the name on the paper. [Irene Pareira.] 34th out of 35 sessful applicants in the first round. A good result, but not a remarkable one. However, one shouldn¡¯t be judged on results alone. Everyone would agree. Those who watched his test would know that too. The instructors, who remained silent for a moment, looked to one side. School master, Ian, who hadn¡¯t said a single word, opened his mouth with a smile. ¡°In this case, isn¡¯t this the right thing to do?¡± The old man wrote whirly on the evaluation paper, and the instructors nodded their heads. The moment when everyone was ready to give their consent. ¡°Excuse me, school master¡­¡± ¡°Huh? What is it?¡± Ian asked at the voice which came from the outside of the door. Calling for the school master, despite knowing that they were having a meeting. Did something happen? ¡°No. 101 trainee. Miss Judith is here to see the school master. That discussion¡­ I want Irene Pareira, the No. 331 trainee to retake the exam as I don¡¯t want his record to be disturbed¡­¡± ¡°Huhu, huhuhuhu.¡± Ian burst outughing. He liked the kind thought, and the action of the child to ask right away felt nice. Some could find it rude, but it wasn¡¯t. There was no problem with it. Because they had already finished discussing it in a good light. However, he didn¡¯t want to inform her right away. With a yful smile, Ian opened his mouth. ¡°Really? What if we are unable to do that? What would you do if that was the¡­¡± ¡°Can I show? What can I do?¡± Before Ian could even finish speaking, she spoke out. Judith. While the instructors held back theirughter, the red-haired girl swore. ¡°It¡¯s probably going to be tough! A very bad ident might happen!¡± ¡°That child! If you act like that you will get punished!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take the punishment, I''ll do whatever you need to let him take the test again. Let him try again! Quickly!¡± ¡°Hahahahaha!¡± Judith¡¯s behaviour was rude, but at the same time, it felt cute, like a granddaughter¡¯s tantrum. Even the instructors doubted the reaction. The inside of the room turned into a flood ofughter. It was such a cheerful and bright atmosphere at the end of the evaluation. At that time. Irene Pareira, the main character of the topic, was spending time as usual. Train, train, train and train. It was terrible sincerity. Bratt Lloyd, who watched him run, shook his head. ¡®He¡¯s crazy.¡¯ He had been ignoring Irene until then, but he thought that Irene¡¯s tenacity was great. But this time, he didn¡¯t like it. Instead of feeling ¡®I can as much as I can¡¯, he just got fed up with Irene. It was as if he was watching someone different. ¡®Well, such miraculous growth would have been possible¡­¡¯ Bratt recalled yesterday¡¯s midterm evaluation. The stamina, strength, and all other abilities that Irene was disying. He had no choice but to admit it. The guy¡¯s performance was bing great; Irene was turning into someone who couldn¡¯t be touched. ¡°¡­ damn it.¡± Grunt. He ground his teeth. He knew. That himing in 2nd was just because of luck. If Judith hadn¡¯t been a fool, and if Irene hadn¡¯t done something as stupid as that, results would have differed. Bratt would havee in 4th ce. ¡°¡­I won¡¯t lose next time.¡± Even Ilya Lindsay. Those who overtook him were unforgivable. Quietly muttering. Bratt turned his gaze away from Irene. He is he, and Bratt is Bratt. It was better to take a break than to follow others and do unnned workouts. ¡®I don¡¯t understand how on earth he achieved that growth¡­¡¯ But Bratt wanted to grow up in his own way. Thinking that, Bratt walked away. ¡°Hmph! Hmph!¡± Irene kept training. It was absurd. Just a day before, he had exerted his best into the evaluation, and it wasmon to take a break after that. It was natural that Bratt chose to rest. And that is something which happens in the general case. Irene faces the man in his dreams every night. He knew what that man was doing every night. He knew that what he was doing was nothingpared to that. Irene knew that the man didn¡¯t take a break even after training for half a year. It was when he was concentrating on the thought and bnced. ¡°Why did you do that?¡± A voice from behind. A familiar voice. He knew it very well. There was only one person who spoke to Irene after the admission test. Ilya Lindsay. A beautiful, cold-looking, silver-haired girl caught his eyes. But something was strange. She had indifferent eyes and a cold expression. Perhaps, an ordinary person would have felt no different. However, since yesterday, Irene, whose vision had been opened, could feel it. The fact that she was trying to hide her displeasure. And that the reason was Irene and not anyone else. Irene stopped moving. ¡°Do what?¡± ¡°You know what.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Saving Judith, is it regarding that?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why, why did you have to do that?¡± As usual, a voice without emotion. Irene knew it again. The reason her voice sounded the same was because she was suppressing her emotions. It was because she was very disappointed with Irene¡¯s behavior and was angry. He understood Ilya Lindsay¡¯s attitude. ¡®Because of that, the 5th ce prize blew away.¡¯ Krono school''s school master Ian would give a reward. Something of great value. How many chances would one be able to get to win an award from the best swordsman on the continent? Never in a lifetime. Even Irene, who just started the sword, wanted to be awarded. But if one asked if he regrets saving Judith. ¡°I just felt like it had to be done.¡± Irene had no choice but to answer that he didn¡¯t regret. Of course, not everyone was like that. Her expression shattered hearing those words. Her eyes raged, and her facial expression changed a little. In that state, the silver-haired girl spit out cold words. ¡°That is nonsense, you know that?¡± ¡°There were many who would have saved Judith.¡± ¡°That reward. It is an reward given by someone who is the best on the continent¡± ¡°You get that it is more valuable than gold, right? You could have been taught by the school master.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t just that. You would have been able to shut the mouths of everyone who ridiculed you, and looked down on you.¡± ¡°Did you know that?¡± Ilya¡¯s words flowed. Irene listened silently. It was all correct. As she said, many could have saved Judith if not him, and the prize was a lot greater. An opportunity to stand tall in front of the others who ignored him. However, he forsook all that. However, He didn¡¯t regret it. Irene, who had been silent, opened his mouth. ¡°You know, I used to be called a deadbeat noble?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I was stuck in a swamp for quite some time. It is no excuse, but considering that¡­ this really...¡± Irene recalled his past. From the age of 5 to 15. It was indeed an excruciating long seclusion. He couldn¡¯t make any progress in his life, and he kept sinking. Even with the dreams, he stayed the same. It was only because the sport changed from sleep to sword, his world changed. Yes. Maybe he would still be sinking. If not for his family, who always loved him. A blunt-looking but affectionate father, a benevolent mother who isn¡¯t his mother, and an even-loving little sister held Irene¡¯s hand and lifted him from the swamp. ¡°I came to the surface with the help of so many people, pretending to not see when another person is sinking¡­ I don¡¯t think I can do that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That was it. That is why I did that yesterday.¡± After finishing his story, he looked into the sky; Irene turned back and looked into the eyes of Ilya. She had an angry expression on her face as if she was holding something hot inside her body. Ilya, who started quietly for a while, quickly turned around. And said, ¡°Did you say that you never used a sword before? Untilst year.¡± ¡°¡­ yes.¡± ¡°Physical training and swordsmanship are different. Both require hard work and talent, but¡­ for swordsmanship, talent is a lot more important.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The fact that you decided to lose the prize from the school master because of yesterday¡¯s judgement, means that you will no longer receive my help, and that because of that, you would one again be aughing stock for others¡­¡± It meant that she was hurt, and Ilya''s calm voice had changed. As usual, it felt cold. And with that, she finished her speech. ¡°¡­ I hope you don¡¯t regret it.¡± Ilya Lindsay leaving that ce left asting impression. For a long time, Irene watched until he could no longer see her silver hair. Despite being in midsummer, he could feel the coldness from her body and words. ¡®I told her that I don¡¯t care about other people¡¯s opinion, why¡­¡¯ Why did she seem to care more than Irene? He couldn¡¯t figure it out. He had never conversed with other people, so it was impossible for Irene to understand. Still, he struggled for a long time trying to understand Ilya Lindsay. Whatever had happened, she was the only trainee in the school who looked at him without any prejudice. ¡°I got a lot of help.¡± What would he have done without Ilya¡¯s help? Far from being qualified in the midterm, he would have ended up waiting for the second evaluation to be ced. This was why Irene wanted to understand the silver-haired girl¡¯s emotions and relieve her anger if possible. ¡°¡­¡± Of course, he didn¡¯t know how to. How could he learn to understand the feelings of a girl who is about the same age as his sister? Irene shook his head and began to run on the course. Two dayster. The second midterm evaluation was also done, including 78 additional trainees and a total number of sessful trainees of 113. Around 300 prospective trainees had no choice but to leave the swordsmanship hall in tears. As there were sad ones, there were happy ones too. The ones who finished in the top 5 spots. Five children, Ilya Lindsay and Bratt and others stood on the podium with smiles. In particr, Lance Peterson, one of Bratt¡¯s followers, had a hard time covering the smile on his mouth. Probably because he never thought that he¡¯d be in the top five. ¡®Irene, thanks to that idiot Irene I am here!¡¯ Lance Peterson, who got lucky this time, saw Irene shortly after. ¡®Tsk. Pathetic bastard.¡¯ ¡®What was he doing during the test?¡¯ ¡®Did he want to pretend to be nice? In that situation!¡¯ ¡®I am happy though. If he is such a guy with nopetitive spirit, it is obvious that he won¡¯t pass the tests.¡¯ Some narrow-minded trainees thought as such. They were unable to make fun of Irene, he showed great ability in the first round of the evaluation, but after he saved Judith, the other trainees didn¡¯t care about Irene¡¯s growth. They didn¡¯t want the person they looked down on to do well. They hoped that he would fall. Which was why they couldn¡¯t understand the words of school master Ian, which followed. ¡°Prospective trainee 311, Irene Pareira.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Come ahead for the awarding, near the podium child.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Even Ilya Lindsay and Bratt looked shocked. Judith, who had visited Ian to request Irene¡¯s retest, was the only one who pped her hands with joy. Chapter 18: Winner’s Interview (1)

Chapter 18: Winner¡¯s Interview (1)

Krono school wasn¡¯t a knight training camp. It is a ce where the sword is taught to the best. And not a single person would see a swordsman from Krono as an ordinary person. And it wasn¡¯t just about the skills. They are as good as the knights who value honor and morality, so-called ¡®chivalry¡¯, and are praised as more knightley than knights. That was how Krono swordsmanship worked. ¡°Competitions are so much fun. It makes the lonely and painful times more enjoyable. Also,petitions are important. It allows you to reach a level you could never reach alone.¡± ¡°If you pursue someone who is ahead of you, or struggle to avoid being caught by someone who is following you, you end up achieving something which surprises you.¡± ¡°But.¡± ¡°If one gets too engrossed in it, they won¡¯t be able to see what is important.¡± Ian said that by looking at all the sessful trainees. All the trainees flinched. Ian smiled brightly and continued to speak. ¡°How Irene Pareira didn¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°He sacrificed himself despite knowing that he could end uping thest in the evaluation, and saved a drowning trainee.¡± ¡°Each of us may have a different opinion, but all the instructors, including me, agreed that what he did was a worthy action.¡± ¡°That is the reason why this trainee is on the podium.¡± The words stopped. The crowd was silent. They were looking at the school master, the instructors and Irene Pareira. Ian, who deliberately took a gap, opened his mouth again. He spoke in a heavy voice. ¡°This school is helping you to master your sword better so that you can fully develop your talents. But we all know that that¡¯s not the only thing we teach here.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Before thinking about how to handle the sword better, and why you are sharpening your skills, what will you do with the power you gained. I want you to think about that at least once.¡± Soon, the speech was over. After that, the routine awarding process followed. There were not five but six winners, including Irene Pareira. p p p p! All the trainees were greeted with apuse. But their thoughts were different. Lance Peterson was ashamed of himself for disrespecting Irene. And a few other children didn¡¯t change their minds. It was judged that that deadbeat had pretended to be kind to catch the eyes of Ian. And there were a few who really thought about the reason why they wanted to hold a sword, and a few trainees were looking back on their character education sses which they didn¡¯t pay attention to in liberal arts. Once again, they all became more conscious of Irene Pareira. Much more than ever. After the awards, a week of free time was given. The first free time given to the trainees. They allowed free time before the midterm but taking a break before the midterm was something no one would do. The children let go of it and enjoyed it. Of course, Irene didn¡¯t follow that. He was still maintaining his routine. He continued to practice the routine which he had nned. Nothing had changed. Nothing really changed, except for his rtionship with Ilya Lindsay, who always cared for him, was broken. It was when he was running the track. Tuk! ¡°Yah!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. And thank you.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Judith suddenly appeared and said those words while patting his back. Irene stayed for a moment and then eximed. Oh! He realized that she was talking about the incident when he had saved her. ¡®I never thought that Judith would say thank you¡­¡¯ It was shocking, but he could understand it. Irene smiled and nodded. But there was a question. ¡°But, what are you sorry about¡­¡± ¡°Enough. I am sorry about one thing and grateful too. There are two things I owe you, but I think it helped enough seeing that you received the award in the sermon, right?¡± ¡°Uh?¡± What was she saying? Irene got an award for saving her when she needed help. Was she really going to take credit for drowning? While he thought that, Judith opened her mouth. ¡°I paid off one, and I have to return a favor to you. I¡¯ll think about it and pay it back slowly.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, since that is taken care of, I¡¯ll be in your care from now on.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you answering me?¡± ¡°Uh? Ah, ah¡­¡± ¡°Well, I won¡¯t bother you anymore. Work hard.¡± The red-haired girl who spoke what she wanted to, disappeared right away. Irene, who looked at her, burst outughing. It wasn¡¯t a bad feeling. No matter what she meant, Judith didn¡¯t mean anything bad. It was the first time someone other than Ilya had talked to him. However, her words were rather unique and fresh. ¡®I have no idea.¡¯ It was when Irene was struggling to understand the situation. An assistant with a familiar face approached him. ¡°Prospective trainee 311, Irene Pareira.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°School master is calling for you. Wash and prepare.¡± ¡°¡­ yes.¡± There was no one to talk to and no one to ask. And there was no need for that either. He quickly prepared himself and headed for the school master¡¯s room. ¡°I know. I have definitely understood that I have been too narrow-minded.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to lower yourself like that. It is something that narrow-minded people can¡¯t do, admitting their shorings right away. You don¡¯t need to overly me yourself.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t like that. How can I take the words of the school master so lightly?¡± ¡°Haha.¡± ¡°What you said is right. I¡¯m here to learn more about the world¡­ I arrogantly insisted on using my own method. As the school master has advised, from now on, if anything new shows up, I will learn.¡± Even if it is from someone much worse than me. Bratt swore to himself. Though he didn¡¯t say thest words out loud. Ian, who watched him, nodded with a happy smile. ¡®He has a taste for learning.¡¯ Bratt wasn¡¯t a genius who learns ten things from one, but he was intelligent enough to learn two things from one. There were no ws, mentally or physically. Although he was stubborn and prideful because of being a noble, considering his responsibility, it wasn¡¯t his fault. And it was something he would correct. The trainees definitely seemed high quality. Ian, who thought to himself, opened his mouth. ¡°I am d you got it. So, what would be the prize you want?¡± ¡°Naturally¡­ a precious word cannot be exchanged with gold. I will keep these words in my heart for the rest of my life!¡± ¡°That is a little burdensome, but it isn¡¯t a bad one.¡± ¡°Then, I will head back.¡± Ian nodded as Bratt politely stepped back. A noble and strong attitude was rare to see in a 13-year-old boy. This guy would have taken the top position if those three weren¡¯t there. However, ¡®Unfortunately, there are too many prominent people this time.¡¯ That was true. Normally, 3 to 4 talented people would fight for the top. If one of them showed an overwhelming performance. The others would feel depressed. And now, the person in question entered. Ilya Lindsay, the girl with beautiful silver hair. ¡°As a reward, I would like to haveplete guidance from the school master.¡± ¡°¡­ you are quite rude.¡± ¡°Is that a request I can¡¯t ask?¡± ¡°Do you understand me? I have no intention of teaching my sword to someone knowing that it would create enemies for me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ilya kept silent. Ian clicked his head and shook his head. ¡°Take my advice. Stop being swayed by others and live your life. Don¡¯t waste your time here tied up with an obsession and go back to your family and learn your family''s sword. It will help you a lot more.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Do you understand?¡± ¡°I want the school master¡¯s guidance.¡± ¡°¡­ you are a stubborn one.¡± Ian sighed as he looked at the girl with sad eyes. Others couldn¡¯t feel it, but he knew. Just as a person¡¯s face can be reflected in water, the energying from her could give him a glimpse of the hateful mes deep in the girl¡¯s heart. But he couldn¡¯t figure out how to extinguish the mes. In the end, Ian nodded his head. He got up and threw a wooden sword hanging on the wall at Ilya. He pulled out a wooden sword from his waist and said. ¡°This room is quiterge, so it¡¯s okay to do this here.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Ilya bowed her head. Sparks shed in her eyes as she straightened herself. Twenty minutes had passed. Afterpleting, she received a lot of advice rted to the sword and withdrew with a satisfied expression. ¡°Thank you for the grace you have shown. I will never forget.¡± Click! ¡°¡­¡± Ian¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t so good. A child more gifted than anyone, the treasure of the continent, was thinking of walking a difficult and painful path. It didn¡¯t even have a worthwhile ending. ording to his experience, the only thing that would wait for the girl would be regret and disappointment. ¡®But there is nothing I can do.¡¯ One can lead a cow to the water but can¡¯t force it to drink. He couldn¡¯t change her mind. She would have to realize it by herself. To get herself out of this vain path. Sincerely worried for her, Ian prayed for her bright future. ¡°May Ie in?¡± ¡°Of course,e on in.¡± Ian quickly brushed off his thoughts. He couldn¡¯t keep worrying. That wouldn¡¯t be right for the other trainees. He smiled and looked up at thest one, Irene. ¡°Right, do you know why I called you?¡± ¡°Yes, I do.¡± ¡°As expected, to give you a prize. Is there anything you would like to receive? It doesn¡¯t matter even if it isn¡¯t material.¡± They weren¡¯t empty words. That was his real intention. He didn¡¯t say that to the previous five trainees. It was because he had already figured out everyone''s intentions and what they would ask. Although he didn¡¯t give Ilya Lindsay what she asked for. However, Irene was different. Even from the perspective of an old man who lived for a long time. Even with his water-like energy, which reflected the other person¡¯s mind, he couldn¡¯t urately grasp what kind of existence the boy in front of him was. ¡®I will stay here and watch him.¡¯ Ian had already finished his thoughts. He looked up at the trainee, who opened his mouth and then closed it again. ¡°You can say itfortably. This old man has sources. I can listen to just about anything, and even if it is hard, I won¡¯t take any offense. Now, what do you want to receive?¡± Did those words give him courage? Irene, who had been sitting with his gaze lowered, made eye contact. And after taking a short breath, he confessed the words which he was holding inside. Chapter 19: Winner’s Interview (2)

Chapter 19: Winner¡¯s Interview (2)

Neither a short nor a long amount of time passed. After speaking, Irene lowered his gaze again. Looking at him, Ian didn¡¯t speak for a long time. Stroking his chin, he touched the empty teacup. As he continued to think, Ian opened his mouth. ¡°So, in summary, you want advice for reconciling with other trainees?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And that trainee is none other than Miss Ilya Lindsay?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°I am sorry if this was a rude request. Just¡­ since no one has done that, this was the only way I¡­ I am just sorry.¡± ¡°No, there is nothing wrong. Really.¡± Ian waved his hand. He was the one who said any kind of reward could be asked for. There was no way he could tell trainees what a good and disrespectful request was. But, ¡°However, this old man is just a little embarrassed. That was all.¡± It was the truth. The school master and the trainee met. Of course, the reward would have to do something with swords or teaching in general. However, Irene had apletely different request; even the experienced Ian was flustered. However, for a brief moment, interest grew in the old man¡¯s heart. Ian smiled brightly and continued. ¡°Miss Ilya, you were acquainted with that child. I didn¡¯t know that.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t like that.¡± ¡°Huh? Then? Did you be friends in school? That is amazing too. I personally know her and she has a difficult personality¡­¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t close. Just a few words during self training¡­¡± ¡°Ugh, I didn¡¯t know she would do that.¡± Ian mumbled. They didn¡¯t know each other before, yet they aren¡¯t close friends. Still, there was a quarrel, and the boy was trying to resolve it. Ian couldn¡¯t understand the situation at all. ¡°First, I would like to listen to more of this. I don¡¯t know what the situation is, so I am not sure what I¡¯m supposed to tell you.¡± ¡°What should I tell you about?¡± ¡°Just tell me everything. How you talked, how she was offended and why you want to reconcile with her. I will do my best to advise you.¡± ¡°Thank you. Tha¡­¡± Irene nodded and began to speak. He wasn¡¯t very good at talking. Sometimes the content flowed without a hitch, and sometimes he would struggle to use the right words. But it wasn¡¯t iprehensible. Even in the crude story, there was something that could be understood. All the trainees had clearly ignored this boy. Ilya Lindsay didn¡¯t. While the others had a prejudice against the boy. Ilya Lindsay didn¡¯t. Ian closed his eyes and nodded. ¡®I can understand why he made such an absurd request.¡¯ He wasn¡¯t sure before. What kind of background this kid hade from. For Irene, who had been cut away from the world since his childhood, Ilya¡¯s help was very important. ¡®Of course, there are some doubts I have but¡­¡¯ Ian opened his eyes. nk expression. However, he couldn¡¯t figure out how to deal with the boy. Should he start with consulting the boy¡¯s concern? He mumbled and pped his hands. ¡°Nice. Shall I start counselling the troubled boy?¡± After some time passed, the conversation ended smoothly. Ian¡¯s advice ended only on a general level, but that was appreciated by Irene. For him, who had his entire life blown away, this was more than enough. Bowing his head, Irene said. ¡°Thank you school master.¡± ¡°Thank you, all I did was spew some old man¡¯s words.¡± ¡°No. It was really helpful.¡± ¡°I am d that I could be of some help to you, but it wasn¡¯t a big thing. I am confident in sword fighting, so I can tell you a lot of things regarding that, but¡­ haha. It has been many years since I passed down advice on anything other than sword.¡± Ian closed his eyes, and Irene went silent. After a while, Ian, who cleared his throat, continued. ¡°Right. That¡¯s enough talk about Ilya, now get to the point.¡± ¡°Yes? The point? What does that mean¡­¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t given you anything yet.¡± Wasn¡¯t the advice the reward he asked for? Irene was shocked. Ian shook his head with a serious expression. ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? I am confident in my sword, but not with rtionships. My conscience doesn¡¯t allow this to be considered as a reward.¡± Pressure rose from Ian¡¯s body. A solemn pressure that only a master could see. Even Irene Pareira, who wascking in skills, could feel it. It wasn¡¯t painful or anything. It just made him realize how great the short old man in front of him was. ¡°Enough of that. Let me teach you the sword. I promise to do my best to answer any questions you ask. So, if there is something running in your heart. Don¡¯t hesitate to tell me.¡± The pressure grew. Though it created a force on the opponent, it created a feeling of trustworthiness. Thus, it created an atmosphere where the other person would confide. In the midst of that, Irene remained silent for a long time. The old man widened as he looked at the boy. Strange tension. Irene¡¯s answer was quite heartbreaking. ¡°I am sorry. What I am supposed to ask¡­ I don¡¯t even know that.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± The man went silent as Irene continued. ¡°You may already know, but I have only started training with the sword a month before joining the school. Even then, I wasn¡¯t guided by anyone, I only wielded it by myself.¡± ¡°That so?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. It is¡­ pretty embarrassing, but I don¡¯t even know what I am supposed to want to ask.¡± It wasn¡¯t just empty words. That was a fact, as Irene lowered his head all the while he was speaking. He continued. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry. It isn¡¯t that I am unaware of how great this opportunity is. I¡¯m sorry that I have no choice but to give such a lousy answer to you.¡± ¡°Raise your head.¡± ¡°Huh? Ah yes¡± Irene lifted his head. And their eyes met. Like the blueke, which one couldn¡¯t tell where theke ended, they didn¡¯t take their eyes off each other. The boy had forgotten that it was rude to stare and kept looking at the old man. A short time passed. p! ¡°Ah!¡± Ian pped his hands. Irene Pareira, who had a nk expression, came back to his senses. And said, ¡°I-I am sorry!¡± ¡°What are you sorry for? Don¡¯t apologize too often. A good trainee should be proud.¡± Of course, he wasn¡¯t saying that trainees should act rude. Ian sipped on his cooled tea. His appearance was no different from that of an ordinary man walking around a rural vige. The pressure in the room suddenly washed away. While Irene felt lost, Ian continued. ¡°I get it. Let¡¯s postpone the reward.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You cane backter when you feel like you want it.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Or I can teach you what I think is needed. Do you want that?¡± ¡°No. Thank you!¡± Irene got up and nodded. Ian spoke with a slight smirk. ¡°Okay. Then you can leave.¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you!¡± Irene bowed his head and left the room. Though he still looked restless. Ian watched the boy with a smile on his face. His expression changed only after the door closed. ¡®Really, he really is an unusual kid.¡¯ Flustering. It was in the past, and even more so now. He shook his head. ¡®Does it make sense for a boy with a sword to reject sword teaching?¡¯ No. Never. His sword is of great value. Among the swordsmen, there were many swordsmen who were like the stars in the night sky, but how many people are called ¡®Sword Masters¡¯? Among them, how much would their teachings, which can¡¯t be learned from others orpared with others, be worth? There is no need to think for long. ¡®But he kicked away the opportunity twice.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t exactly a kick. The first one was a question that had nothing to do with the sword, and the second was just withholding an answer. But Ian didn¡¯t understand. But the behaviour of Irene Pareira was too foreign to be considered as an aspiring trainee. Right, like¡­ ¡®It was like he was already receiving good instruction, it looks like he didn¡¯t need anyone else¡¯s guidance.¡¯ ¡°¡­ huhu, what am I thinking?¡± Ian smiled. An absurd spection. He shook his head and sipped his tea. Either way, watching the kid was fun. The individual¡¯s potential cannot be ignored, and it was very interesting in terms of the influence it had on the other trainees. About 80% of the reason he wanted to remain here was because of the child. ¡®Come to think of it¡­ there was one who was as unique as him.¡¯ Ian got up from his seat and looked out the window. 8 years ago, he remembered a trainee. Overwhelming talent and confidence along with an unpredictable personality¡­ ¡°Well, the colors arepletely different.¡± As he finished talking to himself, Ian looked out the window for a long time. The day after the meet-up. Around 100 trainees gathered in the auditorium. The children looked at the podium with eyes full of anticipation, and Ahmed appeared. ¡°As everyone knows, starting today, we will start swordsmanship.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Everyone¡¯s faces brightened. Obviously, they did. Except for Irene, everyone had been learning swords long before they entered the school. For them, thest 4 months were painful. Those who couldn¡¯t hide their joy clenched their fists and their lips formed into a smile. Surprisingly, even Ahmed had a smile on his face. ¡°Looking forward to it? So am I.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°As you all know, even the swordsmanship is different depending on the kind of sword one wields. It means that the power of a weak schr, a healthy woodcutter and a knight¡¯s diagonal sh are all very different.¡± Ahmed nced at the trainees. Every single one, without any exceptions. And he looked at Irene. As he made eye contact, he smiled and spoke. ¡°Everyone move ahead. Fully feel the achievements of the past four months.¡± Chapter 20: Pick Up the Sword (1)

Chapter 20: Pick Up the Sword (1)

The Krono Swordsmanship school aimed to create positive swordsmen. It wasn¡¯t afortable atmosphere because of the tight and arduous curriculum, but they weren¡¯t always strict. Because it wasn¡¯t an army. But despite that, today the atmosphere of the trainees was a lot brighter and cheerful. It was all thanks to Ahmed¡¯s words in the auditorium. ¡°I am giving you a chance to freely swing swords, as long as you don¡¯t overdo it. Don¡¯t keep looking at them and swing them.¡± ¡°And feel it. The power whiches from your body while swinging your sword after 4 months.¡± There was nothing more exciting for those kids who had been banned from touching sticks for 100 days to be allowed to handle swords. About 100 trainees moved to therge gym, chatting with their friends, humming or smiling. Among them, the one who looked the most excited was Judith. ¡°Turtle, Turtle, give me the treasured sword, or else, I will roast you. If I don¡¯t get the best, I¡¯ll bake you.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°What, why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°¡­ nothing, it was just my first time listening to such a song. A bit overkill.¡± ¡°Yeah? In the ce where I lived, a lot of people sang this song.¡± Judith tilted her head at Irene Pareira¡¯s bewildered expression. She didn¡¯t think too deeply. Smiling again, she went back to humming the song. ¡°Thick- Thick- I¡¯ll give you an old sword, a new sword. If you serve me, I¡¯ll fry ¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Irene was still puzzled by Judith¡¯s song but didn¡¯t bother anymore. Rather, the reaction came from behind. ¡°Have you gone crazy? Isn¡¯t that right, Sir Lloyd?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Bratt Lloyd slightly at Lance Peterson¡¯s words. Judith¡¯s mood was different from usual, and even he noticed it. In the beginning, she never allowed anyone to approach her, like a hedgehog. ¡®No, the hedgehog is sticking with him. And is acting like a snake.¡¯ Anyway, such a person was acting brightly. Lance Peterson spoke once more. ¡°Did something go wrong after drowning?¡± ¡°Well, I guess nothing went wrong seeing her stick to the person who saved her.¡± ¡°Well that is true¡­ but it¡¯s still ridiculous. But does this kind of behaviour make sense?¡± ¡°I know. Just looking at her gives me goosebumps.¡± ¡°I know. I know.¡± Two other people agreed with Lance Peterson. They ridiculed the change in Judith, who seemed cheerful and bubbly. And they looked at Bratt. When one crushes down their rival, it is normal to have a pleasant reaction. But Bratt¡¯s thought didn¡¯t stop with Judith. The boy looked at the silver-haired Ilya Lindsay, who was walking ahead of them. ¡®Irene Pareira and Ilya Lindsay¡­ Did something happen between those two?¡¯ Not many would have noticed, but he felt it. Ilya, who only showed special favour to Irene, was different. Instead, it looked like they were bing more distant. It wasn¡¯t certain. Because the only basis for his judgement was the awkwardness when the two of them passed each other in the auditorium. But it wasn''t an interesting thing for him. ¡®If I watch them closer, I¡¯ll know.¡¯ Bratt nodded and kept the matter in his head. However, he didn¡¯t keep thinking about it. It was because he was looking forward to what would happen. He clenched his fists. He felt power that was iparable to before. Bratt looked at Judith and then to Irene, who was next to her with a pleasant smile. ¡®It was said that he hardly trained the sword.¡¯ Which meant that Irene wouldn¡¯t know. The restlessness Bratt felt for the past 4 months. The excitement a person trained in the sword would feel. Which meant Irene couldn¡¯tpete with him. Despite him showing excellent performance in the midterm. ¡®At least while he is still in school¡­¡¯ It was when Bratt was lost in thoughts. Suddenly, the appearance of arge hall unfolded in front of the trainees. Apletely different scene whenpared to the midterm. A much cleaner room than the fitness room and a much wider open space greeted them. But that wasn¡¯t what the children noticed. Numerous colorful wooden swords were disyed in one corner. mes red in their eyes. ¡°As I said before, for two hours you will be given a chance to wield a sword. Make sure you pick up the wooden sword you want under the guidance of the assistants!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Ahmed informed them. And the assistants led the trainees to the weapon stand. The process was swift and smooth. It was because even they knew. The kids were already interested and trained in sword fighting, that was why they entered Krono, which was the best on the continent, and therefore these were kids who have been walking down the path of the sword for years. Making them wait any longer was like torture. Thud, the process of selecting a wooden sword by the trainees proceeded in an instant. And after a while, the sound of strong cheers and swords being swung reverberated in the sword hall. ¡°Hmmm!¡± Woong! ¡°That! Woosh! ¡°Hmph!¡± Wheeik! The trainees were wielding the swords as if they cared about nothing else. Some of them looked a little shocked too. It had been so long since they held a sword, they even thought that they¡¯d never get to hold it. And the rise in their physical power, their every movement and their bnce, everything became smoother. ¡°Woah, how do I move this well? I used to think that if I did it three times, I would get it right at least once¡­¡± ¡°Even when I swing it more violently, my center doesn¡¯t copse anymore!¡± ¡°Even though it¡¯s a wooden sword, isn¡¯t this a bit too light?¡± Some didn¡¯t even know they were talking to themselves as they swung their swords over and over again, unable to hide their excitement. Ahmed smiled as he looked at the happy faces of the trainees. ¡®Of course. It isn¡¯t just their strength and stamina.¡¯ Right, it wasn¡¯t their strength. The systematic and effective training and recovery system of Krono raised the physical abilities of all trainees. Not only intuitive aspects such as strength, endurance and speed, but areas such as coordination, bnce and uracy also changed. Of course, just because such things couldn¡¯t be seen doesn¡¯t mean that the difference couldn¡¯t be noticed. The trainees boasted their swordsmanship, inspected every nook and cranny of their body¡¯s movement. After doing so, they became delighted. However, the pleasant atmosphere didn¡¯tst long. Gradually, as time passed, the tension and excitement subsided. ¡®Easy one¡­¡¯ ¡®Nobody, nobody is seeing me.¡¯ ¡®Damn it! As much as I have grown, so have the others.¡¯ Right. The joy of holding the swords made them forget that they were allpeting. They were happy with just their growth. Not a single person around them was weak. The trainee¡¯s eyes gradually turned sharper as they realized the truth. And they got busy. They focused all their attention on understanding the level of others. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± One, one, and another person. The eyes of the children, who had been concentrating on the moves of their mates, gathered on one person. Was it Ilya Lindsay? Nope. It wasn¡¯t Judith, or Bratt Lloyd or any other rankers who stood on the podium during the award. It was Irene Pareira. Seeing him not pick a sword and look nkly at the sword rack, someone thought. ¡®Did he ever train with a sword before?¡¯ No, they knew he learned a little. Right, it wasn¡¯t very long. At most, a month of training. The children who remembered that nodded their heads. Irene wouldn¡¯t know. How long the kids have been waiting to hold a sword. For them, who never let go of their swords, thest 4 months were painful. The old kid would never know. Which was why Irene looked so rxed. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°He¡¯s moving.¡± Did he feel their gazes? Irene, who had been still so far, moved. As he strode towards the weapon rack, some were in favor, and some had some hostility. And the boy reached for a sword. Thu! Much bigger and heavier than a usual one. A great sword that would make any person gasp in pain because of its weight. However, it wasn¡¯t a burdensome weight to Irene. Feeling the difference in his body, Irene closed his eyes. ¡°Phew¡± The deadbeat noble has wasted his life. The deadbeat noble has led azy life. The deadbeat noble has trained for a very short time with the sword. Thezy one doesn¡¯t even know what to do with a sword. That was right. Nothing could be denied. ¡®Even then.¡¯ The deadbeat noble had been looking forward to this day more than anyone else. In the longing which couldn¡¯t be satisfied with just looking at the man in the dream, he had to control his mind and body by holding onto the sword pendant hanging from his neck. Which was why he couldn¡¯t move right away. As he was given the opportunity, he took some time to move. But now he had to do it. Irene, who managed to calm his heart, exhaled again. He could feel his entire body trembling in excitement. ¡°Phew.¡± Actually, he was unaware. Were the feelings his own? Or were they a manifestation of the man in his dreams? He couldn¡¯t figure it out. Of course. That didn¡¯t matter to him. Shaking off his thoughts, he raised the great sword, And, Woosh! He lowered and shed it harder than anyone else. ¡°Uh?¡± Judith went silent. It was because of Irene Pareira. The only reason she was looking at him was to see him wield a sword. What Irene showed was vertical shing. It was one of the basic moves of the sword, so simple that it was not much different from a diagonal sh that fell from right to left. It looked powerful as the great sword struck down quickly, but there was nothing special about it. However, something felt strange. ¡®What?¡¯ A strange sensation of an itch in her mind. Judith looked around as she couldn¡¯t exin what she was feeling. Most of the children who were looking at Irene looked away. But some didn¡¯t. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Instructor Ahmed looked at the boy with a stiff face. Karaka looked at a boy with apletely different expression than usual. Among the trainees, Ilya Lindsay had a different reaction. Her eyes had gone a little wide as if she could feel that something was different. And then, there was one man who overcame all the others and stepped in front of the boy. ¡°Irene Pareira. I am asking you for a duel.¡± Bratt Lloyd, more serious than ever, posed in front of Irene. Chapter 21: Pick Up the Sword (2)

Chapter 21: Pick Up the Sword (2)

The air changed. The prospective trainees who have been trapped to a tight schedule for four months to build discipline. For them, it was unimaginable for one of them to act like that. However, that was broken down. That too, by Bratt Lloyd, who followed the guidance better than anyone. ¡®Bratt Lloyd asking for a duel?¡¯ ¡®They said we could swing freely, but this¡­¡¯ ¡®Isn¡¯t it going to create trouble?¡¯ The children all went stiff. And their gazes slowly turned to one side. It was in the direction of instructor Ahmed. What would he do in such a situation? ¡°¡­¡± This couldn¡¯t be undone. But it has to be stopped. Ahmed and Karaka thought at the same time. The reason the trainees were given free time was for the sake of gradual adjustment. If the kids forget that and act like this, it would be creating trouble. This is especially true for the talented children. But nevertheless, the instructors couldn¡¯t outright refuse it. There were two reasons. Bratt Lloyd¡¯s eyes which seemed zing. And Irene Pareira¡¯s sword, which one couldn¡¯t guess. Those two aspects were clouding the judgment of the instructors. It was then. ¡°Just let them do it.¡± ¡°¡­ school master.¡± Ian, the school master of Krono, who appeared in the hall, spoke with a warm smile. The children were startled, and Ahmed was puzzled. However, Ian wasn¡¯t the kind to change his words. ¡°It¡¯s fine. I know what you are worried about, but sometimes one needs to make an exception. And this is one of those moments.¡± He looked at Bratt. As he regained hisposure, he waited with his head down for the answer. But Ian knew. How the boy in front of him is. He could tell without even making eye contact. ¡®For Bratt, who was always restrained, today¡¯s task will be exceptional. Maybe an opportunity to break free.¡¯ Krono helps in growing the talent of the talented, and the rules and schedules existed for the smooth process for kids to reach that goal. There was no need to protect a kid who wanted to grow. Ian nodded, looking at Bratt Lloyd, and looked across. Andughed. ¡®I still can¡¯t read him.¡¯ With the time he spent in the school, it should be totally normal for him to understand what the kids were thinking. Shaking his head, Ian called out the boy¡¯s name. ¡°Irene Pareira.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Trainee Bratt Lloyd has challenged you to a duel. What are you going to do? Will you ept it?¡± Irene was silent. The whole hall turned silent. Hundreds of eyes, including the instructors and assistants all, focused on one person. It was a strange situation for him. But he didn¡¯t falter. He answered. ¡°I will ept it.¡± Not the tiny sword. What Irene was holding was a real sword in his hand. Since the mysterious dream, the boy never once wavered when holding a sword. After speaking, Irene looked at the other person. And slowly took a stance. ¡°¡­¡± Bratt flinched. Not backing down, he took a short breath and held up his sword. A well-bnced long sword made of wood, and admiration flowed as he took stance. Although not as good as Ilya Lindsay, who came from a family of swordsmen, Bratt too had a wonderful bloodline that couldn¡¯t be ignored. The children realized the gap between them and the top-ranked ones. And they already predicted the oue of the match. Bratt will win. Why would such a kid want to duel with Irene Pareira? They didn¡¯t know. They couldn¡¯t help but think that way. In their eyes, the vertical sh of Irene was nothing extraordinary. But, not everyone had the same thought. Judith and the instructors kept looking at them without making a hasty judgment. Under such circumstances, Ian spoke with a solemn face. ¡°We will be conducting the duel between trainee Bratt Lloyd and Irene Pareira. As an observer, I am informing in advance that if the duel bes dangerous, we will intervene. Agree?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The two boys answered at the same time. Ian nodded and signaled the start of the duel. Bratt looked at Irene with scorching eyes and Irene with his usual cold eyes. And after a while. The result came much sooner than they thought. After two hours of free time allowed, the trainee¡¯s schedule went back to normal. The trainees had no choice but to return to their tight schedule. Naturally, the beginning of a curriculum meant a test. Just as Karaka did the physical test in the admission, the instructors closely observed the skills of the trainees. Posture, spacing, movement, judgment, walk, and various other factors. All of them were evaluated and ranked. They were divided into four groups ording to simr levels. Ahmed, who hadpleted it, spoke to the trainees who gathered in the hall. ¡°Ilya Lindsay, Bratt Llyod¡­ then more trainees belong to ss A and will receive my guidance.¡± The top 10 including Ilya, Bratt, and Judith. They would be given much more intense training than the others. However, no one seemed upset. Rather, they rejoiced. The fact that they were being put through pain meant that theirpetence was being recognized. They deserved even more. ¡®I will definitely be an official trainee!¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll keep holding on.¡¯ ¡®I will be the best swordsman!¡¯ Magnificent pride filled the hearts of ss A students. ¡°Next, Mark Woodruff, Alfred¡­ Ameya Kind. The 35 who have been called will be of ss B. Starting today you will be under the guidance of new instructor, Brandon Philips.¡± ¡°Brandon Phillips here. Look forward to working with you. I will make sure to teach something memorable.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The prospective trainees answered with cheer. Their faces were bright too. Not as bright as ss A, but they still were d. In addition, they had the chance to move up thedder depending on how much they learned. It was because ranks never stayed still. Because of that, some of ss B were more enthusiastic than ss A. ¡®Damn it!¡¯ ¡®I am ss C? Me?¡¯ ¡®Is there something wrong? I passed first in the midterm¡­¡¯ On the other hand, the children of ss C looked resentful. Of course, they were. All of them were supposed to be talented and gifted. Now they knew, some people could fly above those who can jump, and among them, there were those who can soar in the sky. They quickly realized that they had to outperform the higher ones. They could only survive if they kept fighting on. ¡°Angry? You should be. Try harder. Try so hard that your body gives out. In order to achieve the ces as ss B and A, and the final evaluation, you need to work hard to be a trainee. Do you get that?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Harden your resolve!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Nice. I hope you will all be able to move to the higher sses in the future. Today will be a break and from tomorrow the formal sses will start.¡± Karaka finished the speech with a smile. But the children didn¡¯t smile. ¡°Damn it!¡± ¡°Nice let¡¯s see.¡± No one rested. All of the 50 kids from ss C and lower went to the train after dinner. Even after being told that they couldn¡¯t hold a sword, they didn¡¯t want to go to their rooms. Seeing that, some of the lower-ranked kids in ss B turned their attention towards it. They felt insecure. Of course, ss A and ss B were all high-ranking ones, and there was no way ss B kids could suddenly enter ss A. Which made tension rise all throughout the school. ¡­ at the starting, like far behind them, was one prospective trainee. ¡°What? ss F has only one?¡± ¡°What is the use?'' Isn''t it supposed to be only three sses? But¡­¡± ¡°Because of one guy who knows nothing but a sword, the school decided to add another ss?¡± ¡°Well, it must be.¡± ¡°Why the hell did Bratt challenge him?¡± ¡°Who knows.¡± The only one in ss F was Irene Pareira. Some children questioned it. What they couldn¡¯t understand was that Irene lost the duel terribly. The only thing he knew was to make a vertical sh. Other than that, he really didn¡¯t know anything. That waspletely unexpected, even for the instructors. And ss F was created, and Rune Tarhal was the instructor. ¡°Vertical sh. And diagonal sh. You don¡¯t know anything other than those two. Even the basics.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No need for an apology. No one does everything well right from the beginning. And it''s frustrating too. Among the kids here, there has never been a kid who was so ignorant of a sword before you. What are you here for? Hm!¡± Rune Tarhal raised his sword. The greatsword was bigger than Irene. When the momentum scattered, a heavy feeling was created. He opened his mouth again. ¡°A question. You, who picked up a sword a lotter than the others, what do you need to do to catch up with them?¡± Thinking for a moment, Irene answered. ¡°Effort?¡± ¡°No. Talent.¡± Woong! Rune Tarhal lowered his sword. It looked like the wind had been cut. ¡°Effort is important. As Karaka said, it depends on the individual on how much effort is put, a ss C trainee could turn into a ss B, and ss B to ss A and such. But that isn¡¯t the case for everyone, especially not for those who are far behind others.¡± Woong! Woooong! He kept swinging the sword. Powerful yet basic movements, rtively easy to learn. However, that can only be said by those who had been using a greatsword for a long time. If they were a beginner like Irene, they wouldn¡¯t know how long it would take. To him, Rune Tarhal gave a difficult task. ¡°A week.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°In a week, learn the basics of sword which I just showed, if you seed, I will transfer you to ss C immediately.¡± ¡°What if I fail?¡± ¡°Nothing changes. You remain in ss F and learn swordsmanship. However.¡± Rune Tarhal, who took a gap, spoke with a serious expression. ¡°If you don¡¯t have talent, it would be better for you to leave the school with your own feet.¡± Woong! The sword which had been slung on his shoulder struck to the floor. And his eyes looked into the eyes of the trainee. Irene Pareira wasn¡¯t discouraged. As he epted Bratt¡¯s duel, he responded here too. ¡°I will do my best.¡± ¡°¡­ work hard. I already know how hard you work.¡± Rune Tarhal smiled. The serious expression he put up to scare the kid disappeared, revealing his usual gentle face. He promised to teach Irene the best of his ability, and Irene vowed to learn. A week passed. Rune Tarhal, who was temporarily in charge of ss F, returned to the recovery room. Irene, too, moved from ss F to ss C. Chapter 22: What has Changed (1)

Chapter 22: What has Changed (1)

About 20 days had passed since the duel between Irene Pareira and Bratt Lloyd. It was still hot. And the 100 prospective trainees didn¡¯t get tired and were still spending each day with more intense training than ever. There were several reasons. It was important that they were finally learning the sword after finishing the boring physical training routine, and the fact that there was a ss difference ignited a strongpetitive spirit. However, there was a much more fundamental reason than those two, and that was the ¡®skill of the instructors¡¯. ¡°As we move from one position to another, the strength needs to be ced on the shoulders. Be conscious and fix that!¡± ¡°Your field of vision is narrow!¡± ¡°Always consider the distance between you and your partner. A good move requires judgment, and it¡¯s only possible with the right distance.¡± ¡°Hands and body, feet and steps! When they ovep effectively, good posturees out!¡± It wasn¡¯t just swordsmanship skills. Instructors, including Ahmed, were truly specialized in teaching others. With their extensive experience, they managed to devise an effective curriculum that was faithful to the basics, and their flexible guidance wasn¡¯t just limited to that. The sharp and wide fields of view watched the trainees¡¯ movements, and whenever corrections and advice were needed, they would deliver to the needed trainee. The teaching content was so appropriate that it made all the trainees wonder if they had been instructors since birth. ¡®The person who taught me in my home was also a fairly famous knight¡­¡¯ ¡®Entirely different.¡¯ ¡®This is the Krono Swordsman¡­¡¯ If the instructors were veteran teachers, the prospective trainees were learning from the veterans of the field. That was the truth. Meeting the instructors of Krono was the biggest shock and surprise for every swordsman. This was why everyone was desperate to get into Krono. During the ss, they would keep their focus on the trainees, and in the evening, the trainees would continue to practice with their friends and sometimes by themselves. It was as if the 100 most hard-working people on the continent had gathered. However, there was a person who had no choice but to stand out like a sore sight. ¡°That one is seriously the same.¡± ¡°¡­ that is toxic.¡± Watching Irene Pareira silently wielding his sword in one corner of the hall, some of the trainees spoke. Words couldn¡¯t express how amazing his hard work was. Even the word ¡®weird¡¯ would becking something, but if one word had to be used to describe him, then the word ¡®bizarre¡¯ was the most appropriate. No emotion of any kind. No change in his behavior. Like a puppet set in a story, Irene Pareira carried out the set tasks every day without the slightest excitement. The trainees who watched felt an unknown pressure. ¡®Ugh, he might end up ying an active part in the final evaluation.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t know how, but he caught up with us in a few months¡­ quite frankly, that¡¯s amazing.¡¯ Of course, the feelings were minimal. No matter how inhumane he appeared, he was still fighting. A week with Rune Tarhal wasn''t a magical amount of time. It was simply a time to get the ¡®minimum qualification requirement¡¯ verified. Irene also knew that. ¡®Nothing changed.¡¯ Before entering the school, right away and then now, he was still running behind. However, not being frustrated with that, he was the same as ever. Irene was able to wield the sword. ¡°Oh, now you look a little like a knight? Do you want this noona to teach you a trick?¡± ¡°I am good now. Wait¡­¡± ¡°Are you refusing me now? A ss C? To Judith-nim who is ranked at the top of ss A? How can you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Huh? Ah? Yo? Yah, yah, yah! Say something! Look here, I¡¯m not trying to annoy you, I am really trying to teach you, okay? So we can close the gap¡­¡± Nothing had changed except for Judith, who previously ignored and was hostile towards him for four months, had asked for reconciliation and went beyond that. The boy put his sword down and looked into the distance. He saw the silver-haired girl wielding a sword with a cold face. Looking at her, who wielded high-level swordsmanship iparable to himself, Irene didn¡¯t feel jealous or envy. ¡°What, suddenly. Did you lose your strength because I kept talking next to you?¡± ¡°No. What you were talking about, can you show me another time?¡± Irene shook his head and spoke while looking at Judith. Raising his sword again, not looking any different, he went back to training. Another day passed in Krono. A month had passed since the midterm evaluation was over. In the meantime, the distance between the trainees narrowed. It was amon sight to see people chatting together at mealtime or during self sses. The situation waspletely different from the past, where only tension and suffocation could be felt. This was because the curriculum changed from physical training to swords. A sword is a weapon, and weapons are tools meant to be used in wars or battles. In other words, swordsmanship was something that required one who handles a sword to find an opponent. In fact, after dinner, the trainees oftenpeted against each other, and the instructors encouraged that under the premise that the assistants were present. It was natural. Practice was important for one to polish their skills. ¡°Hey! Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°¡­ yes.¡± Even Irene Pareira, a loner throughout the admission, found a friend named Judith, not to mention a few others. However, there was one exception. Ilya Lindsay continued to practice alone. It was because the difference between her and other kids stayed the same. ¡°Is the sword of the Lindsay family that great?¡± ¡°Yes. Like Krono, they are ranked among the top ten on the continent.¡± ¡°What? Then why did she have toe all this way and join here?¡± ¡°Damn, I¡¯m envious. If only I was born into the Lindsay family¡­¡± They were of different origins. She was born into a prestigious family which was known to be the best, yet, she chose to enter a school. She is someone who spent her entire childhood better than anyone, receiving the greatest support and under the best teachers. However, not just the family name, she was superior in her skills too. ¡°¡­ great. It was a wless move.¡± ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­ crazy, really.¡± Overwhelming talent, which even the ss A trainees and instructor Ahmed acknowledged. That was the second difference between Ilya and the others. She stayed the same no matter how strong she was. In front of the silver-haired girl from the Lindsay family, everyone else was like a firefly in front of the sun. However, there was another huge difference; she didn¡¯t n on bing an official trainee of Krono. Of course, no one knew that. At least, no prospective trainee knew that. However, it was something one could feel without saying. The children only felt a little ufortable with Ilya¡¯s attitude. That soon led to ufortable feelings. There was no one to show her friendliness. Like Bratt¡¯s followers, the people who tried to get close to Ilya because of her family name only gossipped about her now that five months had passed. ¡°Is she secretly going to train today?¡± ¡°Of course. Why would she show her family sword to lowly people like us?¡± ¡°Then she should have stayed there, whye here?¡± ¡°Right. I guess she only wants to feel superior.¡± ¡°She is really one hell of a person.¡± ¡°I know.¡± After dinner, some trainees spoke while looking at Ilya, who was unlike the other kids. The silver-haired girl heard it. Of course, it wasn¡¯t just in the school. She had a better developed body and sense, which made her aware of the gossip other people made about her. She even knew that most people who gossiped about her were the ones who pretended to get close to her. ¡®It¡¯s nothing to be upset about.¡¯ She already knew. This is how people are. Without knowing about the past, present, or future, they expect things and get disappointed. There was no need to get hurt by their words. All she had to do was just spend the day as fulfilling as yesterday. So, as in the midterm evaluation, she makes it to the top in the final evaluation. That was all. Thinking about it, Ilya exhaled as she picked up the sword. It was the moment when she was about to unfold her family¡¯s sword in a quiet ce where no trainee or assistant was present. Rustle- The sound of someone stepping on the leaves fallen to the ground. Ilya¡¯s eyes narrowed. If there was anything true in the gossip, it was that she never showed her sword or practice to others. Maybe it was because of the space in the hall, which was cramped; she didn¡¯t want to train in a ce where too many people were present. Exuding pressure, she inched closer. Woong! It wasn¡¯t just to try to scare the person. Like Ahmed in the early days of admission, the pressure she was exuding was tremendous. It wasn¡¯t at the level of physical power, but managing to break down the heart of someone at the age of 12 was incredible. However, the one approaching didn¡¯t stop. The girl frowned. Woong! The pressure she was releasing grew. Even that didn¡¯t stop them, so she focused it on the trainee who was walking. That would be shocking. Even Ahmed would have an admiring expression if he saw her do that, even Karaka or Ian too. However, they didn¡¯t. Seeing that the trainee was getting closer and closer, Ilya finally increased the pressure. She actually knew that no trainee would stop in that way. Why? Such a strange question. All the 100 trainees would give the same answer. Breaking down someone¡¯s heart with pressure is impossible. That was something they were sure of. ¡°What business do you have?¡± Ilya asked with her usual face. No, her words were a lot colder. And she didn¡¯t know. The first thing that trainee Irene Pareira gave to her wasn¡¯t the answer. He pulled something out of the pocket and reached out to Ilya. Chapter 23: What has Changed (2)

Chapter 23: What has Changed (2)

¡°¡­?¡± Ilya Lindsay had a questionable expression on her face. Irene, who had never approached her since the midterm evaluation, came for her. She couldn¡¯t understand why he hade. As if that wasn¡¯t enough, the guy held out his hand. ¡®What? Bracelet? And¡­¡¯ ¡°A letter and a gift.¡± A bted answer came out of the boy¡¯s mouth. His face was no different from the girls. Expressionless. But Ilya didn¡¯t feel that his actions were cold. Rather, unlike his usual dry appearance, he felt more humane. However, Ilya wasn¡¯t in a situation where she could pay attention. Concealing her embarrassment, she spoke in a cold tone. ¡°Gift? And a letter? What is all of this sudden?¡± ¡°Uhm, is it sudden?¡± ¡°Exin this. What are you thinking by giving me all this?¡± Ilya couldn¡¯t understand. In a way, it was like breaking off their rtionship, giving her a gift after thest conversation. And a letter too? Naturally, her tone became sharper and colder. However, Irene wasn¡¯t affected by it. Rather, he continued to speak in a calm voice. ¡°I have a younger sister.¡± ¡°What?¡± Ilya was shocked by his sudden words. What the hell was he talking about? Despite her questions, Irene continued to speak. ¡°She is bad at dealing with people. Expressing her feelings and sharing her thoughts with others. So, there have been quite a few quarrels and misunderstandings, but when I wake up the next day, there will always be a letter by my bedside. Along with a gift.¡± His younger sibling''s way of reconciling, and as he looked into the eyes of Ilya, he said all that. As Ilya looked into Irene¡¯s eyes, the conversation continued. ¡°You already know, I am not very good at conversing either. I get lost about what has to be said, and my words aren¡¯t organized, talking is just difficult for me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Still, I took some time to write, and it came out okay. I think I understand why my younger sister prefers letters.¡± ¡°Do you think I¡¯ll help you again because you did this?¡± Asked Ilya. Colder than before. She asked it without even knowing why she acted. Her words were a lot harsher. Of course, Irene didn¡¯t care about it. Rather, with a light smile on his face, he handed her the letter and the gift by saying. ¡°Even then, it¡¯s fine.¡± With those words, Irene Pareira left. It¡¯s like he really didn¡¯t care about her helping him train. Ilya Lindsay stood still for a while. Then, looking down at the letter the boy handed to her and the flower-shaped bracelet, she set down her weapon in the weapon rack. And walked. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Lindsay? She is heading back already?¡± ¡°Already? Why?¡± Some people who were resting because they weren¡¯t feeling well were shocked. Shockingly, Ilya Lindsay, who never skipped training before, was walking away. Because she, who was the strongest one in the school, was like Irene, who never stopped training. But naturally, she didn¡¯t care about their words. No, she couldn¡¯t. This time, the sounds didn¡¯t even reach her ears. She just walked and entered her room. And read the boy¡¯s letter. Again and again. ¡®I don¡¯t feel good.¡¯ The content didn¡¯t matter. But she understood that her actions in the past must have been wrong. Even so, she didn¡¯t regret acting like that. But regardless of all that, Irene wanted to reconcile. But strangely enough, the simple content in the letter was hard to bear. ¡®This gift¡­¡¯ Ilya looked at the bracelet on her desk. Silver bracelet. Nothing shy, but it was something that had a strange aura and was precious. He probably contacted his family and asked them to send it. But that didn¡¯t matter. The thing which was engraved on the bracelet, called Adonis, reminded her of something which happened in the past. ¡°Phew.¡± A hot sigh escaped her mouth. She knew that it had to be a coincidence. That guy, the one called deadbeat noble, thezy prince, had no way of knowing her circumstances. No, it wasn¡¯t like knowing it was wrong. But she was annoyed. Unable to bear. She stayed in her room for a long time. ¡°¡­¡± A few minutes passed. And then hours passed. Even after that, Ilya Lindsay maintained the same standing posture, which was hard for most swordsmen to hold. And finally realized. Where did her angere from? She muttered to herself. ¡°It was me.¡± Irene Pareira had been the same as she first met. His feelings, his behaviour and his attitude towards her. What changed was her. Nodding her head, she went to bed, despite not being able to sleep all night. Dawn was bright. No, it wasn¡¯t correct calling it bright. It was a little past 4 in the morning, and the sky was still dark as summer had passed. However, despite the early hour, there were children in the main hall. The number exceeded twenty. Thanks to their increased stamina, the effective recovery magic, and thepetitive spirits of the trainees, the kids could train longer. And Irene Pareira was one of them. He continued his early training even in the midsummer when most kids were exhausted. It wasn¡¯t because he changed. He just didn¡¯t have a reason to bezy. Whoop! ¡°Oh oh, right from the morning? I have no strength, you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°It¡¯s interesting. I never even saw her sleep in the liberal arts ss. Do you think she sleeps at night?¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t like that.¡± Judith was close to him. Seeing the girl with a sleepy expression but still using her sword better than others made the trainees around her turn envious. Although she didn¡¯t receive the guidance of a prestigious family, she could rank among the top three in the school. She had talent, which made everyone jealous. However, the gazes weren¡¯t just focused on her. Rather, more and more children focused on Irene Pareira, who was next to her. ¡®I¡¯m jealous. Only if I too have the chance to train with Judith¡­¡¯ ¡®No, not just Judith, anyone in ss A is fine¡­¡¯ ¡®Damn. I should have built a friendship with the top rankers.¡¯ Yes. Most of the trainees in the sword hall were jealous of the friendship he built with Judith but not of Irene himself. Only when a right opponent is present did the true power of a swordsmane out, which made it important to have a good partner. There is no other reason why so many wandering swordsmen on the continent looked for people stronger than them to ask to spar. In that sense, it was upsetting that Irene, from ss C and not even ss B, got to monopolize Judith. Of course, despite that, not a single trainee thought of approaching her. Because the red-haired girl had a belligerent attitude. If it wasn¡¯t for what happened in the midterm evaluation, everyone was sure that Judith would have never gotten along with Irene. So, the children turned their heads away from the two. However, before long, their gazes once again turned to Irene Pareira. It was because Ilya Lindsay of the Lindsay family suddenly approached him. ¡®What now? All of a sudden?¡¯ ¡®Whye into the Sword Hall? Did shee here because she had something to say to Irene?¡¯ ¡®Did their rtionship be worse?¡¯ Ilya Lindsay was reluctant to show her family¡¯s swordsmanship to others. For that reason, her training was conducted elsewhere, where there wasn¡¯t much of a crowd. But now, for the first time in self-training, someone who never stepped foot into the Sword Hall was walking towards Irene Pareira, who seemed distant from each other over the past few days. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What?¡± However, the behavior of the silver-haired girl was different. She went close enough to Irene, and he noticed her, but then the two began to stare into each other¡¯s eyes for a second. That was it. After that, she left the hall as if nothing happened. Judith, who watched it, asked with a puzzled face. ¡°What was that?¡± Irene didn¡¯t answer. It was because he didn¡¯t know either, like the others. However, he saw it. As she turned around, Ilya¡¯s left wrist held the bracelet he had given to her. ¡®I¡¯m d.¡¯ There was no conversation. And the expressions were the same. Seeing how his sincerity had been epted. Irene¡¯s mouth formed into a faint smile. ¡°What now? Did you just smile?¡± ¡°I did?¡± ¡°What ¡®I did?¡¯ what is going on?¡± ¡°No big deal.¡± ¡°You people are really funny. She suddenlyes and looks at you, then leaves, and the other one who saw her suddenly breaks into a smile. What the hell goes on in your mind?¡± Judith looked at Irene the entire time. Her intention was to infer what had happened between the two of them through his expression. It made her ask openly, despite not getting a proper answer. However, the boy¡¯s expression disappeared in an instant and then went back to his original one. Understanding anything seemed unreasonable. Eventually, the girl groaned as she raised her sword. Annoying morning. But then, another person approached Irene Pareira. This time, the curiosity levelled up for the trainees and Judith too. She muttered. ¡°Bratt?¡± ¡°Irene Pareira.¡± Bratt stepped in front of Irene and called out his name. He was different from Ilya. Anyone could tell for sure that there was a purpose. Seeing the deadbeat noble monopolize the attention of all the top rankers, the trainees began to think of various reasons. ¡®What day is it?¡¯ ¡®Why Bratt now? Does he want to duel again? No, not a duel, maybe a spar?¡¯ ¡®No. It can¡¯t be.¡¯ Right. It couldn¡¯t be that. Irene Pareira had suffered a unteral defeatst time. Bratt Lloyd knew best that in just a month of training, nothing would have changed. Then what was the reason? For what reason did he have to approach Irene and talk to him first thing in the morning? ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Let¡¯smunicate more in the future.¡± ¡°¡­ what does that mean?¡± ¡°As I said, literally. Just like Judith and you, I want us tomunicate more so we fill in each other''s gaps, in swordsmanship.¡± A shocking proposal from a top-ranked trainee to the lowest one. The children in the hall looked at Bratt Lloyd with startled eyes, just as they did when he requested the duel. ¡®Is he being serious right now?¡¯ Chapter 24: New Change (1)

Chapter 24: New Change (1)

A shocking request. Everyone thought that. Judith was no exception. No, she was certain as she was standing close to Irene Pareira. Bratt Lloyd had nothing to gain from his request. ¡®Bratt¡­ he is one nasty high-headed guy, but his sword skills can¡¯t be ignored.¡¯ When a ss A trainee asks a ss B trainee topete, ss A would win in most cases. However, that doesn''t mean that ss A is superior in every way. If 10 aspects aremon in each ss, ss A has an advantage in 8-9 aspects, but ss B has good points in one or two aspects. But that isn¡¯t the case with Bratt and Irene. ¡¯10 to 10, 100 to 100. Bratt has the upper hand.¡¯ Of course, Irene wasn¡¯t without advantages. The vertical sh he unfolded was a lot better than the top-ranked ones. In particr, the sword he unfolded just before the duel with Bratt Lloyd was so astonishing that it still remained vivid in Judith¡¯s mind. But that was it. It was only that one moment that was special. After that, no other movement from Irene felt so impressive. Which was why she was curious. What on earth was so special about that blue-haired noble who made the request to Irene Pareira? Of course, she couldn¡¯t ask openly. Because she even hated the idea of talking to Bratt. Irene, who stood nkly next to Judith, asked. ¡°Hmm, it¡¯s good for me¡­ but what about you?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Well¡­ you are a lot better than me. The difference is huge. In order to mutually support each other, I need to be better than you in at least one thing¡­¡± Irene blurted out the words. However, the meaning was understood, and the nearby trainees who were overhearing the conversation nodded their heads. That was right. If he knew it, it would be right to decline the offer. Even Judith nodded. But not Bratt, who offered the proposal. With a frown, he spoke. ¡°Irene Pareira, let me give you a piece of advice.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lower yourself anymore.¡± ¡°Lower myself¡­¡± ¡°Literally. It means be proud that you are a noble, speak proudly and act proudly.¡± Bratt¡¯s eyes burned. He was frustrated and a little bit angry too. Irene couldn¡¯t understand why the boy in front of him was doing that. However, even Bratt couldn¡¯t understand Irene. ¡°You were born into the Pareira family, the blood of nobility. You were born with the right to lead others. And when you entered the school, you worked harder than anyone else and it showed in the midterm evaluation. That means you have the ability to fulfil your duties and responsibilities of a noble with a strong will.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you were lucky enough to be born into noble blood¡­ rumors spread, azy prince not making any appearance or making any effort for 10 years, a guy enjoying his rights and not fulfilling his duties. Without confidence, it doesn¡¯t matter if you live with your head bowed down to everyone, eithermoner or ves. But.¡± After a long speech, Bratt took a breath and spoke even stronger than before. ¡°In my opinion, you are showing actions and abilities that make you worthy of being a noble! So, it¡¯s time for you to show the right side of yourself to everyone. Like me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Irene didn¡¯t answer for a long time. There was nothing more he could do. He was despised as the ¡®deadbeat¡¯ noble all his life. They knew that not just the noble families but even the locals and maids often talked about him. Still, he could never refute because he was the kind of person who deserved to be treated like that. For him, Bratt¡¯s arrogant yet direct words, which seemed honest to the core, came with deep resonance. ¡°Ah, yes. This is a noble hitting the ass of another noble.¡± But not everyone felt the same about Bratt¡¯s advice. Judith was one of them, amoner. She looked like she would throw up any moment, while looking at Bratt, she spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t talk in a roundabout manner. What do you want to say?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°You are saying this because you know Irene is better than you in at least one aspect. What is that? Let me know too.¡± ¡°I guess you¡¯re dumb. You have been together with him for this long.¡± ¡°What? You bastard¡­¡± ¡°Wa-wait! Judith!¡± Flustered, Irene Pareira stopped the red-haired girl who was about to rush into a fight. Fortunately, she didn¡¯t move. Instead, she stared at the noble as if she was going to kill him. Bratt snorted. However, he didn¡¯t hesitate. He looked straight ahead and spoke with a serious expression. ¡°Concentration.¡± ¡°¡­ concentration?¡± ¡°Right, concentration.¡± Wheeik! Bratt Lloyd raised the sword he was holding and took a stance. The eyes of the trainees were focused on him. Judith frowned, even more, seeing the noble act. Bratt swung his sword. A neat vertical cut. He continued to speak, performing without shaking. ¡°I have a concern after the midterm evaluation.¡± Wheeik! ¡°I think Irene and I work the same amount of time and put in the same effort. So why is there such a difference in power?¡± Wheeik! ¡°Honestly, I couldn¡¯t understand this. Of course, you worked a little harder than me, but¡­ there shouldn¡¯t be much difference in terms of time. It¡¯s strange.¡± Hearing those words, some trainees nodded their heads. They also thought that it was strange. Although Irene Pareira is a hard worker, time was limited. It¡¯s impossible to work almost every day on the same schedule. So, now that Irene¡¯s efforts paid off, it could be seen that the efforts of the others were fading away. But Bratt had a different idea. ¡°It¡¯s not strange. It¡¯s totally natural. This guy didn¡¯t lose his concentration from the beginning to the end of the training.¡± Wheein! ¡°I lost. Sometimes I don¡¯t concentrate satisfactorily, it¡¯s just for a few minutes but still.¡± Wheeik! ¡°Some days I don¡¯t feel good. Some days the weather is too hot for me. On some days, because of being overworked in ss, I end up getting exhausted and other days I¡¯m justzy.¡± Wheeik! ¡°I lose concentration. Still, Iforted myself. I will do better next time. Doing that, I acknowledged that I worked hard enough.¡± Bratt Lloyd¡¯s sword changed. To be precise, it was awkward. The clean sword for the first time swayed from the striking point. It was as if he forcibly held onto the sword despite losing concentration. ¡°Which is why I lost.¡± With those words, Bratt withdrew his sword. Suddenly, a suffocating silence fell. Almost all the trainees were looking back on themselves. The eldest son of the Lloyd family, who nced at them, asked Irene. ¡°Well.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°How are you able to maintain your concentration the entire day?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± With the question, many eyes looked at Irene, who was puzzled. The reason he was able to work hard with such a high level of concentration was because of the dream. That was it. However, it was something he wouldn¡¯t talk about, and even if he did, it wouldn¡¯t help Bratt. So, what he decided to say was. ¡°Just¡­ I don¡¯t know either.¡± ¡°¡­ well, I thought that would be it. Geniuses all say the same thing. Just that, I don¡¯t know. Words like that.¡± ¡°No, I am no genius, what¡­¡± ¡°You are a genius. A genius when ites to hard work.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Is it normal for someone who works hard for over ten hours a day to not lose concentration? That would never happen.¡± Bratt sighed as he shook his head. And then he picked up the sword again. Completely different from the one shown a while ago, Kronos swordsmanship. Irene Pareira, who watched it, could understand that the movements Bratt was showing him were the parts Irene struggled with. ¡°Your bnce is always shaken at this part. It is better to move with a lower center of gravity.¡± ¡°Your hands move too fast. You have to throw it out at once in line with your feet and body so that the movement doesn¡¯t go wrong and you get a proper stretch.¡± ¡°There is no need to rush yourself.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ yes¡­ thanks. Thank you.¡± After performing five movements instantly, Bratt added an easy-to-understand exnation. Seeing him like that, Irene expressed his gratitude. But it was hard for him to say thank you. ¡°But, there is nothing I can tell you¡­¡± ¡°Not needed. Think of this as an investment for the future.¡± ¡°Investment?¡± ¡°Yes. Whether it is a way to increase concentration, the one you showed before¡­ that strange swordsmanship or anything else. When you can materialize the thoughts, let me know, that is when you can pay me back. Okay?¡± ¡°Okay. I will.¡± Bratt didn¡¯t listen to Irene¡¯s answer and turned. Bratt didn¡¯t head back to his original training spot. He walked over to Judith, who had a sullen expression. ¡°I want tomunicate with you in the future.¡± ¡°Ha? With me? Are you kidding me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± ¡°You sure speak a lot.¡± Judith groaned. She hated nobles and hated guys like Bratt even more, who acted all mighty. She had no intention of doing anything with that guy, whether giving advice or training. But then, Bratt said something unexpected. ¡°You are creative.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Compared to me, who is only ustomed to my family¡¯s sword, you are more liberal in dealing with situations and often make unexpected attempts when attacking. That is something I¡¯mcking right now.¡± ¡°Huh, what now?¡± Judith¡¯s eyes twinkled. His tone was stern, but whatever it was, Bratt was praising her. Considering the fact that he was acting like an antagonist despite being a chicken, the situation itself was ufortable. However, the blue-haired noble had an expression like he had no intention of taking back his words. ¡°Of course, as much as what I gain from you, I am confident that you will also gain something from me. What do you think? Would you like to be kinder in the future?¡± ¡°¡­ don¡¯t need it, get lost.¡± ¡°Okay. I thought you would say that.¡± With those words, Bratt Lloyd walked away. The children who were watching went back to do their own things, and Judith kicked the floor, not liking what happened. Irene Pareira stood still, pondering what Bratt had said. ¡°Hmm.¡± And the man, who had been secretly watching the children, including Bratt, smiled as he left the hall. ¡°Phew.¡± Late at night, Ireneid down on his bed. The words of Bratt stayed in his mind the whole time. ¡®Concentration¡­ it¡¯s definitely something.¡¯ The amount of effort couldn¡¯t be increased further. Even right now, he was still trying to push his body. He knew that he couldn¡¯t develop talents he didn¡¯t have. If such a thing was possible, the world would be full of geniuses. However, increasing concentration seemed more usible. If you increase the concentration of the effort, results could be achieved faster. ¡°Phew.¡± Irene sighed once again. Although it seemed better, it wasn¡¯t an easy task. There was no way he could improve his concentration because he is good at it. His concentration was because of the dream. ¡®How do I improve my concentration?¡¯ The boy¡¯s head was cluttered with thoughts. But for the moment, he fell asleep. Although they were recovering every day, Irene was following a more difficult schedule. Contemting byying on the bed didn¡¯t seem like the right thing to do. After a while. ¡°¡­¡± The boy realized. The dream he had every day changed. Chapter 25: New Change (2)

Chapter 25: New Change (2)

Dream. A mental phenomenon that urs during sleep, allowing one to see, hear and feel various objects as if one¡¯s consciousness was awake. Of course, most dreams don¡¯t followmon sense. From walking in a forest, the background suddenly changes to desert and sweating in hot weather suddenly changes to freezing in winter. The flow of events is all jumbled up, and the characters have no connection. This was why most people think that dreams are out of touch with reality. They think of dreams as things that have no meaning. However, Irene was different. ¡®¡­ it started.¡¯ The boy who had started to dream felt the scenery change. The yard that is neither narrow nor wide, the weeds that grow in it, the wall around it, the blue sky, and the white clouds. And in the midst of all that, an unknown man silently raised his sword. Everything was the same. That day, the day before, and today. It had already been 6 months since Irene Pareira started to have the same dream. The dream never ended. The boy would possess the man¡¯s body and train. Constantly swinging the sword. And those memories continue even after he wakes up, affecting his body and mind. ¡®It was all because of the dream that myzy self turned into this¡­ uh?¡¯ It was when the deadbeat noble thought that while living the same dream as always. It was odd. To be precise, something changed. As it started, Irene wasn¡¯t Irene. He was the unknown man who wielded his sword nonstop from morning to night, and his consciousness sank into the depths. But it didn¡¯t happen. He was able to maintain his ego despite not waking up from the dream. ¡®How is this possible?¡¯ It could be possible if he had consciousness, and he wasn¡¯t able to move in the dream. As always, the man cleared his breath and raised his sword, swinging it. Whik! ¡®Hmm!¡¯ Irene was shocked. The sensations from the man¡¯s body felt too vivid. It has never been like that before. Although it was an image that was strong enough to affect reality, a dream was a dream. What the boy felt was a blurry and hazy memory, as if walking in a foggy dawn. After being washed away by the memories, nothing could be grasped except for the emotions. But that didn¡¯t seem to be the current case. Whik! ¡®Umm!¡¯ Wielding the heavy sword. As a result, pressure was put on every part of the body. Even the tensing and rxation of the muscles, the heartbeat, the release of heat from the body and the breathing could be felt. A lot of time passed in the same state. Whik! Repeat, repeat, and repeat. An average person would fall with a couple of such strong swings. Even if he wasn¡¯t swinging. The man did his very best in every moment. It was a difficult time with pain everywhere. The feelings of the man who had the strength of steel were being transmitted to Irene Pareira. However, what the boy focused on wasn¡¯t the pain on his body. It was shockingly the delicate concentration of the man who was perfectly in control. ¡®Amazing.¡¯ The action of raising the sword upwards and bringing it down vertically or obliquely. In a way, it looked like a simple action done by a 5-year-old kid for fun. However, it wasn¡¯t. No matter how rudimentary the movement seemed, it required a high level of skill for it to be disyed ¡®perfectly¡¯. Refined breathing. Stable center. Perfect bnce. The perfect movement of muscles, ligaments, and joints made it possible. The man¡¯s swordsmanship contained everything, and it was his concentration that made that possible. Naturally, it was far better than the ¡®best¡¯ version that Irene Pareira could disy. As if he turned into the countryside man, the image of the boy turned vague, and the only thing he felt was the man¡¯s senses. However, it didn¡¯tst for long. ¡°¡­ I woke up.¡± Irene, who woke up from the dream, mumbled. He hadn¡¯t slept for long. It was around 3 hours? It was dark outside. Which meant that it wasn¡¯t even 4 in the morning yet. Of course, there was no physical pain yet. The recovery magic token, which was hanging over the bed, helped them recover from the pains and make the trainees feel maximum efficacy with the least amount of sleep. Irene had never once thought of sleeping after waking up. Today was different. Even though he forced himself to sleep, it was because he wanted to experience that again. But he couldn¡¯t. Such mysterious dreams couldn¡¯t be dreamed of several times in the same day. No, he wasn¡¯t even able to sleep at all. It was because Irene¡¯s body had changed. In the end, he decided what had to be done. The boy got up and walked to the sword hall. *** A day passed, a week passed, and a month passed. Irene Pareira¡¯s dream continued to change. It became more vivid and closer to reality. All his senses, including sight, hearing, touch, became sharp. It was as if Irene had been teleported into another world the moment he slept. Thanks to that, the boy was able to immerse himself in the man¡¯s swordsmanship in his dreams. It was as if his body could be felt, in perfect control with high concentration that made every movement urate. The changes in the dreams, of course, had a significant impact on reality too. ¡°Kay, now I am going to show you a movement which is abination of the 4th and 6th basic Krono sword techniques. This is a useful skill when dodging an attack. Let me show you this again.¡± Whip! Whip! Whip! Movements that were smooth like water. The word ¡®basic¡¯ wasplicated. At least, that was the case for the trainees in ss C. Most kids were displeased. However, Irene was different. His eyes were wide open as he looked at Instructor Karaka¡¯s movements. It wasn¡¯t that difficult. He was already sharing the senses of the man in his dream, and his concentration had changed too. Although stillcking, the boy¡¯s observation skills rose too. ¡°Kay then, shall we try?¡± Seeing wasn¡¯t enough to learn. Irene, who raised his sword, took a deep breath and reproduced the movements of the 4th and 6th sword techniques. The high-quality swordsmanship which he unfolded brought the attention of nearby trainees. He moved so gently that even instructor Karaka, who was stingy with his praise, pped his hands. ¡°Wonderful! I know that the movement of the arm which swings the sword is important, but the light footwork is more important. With a little more refinement, you¡¯ll be ready to use it in real situations!¡± ¡°Wha-how did he do that?¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t hegging behind until a few days ago?¡± Murmurs around. It was true. Until a week ago, Irene wasn¡¯t able to keep up with the progress of ss C. Not anymore. After repeating the motion three times in a row, the boy closed his eyes and felt his body. As if an image appeared on a clearke, the sensations on each part of his body began to be perceived by the brain. ¡®The body isn¡¯t arge mass. It is aplex of numerous sites which perform different roles in order to perform a single action¡­¡¯ This sensation could tell him his limit and supervised his body¡¯s movement. Efficient use of the body and muscles with no waste of energy. All thates together for an ideal movement. Ceaselessly, continuously, constantly. Irene, who pictured the sword in his mind, opened his eyes. And performed the action once again. A clean and powerful one. Karaka¡¯s eyes widened. ¡®Was Irene Pareira this talented?¡¯ No. Irene¡¯s talent had always been the same. It was just that his attitude towards the movements had changed. The result of concentrating on swordsmanship alone, even his mental strength in the past, looked meaningless. And, of course, maintaining such concentration for a long time would cause mental strain. ¡°Pant, Pant Pant¡­¡± ¡°That one is panting these days.¡± ¡°Really? He¡¯s better than Judith in terms of stamina¡­¡± ¡°Did he eat something bad?¡± Some of the trainees mumbled as they looked at Irene, who looked particrly tired during self-training. It was something they couldn¡¯t understand. But it was natural for Irene. However, the others didn¡¯t know. After deeply feeling the movements and the time he spent on the man in his dreams, Irene was no longer swinging the sword as roughly as he did in the past. ¡°Ugh.¡± Swish! Irene swung the sword and continued to swing it. Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t keep the best concentration at every movement. Like a long-distance runner whose feet slow down over time, the body had no idea how the mental exhaustion could be stopped. However, it wasn''t an unfamiliar experience to him. A day passed. A week passed. Another month had passed, and it had been only three months since the trainees began their sword sses. After that long time, Irene Pareira was able to maintain his concentration from morning tillte night. ¡°Ugh.¡± But he wasn¡¯t satisfied. He still dreamed and shared feelings with the man every night. So he knew. That the strongest movement he did with the utmost concentration fell short in front of the man. ¡®How do I get to that level?¡¯ The level where he used his muscle masses such as the biceps, triceps, chest, and thighs perfectly. While in the dream, it felt like every fiber in his body was under Irene''s control. Of course, what Irene was disying now was amazing to the eyes of others. However, Irene didn¡¯t want to stop there. It wasn¡¯t greed or longing. It was because his actions held a meaning. The boy wanted to get closer to the man whose name was unknown. After having that dream for the first time, Irene felt a strong urge to use the sword, which had never interested him before. ¡°The dream¡­¡± ¡°Uh? What did you say?¡± ¡°What are you doing! Don¡¯t stop during battle.¡± Judith heard Irene talking and only asked to annoy Bratt. They weren¡¯t on good terms, but after Bratt¡¯s suggestion, the two managed to stop yelling at each other. Irene would wield a sword alone beside them. But not now. As he pondered on something, he silently walked away to the side of the hall where benches were ced. It was installed for the sake of rxation, but Irene hadn¡¯t used them until that day. Making both Judith and Bratt puzzled. ¡°Yah ya! What are you doing! Do you even hear me? Yah!¡± ¡°Leave him. He looks tired.¡± Irene Pareira, who looked tired, was going to rest. It was never seen before, but there was no other way to exin it. Losing interest, Bratt tried to get Judith to start the practice battle again. Irene, who got close to the bench,id on it. And he slowly closed his eyes. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± ¡°Is he sleeping here?¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be!¡± ¡°Is he really Irene Pareira?¡± All the trainees nearby became confused. So did Judith, Bratt, and Lance Peterson, who followed Bratt. They all had puzzled expressions as they were witnessing a phenomenon which they had never seen before. ¡®If I take a posture simr to sleeping, won¡¯t I be able to get that feeling even a little?¡¯ Whether the others were shocked or not, Irene did his best to feel the sensations he felt in his dream. Around 30 minutes passed. Blink. Irene got up from the bench with eyes sharper and clearer than before. Chapter 26: New Change (3)

Chapter 26: New Change (3)

It wasn¡¯t just his eyes which changed. An unusual air wafted from the boy¡¯s body as he returned back to his ce. The attention of the trainees, who were focusing on their training, went back to Irene. It was strange. asionally they would ridicule Irene, but basically, Irene was the inconspicuous type. He was a little taller because he was older, and there was nothing that stood out about him other than his good appearance. However, he currently had a strange aura that drew attention, so they couldn¡¯t help but be interested. Walk. Irene didn¡¯t care. He raised his sword and closed his eyes. Breathing so quietly that no one could even hear him. Concentrating on the stillness, he opened his eyes and moved his sword. Whoo! ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± And nothing happened. Whoo! Whooo! Irene Pareira continued to swing the sword. What he was doing was the movement he had learned in ss. The sword that counter attacks followed by light footwork. But that was it. The boy¡¯s present appearance was no different from what he had shown before lying down on the bench. ¡°Nothing much.¡± ¡°Right. I thought he gained some kind of realization.¡± ¡°Would anything be possible at his level? Sword masters perfect something after they train for decades.¡± ¡°Yeah right! However, they say that at least one realization is needed to master something.¡± One by one, the trainees looked away from Irene. After chatting, they soon went back to their own training. Irene didn¡¯t care about them either. He just repeated it, cut, swing, stab as usual. An hour passed by. The boy walked to the corner bench. Heid down and closed his eyes. Once again the children gathered at that. ¡°Is he sick?¡± ¡°What nonsense, you jerk.¡± ¡°No, he doesn¡¯t look fine.¡± Bratt Lloyd frowned at Judith¡¯s harsh words. ¡°He doesn¡¯t miss meals or sleep, and even if he swung a sword 24 hours a day he wouldn¡¯ty down mid-way through his training. That guy who is strong enough to ovee us in trainingid on the bench twice in less than two hours. Do you think that is normal?¡± ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t know. Shut up.¡± ¡°How dare this bastard talk like that to Lloyd¡­¡± ¡°Llalal.¡± As Bratt¡¯s followers began to speak, Judith covered her ears, and she began to speak nonsense. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean that she didn¡¯t share the same opinion as Bratt. She, too, felt that something was wrong with the way Irene was behaving. Eventually, the red-haired girl, unable to stand the confusion, headed over to the bench. She was thinking of telling him to head over to the recovery room if he was sick. No, she actually did. However, Irene¡¯s answer was absurd. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m fine. I was just training.¡± ¡°What? Training?¡± ¡°Huh. But it isn¡¯t going well. I didn¡¯t think that it would go well from the beginning, but I¡­¡± Maybe she heard it wrong? Where the heck was he even training? She almost asked him out loud, but she couldn¡¯t. As Irene once againid on the bench and closed his eyes. In the end, Judith had no choice but to head back with more curiosity. ¡°Absurd.¡± ¡°What did he say?¡± ¡°He said to not worry because he¡¯s training.¡± ¡°What?¡± Even Bratt felt lost at what he heard from Judith. Not just him, but all the trainees who heard Irene and Judith¡¯s conversation seemed shocked. Either way, Irene didn¡¯t care. Quietly, he only focused on his inner self. It was really difficult to reproduce the same feeling of the man in his dream. Are they from different worlds? No matter how simr the environment was, there were several obstacles to bringing the imagery he felt in the dreams to reality. The misty feel in his head cleared up and made the image clearer. It was as if the man engraved himself on Irene¡¯s mind. No, engrave wasn¡¯t the right expression. Even if his concentration wavered for one moment, the image distorted and broke. It was as if drawing a picture on water. Irene''s expression began to contort. It wasn¡¯t like it was the end. ¡°Hm¡­¡± He tried to sharpen and sharpen his concentration just as if he was in the dream. He forgot about the people around him, the wind blowing through his hair, and the smell of his surroundings which prated his nose. By bringing together all his senses, he finally drew an image on the water. However, the finished image shook back and forth the moment Irene got up from the bench and took a step. It would have been nice if that was it, but by the time he went to swing the sword, his form was ruined, and he couldn¡¯t even remember what he trained. ¡®Another fail.¡¯ To embrace the image on the water and move without disturbing the water. Maintaining the feel of the man who managed to bring the sword to reality every day. That was the most difficult part that Irene was feeling. ¡®Let¡¯s try once again.¡¯ Irene didn¡¯t give up. He wasn¡¯t even disappointed. He wasn¡¯t frustrated despite the number of failures he had umted. He knew that the history of such failures umtes to create a tower of sess. He was no longer the boy crushed by fear and scared of trying. Irene, who pped his cheeks with his palms, walked back to the bench. The trainees around him looked at him in shock. ¡®There he goes again.¡¯ ¡®Is something wrong with his head?¡¯ ¡®What is he thinking¡­¡¯ They couldn¡¯t say it out loud. Because there was a chance that they would get ridiculed if the same situation as the midterm happened again. They also didn¡¯t want to deal with Judith¡¯s rude personality, who would take Irene¡¯s side. But that wasn¡¯t it. From their eyes, they thought that Irene wasn¡¯t training at all. It was as if he was trying to escape. Yes, that was right. The children, who were confused, felt that Irene had trouble with the sword and went back to his ownzy self. Irene Pareira didn¡¯t care. Even the assistants who looked at him didn¡¯t hope for much, but he knew that he shouldn¡¯t waste his energy on what the others thought. The swordsmanship of the man in his dream. The feelings that man felt. And something beyond that. For that, Irene had toy on the bench. No, it was that moment. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± A blue-haired boy was observing him. Bratt Lloyd. Irene''s concentration was clouded by the tant gaze he felt from a close distance. As Irene asked. ¡°If there is¡­¡± ¡°That one.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°The thing that you say you¡¯re practicing.¡± Bratt pointed his finger at Irene. It wasn¡¯t an argument. His expression seemed too bright to consider it as arrogant. As if Bratt realized something. After a moment of silence, he spoke. ¡°You¡¯re not sleeping, but it¡¯s meditation practice!¡± ¡°¡­ meditation practice?¡± ¡°Right! What the priests do to clear their minds and reflect on themselves. Right?¡± Nope. Irene just wanted his dream to be brought into reality, and while searching for a suitable position, he decided to close his eyes while lying down. But that couldn¡¯t be exined. Frowning. ¡°Um, well¡­ somewhat simr.¡± ¡°Yes. I have heard of it. Among some swordsmen, the practice is quite famous. I definitely remember it.¡± Bratt¡¯s words continued. He heard that it was quite effective in enhancing concentration as it was a method of religion where mental power was important and that some famous swordsmen managed to attain enlightenment through meditation, and they entered the stage of being a Sword Master. Irene''s head grew heavier at the excited voice. However, there was nothing he could say, so he decided to keep silent. ¡°Nice. Then I¡¯ll try it too.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But it was weird. Was that your meditation posture?¡± ¡°¡­. I just did it in a position that wasfortable for me.¡± ¡°That so? Well then, I¡¯ll do it your way.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to follow¡­¡± ¡°Shh. I¡¯m trying to focus. You do what you¡¯re doing.¡± After speaking, Bratt went to the next bench andid down. And after putting his hands on his stomach like Irene, he closed his eyes. Bratt was sure that Irene¡¯s recent achievements were all because of this. His strength and concentration must have alle from meditation. If so, then even he would get a meaningful change! ¡®Nice! Let¡¯s calm down.¡¯ He didn¡¯t know much about mediation. However, he knew that it was important to put his mind at ease. Bratt caught his breath. Then his heart, which was pounding fast, began to slow down. ¡®This feels fine!¡¯ The feeling didn¡¯t seem bad. For a while, Judith seemed to have distrubed his calm because of her boar-like behavior, but now he managed to find stability. Bratt Lloyd tried to get rid of all the distracting thoughts. A little calmer. A little quieter. A little mor¡­ ¡°Sir Lloyd!¡± Shock! Bratt¡¯s eyes flew open at the sudden whisper. Looking to the side, he saw Lance Peterson squatting next to him. Bratt asked. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Well¡­ it looked like you¡­ were sleeping.¡± ¡°¡­¡± In a moment, Bratt turned his head to the clock. Two hours had already passed. Bratt decided to get up. ¡°Uhm. Not sleeping, I was just following Irene¡¯s method of training.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Th-that. Meditation. Which is known to be done by priests is enjoyed by the knights¡­¡± ¡°Really? And do people actually snore while doing mediation?¡± Judith asked as she passed by them. Lance Paterson¡¯s face turned red in helplessness. And the other two trainees next to him were the same. ¡°¡­¡± Bratt left the hall without another word. His face was red in embarrassment, but Irene decided to pretend he didn¡¯t know. Irene continued to practice. No sess. Still maintaining a picture drawn on the water was a thing of the past. Theughter from the trainees grew bigger. But he didn¡¯t care. Shockingly, Bratt still continued to practice mediation. ¡°The position is the problem. It¡¯s the norm to do it cross-legged.¡± ¡°You idiot, it¡¯s of no use! It¡¯s just something he does, that¡¯s all.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t toote for you to try.¡± He didn¡¯t care even when Judith cursed him. Maybe if it was the past, he would have cursed her back, but he changed after hearing Ian¡¯s advice. He epted the fact that he was arrogant. He realized that other people were also skilled, and there was always something he could learn. He always felt reluctant to admit others'' way of doing things were right, which was why this attempt was more valuable for Bratt. ¡®If I follow School Master¡¯s teaching, the narrow thoughts in my head might disappear gradually.¡¯ After thinking that, Bratt headed to the corner of the gym, and there he sat cross-legged like a priest and immersed himself in his own world. The trainees ignored him too. In their eyes, it was a simple way to waste their precious time. But after a month passed, the situation changed. ¡°Trainee Irene Pareira. From today on you will be in ss B.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Instructor Brandon Philips spoke. No oneined. No one expressed surprise. Everyone knew that at some point, Irene¡¯s skills began to grow at a steep pace. And that ¡®some point¡¯ wasn¡¯t much different from when he started meditating. And that wasn¡¯t it. Whik! ¡°I won.¡± ¡°Damn you, this is invalid! One more!¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t invalid, but I¡¯m more than happy to do it again.¡± Judith and Bratt were fighting over swordsmanship. Gradually, a gap between the two began to form from the stage where they were equal. There was no need to ask who was ahead. Bratt¡¯s face was full of confidence as he raised the sword. Chapter 27: The Best Teacher

Chapter 27: The Best Teacher

The new year has dawned. It has been 9 months since the trainees entered the school, and the weather entered into winter. Sharp and cool winds blew in dozens of times. Fortunately, none of the children were affected by it. ¡°Wheeo, ugh!¡± ¡°Damn it, it¡¯s not going well!¡± Smoke rose from the bodies of those wielding swords in the sword hall. Some were sweating profusely, sweating hot enough to forget the weather. Right. It was a terrible season, but winter was better than summer for the trainees who were constantly moving. Of course, as usual, their bodies cooled down during rest. The break room was always avable, and the space wasrge enough for many people to use it. However, none of the prospective trainees went to the break room solely for ¡®rest¡¯. As if something wasn¡¯t going well, a boy mumbled. ¡°I feel clogged. Would you like toe and meditate?¡± ¡°Me too. I¡¯m not able to concentrate.¡± ¡°I¡¯lle too.¡± Children were rushing in to meditate. That wasn¡¯t all. Inside the break room, several people were already seated cross-legged. Ahmed, who was watching them from afar, smiled. ¡®To see the trainees go and meditate with such high spirits.¡¯ What made a knight wasn¡¯t just constant effort and training. To put it more precisely, along with effort, there needed to be ¡®effort in the right direction¡¯. The right direction was forward. If they moved to the left or right or took a step back, they would be bound to fail. The problem is that people who only put in blind effort don¡¯t realize that. ¡®Meditation is a great way to solve those problems.¡¯ Put down the sword and take up afortable position. Cool the head and remove any other thoughts. Afterward, if the excitement subsides, peace will bloom within the body, and the mind will realize things that were previously missed. The parts where mistakes were made. The parts which deserve attention. Things that needed to be polished for the person to strengthen. Just like that, the person meditating can look at their past actions and present self with rity. And through that, one can find the right direction to move forward. However, despite all the facts, Ahmed never rmended meditation to his students. It wasn¡¯t just him. All the instructors were the same. They knew. A lively teen would never meditate. It was because they knew that trainees would never sit still. It was quite difficult to rmend a non-intuitive way of training to the children who were already nervous about the evaluations. But the situation changed. Irene Pareira, the deadbeat noble. Bratt Lloyd. It was because the two of them showed such growth. ¡®The results are more convincing than an instructor¡¯s advice. Those two really did a good job. Especially¡­¡¯ He looked to the side. Bratt Lloyd, the boy now had a sense of pride instead of arrogance which looked down on others. Ahmed judged that his actions were more effective than Irenes¡¯, who started meditating first. He looked at Irene¡¯s way of training, which everyone at firstughed at, and tried it his own way. And after generously giving that realization to the other trainees, he gained even more achievement from others. ept, give and receive. Nothing was easy. The change in Bratt was shocking. ¡®He used to be narrow-minded, yet I need to keep an eye on him.¡¯ With that thought, it was time for him to leave the hall. Ian, who appeared without warning, spoke to him. ¡°Is everything fine?¡± ¡°Huk! Huh? Wha¡­¡± ¡°The children.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Ahmed nodded his head and answered with a serious face. ¡°Yes. All the talented ones have gathered. Full of enthusiasm, not one iszy¡­¡± ¡°They have grown even more in recent times. Irene and Bratt, because of them.¡± ¡°Yes. The children saw the effects of meditating. Dare I say¡­¡± It¡¯s safe to say that these were the best prospective trainees they ever had. Ahmed spoke in a low voice. And Ian nodded. ¡°Right. It has been eight years, but on an overall level, I don¡¯t think there was another group who surpassed these kids.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Ian stroked his chin. His gaze slowly nced over at the children gathered in the hall. Ahmed quietly waited for his next words. Although Ian was unpredictable, he knew that there had to be a reason why Ian had initiated the conversation. Instructions would soon fall. Just as he thought, Ian spoke. ¡°Gather the children.¡± ¡°Yes, understood.¡± ¡°Not in the auditorium, but out here.¡± Ahmed was confused. Whenever Ian had to say something, it was always in the auditorium. But now, asking them to gather here, he had no other choice. However, the confusion didn¡¯tst long. Ian''s voice entered his ears. ¡°If it¡¯s the children in here, I guess you have an idea of what I intend to do.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Ahmed¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°I will bring them here right now.¡± He answered in a trembling voice. He tried to be calm, but Ahmed couldn¡¯t suppress his rising excitement. ¡°Damn it.¡± Judith wasn¡¯t in a good mood. There were many reasons, and the biggest one was losing to Bratt, who was supposed to be below her and now the popr practitioner for meditation. ¡®What the hell? Are they growing just by sitting still?¡¯ She couldn¡¯t understand it. It was better to swing the sword than to sit still doing nothing. Judith still thought so. No matter what the other children said. But the reality was different. Looking at the results alone, the ones meditating were getting decent results. That was putting stress on her. ¡®I hope this all ends.¡¯ The unnned gathering made her annoyance grow. If nothing else, she nned on spoiling the other kids¡¯ meditation. When Judith looked forward with that thought. Ian nced at the trainees who were around him and spoke. ¡°I am going to get straight to the point. It¡¯s about the final evaluation.¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Hmm!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Moans and groans were heard from everywhere. They could do nothing but that. Wasn¡¯t there another 100 days left for the final evaluation? The children were confused. However, Ian continued not giving them any time to think. ¡°It isn¡¯t like measuring your progress in the midterm evaluation, but we will be aiming to see your ¡®potential¡¯ in the final evaluation.¡± The strengths. What directions the children took, what efforts have they made? How will they express themselves? The additional exnation was added, but the children were still confused. At that, Ianughed. ¡°Huh, don¡¯t worry too much. I don¡¯t think it will be that difficult. Just show your best. It can be the will of a single killing blow, or you can use changing swordsmanship that dazzles the opponent¡¯s eyes. A quick attack wouldn¡¯t be bad either. It means you can do anything to show your potential.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Silence. Better than before, but the evaluation still confused them. ¡®I¡­¡¯ ¡®My sword, what is that?¡¯ The children were in deep thought about what they were good at and what kind of knight they wanted to be. It was the same with the kids who had been living with the same concern for a long time. This evaluation articted their thoughts further. Then. Krono¡¯s school master drew his sword. Srng! Everyone paid attention to the sound of the sword being pulled out of the sheath. Ian, who had smiled, spoke. Because of the abundance of energy in him, his pressure seemed to have spread everywhere. ¡°I know that it won¡¯t be easy. But it isn¡¯t difficult either. With over 90 days left, I am sure that everyone will be able to unlock their true potential.¡± ¡°I prepared a small gift for you. It¡¯s a sword dance performed by an old man, but I hope you can realize something.¡± That was it. Ian, who went silent, began to move his body with a serious expression. ¡°What¡± ¡°Suddenly?¡± Voices came from all over the ce as the sword dance unfolded. But it was only for a while, themotion subsided, and silence ensued. Not mere silence. In a brief moment, less than a few seconds, the trainees were engulfed in the old man¡¯s sword. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t because of his reputation of being the best. It wasn¡¯t because he was the school master of Krono. It would¡¯ve been the same even if the children didn¡¯t know about Ian¡¯s identity. The children were immersed in the sword dance and forgot about everything around them. Swish! Wheik! Soft yet strong. Cheerful yet sad. As calm as water but violent like fire. Things which could never be understood were being understood from the sword dance. The intense image engraved itself in their minds. Deeply engraved. ¡°Hmm, let''s end it here for today. Good luck.¡± Ian, who finished the sword dance, left with a smile. He went back to walking like an old man. However, no trainee greeted the man as he left. They were all too involved in the dance. It took them a while to get their senses back. ¡®Every time I see it, I can only admire it.¡¯ Ahmed thought. He had seen it before too. No matter how talented he was, he couldn¡¯t enlighten children whocked experience with a single sword dance. Ian¡¯s sword didn¡¯t contain one quality. Dozens and hundreds of feelings came together and flowed. Thanks to that, the trainees who saw the sword dance were able to ept the part which they understood the best. ¡®As expected¡­ the best swordsmanship teacher on the continent!¡¯ If one asked about the strongest swordsman, answers would differ. But when it came to teachers, there was only one for Ahmed. Extreme respect! It was the moment when he felt the feeling rise in his chest and let out the emotions through words. ¡°It was amazing.¡± ¡°¡­ what are you talking about?¡± ¡°One trainee, it doesn¡¯t look like that trainee gained anything from watching my sword dance.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± It was obvious. Although they were gifted kids, not all of them could achieve the same results. If even half of the 100 trainees could realize something, it would be a great sess. ¡®It¡¯s my personal opinion, but I think there are more kids who have gained something!¡¯ A feeling close to certainty, and Ian must have felt it too. He was worried because one of the trainees didn¡¯t get it, which Ahmed couldn¡¯t understand. However, Ian¡¯s words continued. ¡°I didn¡¯t intend for him to understand it in the first ce.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I mean, he didn¡¯t see my sword dance. His eyes were seeing it, but his heart was somewhere else. As if he was distracted by something more attractive.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Do you understand? Who am I talking about?¡± Hard to imagine. It wasn¡¯t Ilya Lindsay. Her respect for Ian was nevercking. The same went Judith, the tomboy. There was no one more desperate to stay in Krono than her. Not even Bratt Lloyd or Lance Peterson would do that. There was no way a child devoted to sword would ignore Ian¡¯s sword. However, If he had to choose one¡­ ¡°Irene Pareira¡­ sir?¡± Ian didn¡¯t answer; he just smiled. That was the answer. Ahmed frowned as it was hard to believe. ¡°I am curious. I am really curious. What could he be looking at? But¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Right now, rather than curiosity, other emotions are waging in me.¡± As a teacher, his pride was slightly hurt. The old man, who grunted inwardly,ughed out loud. Chapter 28: Eve of the Storm (1)

Chapter 28: Eve of the Storm (1)

Two days after Ian¡¯s sword dance, the instructors in charge of each ss simultaneously changed their ss schedule. ¡°In the future, we will be increasing time for self-training.¡± In the sses, instructors had taught them basic Krono Swordsmanship, and the prospective trainees would imitate it. Although various teachings and advice were given ording to the individuality of each trainee, it was a method thatcked flexibility. And now it didn¡¯t. The trainees were able to focus on the areas they wanted. Instead of enforcing a rigid curriculum, the instructors focused on taking questions and answering only when the trainees approached them. In other words, it meant that they changed to supporters rather than ss instructors. ¡°Instructor, if I want to put more strength in this movemen¡­¡± ¡°How do I keep myself centered as I unfold the¡­¡± Trainees actively weed the change. Five months is a long time for talented children, and they had already mastered all the basic forms of Krono Swordsmanship. Some of them were paving their own way, and even those who seemed rtively slow were able to find clues for what they werecking and began to take huge strides. Yes. Ian¡¯s absurd sword dance hadpletely changed the situation. ¡®If this is the case, there is a chance for me too!¡¯ ¡®If I can refine what I felt yesterday to the extent where I can put it into practice¡­¡¯ ¡®Even though I¡¯m in ss C now, I can do it! If only I can create something of my own!¡¯ Burning with passion. The trainees, who were exalted as if they were about to burn, swung their swords tirelessly until thete night, and the same feeling continued even after 10 days. However, there was one person who was ufortable with such an atmosphere. ¡°Bastard who acts smooth like butter.¡± ¡°?¡± Bratt Lloyd was shocked at Judith¡¯s sudden cursing. He already knew that the cheeky girl had a rough mouth, but for her to curse someone without reason was rather rare. So he asked. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°There should be a reason for you to curse.¡± ¡°No reason.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Uh. I usually swear without much reason.¡± ¡°Fine. Then keep doing what you do.¡± Bratt replied indifferently. He didn¡¯t know what it was, but it wasn¡¯t rted to him. So he didn¡¯t want to worry. He swung his sword again. The same was the case for his followers, including Lance Peterson. ¡°¡­¡± Judith red at them, who were shocked. Her grumpy expression gradually began to contort as she mumbled to herself. Bratt decided to ignore it this time. Until it became hard to ignore her voice which gradually became louder. It was even more bizarre that they heard curses that they had never heard before. ¡°Woah.¡± Bratt¡¯s concentration broke, making him sigh. With an annoyed expression, he approached Judith. ¡°Speak up. If there is something you want to say.¡± ¡°I have been talking, didn''t you listen?¡± ¡°Not the vulgar ones, they don¡¯t even count as words. Those are beastly sounds.¡± ¡°Should I tell you what real beastly sounds are?¡± ¡°Spit it out quickly. I¡¯m not doing this because I am worried about you or something. Is it because of Irene Pareira?¡± ¡°Why bring his name up suddenly?¡± When Bratt asked, Judith jumped up at the name. However, she couldn¡¯t get rid of the thought. The girl, who turned her gaze away, spoke in a lowered voice. ¡°Is he fine?¡± ¡°Irene Pareira?¡± ¡°¡­ yes.¡± Much was omitted, but Bratt could understand right away. Judith was asking if Irene Pareira could survive the final evaluation. The reason for her question was quite understandable. ¡°It doesn¡¯t look very good.¡± It was as Bratt said. Unlike most children who gained enlightenment from the sword dance of Ian, Irene didn¡¯t seem to have gained anything significant from it. There was no joy, gleam, or excitement on his face. Instead, it was the opposite. He became less and less talkative, and while watching him spend more and more time meditating instead of raising his sword, Judith began to feel her anxiety rise. It was because his actions, which were contrary to the others, made it seem like he had fallen into disappointment. ¡®¡­ he might fail.¡¯ It was the first time. Why did she care so much about other people¡¯s affairs? Judith just couldn¡¯t help but feel it. And she didn¡¯t like the feeling. But she couldn¡¯t just force her feelings to vanish, and Bratt¡¯s affirmation just annoyed her even more. However, the next words which came from Bratt changed her expression. ¡°Of course, excluding that, Irene Pareira can pass.¡± ¡°Uh? What do you mean?¡± ¡°That one will definitely pass the final evaluation.¡± A calm and low voice full of conviction. She couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°How can you be so confident?¡± ¡°Hm. Isn¡¯t that obvious?¡± ¡°No, what the hell seems obvious here?¡± Judith wasn¡¯t the only one who was wondering. Even Bratt¡¯s followers and those who were training nearby focused on their conversation. They had no choice but to wonder. How could Bratt make such a confident prediction regarding the final evaluation? Bratt didn¡¯t care. But, he had no intentions of hiding his thoughts either. Shaking his head, he spoke to Judith. ¡°What is the main criteria for the final evaluation?¡± ¡°Uh? That is¡­ potential.¡± ¡°Yes, potential. The test measures ¡®future potential¡¯ and not the current one. Let¡¯s ask another question regarding that. How does one show potential?¡± ¡°Uh? Uh, that¡­¡± Judith hesitated. Actually, she never really thought about it. She didn¡¯t know what to say, but the only thing she could think of was, one had to show that they are stronger than others! Therefore, knowing that her answer is wrong, she answered in a low voice. ¡°Uh, well, that is, if you work harder than others and prove that you are full of talent, potential is shown, uh¡­ so, being faster than others¡­¡± ¡°Fine. Hard work and talent. As a result, the growth rate is superior to others. Both together show potential.¡± When Bratt agreed to her words, Judith felt relieved. Apart from her frustration of ¡®I want you to stop talking and get to the main point already!¡¯. Fortunately, the girl¡¯s wish came true. ¡°I will ask onest thing. In your opinion, who has shown the most growth since the start of school?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Judith didn¡¯t answer. Bratt didn¡¯t answer for her either. But that didn¡¯t matter. Everyone who was listening knew the answer right away. ¡®Irene Pareira!¡¯ Everyone knew how Irene Pareira started. The physical fitness test during admission. The horrible rumors which spread after that. And his wretched body, which backed the rumors. It was still vivid in their eyes, how messed up Irene was to be even called an ordinary child, let alone an aspiring knight. No one thought that Irene would still be in the school after the midterm evaluations. But they were shocked. Irene Pareira was growing. He raised his stamina faster than anyone else and developed his body. He was able to catch up with Ilya Lindsay, whom they thought no one could reach, and as a reward, he was even given an audience with the school master that only a few were given. It wasn¡¯t just that. In tests after the midterm, he performed poorly and got put into ss F. The trainees thought that was the end. However, after 5 months, Irene moved up to ss B and proved that he was better than an average swordsman. A fact that no one could refute. ¡°Perhaps even if the evaluation was taken right now, Irene would pass. Why? Because all the instructors know how he was in the beginning. Comparing his current self to his past self, it¡¯s impossible to believe that they are the same person.¡± ¡°¡­ true.¡± Judith nodded. Although she was rebellious and had a bad temperament, she couldn¡¯t help but agree. As Bratt said, no has nor will anyone ever grow as fast as Irene. And that was something that brought joy to the red-haired girl. But she felt other emotions too. ¡®I don¡¯t want to lose!¡¯ It was a strong fighting spirit. Judith didn¡¯t want to lose. Not just in the present. No matter how strong Irene got in the future, she didn¡¯t want to lose. Perhaps, it was the same for the final evaluation, which will be held in three months. She wasn¡¯t going to be satisfied with her current limit. ¡®I don¡¯t want to lose to him even in the future!¡¯ Even after a year. Or 5. Or even 10 years. Or even further in the future. Judith didn¡¯t want to lose to Irene. She couldn¡¯t even imagine herself losing to him. And this waspletely different from the feelings she had for him. ¡®Potential and strength. I will win unconditionally!¡¯ She was confident. Through Ian¡¯s sword dance, Judith was able to realize what she had to aim for. As long as she could follow the brightly shining milestone in front of her, she wouldn¡¯t lose to anyone. She had faith. ¡°Now, I canfortably show off my skills and get first ce.¡± It wasn¡¯t unreasonable for Judith to say such a thing, especially after her concerns were answered. Of course, Bratt Lloyd disagreed. ¡°As if.¡± ¡°Are you arguing with me about everything! Why? Because of Irene Pareira? Or maybe yourself?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m a lot better than you, but there are other reasons too.¡± ¡°Ha, yes. Say it out loud. What else?¡± ¡°Ilya Lindsay.¡± ¡°You said that the criterion is potential? How can you be so sure¡­¡± ¡°Because of the Lindsay family.¡± Cutting her off, Bratt answered. ¡°Being from a sword family which is one of the best on the continent means that her future is guaranteed. The talent which flows in their bloodline, their training method and mindset which has been refined over time, and the great swordsmen in their family. It¡¯s strange to have no potential aftering from that. Besides¡­¡± ¡°Besides?¡± ¡°The swordsmanship of the Lindsay family is known to be one of the most prestigious. Just by learning it¡­ Ilya Lindsay will end up taking first ce on the final evaluation.¡± ¡°Does that make sense?¡± ¡°It does.¡± Bratt nodded with a stern look. ¡°Because that is the power which a prestigious family holds on this continent.¡± ¡°¡­ damn it.¡± Judith couldn¡¯t hide her anger. She knew it. How great and famous Lindsay''s family''s Sky Sword was. Just learning it would make her future bright. Everything Bratt said was true. And she knew it too. However, ¡®Then why the fuck should there be a test with a set result.¡¯ She was angry. Despite having everything, Ilya Lindsay entered Krono. Judith was unable to bear her anger since she had to grow from nothing. She was even more annoyed at Ilya than Bratt and his followers. ¡®They aren¡¯tplete assholes and quite talented. Why do they think of losing before the evaluation even starts?¡¯ She wanted to hit Bratt in the groin. And p those bastards who always walked around with him. She wanted to shout at everyone who curled in their tails. Of course, she couldn¡¯t. The instructors would dismiss her if she did that. ¡®These ones won''t even recognize my words.¡¯ Judith, who judged that, walked away. But that didn¡¯t solve everything. The girl did everything to calm her boiling blood and soon found a way to tarnish Lindsay¡¯s reputation. She didn¡¯t hesitate at all. She snorted then spoke. ¡°Huh, what is so great about that family? They were great geniuses in the past, but when she gets beaten by an orphan she won''t be able to appear in public¡­¡± Smile. Judith didn¡¯t even finish her speech. Goosebumps rose. As if a cold sword was put to her throat. Her eyes returned to how they looked when she was in the back alleys of the slums. From afar, the silver-haired girl was approaching the hall with her sword. Chapter 29: Eve of the Storm (2)

Chapter 29: Eve of the Storm (2)

Why is that bastard here? That was what Judith thought when she first saw that person. Except for the asional visit to see Irene, that person would always stay alone in the hall, and her appearance raised Judith¡¯s curiosity. However, such thoughts didn¡¯tst long. Ilya¡¯s aura gradually became stronger. Thud! Judith shut her mouth. She ground her teeth with a distorted expression, and thanks to that, she didn¡¯t grunt out loud. But that was all. The red-haired girl was impatient, but she had no choice but to listen to Ilya¡¯s words as she approached her. ¡°I don¡¯t care if you hate, envy, or despise me or my family.¡± ¡°No matter what people like you say behind my back, it doesn¡¯t affect me at all.¡± ¡°Right. Nothing will affect me. I¡¯m going to be 1st again, just like thest evaluation. As well as in the future. Always.¡± ¡°Family swordsmanship? I don¡¯t need that. Here, I will be learning Krono swordsmanship¡­¡± ¡°¡­ proving that I¡¯m ahead of you guys is easy.¡± A quiet conversation unlike usual. But it couldn¡¯t be ignored. However, not a single person disputed the silver-haired girl¡¯s words. Some of the trainees liked to talk behind Ilya Lindsay¡¯s back, and even those people couldn¡¯t say anything to her face. Judith wasn¡¯t angry about that. Because she was the same, she wasn¡¯t much different from those backstabbers. ¡®Damn it!¡¯ She wanted to calm down. She wanted to scream at Ilya, asking her why she was bbering all that shit, and that she would be the one to take the top position in the final evaluation, and that the arrogance of Ilya woulde crashing down. But she couldn¡¯t say a single word. Bite. Judith bite her lip. Her lip¡¯s soft flesh was pierced, and blood began to ooze. It wasn¡¯t dripping, but she could taste the iron. And the bitter pain which followed. The girl could feel that anger was filling her rational brain. Taking a deep breath, she came back to her senses. It was that moment when she was about to open her mouth to swear at her. ¡°Stop it.¡± The boy who intervened was Bratt Lloyd. The blue-haired boy intervened in the tense situation. Of course, Judith didn¡¯t care. ¡°Don¡¯t interrupt¡­¡± ¡°If this continues, both of you will be punished.¡± Bratt looked at Judith, then at Ilya, and finally at another ce. The ce where the two assistants were. Knowing that they were watching them closely, Ilya lowered the pressure she was exuding. Phew, Judith took a deep breath and shut her mouth. Her eyes which were filled with dissatisfaction stayed. The silver-haired girl didn¡¯t seem to change. With the same expressionless face as ever, she walked away with light steps. Watching her disappear, Judith trembled in anger. There was nothing else she could do. ¡°The Lindsay¡¯s swordsmanship.¡± Bratt spoke again. Louder than before. He spoke in a voice that was a little more exciting than before. Ilya¡¯s steps stopped. She didn¡¯t even know why. It was as if she had to listen. As the girl stopped walking, Bratt continued to speak. ¡°Wasn''t it named after taking down the demon king who ruled the sky 400 years ago? The Sky Sword.¡± ¡°¡­ and?¡± ¡°I want to see. How great it is.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to show you.¡± ¡°Such a pity. If you don¡¯t want to, I won¡¯t force you. But know this.¡± With a pause, Bratt spoke again. ¡°If you don¡¯t use the Sky Sword, I¡¯ll end up taking 1st ce.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ilya Lindsay didn¡¯t answer. Pausing for a second, she moved. To go back to where she was. However, it wasn¡¯t like she ignored Bratt¡¯s words. In her heart, after a long time, a spark rose because of another person. Of course, the hot-headed one was still Judith. After a moment of silence, Judith took a deep breath and spoke. ¡°Phew, thank god, phew, like a bastard, hmph, I will definitely, smack you!¡± ¡°Speak correctly. And you are wrong.¡± ¡°I¡­ that jerk¡­ no, so¡­ phew, you just shut up!¡± ¡°I will.¡± ¡°Yah!¡± Along with Judith, who was wielding her sword in anger, Bratt joined her. He seemed calm, but his heart was beating much faster than usual. *** The conversation between Ilya Lindsay, Judith, and Bratt Lloyd spread among the prospective trainees. Of course, Ilya¡¯s words spread widely. Shockingly, not many felt it was outrageous. Because they knew, although this was an endlesspetition, the first ce of the final evaluation was already decided. To surpass the Lindsay family, to go beyond the barriers she established was impossible. All they could do was gossip. A sad reality. ¡®I will change.¡¯ But after Bratt¡¯s words, the children changed. A boy full of talent wanted to ovee the barrier. However, Bratt was supposed to be a realist who knew where his ce was. That being said, he just openly challenged the beings in the sky. And that somehow seeded in raising the self-esteem of the children. ¡®I didn¡¯te here to lose!¡¯ Yes. No one hade to the school to lose. It wasn¡¯t just about surviving. It was to be official trainees and be the best swordsman. Bratt reminded them of that fact, which they seemed to have forgotten with time. Judith made them realize by confronting Ilya Lindsay head-on. ¡®More, more can be done!¡¯ ¡®I will not be satisfied with just surviving the final evaluation!¡¯ ¡®I will win! If it¡¯s with the realization I got from the sword dance, I have plenty of potential.¡¯ ¡®I will win!¡¯ Everyone¡¯s eyes changed. Trainees who pursued more realistic goals decide to aim for something higher. The heat radiating from their bodies was iparable to before. The winter didn¡¯t seem to cool their raging will. And the hottest one among them was the eldest son of the Lloyd family. ¡®Can I?¡¯ After the conflict with Ilya Lindsay, he asked himself that. Was it possible for him to keep his words? After much deliberation, the conclusion he came to was, ¡®it¡¯s worth a try¡¯. After the talk with Ian, he definitely changed. His narrow way of thinking had opened up, and his rigidity turned flexible. As a result, he was able to take in the strengths of others around him. Even from the nasty Judith. ¡®¡­ I¡¯m fired up.¡¯ A sense of struggle. In fact, he didn¡¯t like the sayings: will to win, the spirit to win, or the spirit to fight. It was because he thought that such excitement would only disturb his cool head and hinder his efficient growth. But now, he doesn''t think so. The explosive power in his chest was driving him to attain something. He didn¡¯t want to see the future, but he already knew the results. ¡°Bratt! This part here¡­¡± ¡°You bastard! Let¡¯s fight!¡± ¡°Sir Lloyd? What do I do in this case¡­¡± Bratt Lloyd wasn¡¯t the only one who noticed the change in his heart. Even the trainees around him noticed how Bratt changed. The current Bratt was shining so bright that it impaired their vision. Suddenly, lots of children were surrounding Bratt. The situation was different with Ilya, a genius. Unlike her, who built walls around herself to walk her own path, Bratt embraced everyone. He helped them and got help. The bright and hopeful atmosphere continued to grow throughout the Sword Hall. More than two months have passed. Bratt recognized his own growth. ¡®Not bad.¡¯ People who didn¡¯t know the situation might call him arrogant. But that wasn¡¯t true. The eldest son of the Lloyd family knew his position and effort. There was no need to deliberately demean himself when he knows where he stands. Which was why he never thought of challenging Ilya Lindsay. Because she was above him, and that was the truth he decided to ept. But now, he wanted to move on from that thought and try his hand at a higher position. ¡®Nothing has been decided. Even those who were worse than me can surpass me. Judith, Irene Pareira too are stronger than me.¡¯ Right, he and they were all below Ilya Lindsay because they thought so. His face full of confidence looked like the sun. Obviously. ¡°Hmm.¡± The light didn¡¯t shine everywhere. No matter how bright the sun is, there will always be shadows. And there would always be those who reside in the shadows. And Irene Pareira was there. After Bratt Lloyds remarks, the interest people had in Irene disappeared. The traineespletely excluded him from thepetition. With overwhelming potential, no one doubted his sess. However, it was true that his skills werecking. In case of a real battle, he wouldn''t be able to defeat anyone from the ss B or higher. Even some in ss C could defeat or lose to him. That was their evaluation. In short, Irene was now recognized and not recognized at the same time. His future was bright, but the skills he disyed made the light face away. Thanks to that, Irene Pareira was being treated as a lone person. Who didn¡¯t get caught up in the fierypetition. But it was fine. Irene preferred this kind of atmosphere. He didn¡¯t get any realization from Ian¡¯s sword dance. Even when he drastically reduced the time he wielded the sword, he wasfortable. Even if he was investing his time into meaningless meditation, he didn¡¯t care what was happening outside. There has never been a better environment for him to concentrate. In such a calm atmosphere, Irene, who was lying on the bench, got up. And picked up the sword. It wasn¡¯t meant to practice right away. He just changed the way he meditated. After maintaining the posture for about 30 minutes, he opened his eyes and nodded. ¡°Well, this is the right one.¡± Confident voice. It was rare. Irene wasn¡¯t the kind to have confidence. He was never sure about anything. For him, where everything was unknown, to say something firmly meant he was sure. It felt good. Irene thought quietly. ¡®What I want to do is reproduce what I saw in the dream, the man in my dreams.¡¯ The old house he saw in his dreams, the small yard and sparse weeds growing out, the blowing wind, everything seemed important, which was why he thought lying down would be the right position to meditate in. But that wasn¡¯t right. The only thing he wanted to do was resemble the man, the sword of the perfect man who trained every day. If so, he had to take a close look at the man''s stance too. Meditating while holding the sword was the right choice. However, that alone wouldn¡¯tplete everything. ¡®I need something more.¡¯ The direction he headed was right. But that didn¡¯t feel like enough. It felt like there was something more he had to do. Of course, there is nothing to gain by thinking about it. If he hastily knocked the closed door on his path, it would only hurt his hands. Irene, who abandoned his obsession, raised his sword again. And it was the moment he was about to go back to meditation. ¡°What? Meditating again?¡± The boy opened his eyes at the voice which came from behind. Looking at the face of the person who stopped him from training, Irene spoke in a calm voice. Chapter 30: Eve of the Storm (3)

Chapter 30: Eve of the Storm (3)

¡°Judith?¡± ¡°Why are you asking? Is it weird if I talk to you?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t mean it like that¡­¡± ¡°I just asked. Knowing that I have a nasty personality, you always react seriously. It¡¯s funny.¡± Dissatisfied, Judith continued to grumble. Of course, that wasn¡¯t all. She came closer and pointed to the bench. ¡°Would you talk to me for a moment?¡± ¡°Uhm¡­¡± He wasn¡¯t free. But he wasn¡¯t busy either. Besides, it was the first time Judith had asked to talk to him, so he didn¡¯t want to refuse out of curiosity. Irene nodded and sat down on the bench. Judith sat next to him. For about a minute, the girl who looked up at the night sky without a word, spoke. ¡°Are you all ready?¡± ¡°Uh? Ready?¡± ¡°Yes, for the final evaluation. It¡¯s less than a week from now, would I talk about anything other than that?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± To be honest, he wasn¡¯t conscious of it. He knew how important the final evaluation was. The result of the evaluation would determine whether his efforts over the past year would pay off or be in vain. However, there was something more concerning for Irene. ¡°Well, I am working hard.¡± Of course, she wasn¡¯t stupid enough to say it out loud like Irene. ¡°I don¡¯t have the strength to answer that.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°Well, you always do act like that¡± ¡°¡­ how about you? Confident?¡± This time, Irene asked Judith, which brought in questions. ¡°Confident about what?¡± ¡°To stick around?¡± ¡°I guess that question is natural to ask. Other than that, Ilya, you should ask if I can beat that nasty wench.¡± ¡°¡­ can that be done?¡± Judith said Ilya¡¯s name as if just saying her name could be a bad omen for her. Irene knew that others hated her, but that didn¡¯t change the fact that she¡¯s the first and most precious one who helped him. But to Judith, Ilya was a foul wench. She answered in a groaning voice. ¡°Of course, I worked hard. No, I wasn¡¯t just working hard! I can win. Well, I will win.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°What! Respond a little more.¡± ¡°How¡­¡± ¡°Ha, enough. You really are a boring guy, man.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± With the apology from the boy, there was silence between the two. Judith silently kicked the floor with her feet, and Irene timidly yed with his feet. It was the red-haired girl who spoke first. ¡°I¡¯m also sorry.¡± The words which came from her mouth were apologies. Flustered, Irene couldn¡¯t even answer. Judith was apologizing? No, what did she have to apologize for? The boy stared nkly at the girl, and Judith continued to speak with her head down. ¡°I haven¡¯t been paying much attention. At first, we were practicing with each other, and then we helped each other with our awkward movements.¡± ¡°Uh, ahh¡­¡± ¡°After the school master¡¯s sword dance, it seems that I hardly paid attention to you. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°No, there is absolutely no need to be sorry for that¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m an orphan.¡± A spur-of-the-moment remark. Irene went silent. He had also lost his mother, but he had no idea how to react to Judith''s words. As if she didn¡¯t expect an answer, she continued. ¡°I don¡¯t expect you to take pity on me, I just¡­ as a child living alone, the only thing I could do was pickpocket and shoplifting, and since I lived every day like that, and with the adults acting the same as me, I couldn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s why I never thanked people, or you either. Which was why I couldn¡¯t say thank you even when you saved me in the midterm evaluation. In fact, even now, I can¡¯t say it.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°So, instead, I thought of doing this and that, to help you and pay off my debt, but when I came to my senses, everything happened. So¡­ I¡¯m sorry.¡± Phew, Judith exhaled. Maybe she felt relieved. Her expression didn¡¯t seem as stiff as when she first came. Irene couldn¡¯t think of what to say, so he just stared nkly at the other person¡¯s face. Thanks to that, when Judith turned, her eyes met with Irenes¡¯. And she spoke again. ¡°Stick around.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Stick around, the final evaluation. Stick around here and formally enter the Krono Swordsmanship School and be an official trainee¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help you properly and even harder than before so you won¡¯t feel lost, so stick around. Understand?¡± Irene nodded his head. Looking at that, Judith grinned and got up from her seat. And patted the boy on his back. ¡°Then, this noona will go. Do your best.¡± Saying those words, Judith disappeared without looking back. The red hair fluttered as she moved away. Irene looked at her for a long time and then lowered his gaze. No matter how much he racked his brain, he couldn¡¯t understand why Judith had to apologize to him. The one who should be apologizing was him. ¡°For the past two months, I didn¡¯t care for anyone¡­¡± Although she said that she neglected Irene, Judith would make sure to visit him once every week. She wasn¡¯t that kind to everyone. Bratt Lloyd would give out a lot of advice, and after he handed her the present, Ilya Lindsay too began to take care of him again. Although the frequency of them being together had decreased, they were back on talking terms. ¡®On the other hand, I was far away from them because of my actions.¡¯ Right. He was only concentrating on his dreams. He was so buried in the man¡¯s swords that he didn¡¯t pay any attention to his surroundings. It wasn¡¯t a bad thing. Still, he did his best to get close to the mysterious man¡­ aside from that, the feeling of remorse towards Judith began to rise. ¡®She apologized, it makes no sense.¡¯ Rather, he was the one who had debts to pay. He received a lot from Ilya, Bratt, and Judith. On the other hand, he gave nothing. He couldn¡¯t even give his time to them. And the final evaluation was in two weeks. Irene felt regret. ¡®No, it isn¡¯t toote.¡¯ Right. It wasn¡¯t toote. If he failed in the final evaluation, it was the end, but it was a different story if he passed. As Judith said, if they all formally entered the school, their rtionships wouldst longer. He could spend time in the future trying to make up for the times he neglected them. He finally felt relieved, and Irene smiled. ¡®Interesting.¡¯ The boy closed his eyes and looked back at his past. He locked himself up in his room all his life. There was a time when joy, anger, and sadness were all covered in depression and lethargy. However, in school, the boy had changed. Even he was amazed at his changes. When he rescued Judith from drowning, when he gave the present to Ilya, and when he stood proudly in front of Bratt, who asked for a duel¡­ each time, he felt an unfamiliar and strange feeling realizing that he could do such things, emotions he never felt before. The past year had been the time where Irene got to know himself. To know himself. His heart. It was strange, but it didn''t feel bad. The boy who used to live like a sloth, not realizing the time which he wasted. But it was only for a while. With that thought, he jumped to his feet. Tat! He held the wooden sword he ced on the bench. Walking over to the center of the hall where he normally trained. Breathing after taking the position. And what he was missing, he had to pursue what he was missing. ¡®¡­ it isn¡¯t just a matter of imitating the stance.¡¯ Right. It wasn¡¯t just the stance that mattered. What was in the stance and action was more important. At the sudden realization, the boy closed his eyes and began to meditate. The cold evening wind blew past his ears, but the boy didn¡¯t move and maintained his posture. ¡°I¡¯m back.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Won¡¯t ask me? If he is doing well?¡± ¡°He will be doing well. I told you before, he¡¯s a strong guy. Even if we stop caring.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really bad with words. Do all the nobles act cheap like this?¡± ¡°The eldest son of the Lloyd family is educated from an early age in manners and culture.¡± ¡°Then why are you like this?¡± ¡°If everyone you see looks cheap, then the problem isn''t the people but you. You are the one who needs correction.¡± ¡°Are you saying that I haven¡¯t been educated, right?¡± ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s start.¡± Bratt Lloyd raised his sword. And then everything changed. A very dense sphere of water. It felt like the boy¡¯s body was tightly wrapped in it. Not a single gap could be seen. Judith smirked at the sight. ¡°This is always fun to watch.¡± Bratt and Judith decided to join forces in the final evaluation. It was because they thought that they could help each other improve their skills, and they were suitable partners. In fact, the instructors seemed d about it too. But Judith knew one thing. That her current self wasn¡¯t capable enough to be called Bratt¡¯s rival. ¡®Ilya may win, but this guy¡­¡¯ She knew him better as she spent a long time with him. This guy is a monster. His swordsmanship showed no gaps, and she couldn¡¯t even imagine how Bratt¡¯s breath-taking stance could be broken. For now, that was it. ¡®After bing a formal trainee, I will win.¡¯ Ilya Lindsay. Bratt Lloyd too. Sublimating the burning frustration into fighting spirit, Judith raised her sword. Eventually, a fight reminiscent of a real battle unfolded. It wasn¡¯t just the two of them. The final evaluation wasn¡¯t far away, keen energy stayed in the eyes of each prospective trainee who gathered in the hall. Wheik! Swoosh! ¡°Hmph!¡± ¡°Pant, pant!¡± This was something that couldn¡¯t be seen during the midterm evaluation. Each individual¡¯s realization strengthened them. In the eyes of Ian and the instructors who were watching from afar, their expectations couldn¡¯t be hidden. 2 weekster. For the official admission of the Krono Swordsmanship school, the final evaluation has begun. Chapter 31: The Final Evaluation (1)

Chapter 31: The Final Evaluation (1)

The final evaluation would be held in the empty Grand Hall, which was much smaller than where the mid-term was held. The evaluation method was simple. The prospective trainees could show their desired swordsmanship in any way they wanted in front of the school master and the 4 instructors. However, the achievements the trainees umted over the past year were by no means shallow. ¡°The low-ranked trainees have surpassed my expectations.¡± ¡°There are a lot of children who have grown exponentially. The final evaluation will be aplete mess.¡± It was something the instructors said at the beginning of the admission. The ranking of the first physical test doesn¡¯t matter. After all, a yearter, the ranking would change. Everyone thought that it would change to some extent, but the current situation was very unexpected. Of course, it was a positive situation. Many were showing results that exceeded their expectations, and none of the trainees were worse. In a way, the instructors were happy to see the growth in the children. As time passed, two-thirds of the prospective trainees finished their test. And Judith, a trainee everyone was paying attention to, stood in front of the instructors. She spoke. ¡°Can I take this test with another prospective trainee?¡± ¡°Hm? The reason?¡± ¡°I think that it would be better for me to demonstrate my achievements against another trainee. Of course, the trainee agreed.¡± ¡°There is no reason to refuse. Fine, and the prospective trainee?¡± ¡°Bratt Lloyd.¡± There was amotion among the children. Even though they seemed close, they thought that their closeness was only for training, but for them to take the evaluation together. The trainees began to concentrate. So did the instructors. Judith is great, but everyone knew just how much Bratt had grown recently. And those two wanted to take the test together? ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it. Bratt Lloyd!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Come forward.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Bratt Lloyd walked out when he responded. A slightly tired face. However, it didn¡¯t seem like it would affect his performance. Rather, Ian felt like he was intentionally maintaining a moderate level of excitement and tension. A smile crept up on Ian¡¯s face. To them, Bratt spoke in a confident voice. ¡°From now on, we are going topete in a match that shows our best abilities.¡± ¡°Hm. Match.¡± ¡°Can we start right away?¡± ¡°Nice. Please do, and use the fullest of your potential.¡± With permission given, and everyone looking. The two exchanged nces and nodded while facing each other. The wind blowing, the sun shining, and the gentle smell of grass. Nothing couldn¡¯t be felt. The trainees who gathered in the Great Hall watched the two perform without even gulping. After a while. The evaluation started with Judith¡¯s attack. ¡°Haaa!¡± The movement of the red-haired girl was quitergepared to normal moves. A vertical sh that could cut from the head down. A seasoned swordsman would be able to avoid it and then aim for the gap. But not here. Most of the trainees who witnessed Judith¡¯s sword went stiff. So did Bratt. Trapped by his opponent''s ferocious pressure, he had no choice but to raise his sword to defend. Kwang! It wasn¡¯t the sound of simple swords shing. With a deafening sound, Judith¡¯s sword bounced upwards. But there was no time for them to catch their breath. Tremendous pressure gushed out from the girl¡¯s body. A vicious force was added to her arms, shoulders and sword. The merciless attack which waspleted came for Bratt once again. Kwang! Bounce. Kwang! Bounce. Kwang! Bang! And again, and again. The trainees who were watching the match between the two felt suffocated. Cold sweat dripped down their backs. Overwhelming pressure! That was the sword Judith was showing. Unleashing ruthless attacks. What if Bratt got struck? It didn¡¯t matter. One after another, terrifying attacks kepting in. Blocked, blocked, blocking seemed useless. The attacks would continue until the opponent was destroyed. Of course, too many gaps began to be exposed, but that didn¡¯t matter either. The opponent was exposed to Judith¡¯s pressure, and the attacks came through the gaps! ¡°Ahhh!¡± Swoosh! Judith¡¯s fighting spirit reverberated throughout the hall. Hold onto the sword and attack. No, it keepsing again and again. A formidable power and stamina. The red-haired girl swung her sword with the determination to literally kill her opponent. But she couldn¡¯t. Right now, she couldn¡¯t break through the defense. Because it was Bratt Lloyd, who was being attacked. Swoosh! An attack that hits hard. One could never take it head-on. If they naively blocked the sh, it would only end up breaking their arm. Bratt gathered his strength and looked closely. Calmly calcting the perfect timing, he drew arge circle with his sword. Kwang! Loud crash. But it was quieter than the initial sound. This is because the opponent gets stronger with every passing blow. But that wasn¡¯t the end. Judith¡¯s sword of ck mes continued to fall. Up then down, and left and right. However, the circle that Bratt drew wasn¡¯t normal. Kwang! Kwang! Bang! Bang! Kwang! Slowly sounds began to turn dull as if the circle turned into a sphere of water. And it gradually increased. After a while, only dull sounds could be heard. Now everyone knew that Judith¡¯s sword was being destroyed little by little. Grunt! Judith grunted. It was hard. This time, Judith definitely wanted to hit Bratt and get him on his knees, but she thought that she¡¯d have to pass on this opportunity and strike him in the next attack. After thinking so, she prepared for her final blow. Wong! The sword which was lifted was rotated above her head. Woong! It wasn¡¯t perfectly vertical. It was an oblique cut at a 45-degree angle. Judith¡¯s sword fell sharply on Bratt¡¯s right shoulder. Centrifugal force and gravity in addition to Judith¡¯s own strength, it was the strongest strike yet! Shockingly, Bratt Lloyd¡¯s sword against her¡¯s was as perfect as an inverted mirror. With the violent me-like attack from Judith, pressure gushed out. For the first time since the match started, both were ready to attack the other head-on. ng! -ng! ¡°¡­ ugh.¡± ¡°Gasp, gasp.¡± Judith¡¯s and Bratt¡¯s swords shattered, unable to handle the attack. The fight was over. Watching the two gasping for air with their broken swords in their hands, the others didn¡¯t make a sound. Even the instructors fell silent. Only Ian pped with a happy expression. ¡°Excellent! You both can head back to your seats!¡± ¡°¡­ thank you.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± The blue-haired boy and the red-haired girl both nodded and returned to their seats. One was satisfied, and the other was not. The instructors understood. Ahmed thought. ¡®Both were great, but Bratt was better.¡¯ Judith, who showed her ¡®Strong Sword¡¯ was definitely amazing. But Bratt Lloyd was even more amazing as he was able to show his best while giving his opponent ample time. ¡®Maybe, really¡­¡¯ It was too early to judge. Ahmed shook his head, shaking off his thoughts. No need to think ahead. Wait, and when his turnes, he shouldpare. After calming down, he concentrated on the evaluation. The next trainee came forward. ¡°Uhm¡­¡± The next one''s sword didn¡¯t seem that good. No, actually, it was great, but the previous battle they saw made it hard to ept. It was because of Bratt. It was because of Judith. It was because those two had raised the standard. And he wasn¡¯t the only one who had such thoughts. ¡®Damn it. I should have gone before them.¡¯ ¡®How can I get evaluated in this mood¡­¡¯ The final evaluation was conducted in reverse order. Which meant the lowest rank and then the highest rank, like the lowest-ranked trainees would go and then the highest-ranked trainees went. But unexpectedly, Judith and Bratt showed their swords early on, which increased the tension. The children who wereing up couldn¡¯t hide their annoyance despite doing their best. But that was only for a while. The moment Ilya Lindsay, the genius who shined at the top of all the tests, was called, everyone fell silent again. ¡°Yes, prospective trainee Ilya Lindsay. What are you going to show us?¡± Ian asked. All the children were intently waiting for her answer. Everyone remembered her words. That she wouldn¡¯t use her family¡¯s sword. At her arrogant remark, Bratt replied: If you don¡¯t show your family sword, you won¡¯t be able to stay at the top. What choice did she make? After a while, the answer came. ¡°I will show my family¡¯s sword.¡± ¡°You mean the Sky Sword which took down the Demon Dragon King? Nice.¡± Everyone¡¯s eyes turned to Bratt. Awe, envy, cheers. Various emotions were mixed in their eyes. Seeing that, Bratt exhaled lightly to hide his trembling heart. ¡°Huuu.¡± And looked at Ilya Lindsay. Far from trying to surpass her, he thought that she was a genius who couldn¡¯t be touched. But that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. Not only was he able to make her use the Sky Sword, but there seemed to be a good chance for him to rank above her. He had the potential to do so. Bratt truly believed so. His gaze was stuck to Ilya. But she didn¡¯t care. The eyes of Bratt, Judith and all the others were on her. The girl picked up her sword with a calm face. ¡°I will start.¡± After a while. A storm unfolded. Bratt Lloyd stood still. His eyes had no focus, his fists were out of strength, and so were his legs. It was hard to keep a calm mind. A weak breath escaped from his mouth. The start wasn¡¯t great. Ilya¡¯s sword didn¡¯t seem that great at first. But then, the meek butterfly-like sword began to p its wings and brought in the power of wind, as it kept increasing, it felt like the wind was trying to eat everything away. That was when the wind turned into a dominating storm. That was when Bratt could feel it too. How thick and high the wall between him and her was. He could feel it. ¡®Calm down.¡¯ He clenched his fists and gave strength to his legs. He kept his copsing posture and managed his expression. Right, he lost. But it wasn¡¯t an utter defeat. Surely he lost first ce to Ilya in the final evaluation, but in the end, he managed to make her use her family sword. Being one step closer was enough. ¡®Let¡¯s try again.¡¯ He had the will to break through the wall. He could still try. Telling himself that, the blue-haired boy prepared to face Ilya Lindsay head-on. However, the silver-haired girl didn¡¯t even bother looking at him. ¡°Final¡­ prospective trainee Irene Pareira.¡± ¡°Ah, right, it isn¡¯t done yet.¡± ¡°Right. I thought it was done. He was a special case, so he was out of the rankings.¡± ¡°But it already feels like the evaluations are done.¡± At the call from Ian, mumbling broke out. Well, Irene was the trainee who had been very quiet for the past 3 months. The children expected nothing from him. All they knew is he had some potential. However, they didn¡¯t think that his swordsmanship would surpass Judith, Bratt or Ilya¡¯s. There was no way Irene could shock them. Thanks to that, even though he was thest one, the mood had dulled. But. ¡°Yes.¡± The moment Irene, who was holding his sword and maintaining his meditation position opened his eyes, it seemed like something changed. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­!¡± No one spoke. No one turned their heads. When they saw Irene wake up from his position, everyone had no choice but to look at him as if they were iron getting attracted to a ma. Clench. Bratt Lloyd¡¯s expression crumbled. Blood gushed out of his clenched hands. He was the only one who looked at Ilya and Irene¡¯s faces alternately. Neither of them were looking at each other. Eventually, Irene stepped forward. He looked like a man made of steel. Chapter 32: The Final Evaluation (2)

Chapter 32: The Final Evaluation (2)

Krono was a ce where talented people gathered, but Irene was unusual. Whether he showed a great result or not, what he already showed was strongly engraved in the minds of the prospective trainees. Of course, there are times when people don¡¯t realize that great things are happening in front of them. For example, right after the midterm evaluation, when the kids were allowed to hold swords for the first time. At that time, Irene showed a mysterious sword strike that shocked the instructors, but only a few trainees understood it. At most, five or six, including Ilya, Bratt and Judith. However, the air around Irene today seemed more intense. So much so that the trainees were unable to figure it out. Woong! Not a sound. Yet, it felt like a low sound. Like something huge was stretching around. The situation was different from when Irene first picked up the sword. Not a single trainee missed this feeling. Because all of them had sharpened their senses over the past 8 months. Because they all developed skills and weren¡¯tcking in any aspect. Needless to say, the one who felt the most unusual was Bratt Lloyd, who once asked Irene for a duel. ¡®I can¡¯t acknowledge this!¡¯ The boy with blue hair couldn¡¯t recognize Irene anymore. He didn¡¯t want to acknowledge it. The heavy atmosphere around him. Ilya Lindsay was looking at Irene with warm eyes. ¡®It couldn¡¯t be¡­ this can¡¯t be.¡¯ She thought that she understood Irene better than anyone else. So she knew that he would stick around since there was no other trainee who had grown as rapidly as Irene. The past names he held were Deadbeat Noble and Lazy Prince. But she didn¡¯t expect this to happen. Not just potential. But the future of Irene. The thought that the current Irene could surpass her was a tragic thought for her. ¡®No. No way, it can¡¯t be. He won¡¯t do much.¡¯ Bratt gulped and tried to calm himself. Right. There will be nothing to see. The atmosphere seemed grand, but it will be difficult to unfold a sword technique. Ilya Lindsay¡¯s gaze, too, will go back to normal. ¡°¡­ just get this done with.¡± Bratt mumbled in a low voice. Irene ignored him and headed towards the stage. Step. Ordinary footsteps. Yet, it felt different. In other words, people were looking at Irene¡¯s actions differently. Irene Pareira wasn¡¯t the Irene Pareira they knew. Everyone, even the instructors, could feel that. Of course, so did Irene. In order to reproduce the sword of that man, so much effort had been put in. ¡°Phew.¡± Inhale and exhale. The same as the man did. Tense and rx all the body¡¯s muscles. Get ready. The same and identical movements. The stance, the rise of the sword and the part where the feet were only slightly spread apart. There was nothing that didn¡¯t resemble the man. However, that wouldn¡¯t be enough. He was only able to do this up until a week ago. And now, as time went by, Irene was finally able to learn the important part which he had been missing. ¡®The mind.¡¯ Will. The steel-like will which allowed the man to constantly move his sword despite sweating in pain. The will to cut down any enemy standing in front of him. ¡®I couldn¡¯t understand it.¡¯ It was unfortunate. He relentlessly dug into the dreams, but he couldn¡¯t understand it in the past. What was the man trying to cut? Well, for now, everything seemed okay. Woong! Energy began to gather around the sword. Woong! And the sword fell as it released a huge pressure, and the will of steel was shot ahead. The power and strength to cut everything ahead. It unfolded in reality and not in the dream. Karaka frowned. The danger and pressure he felt weren¡¯t something that a 16-year-old could release. But the great thing was the atmosphere. His posture, the grip and the sword, there were gaps everywhere. ¡®Even though we are supposed to evaluate a possibility of potential, this sword can¡¯t be used¡­¡¯ It was in the midst of the evaluation, and he didn¡¯t have his usual soft personality. Woong! The sword of Irene fell without warning. Nothing was affected. The distance between him and Irene was 5 meters. Except for the sh of the sword, there was no way anyone would get exposed to the attack. However, Karaka felt like he had to avoid it. He had no choice but to avoid it. At this point, when he had no sword in his hand, blocking something which wasing for him straight on was a dangerous thing to do. Kwakwakwakwang! ¡°¡­.¡± Karaka, who abandoned his ce, looked. He didn¡¯t say anything and just gulped. It wasn¡¯t just him. The other instructors, the assistants and the 100 or so trainees too. No one was able to get words out of their mouths. Instead, they looked at the floor of the hall with disbelief in their eyes. Heeeing! The wind blew. The dust around moved, and the scene created by Irene became visible. A huge sh that far exceeded the length of the great sword. As the unbelievable traces crossed the floor, children thought. ¡®How¡­¡¯ ¡®Is that possible?¡¯ ¡®I didn¡¯t know that a sword could¡­ no, what did he want to cut?¡¯ Nothing could be understood. Something definitely happened. Trainees were confused. Even the assistants couldn¡¯t calm them down. Most of their assistants were mercenaries who had gone through hell ever since birth, but it took time for them to understand what the 16-year-old had shown them. At that moment, Ian, who was silent, spoke. ¡°Be quiet all. The final evaluation isn¡¯t over yet.¡± He used to be so calm, but now he seems different. His face was frowning as he nced at Irene and his sword, which left a huge gash on the ground. ¡°Evaluating this is difficult. I have something to talk to the instructors about, so everyone will wait here a little longer.¡± Who would even say no to him? All the trainees and the assistants went silent at Ian¡¯s words. Of course, only their mouths were silent. All sorts of thoughts were running through their minds. How was that even possible? They knew that he was going to pass, but such power? So who is first ce? Irene or Ilya? Would Irene finally take the lead¡­? It was a question that began to arise in everyone¡¯s mind. Who is the winner of the final evaluation? No one could judge. It was true that Irene¡¯s sh was unbelievable. However, Ilya Lindsay¡¯s sword was great too. To be honest, it was much better in terms of usage. Just thinking of standing in front of her sword made the trainees tremble. To dominate the sky above, no trainee could protect their bodies. ¡®But Irene¡¯s sword was nothing lesspared to her¡¯s. The gaps make it less practical to use, but still¡­¡¯ For short attacks, it was viable. It was a situation that was too difficult to evaluate based on old standards. So? A conclusion was reached by the school master and the instructors, who ended their discussion. ¡°Prospective trainee Ilya Lindsay.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And prospective trainee Irene Pareira.¡± ¡°Sorry for making you wait. Honestly, I never thought that this would happen. It was an abstract test, to be honest, but the other instructors here and I had our own objective standards. Evaluating this was very difficult for us.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So, let¡¯s do this one more time. Both of you show your swords again. Noise rose. However, themotion was short-lived. They went silent and looked at Ilya Lindsay and Irene Pareira. The first to move was the genius Ilya. ¡°I will do it first.¡± ¡°Good. Can I look forward to this?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The silver-haired girl inhaled. Her face was tenser than the first time she unfolded the sword. Sweat ran across her forehead. Immediately afterwards, the sword began to unfold. Completely different from her family¡¯s sword, this time, she unfolded the sword of Krono. Bratt was shocked. Even Judith couldn¡¯t take her eyes off Ilya. Soon, Irene¡¯s turn came. Ian spoke. ¡°I always feel it. You surprise me every time I see you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Will you shock me this time too?¡± ¡°I will do my best.¡± Ian nodded his head. All the instructors looked at Irene with a serious expression, so did the trainees. Bratt, too, continued to look at Irene. After a while, Irene¡¯s second disy was done. Ian nodded again, and looked at the instructors, and made the deration. ¡°I didn¡¯t want you all to wait, so I will tell you the results of the final evaluation right away. Ah, the current ranking doesn¡¯t determine admission. Of course, more than 90% of the decision is based on how you did here, but the final interview remains¡­ so, we will call you in reverse order.¡± Names were called out one by one. The lower-ranked trainees were frustrated, and the higher-ranked ones were delighted. Children had no choice but to ept their rankings and worry about the interview they had to attend. And ¡°4th ce, Judith, 3rd ce, Bratt Lloyd. Then¡­ Irene Pareira and Ilya Lindsay. Everyone did well in this evaluation. We will tell you about the interviewter, so you can go back now and rest.¡± There was no change. As expected, the lead was Ilya. But she wasn¡¯t the one who left the strongest impression on everyone¡¯s mind. ¡°¡­¡± Watching Irene turn around and return to his room, the trainees had different thoughts. And thus, the most important event of the year hade to an end. Chapter 33: Four Geniuses (1)

Chapter 33: Four Geniuses (1)

The final evaluation was done. That meant that the school year was almost over. A final interview with Ian was remaining, but that wasn¡¯t of much importance. Everything was decided by the final evaluation. In such a situation, all the prospective trainees had idle time to sit, roll around their rooms or swing their swords. However, the instructors didn¡¯t leave them alone. ¡°Are you prospective trainee Gaaran?¡± ¡°Yes, yes?¡± ¡°Ah, don¡¯t get nervous. I didn¡¯t call you for the final interview. I just had something to let you know.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°The swordsmanship you showed in the final evaluation was impressive. It was a series that made good use of fast movements. Most people won''t even be able to tell what¡¯s happening.¡± ¡°Th-thank you.¡± ¡°But, I want to teach you how to clutter your opponent¡¯s eyes a little more efficiently. How do I put it? It¡¯s like mixing a few raw herbs into health pills for effect.¡± Ahmed, Karaka, and Brandon. They were all true instructors. The three didn¡¯t simply rest after the evaluation. For several days, they pondered and thought over and over again about the appropriate teaching methods and advice they could give the kids. They suddenly called in the prospective trainees, but when the trainees were being advised, they felt emotions swell up in their hearts. But only for a while. Most of the trainees had realized. That this would be thest teaching they would get in Krono. That they would soon leave the school and return to their new reality. ¡®Damn it¡­¡¯ ¡®Now it¡¯s all over¡­¡¯ Of course, the interview hadn¡¯t even started yet. But as mentioned, the children already knew what was going to happen. On average, 20 were chosen as official trainees. In other words, most children who fell short of the desired level would have no choice but to walk out. ¡°Sigh. Even then¡­ it wasn''t bad.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t like I didn¡¯t gain anything. No, I learned a lot.¡± ¡°Too bad. Even then, I have no regrets since I did my best.¡± The prospective trainees who received the instructors¡¯st gifts slowly began to organize their minds. And looked around the school. The running courses they ran, the sandy roads, the fitness room full of equipment, and the rest room where they meditated. All of that was engraved in their hearts in order to not forget it even after leaving. Thest ce where the children stopped. The Grand Hall. Looking at the huge scars in the room, they smiled in despair. ¡®The only ones who can enter Krono are those who can perform such feats.¡¯ The Deadbeat Noble. Irene Pareira. They recalled the blonde boy, the trainees who thought of him shook their heads. At first, they were like, what is with this guy? Physical strength which couldn¡¯t even bepared to ordinary people. He only practiced the sword for a month, before that, there were rumors that he was a no-good kid who did nothing butze around. Which was why everyone ridiculed him. However, that was wrong. His essence waspletely different. ¡®Is there anyone who can work harder than him¡­?¡¯ ¡®Maybe it would be impossible to find even if the entire world was searched, right?¡¯ Irene wasn¡¯t just talented. There was nothing that could stop that stupid bastard. Regrets of the past. Even the terrible pain of the present. Doubts and worries about the future, and even anxiety and frustration couldn¡¯t stop him. Obstacles that made other people stop on their path couldn¡¯t stop Irene. Therefore, when the trainees thought about Irene, they thought about his effort and not his talent. ¡®Of course, he is a genius.¡¯ That was also correct. No matter how great Irene¡¯s efforts were, no man couldplete a sword with just effort. The sword he showed proved that. Unless he was a genius, such a nonsensical sword couldn¡¯t bepleted. ¡®Then what will happen?¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s a genius. But because he works so hard, no one thinks of him like that¡­¡¯ ¡®then¡­¡¯ Hardworking genius. Those were words fit to describe the Deadbeat Noble. However, being with him for this long, the children acknowledged him. Out of the 20 kids who would be selected, they already knew the 3 geniuses who would be selected. ¡®The 4th genius of the continent¡­¡¯ The sword mark left by Irene in the Hall. Those who looked at it weren¡¯t only the ones who were leaving the school. Rather, those who were going to be formal trainees looked at it for a long time too. Judith too. She watched it for hours with burning eyes. She didn¡¯t care who was next to her. Even when the trainee beside her changed. Even the assistants who came would burst out in admiration, even Ahmed looked at it with a serious expression. Even the one who took the top spot in the final evaluation was the same. ¡®¡­ I have the top spot?¡¯ Ilya Lindsay pondered for a moment and nodded. She deserved to be number one. Wasn¡¯t Ian one of the best swordsmen on the continent? She shouldn¡¯t have doubts about his decision. However, ¡®It¡¯s undeniable, the fact that Irene Pareira¡¯s sword almost took my spot.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t a nice thing. She did manage to protect her position, but her heart couldn¡¯t settle down. This could be the final goal for anyone else, but for her, she had bigger goals. It was just the first step, getting the top spot in the final evaluation. So, since the beginning of the journey, she never allowed others to chase her, but now¡­ it didn¡¯t feel pleasant. But, ¡®I don¡¯t feel bad for some reason. Why?¡¯ Still unable to take her eyes from that mark, Ilya recalled the final evaluation. His presence, which seemed to be shrouded in reality and fantasy until the test, turned into an evident existence. His pressure was heavy as if a giant in armor had risen. At that moment, Irene turned into apletely different being. He didn¡¯t stop. No, he couldn¡¯t stop. Whether it be scorching mes, tidal waves, or even a huge storm that dominated the sky. He proceeded forward without hesitation and swung his sword. Ilya Lindsay thought so and nodded her head. ¡®It wasn¡¯t that I wascking, but Irene was excellent.¡¯ That was true. She did her best, and she was in no waycking. Even if she unfolded her Sky Sword again, she wouldn¡¯t be able to show a better image. Nevertheless, it didn¡¯t mean that she began to fall down in her efforts. It was because her opponent''s skills were excellent. She acknowledged it and epted him. ¡°Sigh.¡± She didn¡¯t have to hurt herself. She didn¡¯t have to hurt anyone either. After a long time, she came to the conclusion which calmed her heart. It felt like something had been blocking her emotions, and it finally broke down. Ilya turned away and smiled. She wanted to hold onto someone and talk about her current feelings. No, was anyone okay? Then, is it possible¡­ It was at that time when she was in thought. A blue-haired boy standing a little further from her. Her smile disappeared when she saw Bratt¡¯s face. ¡°¡­¡± He, too, hade to look at the sword mark in the hall, long before Ilya hade. He must have been there for the sake of Judith. She just knew. ¡®¡­ Bratt and Judith aren¡¯t easy ones.¡¯ It was true. Frankly, unexpected. It wasn¡¯t that she was ignoring them, but she thought that there was a significant gap between her and them. And she thought that 3 months was not enough time for them to catch up with her. No, she was sure it would never happen. But she was wrong. The reason why Ilya used her family sword wasn¡¯t because of Irene Pareira. ¡®What I am telling you now¡­ it won¡¯t help you.¡¯ After a moment of hesitation, Ilya turned to Bratt. It wasn¡¯t that she couldn¡¯t figure out what she was feeling. Rather, it was something she wouldn¡¯t solve. Leaving the two behind, Ilya left the room. And quickly went to find the person she wanted to meet. It wasn¡¯t difficult. It was obvious what that person would be doing, so she went to that specific location. Unsurprisingly, the boy was meditating. With the greatsword in his hand and eyes closed. With a small smile, Ilya called out his name. ¡°Irene Pareira.¡± ¡°¡­¡± He slowly opened his eyes. As if someone hade out from the curtain, a huge pressure rose for an instant. But that didn¡¯tst long. As time passed, the feeling changed, and the two were back to their familiar selves. The real Irene Pareira. ¡®Interesting¡¯ Irene, at the time of the final evaluation, was simr to now. For a moment, it was as if he was a different person. Of course, that wasn¡¯t the point now. She was here to talk with the boy. And Ilya asked. ¡°Can I take some of your time?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Irene nodded his head. To be honest, he wanted to feel the man¡¯s sword a little more, but he didn¡¯t want to turn down Ilya¡¯s request. The two naturally headed to a bench and sat a little distance apart. After a few seconds of silence, Ilya opened her mouth. ¡°I¡¯m not staying in Krono.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I am leaving. I had no intention of bing an official trainee from the beginning. Once I got first ce in the midterm evaluation and the final evaluation¡­ I was thinking of heading back to my family right away.¡± Irene was perplexed. Of course, Ilya may not be as desperate as others to learn Krono Swordsmanship. The Lindsay¡¯s sword was one of the best on the continent. However, if she hadn¡¯te in the first ce, she would have questioned whether or not she should go back to her family. ¡°Why would you, why?¡± He had no choice but to ask. Shocked and astonished eyes. Ilya liked the reaction she saw. If he had asked in a calm manner, she would have been upset. As conscious as she was of him, she wanted Irene to be conscious of her too. With that thought, Ilya spoke again. ¡°Irene.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Do you know who the greatest genius on the continent is?¡± A topic that didn¡¯t have any rtion to the question he asked. But Irene didn¡¯t ask. Ilya¡¯s face was too serious as she slowly looked up at the sky. After a while, the story of a monster, who made the world¡¯s strongest peoplee out, slowly started. Chapter 34: Four Geniuses (2)

Chapter 34: Four Geniuses (2)

There are countless talented people on the continent. Children who excelled at young ages. People look at them as gifted and geniuses. Of course, not all geniuses are the same. Those who are praised as geniuses in rural viges end up being ordinary people in cities. Even talented people in the city lose their confidence as they learn and meet children who rise to the kingdom and continent level. But 20 years ago. A real genius different from themon understanding was born into the Lindsay family. ¡°Carl Lindsay. He is my Oppa (brother).¡± Ilya, who introduced her brother, stopped speaking. It didn¡¯t take a long time. And Irene vaguely understood that there was a conflict running through the girl¡¯s mind. Her words continued. ¡°I don¡¯t know him very well. My brother and I have an age difference of 9 years¡­ However, by the time I could start running around, people said that there was no need for anything strange.¡± As Ilya Lindsay said. Her older brother, Carl Lindsay, was recognized by numerous high-ranking people and was quickly known as the continent¡¯s greatest genius. It was natural. The clich¨¦ words of¡­ you learn one thing when they learn ten things. It was as if God paved a path for him. The fact that a 10-year-old child won a battle against a knight didn¡¯t seem like something to be proud of. All because her brother had done far greater things than that. In that way, Carl Lindsay grew up with the countless expectations of the people around him. He turned 16. A knight visited the Lindsay family. ¡°I¡­ She introduced herself like that.¡± I. She was a famous person. Despite being amoner, she enlisted in the Krono Swordsmanship School and overtook children from noble families. She, who refused to be a formal trainee, led out her followers and organized a mercenary group at the young age of 14. She achieved countless more achievements. She challenged Carl Lindsay. With cheeky words that he was an opponent that she wanted to fight once. ¡°My brother readily epted it. Firstly, our family has never been reluctant to ept a fight, but¡­ maybe he was confident in himself.¡± Right. Carl Lindsay was confident. No matter how skilled the other person seemed, she was the same age as him. He nevergged behind official knights, so he never thought of losing to someone his age. The duel was decided in an instant. Carl hated such things being dragged out for days, and his opponent was the same. I arrived at the location with her long ck hair fluttering in the wind. She had her own followers. And a smile which could make goosebumps rise, she gently pulled out her sword¡­ The match was won in an instant. After three matches, Carl Lindsay had officially lost. ¡°After winning, I left without saying a single word.¡± Ilya closed her eyes. The image of I turning around after she trampled on Ilya¡¯s idol was a wound that never healed. The girl, who was just 7 years old, cried even more than her brother. Carl Lindsay had tofort her. Ilya Lindsay thought as she fell asleep. My brother is a genius, so he will eventually ovee it. So she wanted to watch another battle between them, with Carl winning. ¡­ those were her only thoughts. ¡°My brother never recovered from it.¡± ¡­. Even until now. Ilya¡¯s voice entered Irene¡¯s ears. It was a shocking event. A genius who was supposed to be on a winning streak couldn¡¯t ovee a single loss and failed to stand up again. Those with no hardships fail to stand after a single loss, it was a story that most people had heard about. Even the strongest people face a situation where they lose, and standing up again bes tough. Compared to talent, he had weak mental strength. Those people who praised Carl Lindsay quickly turned away. The continent met its second genius, and the first was thrown away. And Ilya Lindsay, at her young age, watched it all unfold. She kept watching it. ¡°It was the peoples¡¯ gazes which made him lock himself in his room.¡± Carl Lindsay didn¡¯t hold the sword anymore. He just sits in his room and passes the time. It was difficult to bear all the expectations that others had on him since childhood and the disappointment and ridicule they gave him ever since he lost. Carl Lindsay felt an indescribable pressure whenever people judged him. That was why his younger sibling didn¡¯t wee people¡¯s attention. Which was why she was reluctant to talk to others. That was why, even when people called her the ¡®3rd genius of the continent¡¯, she never felt happy. They were all sweet as honey, but they would turn as sharp as a knife in a split second. She ignored it and didn¡¯t care about what other people said. She went her own way without being swayed by the others. That was what she thought. ¡°I was already swept away. Unbeknownst to me.¡± She really was. Ilya Lindsay had entered Krono at the age of 12 because I had entered the school at the age of 13, and she wanted to achieve a higher rank than her. Ilya was trying to be recognized as an official knight by the age of 14 because I was appointed as an honorary knight at the age of 15. For the same reason, Ilya wanted to conquernd at the age of 18, and the same reason why Ilya wanted to be a Sword Master before she turned 20. I over her brother, I over herself¡­ she wanted to show people who said that I was better than the Lindsay family. By breaking down every record that I had created. Unbeknownst to herself, Ilya was following other people¡¯s words and lost her true self day by day. ¡°But not now. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll do that anymore.¡± ¡°That so?¡± ¡°Uh-huh. Thanks to you.¡± ¡°¡­ me?¡± ¡°Yes¡± Irene was flustered, and Ilyaughed. It was the first time the boy had seen her smile brightly. It was truly more flustering. But he knew that it was the most sincere smile. And she continued. ¡°You don¡¯t get carried away by the people around you, don¡¯t care what the others say, and you walk down your own path¡­ itpletely changed the way others thought.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Of course, you don¡¯t even care. Not about a single one''s words.¡± ¡°That¡­¡± ¡°Nice.¡± Ilya stood up and stretched her body. A clear expression as if she managed to clear her mind. ¡°Now, I¡¯ll stop. Running after I, being swayed by other people¡¯s words. I don¡¯t need to do that now. I want to go my own way.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If I go on the path that I want to explore, I will be able to reach the end I want to witness. Prove myself on the way, and act ordingly. Then one way, I will be able to reach the level of a Master¡­ maybe I, would end up bing nervous too?¡± Ilya, who said that, burst out inughter. She said she would walk down her own path, but it seemed like she was still conscious of I. Of course, there was nothing strange about it. The girl wasn¡¯t trying to be swayed by other people¡¯s words, but she was trying to stand up to I. Yet, she seemed very bright. Ilya suddenly asked. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°What do you think? About the current me.¡± ¡°Hm? Uh¡­¡± Too many confusing things. That was what Irene thought. Why the hell was she asking such a question when she just promised that she wouldn¡¯t care about what other people say? He had that thought, but for now, he decided to not say it out loud. The boy spoke his honest feelings. ¡°That is great.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Hm. It¡¯s great that you overcame hardships. It¡¯s great that you¡¯re thinking of a world bigger than just swordsmanship, and the thought of dealing with a Sword Master too¡­¡± Irene spent most of his life in bed. But even he knew how great the title of Sword Master is. Across the continent, there were fewer than 100, and the ones who were respected were the Sword Masters. ¡®Achieving such a great state at the age of 20¡­ Ilya wants to do that before she turns 20.¡¯ It was an absurd thing to say. But Ilya seemed like someone who could make that absurd thing happen. As if she was from an entirely different world. Both her and I. Which was why Irene couldn¡¯t get immersed in her words. It was like reading a fairy tale rather than a real story. ¡°Hmm.¡± The character of the supposed fairy tale crossed her arms. Subtle expression. Ambiguous atmosphere. Did he make a mistake? Irene was unaware of what he did. At that, Ilya opened her arms. She then tapped the boy¡¯s chest and said. ¡°Don¡¯t answer too stiffly.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It means you can rx.¡± ¡°What is that¡­¡± Irene, who understood it toote, stopped talking. He looked at Ilya with a surprised expression. But she already walked away. She turned back and spoke. ¡°Work harder. Otherwise¡­ the gap will widen in an instant.¡± With a brighter smile than before, she left. Irene stood there for a long time without saying a word. ¡°¡­¡± It was someone else¡¯s story. A story unrtable to him. So the idea that Ilya¡¯s story didn¡¯t happen in real life but only happened in fairy tales and folktales upied his head the whole time. But Ilya¡¯sst words. Like I, you will need to be nervous otherwise the gap between us will widen. The moment he heard those words, the boy realized that he had be a part of the children¡¯s book. Pound. His heart began to beat fast. Tiny, but a fire began to burn. Of course, it wasn¡¯t a great me. But the fire showed no signs of stopping. In fact, Irene couldn¡¯t even understand what he was feeling. But it was clear that something in his heart changed. ¡°¡­¡± In that unfamiliar feeling, Irene stood in the dark for a long time. A few dayster, the final interview began. It didn¡¯t take long. Encouragement, advice, and sess. Most of the children had already known the results. Some said thank you with tears, some said goodbye with regret. Of course, nothing out of the ordinary happened. ¡°Thank you for all you did until now.¡± ¡°In the end, it turned out how I wanted. Are you feeling better now?¡± ¡°Yes. But not because I reached the top.¡± Ilya Lindsay said to Ian, who smiled. ¡°Yes, it does seem that way. You look a lot better than in the midterm.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all thanks to the school master.¡± ¡°Thanks to me? It¡¯s because of what you did. Enough of that, go on ahead.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Neither Ilya nor Ian or Ahmed talked about the oue. To the silver-haired girl, it meant nothing. A smile appeared on Ian¡¯s face. However, after a while. At the words of the trainee who entered next, Ian sighed. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Your grades are impable. I¡¯m not talking about just the rest of the results. Your appearance in the final evaluation was so wonderful, wonderful enough to be a role model to the other children. You gave up your ego, fixed your shorings, and polished your strengths. Personally, I have high expectations for you.¡± ¡°¡­ sorry, I¡¯m no longer confident.¡± Bratt Lloyd¡¯s voice had no life in it. Like a burnt-out candle. No life in his eyes or face. Ian sighed again. ¡°¡­ do what you want.¡± At Ian¡¯s words, Bratt stood up. Watching the boy nod and leave the room, Ian sighed three times. ¡®Sometimes this happens.¡¯ Even if you¡¯re gifted with great talent, the heart breaks once someone with a brighter light appears. He has seen that several times in and out of the school. Carl Lindsay was the best example of it. Unavoidable. You could lead an ox to water, but you can¡¯t make it drink. ¡®Please, I hope that child will find an opportunity to change his mind.¡¯ Ian felt bad and called for the next trainee. The boy looked a little more mature than the others. ¡°Irene Pareira.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Your final evaluation was impressive. To be honest, I was too shocked at what you disyed.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°You remember the interview after the midterm evaluation?¡± ¡°Huh? Ye, Yes.¡± The boy nodded. The topic suddenly changed, but he remembered it. During the interview, he asked for advice on how to reconcile with Ilya. Apart from that, Ian gave Irene the right to ask for instruction whenever he wanted. And the opposite was possible too. Ian was the first to speak out. ¡°I have one piece of advice for you.¡± ¡°I will listen.¡± ¡°Before that, let me ask you a question.¡± ¡°I will listen to that too.¡± One piece of advice and one question. It waspletely different from a normal interview. Ahmed tried to control his expression and calm his excited heart. Irene tried to keep hisposure. A question came out of Ian¡¯s mouth. ¡°Trainee Irene Pareira. You¡­ Why are you holding the sword?¡± Chapter 35: Four Geniuses (3)

Chapter 35: Four Geniuses (3)

Why do you pick up a sword? A very vague question, but it was something that deserved serious consideration. For a swordsman, the question of why he started, how he learned, and whether he will continue to learn were important things that determine his life¡¯s direction. ¡®If you take the right direction for yourself, you will grow faster. On the other hand, if you choose a path which doesn¡¯t suit you, there is a limit to your efforts.¡¯ Ahmed thought to himself. Of course, there were no concerns about Irene Pareira. If he hadn¡¯t been on the right path, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to show such a formidable sword in the final evaluation. No, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to survive in the school. Because the school wasn¡¯t a ce that you can live in with just determination. ¡®But I¡¯m curious. What on earth does it mean to be the hardest worker in Krono, where the continent''s best have gathered?¡¯ Eyes of curiosity poured on Irene. However, the boy didn¡¯t answer. Seriously, if anyone was suddenly asked that question, everyone would be confused. Maybe because he was in front of the school master, so he was choosing his words. Thinking that Ahmed spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much, Irene Pareira. Unlike other swordsmen, we emphasize morality and culture. We don''t impose our expectations on you, unlike the Knights Temr. It¡¯s alright not to have passion for the sword. It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t have a noble reason for it. It doesn''t matter if you want fame or money. Anything is fine as long as it doesn¡¯t hurt humans, speak freely.¡± Considering the usual attitude of Ahmed, this version of his was hard to get used to. However, Irene didn¡¯t speak. No, it didn¡¯t seem possible. Ahmed felt strange and looked at Ian¡¯s face. The old man nodded. ¡°Right.¡± And, unbelievable words came out of Ian¡¯s mouth. ¡°Irene Pareira, you¡­ you didn¡¯t pick up the sword of your own will.¡± ¡°¡­ right.¡± Marvelous. Ahmed was shocked. Not of his own will? The reason he couldn¡¯t answer wasn¡¯t that he was shy, but because he had no reason? What could that mean? ¡°School master? What is¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know either.¡± Clearing his throat, Ian sipped his tea. It was true. Ian couldn¡¯t understand the child in front of him, despite having excellent eyes that could understand people. ¡°I thought it was strange. You work harder than anyone and take the sword more seriously than anyone else. But¡­ I didn¡¯t feel any emotions from you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°When he realized that his skills were improving, Bratt Lloyd was happy. Judith was scared when she knew that she fell behind Bratt Lloyd. She was so angry that it could be understood from her eyes. Not only them, but all the children cried orughed at the swords, mourned over the sword, and rejoiced too. And you¡­¡± Didn¡¯t look like that. After those words, there was silence. The only sounds which could be heard were Ian sipping his tea and gulping. Among them, for the first time, Irene thought about the sword. ¡­ no reason. The only thing which came to his mind wasn¡¯t the sword but the man in his dreams. The man with his heavy greatsword, the boy''s thought, suddenly disappeared. ¡°Without your own will, you¡¯re just chasing behind someone else¡¯s path¡­ I won''t ask how you got to this point.¡± If he had answered, Ian would have asked. But Irene didn¡¯t seem like he would answer any questions. However, advice was needed. ¡°However, if you intend to keep raising the sword in the future, you should seriously think about it from now on.¡± How does it feel to lift the sword? What is the sword being used for? What was his sword? Unless he realizes it, there would be no future growth. ¡°There¡¯s no reason for you to stay in the school. Finding yourself in the wider world is far more important than wielding the sword here.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Ahmed was shocked at Ian¡¯s words. He said it. But the meaning behind his words could only be understood by smart ones. Ian just denied the official admission of Irene Pareira. A genius who managed to ovee all the hardships and take the top spot. ¡°Thank you.¡± However, Irene Pareira was calm. He wasn¡¯t angry or flustered. It was because he knew that Ian was trying to help him. ¡°I won''t forget thest advice of the school master for the rest of my life.¡± Irene got up and bowed. He was disappointed. He wanted to be with Judith. He walked to talk a little bit more with Bratt. He wanted to stay and repay the kindness they had shown, just a little. However, disobeying the school master¡¯s decision was impossible. It was when he was about to leave the room. ¡°What do you mean byst advice?¡± At Ian¡¯s words, Irene stopped. He didn¡¯t understand what Ian was pointing out. However, as he continued to speak, his intentions became clear. ¡°Since I don¡¯t go to the school anymore, obviously¡­¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Unconditional pass. I didn¡¯t give you advice because you aren¡¯t good. It¡¯s okay for now, but I think that you would be a better swordsman if that part is resolved.¡± ¡°Huh? However, school master, there is no reason to stay here ei¡­¡± ¡°There is. After finding out the reason to hold the sword, won¡¯t youe back?¡± Ian grinned like a mischievous kid and pulled out a metal te. It looked like it was treated with magic. It was shining. ¡°Can I borrow a drop of blood?¡± ¡°Yes? Ah!¡± He pinched Irene¡¯s thumb with a needle, which wasn¡¯t present until a moment back. Blood oozed out. Ian carefully brought it to the metal te. Then a white light dispersed into an engraved pattern, and Irene Pareira¡¯s name was engraved on it. [Krono Swordsmanship School, 27th official trainee.] [Irene Pareira.] ¡°I¡¯ll give you 1 year. Find your true sword ande back.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That must be enough? Is it not? Is itcking?¡± Honestly, he didn¡¯t know. But Irene Pareira had something to say. ¡°I will be back within a year.¡± ¡°Is this alright?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°About trainee Irene Pareira. You kno¡­¡± ¡°About him finding his own sword?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Nodded Ahmed. He didn¡¯t know that something was amiss in Irene until Ian had pointed it out, yet, he couldn¡¯t help but worry. The boy''s actions came to his mind. Without frustration, worry or excitement, he just continued his extreme training every day. He used to appreciate those efforts, but not anymore. ¡®Now that I think about it, it was obvious. There was nothing to be excited or frustrated about because he wasn¡¯t walking his own path.¡¯ He didn¡¯t know how he could ovee the physical pain, but it was natural for one to struggle with the mental pain. Which was why he felt worried. Unlike the kids who were running for their long-time dreams, this child just moved. Will the kid be able to hold onto his sword? Can he find his own way? At that thought, the earnest words from Ian erased his worry. ¡°The three most talented children have gathered around him.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°How can a child with such charm be unable to find his own color?¡± ¡°Sorry. I must have decided too quickly.¡± ¡°No, why me yourself¡­ hmm.¡± Ian, who spoke to Ahmed, changed the topic after coughing. ¡°By the way, he¡¯s said to be azy person in his family, right?¡± ¡°Yes. It was said that no one doesn¡¯t know about that family, even the southern part of the Hale Kingdom knows about him.¡± ¡°He really is a mysterious one. How the hell did such rumors evene about? Well, this will be fun.¡± The fourth genius of the continent. A story floating around the kids. After Carl Lindsay, I, and Ilya Lindsay, Irene Pareira had established himself as the 4th genius. Even Ian agreed. With a smile on his face, he mumbled. ¡°In a year, he changed from the Deadbeat Lazy Noble to a genius of the continent¡­ if nothing happens from now, it would be even weirder.¡± A few days after the final interview, Irene was on a rock outside the school. It¡¯s taking a little longer than expected for the family wagon to arrive. He just wanted the wagon to arrive first. Over the past few days, the boy was often seen nk outside, trying to calm his confused mind. Of course, even in the end, he couldn¡¯t be left alone. A silver-haired girl, Ilya Lindsay, appeared. And stretched out her hand. ¡°If you have time,e over.¡± ¡°This?¡± ¡°This is an emblem of our family. If you show this, you won¡¯t be treated badly.¡± It wasn¡¯t like he was ever treated badly. It was so small that two fingers could cover it, but at a nce, it was clear that the metal held great value. An eagle with a sword in its beak. In words, it was burdensome for Irene. However, it was even more troubling for him to refuse others'' favors. And it wasn¡¯t the end. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a present when youe over.¡± ¡°Gift? What gift¡­¡± ¡°Flowers.¡± ¡°Flowers?¡± ¡°Adonis. It¡¯s the same flower that was engraved on the bracelet you gave me.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± He was shocked when she said that she would give Irene flowers, but then he knew that the bracelet had the same flowers. However, he just learned this, because he just handed her a bracelet that he had made for his younger sister. He asked. ¡°Are they homegrown flowers? I didn¡¯t even know that.¡± ¡°No. They don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I stopped growing them when I was 7 years old.¡± ¡°But I will grow them again now. They will bloom in April or May, so I hope that youe over at least once before returning to school next year.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Of course, you cane before that too.¡± Today¡¯s Ilya Lindsay wasn¡¯t confused anymore. She had a personality that was difficult to understand from the beginning, yet, it felt different now. And that caused ate reply. For which Ilya asked again. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, are you ignoring the request of your friend?¡± ¡°Friend?¡± ¡°What? We have been together for a year, and we aren¡¯t on bad terms¡­ aren¡¯t we friends?¡± ¡°We are, but¡­¡± Indeed, today¡¯s Ilya was strange. She was talking more than usual and speaking words that she usually considered embarrassing. ¡®Maybe this was how she used to be.¡¯ It seemed like the light which was being overshadowed had finallye out. Honestly, she looked better now. Much easier to deal with. But he didn¡¯t know. The fact that Ilya¡¯s ears, who was constantly speaking, were redder than usual. The boy, who hadn¡¯t noticed until the end, answered. ¡°Okay. I¡¯lle.¡± ¡°Great.¡± After that, the two talked about various things. For the most part, Ilya spoke, and Irene listened. About the Lindsay family, a story of her father and questions about the Pareira estate and cheering for him. It was obvious that this was her true personality. It was when Irene smiled slightly at the appearance of the bright girl. A wagon approached from afar. It had a giant shield painted on it, the Lloyd family¡¯s emblem. ¡°¡­¡± A person got off the wagon and arrived at the front of the school, and delivered something. Bratt Lloyd wasing soon. Their faces darkened. ¡®Bratt Lloyd¡­ they thought that he was giving up his official admission and returning to his family.¡¯ A boy who was full of talent and passion, who put in the utmost effort, and wasn¡¯tcking in any way. Although it wasn¡¯t like he wasn¡¯t arrogant, he was still a real noble who was a model for those aiming for dignity. However, how he looked for the past few days was tragic. No one dared to get close or talk to him. The reason, the despair on his face was too deep and dark. ¡®I hope he shakes it off.¡¯ Irene thought to himself. He really hoped that Bratt would bounce back. However, that was all. The inexperienced boy didn¡¯t know what else to do for Bratt. So was Ilya. In her case, the rtionship with him was too ambiguous, especially because she knew too well how Bratt was feeling. From her point of view, no constion would help him. While they were in heavy thoughts, the gate opened. And Bratt Lloyd showed up. Drooping eyes. ky skin. His passionate heart was no longer present. It was as if the boy had lost everything precious to him. In that state, he walked. Without looking back, without seeming like he had any regrets. Leaving the school, he moved onto the wagon of his family. Irene Pareira and Ilya were too devastated and unable to do anything. But not everyone was like that. Bang! A red-haired girl ran out of the gate. Judith grabbed Bratt¡¯s shoulders before he got into the wagon. And with a clenched fist. Punch! Thud! Bratt Lloyd, who was hit in the face, looked up at her with eyes mixed with confusion and pain. He asked. ¡°Wh-what?¡± Punch! Judith didn¡¯t answer. All there was, was another hit. Chapter 36: Four Geniuses (4)

Chapter 36: Four Geniuses (4)

Pu-Pu-Punch! Judith¡¯s fists flew at Bratt¡¯s face, which was messed up. During that time, no one could stop that violent girl. Partly because it was so sudden, but the biggest reason was that no one expected this to happen. Who would have thought that on the brief movement on the way to the wagon, such a thing would happen? ¡°Y-You bastard!¡± ¡°Wait a moment, Lord! I¡¯ll get that girl¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± Lloyd¡¯s family men tried to move to catch Judith, who had moved away. However, Bratt restrained them. The eldest son of Lloyd asked the family guards who were watching him, and Judith too. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Your nose is bleeding.¡± ¡°To follow me and hit¡­¡± ¡°She looks like a low life. She shouldn¡¯t act like this.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t dally around and answer me. Why did you do that?¡± ¡°Obviously because I was angry.¡± Judith grinned. For her to see it as funny. Bratt didn¡¯t respond. He was leaving anyway. There was nothing to talk about with someone who decided to leave. Wiping his nose with the handkerchief the servant gave him, he got into the carriage. The guards who hesitated too began to get onto the horse-drawn wagon. It was then, Judith¡¯s loud voice was heard. ¡°Be proudter!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Eight hits by the best swordsman on the continent, because for you winning tests at such a young age isn¡¯t something to be proud of! I¡¯m talking about the one who runs away as if he saw his own death!¡± ¡°Right, keep going! Bastard!¡± Lloyd¡¯s wagon didn¡¯t move until all her curses were done. Bratt didn¡¯t get off or say anything. After a while, the wagon moved like nothing happened. Slowly the wagon got far. Judith¡¯s eyes turned to Irene and Ilya, who were looking at her nkly. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Nothing¡­¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t resolved my anger yet. Do you also want to get hit one after the other?¡± They both shook their heads at the same time. Regardless of their skills, Judith¡¯s current state made them wither. Seeing that, Judith burst intoughter. She expected such an innocent act from Irene, but she never would have guessed that Ilya could make such a face. ¡°Enough of that. Irene.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What¡¯s in your hand?¡± ¡°Th-this, Ilya gave¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s this? tinum?¡± Judith approached them and looked at what was in Irene¡¯s hand. And said, ¡°Give me one too.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Refuse if you don¡¯t want to. I¡¯m not asking again.¡± ¡°No, it isn¡¯t like¡­¡± ¡°Then give.¡± Like Ilya, today¡¯s Judith was weird too. Although she was usually rough and had a childish side, now, every word she spoke couldn¡¯t be refused. Does Ilya have the same attitude as Irene? Without further ado, Ilya pulled out her family emblem. Judith grinned as she looked at it. ¡°The same emblem? I was wondering if you could give me something else.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I yelled about you and your family. Sorry.¡± Apology? Ilya looked shocked. The topic just changed suddenly. She never ever dreamed that the proud Judith would apologize to her. This was serious. ¡°Although I am rough and act like a bitch, I¡¯m sure¡­ probably because I never had anything like a family, I spit out such things.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°No, that isn¡¯t an excuse. I¡¯m sorry, really.¡± Judith bowed her head. Her expression was bizarre as if she didn¡¯t want to do it, but her attitude was sincere. ¡°¡­ yes, I¡¯m sorry for ignoring you. I apologize.¡± Lindsay, too, apologized. And Irene sighed, seeing that. When Judith arrived, he thought that something would happen. However, things seemed to have worked out. Seeing the two of them reconcile almost immediately, he felt nice but a little disappointed too. ¡®I think I did everything I could to reconcile with Ilya during the midterm¡­¡¯ Of course, it wasn¡¯t a bad thing. On the contrary, this was for the best. But he couldn¡¯t figure out why Judith acted like this. It bothered him a little. Did she notice Irene¡¯s thoughts? The red-haired girl who improved her rtionship in an instant turned to him. ¡°Yah. Come back fast.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°The homework given by the school master, I don¡¯t know what it is, but finish it ande back quickly. That way, you can finally be rid of the ufortable feelings, right?¡± ¡°Ufortable? What is that¡­ ah.¡± Recalling the conversation which took ce before the final evaluation, Irene eximed. And realized why Judith was doing this. ¡®Is this her own way of brushing off her bad feelings?¡¯ This method seemed radical. But it suited Judith. He grinned, and Judith smiled back. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Nothing, just sorry.¡± ¡°Sorry, what shit, what do you have to feel sorry about! Juste back to school as soon as possible, okay? Youe back, and Bratt bounces back, and we¡¯ll see the end of the world.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ilya stood silent as they talked. They were friendly. She couldn¡¯t even understand what they were talking about and why Irene eximed. She wanted to ask, but she missed the time to intervene. Tuk! Tuk! Slowly, another wagon approached. The Pareira wagon. One middle-aged man with a thin smile approached Irene. ¡°Lord? They are¡­¡± ¡°Ah, we trained together in school¡­ friends.¡± ¡°I see. Thank you very much for looking after our young lord.¡± Oops, a servant who spoke to nobles. What he did could be considered an insult and offensive to Irene. Fortunately, Irene didn¡¯t say anything. He tapped his chest and asked Irene. ¡°Shall we wait until the conversation ends?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s alright. I can always see themter.¡± He didn¡¯t want to hold up those who came from a long distance. Thinking so, Irene smiled and reached out to shake hands with Judith and Ilya. ¡°Then,ter¡­¡± ¡°Come back quick.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget toe to my home before going to school. Don¡¯t forget.¡± After saying goodbye to the two girls, Irene headed for the wagon. He looked back once, and that was all. Ilya and Judith waved their hands for a while until the wagon disappeared. After a while. Terrible silence found them. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Except for the quarrel three months back, their rtionship had been awkward, so they couldn¡¯t utter a single word. Despite shaking off the bad feelings, they couldn¡¯t talk. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going?¡± ¡°Me, tomorrow¡­¡± ¡°That so?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Then, let¡¯s head in.¡± ¡°I¡­ I want to go for a walk.¡± And the two parted. Like the first time, very awkward. Reformation of the Deadbeat Noble: Side Stories

Reformation of the Deadbeat Noble: Side Stories

A month had passed since Irene and Bratt left. There was only one trainee left behind by them, Judith. Those who failed had no reason to stay, and those who passed and turned into official trainees returned to their families for a while until August, the official admission date. However, without parents, Judith had nowhere to go. Standing in the center of the hall, she shouted. ¡°AHHHHHHH! AHHHHHHHHH!¡± She also spit out harsh words. ¡°You dog bastards! I¡¯ll definitely surpass them! I¡¯m going to smash everything and throw it all away!¡± Shouting, screaming over and over again. Until her throat became sore. Until her voice cracked and her throat hurt. Still, her heart didn¡¯t cool down. The resentment didn¡¯t go away. ¡°Pant, Pant. Damn it¡­¡± She hated Ilya Lindsay. She hated the one who didn¡¯t have to go through suffering since birth. She even hated Irene Pareira. She hated him even more because he was a kind person yet a fool who was born with more talent and stamina than Ilya, but cursing him was hard. And finally, Bratt Lloyd. The guy she hated the most. ¡®Bastard, you said that you were going to win somehow!¡¯ He was disgusting when she first saw him and the same when she continued the training along with him. In fact, until the moment he left, she didn¡¯t pay much attention to him. That bastard¡¯s atmosphere didn¡¯t fit well with Judith¡¯s. But then the face he showed at thest minute. It wasn¡¯t as bad as the other trainees who tried their best to ce higher than the opponent and lost. It made her even more annoyed. Thest appearance of the pitiful guy aroused her anger. ¡®Enough now.¡¯ Judith spit, then took a deep breath and picked up the sword lying next to her. Her sword was violent like a burning me. It was something she had realized through the sword dance that Ian had shown and the sword she refined after the countless battles with Bratt. Of course, she didn¡¯t have an opponent anymore, but it was okay. Just a little bit more, and she would be an official trainee, and there are plenty of seniors better than him. Some people were full of themselves too. But she had to put it all aside. Wield the sword to demolish Ilya and Irene. It was when she was thinking about it. Kang! An iron sword used for practice was lifted, and the attack unfolded. Judith was shocked. It wasn¡¯t that someone had thrown the sword with all their might. And there was no one there to counter her sword, especially since her sword was looked at like a child¡¯s sword by the instructors. However, if the one who unfolded the attack was one of the trainees, then it was a different story. She called out the person¡¯s name. ¡°Bratt¡­¡± ¡°I went home and thought about it.¡± Bratt raised his sword again and took his stance. A sense of politeness. A feeling of suffocation, as if dense water was approaching her. ¡°I can¡¯t do much if it''s Ilya Lindsay or Irene Pareira, but there was no way I could leave after getting beaten by you.¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°It means that I requested and pleaded with the school master. To take me back.¡± ¡°The school master has a nice personality. epting someone like you.¡± ¡°He has a personality that can¡¯t bepared to yours.¡± ¡°Shit.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been wanting to say this for a long time, but curse in moderation. It¡¯s like a scared dog is barking at me.¡± ¡°You¡¯re really shitty.¡± Another curse and another, Judith¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t bad. Nor was Bratt¡¯s. After meeting again after a long time, the two shared swords instead of words. Until the sun went down. ¡®¡­ you aren¡¯t inferior to either of them.¡¯ Ian watched the boy and girl for a long time. A happy smile lingered on his face. On the way home from the school, Ilya felt bad. When she first entered the school, she just wanted to be on top, but not anymore. Aside from what happened, the friends she made and the people she met were quite precious to her. Of course, she didn¡¯t change her decision not to go back to the school. ¡®As long as there is my family¡¯s swordsmanship, there is no ce better for me to grow.¡¯ A smile appeared as she remembered her family. No matter how precious the bonds with her friends were, it couldn¡¯t bepared to home. She missed her parents, whom she hadn¡¯t seen for a year, and she wanted to see the knights of her family who loved her like she was their own daughter. And¡­ her brother, who hasn¡¯te out of his room for several years. She wanted to see him. ¡®It will work out!¡¯ The burdensome expectations, wonder, and respect that those around her have. The sharp usations, ridicule, and scorn. She understood how painful they were. But to endure it and ovee it wasn¡¯t impossible. ¡®Because Irene Pareira did it.¡¯ A boy who didn¡¯t give in to the words of the many people who talked about him. And the boy who finallypleted a great sword. That story will be told, but she will tell how the boy and even her brother could get out. Little by little, as time went¡­ He will definitely cheer up. Because her brother wasn¡¯t a weak person. ¡°Uh?¡± As she was in thought, she saw flowers blooming outside the wagon¡¯s window. They were Yellow Adonis. The same flower that was engraved on the bracelet that Irene gave her. She stopped the wagon. ¡°Do you want those flowers? Heading to the estate, I¡¯ll stop by a flower shop right away¡­¡± ¡°No, these are fine. We¡¯re going to be fine again.¡± Ilya, who wrapped the flowers in paper, smelled them as she remembered the past. Until she was seven, the family garden was full of Yellow Adonis. The flower which Carl would give her was the same. The image of her brother, who handed her a yellow bouquet and said that he woulde right away, was still fixed in her eyes. Afterwards, the Adonis turned into a painful memory for the two, but now Ilya was fine. She felt like she had ovee the painful memories through her conversation with Irene. ¡®Still, my brother is¡­¡¯ Her family wasn¡¯t far away, and a little worry rose. She managed to ovee it, but her brother was still in a difficult state. Perhaps, the moment he saw the flowers, he would remember the pain of that time. But it was something that he had to ovee at some point. Because one shouldn¡¯t be too caught up in the past. Conflicting thoughts raged in Ilya Lindsay¡¯s mind, and in the end, she arrived at the estate undecided. After a while. After listening to her father, she realized that she no longer had to make a decision. ¡®Your brother¡­. left the house. No, to be honest¡­ it is more urate to say that he went missing.¡¯ The eldest son of the Lindsay family, Carl Lindsay, vanished overnight. He was nowhere to be seen in the castle. It was the same no matter how thoroughly the estate and the nearby estates were searched. This couldn¡¯t have happened. ¡®No¡­ traces. Like magic¡­ no, he disappeared like magic. With my humble skills, I can¡¯t even predict what happened to the young lord.¡¯ It was the story of the family¡¯s wizard. Disappearance where no clues could be found. Ilya Lindsay sat down. ¡°¡­¡± The happy memories from school disappeared. The Adonis she brought home were thrown away. And the depression came again and she couldn¡¯t help but listen to the rumors. ¡®Young Lord Lindsay is missing!¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s disappeared for almost three months now, probably suicide¡­¡¯ ¡®The Young Lord of the Lindsay family, pessimistic about the future,mits suicide!¡¯ ¡®Carl Lindsay couldn¡¯t ovee the defeat suffered from I, an unfortunate death of a genius!¡¯ ¡®In the end, Carl Lindsay lost to I!¡¯ She didn¡¯t want to care. She didn¡¯t want to listen. But she couldn¡¯t help it. The words of people kept entering her ears and eyes, and their actions darkened Ilya¡¯s heart. Maybe her brother was still alive. How hard it must be for him to live through the painful rumors floating around the streets. Maybe he was dead. Even so, despite his death, the harsh words of people didn¡¯t stop. What should she do? Should she strike the throats of those who spit such nonsense? Unfortunately, that wasn¡¯t possible. It couldn¡¯t be done by Ilya Lindsay, who was more talented than Carl. However, it was possible to make them shut their mouths. ¡®I.¡¯ Surpass her achievements one by one. Rewrite all the records she had. And then tell people. If it weren¡¯t for your disgusting eyes and mouths, my brother, not me, would have been the one to defeat I. I wished for such a future. ¡°I n to increase the time I practice swordsmanship.¡± Her resolve to follow her own path faded. The promise not to be swayed by others also faded. It was reced by anger against the public. And even obsession. ¡°¡­¡± Even Joshua Lindsay couldn¡¯t help but watch as bitter hatred grew on his pretty daughter¡¯s sword. Judith and Bratt Lloyd reunited before Ilya reached her family. Irene was staring out the window with a stiff face. And Marcus, the servant, looked at him with sad eyes. ¡®Ugh, hested a year, but being eliminated is¡­¡¯ He didn¡¯t know that Irene had passed. It was because Irene had said nothing about it. Now, the boy¡¯s head was filled with advice from Ian, and he even forgot that he had to inform the servant. ¡®What does swordsmanship mean to me?¡¯ No, before that, what kind of person am I? Irene Pareira had never thought of such serious things in his life. It was natural. When he was young, he ran away from problems and hid in his bed, and since the day he started having that mysterious dream¡­ without any doubt or resistance, he just followed the man¡¯s sword. For a boy, especially Irene, that was a difficult task. His dark expression was seen. ¡®Ugh. What should I say that will cheer up the young lord?¡¯ In the stillness of the wagon, Marcus thought. Honestly, Irene seemed better. It was a great development from a thin body to a muscr physique. In addition to that, he saw with his own eyes that the young lord had made friends. In a way, wishing for anything more would be greedy. ¡®But I want to relieve even the slightest worry in the heart of young¡­¡¯ It was when he was thinking of fulfilling his duty. Something shined in the young lord¡¯s hand. ¡°That, Young lord, that one.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I am sorry to bother you, but¡­ the thing in your hand¡­¡± ¡°Ah, this?¡± ¡°Y-yes! That! Can I see that for a moment?¡± The servant asked with a trembling voice, and Irene nodded. He was curious about what the young lord had been stroking in his hand. Irene meekly handed the object to Marcus. After a while, a loud voice echoed inside the wagon. ¡°Li-Li-Lindsay family¡¯s emblem! This, this, how did you get this, sir?¡± Hey all, I just paid the TL for this month and we''re back to 0 funds, I had to use some funds from my credit card toplete the payment but that''s not a problem. So here I am asking again for your cooperation, I''m sorry if this is a bother but that''s how things roll here. Chapter 37: Unwelcome Guest (1)

Chapter 37: Unwee Guest (1)

How many noble families existed on the continent? No one knew for sure, but there were quite a few. Since there were more than 100 kingdoms, and if the eldest son wasn¡¯t an only child, the territories were often split, so many noble families existed. However, among so many families, there were only a few with a good reputation. The three families of the Runtel Kingdom, famous for their magic. The five families of the five western kingdoms are known for their swords. And the Duchy of Sezar, which produces many sorcerers, and the Duke of the Holy Kingdom, which produced great pdins. These ten families were so great that everyone knew about them. ¡®Among them, the Lindsay family is a great family¡­¡¯ It was thanks to the servant Marcus who recognized the emblem immediately. The Lindsay family emblem was made of an expensive metal like tinum, so it had to be genuine. If so, how did his young lord get it? The answer was simple. ¡°Friend¡­ gave it.¡± ¡°¡­ friend?¡± Irene nodded his head. Friend. It was still an unfamiliar word that didn¡¯t flow through his mouth. But she called herself Irene¡¯s friends, so he couldn¡¯t deny it. But he knew why Marcus was so surprised. Irene was a sloth who stayed away from the world, but that didn¡¯t mean he was a fool. ¡®Still, he is so shocked that he can¡¯t speak properly¡­ the Lindsay family is far greater than I thought.¡¯ Irene didn¡¯t know the details of the 10 families on the continent. He just heard of them. But judging from Marcus¡¯s reaction, he realized how great they were. ¡®Well, it looks like the reaction of the other children at the beginning of the admission.¡¯ Of course, that didn¡¯t matter to Irene. It didn¡¯t matter if Ilya came from a noble family or not. Like how he didn¡¯t care that Judith was an orphan. Taking back the emblem from the servant¡¯s hand, the boy said. ¡°Yes, a friend.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I am sorry, but I¡¯ll close my eyes for a moment.¡± ¡°Ah, yes! Young lord!¡± Irene fell into meditation on the pretext of sleeping. It wasn¡¯t for the usual reason. Now, he just wanted to escape from the questions. Of course, it wasn¡¯t easy. He had something he had to think about, but he couldn¡¯t find an answer to it. Irene wasn¡¯t smart enough to solve such a problem all at once. ¡®I would have run away. Or maybe I''ll really fall asleep now.¡¯ However, the present Irene wasn¡¯t like that. Even if the problem was difficult, he tried and kept on trying, and then he learned to open up a path. The problem was that it was all because of his dreams. ¡®My sword¡­ my own effort¡­¡¯ To solve the problem, the boy plunged deep into his own world, and Marcus looked at him with curious eyes. A few days passed. The Pareira¡¯s family wagon, which moved endlessly, came close to the family¡¯s estate. Just one more city. And in the meantime, the Deadbeat Noble had a simr day. Most of the day was spent meditating and worrying. ¡®Young lord, is he okay?¡¯ Marcus¡¯s worries grew as the days passed. When he saw the young lord, he felt happy. He looked better and had a better body. He even saw him talking to people other than his own family. Such things were unimaginable in the past. And to think he is friends with the continent¡¯s genius, Ilya Lindsay! It could be considered as good as being epted as an official trainee of Krono. Of course, he wasn¡¯t sure what was going on, but he was sure that the rtionship with the Lindsay family would help strengthen the Pareira family. But even when such good things happened, the young lord didn¡¯t seem to be in a good mood, as if he was bound by a problem. ¡®Even if he was disappointed¡­¡¯ He felt bad thinking that Irene had grown attached to the school. Perhaps the other kids were the same. He heard that Krono was a difficult ce for beginners. However, despite that, it was natural for Irene to be disappointed. Especially since Irene was taking on a challenge for the first time in his life. ¡®Something, I need to do something to cheer him up!¡¯ Of course, he couldn¡¯t think of anything. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do. Had he thought of such a thing, he wouldn¡¯t be so worried. In the end, the servant spent the time groaning while the wagon arrived at thest city before entering the family estate. At that moment, something entered Marcus¡¯s eyes. ¡®Orc?¡¯ Green skin. Thicker physique than adult males. Large teeth protruding from the mouth. Certain. That was an orc. ¡®They¡¯re supposed to be asionally seen only in the northwest. How did it get to the south?¡¯ They live quite far from the Hale Kingdom, and they weren¡¯t a race that had frequent exchange with humans, so their existence here was rare. It wasn¡¯t just an orc either. Looking at the pentagram pendant around its neck and the tattoos on its skin, he seemed knowledgeable in astrology and animism. ¡®This!¡¯ The servant pped his hands. And immediately ran to the inn where Irene was staying. ¡°Young lord? Are you asleep?¡± ¡°No. Why?¡± ¡°If it isn¡¯t too much of a problem, why don¡¯t we go see some divination to distract your mind?¡± ¡°Divination?¡± Irene knew what it was. It was like a floating superstition around the world, something like finding out about bad luck, fortune, and the future. ¡°It might be fun, but¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not an ordinary fortune-teller. An orc fortune teller resides in the city.¡± Irene was shocked by the information. It was impossible for a boy who didn¡¯t step out of his family¡¯s mansion to see an orc. Out of pure curiosity, he dly epted it, and the two dressed up and headed for the orc. The servant smiled. ¡®Orc tellers are famous for saying good things.¡¯ A human could foretell bad stuff, but orcs and other races never foretold anything bad or unhappy to the humans to avoid nder. This was why orcs were preferred. Of course, people knew that too, but they still felt good. The same was the case for the young lord. ¡®If he listens to good things about the future, he might not feel so lost and in pain. Maybe he might feel refreshed!¡¯ As they walked with such expectation, they arrived. Fortunately, the line wasn¡¯t long, and Irene was shocked. ¡°It¡¯s true.¡± ¡°Yes. A real orc. And did you know, sir? Orc tellers are the most courageous tellers.¡± ¡°Huh. I have heard that good luckes just by meeting orc tellers.¡± ¡°Right.¡± In truth, all orcs tellers only spoke about good things, but the servant didn¡¯t want to point that out. After a brief wait, it was Irene¡¯s turn. Excited, the boy sat down, and the servant took a seat. The orc teller greeted them with a bright smile. ¡°Nice to meet you, customer! Is this the one who wants to see the divination?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Nice! What would you like to know? Fortune? Today or this year? Love? Good luck? Please ask me anything! This brave orc¡­ will¡­¡± It was that time when Irene and Marcus were shocked by the fluent words of the orc. The orc¡¯s words gradually slowed down. They looked to see if something happened, but nothing was out of the ordinary. No, the orc was looking intently at Irene. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­ excuse me, is there some problem?¡± Their eyes met, and there was silence. Irene felt his back sweat, and the servant began to feel pressure at what was happening. After a while, the orc spoke with a serious expression. ¡°Pardon my rudeness, but how old are you?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not do such a trashy fortune thing again! Let¡¯s go, young lord.¡± The servant who became angry spoke with a heavy face. The orc teller, Kuvar, looked at the two who were leaving and spoke. ¡°Damn, I can¡¯t do business here anymore.¡± It was unavoidable. To be honest, his divination was horrible. He has been in business so far, thanks to his mouth and great observation skills. Even with this kind of ability, 99% of the customers can be satisfied, but there is always a glitch. And this was such a case. ¡®And, what does it mean that he failed the test with those ridiculous muscles?¡¯ He felt it. How desperately the man sitting in front of him had been training. He could tell by just looking at him. A body developed beyondparison. Body trained for practical movements rather than simply moving for the sake of the task. Such a person had an attendant behind him. He thought that the kid had to be the son of some high-ranking noble or wealthy merchant. And he was right. He looked like he was going to take an entrance exam for some knight school, so he asked the kid to take a good talisman¡­ it was probably discarded. ¡®Not a knight, a swordsman? I mean, do all the people there have the same eyes?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just his muscles that were extraordinary. Kuvar had no sense of astrology. However, he could do some magic. To brag a little, he never saw anyone better than him in magic. In his view, the gold energy in the customer was unbelievably great. It was at a level that couldn¡¯t be built in a year or two. Energy like steel which could only be gained after living an entire lifetime. ¡®A 16-year-old with such energy? Who would believe that!¡¯ Because humans were a different race, he couldn¡¯t guess the age correctly, and because of that, many mistakes were made. And his observation skills missed today. ¡°Well¡­ this is a business which runs because of such mysterious existences.¡± That was right. Despite not getting a penny, Kuvar was happy. It was refreshing to see a human who umted one of the elements, especially one who wasn¡¯t over 20. Which was why despite being yelled at, he gave the boy a present. It wasn¡¯t his, but a note containing the power of a great fortune teller, his master. His master''s clever note would give the boy the best advice. ¡°Will we meet again? Hm¡­¡± If there is a chance, he wants to meet the kid again. Kuvar scratched his head and pulled out a bottle from his waist. And to waste away the fortune he earned, he walked into a gambling house. ¡°I apologize. I didn¡¯t know that it would¡­¡± The next day, in the wagon, heading into the estate, the servants bowed. On that day, he felt so bad that he couldn''t apologize. Eyes full of regret. Of course, Irene was fine. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°But.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t hear anything bad, right? A lot was wrong¡­ wrong, but it wasn¡¯t entirely bad.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­¡± Not entirely wrong? Marcus thought. He asked the 16-year-old young lord what his actual age was, and he told the person who was back from failing the exam that he would get admitted unconditionally, despite not knowing what he even applied to. ¡®I should have swore a little more!¡¯ Those thoughts disappeared with Irene¡¯s next words. ¡°I didn¡¯t fail.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Stuck. I¡¯m sorry for telling you now¡­ I forgot about the other things. Sorry.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ah, but I have homework from the school master¡­ a conditional pass. If I finish the homework within a year, I can go back there.¡± ¡°Uh, uh¡­¡± The servant¡¯s mind felt lost. Why did he only say that now? Did he have to congratte the young lord? Or should he spare the words because he hasn''t passed yet? Should he just cheer? No, he passed? An official admission into the Krono Swordsmanship School? His thoughts couldn¡¯t get organized, and Marcus struggled to clear his thoughts. And Irene was pondering what the orc had told him. ¡®You don¡¯t have to be alone to stand-alone.¡¯ Although it seemed like a random piece of advice, Irene couldn¡¯t ignore it. ¡®What the orc teller said about my age¡­ he must be referring to the man in my dreams.¡¯ And it seemed like he was talking about five elements and the golden guinea. A word often heard at a swordsmith. Steel will. This, too, must have been referring to the man and not himself. ¡°Ugh.¡± Small things were amiss, but the big frame was right. Thetter was something no one noticed. Even Ian couldn¡¯t. ¡®Let¡¯s not ignore it.¡¯ Irene concluded it. There was no need to rely blindly on what others say, but there was no need to ignore it either. For now, it was enough. It was time for the boy to finish his own thoughts. The soldiers outside the wagon said in a nervous voice. ¡°Ahead¡­ the wagon of Gairn ising.¡± At those words, Irene came back to his senses. The servant, Marcus, looked out of the window with a shocked expression. Gairn Viscount. A family which secretly checks in on the Baron Pareira family. And it was a family with two sons who openly ignored the eldest son of Pareira. Hey all, I just paid the TL for this month and we''re back to 0 funds, I had to use some funds from my credit card toplete the payment but that''s not a problem. So here I am asking again for your cooperation, I''m sorry if this is a bother but that''s how things roll here. Chapter 38: Unwelcome Guest (2)

Chapter 38: Unwee Guest (2)

The Pareira estate is a small but wealthy one. Due to the close proximity to two kingdoms, it had a high volume of trade, and the situation improved after Baron Harun Pareira took up the role of Lord and brought in Guilds. In addition, thanks to the daughter, who is a promising sorcerer named Kirill Pareira, the status of their family was much higher than before. That made the surrounding estates jealous. ¡®I¡¯m sure that Viscount Gairn¡­¡¯ Marcus¡¯s expression hardened. Even though the five estates around them kept checking on them, the Gairn¡¯s were particrly severe. For them, who served as the head of the southernmost region of the Hale Kingdom, the Pareira family wasn¡¯t weed. And now. The most vulnerable prey of the Pareira family was in the wagon alone. ¡®I wish we would just pass by them¡­¡¯ Of course, that wouldn¡¯t be possible. Whatever the circumstances, the six southern estates of the Hale Kingdom have a friendly rtionship. And when two families of close distance meet, just passing by them wouldn¡¯t be polite. Unsurprisingly, the wagon on the other side slowed down and approached. The wagon of the Pareira family, too, slowed down. A strange tension rose between the two wagons, which stopped at a safe distance. Momentster, two figures appeared from Gairn Viscount¡¯s wagon. ¡®Shit!¡¯ Aaron Gairn! The servant gulped. Aaron was the second son of Viscount Gairn, who was a year younger than Irene. However, in terms of personality, he was far worse than adults. In fact, whenever he visited the Pareira estate, he would constantly ignore Irene. And when the Lord got angry at Aaron for crossing the line, the young one would often run away like a loach, saying that he acted like that because he was still young and didn¡¯t know better. In other words, he was the worst person Irene had to face. ¡°¡­ young lord, did you hear?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the Gairn family. Young lord Aaron Gairn and¡­ Sir Jack Stewart got off the wagon.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Will you stay inside the wagon?¡± Marcus asked. It would be rude to not show his face, but he could make up an excuse that Irene was ill and couldn¡¯t greet them. Rather, for Marcus, it was more important that his young lord doesn¡¯t get offended. As he was thinking, Irene shook his head. ¡°It¡¯s fine. It wouldn¡¯t be polite.¡± ¡°¡­ yes.¡± ¡®He¡¯s definitely changed.¡¯ He was still expressionless and said little. But it was different from before. It couldn¡¯t be exined in detail, but¡­ but he felt stronger. Marcus clenched his fists. Wiping the sweat from his forehead, he opened the wagon door. He looked after the young lord who followed him. Soon after, he met Aaron Gairn, the second son of the viscount, and greeted him. ¡°I greet young lord Aarin Gairn and Sir Jack Stewart.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ yes.¡± Aaron Gairn replied with a slightly startled expression. Even Jack Stewart and the other men behind him had the same face. It was because the physique of Irene, who was too lean before, wasrger. Aaron Gairn thought. ¡®Tall¡­ did he grow taller? No, I think that his body has improved.¡¯ It was a sloppy body no more. However, this made Aaron feel even worse. The muscles he could see over the clothes made him ever flustered. It has been only a year since he went to swordsmanship school, and he changed like this? Of course, there was nothing more shocking than that. He was just a little perplexed. Wasn¡¯t it natural to be shocked seeing a guy who was supposed to be a weakling for the rest of his life improve? He quickly changed his expression and asked with a smile. ¡°Are youing from the Krono Swordsmanship School?¡± ¡°Yes, that is right. For some reason, I see that the Gairn family ising from our estate¡­¡± ¡°Ahh, I was out running an errand for my father. But it has been a while. Nice to meet you, Irene?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Woah, it looks like Krono is good at teaching. Irene changed so much that I don¡¯t even¡­¡± Aaron was a year younger, but he didn¡¯t use honorific terms. It wasn¡¯t strange. It was because of the difference between a Baron¡¯s son and a Viscount¡¯s son, and there were many cases where they were called friends with just a year difference between them. Of course, the two weren¡¯t close at all. Aaron¡¯s tone was rather ignorant and bewildering for others. It still is. ¡°Well, are you going to continue practicing swordsmanship in the future?¡± ¡°¡­ probably.¡± ¡°Probably? Well, it must be a little odd to learn from other ces. And you even started sote.¡± ¡®That damned boy!¡¯ Marcus was furious. He felt agitated about how ignorantly he was speaking with his young lord and the fact that he thinks that Irene failed Krono. It¡¯s been a long time since even the servants forgot that Irene couldn¡¯t get along with others. However, Aaron Gairn didn¡¯t even think before speaking. The way he talked, his expression, from head to toe, everything! Maybe, everyone in the Pareira family had the same agitation towards Aaron. However, Irene wasn¡¯t agitated. ¡°Maybe true.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Is there anything else you need to say?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°If there is nothing else, I¡¯m going to move. It has been a long journey. I want to get some rest.¡± Jack Stewart, who was standing behind Aaron, was once again shocked to see Irene speak so calmly. So was Aaron. However, his emotions were more of annoyance than surprise. ¡®How dare he!¡¯ The one across from him had changed. It was a short interaction, but he knew it. Irene wasn¡¯t the same as before. The former Irene couldn¡¯t even make eye contact with him, and he would never answer so straightforwardly. He would always make excuses to get away from Aaron. Perhaps that was the only effort that Irene made in his former life. But, ¡®Why.¡¯ Why wasn¡¯t he the same now? Why was he standing in front of Aaron and saying everything he wanted to? Where was the deadbeat noble? With just a little struggle, didn¡¯t he get kicked out of the swordsmanship school after a year and was returning to his family? The moment that thought passed his mind, Aaron Gairn vowed to not let him go. ¡°Hold on.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing. Let¡¯s shake hands before we go.¡± ¡°Now?¡± ¡®This!¡¯ His expression almost distorted at Irene¡¯s question, but Aaron forced a smile. And continued talking. ¡°Did you know? Did you know that swordsmen can tell each other¡¯s skills just by holding hands?¡± ¡°This is my first time hearing this.¡± ¡°Oh my, you don¡¯t have enough information because you have been inside the estate for too long. Sir Louis Sogard, a famous swordsman, said that. In fact, there is nothing more important than grip strength in swordsmanship, so this is obvious. Isn¡¯t that right, Sir Jack?¡± ¡°That is right.¡± ¡°Look. Even the best knight in our family says so.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°As a senior who learned swordsmanship for six more years than you, I¡¯ll take a look at how much your skills have improved.¡± Aaron Gairn stretched out his right hand as soon as he finished speaking. Marcus¡¯s expression twitched as he watched it. Jack Stewart watched the situation with a little bit of curiosity. And Irene Pareira. ¡°¡­¡± After a while of thinking, without saying another word, he took the other person¡¯s hand. Aaron, who saw it, was filled with joy and immediately gave strength to his hand. ¡®Ah! If I use too much strength, he will remove his hand right away. Should I do it slowly¡­ uh?¡¯ Something was strange? It was the expression on Aaron¡¯s face. He looked at Irene with eyes that said that ¡®it can¡¯t be¡¯. The moment their hands met, he knew that it wasn¡¯t going to be easy. A sturdy hand that didn¡¯t even twitch. The second son of Viscount Gairn felt anxious and put in a bit more strength. At that, Irene just watched silently. ¡®What do I do?¡¯ As said before, Irene wasn¡¯t stupid. He knew how to clearly distinguish between ridicule, disregard, and coldness from people. It wasn¡¯t because it didn¡¯t hurt, but it was because it didn''t even matter. Even before scabs formed on his hands, the gazes of those around him were a bigger wound to Irene, and those wounds never healed. He hid himself in sleep and the dark so the wounds wouldn¡¯t get infected. A life of running away. ¡®Do I still need to run away?¡¯ No. It wasn¡¯t like that. If it was his former self, Irene would have surely run away. For him, there were a few opponents who were fearful, terrifying, and tenacious like Aaron. For Irene, the opponent in front of him was like a natural enemy. But not anymore. Having received advice from Ilya Lindsay, Bratt Lloyd, Judith, and many other trainees, he didn¡¯t feel any fear towards Aaron. ¡®Then, should I fight?¡¯ He didn¡¯t know the answer. After the final interview with the school master, the boy began to differentiate between his own power and the power of the man in his dreams. The more he pondered, the clearer the answer was. That his current growth wasn¡¯t because of his own abilities, but only because of the dreams. And that Irene was just sitting silently. The boy didn¡¯t have the confidence to corner an opponent. He didn¡¯t change that much. ¡°Eiikk¡­¡± The handshake continued as Irene kept thinking. Irene didn¡¯t even realize that Aaron was struggling. Aaron wanted to see a wrinkled expression on Irene¡¯s face. To at least hear him groan in pain. However, Irene was at peace. It wasn¡¯t just his body, he continued contemting and contemted some more. There were just too many thoughts that were unresolved for Irene. But Irene decided on how to deal with the current situation. ¡®At least¡­¡¯ His gaze looked at the opponent¡¯s hand. ¡®There is no need to be arrogant, right?¡¯ He looked into Aaron¡¯s eyes. Pressure which neither hides nor escapes. It came out involuntarily. Of course, there was a difference between Irene and what Ahmed or Ilya Lindsay had shown. However, this was enough. Aaron Gairn jumped back in surprise. ¡°¡­ ugh!¡± His face soon turned red. It was because his pride was hurt, and he felt ashamed. ¡®Did I withdraw my hand first?¡¯ He didn¡¯t want to admit it. However, he couldn¡¯t fool himself. He knew that very well. Before that, he couldn¡¯t overpower the opponent with his own strength. He was curious. How did it happen? How did the deadbeat noble, who was nothing more than human garbage, create such pressure? Was a year enough for such a lowly person to change? Or was he overthinking it? However, there was something else he was feeling. ¡®I want to run away.¡¯ Fear. He was now feeling the same emotions that Irene felt a year ago. ¡®But¡­¡¯ He couldn¡¯t do that. If he stepped back like this, he couldn¡¯t save his face. He couldn¡¯t go back to the wagon because he was worried about what Irene would say when he returned to the Pareira mansion and what the servants behind Aaron would say behind his back. Even the ck cat, which was watching them from the grass in the fields, was annoying. Anxiety spread over him that even animals would make fun of him. At that moment, Jack Stewart, who had been silent until then, opened his mouth. ¡°Young lord?¡± ¡°Uh, huh?¡± ¡°Young lord Irene Pareira said that he wanted to relieve his body by getting home. It wouldn¡¯t be polite to hold him here.¡± ¡°Ah, Is-is that so?¡± ¡°It is. Wouldn¡¯t it be?¡± The knight looked at Irene, and the boy nodded. Then Jack bowed. ¡°Then we will start moving too.¡± ¡°¡­ ah, right. Ah! Irene, it seems like you turned out to be quite good. Of course, we¡¯ll need a real match to find out!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be leaving!¡± Watching the two of them say their goodbyes, Irene didn¡¯t even respond to them. The servants and soldiers who pulled the wagon were all polite and bowed. However, Marcus seemed pissed. ¡®That lowly bastard!¡¯ The results weren''t bad, and it was clear what that kid¡¯s intention was right from the beginning. That guy was anxious to disgrace his young lord, and Jack Stewart, who clearly knew the kid¡¯s intention, didn¡¯t even stop his own young lord, they are all the same lowly kind. Of course, he couldn¡¯t speak out. Because he didn¡¯t have a title, nor was he in a situation to speak out. In the end, all he could do was sigh. It was time for them to return to their wagon. ¡°He¡¯s good at escaping because he¡¯s scared.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± A sudden, provocative remark. Aaron Gairn, who was returning to his wagon, turned and looked wide-eyed when someone said that about him. ¡°How dare you!¡± He couldn¡¯t remember any feelings of anxiety or fear he felt a moment back. Everything he felt was reced by rage. How dare someone say such a thing about him, the son of the Gairn family? What kind of messed-up person would say that! The answer came out right away. ¡°It¡¯s me. What will you do?¡± ¡°Uh?¡± People¡¯s attention that was on Aaron, who wasn¡¯t that tall, was redirected to a voice that came from a lower position. A ck cat. A small cute creature that looked like a wild animal, standing on two legs, added more words. ¡°What are you staring at?¡± A talking cat. A word popped into the minds of everyone who encountered the impossible. ¡®Sorcerer!¡¯ Chapter 39: Sorcerer (1)

Chapter 39: Sorcerer (1)

An impossible thing. Something that can¡¯t be exined withmon sense. An absurd thing that makes one doubt their eyes. When seeing such things, people usually use words like ¡®just like magic¡¯. However, strictly speaking, that was incorrect. It was easy to misunderstand as it deals with the invisible power of ¡®mana¡¯, but magic is the science that follows mana. So, what is the right word to use when faced with a situation that one can¡¯t understand? ¡®Sorcerer¡­!¡¯ Correct. Complete disregard for thews of the world only happens through sorcery. ¡®But, the cat is talking¡­¡¯ Did a sorcerer turn into a cat? Or did a cat be a sorcerer? Marcus was confused. Either way, it was undoubtedly extraordinary. He was bewildered, and Irene Pareira had a shocked expression too. It was also his first time seeing a sorcerer other than his younger sister. ¡®What happened suddenly!¡¯ Aaron Gairn was bing even more agitated. He too had never met a sorcerer in person, except for Kirill Pareira. It was because sorcerers were a lot rarer than magicians. The 15-year-old boy recalled the rumors floating around about sorcerers. ¡®It¡¯s said that all of them have weird personalities, and if they don¡¯t like something, they are the ones who act up and cause idents¡­¡¯ What if this one decides to harm him? No, what if it¡¯s already nning on it? Aaron Gairn¡¯splexion darkened. ¡®Not good.¡¯ Jack Stewart¡¯s expression was far more rational than the second son¡¯s. Although sorcerers are unique, they too had intelligence and were humane. That meant they weren¡¯t beings who scare away children. It was hard to see sorcerers speak out of turn or involve themselves in others matters. However, this was the territory of the Pareira family. And it was definite that the sorcerer is already showing hostile feelings towards them. Also¡­ ¡®There is no way to know what abilities that sorcerer possesses!¡¯ Since it was impossible to predict the opponent¡¯s strength, they concluded that they had to avoid any conflict. And spoke. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I offended the sorcerer here. If you felt offended, please visit our estate after making an official request.¡± ¡°What, you really won¡¯t fight? You¡¯re just leaving?¡± ¡°Viscount Gairn and Baron Pareira are mutually supportive and dependable. You seem to have misunderstood something.¡± ¡°Ehh.¡± The cat was standing on its two hind legs with its front arms crossed. It frowned as if it didn¡¯t like it, but it didn¡¯t take any other further action. Jack Stewart, who sighed inside, looked at Irene Pareira and spoke. ¡°We are sorry for taking your time, young lord. You must have been exhausted from your long journey, so please head back. Young lord, please get into the wagon.¡± ¡°Uh? Ah, yes!¡± Aaron Gairn hurriedly got into the wagon as if he was waiting for the words, and Jack followed him. The wagon moved away quickly, leaving behind only dust and the Pareira wagon along with the ck cat. ¡°What is this! This is no fun!¡± ¡®The two kids didn¡¯t seem to like each other, so wouldn¡¯t it be better for them just to fight it out?¡¯ After a long murmur, the sorcerer shoved its front right paw to its waist. And there, where a pocket didn¡¯t exist, a cute wooden sword came out. The cat skilfully grabbed and pretended to stab the air as if he was holding something. ¡°Like this, like this, swoosh! Swoosh!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I thought something interesting was going to happen. I¡¯m disappointed.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Neither Irene nor the attendants and soldiers on the wagon said anything. It felt like their minds went nk. They all just stared at the ck cat running wildly as it pretended to be a swordsman fighting an opponent. Suddenly, it sat down. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Marcus was the first to calm down. Blinking his eyes, he ordered the soldiers to head for the coach¡¯s seat, and with a gesture, he led the young lord into the wagon. Fortunately, the cat didn¡¯t care. As if grooming itself was its only task, it licked its front paw without paying attention to anything else. After a while, Irene, who noticed the distance growing between them, asked Marcus. ¡°That sorcerer, an unknown person¡­ no, animal¡­ ah, what I meant is¡­¡± ¡°Yes, an unknown being. But¡­¡± After a moment¡¯s pause, the servant gulped and spoke. ¡°Maybe it has something to do with Lady Kirill. They are both sorcerers.¡± ¡°That so¡­¡± ¡°When we return to the family, we¡¯ll be able to find out.¡± With those words, the wagon fell into silence. Irene and Marcus, both of them, were busy reminiscing about what just happened. In the meantime, the wagon moved fast, and after a while, the walls of the Pareira estate came into view. At that moment, Irene was able to free himself from the thoughts of the sorcerer. He took a deep breath as he looked at the familiar scene in front of him. Thezy son had returned to his family after a year. ¡°The cat is a sorcerer named Lulu.¡± There was no need to search for an answer. Everyone in the family already knew about the cat sorcerer Lulu. A family of four reunited after a long time. The first topic which should havee up was Krono Swordsmanship School, but it wasn¡¯t. Baron Pareira told the story of the sorcerer. ¡°Kirill¡­ She came here because she wanted to be her teacher. It has been about ten days.¡± ¡°Teacher?¡± ¡°Look at me, it¡¯s been so long since we talked to each other, but the first thing I say is about cats¡­ I¡¯m sorry. You worked so hard this year, son.¡± ¡°Ah! No. It was a good experience. It wasn¡¯t hard, but¡­ it felt good. Really.¡± Irene spoke with such sincerity that even his father could recognize it. That alone made his father feel like he achieved something great. His son, who had been living in his room for 10 years, endured the arduous schedule of the school for an entire year. No, he didn¡¯t force himself to stay. But he actually thought that it was worthwhile. It was truly a step forward. However, there was no discussion about the school. ¡°By the way, I apologize¡­ but can we talk about the sorcerer? I¡¯m curious¡­¡± ¡°Is that so? In fact, my mouth is feeling itchy too.¡± If he didn¡¯t know theplete information, he wouldn¡¯t be able to think about anything else. It was that stimting, the existence of the ¡®cat¡¯ sorcerer. Hmm, hmmm, Harun Pareira cleared his throat and exined about the mysterious sorcerer. There wasn¡¯t anything special about it. It wasn¡¯t a human transformed into a cat. It was a real cat. Nevertheless, it held human intelligence, and it seemed like the cat had a personality that got bored easily while falling for something and intimidating¡­ ¡°And¡­ strong.¡± ¡°Strong?¡± ¡°Yes, strong.¡± Kirill, who had been sitting quietly on Irene¡¯sp, opened her mouth. ¡°You can tell just by looking. Stronger than any sorcerer I ever saw in the Kingdom¡¯s capital¡­ very strong. Maybe.¡± Unbelievable, but Irene had no choice but to nod his head. What could he say when his younger sister, a talented sorcerer, was speaking like that about a cat? That cat¡­ no, the one called Lulu, had to be strong. And strong meant good. And that was the reason he was worried. ¡°Finding a skilled sorcerer is tough.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know that well, but¡­ it looks like that.¡± ¡°But it''s harder to find a sorcerer who is willing to teach anyone.¡± ¡°Right.¡± That was correct. Baron Pareira, as soon as Kirill awakened her power, went to the capital to meet with the king to look for a teacher who could brighten up his daughter¡¯s talents. However, it ended in vain. There are three types of sorcerers. Those who didn¡¯t like Kirill, those Kirill didn¡¯t like, and those who couldn¡¯t teach her because they didn¡¯t match Kirill¡¯s abilities. Thanks to that, Baron Pareira deeply realized why most sorcerers end up honing their skills without a teacher. But¡­ ¡°That sorcerer is the first one to offer to teach her, and secondly, Kirill liked it. Perhaps, its abilities match Kirill¡¯s. However¡­ I still haven¡¯t epted the offer.¡± ¡°Is there another problem that interests you?¡± ¡°Since its identity isn¡¯t certain, that is the most problematic part. We sent someone to the Sorcerer Association. However¡­.¡± The most important part was weird. The Baron turned towards his daughter, who had a stiff expression on her face. Yes. One of the reasons why Kirill couldn¡¯t find a teacher till now. Kirill didn¡¯t like them. That was the biggest problem. Even if everything about the person was fine, but Kirill didn¡¯t like them, then it was a huge no. Irene Pareira, who was watching her, asked Kirill. ¡°Kirill.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°The cat sorcerer.¡± ¡°What does brother think?¡± ¡°Uh?¡± Conversely, when the question flew in, Irene was perplexed. It was because he never thought about it. He decided that there was no room for his opinion as it was a matter between sorcerers. So he spoke out. ¡°Uh. Since they would be your teacher, isn''t your opinion the most important one?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Yes, and I don¡¯t know much about sorcerers¡­¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Brother doesn¡¯t know much about sorcerers, but you know me! Regardless of that, it¡¯s okay for my brother to give me his honest opinion.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Cold sweat ran down Irene¡¯s back. His younger sister was too stubborn at times. Each time Irene had run out of words to say, he would run back to his room and hide under the nket. But not now. Irene stayed silent with an embarrassed expression. ¡°Kirill, you¡¯re making your brother, whom you haven¡¯t seen in a long time, ufortable.¡± ¡°No, I was just asking him, why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because it¡¯s a tough question to answer.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, to be honest.¡± ¡°Remove that expression from your face and then say something like that.¡± As always, Amel Pareira skilfully soothes her daughter. But Kirill¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. And Irene¡¯s sweat kept falling down. ¡®Something bad must have happened.¡¯ And it probably had something to do with him. It could be something that Kirill said, or maybe he said something wrong. The important thing was, Irene wasn¡¯t smart enough to figure out what was making him sweat. He had been wanting to run away to his room for a long time. Of course, he couldn¡¯t. He had gone all the way to Krono in order to not run away from anything again, and there was no way he could run away from his own sibling. Fortunately, there was a better solution. Irene put his hand in his pocket and grabbed something, then handed it to his younger sister. The girl asked with her eyes wide open. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°A gift.¡± ¡°G-Gift?¡± Kirill Pareira was startled. It wasn¡¯t just her. The father and mother both looked at their son in disbelief. ¡®Irene brought a present?¡¯ Chapter 40: Sorcerer (2)

Chapter 40: Sorcerer (2)

¡°Huh. I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll like it.¡± Kirill opened the gift before Irene could even finish speaking and took out its contents. It was a ne. A beautiful one with a sapphire. However, that wasn¡¯t the important part. The important thing was that not someone else, but her brother, who spent most of his life in his room, had begun to think about her. The 12-year-old, who looked at the ne for a moment, managed to say. ¡°¡­ank you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Thank you. Listen the first time.¡± ¡°Ah, sorry¡­¡± A softer tone than usual, but her words were still blunt. The Pareira couple¡¯s faces brightened when they saw it. Kirill was being Kirill, but Irene¡¯s shocking change made their hearts bloom. Seeing them like that, Irene patted himself on the back. ¡®It did good listening to Marcus.¡¯ He was the one who urged Irene to bring one gift for each family member as he hadn¡¯t seen them for so long. If it wasn¡¯t for Marcus, Irene would¡¯ve returned to his family empty-handed. ¡®I¡¯ll have to take more care in the future. As I did nothing in the past.¡¯ Changes. However, the eldest son of the family showed a bigger change than anyone else. Thanks to that, the atmosphere in the room was more harmonious. In such a room, Irene was about to bring out his gifts for his father and mother. ¡°Hmm, right. No wonder his smell seemed familiar, so he was your brother?¡± ¡°Hiik!¡± Kirill made a startling sound at the sudden voice. The monster, no, the mystery cat, Lulu, raised its front paws and apologized. ¡°Ah, sorry! I didn¡¯t mean to surprise you. I thought that it would be easier to flirt and convince your brother than persuade you, so I came out.¡± ¡°What are you even talking about! And what do you mean convince my brother!¡± Kirill came down from hisp and grabbed Lulu. Although Harun Pareira and his wife were terrified by the fearless ck cat, Kirill took the cat gently into her hands. And while dangling in the air, the cat spoke. ¡°No, it just seems like he has an easier personalitypared to you. And¡­¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°And you like your brother too much, so if I go for him, of course you¡¯ll agree to my offer, right? That was what I thought.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Uh? Did I say something I shouldn¡¯t have? Was it something you didn¡¯t think about?¡± ¡°If you enter my personal space, I will never be your disciple!¡± Kirill Pareira blushed as she yelled. Lulu carefully pulled itself out of her hands and apologized. ¡°Sorry! I will never do that again! Don¡¯t hate me!¡± Step! Jumping into the air, the cat disappeared in an instant. As if it didn¡¯t exist in the first ce. Harun Pareira, who was watching it, sighed and spoke. ¡°I have no idea how to handle this.¡± A difficult situation. It would be best if the sorcerer Lulu became Kirill¡¯s teacher. However, it was still unknown if the cat could be trusted or not and whether Kirill would agree or not. Time was needed. If it didn¡¯t work out, problems could arise. A powerful sorcerer who could break through the guards and roam freely in the mansion begins to harbor resentment? He didn¡¯t even want to think about it. Even if they didn¡¯t form a master-student rtionship, they needed to maintain an amicable rtionship. But with the way she was¡­ ¡°Honey?¡± Amel¡¯s calm voice. The Baron looked at his wife. Her slightly droopy eyes and calm expression caught his eyes. As she spoke. ¡°I think that thoseplicated matters can be thought aboutter. Let¡¯s focus on our Irene. He hasn¡¯t even talked about the school yet, right?¡± ¡°Yes. We¡¯ll talk about thatter. Brother, tell me about the Krono Swordsmanship School. Did you learn a lot?¡± ¡°¡­ right. I apologize, Irene. The cat sorcerer is important, but there is something more important right here.¡± ¡°No, no need to apologize. And Kirill, um¡­ what do you want me to tell you?¡± As Irene shook his head at his father¡¯s words, he smiled. Since he¡¯s always had a pretty stiff and expressionless face, it was still difficult for him to smile, but it was getting close to a natural smile. After that, the Pareira family spent their time together happily. It was the most talkative day for Irene. After the hectic day,te at night. Irene, who entered his room, looked out the window as he fell into thought. The Krono Swordsmanship School, the school master¡¯s advice, his own sword, his family, his sister, the cat sorcerer Lulu, Viscount Gairn¡­. The world outside his room was difficult andplicated. It waspletely different from the past when he would close his eyes and cover his ears. Of course, all things considered, it was much better than before. He remembered the conversation he had with his family and all the smiles they shared. ¡®I just brought gifts, and they loved it, everyone¡­¡¯ Rather, they were even more moved by the information that he passed the evaluations. Seeing that, Irene felt happy, yet sad. Seeing his parents and younger sister overjoyed over trivial actions that any son of any ordinary family could do, he began to regret all the time he had wasted. ¡®Let¡¯s never do that again.¡¯ Irene clenched his fists. He didn¡¯t have to do anything significant. And although it wasn¡¯t a shocker, he knew that his parents didn¡¯t expect huge things from him either. All he had to do was not run away like he used to. Even if it¡¯s difficult, he has to straighten his back, and even if it¡¯s burdensome, he has to endure it and puff out his chest. That alone would bring a smile to his younger sister¡¯s face instead of annoyance. ¡®¡­ finding my sword shouldn¡¯t be dyed.¡¯ Irene¡¯s face turned serious. The homework given by Ian was difficult for him. A philosophical and abstract topic that he had never thought about in his entire life. His heart was pounding so hard that Irene wanted to throw it away. But he couldn¡¯t. If he sat still and kept thinking that the task was difficult, nothing would change. Although thanks to the dream, Irene, who was a sloth, realized it. Thinking about it, he burst outughing. To break free from his dreams and build his own sword, it seemed like he was getting help from his dreams again in the process. Perhaps, this was ironic. ¡°¡­ well, fine.¡± Irene shook his head. Deep and profound thoughts lead to many troubles, and troubles lead to doubt. And doubt brings in depression, lethargy, and self-depreciation. No one else knew it, but he did. This too was something he had realized over the past 10 years. He erased all those thoughts one after another. And that made it clear what he had to do the next day. Irene spoke as he looked at the door. ¡°Who is out there?¡± ¡°Ah! May Ie in?¡± ¡°Yes,e in.¡± Shortly after his words, a maid entered. And Irene spoke. ¡°I¡¯m going to the training grounds at around 5 o¡¯clock tomorrow, so inform them in advance and prepare for it.¡± ¡°Sorry? Are you talking about tomorrow?¡± The maid asked in confusion. Irene didn¡¯t understand why she had to look so shocked, but he nodded. ¡°Yes. Are there any problems?¡± ¡°No¡­ but, by 5 o¡¯clock, you mean¡­ the afternoon?¡± ¡°If that was the case, I wouldn¡¯t inform you now. It¡¯s in the morning.¡± ¡°Morning¡­¡± The maid panicked again, and Irene watched her. After a moment of silence, the maid carefully put her thoughts into words. ¡°Excuse my question, but are you fine, sir?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Well¡­ from what I heard, the distance from Krono to here is quite long, and this is the first night that you¡¯re sleeping here, and you won¡¯t get enough rest¡­ if you get up that early in the morning to train¡­ I am worried that you¡¯ll get sick, sir¡­¡± Although the maid was young, she had been working in the mansion for more than three years, so she was aware of Irene¡¯s former self. Before leaving for the school, he behaved a little like a normal person, but for her, the young lord was still the ¡®deadbeat¡¯ and zy¡¯ noble. ¡®No, leaving that aside¡­ no matter how strong he became, this is too much.¡¯ As a maid, she had no choice but to think about her young lord. However, Irene was different. In the past year, he slept for less than five hours a day, and the rest of the time was spent training, training, and training. For such a boy, the month-long trip in the wagon wasn¡¯t an arduous journey but rest. If it hadn¡¯t been for Ian¡¯s advice, Irene probably would have swung his sword nonstop during the trip. Irene spoke with a faint smile. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Just prepare those things.¡± ¡°Yes. Yes.¡± ¡°Prepare food too. It¡¯s alright if the food is smaller than an actual breakfast.¡± ¡°¡­ yes. By the way, there will be regr soldiers training tomorrow. The training grounds will be crowded from the early morning on. Is the sir fine with that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care. I¡¯m not going to take up a lot of space.¡± ¡°Yes. Then I¡¯ll take my leave.¡± The maid bowed her head and stepped back as she left the room. The door closed, and she mumbled very quietly to herself. ¡°Is he too embarrassed by the fact that he failed the final evaluation?¡± It didn¡¯t make any sense to her. After thinking that, she lightly walked down the hallway and headed for the kitchen. It was the natural reaction, as only his family and Marcus knew that Irene passed. ¡°You want me to make something for the young lord to eat tomorrow morning?¡± ¡°The young lord wants to go to the training grounds that early?¡± ¡°He doesn¡¯t have to be that way.¡± The kitchen maids had simr thoughts. The bad-hearted people thought ¡®It¡¯s toote to act, it will all be in vain¡¯, while the good-hearted people thought ¡®it¡¯s good that he is more active than before¡¯. Unfortunately, no one from either side had guessed just how much Irene had grown in the Krono Swordsmanship School. The night passed, and dawn came. ¡°Now then, should I try training a little after such a long time?¡± Exactly 5 am. Irene, who was fully prepared, appeared at the training grounds. He didn¡¯t rush in. He rxed his body as he was training after a very long time. All his muscles were being released from the stiffness, and heat began to rise. Of course, it didn¡¯t end there. The movements he did so far were just to prevent any possible injuries. A sword is a sword, but since he hadn¡¯t used his body in a long time, he wanted to use it in the right way. Irene nced around the training grounds. ¡°¡­¡± Inferior equipmentpared to the school. But it was fine. There are plenty of exercises he could do with his bare body. ¡°Since there are no people yet, can I use the space?¡± Mumbling, he began to run around the training grounds. It wasn¡¯t slow. Little by little, Irene increased the speed. ¡°Damn it, what kind of person will call for training starting from the morning¡­¡± ¡°I know. Hell training? That sounds nice. It would be much better to have a healthy breakfast and then start training at 9, to have proper efficiency¡­¡± ¡°Can¡¯t be helped. I heard this from the top. Since we are only doing this to show off to the Baron¡¯s family, we need to look like we are a tough bunch.¡± ¡°No, what nonsense is¡­¡± Soldiers began to gather on the training grounds after a meeting at 6 am. They were all cursing the situation they were put into. It was natural. No one wakes up and uses their body right from the early morning. ¡°Uh?¡± No. There was one such person. A boy running through the grounds, expressionless, yet he seemed refreshed. ¡°Young lord?¡± ¡°He¡¯s back?¡± ¡°Right. He came back from school yesterday. But¡­¡± ¡°He has been sprinting since dawn?¡± ¡°Did he fail?¡± The soldiers who confirmed the appearance of Irene kept speaking. On the faces of a few, worry began to crawl. Chapter 41: Sorcerer (3)

Chapter 41: Sorcerer (3)

As said earlier, people didn¡¯t know that Irene Pareira passed Krono¡¯s evaluations. Because the Baron decided to keep it a secret. He thought that his son would feel pressured if the news went outside the family. In fact, even he didn¡¯t believe in Irene. Because a year is too short of a time for a person to change. If even the father who loved his son very much couldn¡¯t believe it, then what about the others? So, the soldiers thought of Irene aszy. The image they saw of him before he headed to Krono Swordsmanship School was long forgotten. He must have worked hard for a year, but in the end, a 16-year-old boy who came with thebel of ¡®failed to enter officially¡¯ started to work right from dawn? They couldn¡¯t help but worry. ¡°How long does he n to run?¡± ¡°I know. He has already run for over 10 minutes at that speed¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t unreasonable for a healthy person to run for a few minutes. However, that was when one ran at an appropriate speed, if they sprinted, the situation was different. Even soldiers with good physical strength and endurance would gasp for breath and be nauseous. However, the soldiers saw that Irene Pareira had been maintaining that speed for over 10 minutes. No. A young one mumbled. ¡°He seems to be getting faster?¡± ¡°Y-yes.¡± The soldiers began to panic. They were a bit concerned before, but it was much more serious now. If their young lord overworked himself right in front of them, who would be held responsible? They would be questioned. It was burdensome, so they had to restrain Irene. Among the soldiers who looked at each other, one of the men gulped. He approached the eldest son of the Pareira family with a nervous face, and Irene, who was running, luckily grasped their intention and stopped. But¡­ ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°No¡­ that¡­¡± ¡®How is he fine?¡¯ He really was. Their young lord, who stopped, was calm in his breathing. Although the breathing was faster than usual, Irene didn¡¯t show a single drop of sweat and had stable breathing. The man had to narrow his eyes to take a closer look. It wasn¡¯t unreasonable for the soldiers to panic, anyone who had mistaken this warm up as intense running would too. Because of that, he was at a loss for words. ¡®Uh-what should I say?¡¯ Originally, he was worried and tried to stop their young lord, but there was no need for that now. But that doesn¡¯t mean he could say, ¡®Oh, it¡¯s nothing, you can get back to what you were doing!¡¯ Fortunately, the embarrassing situation was immediately resolved. Irene spoke as if he realized something. ¡°Ah, right, I was told that soldiers were going to have morning training today.¡± ¡°Ah? Yes, that¡¯s right! Ugh, I, I didn¡¯t mean to disturb the young¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. I was about to stop running.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll use that iron bar in the corner.¡± Irene lied to him in good faith. In fact, the soldier cut off his training at a bad time, and now his body was itching for more. It was fine. Running wasn¡¯t the only thing he had to do. The boy headed for the iron bar and jumped lightly. And he continued to workout with a rxed expression. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The soldiers who watched that were in admiration. As the gathering time drew near, the other soldiers who began to gather had simr expressions to those who had been watching Irene for a while. ¡°Wah, I¡¯m sleepy.¡± Zurkan, the head knight of the Pareira family, yawned as he headed to the training grounds. He was supposed to conduct training at 6 am. He didn¡¯t drink the previous night, but he didn¡¯t feel particrly refreshed today. ¡®Damn, it¡¯s subjugation season. I¡¯m excited.¡¯ The six southern families of the Hale Kingdom form a coalition unit every spring to subdue monsters. If they didn¡¯t subdue the monsters regrly, the monsters in the mountains would start pouring into the cities. As a result, there was a rtivelyrge amount of work to do during this period. And one could see it in their surroundings. It wasn¡¯t just that. The fame of the Pareira family was growing with each day. The praise for the benevolent and capable Baron, thend which kept growing in wealth, and the young sorcerer Kirill Pareira. That was certainly a good thing, but there was always a chance that people would be jealous of this estate. Orn Zukran, who remembered the subtle checks done by the neighboring families, frowned. ¡®I also need to work hard, so I don¡¯t lookcking. If I make a mistake, the Baron might rece me with the newly recruited knights¡­¡¯ ¡°Tch.¡± As he continued to think, he clicked his tongue. Yesterday afternoon, he came to know about the return of the eldest son of the Pareira family, who had gone to the swordsmanship school. Apparently, the biggest w of the Pareira was the young lord, so there was a high possibility that the future checks by the other families would be more tenacious. Which meant that he had to handle the stress thates from the new work. As he thought about that, his bad mood turned worse. ¡°Eh, I can never understand that young lord. Does he know just how many people are concerned and working for his sake¡­ uh?¡± Orn Zukran, who entered the training ground, was startled. Because the atmosphere was strange. The current time was still 5:55 am. The gathering of all the attendees was natural, but the soldiers who should have been in line and waiting all had rxed appearances. It looked more like a gathering to watch something. Curious, he went towards the soldiers. Getting close to them, he thought of screaming loudly in their ears. ¡°Ah, Knight Zukran!¡± But it failed, and a young soldier recognized him. And the young one wasn¡¯t even scared. He ran towards him with a shocked expression and said. ¡°Look over there, sir.¡± ¡°What are you talking about!¡± ¡°The young master is training.¡± ¡°What? This time?¡± Orn Zukran, who was surprised, nodded, ¡°Ah!¡± Come to think of it, the young lord swung his sword every day for a month before he left. ¡®Did some sense get knocked into him during school?¡¯ But that alone couldn¡¯t exin why the soldiers were so shocked. He couldn¡¯t understand despite wanting to. He turned towards the soldiers, thinking about how he had to discipline them. ¡°Huh.¡± Some guys greeted him, and some didn¡¯t even know as they kept gawking at the young lord. Orn felt flustered. What the hell was so strange that all the soldiers were captivated by the young lord? He looked curiously. And after a while, he had an expression simr to that of the soldiers. ¡°Haa, haaa.¡± ¡°Hmph! Hmph!¡± Regr stable breathing. Sophisticated and powerful movements followed. Irene Pareira was doing an iron bar exercise leisurely. An exercise close to a chin-up. But the difficulty level was higher. The boy didn¡¯t just pull his body up to his chin, he was going over it and raised himself till the waist. But that wasn¡¯t all. ¡°How much does that te weigh?¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know¡­. Ah, there is a duplicate te in the corner. Should I check?¡± A band was attached to the waist of the boy, which had a heavy te hanging from it. A curious soldier went over and picked up the duplicate te with both his hands. However, after not being able to hold it for even a moment, he dropped it and looked at the iron bar with a shocked expression. So did the other soldiers. ¡°Yah, it weighs so much that he is stumbling¡­.¡± ¡°The young lord is working out with such a heavy thing?¡± ¡°Just what happened in a year?¡± ¡°No, did he fail the final evaluation?¡± The topic of the soldiers who were watching Irene shifted. How was their young lord this capable yet rejected from the school? Of course, they couldn¡¯t understand because they didn¡¯t know. They had no idea how great the Krono Swordsmanship School waspared to ordinary school. How unique and fierce all the trainees in Krono were. What kind of training the kids had to do to survive there, and what level of physical and mental strength they had to have. Finally, what was Irene¡¯s position among all those trainees? The soldiers knew nothing. The same was true for Orn Zukran. ¡°Sir Zukran!¡± ¡°Uh, uh? What!¡± A soldier called for Zukran. He, who had been staring at Irene, replied btedly. ¡°I¡¯m asking since I don¡¯t really know, but isn¡¯t the young lord at a great level now? Why do you think that he was rejected?¡± ¡®I don¡¯t know either, you bastard! What the hell happened in just one year!¡¯ Even he couldn¡¯t understand. He knew that Krono was a famous school, but he thought that there was no way they would fail someone with such physical abilities. However, he didn¡¯t want to be honest with the soldiers. He didn¡¯t even like the thought of acknowledging the young lord who neglected his duties so far. However, he couldn¡¯t act arrogant in front of the young lord either. After a moment of thinking, he spoke. ¡°You bastard, do you think that Krono is a ce where you can enter with just physical ability?¡± ¡°Ah, is it not?¡± ¡°No. What is a swordsman? He has to learn swords. Of course, the young lord¡­ looks different now, but honestly, it¡¯s difficult for someone who never even held a sword to enter such a prestigious school.¡± ¡°Ah, I guess so¡­¡± ¡°Yes. And the young lord never trained the sword¡­¡± ¡°Sir Zukran is right.¡± The other soldiers nodded their heads. And Zukran, whose words were being epted, continued to speak. ¡°Besides, it may look great to your eyes, but that level is nothingpared to a knight.¡± ¡°Huh, is that so?¡± ¡°Then, can Sir Zukran easily do that?¡± ¡°Of course. You think we knights get chosen just like that?¡± Zukran spoke with a brazen face. It was true that he could do it. Even if he didn¡¯t have the passion he had during his youth, he was still a knight. However, it wasn¡¯t easy to do it, and it was true that he would be out of energy after doing that. Of course, he didn¡¯t have to tell the soldiers the entire truth. At that point, he decided to finish chattering and start training. But then, Irene did something. ¡°Wuu¡­ wah.¡± ¡°How is that even possible?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Sir Zukran! Can you easily do that too?¡± With his hands still gripping the iron bar, Irene did a handstand. And he swung his body from the left to the right, like a pendulum. A truly crazy move. It¡¯s a level that cannot be imitated unless one has immense core strength. After watching that, Zukran yelled out in rage. ¡°You bastards! It¡¯s already 6:10! How long will you talk! Get ready for training!¡± ¡°Then, I will leave, father.¡± ¡°Yes, you did well.¡± Seeing his second son, who hade back from the Pareira estate, Viscount Phill Gairn smiled. Aaron Gairn withdrew from the room with a slightly depressed face, leaving behind the Viscount and Jack Stewart. Back to his usual cynical expression, Phill Gairn asked. ¡°Hey, why is his face like that? Did he have any problems in the Baron¡¯s estate?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why are you silent? Answer me!¡± ¡°¡­ understood.¡± With a calm voice, Jack Stewart began to confide everything he had seen, heard, and felt. Chapter 42: Sorcerer (4)

Chapter 42: Sorcerer (4)

¡°¡­¡± Until the end of Jack¡¯s story, Phill Gairn didn¡¯t say anything. He was seated in the chair as he ced his chin on his right hand and listened. Of course, that didn¡¯t continue for long. After a while, he asked in a calm voice. ¡°So¡­ whileing back from the estate, you met with thezy prince.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°While they were greeting each other, Aaron acted as usual.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But thatzy one didn¡¯t run away or avoid his gaze, unlike before¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s why my son looks like that¡­ am I understanding this right? That is what you said, right?¡± ¡°¡­ at least that was what I saw.¡± ¡°Now! That! Does that make any sense! You bastard! Are you even walking with your eyes open or not!¡± Thud! Crack! Clink! Phill Gairn turned over the table with a scream. The ss on top shattered and made an unpleasant sound. A few drops of the hot tea which was on the table sshed onto Jack Stewart''s face, but he didn¡¯t even blink. After a while, Phill Gairn, who raged like a monster, softened his expression as if nothing happened. And calmly, he continued. ¡°I guess that was all. If it wasn¡¯t you but some other bastard who gave me such a report.¡± ¡°Thank you for trusting me.¡± ¡°I need to believe. I believe you. You are the knight that I trust the most. Who would I trust if not you? Hehehe.¡± The way the viscount smiled with his eyes open was terrifying. But it was a familiar sight for Jack. He waited until the viscount sorted out his thoughts. ¡°Huh, but it¡¯s still strange. Honestly, I can¡¯t get myself to believe this. So that disgusting bastard has changed? That jerk who looked like an old man waiting for death? He really changed?¡± ¡°He definitely changed. His physique has improved noticeably, and his attitude towards people has also changed. I think that he learned a lot from Krono.¡± ¡°Uh-fuck it! Swordsmanship isn¡¯t some magic! Anyway, this is annoying. Harun, the thought of that bastard smiling makes me cringe!¡± Phill ground his teeth. He has always hated Harun Pareira. And not in a way like having him as an opponent. Harun was more handsome and still had hair on his head whenpared with Phill. Unlike Phill, who got married through an arrangement, Harun married a pretty woman through love. Two of them too. And he heard that his current wife was lean and beautiful. That alone enraged him, and Harun¡¯s estate grew richer with each day. The praise for Harun was heard by Phill every day. Disgusting bastard. Just the thought of Harun made Phill lose his appetite. It was. That was why he persistently did ill to his Irene because Irene was precious to Harun. ¡®But, now that kid is beginning to cheer up¡­¡¯ ¡°Shit. What shit is this! He has to be stuck in his room like an asshole. Why is he crawling out! Why is he trying so hard to be normal!¡± Phill Gairn continued to swear. His voice became louder, and words came out faster. His bloodshot eyes and trembling knees showed his stress. At that moment, Jack Stewart, who was silent, whispered. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t stepping on a growing sprout be enough?¡± ¡°Huh? Yes, right! But how?¡± ¡°We can think of a way starting now. And it wouldn¡¯t be difficult either. Isn¡¯t there a subjugationing soon?¡± ¡°Ah-ha!¡± p! Viscount Gairn pped his hands andughed. Jack, who looked at his lord''s smile, continued to speak. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what skills thatzy one has gained. If there is anything to do, we can create a few problems for him, and it¡¯s a lot easier to criticize him and his faults during that time. In any case, wouldn¡¯t that be enough to throw the opponent¡¯s name into the mud?¡± ¡°Right! That¡¯s right!¡± ¡°If not that, we can think of a more violent way.¡± ¡°I like that too! Indeed, I believe only you, Jack!¡± Phill Gairn praised Jack. The knight who managed to satisfy his lord left the room. ¡°Crazy bastard.¡± Jack wiped off the tea. He was treated well, but every time he watched Gairn¡¯s madness, he felt his appetite drop. ¡®Apart from that, this shouldn¡¯t be too much of a problem.¡¯ Irene never attended events in the first ce, so even if the kid changed his mind, nothing would happen. Then all the masterworks he mentioned earlier wouldn¡¯t be necessary either. ¡®It probably won¡¯t happen because of the older one.¡¯ A person smarter, more capable, and more dangerous than the father. Ryan Gairn. Thinking of him graduating with high marks from the Royal Hale Knights Academy, Jack returned to his room. *** A week aftering back from Krono. Irene Pareira continued his physical training and swordsmanship training without missing a single day. He still hasn¡¯t been able to find a clear answer. The boy still had no clue what his sword was or what path he had to take. However one thing was certain, he could no longer rely on that man¡¯s sword. Of course, he still got a lot of help. The reason he came out of his room, all that he experienced in the school, and the connections he made with many people, were all influenced by the dreams. It was all thanks to the mysterious dreams and the man¡¯s sword. However, at least in swordsmanship, it was necessary to break free from the man¡¯s influence, so the boy clenched his teeth and practiced only the swordsmanship he learned in Krono. Until he forgot, until the man¡¯s sword fades away. ¡°Huh, huh, hu¡­¡± ¡°Crazy¡­¡± ¡°How long does he n on doing this?¡± Looking at the young lord, some soldiers seemed tired. They were the ones who came to the training ground voluntarily and were stimted by their young lord, who had changed. A dramatic change in the young kid they ridiculed as azy prince ignited all their hearts. However, burning enthusiasm doesn¡¯tst long. Irene¡¯s stamina was too much for them to pursue with in motivation. ¡°Oh my, I can¡¯t do this anymore.¡± ¡°Yes, this much is enough.¡± Eventually, the soldiers left one by one. Irene, who just started his break, looked at them. And remembered the kids from the school. Ilya Lindsay, Bratt Lloyd, Judith, and the others. ¡®They are all amazing.¡¯ It was a reminder of just how amazing those kids really were. Irene benefited from the dreams, but the other kids had no help from anyone. With pure passion, fighting spirit, and mental strength, they endured hellish training. Their stamina wasn¡¯t something they were born with. ¡®Can I stand without a dream?¡¯ Anxiety resurfaced. Irene shook his head. No one can do it right the first time. How many times had he experienced it? It was the moment he regained hisposure and was about to swing the sword. Swish! Flutter! Pop! Meow! ¡°Haha, can¡¯t catch that too?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The boy¡¯s concentration was broken by the unfamiliar sight. Amazing. The current Irene Pareira was so immersed in what he wanted to do without thinking about anything else. However, anyone who saw what happened could understand it. Three cats were chasing worm-shaped toys hanging from a fishing rod. And a ck cat was moving the rod to and fro. Where in the world would such a bizarre thing happen? Thanks to that, the soldiers who were leaving, the maids on their way to work, and even Marcus, the servant, couldn¡¯t take their eyes off the cat. ¡®What the hell is it thinking?¡¯ The reason was clear. The cat thinks that Kirill would listen to Irene, so the cat was trying to get close to Irene. Those were the words that the sorcerer spoke out loud. However, since that day, Lulu hasn¡¯t said a word to the boy. Well, it did sit next to Irene every day. However, on the first day, it stared at Irene for a while and then slept the whole time. On the second day, the cat yed with a ball. And asionally, it would lick itself. And since yesterday, it has been ying with cats, which no one knew where they came from. Due to the situation, even Irene, who was never interested in other things, couldn¡¯t help but pay attention. ¡°Woah.¡± Eventually, unable to contain his curiosity, he approached the sorcerer, Lulu. Just in time, Marcus followed him. Irene asked with a puzzled expression. ¡°Marcus, why?¡± ¡°Isn''t a cat sorcerer a strange thing? So, I am curious about how it talks¡­¡± It was a lie. Marcus just liked cats, and he wanted to find an excuse to take a closer look at them. Of course, Irene didn¡¯t care. He nodded and walked towards Lulu, and the three tabby cats ran away. Fortunately, Lulu didn¡¯t run away. Without even frowning. And spoke. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Nothing¡­¡± Confused. After saying all that about convincing Irene, the first thing the cat says is ¡®why¡¯. The boy stopped. ¡®Should I use honorifics?¡¯ Irene pondered for a moment and shook his head. Although it was a sorcerer, it felt strange being respectful to a cat. Deciding to treat the catfortably, he opened his mouth. ¡°So¡­¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°You said you will, flirt and convince me?¡± ¡°Ah! Those words, where did I hear those words? Right! I heard it from a novel that adults read!¡± ¡°¡­ that was what you said.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right too.¡± ¡°But, why didn¡¯t you talk to me after saying all that?¡± ¡°Because I thought talking wouldn¡¯t be fun?¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Kirill has a popping feel, but not you. You look boring like a hundred pebbles in a valley.¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was correct. Irene, who had been confined to his room for a long time, wasn¡¯t a talkative person. But hearing those wordse from a cat made him feel weird. It has been a while since he wanted to rebuke someone¡¯s words. At that moment, Lulu put aside the rod. The people around burst into exmations when they saw the long rod slip into nothing. But that wasn¡¯t the end. Lulu didn¡¯t just push aside the rod, it continued to rummage its hands. As if it found something, the cat smiled with a bright expression. Although it was a cat, its emotions were so vivid. And it spoke. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a present.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°People call it a bribe.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Receive this, and if you like it, tell your sister.¡± ¡°No¡­¡± The boy was bewildered. The tant expression of a bribe and the cat¡¯s attitude of revealing its intentions were all too unexpected. Irene was confused. But the others weren¡¯t. In particr, Marcus, who was next to Irene, was curious about what the cat sorcerer would give, so he couldn¡¯t resist. He lifted his head and checked the object in the cat¡¯s hand and shouted. ¡°Ch-Chatoyancy!¡± ¡°Chatoyancy?¡± ¡°Really?¡± Murmurs were heard from the people around. They too were shocked at the word. The only person who didn¡¯t know about Chatoyancy was Irene. But there was one thing he understood. ¡®It looks like an expensive jewel¡­¡¯ So he asked. ¡°Marcus, is that expensive?¡± ¡°Very expensive.¡± ¡°Very expensive.¡± Answers came out from Lulu and Marcus at the same time. The servant paused for a second and spoke with a trembling voice. ¡°If it¡¯s that big, and if it¡¯s a real stone¡­ perhaps a quarter of the Pareira estate could be bought.¡± ¡°¡­¡± A value beyond one¡¯s imagination, and Irene was at a loss for words. Seeing that, Lulu jumped onto the servant¡¯s shoulders. Stroking the person¡¯s head, he spoke. ¡°I¡¯m grateful that you said something favorable to me.¡± ¡°Well, I was just stating the value of it¡­¡± ¡°If you convince him, I¡¯ll give you something good too.¡± Feeling the cat¡¯s gentle touch, the servant tried not to break his expression. Irene, who stared nkly, asked the cat. ¡°To give me such a precious thing, why exactly do you want my younger sister to be your disciple?¡± Chapter 43: Sorcerer (5)

Chapter 43: Sorcerer (5)

¡°I just want her to be my disciple?¡± ¡°Without a reason?¡± ¡°Do you really need a reason? Why does it matter who I like?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Irene couldn¡¯t respond. That was right. There was now that stated you needed a reason to like someone. There really could be no reason, but there could be a vague way to exin it. But what was really important to Irene was whether the weird cat really liked his sister or not. ¡®I don¡¯t understand.¡¯ The natural oue. There was no way Irene, who was socially inept, could understand the cat¡¯s heart. He looked at the cat, just in case he could read its expression, but there was no way he could read it. At that moment, Marcus, who had been silent, spoke. ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Just asking. That one, the stone¡­ the chatoyancy stone, the thing you just said, about our estate¡­¡± His way of speaking frustrated the cat. The stutter, the dancing around the matter, and how he vaguely ended his words. However, his intention wasmunicated. Lulu, the cat, who waited for Marcus to finish, frowned and asked. ¡°What? Are you asking me if I am aware of the concept of money?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°What no. What do you think I am? An idiot? Despite being a cat, I know how expensive this stone is!¡± ¡°I-I apologize.¡± ¡°A gem of this size can buy me more than a thousand smoked salmon.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Uh? No?¡± Marcus¡¯s expression stiffened, but Lulu didn¡¯t care. Rather, the cat began to speak more about its thoughts in a confident manner. ¡°Anyway, humans are the ones who care about valuables like gold and jewels. There are a lot more important things than that.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Look here.¡± The cat shoved its paw into the space beside it. It was a strange sight, but since sorcerers usually do stuff like that, no one seemed too shocked. Rather, they were interested in what other objects Lulu would bring out. However, the object brought out by Lulu was nothing more than an unsightly wooden ball. ¡°This?¡± ¡°Wooden ball.¡± ¡°Wooden ball?¡± ¡°This is my treasure which I will never exchange, not even for a dozen chatoyancy stones.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°This wooden ball¡¯s fragrance is my favorite, and there is no way that I can get another thing like this.¡± It if was the fragrance, one could ask a perfumer or magician to recreate it. However, the fragrance from the wooden ball was very faint to the extent that it could only be smelled by the cat, which had a sensitive nose. ¡°How is this? You can¡¯t get these things no matter how much gold or jewels you have.¡± ¡°I guess¡­ that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°In addition! There¡¯s this!¡± Lulu¡¯s treasures didn¡¯t end there. As if wanting to brag, the cat kept pulling things out. A foxtail that reminds the cat of its memories before learning sorcery. Stitched stuffed toys which it received from a wandering cat. Lots of other misceneous items. Lulu looked proud as it exined one after the other. ¡°I see. I understand now.¡± Marcus nodded as if he understood something. Not just him, but even the people around them seemed to get it. Of course, it wasn¡¯t something that they could deeply sympathize with. They knew what Lulu was talking about, but money had its own value. There weren¡¯t many people who would choose something precious to their memories instead of a mountain of gold. However, that wasn¡¯t all. Irene Pareira was like that. ¡®Is it because I¡¯m a noble?¡¯ Unlike most people, Irene never ran out of money. He could live his entire life without ever worrying about that one thing. And he was ustomed to being served by maids. The reason he could truly sympathize with Lulu¡¯s words might be because of the thoughts which sprouted in his mind due to living in a satiating environment. However, it wasn¡¯t a bad thing. Irene liked the cat for some reason. ¡®This means that it will care for my younger sister.¡¯ The point was that its rtionship with his sister would also be a ¡®precious thing which money couldn¡¯t buy¡¯. That was what mattered to Irene. The boy looked at the cat with a faint smile, and the cat, which felt his gaze, quickly grabbed the treasure and leapt in front of Irene. And while holding out the chatoyancy stone, it spoke. ¡°Anyway, just take this and talk to her.¡± ¡°Sorry, that won¡¯t be possible.¡± ¡°Why! I told you right! This is very expensive!¡± ¡°I thought you said there are things more important than money.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°And like I said before, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right for me to intervene in her matters.¡± ¡°Talk! It¡¯s just a talk! What¡¯s so wrong with giving advice as an older brother to your precious sister?¡± ¡°You¡¯re right, but if I give advice¡­ I will talk about how I feel about you and what I saw you doing. I won¡¯t be taking a bribe and feeding her good information about you.¡± Irene spoke with a calm expression. No regrets in the slightest. Rather, Marcus, who was right next to him, had a different and greater expression. Lulu knew that too. Looking at the stone, the cat spoke. ¡°Ugh, I didn¡¯t know about Kirill, but I thought I could convince you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Well, nothing can be done. Even then.¡± ¡°Even then?¡± ¡°You look more docile than Kirill, so I¡¯lle to persuade you more and more often from now on. And¡­¡± Irene was a little more fun than the cat thought. With those words, Lulu disappeared. This time, everyone was shocked. Irene, who had seen the cat do that before, was a bit shocked too. ¡®Teleporting is said to be difficult even for skilled magicians, but it looked easy.¡¯ Was it because Lulu was a sorcerer? He looked at the spot where Lulu vanished. Of course, he didn¡¯t stare long. Irene immediately turned his head and went back to practicing. And as always, he swung the sword. Wheeik! ¡°Irene.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Come here.¡± After the talks failed once, Lulu spoke to Irene more often. It didn¡¯t have any reason behind it. Now was the same. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Juste here. Hurry.¡± The ck cat urged once more, and Irene approached the cat with a curious expression. Lulu looked at him and took out a bowl of smoked salmon. And said, ¡°Stay by my side while I eat.¡± ¡°¡­ is that the purpose?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It feels ufortable when no one¡¯s around while I¡¯m eating.¡± ¡°¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t just this once. Lulu has always been like that. Unpredictable requests, unpredictable topics, and unpredictable embarrassing actions. However, it never brought up Kirill anymore. But Irene never thought that it was strange. ¡®It reminds me of school.¡¯ Krono Swordsmanship School was a challenging ce for Irene, but at the same time, he missed it. It was the first ce he made actual friends and where he coulde out of his bubble and talk to people outside his family. And¡­ it was sad, but Irene thought he would never have the same opportunities after leaving the school. But that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. This unusual, pure and outrageous cat would treat Irene without hesitation. It seemed like there were no walls between them. Or as if the concept of walls and boundaries didn¡¯t exist between them. In a way, she?1? was more ruthless than Judith. Even though Irene had difficulty approaching others first, he was generous when it came to epting other people¡¯s approaches. ¡°See that kitten over there. Do you know what it¡¯s thinking?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­ what could it be thinking?¡± ¡°Well, I asked you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I asked you, so why are you asking me the same question?¡± ¡°¡­ I thought that you could guess?¡± ¡°How would I know what other cats are thinking?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The cat, Lulu, was back to saying nonsense again. Seeing that, Irene smiled. He wasn¡¯t sure what his rtionship with the cat was, but at least it didn¡¯t feel bad. ¡°Why are you smiling?¡± ¡°Just because.¡± ¡°That so? Hmm.¡± Like a human, Luluid on her side with her head resting on one front paw. Weird but a bit cute. Seeing that, Irene smiled again. However, his expression stiffened as he looked at his sword. ¡®What is my sword?¡¯ The same anxious question which had been tormenting him since the moment he left the school. However, there was no progress. Not a strange thing. He already knew what ¡®wasn¡¯t his sword¡¯. However, avoiding that one wasn¡¯t letting him find his own. No, Irene didn¡¯t even know the process of finding the correct answer. All he knew was to swing his sword without relying on the man¡¯s emotions. Naturally, that wasn¡¯t an easier task. ¡®I¡¯m tired.¡¯ In the past, things weren¡¯t this tough. He swung his sword harder than anyone and abused his body longer than anyone else¡­ it didn¡¯t matter then. The man in the dreams would always point out the direction Irene had to go, and the boy simply followed. All Irene had to do was work hard. But now. The Vast Ocean. Irene, who felt like he was in the middle of the ocean, closed his eyes. ¡°¡­¡± The man¡¯s sword. He didn¡¯t know what to do. He knew that he used his own will and not the man¡¯s to raise the sword. However, the current Irene was tired, exhausted, and his head was full ofplicated thoughts, which made him want to search for a ce to lean on. A desire to get away from the endless ocean ande ontond. And with that, Irene, who was once azy prince, picked up the sword again. Woong! Swung. ¡­ afterpleting a series of movements. Irene slowly opened his eyes and looked around. ¡°¡­¡± Fortunately, nothing happened. Unprecedented power didn¡¯t unfold, nor did the ground crack. Maybe it was because he wasn¡¯t 100% immersed in it. The miracle didn¡¯t happen again. No one was interested in him. For them, what just happened wasn¡¯t such a strange thing. For them, their young lord was swinging his sword as usual. No, he closed his eyes and swung it, so that was a little different, right? Right, he must have been more focused than usual. That was what ordinary people would think. However, there was one who didn¡¯t think that. ¡°Irene.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Seeing Lulu approach him, Irene answered. He had no idea why. Because it wouldn¡¯t be the first time, they were talking without any topic or aim. However, the words of the ck cat which followed were heavier and more important for him. ¡°Did you ever learn sorcery?¡± ¡°¡­ what is that supposed to mean?¡± Irene was dumbfounded at the question. The cat, Lulu, rose slowly into the air to make eye contact with Irene. Irene gulped. He could finally feel it. An opponent who exudes a different atmosphere from before. Before long, a proposal came out of the ck cat¡¯s mouth. ¡°You, be my disciple.¡± ?1? The trantor and I have been using gender-neutral pronouns for Lulu as her gender hasn¡¯t been stated, but as Lulu is a girl¡¯s name going forward, we will be using she/her to avoid confusion. If she ister stated to be a boy, I¡¯ll go back and change the pronouns, but we will be assuming she is a girl until then. Chapter 44: Element of Effort (1)

Chapter 44: Element of Effort (1)

¡°You, be my disciple.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Irene couldn¡¯t understand what Lulu said. It wasn¡¯t the usual nonsense. These were meaningful words. The other party¡¯s suggestion. Their eyes. It was because Irene was too engrossed in the atmosphere the other party created that he missed what the cat said. ¡®Heavy¡¯ Very heavy. The serious feeling. He had felt it a few times before. When he first stepped into Krono, instructor Ahmed released the same pressure on the podium. The same atmosphere around instructor Karaka, who had the same smiling face as ever, but with different eyes. No, this one was heavier. A while, for a second¡­ ¡®It reminded me of school master Ian.¡¯ Irene quickly brushed off that thought. It was absurd. Ian, the school master, is one of the most powerful swordsmen on the continent. No matter how great Lulu was, she couldn¡¯t bepared to Ian. But having that thought run inside his mind was enough to know just how special the ck cat was. ¡®How¡­¡¯ However, his thoughts about Lulu didn¡¯tst long. The sorcerer approached Irene, who was silent, and spoke. No, she spoke several times. ¡°Yah!¡± ¡°Yah, yah.¡± ¡°Yah, yah, yah.¡± ¡°Are you listening to me? Be my disciple.¡± ¡°This and that, I¡¯ll tell you everything. Let¡¯s go into the exciting world of sorcery together!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lulu was excited, almost as if the heavy air around her a moment back didn¡¯t exist. Irene Pareira, who came to his senses, took a step back and answered. ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t get it! Why!¡± ¡°It¡¯s obvious why. I¡¯m not a sorcerer.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. You can learn it from now on. I¡¯ll teach you.¡± ¡°No, this isn¡¯t magic, but sorcery¡­ is sorcery something you can learn because you want to? I know magic is okay, at least it can be¡­¡± He was right. Swordsman, magician, and sorcerer. Reaching the highest level for all three is difficult, not the initiation. Some say that starting the sword is easy, thenes magic, and finally sorcery. Maybe it meant honing innate abilities was difficult, but it also meant that learning something through sheer determination was almost impossible. Besides, Irene had no intention to pursue sorcery. Just finding his own sword was giving him a headache. He had no intention to reach out to other fields. And the boy put his thoughts into words. An outright refusal. However, the ck cat had no intention of giving up. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with being a swordsman along with that?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°There is no one more suitable for a sorcery than a swordsman with a strong will¡­ you¡¯re most likely to demonstrate sorcery along with the sword.¡± ¡°What are you¡­¡± ¡°You, do youckmon sense? Do you know the difference between a swordsman, a magician, and a sorcerer?¡± Irene Pareira went silent. As Lulu said, he didn¡¯t know. The cat clicked her tongue a couple times, then she slowly touched the ground and tapped the floor. Of course, there wasn¡¯t any real sound because her paws were small. However, the action conveyed a meaning. To sit. The boy sat quietly, and Lulu, who sat in front of Irene, cleared her throat. Before long, the exnations about swordsmen, magicians, and sorcerers began to flow out of the cat¡¯s mouth. All forms of martial arts, including swordsmanship, focus more on the body and consider the body as the inner universe. It seeks to grow mentally and physically throughout training and more training. In the process of understanding oneself more closely and moving in a better direction, one acquires a mysterious power, Aura, which was being called pressure. Conversely, magicians concentrate on the external environment, that is the outer universe. By analyzing mana, the mystical power which resides in all things, one tries to realize the principles,ws, and logic of the world. The closer one gets to the truth, the higher one''s level will be, and the greater the power they handle. So, what about sorcerers? People often say this. ¡®Sorcerer? A swarm of wild people?¡¯ Someone who is part of the world. A being who makes the impossible possible. Unconventional existences that disregard the world¡¯sws, ignoremon sense, earnestly desire for their own fulfillment, and actually make things possible. Lulu never really cared about other people¡¯s opinions. ¡°It¡¯s true to some extent. From the point of view of sorcerers, there are many things which we could say, but they would sound absurd to others. It¡¯s like saying I want money when I can make a gold ingot suddenly pop into the air. But there is one thing you should know.¡± ¡°What thing?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the desires of a sorcerer that can make even the most absurd things possible.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Normal beings have an unimaginably strong will. Actually, it''s pretty normal for people to have that, right? But, it¡¯s weird to think that an ordinary person can change the world alone. How is that, do you see just how great of a cat I am?¡± ¡°So¡­¡± Irene could roughly understand what Lulu was trying to say. To others, he might look like a lucky guycking skills. However, that wasn¡¯t the case. A sorcerer is someone with an extraordinary mind and unrivaled will to perform sorcery. In other words, a sorcerer¡¯s power is proportional to the power of their mind. Hearing Irene¡¯s summary, the cat nodded. ¡°Right. Well understood. So now, do you get it?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°How well suited you are for sorcery?¡± Lulu looked at the boy. Normal appearance, pretty normal face. Everything was natural. The cat slowly approached Irene because he looked normal. But her eyes. The eyes of Lulu, which looked at Irene now, were different from before. And she continued. ¡°I felt it. The sword you just showed me. To cut down something¡­ that sh was incredibly strong!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That kind of will is enough. Of course, not just the will. It¡¯s important to know whether or not you were born suitable for sorcery, but¡­ you can. You have the talent for sorcery.¡± ¡°How can you know that?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m a sorcerer! One sorcerer knows another sorcerer! I can bet on this. If you¡­ well, with a little help, you will be able to awaken your powers within a year. And they¡¯ll work with your sword too.¡± How was that? Would he still reject the offer to be the cat¡¯s disciple? Lulu folded her front paws with a confident expression. Irene couldn¡¯t understand, but her face was overflowing with confidence. Confidence that Irene would ept the offer! But, Irene shook his head with a bitter smile. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°What? Why! Whyyy!¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t that I hate learning sorcery, just¡­ what you just saw me do right now¡­ that, that isn¡¯t mine. That wasn¡¯t my sword.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ it''s a little hard to exin.¡± Irene had a flustered expression. He never once told anyone about his dreams. Because if someone who locked himself in his room all his life said that, everyone would treat him as mentally ill. ¡®But¡­ I don''t think this cat will treat me like that.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t like he knew Lulu well. But it wasn¡¯t like Lulu was a stranger. The ck cat that the boy talked to was by no means narrow-minded. In addition, the insight with which the cat spoke about the single sh gave him confidence. This was important. ¡®Maybe, after listening to my story, I might discover a secret I couldn¡¯t realize before.¡¯ Irene nodded and carefully exined the dream. About the strange man who appeared every night in his dreams and the sword he wielded. ¡°Wah, amazing. Is that like possession?¡± ¡°Possession?¡± ¡°Yes. I heard that some people have a different memory inside them, a different soul, personality, and whatnot, which will ovep with their actual self. But I¡¯ve never seen it.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t exactly the same case as yours. Rather simr but, uh¡­ but well, do you really think that it will hinder you learning sorcery?¡± Sadly, Lulu couldn¡¯t give any advice. No, it seemed like the cat didn¡¯t even pay any attention to that. Rather, it seemed like it was focusing on if it was really a dream or an excuse. Irene smiled bitterly. ¡®I can¡¯t get a single idea about my sword, but that man¡¯s sword is so attractive.¡¯ Naturally, he had no intention of epting Lulu¡¯s offer. The man¡¯s sword was something he had to forget, not something to be polished. However, he had no intention of ruling out sorcery. He thought for a moment. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t do it. I have no intention of awakening sorcery with the will of someone else.¡± ¡°Ahh! Forget that and try it! I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be fun¡­¡± ¡°Instead, not with the man¡¯s sword, but with my own sword, then I can try.¡± ¡°Uh? Your sword?¡± ¡°Yes, my own sword.¡± ¡°What kind of sword is your sword?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t what you showed me your sword? Was that one your own?¡± ¡°¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t answer yes. He was still trying to find his sword. But that was it. He still didn¡¯t know what it meant to find his own sword. ¡®In the end, it¡¯s the origin.¡¯ In order to learn sorcery, he had to understand what his sword meant, so he had no choice but to postpone the cat¡¯s proposal. The boy sighed softly and exined his situation. He hoped that Lulu wouldn¡¯t feel bad. With a little hope that she would support his efforts. However, the words which came out of the cat¡¯s mouth were unexpected. ¡°There is something wrong with what you¡¯re doing, and what you¡¯re doing isn¡¯t putting in effort.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t effort.¡± Irene looked into Lulu¡¯s eyes. Trying to make sure that he heard correctly. Silence spread. The boy''s bewildered eyes looked at the sharp eyes of the cat. It looked like he was urging for an answer. And the cat spoke again. ¡°It will all be in vain.¡± A cold answer. Late afternoon. Irene Pareira, who came into his room after finishing practice much earlier than usual, sat on his bed. It wasn¡¯t because he was out of energy. There was no way that the stamina he built up in Krono would be exhausted. But, There was another reason. The boy pondered what Lulu had told him. ¡®Just because you put in the effort, just because you¡¯re overworking your body doesn¡¯t mean that the effort is worth it.¡¯ ¡®Do you know the exact definition of effort? Effort means to work hard with the body and mind to achieve a goal.¡¯ ¡®Using the mind is just as important as using the body.¡¯ ¡®Honestly, it¡¯s interesting. Usually, only the mind works for many. People who want to get rich without working, people who want to be good at drawing without ever practicing, people who want to lose weight without running a singlep¡­ they¡¯re all the kind who never act. No matter how hard they try mentally, these people''s actions cannot be called effort.¡¯ ¡®Your physical effort is amazing. But your mind isn¡¯t involved. Even if you get what you are looking for, you won¡¯t be happy.¡¯ ¡®And I can¡¯t see this as effort either. Because you aren¡¯t fully involved in your actions.¡¯ ¡®Now, do you understand why I said it was a waste?¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s the heart which supports the actions¡­¡± Something he never thought of. Yet, it was something he had to ept. ¡®I have nothing to say.¡¯ Thest words of the cat. Compared to constantly swinging the sword,pared to moving¡­ worrying about what his sword was, his will to solve the problem was shallow. He was just being swept away by the flow while pretending to be in control. ¡®I¡­¡¯ But right now, he couldn¡¯t focus. Recalling Lulu, Irene mumbled. ¡°What¡¯s her identity?¡± He knew that Lulu was a great sorcerer. But this time, Lulu seemed to be a lot greater than he had imagined. Naturally, he felt intrigued. Of course, if he keeps asking questions while sitting in the corner of his room like he did in the past 10 years, he will never find anything out¡­. It was time to think. Knock! ¡°Young lord, may I enter?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± In response, Marcus cautiously entered the room. He looked around before he could say anything. ¡°The cat sorcerer¡­ isn¡¯t here, right?¡± ¡°Not here? Why?¡± ¡°I see. The first thing I want to tell you about is the cat.¡± The boy¡¯s eyes lit up. After a while, the words about the cat sorcerer came out of the servant''s mouth. Chapter 45: Element of Effort (2)

Chapter 45: Element of Effort (2)

There have been numerous stories about ck cats for a long time. Some said that the devil released them into the world to help witches, and some said that hearing the cries of a ck cat would cause misfortune. Of course, all of that was a myth, but it¡¯s true that people still believe ck cats are bad omens. In that sense, Lulu can be someone who was different from the prejudices that humans had. A ck cat that can talk to humans, and a sorcerer with a strange personality. Everything Lulu was, was abination of negative and false beliefs. ¡°There are a lot of bad stories.¡± It was the same with the servant who talked about Lulu. He looked around once more and then began to speak in a quiet voice about the ck cat. Rumors that the sorcerers guild ¡®Oracle¡¯ in the eastern part of the continent was shattered as soon as the cat joined. The story of the death of the Jackal Lord¡¯s second son, who trusted the cat due to an unfortunate ident. As soon as the cat entered Balbany in the southeastern region, she led to its downfall, and it was even said that the men inside it split into seven factions due to internal conflicts. Every rumor about Lulu was bad. ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°Everything is the truth from Oracle falling apart to Balbany going bankrupt and the Jackal estate too. Other stories are floating around¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s Lulu¡¯s involvement in those events?¡± ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t know. Just that she was involved.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°Young lord.¡± Marcus interrupted him. He knew it was disrespectful to cut off his master¡¯s words, but he thought this was the time to speak out. ¡°I know, sir. That it might not be true. That the ck cat is a superstition and the stories might have been intertwined, and there may be some unfounded rumors floating around. That innocent sorcerer might not have any connection to what happened too.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But, there is no need for us to take risks.¡± The room turned quiet. Hearing the words from Marcus, Irene fell silent, and Marcus, who looked at Irene¡¯s expression, looked sad. He knew. For Irene Pareira, who was nothing more than a loner in the past, the cat has been a pretty good friend. ¡®Still¡­ keeping a distance will be right. A ck cat, a sorcerer with too many bad rumors.¡¯ It¡¯s okay to keep your distance. Nodding his head, he asked Irene to slowly distance himself from Lulu. He hoped that they would naturally be distant. Irene didn¡¯t answer. Marcus sighed softly, making sure that Irene didn¡¯t hear, and asked. ¡°The second thing, about the uing subjugation war.¡± There will be a monster subjugation in a few weeks, and a meeting was supposed to be held. Perhaps, in a few days, the lord woulde up with a story if Irene didn¡¯t want to attend. The servant spoke those words very slowly. Actually, this was more important than the cat., but Irene wasn¡¯t in the mood for a discussion. With an apologetic expression, Marcus said. ¡°I apologize for making you ufortable. I¡¯ll just leave.¡± Lock. The door closed. Heavier air descended. But it wasn¡¯t for long. Irene gradually gathered his thoughts and carefully opened his mouth. ¡°I told youst time. I have no intention of meddling in my sister¡¯s affairs, but if I can give her¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not the kind to be swept away by those things. I will tell her about how I feel about you and what I saw you doing. It isn¡¯t going to be taking a bribe and feeding her good words about you. And¡­¡± Words in an empty room. However, it didn¡¯t feel that way. The boy¡¯s words weren¡¯t ones he was rehearsing. It was as if he was speaking to someone. And he went on. ¡°I don¡¯t think you have a personality that harms others.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re more unusual than others, a little different from humans, and sometimes it¡¯s annoying, and you sound absurd, but that¡¯s about it. There are so many good things about you. At least, that¡¯s what I think. So¡­ that¡¯s what I think. I will let my sister know the same. Regardless of those rumors.¡± ¡°¡­. But, what if something happens to you or Kirill?¡± Indeed there was someone. Irene nodded at Lulu¡¯s voiceing from under the bed. She knew that something like this would happen. So the cat thought of telling him the truth without dying it. ¡°Let me ask you one thing.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What Marcus just told me, was it true?¡± ¡°¡­ yes.¡± ¡°All those things happened because of you?¡± ¡°Not that! I was just having fun, fun, and it just happened! In the Oracle, two bad-tempered old men were fighting, and then the kids at higher levels began to fight for the top position, and in the Jackal estate¡­¡± A series of idental misfortunes. Or the lies of a ck cat. Thetter one was dangerous, and the former seemed alright. There was no guarantee that this wouldn¡¯t be passed on to the younger sister. However, ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m fine. Even if I stay too close to you.¡± ¡°¡­ but, I am a ck cat which brings bad luck?¡± ¡°You¡¯re the one who came here in the first ce. Why are you backing down?¡± ¡°That¡­ sorry. I was in the wrong.¡± A little lower voice than before. Irene smiled at that. It was the first time he saw the confident Lulu be so depressed, so it felt fun to him. Of course, he wasn¡¯t the kind to enjoy others¡¯ misfortune. So Irene spoke. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Even I have bad rumors around me.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m the same as you.¡± Irene recalled the past he didn¡¯t want to think about. The pours of sympathy,passion, the pity on a child who lost his mother. However, the short time that the boy spent in his room increased, and his feelings plummeted day by day. Weak boy, stupid boy,zy prince, deadbeat noble. All bad rumors. All malicious rumors without any basis, but once they started, they became huge like a rolling snowball, and stopping them became difficult for his family. Maybe if he didn¡¯t get help from the dreams, if he hadn¡¯t had new experiences at Krono¡­ he would still be living trapped in his room with rumors going around. That could be right. ¡°As I said before, I will judge what I see and feel.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And if you¡¯re worried about the superstitions, for now, let¡¯s meet secretly. And if nothing happens, then it was all a simple mistake, so you can go out and hang out with other people too, and even if something bad happens, it will be just me¡­¡± ¡°No! That will never happen! It was all a coincidence! I never did anything wrong! I¡¯m not unlucky, not unlucky!¡± She was the one who said, ¡®I¡¯m a ck cat which brings bad luck¡¯, so why was she shouting? It was confusing, but Irene didn¡¯t feel bad. With a smile, he responded. ¡°Right. I think so too. But other people have misunderstood you, so we¡¯ll have to change it little by little.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Until then, why don¡¯t we meet in my room, like now?¡± ¡°¡­ I will give you this.¡± Catch, the cat¡¯s paw popped out from under the bed and then disappeared. A huge ck pearl appeared. Irene was shocked and was about to ask, but Lulu spoke quickly. ¡°This is an expensive one! This is more pricey than the chatoyancy stone! Take this and say that I¡¯m not a bad one!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯m leaving!¡± Suu! A little noise, followed by stillness. Irene, with a puzzled expression, got down from the bed and looked under. After confirming that Lulu really left, he turned to the ck pearl. ¡®Really big!¡¯ It was so big that it couldn¡¯t be held in one hand. It was just as the cat said. With that size and quality, it was bound to be more expensive than the chatoyancy stone. However, it wasn¡¯t because of the ck pearl that Irene had a smile on his face. ¡®This was from Lulu¡¯s treasure collection.¡¯ One of the treasures that the cat said that she would never exchange with anyone. He remembered that the cat said the pearl smelled like the sea. So the boy picked it up and put it to his nose. ¡®I don¡¯t smell anything.¡¯ It was something that a human nose couldn¡¯t smell. But still, he could feel Lulu¡¯s emotions a little. Irene, who cherished the ck pearl, threw himself onto the bed with a smile. The next morning. Normally, it was practice time, but Irene wasn¡¯t in the training grounds but in the Lord¡¯s room. It was because there was a call from his father regarding the message that Marcus ryed. And he spoke. ¡°Do you know what the subjugation war is?¡± ¡°Yes, I know.¡± The subjugation war. It was a task to reduce the number of monsters by building up an elite group of forces before the monsters began to push out of the forest and attack humans. It was a task that took ce every May, and the six southern families joined in, but if there were no prior arrangements, then the Lords and the oldest children had to participate. Nobles are respected not because of their blood, but because of their loyalty towards their duties. Which was why the children set foot into the subjugation from the young age of 12 or 13. In fact, most of the work was done by knights and soldiers, so there was nothing dangerous for the nobles. Of course, this wasn¡¯t the case for Irene. He hadn¡¯t shown his face anywhere untilst year, when he turned 15. However, ¡°I will participate this time.¡± Said Irene with a serious face. Harun Pareira, who watched his son, asked. ¡°Will you be fine?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± Irene said again with the same voice. It didn¡¯t matter if he could or not. This was something he thought of when he came back to his family and met with Aaron Gairn. He wasn¡¯t going to run anymore. He was going to stand up for what he had to do and never avoid anything anymore. Of course, it was burdensome and difficult. Especially the psychological part and not the physical part. But now, he knew that he couldn¡¯t keep putting things off. To his son, who was in thought, the father spoke. ¡°The subjugation isn¡¯t a ce to fight monsters.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a ce where the families fight.¡± Of course, that didn¡¯t mean that they would point their swords and spill blood. It was a much more gloomy and fierce battle of spirit. He wanted his son to be aware of that. The tongue was a lot sharper than des and deadly poison. Would his delicate son be able to withstand such pressure? ¡°I will do my best.¡± ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± The father got up from his chair and patted his son on his back. Irene felt the touch. And a week after that. ¡°Haha, nice to meet you. Oh! Oh! Irene Pareira¡­ you grew up so much in the time I haven¡¯t seen you!¡± It was viscount Phill Gairn. With him in the lead, the six southern families of the Hale Kingdom had gathered in the Pareira estate. Chapter 46: The Families Meet (1)

Chapter 46: The Families Meet (1)

The families meeting and the dinner began. After all the families exchanged greetings, people slowly sat down. They remembered the story and rumors around Irene Pareira. ¡®A family that¡¯s benevolent to us¡­ it would be better to see them stop growing.¡¯ Unfortunate. Of course, not all families were hostile to the Pareira¡¯s. The Freed family and the Bauer family had personalities that didn¡¯t like fights, and they haven¡¯t had a single problem with the Pareira in years. But that was it. They weren¡¯t close like friends or anything. And the other three families¡­ ¡®I know well.¡¯ Lester, Russell, and the Gairn family. Those three families had definite ill-will towards the Pareira family. ¡®Be especially careful of Viscount Phill Gairn. We don¡¯t get along well, right from the beginning.¡¯ Irene had a stiff expression. Even if it wasn¡¯t on the notes from Marcus, he knew. He had no other choice. He knew that Aaron Gairn was the second son of Phill, who tormented him the most. Naturally, it wasn¡¯t something that would happen without parental permission. The boy nced at Viscount Phill with alert eyes. ¡®It was because of him that mom and Kirill didn¡¯te to the meal¡­¡¯ White eyes, hooked nose, and a skinny face. He met the man a few times before, but a really nervous feeling spread through Irene. The eyes were annoying to look at. Even more so when seeing them up close. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean he was going to avoid him. Don¡¯t make a mistake, and be confident. Gulping, Irene made up his mind. ¡°Thank you to everyone for giving us your precious time to ensure the safety of the Southern Trade Route. For the prosperity and peace of the six families.¡± ¡°For Peace!¡± Following Harun, the other five families¡¯ heads shouted, raising their wine sses. Irene, who watched that, raised his ss btedly. This was the first time he was drinking alcohol, but all children his age naturally put their sses to their lips. In such a situation, it was impossible to sit alone, dazed. Closing his eyes, the boy took a couple sips of the white wine, which washed down his throat. And put down his ss. He saw how everyone was looking at him. ¡®Is something wrong?¡¯ Sweaty hands and unable to know what happened. The silencested for a second, but for a brief moment, the air felt cramped and suffocating. ¡°Irene Pareira.¡± Even the one who broke the silence was none other than Viscount Phill Gairn. The person Irene was most cautious about. The boy waited for the next words as he felt his heartbeat grow. Waiting for words of ridicule and sarcasm. But the voice of Phill Gairn was more gentle. ¡°The way you¡¯re holding the ss is a bit wrong.¡± ¡°¡­ yes?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s red wine, it doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re covering the ss with your palm. But in the case of white wine, it¡¯s better to hold the long part, the stem of the ss. It isn''t right for the warmth of your hand to reach the cold wine.¡±?1? ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Sorry for what! Things happen. Now, do it right.¡± Phill Gairn spoke with a smile. A face, kinder than anyone else¡¯s, a face Irene never thought he would see. The boy fixed the ss with a flustered expression, and Viscount Gairn nodded his head with a happy expression. ¡°Good. Very good. However, it would be better to take off the little finger as well.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ didn¡¯t know? It¡¯smon now, but there were times when spices were so precious that one would only use a pinch of them. And when holding a ss with five fingers, it¡¯s meant to denote that your hands get wet when you try to pick something else.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Of course, now pepper and nutmeg are plenty, so we don¡¯t have to save our fingers and keep the little finger off¡­ as a noble, there is such a thing called manners. Hahaha.¡± ¡°Haha, right. The difference betweenmoners and nobles is in such small things.¡± ¡°That is right.¡± Both Baron Lester and Baron Russell agreed. Seeing their expressions, Irene finally realized. What Phill Gairn was thinking. ¡°No, I guess my words came out wrong. Baron Lester, I didn¡¯t mean it that way. Baron Pareira, please don¡¯t misunderstand my intentions.¡± ¡°¡­ I haven¡¯t misunderstood.¡± ¡°Phew, that is nice. I was just thinking of Irene.¡± ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get this done. There is a reason why we are here.¡± Viscount Gairn sighed in relief, and Baron Russell changed the topic as if nothing happened. The topic at the table got moved, but Baron Pareira¡¯s expression was still stiff. ¡°¡­¡± And Irene Pareira, who watched all this happen, quietly put his hand under the table. He never touched the fork or knife. He wasn¡¯tfortable enough to eat something. Questions from the families¡¯ heads continued. But they weren¡¯t important. Most of them were about liberal arts, such as knowledge in art and music, and the level wasn¡¯t high enough, making it easy for any noble to answer. However, that was the case for a ¡®normal¡¯ noble. These were the most difficult questions for Irene, who had been locked up in his room all his life. Whenever the nobles threw questions at him, the boy had no choice but to sweat, and even when there were no questions for him, he had no choice but to wonder if their attention was on him. ¡° Haha. You don¡¯t have to worry too much.¡± Baron Lester, Baron Russell, and Viscount Gairn never talked to the boy except for attacking him with questions. But then would suddenly caress Irene Pareira with a gentle attitude which wasn¡¯t their true nature. There was one thing that everyone knew. ¡°What you don¡¯t know, you will have to learn them one by one. Isn¡¯t that right, Baron Pareira?¡± Warm encouragement and praise. They were all indirect attacks on theziness and ignorance that Irene had lived in and an attack on his father, who neglected him. ¡°Sorry. But I am not feeling well, so can I leave first?¡± ¡°¡­ go ahead.¡± Irene couldn¡¯t stand it, and Harun couldn¡¯t force him to stay. For an instant, there was silence at the table. Every family head watched it silently. Baron Lester was the first to speak. ¡°He¡¯s be very dignified, but¡­ will he be fine in the monster subjugation?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Baron Pareira remained silent. Rather, it was Viscount Gairn who answered. ¡°What do you mean! Of course, he will be fine! Who has a good start? Irene will learn it all one after another. This is going to be a good opportunity.¡± ¡°Ah, right. Haha.¡± ¡°Well, there could be some daunting tasks, but once we adults begin to move, we will be able to ovee everything. Isn¡¯t that right, Baron Pareira?¡± Hearing that, Baron Pareira nodded his head lightly. Contrary to his positive behavior, his expression was rather dark. ¡°Pant, Pant Pant Pant¡­¡± The ce where Irene went after leaving the dinner was the training grounds. He was breathing rashly and leaned on a tree. He had a ce to turn to, yet his heart wouldn¡¯t ease. Rather, he felt a deep sense of shame restricting his body. ¡°I¡­¡± Irene was confident. He never seemed like it, but he knew that he was different from his past self. Although he relied on the dream rather than his own strength, he was clearly aware of just how strong he had grown. And it was right. He wields his sword a lot better than before, interacts better than before, and experienced the world a little. Just as Aaron Gairn¡¯s taunting passed, he thought that he would be able to ovee the pressure of the other families with ease¡­ at least he thought so. All an illusion. Phill Gairn was far more sinister than the boy. And was dangerous. The subtle pressure he put on Irene by never actually crossing the line and being too vague for Irene to rebuke. It was something Irene had never faced before, so he couldn''t even say a word to the man. No, even if he did experience it, Irene wouldn¡¯t have been able to say anything. As long as the Pareira¡¯s power can¡¯t overwhelm the three families, including the Gairn¡¯s, Irene wouldn¡¯t have a way out. That must be why his father was silent. A groan escaped from his mouth as he thought that hard. ¡°¡­ Ouch.¡± He didn¡¯t know. He didn¡¯t know what pain he was going through. He didn¡¯t know what kind of pain his family faced all this time. He had no idea just how much of a burden his existence was for them. No, they never let him know. They let him lock himself up in the room because he lookedfortable there. And now it was difficult. More painful. The mistakes which he always knew about hurt more when Viscount Gairn was pointing them out. A streak of tears flowed from Irene¡¯s eyes as he realized this all toote. ¡°¡­¡± The boy who burst into tears stumbled and walked somewhere. To the weapons rack. A sword made of wood. Picking up the familiar weighted sword, he took the stance. He knew what he was doing. An act to escape from the harsh reality. Rather than thinking about the subjugation and the families¡¯ meeting, he realized that relying on his sword wasn¡¯t that bad. Knowing that Irene swung the sword. Without that, he wouldn¡¯t be able to stand. It was then. ¡°What, you were here?¡± ¡°Oh, you seem to be in good shape? I guess it wasn¡¯t a lie that you went to swordsmanship school?¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was Baron Lester¡¯s twin sons, Kevin and Caesar. And Baron Russel¡¯s eldest, Martin. All three of them were about the same age as Irene, and they were children who set foot into the path of the sword much earlier than Irene. Martin Russell, the oldest, spoke. ¡°How did you get here? We had to leave first. The adults said that they had to talk amongst themselves.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m bored of waiting for the grown-ups to finish their talk. Are you going to have a match?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What? Why aren¡¯t you answering? Not only do you not know how to hold a wine ss, but you don''t know how to hold a sword too?¡± ¡°Yah, you¡¯re being too rude to him.¡± ¡°So? 1 year is a tight time to learn how to hold a sword. Especially for azy noble.¡± ¡°Hahaha, it could be!¡± As theyughed amongst each other, Irene stared at them. He had already run away once. A few words from Viscount Garin and his determination to stand had copsed into pieces. He couldn¡¯t stand it, so he went to the training grounds to rely on his sword. It was embarrassing. Sshh! ¡°Oh, what? Are you really going to do it?¡± ¡°Oh, oh, this is great!¡± ¡°But, is this fine? How about you wipe the tears off your face first?¡± He wasn¡¯t going to do something embarrassing twice in a row on the same day. With a me burning in his heart, Irene spoke. ¡°Come at me.¡± ?1? - Just down the wine, then you don¡¯t need to worry about it getting warm : ) It¡¯s better like that anyway. Chapter 47: The Families Meet (2)

Chapter 47: The Families Meet (2)

¡°¡­ Ha!¡± Baron Russell¡¯s eldest son, Martin, burst outughing. Caesar Lester looked wide-eyed as if checking if he heard it right, and Kevin just shook his head. Of course, it was exactly what they wanted. They hade to the gym with the very intention of picking a fight. However, the situation waspletely unexpected. They couldn¡¯t understand what the Deadbeat Noble had just said. ¡°Great confidence¡­ nice. Let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve got.¡± Kevin Lester stepped forward, flustered. The weapons caretaker looked anxious at the situation, but there was nothing he could do. How could he intervene and talk to nobles? While the caretaker was concerned, Kevin Lester picked up his sword and walked up to Irene. Woong! The way his sword cut through the air wasn¡¯t bad. It had to be like that. This kid had been training the sword for six years. Woong! ¡°Phew.¡± Once more, he shed the sword, and Kevin Lester looked up. There was no way that he would lose. It was natural. It was said that Irene had been to a famous swordsmanship school for a year. It was too short to learn anything. In contrast, Kevin had been learning the sword for a long time. He received good instruction from a nice teacher and participated in the subjugation three times. He had experience killing monsters. ¡®I¡¯m going to disgrace you properly.¡¯ He wouldn¡¯t give him an easy defeat. He was going to mess around with Irene and make sure the other two got a goodugh. And then tell the others too. He thought that Krono gave Irene some confidence, but he was still a Deadbeat Noble no matter what. With that thought in mind, he tried to swing the sword lightly. Swish! ¡°Ugh!¡± The results were out in an instant. Irene Pareira¡¯s sword was on the opponent¡¯s neck, and Kevin Lester¡­ didn¡¯t respond. He really couldn¡¯t do anything. As if his body was possessed. Irene, who had been silent, lowered his sword. And looked behind Kevin. ¡°Next one,e.¡± ¡°Wa-wait! Invalid! This is invalid!¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t say start! You cowardly bastard suddenly attacked¡­¡± ¡°You made eye contact.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And nodded. Isn¡¯t that a positive signal to start a battle?¡± Watching Irene cut off his words, Kevin sharpened his teeth. There were a bunch of things he wanted to say, but the words wouldn¡¯te out. His anger paralyzed him, and he didn¡¯t expect the coward to talk back to him. But the most important thing was the speed of Irene¡¯s sword. He knew what would have happened roughly. Even if Kevin had prepared for the attack, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to stop it. He red at the opponent with a mixture of bewilderment, annoyance, and shock. He just stared. A deep voice came from behind Kevin. ¡°I¡¯ll go, Kevin.¡± ¡°What? No need! This cheeky bastard¡­¡± ¡°I know that it was because you were careless, but I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That stupid person. I¡¯ll have to deal with him to make sure he knows his ce.¡± Kevin Lester shut his mouth at Martin Russell¡¯s low voice. And stepped back. After a moment of silence, he spoke to Caesar, who was next to him. ¡°That pitiful bastard¡­ doesn¡¯t even realize it¡­ right?¡± ¡°Of course. Ha, look at him.¡± Caesarforted his brother with a smile. He had no choice but to do so. Because he was as shocked as Kevin. The swordsmanship that Irene showed wasn¡¯t something that could be learned in a year. Caesar¡¯s head was full of thoughts. ¡®Of course, Martin won¡¯t be shaken¡­.¡¯ He looked at Martin Russell, who reced Kevin. He was unbelievably tall for a 16-year-old with a thick body. To be honest, he was different from them. The period of learning the sword was simr, but Martin had outstanding talent and physique. ¡®Smash him. Beat him, beat him like a dog!¡¯ Caesar looked at Irene, still confused, but the anger within him was much greater. It was a natural feeling. A guy who was never treated like a noble, let alone stand like a human, was now looking right into their eyes. They couldn¡¯t stand it at all. While he was thinking about it, Martin Russell picked up his sword, stood in front of Irene Pareira, and said. ¡°Shall we start?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± A different start from before. Shortly after, Martin Russell¡¯s sword went for the opponent¡¯s head. Thud! Ta-ta! The sound of wooden swords shing began. There was no interruption. There was no stopping. The speed was so fast that one wouldn¡¯t believe that it was kids who were fighting. But that was it. Martin¡¯s sword never touched Irene¡¯s body. It always got blocked. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Time passed, and the match continued as Martin¡¯s expression began to distort. It was a natural reaction. He was trying his very best now. After throwing the first strike, he was wielding the sword faster and stronger than ever. Nevertheless, Irene didn¡¯t back down. He didn¡¯t even falter. He wasn¡¯t even sweating. That fact drove Martin crazy. ¡®It can¡¯t be!¡¯ He didn¡¯t want to admit it. Martin Russell was better than the Lester brothers and most kids his age. His self-esteem was high, and he would burst out intoughter at the mention of Irene, who lived a sedentary life and suddenly picked up the sword. However, as he was facing Irene as an opponent, he wasn¡¯t able to smile, let aloneugh. ¡°Ku¡­¡± Martin Russell¡¯s expression changed. From forced a smile to expressionless, expressionless to nervous. Still, Irene didn¡¯t change. The same look he had from the beginning, he was wielding the sword with a cold look. He didn¡¯t want to admit it. Now, even the negative emotions towards Irene changed. The feeling of fear began to fill in Martin Russell¡¯s eyes. Someone end it. No more, he didn¡¯t want to do it anymore. Watching him suffer, the Lester brothers¡¯ expressions changed dramatically. ¡°Stop it! I think it¡¯s over.¡± A sudden voice. It wasn¡¯t a voice from those in the ground. However, they looked older. Irene Pareira immediately moved back. His eyes looked far behind but not far from where Martin stood. The man to whom the voice belonged spoke with a smile. ¡°You have grown a lot, Irene. How about you trypeting with me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If possible, with a real sword.¡± Ryan Gairn, the eldest son of Viscount Gairn. ¡®Will this turn out fine?¡¯ The caretaker anxiously looked at Ryan. This was definitely intentional. If it weren¡¯t for that, there was no way that Ryan would have prepared a greatsword simr to the one their young lord used. ¡®Surely this is going to turn into trouble¡­¡¯ He couldn¡¯t help but worry. Of course, as before, the caretaker couldn¡¯t do anything, and the ones in the ground didn¡¯t even care about his presence. Ryan Gairn spoke. ¡°I¡¯m d that the knight under mymand is using a greatsword. Sir Jack, would you lend your sword to Irene?¡± ¡°Definitely, Lord.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do that. Use itfortably.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t want to use a real sword. The weight will be different from what you usually use¡­ it might be burdensome for you.¡± To the words which were disrespectful to him, Irene briefly answered ¡®yes¡¯. Ryan Gairn¡¯s lips twitched. He dryly responded to Irene''s eptance. And naturally, a different atmosphere formed. Irene didn¡¯t care. He really didn¡¯t care about it. It was something he had expected since the birth of the eldest son in the Gairn family. Taking a deep breath, the boy remembered the past. He didn¡¯t know much about Ryan Gairn. He had no choice but to go ahead. Ryan had an excellent talent in swordsmanship, he attended the Royal Knights Academy for the past 7 years and returned two months after graduation. He only met Ryan once. When Ryan, who was on vacation, visited the Pareira estate with the Viscount. ¡­ However, the look in Ryan¡¯s eyes at that time was something that even thezy prince could never forget. ¡®Contempt¡¯ His eyes were so narrowed and disgusting to look at that they couldn¡¯t bepared to his father¡¯s, and he was trying very much like his father to overturn the public¡¯s good reviews about them. And now. He was looking at Irene with a more disgusting face than ever. ¡°There is no giving up. From the point of view of learning the sword, doing this will be appropriate.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t like it? Do you want me to go easy on you? If so¡­¡± ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll ept it.¡± Ryan¡¯s words were cut off again. Yet, he didn¡¯t lose hisposure and smiled. ¡°Great. Come.¡± While speaking, Ryan took a stance. It wasn¡¯t the right posture. It looked like he was resting the sword on his shoulder. Apletely demeaning attitude, but no one pointed it out. This was because he was the prodigy son of the six southern families. Everything changed. Even the people of the Pareira estate were sure of Ryan¡¯s victory. ¡°¡­¡± On the other hand, the opponent, the boy, was standing inly. No, that¡¯s wrong. The pressure he pushed down Kevin and Martin with was nowhere to be seen. However, he didn¡¯t look cowardly either. And that wasn¡¯t the end. ¡°¡­?¡± He closed his eyes with his head pointing towards the person in front of him. His stance wascking, and it looked awkward. Full of gaps, a posture that only a novice would take. Seeing that, the Lester brothers¡¯ and Martin Russell¡¯s faces were shocked. ¡°Haha.¡± So was Ryan Gairn. No, he was more than shocked. The forced smile he had been holding dropped. An expression of ridicule that couldn¡¯t be hidden began to form. No matter how weak the opponent was, one would never act like that. Even if Irene was scared, how could he approach the opponent with such a defenseless stance? It was weird. But it wasn¡¯t iprehensible. The others didn¡¯t know that, but Irene was always like that. Irreparable. Garbage. Coward. It didn¡¯t matter how many more negativements were added to him. Every word would fit him perfectly. Just like the term deadbeat noble. Thinking so, he raised the sword that was resting on his shoulder to the front. And started to move towards Irene. He had no intention of attacking. It was supposed to be a threat to Irene. If he couldn¡¯t threaten him, that cowardly bastard would keep acting out like he did today. The look of ridicule on Ryan¡¯s face began to deepen. It was then. The boy¡¯s eyes opened, and his sword moved. ¡°¡­!¡± Tat! Ryan spread the distance. It was just one step, but still, the distance widened. As he moved back, he rubbed his neck. There was fear in his eyes. ¡®Just now?¡¯ That had to be an illusion. He couldn¡¯t understand. He felt something creepy flow around, so he quickly spread the distance¡­ he didn¡¯t know that nothing changed. No, it wasn¡¯t like that. There was one thing that changed. Frowning, he looked ahead. The sword of his opponent was down. ¡®No way, him¡­ no, it can¡¯t be.¡¯ Right. The timing was coincidental, right? Since that was too big of a leap to make in one year. The gap wasrge. No, he never thought that Irene could ever manage to do something like that. Rather, Ryan¡¯s thoughts began to wander. Instead of focusing on the bizarre sensation he felt before, he looked at Irene and his usual calm expression. ¡®This guy¡­¡¯ Ha, Ryan Gairn burst outughing. It wasn¡¯t that weird. Irene couldn¡¯t even control the distance, so he swung his sword from there, and Ryan looked at him with an expression that said. ¡®Annoying¡¯ He couldn¡¯t stand it. There was no need for him to be patient. Enraged, he strode forward. It was the moment that he moved his sword to relieve himself of the annoying feeling. Tak! The sword fell to the floor helplessly. Not missing from the hand. But it broke and fell. To put it precisely, it could be said that the sword fell as if it was neatly cut. ¡°¡­¡± Ryan Gairn went stiff. The Lester brothers and Martin Russell stoppedughing. Jack Stewart, Aaron Gairn, and everyone else who stopped near the ground looked in astonishment. Only Irene, who was at the center of the gazes, was expressionless in front of Ryan Gairn. Chapter 48: The Families Meet (3)

Chapter 48: The Families Meet (3)

He beat Kevin Lester. He beat Martin Russell. He also defeated Ryan Gairn, the pride of the six southern families. None other than Irene Pareira did that. The battles didn¡¯tst long, but the impact they left was beyond the imagination. Everyone, including the nobles, looked at Irene, who broke Ryan¡¯s sword, with dark expressions. Aaron Gairn, who apanied his brother, was the same. He couldn¡¯t believe what happened. ¡®What was that?¡¯ In fact, when he saw Lester get beat up, he began to worry. On the outside, he looked the same as ever, bashful, arrogant, but he knew it. That something had changed. Of course, he didn¡¯t want to admit it, but he felt it when Martin Russell was fighting. He knew that things were going to turn out like this. But¡­ ¡®Brother¡­ lost?¡¯ He didn¡¯t get a closer look. All he knew was that Irene shed his sword from an unpredictable distance, yet Ryan¡¯s sword was cut into two pieces. If he was asked about a connection between the two events, he couldn¡¯t give a definite answer, but he was feeling anxious for some reason. ¡°What the hell, was there even a match?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°What is it? The sword¡­¡± To make matters worse, the families¡¯ heads appeared in the training ground. Some of them who felt the strange air narrowed their eyes. Viscount Phill Gairn, his father¡­ wasughing. Aaron Gairn, who knew the meaning behind the smile, shook his head as the Viscount asked Ryan. ¡°Did you battle?¡± ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± ¡°No, it looks like it¡¯s over, the battle.¡± ¡°That is right.¡± ¡°Can your father know what happened?¡± The mouth was smiling. The eyes were smiling too. But the eyes were shining coldly, and the cold gaze flew towards him. Aaron Gairn shuddered, despite him not being the one questioned. The other kids all waited for Ryan Gairn to speak out with nervous expressions. After a while. With a cheerful expression on his face, the eldest son of the Gairn family shrugged his shoulders and spoke. ¡°Well, as you can see, I lost.¡± ¡°Huh? You lost?¡± ¡°Yes. I lost. Irene¡¯s swordsmanship was surprisingly powerful. He attacked from a whopping 5 meters away, and my sword got split like this.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Momentary silence. The lords frowned. Neither a swordmaster nor a famous knight, it was Irene who attacked. It couldn¡¯t be possible. Right, it couldn¡¯t be. Viscount Phill Gairn, who finally understood his son¡¯s intentions, burst intoughter. ¡°Haha, that could be! Irene¡¯s sword must have been very good! After all, he went to Krono for a year. Naturally, you weren¡¯t his opponent.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But¡­ I think it¡¯s a blessing for us. I have no doubt that Irene¡¯s amazing growth will be of great help in the subjugation.¡± ¡°Ahm, I know. Baron Pareira, I envy you!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Gairn spoke. The other families¡¯ heads who saw that seemed to understand. Ah right, Ryan Gairn was thinking of losing in the first ce. For that reason, he prepared his own sword and didn¡¯t use a sword from the rack, and deliberately performed something which made his sword split based on the movements of Irene. Those who finally had their doubts resolved nodded their heads and poured out various words. Most of the content was in line with Phill¡¯s intentions, but the two other families who didn¡¯t get along with the Gairn¡¯s had ufortable expressions. They thought that the ridicule towards the Pareira family was too much, but they couldn¡¯t do anything. The expressions on the children who watched the battle from start to finish were strange. ¡°Then, let this loser walk away.¡± ¡°Right, you do look tired. Will that will be alright, Baron Pareira?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ryan Gairn politely left, and Jack Stewart followed him. Seeing the two of them leave, the people praised him. They said that Ryan was very broad-minded to ept defeat for the sake of Irene¡¯s spirit. Of course, that wasn¡¯t the truth. They just wanted to be in the good graces of the Gairn family, the most powerful family of the six southern families. Not caring about thepliments, Ryan Gairn walked away. Without uttering another word. With apletely different expression. So did Jack Stewart, who followed. The fact that his master¡¯s sword was broken. Even if he was someone whose swordsmanship was lower than the lord¡¯s, it was still a fact that Ryan had cherished that sword. ¡°Sir Jack Stewart.¡± ¡°Yes, young lord.¡± ¡°When I go back to the family¡­ get some dummies ready. Three¡­ four, no five.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Jack Stewart lowered his head without changing his expression. But his thoughts were different. The son¡¯s way of dealing with his anger was even worse than his father¡¯s, which resulted in the lives of five innocent novices being ruined. Of course, his intentions didn¡¯t matter. In the quiet atmosphere, the two of them quickly returned to their rooms. The meeting was over. A detailed schedule was drawn up, including the procurement of supplies and the formation of troops. In the next three weeks, the six families would travel across the territory to take down monsters, and the Pareira family would also fight valiantly as a member. Irene Pareira too. However, right after the other families left, Baron Pareira¡¯s thoughts were different. ¡°It¡¯s okay not to participate.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The subjugation is important, but bing an official trainee of Krono is more important. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to train than to waste your time out there?¡± A good reason to escape. But the entire family knew. The words that Harun Pareira just said¡­ they were to protect his son from the other nobles. It was understandable. Irene Pareira had grown. He was no longer the boy who trembled after swinging a wooden sword ten times. He now possessed excellent physical abilities, which surprised his own family, and he acquired swordsmanship skills that deserved recognition, except for that battle with Ryan. It was truly a huge step. However, if he had to ask his son to handle the malice of the other families, Harun Pareira couldn¡¯t do that. He could never do that. No matter how strong his child got, he would always stay as a young and immature son in his father¡¯s eyes. Irene had just gotten over the pain of 10 years, and that was why he couldn¡¯t risk hurting him. Putting his son as a member of the subjugation was only making Baron Pareira more anxious. This wasn¡¯t like dropping a lion cub off a cliff, but this was throwing it into chaos. Well. ¡°I will participate.¡± The boy was dissatisfied. ¡°I want to participate in the subjugation war.¡± Irene Pareira disobeyed his father. Baron Pareira¡¯s eyes twitched. Amel and Kirill were both wide-eyed as they looked at Irene. And felt. The hot mes from Irene¡¯s eyes. ¡®I will try for three weeks. I will shorten the gap. So that my father doesn¡¯t have to worry, so you can ovee all of your worries¡­ I¡¯ll do my best. I will be a reliable son. If¡­¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not sure about my performance at that time, I will give up.¡± After saying those words, Irene lowered his head and left the room. No one in the family could hold him back. They closed their eyes as they felt an unknown emotion run over them. Kirill wept. As she spoke. ¡°Will it be fine?¡± ¡°Of course, it will be fine, Kirill. Your brother will be fine.¡± Looking at her daughter, who buried her face in her hands, Amel said. At her mother¡¯s soft and warm tone, the tears of Kirill grew thicker. Amel was the same. She too was wiping off the tears from the corners of her eyes, as she said. ¡°He¡¯s doing his best. We need to believe in him. Kirill, you will trust him too, right?¡± ¡°Yes, yes¡­¡± Both the mother and daughter were sniffling. Harun Pareira listened to them with his eyes closed. He was flooding with emotions which were swirling deep inside him, emotions he couldn¡¯t express. Gratitude that he didn¡¯t have to worry, Baron Pareira wished for his son¡¯s future to be full of blessings. At that time. A few drops of tears were falling from Irene Pareira¡¯s eyes which looked at the training grounds. He didn¡¯t bother wiping them off. He quickly picked up the wooden sword he always used and swung it. His movements and posture were all messed up. A random sh that didn¡¯t contain any of the teachings from the Krono Swordsmanship School. However, as the emotions flowed in his heart, his movements were so deep that they couldn¡¯t bepared to before. ¡®No more!¡¯ Woong! ¡®No more!¡¯ Woong! ¡®I won¡¯t hand over my burdens to my family to bear. I won¡¯t let them be ridiculed for my sake. My sake. All for my sake, the image of my family who endured sorrow and suppressed their anger¡­¡¯ Woong! ¡®I won¡¯t!¡¯ A strong heart and strong determination. What was needed to achieve that? Irene already knew the answer. His own sword. Didn¡¯t Ian, one of the best swordsmen on the continent, say that? In order to constantly grow, you have to build a mind and thoughts of your own. A sword that belongs to you. He just realized what it meant. After swinging the sword a hundred times, he nodded and turned. There was Lulu, who had been seated. And spoke. ¡°My image which I showed you in the past¡­ you said that what I was doing to find my own sword wasn¡¯t really effort. Because my heart wasn¡¯t in it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What do you think now? What I am doing right now¡­ is it simply in vain? Or maybe not¡­.¡± ¡°This is effort.¡± Lulu nodded with a serious look. The cat¡¯s expression couldn¡¯t be understood, but the air around it and her eyes made the difference. Taking a short breath, Irene spoke. ¡°Can my current self learn sorcery?¡± ¡°You can.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking about using it with the sword of the man in the dreams. I¡¯m talking about my own sword.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Then, can you teach me?¡± ¡°dly. But today¡­ it would be better for you to calm down. I don¡¯t know what happened¡­ but it¡¯s better to start from tomorrow.¡± ¡°¡­ okay.¡± The conversation was over. Irene Pareira turned around. The appearance of the boy wielding the sword was different from before. It was hot, as if everything was being engulfed in mes. His sword was for his family. His sword was for his family. He finally found his path, and Lulu, the cat sorcerer, watched him. Chapter 49: Awakening (1)

Chapter 49: Awakening (1)

Dawn was bright. Most people were wandering around their dreand. Of course, not ourzy prince. He got up early, as always, and finished washing and eating. As always, he went to the training grounds to practice. But he was a little different. All his life, he had lived the same, but now he was going to change. ¡®Sorcery.¡¯ The most mysterious, tricky, and unpredictable ability in the world. And today was the day Irene would try to learn it. ¡°Then, I¡¯m leaving.¡± ¡°Yes. I won¡¯t let anyone enter.¡± The vision, something sorcery was called, couldn¡¯t be learned in public ces. Therefore, Irene asked his father to control ess to the grounds, and Harun epted. It was because he thought that it would be much safer than going out of the mansion and learning. When he looked at the back of his son who was leaving the room. Marcus opened his mouth. ¡°Will this be fine?¡± The meaning was conveyed despite the short question. It was about the rumors surrounding the cat. At which Baron spoke. ¡°Have you ever witnessed it?¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking if you ever saw my son say he wanted to do something, wished for something this strongly, ever seen that?¡± ¡°¡­ this is the first.¡± Marcus didn¡¯t ask anymore. And just like the lord, he too stared at the ce where the young boy walked out. A new wind was blowing for the Pareira family. It was the end of April, full of the smell of spring, but the early morning air was chilly. However, Irene didn¡¯t feel that. He walked faster than usual. Entering the ground, he grabbed the sword on the rack. He felt a different sense of impatiencepared to the day before. Yes, it was undoubtedly impatience. The desire to get what he wants quickly. The desire to get what he wants right away. The boy nodded. This was what it meant to have the heart involved. He finally understood what Lulu had told him and looked into the sky. Shhh! ¡°Here already? You look the same as yesterday! I can feel the fire.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I hope the mests a long time. Oh, no need to worry much! I will work hard in helping you.¡± ¡°Where did you get those sses?¡± Irene asked, looking at the cat, which suddenlynded on the ground. As he asked, Lulu was currently wearing sses with a red bow tie around her neck and a small book by her side. ¡°Clothes matter.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Every little thing makes a difference. I think of this as doing my best.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°It is. So praise me,e on.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ thank you?¡± ¡°Haha, nice!¡± Excited, Lulu tumbled in the air. One, two, not three. After seven times, she looked at the book in her hand. The ck cat, who was done expressing her excitement, spoke. ¡°As I said before, sorcery is about the heart.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Strengthening the mind should be a priority. In your case, you want to protect your family, and you want to sharpen your sword to do that.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then, what should you do to make that aspiration stronger?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Irene looked at Lulu. It was natural. He stood there waiting for Lulu¡¯s instructions. He had no idea how sorcery worked. Fortunately, the cat didn¡¯t force him to answer. And, like ordinary teachers, she began to exin slowly. The boy sighed in relief. Since the cat was unusual, he thought the sses would be a mess, but it wasn¡¯t like that. ¡°Are you concentrating?¡± ¡°Ah, sorry. Could you repeat that again?¡± ¡°If you keep doing that, I¡¯ll scold you! Come to your senses already!¡± The cat took out a wooden stick and pointed it at the human. After sighing, Lulu¡¯s exnation continued. ¡°This is the mostmon superstition.¡± ¡°Superstition?¡± ¡°Yes. Belief with any rational basis. But it¡¯s also believed in the world of sorcery that nothing is more important than beliefs and faith. It isn¡¯t about how absurd it is, but about how seriously it can be believed.¡± A popr superstition was that a stone tower was a ce that never copsed. After a while, the superstition eventually became true. Another popr superstition is when tying your shoces, you have to start from the left to make your day go smoothly. Others, no matter how small orrge, are all just crude superstitions that have no basis, and when they pile up, they turn into faith. Sorcerer Lulu continued. ¡°If you are a person who follows superstitions for a year or ten years, will your faith change? Your feelings will only strengthen.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t unreasonable. In fact, some even considered such superstitions as the truth of the world. Lulu also thought of many other ways to strengthen the mind. ¡°It is said that an ancient king once slept on a thorn bush until the end of his revenge to never forget the defeat he suffered at the hands of the enemy country¡¯s king.¡± Stimtion and pain. ¡°It is said that primitive people worshipped huge rocks or the sun as the gods and tried to fulfill their wishes through offerings. I actually think that¡¯s a good way. There is no faith as strong as that kind of faith.¡± So how is faith the strongest kind of belief used? ¡°The method of self-sacrifice seems to work quite well.¡± To ¡®sacrifice¡¯ something valuable in return for something. The ck cat was extremely careful when referring to that part. ¡°But it¡¯s best to avoid sacrifices whenever possible. When drawing on the power of the mystical¡­ it¡¯s much easier to get swayed by the devil.¡± Irene nodded his head. The stories about making a contract with beings from the depths of hell in exchange for one¡¯s life or soul and how the corrupted demons often cause disasters. He heard them too. Of course, the boy had no intention of doing so. What the demons want is the part that the human values the most. For Irene, it would be like sacrificing his family, so there was no way he would do that. Then what could be done? Lulu, who held a sword, swung it and said. ¡°Swordsmanship training.¡± Woong! Woooong! Irene Pareira, who wields a sword, which was difficult for a boy his age, wasn¡¯t shaking. Surely, it wasn¡¯t that great of a task. Maybe it would be special if he did it in the past, but aftering from Krono, this was regr for him. However, the servants had no choice but to be concerned. Because it had been less than two hours since their young master began to learn sorcery. ¡®Has anything changed?¡¯ ¡®No. This is just a sword.¡¯ ¡®What does this have to do with sorcery?¡¯ They couldn¡¯t understand. In fact, when Irene heard it from Lulu, he was the same. ¡®You want me to practice the sword the same as before?¡¯ ¡®It wasn''t the same? Promise¡­ no, I should use a heavier word? Right, let¡¯s call this a contract.¡¯ ¡®Contract?¡¯ ¡®Yes, contract.¡¯ He has to swing the sword with sincerity a thousand times a day. It built up his mind¡¯s concentration when using the sword and with each swing. ¡®It¡¯s simr to having a beginner¡¯s superstition. But just because you practice swordsmanship every day doesn¡¯t necessarily mean that you will reach the desired level.¡¯ ¡®By repeating actions rted to aspirations, desire, faith, your mind will be stronger.¡¯ ¡®The more days spent fulfilling the contract, therger the change.¡¯ ¡®The important thing is to put your heart into it.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s nothing different from before if you just swing that sword. Do you get it?¡¯ ¡°Huu, it¡¯s difficult.¡± Wiping off his sweat, Irene whispered. The act wasn¡¯t difficult. A thousand times? To be honest, even ten thousand times wasn¡¯t a problem. Even on hisziest days in Krono, he swung the sword more times than that. However, the condition of putting his heart into it was difficult. ¡®You want me to create my own sword and swing it with the intention of developing it? How am I supposed to do that?¡¯ Wheeik! ¡®Can you wield the sword with all your might?¡¯ Wheeik! ¡®With love for your family? Think back and reflect on your past self!¡¯ Wheeik! ¡®If that doesn¡¯t work, maybe pray that you acquire swordsmanship that no one from any other family will ignore?¡¯ A problem where he had to find the answer himself, rather than learning from someone. The first difficult challenge for Irene. Because he acted and constantly thought under the directions of others, never his own. Therefore, the boy wandered for a long time without finding an answer. He even struggled each time he swung his sword. A Thousand? It could have been done a long time ago. While considering whether or not he really put his heart into it, it was bing difficult. Irene¡¯s whole body was drenched in sweat as if he was drowning in water. The ck cat looked happy. ¡®It¡¯s nice that he¡¯s worried.¡¯ Until now, Irene Pareira hadn¡¯t made any ¡®effort¡¯ into thinking alone or worrying alone. Despite his actions, his mind was still zy¡¯. But not anymore. Crouching on the tree, Lulu thought. ¡®If you work hard, you will surely awaken.¡¯ Awaken sorcery with effort. They were inappropriate words. It was because, in most cases, not just ordinary people, but even sorcerers would treat the ability as a rare gold ball falling from the sky. And that wasn¡¯t wrong. But. ¡®I think this kind of awakening would suit Irene.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t something special that people were unaware of, this was something everyone knew but it was hard to follow. And it was what made miracles possible. Lulu believed so and watched the boy swing the sword. One day, two days, three days, and ten days. Appearing in front of Irene, she said. ¡°Irene.¡± ¡°Gasp¡­ yes?¡± ¡°Do you know what cools a raging heart and crushes a stone heart into sand?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Doubts. Stop doubting yourself.¡± Perhaps Lulu never expected Irene to answer, so it responded right away. Irene, who heard her nodded his head. That was right. Even a slight doubt could crack a stone heart. No one would deny it. Of course, knowing that wasn¡¯t so important. What really matters is how to resolve that ¡®doubt¡¯. This is something that everyone who wants to run to their goal will want to know. Unsurprisingly, the ck cat spoke. ¡°It can¡¯t be solved.¡± ¡°¡­ huh?¡± ¡°Ah, sorry! I mean that you can¡¯t solve it alone, instead¡­¡± Lulu paused for a moment and added wagging her tail. ¡°With others, it can be ovee.¡± Chapter 50: Awakening (2)

Chapter 50: Awakening (2)

Everyone has made at least one promise in their lives. About morning exercises for the sake of their health, to practice drawing and be a painter, to show a smile when dealing with people in the future¡­ Those who have such will usually work hard. Rubbing their sleepy eyes, getting out of bed, moving their body, filling up their canvas with expensive paint, and forcing themselves to smile while looking into the mirror. And thinking that if they worked the same way every day, one day sess woulde. However, the moment ¡®doubt¡¯ enters into such belief, the borately built tower copses. ¡°Of course. A mind cannot always work the same. The enthusiasm that¡¯s warm in the beginning disappears, the body starts to be heavy, the mind getsplicated, and most of the thoughts begin to turn negative.¡± It¡¯s said that even priests whose second nature is faith are swept away by Satan¡¯s temptations when they be alone. However, Lulu didn¡¯t mention anything more negative. Rather, her voice was full of hope. ¡°So, we aren¡¯t alone. We are together.¡± People can be weak. No, there wille a time when one will unconditionally be weak. The same goes for a knight who reached the highest level and a father responsible for his family. When that happens, confidence is destroyed, and doubts begin toe. And having someone who believes in you when that happens is important. A person who understands the pain that no one else can to help you out of sorrow. Through such existences, the hearts of people, even cats, can be stronger. ¡°If you don¡¯t believe in yourself, trust someone who believes in you. Andter, when their existence is bing difficult, pay them back with the trust you received.¡± A virtuous cycle of faith. Of course, the opposite of that is possible too. The moment one party¡¯s trust is broken, the rtionship bes a catastrophe, and a vicious cycle develops. Therefore, the important thing is to carefully choose the person you want to give and receive trust from. Irene, who thought that far, looked at Lulu and spoke. ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone will believe in me to that extent.¡± ¡°Huh? Why? Why don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°There is no one who will like me. Probably.¡± He couldn¡¯t feel any emotional fluctuations in his life, so it was more of a lonely world. Which was why he thought that way. How could a boy who had been constantly ridiculed and fled from people to avoid it form such a deep rtionship? It wasn¡¯t just a thing of the past. It wasn¡¯t something possible in the future either. Although he couldn¡¯t say it out loud, the boy had been thinking all these things as he heard Lulu speaking. Such a boy. ¡°I believe in you.¡± The cat, who opened her eyes, spoke. ¡°I believe that Irene will definitely acquire sword-rted powers.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m a cat and not a human!¡± The cat looked at Irene Pareira, who was looking at her. Lulu jumped into the air and spun around. The boy didn¡¯t know, but Lulu was speaking shy when she said that. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean that the cat lied. The belief in Irene was just ¡®instinctual¡¯, and was different from sensing a ¡®powerful sorcerer¡¯. As long as Irene was sure of himself, his awakening could be achieved. After finishing thinking, Lulunded on Irene¡¯s head and said. ¡°I was like you before. Just one of the hundred pebbles in a valley.¡± ¡°You were?¡± ¡°Huh. That was wrong. Pebbles aren¡¯t all the same. One is smooth, one is hard, and one is too pretty. By the way, Kirill is like a sapphire!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, I don¡¯t think there are many people who will dislike a sturdy and pretty pebble.¡± So, think about it in your room! I¡¯m off now! With those words, Lulu disappeared. The one who was left alone stared nkly at where she disappeared. He was d he swung the sword a thousand times. Withplicated feelings, the boy left the training grounds. ¡®People who like me will support me, believe in me¡­¡¯ After the dinner with his family, Irene went back into his room and thought. Normally, he would¡¯ve been thinking about how to use his heart to create his own sword. But not today. And the reason was the words Lulu said in the afternoon. ¡°I don¡¯t think there are many who hate me.¡± He had no choice but to start with that. Not to mention the past 10 years, wasn¡¯t that just terrible? He was constantly attacked and bitten by nobles, like a rabbit thrown into a herd of hyenas. The emotions at that time wereplex, weakening his confidence. However, as time passed, or to be more precise, as Lulu said, the feeling faded. Dark and negative thoughts gradually dissipated, and his narrowed vision widened as if the ck mist around him vanished. Then, precious things he had forgotten for a while came to his mind. ¡®Father, mother and Kirill¡¯ The family which had been waiting for him to recover for 10 years. Without a doubt, they were beings who loved and believed in him. If it wasn¡¯t for them, he would still live in a meaningless world without ever leaving the mansion. ¡®I wouldn¡¯t have even gotten the will to raise my sword.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just the family. The boy took out a shiny tinum emblem and a magical emblem rted to treatment. Both belonged to Krono. ¡®Work harder. Otherwise¡­ the gap will widen in an instant.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll give you a year. Find your sword ande back.¡¯ Ilya Lindsay, who recognized him as a truepetitor, and Ian, who gave him a year, they all did that because they believed in him. And that wasn¡¯t the end. Bratt Lloyd said that he believed Irene would pass the final evaluation. Judith threatened Irene to return to the school within a year. And even the instructors who didn¡¯t talk much looked at Irene with encouraging eyes. All of theme under the category that Lulu talked about. Irene was trusted by far more people than he thought. Recognizing that fact, Irene felt the tip of his nose twitch. And his chest tickle. It wasn¡¯t a bad feeling. He couldn¡¯t erase the bad memories of ten years, but it was enough that they were fading. ¡®Lulu had gone through this?¡¯ Irene, who roughly settled his thoughts, thought of the cat. It was strange. The sorcerer is truly educated, has a peculiar personality, and likes to act alone¡­ it was as if Lulu preferred loneliness. Only a little, but Lulu seemed simr to him. But she talked about the existence of a ¡®rtionship with trust¡¯. ¡®Who?¡¯ Was it with a human? Or another cat? If not, was it with apletely different being? He didn¡¯t know. However, one thing was certain: Lulu¡¯s belief in that other existence and the other existence¡¯s belief in Lulu was very strong. The more time he spent with Lulu, the more he felt. How powerful the cat was. ¡®¡­ can I be a person who can give other people faith?¡¯ Was he important? Maybe in the past, Irene would have thought of himself like that. But the present Irene didn''t. He tried hard not to think negatively. Believe in yourself, believe in your sword, and believe in your own path. Thus, he was going to work for himself and not betray those who trusted him. Making up his mind, heid down on his bed. It was earlier than usual, but it felt like he could sleep well. ¡°¡­¡± That thought was true. Irene fell asleep as soon as he closed his eyes and entered the dream world. ¡®This is the same.¡¯ Familiar sky Familiar wall Familiar yard. And the familiar man standing in the center taking the stance. In a little while, he will swing his sword. An expected fact. There couldn¡¯t be anything else done there. After spending a year in the dreams, the boy was feeling certain. However, it was that. ¡®Huk!¡¯ The man in the dream suddenly looked at him. The man¡¯s deep eyes met with the boy¡¯s, and Irene felt like he was being sucked into something. ¡®What is this?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t understand. He couldn¡¯t calm himself. All he could do was keep looking into the eyes of the man. But it was short-lived. ¡°¡­¡± While Irene Pareira disappeared into the gap between reality and fantasy. Something huge was created in the actual world. A translucent sphere exuding loneliness, as if it didn¡¯t want anyone to intervene, was created. Immediately after, a ck cat appeared in the room faster than anyone else. ¡°¡­ unbelievable!¡± The sorcerer Lulu was startled. She had no other choice. It was because Irene¡¯s sorcery was awakening a lot faster than she thought. It wasn¡¯t an ideal awakening. Although this was an advantage, there were clear disadvantages which couldn¡¯t be ignored. The ck cat fidgeted and tapped the translucent sphere. Then, after tapping it a couple times, she flew around the room. Then, Kirill entered the room. ¡°Brother! Uh? This¡­ Lulu!¡± Confirming the sphere, she immediately called for Lulu. Kirill knew. That her brother just awakened sorcery. And that translucent sphere had something to do with her brother. However, she didn¡¯t know what happened, and she needed an exnation from Lulu. She asked. ¡°What happened? What happened!¡± Her voice trembled as her mouth went dry. Her senses, as a sorcerer, were exceptional, and Lulu¡¯s actions were very unsettling. Kirill noticed how she was shaken by it and soon heard the cat speak. ¡°It will be fine. Nothing will happen. Calm down.¡± Fortunately, the words helped her. But the words weren¡¯t that hopeful. ¡°Irene¡­ entered his heart and mind. To fulfill his desires.¡± ¡°What? Entered his heart?¡± ¡°Huh¡­ a ce that no one but oneself can enter, no one disturbs it, and it¡¯s the best ce to achieve what he wants. There, Irene will continue training until he achieves satisfactory results. If you look at Irene¡¯smitment and the way he has changed¡­ almost certain. Right, that¡¯s it.¡± ¡°So, when will he leave?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°When, when will hee out?¡± Servants flocked into the room at the voice of the 12-year-old girl. Then their shocked eyes, which looked at Kirill and Lulu, moved to the sphere. The number of gazes that wanted to know the truth from the ck cat increased. Some even judged that it was the cat¡¯s fault. ¡®Maybe it¡¯s my fault.¡¯ The ck cat. It was another coincidence. It was just a week or so since Irene insisted that neither he nor anyone else would be unlucky. However, seeing the girl in tears, unknown guilt welled inside Lulu. ¡°He cane out as soon as he gets the results he wants, but¡­ when that will be, is unknown.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It could now, tomorrow, a month, or a year¡­ or¡­¡± The cat swallowed her words. But the meaning got conveyed. The tears in Kirill¡¯s eyes began to flow down her cheeks. Seeing her like that, Lulu could do nothing. All she could do was pray that Irenees out. ¡°Soon, he will be out real soon!¡± ¡°¡­ really?¡± ¡°Yes! Trust me! Irene, he wille out sooner and more fashionable! So don¡¯t cry!¡± At those words, Kirill barely stopped crying. Of course, Kirill didn¡¯t believe it. She just wanted that to be true. In such a chaotic atmosphere, the ck cat closed its eyes. And spoke to herself. Maybe Irene will get what he wants as soon as possible. A prayer with a stronger desire than ever. At that time. Irene Pareira woke upte and looked around. Familiar sky Familiar wall Familiar yard. However, no man was in the center of it. Only empty space. ¡®No¡¯ That wasn¡¯t it. Irene wasn¡¯t stiff. There was something else. Irene looked down. His hands, feet, body wearing a training suit, and a sword stuck in the ground in front of him. The boy took a moment to realize what happened. ¡®No way¡­ I, am I in the dream?¡¯ Chapter 51: Raise the Sword (1)

Chapter 51: Raise the Sword (1)

The warm sunlight, the blowing breeze, and the slight smell of grass. Good weather, weather that any cold man would enjoy with a warm smile. However, the boy standing at the center couldn¡¯t smile. He couldn¡¯t possibly do that. ¡®Did¡­ did I reallye into the dream?¡¯ His eyes lingered around the house. The poorly maintained house, fence, and the sparse weeds in between, unusually familiar. The clothes that were draped over his body felt familiar. It was natural. He had seen the clothes hundreds of times. ¡®It¡¯s just that I¡¯ve never worn it myself.¡¯ The man in the dreams¡¯ clothes. The man¡¯s home. The very ce where the man in his dreams wielded his sword. Everything was telling him that this belonged to the man. Of course, he couldn¡¯t understand it right away. A few hours ago, he swung his sword in his family¡¯s training grounds and had dinner with his family. Irene calmed down and looked around more closely. He went around the house too. However, the more he looked, the stronger the idea that this ce wasn¡¯t real. And he gradually came to understand why he was brought to the mysterious ce. It wasn¡¯t that. Right. He just managed to awaken sorcery. The face of the boy who just realized that burst out intoughter. ¡°Hahah!¡± It was fun. There was no reason for him to not be happy. It wasn¡¯t because he turned into a sorcerer. It was because now he was a step closer to finding his own sword, which will protect his family. Of course, he didn¡¯t assume that everything was done. Irene pulled out the sword, which was stuck in the yard. Suk! The sword was a little smaller than the one the man used, suitable for Irene¡¯s body. He wielded it. Even though it was his first time holding it, it felt like he was familiar with it. Excited, Irene continued to swing the sword and realized one more thing. Why did he set foot in this ce? What type of ability was the sorcery he awakened? ¡®This ce¡­ training ce.¡¯ To give him the strength to protect his family. However, it didn¡¯t give him immediate power. But, there was no need to be sad. Because sorcery is a mysterious power, and now it provided him with the best environment to sharpen his ¡®own sword¡¯. In words, it could be said sorcery pointed out the fastest way to reach his goal. Of course, not all Irene¡¯s questions were answered. If he doesn¡¯t achieve his goals here, will he never escape from this world? What is the level of ¡®his goal¡¯? What criteria could be applied for unrealistic aspirations? And finally, who was the man in his dream? What kind of rtionship did the man have with Irene, to the point that he exerted such an influence even when the awakening happened? ¡°¡­¡± Irene shook his head. With a stiff expression, he swung the sword. Wheeik! Wheeik! More, harder and harder. As a result, the thoughts in Irene¡¯s brain disappeared one by one, and his intense feelings for the sword took their ce. ¡®A thousand times, no, two thousand times, no, more than that!¡¯ He wielded the sword with all his body and mind. It wasn¡¯t an empty act that he did before Lulu pointed out hisck of ¡®effort¡¯. He continued to act with ¡®effort¡¯. And gradually increased it. Two, three, five, ten thousand times. No, up to the limit of his physical and mental strength! ¡°Hmph!¡± Irene eximed. With mes in his eyes and heart. A will like the burning me. It¡¯s transmitted throughout the body. Crackle! The burning fire in his heart will never go down. The first day in the other world. Irene Pareira managed to wield the sword with effort 3022 times. If it was the real world, the season would have changed. However, the weather here didn¡¯t change. It was warm when standing still and cool when the wind blew. Irene¡¯s favorite weather continued. ¡°I will enjoy the food.¡± It wasn¡¯t just the weather that reflected his taste. Food would appear on the table the moment he would sit. His clothes and shoes change the moment he enters and leaves the house. All convenient. The perfect training space made for Irene. The eldest son of the Pareira family was spending each day in the wonderful environment. Woong! Wooong! Swing, swipe, and swing again. He wasn¡¯t just simply swinging the sword. He took Lulu¡¯s teachings to heart and performed every action with ¡®effort¡¯. It was so tiring whenpared to merely overusing the body. Even Irene couldn¡¯t decide what would be the core of his sword and what the real answer for his sword was. He was still trying his best to capture what he was feeling. ¡®It¡¯s fine. No need to worry.¡¯ Lulu said once. It¡¯s inspiring when one starts to worry about themselves. That alone is worth a lot, don¡¯t doubt and go ahead. He nodded and grabbed the sword. And swung it tillte night and then all of the next day. 94th day after entering the world. Irene Pareira swung the sword 5471 times with true effort. More days passed. Thendscape seemed to change. It wasn¡¯t because of the passage of time. This was because Irene was tired of seeing the same scene every day and changed it to autumn. The weather was good except for summer and winter. More importantly, there was something else. A part of him that really wanted to change. To be more precise, the part where he wanted to develop more. The sword. The problem was that he was still at the same level. Woong! Irene still did his best. He poured out the maximum effort he could each day for the sake of finding his own sword. However, the number of times he swung the sword with actual effort didn¡¯t go past seven thousand. As yesterday was less satisfactory than the day before and today was less satisfactory than yesterday, anxiety began to kill his heart. ¡°¡­ it¡¯s okay.¡± Phew, taking a deep breath, Irene calmed himself. He could achieve it. He already knew that effort and achievements aren¡¯t directly proportional. Didn¡¯t he experience it in Krono Swordsmanship School? Hit, hit, and hit again. One day the wall will fall. If the short-term sluggishness can¡¯t be handled, then seeing results would be hard. Thud! Thinking that he lowered the sword to the floor. And went home earlier than usual. For a better tomorrow, proper rest was necessary. Irene, whoforted himself, closed his eyes. The 221st day in the other world. Irene Pareira wielded the sword with effort 6695 times. More time passed. The season turned to spring. And it made no sense. It didn¡¯t matter. Irene¡¯s face was bing anxious. Whoo! He seems to have wielded his sword with the best effort. In reality, however, that wasn¡¯t the case. His heart was giving out. Whoop! His heart was beginning to worry. And his body was shaking too. He forced himself to continue but soon gave up. If he continues to train in a broken mental state, there will be nothing left. Yes, training after that is meaningless. ¡®It¡¯s better to take a quick break than to go through such meaningless suffering.¡¯ With that thought, Irene put down the sword and entered the house. And then went to bed. He didn¡¯t notice, but the bed was much softer and bigger than usual. Melting into that, he took a deep breath. ¡°Haaa¡­.¡± He closed his eyes. He couldn¡¯t sleep right away. He couldn¡¯t sleep. It wasn¡¯t like the past where he poured out all his strength and then went to bed like a corpse. Now he had a lot of energy left. Irene knew that too. He was just pretending not to know. He forced himself to sleep and was soon able to sleep the way he wanted. 353th day in the other world. Irene had swung the sword 5695 times with effort. One year and 52 days after entering the other world. He swung the sword 3695 times with effort. One year and 134 days after entering into the other world. Irene swung his sword 1400 times. 1 year and 259 days after entering. Irene didn¡¯t wield the sword. The next day too. And the day after that. The next day, and next and next, he didn¡¯t wield the sword. He justid on the bed with a nk face. More days and then months passed. Irene didn¡¯t even leave the house. A long time passed since Irene entered the other world. In the meantime, he thought back to the old days. It wasn¡¯t about his first days in the ce. He was thinking of a time long before that when he was in his prime time as the Lazy Prince. Irene didn¡¯t feel disappointed. He didn¡¯t even have the energy to feel that. ¡®Actually, it was natural for this to happen.¡¯ Irene thought so with his eyes closed. When he looked back on his life, he had beenzy for more than half of it. There were no shining moments. As long as he stayed in Krono, even thezy prince moved his body faithfully. ¡®But that wasn¡¯t my true will.¡¯ Right. At that time, it was the man¡¯s will and emotions, not his own. The master of his effort wasn¡¯t Irene but the man. Had it not been for the dreams, Irene would have been kicked out of the school without even going through the first test. Now was the same. This ce is a training ground to create his own sword. With all the unnecessary elementspletely blocked off, and thanks to that, he no longer dreamed of the man. In other words, he was able to continue his training by himself without the help of the man. And what were the results? Miserable loss. Without help from the man, in less than a year, Irene was shaken down. It didn¡¯t end there. Crisis coulde for anyone, just like the saying the ground hardens after rain, the greater the crisis, the stronger the heart. ¡®But I can¡¯t.¡¯ It was tough, he was suffering, and his hurting heart took him to his bed like in the past. ¡­ Irene, who thought till then, forced himself to sleep. To forget the empty feelings. In fact, he thought wrongly. He tried. He overcame hardships that normal people couldn¡¯t and showed a strong figure that no one doubted again. Right. He was the one who didn¡¯t believe in himself. He underyed his will when he had endured for a year. He devalued his efforts, which he had repeated a thousand times. The ¡®doubt¡¯ that Lulu told Irene to be the most careful and wary about caused a rift in Irene¡¯s heart. Unfortunate. If he hadn¡¯t passed through dark times in the past, if he had lived in a world full of praise and encouragement instead of ridicule, maybe things would have been different. Maybe he would have trusted and loved himself more. These doubts wouldn¡¯t havee. He would have been able to move forward firmly without breaking down. However, it has already happened. Falling into a dark, dreamless sleep, Irene began to sink. No one would rescue him. No one would support him. Because this was a world created by sorcery that only he could enter. But the next day. Something odd happened. ¡°¡­ n.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­ ne, Irene.¡± ¡°Hm¡­ Uh?¡± Irene rubbed his eyes with a startled expression. A world of sorcery which no one can enter. But he was hearing a voice calling him. He raised his body and looked in the direction of the voice. Surprised again. It was because of the unfamiliar appearance which weed him. ¡°Come on, get up. You should start training in the morning.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What are you doing? Aren¡¯t you going to wake up?¡± Ilya Lindsay, the beautiful girl with silver hair. As if she was asking something obvious, Irene kicked off the nket and got up. Chapter 52: Raise the Sword (2)

Chapter 52: Raise the Sword (2)

The other world that Irene Pareira was in was a world which reproduced everything about him. However, not exactly as it is. To be precise, it would change things a little, ording to Irene. It was like changing the seasons from spring to fall. And now is the same. Originally, there should only be a wide in fence outside, but now a running course was there. Irene ran hard on it. He usually wouldn¡¯t. Maybe he would have in the past, but now he couldn¡¯t trust himself and was having a hard time getting out of the room. However, because of the one staring at him from behind, he had no choice but to run. It was Ilya Lindsay. ¡°Don¡¯t lose your bnce. Always take care of your ankles.¡± ¡°Breathe through your nose and exhale through your mouth.¡± ¡°From now on, it¡¯s the sandy course. You need to work harder on your bnce.¡± The silver-haired girl constantly gave him advice while keeping pace. He was flustered. He couldn¡¯t figure it out. Of course, he didn¡¯t even have the time to think it out. Irene Pareira, led by Ilya Lindsay, moved and sweated until dawn passed and morning came. ¡°Eat quickly and move onto swordsmanship training.¡± Of course, that wasn¡¯t the end. Ilya Lindsay made him move. As soon as the meal was over, she dragged him out to the yard and gave him a sword. And while Irene wielded the sword, she continued to watch with sharp eyes. Irene still couldn¡¯te to his senses, but her eyes were so frightening that he chose to swing the sword. Of course, it wasn¡¯t an act of sincerity. His mental state wasn¡¯t good enough to put in his best effort. Ilya didn¡¯t leave Irene. ¡°Come to your senses!¡± ¡°That one was messed up! Concentrate!¡± ¡°You¡¯re acting nk. When you know your heart, your actions wille out. Didn¡¯t you learn from Lulu?¡± ¡°Right! Better than before.¡± Strict guidance. It was a different feeling from the Ilya he knew. No, it was strange that she knew about Lulu. However, there was no time for him to worry about that. Every time he thought about something else, the silver-haired girl would point something out. As a result, his dead heart began to revive little by little. Of course, it was nothingpared to before, but by the time it waste at night, Irene had turned into apletely different person from Irene in the morning. At least, the expression on his face, which was depressed, became much brighter. ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll see you next time.¡± Ilya Lindsay disappeared. As if she never existed. Irene Pareira, who watched that, mumbled to himself. ¡°¡­ it wasn¡¯t the real Ilya.¡± It was natural. This ce was created by sorcery. Nodding his head, he put the sword on the floor and entered the house. His sweaty body cleansed in an instant. Feeling refreshed, he threw himself on the bed. And drowsiness overtook him. Yesterday when he forced himself to sleep, he didn¡¯t like it, now he likes it. It was only a brief moment, but it wasn¡¯t bad. He had a deep sleep after a long time. And the next day. Another guest came. ¡°What are you doing, you bum! Wake up!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s already past five! How long will you sleep! Do you want to die?¡± Judith. Irene, who heard her, ran out with a startled expression. ¡°Now? You arete.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with the silly face? Is that how a noble should look?¡± Ilya Lindsay came again. And Bratt Lloyd, who maintained a dignified appearance, not the broken appearance he had when Irenest saw him. Looking at them, Irene had no choice but to have a nk expression. ¡°Shall we start practice? Or should we have personal training time?¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t stretched your body yet. Do it, then tell me.¡± ¡°This bastard is always arguing with me! Do you want to get hit?¡± ¡°Stop it, as Bratt said. Let¡¯s have practice battlester. Irene? Come.¡± The three children looked at him at Ilya¡¯s words. They looked dazzling. They seemed to live in a worldpletely different from him. And that was why Irene didn¡¯t want to approach them. It was the moment he shook his head and was about to step back. ¡°¡­¡± The eyes which held faith. Irene, who saw their twinkling eyes full of certainty, bit his lip and stepped forward. He couldn¡¯t betray them. Suddenly, arge sword was in his hand. ¡°I can¡¯t stand it. Practice battles are surely the best! Come on!¡± ¡°If you can¡¯t stand it, battle me, don¡¯t bully the kid who just woke up.¡± ¡°What? Yes, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Leave them alone. Shall we practice on our own?¡± ¡°¡­ yes.¡± Irene Pareira nodded and took a stance. And swung it. Woong! Stillcking. However, better than yesterday. Seeing that, Ilya smiled. Judith and Bratt, who were amid their quarrel, also smiled. Irene felt burdened by their reaction. ¡®¡­ still, it¡¯s impossible.¡¯ He swung the sword again. Action like never before. He didn¡¯t like it. The confidence which had risen had disappeared in an instant. Irene looked around because he was afraid that the reaction of the three would change. However, it didn¡¯t change. They were still looking at him with eyes full of trust and faith. ¡®How can they still trust me?¡¯ Could he do anything without the help of others? He had that thought, but it soon disappeared. Ilya made it impossible. In order to not hear her shouts, Irene swung his sword harder. 2 years and 120 days in the other world. Irene had moved on from his still life and began to move forward once again. A lot of time had passed. A year, maybe. Meanwhile, Irene swung the sword and grew up. Now he could do 10000 swings easily. Naturally, it wasn¡¯t empty actions. Each movement had faith and heart put into it. Of course, it wasn¡¯t without crisis. Rather, there were many times when anxiety and self-doubt crept into Irene¡¯s head. Someone who couldn¡¯t do anything alone. A bastard who needs someone¡¯s help. The guy who will fail in the end. Just like that, it was at that moment when self-doubt reappeared. The contents of the Orc¡¯s note passed through his mind. ¡®You don¡¯t have to be alone to stand alone.¡¯ It was then, Irene Pareira realized the mistake he had made. ¡°There is nothing wrong with moving forward with the help of others.¡± Ian¡¯s words came to his mind. Don¡¯t follow other people¡¯s ways of doing things or their will. Go your own way. Establish your own thing. That was right. Until he received that advice, he was on the wrong path. He was living an empty life where he didn¡¯t think about acting independently, so he had a firm resolve to not live that kind of life anymore. However, that didn¡¯t mean to exclude help from others and walk down a lonely path. Rather, it was the opposite. Through the help and trust of others, he could be stronger. ¡®Be with someone who believes and loves you. Then crisis can be ovee.¡¯ Lulu¡¯s forgotten words came to his mind. And his father¡¯s forgotten love. His mother¡¯s kindness and Kirill¡¯s frank heart. ¡°Now, do you understand?¡± ¡°¡­¡± And other connections. Suddenly Irene looked at the three standing in front of him. And realized Through their eyes which showed faith in him, he became stronger. And will continue to grow. ¡°Our role here is over.¡± ¡°You never know. Maybe we¡¯lle byter.¡± ¡°Annoying¡­ however, if you call, I wille.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be discouraged and work hard. Don¡¯t have doubts.¡± ¡°Cheer up.¡± Finally, they disappeared. Ilya, Bratt, and Judith left Irene, who was sitting alone in the room. But it didn¡¯t bother him. The boy, no young man, got up from his seat and briskly walked out of the house and drew his sword. And swung. With heart andplete dedication. His eyes werepletely different from when he practiced before. A day, a month, and a year. No, more time had passed. During that long time, Irene continued ahead with honesty and effort. It wasn¡¯t a smooth time. Constant crisis. However, now he was able to stand. He overcame the hardships, which he couldn¡¯t do alone, with help from others. Changes came with the sword. Before that, there was a change in his heart towards the sword. ¡®Until now, I thought of actions and thoughts separately.¡¯ He was stupid. Lulu never said that. The body and mind aren¡¯t separate. Just as his body strengthened by umting such extreme actions, it was natural to support the actions with his mind. And the moment he realized it, Irene grasped the true meaning of swordsmanship. Whoo! Some people learn one thing and awaken with that, and some people master it wholly and entirely. On the other hand, some people can¡¯t learn a single thing, but Irene wasn¡¯t that. Because of his concentration, it helped him perfectly imitate what he saw. But that was the limit. Like Ilya, Judith, and Bratt, there was never a time when he gained anything more from teachings. And now, that was breaking. Whoo! Concentrate on the actions with all his heart. He delved deep into each movement of swordsmanship that had been refined over the years and grasped the hidden meaning behind it. So he understood it. Rather than blindly pursuing it, he expanded his thinking in a wide direction without missing the truth. Actions follow the mind, and several closed possibilities open up. Woong! Woong! Irene swung the sword. He swung it in a trance. The body moved along with his mind, and the sword followed. Days and days went by without him losing hope. In the real world, he would have copsed from exhaustion, but not here. This world was made of sorcery. A ce of miracles that was created for the very purpose of fulfilling the creator¡¯s wishes. Thanks to that, Irene was able to spend a much longer time training in the splendid world. ¡°Phew.¡± Irene put down the sword. No, a light shed in Irene¡¯s eyes. Chapter 53: Raise the Sword (3)

Chapter 53: Raise the Sword (3)

After a deep and dark storm of enlightenment passed, Irene Pareira slowly and meticulously inspected his body. He moved his limbs and swung his sword. He concentrated his eyes and ears to calcte how much his senses had improved. As a result, he found something¡ªhis present body had grown beyondparison to the past. ¡®This reminds me of Krono.¡¯ A simr thing happened back then. He had a miraculous experience just before the mid-term evaluation, which pushed him from a failure to a top trainee. ¡®Exactly how much stronger am I?¡¯ Irene, with his sword on the floor, thought. Master level? Absolutely not. No matter how much he had grown, there was no way he could reach something that only 100 people across the continent did. That would be arrogance and overconfidence. However, the thought gave him confidence. At least, Irene wasn¡¯t the kind to shrug his shoulders in front of anyone. No, he wanted to go beyond and show it to others. He wanted to brag. It was pretty awkward for him to think like that, but¡­ he wanted to do that. ¡°Ah.¡± An idea had popped into his mind. p, he suddenly stared into the sky. A strong will spread in the world embodied with sorcery, and a change urred. Slurp! Shh! Shhhh! Ilya, Bratt, and Judith appeared. Irene looked at them and then calmly asked. ¡°Fight with me once.¡± ¡°With me? Or him? Or is it¡­¡± ¡°Not one. All three at once.¡± ¡°¡­ ha!¡± Judith turned to Ilya with a puzzled expression. ¡°Did you hear him?¡± ¡°Yes. He changed.¡± ¡°I know. He used to be very humble, but he seems to have lost that part of him.¡± ¡°Who is calling who out here? I only see one person who isn¡¯t humble amongst us!¡± ¡°You shut up!¡± Judith frowned at Bratt and looked at Irene again. It wasn¡¯t a bad expression. Rather, it was a face that liked Irene¡¯s words. Smiling, she raised her sword. Ilya and Bratt, on either side, took their stances too. ¡°Even then, it isn¡¯t that I hate your arrogant look.¡± ¡°Thank you for your kind words.¡± ¡°Enough, raise your sword. I¡¯m tired of waiting.¡± ¡°Huh. Actually, I¡¯m kind of curious.¡± As Irene said. He wanted to move his body, but just moving wasn¡¯t enough. He needed a match. Phew, Irene took a deep breath and raised his sword and thought. ¡®It won¡¯t be easy, right?¡¯ The kids in front of him weren¡¯t at the same level as they were in Krono. They were exuding a much more brutal aura. Of course, it was because of Irene. The kids¡¯ will to fight a stronger opponent greatly strengthened their aura. But. ¡®I don¡¯t think I will lose.¡¯ Wheik! Irene¡¯s eyes changed. The dull energy transformed into something strong. It felt as if a giant made of iron was standing there. The excited Judith and Bratt stepped forward without cautiousness. Ilya stared at her opponent with her usual calm eyes. Irene rushed towards them. Swish! Irene moved first! Kwang! The swords collided. Judith stepped back as she struggled while the other two began to move. The sh Irene made in the center came at a perfect time with tremendous energy. This was a brutal atmosphere that couldn¡¯t be seen in a battle between good friends. However, the three children were smiling. So was Irene. His expression was cold, as if he was wearing an iron mask, but there was a bit of ecstasy mixed in. It had been a long time since he forgot that emotion, the emotion he felt during the mid-term evaluation. It was a spark much brighter and healthier than anything like anger, regret, or shame. Irene could vaguely sense the warmth of the sword and swung it. After a while. The results were out. ¡°Whew¡­ that was hard.¡± After attacking three formidable friends, he crawled towards the bed and fell asleep. Kiiing! During that time. A huge iron door suddenly sprung up from the center of the world made of sorcery. ¡°Is this the exit?¡± When Irene Pareira woke up and went out to the yard, the iron door was fully formed. Seeing that, he nodded. He thought that it was his time to get out. He asked himself if he waspletely done, but he couldn¡¯t nod his head confidently. As for what he achieved with his sword, he was surely sessful. ¡°Then, the question is how do I open the door¡­¡± A tightly closed door with no handles, no keyholes, and no gaps. And in front of it was a crudely shaped greatsword. It wasn¡¯t the sword he used for training. The young man, who remembered the sword, mumbled with a sad face. ¡°The sword of the man in the dreams¡­¡± It was funny. Irene hade into the strange world to create his own sword. In other words, it could be seen as a promise to himself not to follow other people¡¯s paths anymore. Thanks to that determination, he stopped dreaming of the man ever since he entered the other world. But now, ¡®that man¡¯s sword¡¯ appeared in front of him. It didn¡¯t just show up, but it also blocked the door, as if it was the ¡®key¡¯ to get out. He couldn¡¯t help but be shocked. ¡®¡­ if it were the past me, I would have thought.¡¯ Irene nodded. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t have touched it if it was him from the past. But now, it didn¡¯t matter. There was no reason to avoid it. He strode forward and grabbed the hilt of the man¡¯s sword. Pull! He pulled it out vigorously and swung it around to his liking. Woong! Woooong! ¡°Because I¡¯m tall, this fits my hand perfectly.¡± As he unfolded the moves he learned in Krono, Irene recalled the advice he was given. Build your beliefs, build your will and find your path. So go and create your own sword. In the past, he misunderstood the meaning of those words. In order to build one¡¯s own sword, one mustn¡¯t mix anything simr to other people¡¯s sword to his own. There was a time when he thought like that. But that wasn¡¯t right. Oveing the pain through the love shown by his family. And dispelling the doubts he had with the trust his friends had in him. Now, even the man¡¯s sword wasfortable enough for Irene to ept. ¡®If only I could continue this without being swept away¡­¡¯ The one holding and wielding the man¡¯s sword wasn¡¯t the man but Irene. So now, it was Irene¡¯s sword. Irene mumbled to himself and raised the sword to the sky. Woong! The same stance the boy showed during the final evaluation of Krono. However, if the sword at that time was the man¡¯s sword developed by the man¡¯s will, then it wasn¡¯t the same now. Now, the man¡¯s swordsmanship unfolded through Irene¡¯s will. In other words, this was Irene Pareira¡¯s sword. It fell with great power. Kwakwakwakwang! Sounds like thunder and lightning struck the ground dozens of times. With that, the tightly closed iron door, which didn¡¯t seem to open, opened. To be precise, it was smashed apart. And wind,pletely different to the one in this world, began to flow. The air from outside. No, not outside, the air from the ce he lived. The young man who felt it after a long time walked forward. He wanted to get out. He wanted to showcase the results after enduring so much. ¡°¡­ wait.¡± But before Irene could cross the iron door, he stopped. He turned back to the yard. A moment of silence and worry. And then mumbled, ¡°Ilya, Judith, and Bratt.¡± Shh! Shhh! Shh! No, he wasn¡¯t talking to himself. The three kids reappeared. Among them, Judith had the most dissatisfied expression and opened her mouth. ¡°What! Why did you call again?¡± ¡°I feel bad leaving.¡± ¡°What? What nonsense is that? Are you out of your mind?¡± ¡°Did you call us because you missed us? I¡¯m sorry, but I¡¯m not the real Bratt Lloyd, but an illusion created by your¡­¡± ¡°No, not for that reason.¡± Irene interrupted Bratt, and everyone waited for his next words with curious faces. To those children, Irene spoke with a mischievous smile. ¡°Before I leave, I want to receive your swords.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I want to receive your swords? That didn¡¯t mean Irene expected them to give up their swords. It was the opposite. He meant that he wanted to borrow their swordsmanship to make his sword stronger. Just like how he borrowed the man¡¯s sword a while ago. ¡°Ha.¡± Hearing that, Judith burst intoughter. The other kids were the same. Judith shook her head as she looked at Bratt. ¡°I was right! See that? The humble one is gone.¡± ¡°I see that.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Even Ilya agreed. Of course, they were d they were here because they wanted to help Irene with all their heart. After all, this was a ce where Irene had to grow. Then more days passed. Irene¡¯s sword evolved. Kwang! Kwang! Bang! Judith¡¯s me-like swordsmanship was so overbearing that it would make the opponent numb. Thud! Thud! Bratt Lloyd¡¯s sea-like swordsmanship seemed capable of defending against any form of attack. Srrrk! And a butterfly with steel wings, the Sky Sword of Ilya, was a beautiful yet menacing storm. After taking all three swords, the young man was satisfied. And spoke to the three. ¡°Then, I¡¯m leaving.¡± Irene finally stepped through the door. Srrrr¡­. Ilya, Bratt, and Judith slowly disappeared from the world of sorcery. The young man didn¡¯t look back. Because he would surely meet them soon. Of course, not right away. ¡®Mother, father, and Kirill.¡¯ Recalling why he was holding the sword, he walked through the dark tunnel. One step, two steps... About a hundred steps. Less than a minute passed, and the moment he finally entered, a shining oval portal unfolded. Swoosh! Irene finally returned home. With a fully matured figure, he could no longer be called a boy. ¡°The same?¡± The impression the young man felt when he saw his clean room hadn''t changed at all. He could still feel the warmth of people from every corner. It felt like people were still visiting his room. Of course, that couldn¡¯t be the case. Irene¡¯s eyes soon turned red. ¡®They were still taking care of me.¡¯ He didn¡¯t know how much time had passed. He only counted till 100 days in the other world. But at least two years must have passed. Thinking of the family who looked after him for all these years, he felt happy and sorry at the same time. ¡®I need to see my parents right away!¡¯ With that thought in mind, he walked towards the door. A faint rustling sound came from under the bed. Irene, who had a keen sense of hearing, quickly lowered himself. ¡°Lulu?¡± Chapter 54: Reunion After 5 Years (1)

Chapter 54: Reunion After 5 Years (1)

While training in a different world, the people that Irene remembered the most were his family. It was natural. The reason he took up the sword and awakened sorcery was because of them. However, if he said that his rtionship with the three kids from Krono was shallow, that wouldn¡¯t be true. They were the first people outside his family who believed and acknowledged him. Although they were an illusion he made in the other world, they helped him out. And another one. No, there was another existence. It was Lulu. Who recognized Irene, who was in doubt and told him about the ¡®belief of others¡¯, and she was the one who believed in him more than his family and guided him. Thinking that he could be reunited with Lulu, he immediately looked under the bed. It was too dark, but it didn¡¯t matter. For him, whose senses had risen, the darkness wasn¡¯t an obstacle. But, Eeing! It wasn¡¯t the ck cat that faced him. It was a white cat. Irene was disappointed. ¡°Ha¡­¡± He saw the cat that crawled outside. A Waist stretched out like cheese, neat fur as if it was being groomed daily, and an expression on the cat¡¯s face that couldn¡¯t be read. It was Lulu, except for the color. Of course, they look alike, but it wasn¡¯t Lulu. Holding the white cat, he fell deep into thought. ¡®After I entered the other world, what happened to Lulu?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t imagine. Lulu believed in Irene more than anyone else, but even Lulu told him to not hurry and take his time. How surprised was Lulu when the awakening suddenly happened? ¡®And¡­ I guess Lulu was shocked since it usually takes time.¡¯ It must have been a horrible situation. With all the ¡®ck cat¡¯ superstitions, the family and the servants, except for Irene, didn''t like Lulu. And out of nowhere, Irene got dragged into the sorcery world. And he hadn¡¯te back for a long time. Of course, the growth there was valuable, but that would be the situation in his family. They would have been upset with the sudden situation, and it was highly probable that they hold Lulu responsible for it. ¡®Are you okay, Lulu?¡¯ Does Lulu know that Irene came out? Where is Lulu now? Were there problems with his family? What would happen if there were problems? If Irene showed himself to be safe and sound, would Lulu be able to get rid of suffering because of his parents and Kirill? ¡®Right, let¡¯s meet my family first!¡¯ Meow-! As if agreeing with Irene¡¯s thoughts, the cat yawned. Which looked seriously cute. Irene smiled as he touched its fur when he heard someone walking outside. After a moment, the door opened. ck! ¡°This cat! I locked the door, but how did you get in again¡­ uh?¡± Marcus came in with an angry expression and then looked at Irene. He came to take the cat out. He never even dreamed that there would be someone else in Irene¡¯s room. So he couldn¡¯t speak. ¡°¡­¡± It was the same with Irene. Except for his family, Marcus had cared for him. But he wasn¡¯t able to express his joy right away. However, Irene frowned. ¡®Wrinkles¡­ was I out for longer than I thought?¡¯ Anxiety and confusion. Irene barely calmed himself and took a deep breath. And asked. ¡°Marcus.¡± ¡°Huh? Yes, yes?¡± ¡°How much time has passed since I disappeared?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ wait a minute, well¡­ five years?¡± ¡­ 5 years! It was much longer than Irene thought. ¡®This is fortunate. What a relief! I am so d!¡¯ After calming the servant, who was on the verge of crying, Irene headed to his parent¡¯s room. Normally, Marcus would take him there, but he was so emotionally messed up that Irene moved alone. As he walked there, many people looked at him. They were all shocked, as if they had seen a ghost. With a casual expression, Irene just titled his head. Irene looked with curious eyes. ¡®There are a lot of newly hired ones. People who I knew became older. Really¡­ five years have passed.¡¯ He was somewhat prepared for it. It has been so long. But wasn¡¯t 5 years too long? Thinking that his 12-year-old sister might have turned into a 17-year-old felt very serious. ¡®Furthermore¡­ there were some promises I haven¡¯t kept.¡¯ The promise with Ian that he¡¯d be back to Krono in a year. The promise to meet with Ilya. And he couldn¡¯t even participate in the monster subjugation. The more he remembered, the more frustrated and tense he became. However, everything was forgotten the moment he saw the faces of his parents. ¡°Son!¡± ¡°Irene!¡± Both his father and mother stood up. Irene ran immediately and hugged them at the same time. And cried. Not everyone in the family was sensitive, but now they were. They had the happiest reunion. ¡°¡­ family, nothing special.¡± After calming down, Harun Pareira spoke. He was curious about his son¡¯s story, but rather than trying to solve his curiosity, he wanted to help Irene calm his worries. ¡°The subjugation ended without any problems, and there have been no problems since then. The estate has continued to improve. As the guild became famous, trade increased, and the newly hired knights and soldiers were also excellent. Besides that¡­¡± Harun spoke the facts. Pareira estate was normally good, but now it flourished. Even though he held the title of Baron, his power exceeded that. ¡°Other families, including Viscount Gairn, are being conscious of that.¡± ¡°¡­ that is great.¡± Irene nodded his head. Of course, he didn¡¯t believe it right away. No matter how much they grew, there was no way that the Gairn¡¯s would leave them alone. Because their malice towards the Pareira family started without any particr reason. ¡®He must have used me to hurt my family.¡¯ Probably right. The stronger the light, the darker the shadows. Moreover, no matter how much the Pareira family developed, it couldn¡¯t have exceeded the three families¡¯ influence. Perhaps, his father was exaggerating a bit to reassure his son. As he was in thought, his mother spoke. ¡°Your sister is in the Cesar Duchy.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°She became a disciple of a very good sorcerer. Have you heard of Skina Keaton?¡± He had heard. Skina Keaton, a powerful magician who was ranked in the top five, was in the Cesar Duchy. Of course, he didn¡¯t know because he wanted to. It was something Kirill mentioned once before. ¡®I don¡¯t like this. It¡¯s bothering me.¡¯ Was Keaton like Lulu? Or even better than Lulu? His sister had rejected Lulu till the very end, and he didn¡¯t understand why. As his sister¡¯s likes and dislikes were veryplex, Irene couldn¡¯t understand it. A question rose in Irene¡¯s head. Why did Kirill be a disciple when she hated being under anyone? Those doubts disappeared in an instant. He seemed to know the answer. Why did his younger sister have to make that choice? ¡®Because of me.¡¯ It was to bring him out of that world, as he didn¡¯te out despite years passing by. So she might have thought, ¡®Let¡¯s increase my own strength and pull him out. But to do that, I must be a disciple of a powerful magician.¡¯ It was very likely that she thought so. The fact that Lulu was excluded from her choice meant¡­ they weren¡¯t on good terms. ¡®I caused trouble again.¡¯ Irene bowed his head. Remorse began to flood into him. But it was only for a while. Soon he changed. ¡®It¡¯s okay.¡¯ In the past, his parents were depressed because their son wouldn¡¯t do his part. Kirill took the role of a disciple because she trusted Irene, who was taking the role of her older brother. What should he do? Should he me himself? No. ¡®I can do better from now on!¡¯ There was no correct answer in the world, but this time, he knew what would work. If his family suffered because of him, he had to make them happier from this moment on. If his family¡¯s honor had been tarnished because of him, he had to show a noble side of himself. There was no need to worry about the promises he made with Ian and Ilya. He could go right now. He had the confidence to exin it to them. He¡¯ll go up to them and clean up any misunderstandings they had. Irene, who grew into a young man, was deciding on the right path to walk. Completely different from the old days. ¡°Father, mother.¡± Irene looked into their eyes. Both of them were taken by surprise at Irene¡¯s sudden call. Their kid was beyond recognition. Even more surprising than his body¡¯s change was the change in his attitude. And the change in the air around him. They could finally feel it. They weren¡¯t sure what happened, but thest five years caused tremendous growth in their son. ¡°I know you must have been very worried. You must have kept saying that it will turn out alright and tried to not worry¡­ still, it must have been a hard time, especially thinking of your son who was imprisoned in a strange ce for 5 years instead of 1 year.¡± ¡°Now, you don¡¯t have to worry. You don¡¯t have to struggle.¡± ¡°As the eldest son of the Pareira family, I will show you a sight of me which will never bring shame onto you.¡± Tears flowed from Amel¡¯s eyes. Same went for Harun. As the Lord, he tried to hold back the tears, but he couldn¡¯t do it anymore. It wasn¡¯t because he heard something nice from his kid. It was because of the confidence with which his son spoke. As the two were bing emotional, the son¡¯s words continued. ¡°And¡­ Lulu, I don¡¯t know if you have heard from the cat sorcerer during the 5 years I was locked up. But I trained harder than anyone else, and my desires had manifested in that form¡­ nothing happened to me. On the contrary, much-needed luck came to me.¡± ¡°Training¡­ sword, sword training?¡± ¡°Yes. It wasn¡¯t just hard work. I had a lot of sess.¡± Harun Pareira¡¯s eyes widened at the words ¡®a lot of sess¡¯. To think that such words woulde out of his son¡¯s mouth, who previouslycked confidence and would doubt himself. He was interested. He didn¡¯t know swordsmanship, but he wanted to check it out. And if Irene really got what he wanted, he wanted the world to know. In particr, he wanted to brag to the Lester, Russell, and Gairn families. He wasn¡¯t the kind to show off, but he wanted to fight back for the suffering he faced in the past. ¡®No, I¡¯m bing too excited.¡¯ Baron Pareira slightly narrowed his eyes. His son, who had grown remarkably, was proud. He liked seeing this confidence in his child. Perhaps the thing about his own sword wasn¡¯t a lie. If so, what should he do with his son? Give warm encouragement. That he must have been through a lot and did a good job. That was his first priority. ¡®He grew¡¯ It didn¡¯t matter how great his son¡¯s achievement was. Rather, it was more important that his son, who was always depressed, gained confidence. He was excited to hear about his son¡¯s ambitions. As he was about to say warm words of encouragement, his son soon continued. ¡°So, instead of the monster subjugation that I couldn¡¯t dost time¡­ it¡¯s April. I will participate in the subjugation which wille in the next month, and¡­¡± y a vital role and fulfill his duties as the eldest son of the Pareira family. The moment he heard that the Baron couldn¡¯t keep hisposure anymore. There was no way to suppress the overwhelming emotions. There was no need to hold himself back. It was the moment when Harun Pareira, who had tears in his eyes, struggled to speak. Gulp The door opened. And a sharp voice. ¡°Are you participating in the monster subjugation?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Who said you could?¡± The girl who changed drastically. No, the daughter of Harun Pareira, who had grown out of the word ¡®girl¡¯. A promising sorcerer who was gradually making her name in the continent and beyond. Kirill Pareira had appeared. Chapter 55: Reunion After 5 Years (2)

Chapter 55: Reunion After 5 Years (2)

¡°Kirill?¡± ¡°How are you here?¡± The eyes of the Pareira couple widened at the sudden intrusion of Kirill. The Cesar Duchy was located on the southeastern side of the continent, and it was very far from the Pareira estate. It was three times the distance to Krono. So, she couldn¡¯t suddenlye here after hearing the news about Irene. It hasn¡¯t even been an hour since the couple met their son. However, Kirill¡¯s following words made the two of them confused. ¡°I just came.¡± ¡°Just now?¡± ¡°Huh. For some reason, I had a strong feeling that my brother wasing, so I set off in advance. I¡¯m really d that I came right away. Those damn checks in our path.¡± An absurd answer. It was so absurd that Amel couldn¡¯t even point out her daughter¡¯s vulgarnguage, Harun too was at a loss for words. However, Irene wasn¡¯t. He had heard it from Lulu in the past. It was said that some great sorcerers have a sense of foresight into matters which interest them. That seemed to be the case with his younger sister. And that meant that Kirill had be an excellent sorcerer even by Lulu¡¯s standards. ¡®¡­ there is no need to bring up Lulu now.¡¯ Irene looked at his younger sister he hadn¡¯t seen in a long time. The small chubby cheeks on her were gone, her face was slimmer now, and her height, she had grown to the point of being unrecognizable. Although her eyes sharpened, they felt familiar, so she held a different feeling from when she was younger, a little bit colder. However, what caught Irene¡¯s eyes more than her change on the outside was the change on the inside. Swoosh! Was it because Irene awakened sorcery? There was some mysterious energy inside of her, which he had never felt before. Perhaps that was Kirill¡¯s sorcery. How great the power she held was something that Irene could vaguely guess. His younger sister had grown up. Just as he grew. He smiled at that fact. ¡°What? Are you smiling?¡± Seeing that smile, Kirill looked at her brother. At her sharp eyes, Irene seemed startled. However, it was toote. With a colder voice, she spoke. ¡°What¡¯s so funny here?¡± ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s been a while since Ist saw you. I was happy¡­¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t that kind ofugh.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°What? What did thatugh mean?¡± ¡°Kirill. Why are you getting so annoyed with your brother whom you haven¡¯t seen in so long?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Amel, who regained herposure, spoke sternly, and when Kirill heard that, she calmed down. This hadn¡¯t changed much from before. This was one fortunate thing. But that didn¡¯t change anything. In the same voice, Kirill spoke again. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s go back to what we were talking about before.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°The battle. You don¡¯t have to go. I¡¯m going. That¡¯s why I came here.¡± ¡°Kirill? What are you sa¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not forcing you, father.¡± Harun, who was about to scold her, went silent. It was because of Kirill¡¯s eyes. A calm gaze which was different from his usually hyper and angry daughter. Holding that gaze, she said. ¡°Isn¡¯t that fine? Isn¡¯t it a fact that one of us has to participate for the sake of our family¡¯s honor, but it doesn¡¯t have to be brother. Rather, it should be me. He was imprisoned in that terrible barrier for five years. Should you send him into such a dangerous battle once again?¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°Would it be dangerous for me? No, it won¡¯t be the least bit dangerous for me. You know that too. I am not who I used to be. I am a sorcerer recognized by Cesar.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Looking at my skills and growth, I think that it would be right for me to go. Do you still want to go with your first decision?¡± Kirill spoke like a raging storm. Both the Baron and his wife couldn¡¯t even ponder what to say. Well, one thing was for sure. She was as stubborn as before, but unlike her forcible nature, now Kirill spoke with reasonable grounds rather than being reckless. Irene also burst into admiration as he noticed his younger sister¡¯s change. But he disagreed with her. He said. ¡°Kirill.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Should I show you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What this brother of yours has been honing for the past five years?¡± Woong! It was even before Irene finished speaking. Kirill¡¯s energy had soared. Even their parents, who weren¡¯t familiar with sorcery, could vaguely feel the change. ¡°Are you confident?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Really.¡± ¡°Then, shall we battle it out?¡± ¡°Kirill!¡± Amel abandoned her timid tone and scolded her daughter. However, Kirill had no intention of giving up. Feeling Kirill¡¯s eyes, Irene smiled. His sister¡¯s feelings may seem like anger, but it wasn¡¯t. It was a much more grateful feeling. His eyes turned soft as he looked at Kirill. However, the answer wasn¡¯t smooth. Irene nodded and answered in a firm tone. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Looking at the two kids, who were all grown up, the couple didn¡¯t know how to calm them down. The Pareira estate, which should have been calm, changed that day. This was bound to happen. The eldest son of the Pareira family, who disappeared for five years, appeared. It was a shock to those who had spent a lot of time in the mansion and to those who recently joined. But that wasn¡¯t the end. Kirill Pareira, who hadn¡¯t visited the mansion in over a year, suddenly appeared and moved to the training grounds with Irene. Judging by the atmosphere, it looked like they were going to battle. The knight who grasped that, Jacob Wilshere whispered. ¡°All these things are happening.¡± ¡°Yes. I never thought that I would get to see the young lord¡¯s face again.¡± ¡°I thought the same. Sorcery was one thing¡­ but I was worried that he had passed away. It must have been true.¡± Upon hearing Jacob¡¯s words, Tyler Johnny nodded. Since both of them had been knights of the Pareira family for less than three years, Irene Pareira, who had been trapped in sorcery, was treated like a ghost story. However, when he appeared in front of them, they couldn¡¯t help but be interested in his battle with Kirill, who was said to be famous for sorcery. Jacob Wilshere. ¡°Who will win?¡± ¡°Is that important?¡± ¡°It is important. Is it fun to just watch the battle? It has to be Lady Kirill.¡± ¡°Well¡­ that is true.¡± Taylor nced at the siblings and said that. Kirill¡¯s achievements were often heard around them, but little was heard of Irene. The only thing they ever heard about Irene was his past title, the ¡®Deadbeat Noble¡¯. Imagining Irene¡¯s victory wasn¡¯t easy. There was, of course, a high chance of winning or losing. Is he going to do his best whether he¡¯s winning or losing? Perhaps it was Irene¡¯s intention to let people know that the eldest son of the Pareira family is still alive. ¡°Anyway, this is a nice sight. I¡¯m d that they are here.¡± ¡°Right. Even if it¡¯s obvious that people are flocking in here because of the rumor, it¡¯s rathermendable to see them training on their own. Right?¡± Hearing the words of the two knights, a few soldiersughed. If they were asked to leave the grounds, everyone would have left, but they had no intention of leaving the grounds on their own. It was a rare sight to see the precious sorcerer using her powers. Of course, Kirill Pareira didn''t care at all. She said, ¡°I am ready.¡± ¡°So am I.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t say this twice. But you aren¡¯t holding your sword yet.¡± ¡°Now¡­ ready.¡± In response to his younger sister¡¯s words, Irene pretended to hold something in the air. Then, shockingly, a great sword appeared in his hands. It was unmistakably sorcery. The eyes of the onlookers and even the couple widened. Kirill too was shocked when she saw it but she maintained her calm expression. Irene was a little embarrassed. ¡®This is nothing special.¡¯ Aftering back from the sorcery world, most of his powers had disappeared. His only ability was to bring out the man¡¯s sword and his will, to use it. Of course, he wasn¡¯tining. Rather, Irene was satisfied. An old and clunky sword, but it was perfect for him. Just having it in his hands was enough. Irene smiled and nodded while looking at Kirill. ¡°¡­ tch.¡± Unlike Irene, who was in a good mood, Kirill wasn¡¯t veryfortable. She didn¡¯t like it. The expression on her brother¡¯s face seemed rxed. ¡®Why do you keep pushing yourself?¡¯ She remembered the past when Irene first picked up the sword. It was then. For the first time in his life, Irene had held a sword, and he overworked his body over and over again. Even though his hands were torn and bandaged, he continued to hurt his body, training with the sword. Of course, she didn¡¯t hate it. Because she always supported him. She hoped that her brother, who was always gloomy because of the pain from his childhood, would recover and smile. And it became true when Irene returned from Krono and gave her a present with a smile, she was so happy at that time. But¡­ ¡®You try so hard, and then you force yourself while you be sick¡­ I am tired of seeing you like that.¡¯ Sheter heard that her brother was insulted by the nobles who hade over for the subjugation battle. She heard it toote that Irene had taken up sorcery and ended up being trapped in that barrier. And she regretted it for 5 years. She should have stopped it sooner. ¡®Which is why¡­.¡¯ Shhhh! Kirill Pareira pulled a sword from her pocket. A very small model for a sword. However, when she tapped it with her finger, it quickly grew. It was muchrger than Irene¡¯s sword. And it floated in the sky, she looked ahead thinking. ¡®I will do it. You don¡¯t have to push yourself anymore.¡¯ Wooong! A strong wind blew. Strong energy gathered that even ordinary people who knew nothing about sorcery could feel, and the sword rose into the sky. This was made to break barriers. However, now the giant sword aimed at Irene with a different intention. Everyone¡¯s gaze was also directed at the sword. It was then. The blonde young man who had been silent till then lowered his sword. Sush! It was nothing special. Vertical cut, horizontal cut. And a simple stab which followed. Just an ordinary swordsmanship movement that could be seen anywhere. In fact, most of the soldiers on the ground were puzzled. They all thought that Irene would show something greater. However, some were shocked. Jacob Wilshere and Taylor Johnny. ¡®What was that?¡¯ ¡®Just now, it was¡­¡¯ They weren¡¯t sure. It was just a vague sensation, like a wind suddenly brushing past their hair during a deep sleep. Or was it just a coincidence? If not, did something really change? The two looked at Irene and Kirill. And were convinced. ¡°¡­¡± The young sorcerer was crying. Drip¡­ The sword returned to its original size and went into her pocket. The next moment, Irene walked towards her. He hugged Kirill. Strongly, but not causing her any pain. And said, ¡°You don''t have to overdo it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you¡¯re doing this because you¡¯re worried for me, don¡¯t¡­ I¡¯m saying this because I¡¯m really confident this time. And¡­¡± You did well all this time. Until Irene was done with his words, Kirill didn¡¯t say anything. She just quietly wept. Relief and happiness. Two great emotions, the younger one wasforted by her brother for the first time. The fight was over. It was pretty intense. Though the ending was nd. The soldiers who watched the battle had no choice but to continue their training with an uneasy feeling. Of course, it wasn¡¯t because of Kirill. They knew how great of a sorcerer she was. But now, they see the bond between the siblings. How strong Irene¡¯s will to learn the sword was. How strong the will was for a powerful sword to begin blooming. ¡°Be careful, though. Because this subjugation battle is much more dangerous.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± But the worries couldn¡¯t be washed away. Because the subjugation battle next month was different from every other year. ¡°A demon appeared.¡± ¡°Demon?¡± ¡°Yes. A month ago, south of the Gairn estate¡­ traces of a demon were found.¡± Chapter 56: The Sleeping Dragon of the Hale Kingdom (1)

Chapter 56: The Sleeping Dragon of the Hale Kingdom (1)

Not now, but there was a time when demons were as easy to get in contact with as monsters. It was only 400 years ago when the line between the human world and the Devildom was blurred, and 150 years ago, 7 powerful demons ran wild. Inparison, the present era where the passage between the two worlds is blocked could be called the safest era. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean that the threat of demons disappeared. Demons. The fallen beings, which gain power through a contract with the devil, would do anything they could to spread negative influence on the continent. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you know it or not, but demons are a lot stronger than normal monsters.¡± Kirill had a serious expression on her face. Irene, who heard that, nodded with a firm expression. He didn¡¯t know the details. However, he could guess. In a way, demons could be somethingpared to sorcerers. In the sense that the mind must be strong enough to perform miracles. The difference is that demons'' minds are negative. Anger, anxiety, despair, confusion, jealousy, inferiority, deprivation, betrayal¡­ It¡¯s hard to imagine how terrifying and cruel the wish was for it to reach the ears of a demon. It wasn¡¯t unreasonable for Kirill to worry about Irene. However, ¡°Even then, it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m confident. I¡¯ll try to get back safely. No, I wille back.¡± ¡°¡­ your speaking seems to have improved from before.¡± Well, she didn¡¯t hate that. Kirill mumbled under her breath. She was expecting growth as the barrier opened without anyone¡¯s help, but her brother looked more reliable. Much taller and much more grown. ¡®He is pretty big, too.¡¯ Looking at her brother¡¯s face, which was higher than Kirill¡¯s gaze, she thought. He looked reliable, but that didn¡¯t mean she didn¡¯t worry. With stern eyes, she warned once more. ¡°To be strong is to believe that you are strong, but the dangerous thing about demons is that we cannot predict what kind of abilities they will use. Especially those rted to the psyche.¡± ¡°Hmm. That is definitely dangerous.¡± ¡°Yes! Very dangerous. And there are things that I already know, so I will tell you everything.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll at least try to give the important points.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°If anythinges to my mind during the subjugation, I will let you know right away.¡± ¡°Ugh?¡± Irene was shocked. Why did they fight? To prove that he was strong enough to hold his ground in the subjugation. But how did Kirill end up deciding that she will also participate? ¡°Is there any reason that I shouldn¡¯t be there just because you¡¯re going?¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Has it ever been said?¡± ¡°¡­¡± She was right. Irene was shocked. On the other hand, Kirill¡¯s lips turned into a smile. ¡°You said it, that you¡¯re confident. So, you don¡¯t have to worry about anything.¡± This time, Irene couldn¡¯t object. She held out her hand with a ¡®let¡¯s do our best together¡¯, and Irene had no choice but to shake her hand. In conclusion, Kirill¡¯s participation was in vain. It wasn¡¯t because of their parents¡¯ opposition. Although she listens to her mother very well despite her harsh personality, this time, it wasn¡¯t that. Another sorcerer held her reins. Kirill¡¯s mentor, Skina Keaton. She, the best of the Cesar Duchy, hade to the Pareira estate. ¡°You! We have an important event in two weeks. What are you doing here!¡± ¡°No, my brother just came out of the barrier¡­¡± ¡°Ah, you must be Irene Pareira? Nice to meet you. I have heard so much about you. I am Cesar¡¯s most beautiful sorcerer, Skina Keaton!¡± She reached out with a cheerful look. Irene shook her hand with a bewildered expression. He heard that the woman was supposed to be 50 this year, but looking at her, she looked like a girl in her twenties. And she was really beautiful. ¡®Did she use sorcery to look young?¡¯ ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°What you thought, you are right.¡± ¡°C-Can you read my thoughts? Is that sorcery too?¡± ¡°No. But I know what you are thinking, even if it isn¡¯t sorcery. Ah, so sweet, this beautiful one is Kirill¡¯s teacher? That¡¯s what you were thinking.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her. She is a mess in everything except for sorcery.¡± Kirill spoke with a frown. That was a very disrespectful remark towards one¡¯s teacher. But Keaton didn¡¯t seem to care. Rather, she hugged Kirill with a smile and said, ¡°Of course! I¡¯m the best at sorcery! You are a shy one, praising your teacher like that!¡± ¡°When did I praise you!¡± ¡°For reference, this kid kept talking about Irene a lot over the past five years. You know what she said¡­¡± ¡°Ack! Ahhhhh!¡± ¡°If you want me to shut my mouth, will youe to Cesar with me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seeing Kirill, who couldn¡¯t say anything with an angry expression on her face, Irene was shocked. How was this person able to control his entric and stubborn sister so well? Indeed, she was the best sorcerer in Cesar. Of course, not everyone thought that. After Kirill left timidly, Skina politely spoke with Irene when they were the only ones left. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Was it too much to see? To be Kirill¡¯s teacher, I need to be stronger than her. Please understand.¡± ¡°Ah, no. I know what you mean.¡± ¡°You are very different from Kirill. In many ways.¡± The conversation continued in a calm way. Through that, Irene came to know about the past five years of Kirill¡¯s life. Her joys, sorrows, and many other things. He was grateful to Skina Keaton. Despite meeting for the first time, she spoke of things that Irene wanted to hear. It was almost as if she could read his thoughts. ¡®Furthermore¡­ she really cares about Kirill.¡¯ She really found a nice teacher. A soft smile formed on Irene¡¯s face. ¡°And this.¡± Gifts. A ne. It was an advanced artifact that warns of dangerous things such as magi, magic traps, and even detoxifies poison. Irene was startled as he waved his hand. He knew just how precious the items were. But hearing her following words, he had no choice but to ept them. ¡°We made it together. For 5 years. Kirill put all her energy into this ne every day, hoping that her brother woulde out of the barrier.¡± ¡°¡­ thank you very much.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all for the talks. Because I need to inform Baron Pareira about taking Kirill back. We¡¯re short on time.¡± She told Irene about the time when she noticed that Kirill had gone missing. And Irene burst intoughter. Skina Keaton smiled and rose. And said, ¡°I am delighted that you are a nice brother. A lot better than I thought.¡± With those words, she left the room. After a while, Kirill came in. ¡°What did she say?¡± ¡°Just. That you¡¯re doing good. But is this fine? Aren¡¯t you supposed to follow your teacher?¡± ¡°She¡¯ll be back after speaking with our parents.¡± Kirill spoke with a tch, a tch sound. Irene was happy, and his sister, who was about to say something, stopped herself. Amid the silence that came, the siblings enjoyed it. A quiet but not ufortable time. It was Irene who spoke first. ¡°Do you know?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Where Lulu is?¡± ¡°¡­ don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. Do you think I would lie to you? She stayed here in the estate for a few months and then disappeared. Haven¡¯t seen her since then. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Silence came over them again. But this one was different. This was an ufortable silence. Irene looked at Kirill and her stiff expression. However, he decided to say what was in his mind. ¡°I know you don¡¯t like Lulu. However¡­ you know. It wasn¡¯t Lulu¡¯s fault.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t anyone¡¯s fault in the first ce. Cause there was nothing wrong with me wanting to move forward in my strength, and that world granted me my wishes andid the groundwork for me. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°¡­ so, what are you trying to say?¡± ¡°If there is a next meeting, can you not hate Lulu?¡± Irene stood still and stared at Kirill. The same face, not showing any emotions. But Kirill knew. What her brother was thinking. With what emotions he was speaking. How kind his heart is. She couldn¡¯t not know. She was a sorcerer. ¡°¡­ will try.¡± She had no choice but to nod her head. It was a lovely April afternoon. One monthter. The six southern families of the Hale Kingdom gathered in the Gairn estate. Although there were a few nobles, the knights were in huge numbers, which clearly showed how different this subjugation was. However, there wasn¡¯t anxiety on the faces of the gathered nobles. There were the Twilight Knights, wizards, and priests dispatched from the capital too. And it was because Sir Hill But, a capable young man who was leading them. ¡®No matter how dangerous the demon is, it can¡¯t beat the Twilight Knights led by Sir Hill But.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s imperative that I participate. There is nothing to lose but a lot to gain.¡¯ Because of that, the nobles and the others too participated without worry. A banquet was held to relieve the tension and fatigue before the dispatch, so no one gathered in the Gairn mansion thought about failure. Rather, there was something else that caught their attention. The noble, Irene Pareira who appeared in public for the first time in five years. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d see him in this ce¡­¡± ¡°He was trapped in a sorcery barrier?¡± ¡°Is that real? Not a lie?¡± ¡°Man, I thought hemitted suicide. I thought they made up some excuse¡­¡± Everyone was talking about Irene. No one knew whether he was trapped, fell ill, or was trying to avoid people. But they knew one thing. The fact that if a guy who had been confined in his home all his life tried to lift a spoon by himself for once, everyone would notice. ¡®Stupid bastard.¡¯ ¡®I hope this guy who never experienced monster subjugation doesn¡¯t pee his pants.¡¯ There were those who thought that. The Lester, Russell, and Gairn kids. In particr, Ryan Gairn, the eldest, didn''t like it. He was drinking wine which a servant had handed to him. And walked towards Irene. ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®What is wrong?¡¯ The eyes of the people around turned towards them. One of the most talented people in the six southern families. On the other hand, theziest one, Irene. Everyone was anticipating what woulde from the interestingbination. ¡°Vice-captain of the Twilight Knights, Sir Hill But enters.¡± The onesughing, chatting, and enjoying the food, even those who were looking at Ryan and Irene, turned towards Hill But. It was natural. How couldn¡¯t they be interested in the MVP? Everyone apuded, and Hill enjoyed it. Of course, it didn¡¯t continue. He raised his hand to stop the apuse and spoke. ¡°I¡¯m sorry to say this right away, but it¡¯s alright if you don¡¯t participate in the subjugation war.¡± Chapter 57: The Sleeping Dragon of the Hale Kingdom (2)

Chapter 57: The Sleeping Dragon of the Hale Kingdom (2)

The vice-captain of Hale Kingdom¡¯s Twilight Knights, Hill But. Strong and young. That meant he was talented, and some say that Hill could be a swordmaster in the future. For the small-scale Hale Kingdom, he was a treasure. And he was someone who supported his own family, so his influence within the kingdom was immense. He was in a position that cannot bepared to the nobles of the six southern families. However, ¡°This subjugation will be carried out with the troops that I have brought.¡± Even for such a man, it was too mean to say those words in the midst of such a happy time. He crossed a line. Even the nobles thought so. No matter how famous he is, this was a in reckless and ignorant attitude! They couldn¡¯t let him go like that. The moment the nobles were thinking, aura erupted from Hill¡¯s body. Woong! ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°U¡­!¡± The air around them became heavy. The faces of everyone in the banquet hall hardened. But they couldn¡¯t keep quiet. However, Hill But, the Vice-captain of Twilight Knights, didn¡¯t allow it. In the silence of the hall, he continued his speech. ¡°Demons are different from monsters. Much more terrifying, more vicious, and stronger. It¡¯s something even kids know.¡± ¡°But it seems like the southern nobles who know everything are unaware of this fact.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s fine. My troops and I have been mentally trained and with our solid devotion and loyalty to the nation and the Gairn estate. We are fully prepared to destroy that evil demon. But!¡± ¡°To be with you, who prioritizes individual honor over the kingdom''s well-being and peace¡­ I don¡¯t like that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Is there anything you want to say?¡± They wanted to speak. The hearts of the nobles looking at the man were raging. But they couldn¡¯t speak. Time passed, and the aura gradually grew stronger, and Hill But scanned the crowd. 1,2,3,4,5 After 5 seconds, the vice-captain left out a weak sigh. It was the moment he was about to leave the banquet hall, going away from the nobles. Bang! The sound of something being hit. No, it was the sound of something crashing that surprised everyone. It came from Ryan Gairn. With a strong gaze, he knelt on one knee. Naturally, Hill¡¯s eyes moved towards him. And asked. ¡°You are?¡± ¡°The eldest son of the Gairn family, Ryan Gairn.¡± ¡°What do you have to say?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t make excuses. I apologize.¡± After a brief pause, he bowed his head. He was already sweating. But Ryan Gairn didn¡¯t back down and continued. ¡°I cannot speak for others, but for me, this isn¡¯t eptable. It was immature. In the face of a demon, the opponent should never be too confident and have a clear mind. And I won¡¯t make excuses for how you see me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But, it won¡¯t be like that anymore. I will not make that mistake. Using the words that the vice-captain of the Twilight Knights just spoke, I have made up my mind to not act ignorant. Give me a chance!¡± Woong! It was right after the eloquent speech was done. The aura of Hill But, which was spreading throughout the hall, gathered in one ce. The faces of those who had been feeling suffocated eased. But not Ryan Gairn. It was because Hill concentrated all his aura onto one person. It was more than just pressuring the other person. It was inducing shock. The expression on Ryan''s face soon contorted. ¡°¡­!¡± However, he didn¡¯t copse. Ryan bit his lip. Blood began to drip down his mouth to his chin, but his mind became clear thanks to that. He lifted his head to look ahead. Hill But didn¡¯t avoid the gaze. For a moment, a confrontation happened. And, Woosh! The aura around Ryan was gone. It wasn¡¯t just that. A small smile appeared on the face of the vice-captain. It was rtively rxed. In a softer voice, Hill But spoke. ¡°I apologize. It was a bit too much for a joke.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I can never do such a crazy thing as not letting you participate. Only when the heads of the noble families show during the demon subjugation will the minds of the nobles gain some peace.¡± Hill was helpful in terms of power, but to conduct a subjugation, he would need the aid of all the nobles. However, not a single noble spoke. The aftermath of his act was still present. And before the mood faded, Hill But spoke again. ¡°It¡¯s obvious that we shouldn¡¯t be ignorant when dealing with a demon. I hope everyone will be in top condition until the subjugation is over.¡± Thump! Thump! No one in the banquet hall could stop the vice-captain who was moving away. They just stared until his back disappeared. The tension he created stayed for long. Only one person has had the same attitude since the beginning. It was Irene Pareira, the person who was forgotten by the public. Hill But went straight back to his room. It felt weird. He didn¡¯t know whether tough or to cry. ¡®Ryan Gairn is surely great. He¡¯s talented!¡¯ He heard the rumors. He held a record in the southern part of the kingdom for graduating from the Royal Knights Academy with excellent grades. And over the past few years, the young man was rumored to have further improved. Definitely not bad. He also thought that if Ryan continued to grow, he would be an influential person in charge of the kingdom¡¯s future. ¡®But, the problem is he¡¯s the only one.¡¯ Hill wasn¡¯t interested in the old noble heads. But he looked forward to seeing their knights, the young children. He was a little expectant to see if there were any hidden pearls stuck in the mud. However, there was no one of that sort. No one except for Ryan stood up. He had no choice but to think that the future of the kingdom looked bleak. It was when he was thinking that. A soldier outside the door reported that someone was there to visit him. He frowned. It was because he wasn¡¯t in the mood to talk to anyone. However, as soon as he heard who the guest was, his thoughts washed away. Momentster, Hill But jumped to his feet when he saw someoneing in. ¡°Mr. Miller! Long time no see!¡± ¡°Haha, I don¡¯t even remember how long it¡¯s been. How have you been?¡± ¡°Completely fine. But, why are you here¡­¡± ¡°Ahh! I didn¡¯te here with some hidden purpose. I just happened to pass by after work. I knew you came, so I couldn¡¯t just leave¡­ do you have time?¡± ¡°I do. Sit!¡± A tall, old man with a face full of scars. It¡¯s such a harsh impression that it would make anyone nauseous. However, Hill But respected this wandering knight from the Gerbera Kingdom more than his seniors. Skills, character, and a true model. And the heroic figure he showed in the subjugation battle with the Gerbera Kingdom. ¡®He¡¯s truly a model knight.¡¯ Hill But smiled as he recalled the past. Tom Miller, who saw that, frowned. ¡°Put away that face.¡± ¡°Uh? What do you mean? Something wrong with my face?¡± ¡°The best jerk in the Hale Kingdom shows such a silly face. Wouldn¡¯t that be insulting?¡± ¡°Calling me a jerk¡­¡± With a smile, Hill But continued the conversation. Apletely different attitude from the one shown in the banquet hall. However, this was closer to his true self. He¡¯s strict and cold-hearted at work, but he showed a human side when he was with others. Around 30 minutes passed. Sometimes he listened, and sometimes he spoke. While talking about various topics, the story of Tom Miller¡¯s disciple came up. Hill But spoke. ¡°Ah, I heard this rumor. The new talent?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the least¡­ well, I can say that it¡¯s a talent that I can use.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you being too humble? Doesn¡¯t Mr. Miller¡¯s disciple stand out amongst the monstrous people of Krono?¡± ¡°Ahh, he isn¡¯t someone who left without passing the official admission¡­ of course, I don¡¯t think that he¡¯ll be overshadowed by those who take the exam right now, but¡­ hmm.¡± Tom Miller was humble. However, he didn¡¯t deny Hill¡¯s words. It was because his disciple was indeed talented and a lot lovelier even by his standards. ¡®Well, it isn¡¯t just my disciple. The 27th Krono¡­ there wasn¡¯t a single person who wasn¡¯t a genius.¡¯ The 27th batch of Krono. In other words, it was called the golden generation of Krono, the hottest topic on the continent. It was because the talented ones who returned after training for a year showed tremendous growth. It caused a huge wind that shook the five western kingdoms, and even the famous swordsmanship schools had to check out the kids. The most important point was that the golden generation had outstanding performances, not by the ¡®official trainees¡¯ but by the ¡®dropouts.¡¯ For that reason, the wind didn¡¯t die down. The fact that Krono, which is known to find talents, had missed the real gems was a topic of discussion despite those who passed having far superior skills to those who were eliminated. However, the wind died down. A genius of the Adan Kingdom who took the top spot in the final evaluation yet refused an official admission. Ilya Lindsay was the one who did that. ¡®To be an honorary knight of the Moonlight Knights, the strongest knights of the Adan Kingdom at 14 years¡­ it¡¯s no understatement to say I was shocked.¡¯ Hill But, who remembered that, turned stiff. When did he get to that point? 30 years old? More? He couldn¡¯t remember. ¡®A monster as absurd as I appeared.¡¯ Thinking that he shook his head. He didn¡¯t want to think of that. If he did, he would only feel more depressed. What was important was that Tom Miller¡¯s disciple excelled among the Krono trainees. He changed his expression and continued to praise. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a natural thing. Except for Ilya Lindsay, who is beyond our level, Miller¡¯s disciple is not inferior to anyone.¡± ¡°Huhu, I¡¯m embarrassed. But it isn¡¯t a bad thing, right?¡± ¡°I can say that hundreds of times. Ha, I am really envious. Why is there no talent in our Hale Kingdom¡­¡± Hillined. Ryan Gairn looked good, but he was nothingpared to Tom Miller¡¯s disciple. There wasn¡¯t a talented person who could follow him, and the gloomy feeling in his heart didn¡¯t go away. However, within a moment, he tried to calm himself. As a loyal servant who cared for his kingdom, it was natural for such a concern toe, but he didn¡¯t want to bring something like that and destroy the pleasant atmosphere he had created while talking to Tom Miller. It was the time to talk about bright things. It was when he thought so and tried to change the subject. Tom Miller asked something with a puzzled expression. ¡°Eh? What do you mean? No talent?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I heard from my disciple, I heard that a huge monster as dangerous as Ilya Lindsay is from the Hale Kingdom.¡± Chapter 58: The Sleeping Dragon of the Hale Kingdom (3)

Chapter 58: The Sleeping Dragon of the Hale Kingdom (3)

Hill But stopped talking. Because he couldn¡¯t understand what he just heard. What? Was there a talentparable to Ilya Lindsay in Hale? He shook his head andughed out loud. ¡°Haha, what are you talking about?¡± ¡°Huh? You think I¡¯m joking?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Ugh, you don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°What¡­¡± ¡°Huh. Unbelievable. I can understand if others didn¡¯t know, but you are a person of the Hale Kingdom.¡± Tom Miller shook his head. Hill But¡¯s heart began to pound a lot faster at those words. Was the man in front of him trying to joke till the end? If the man wasn¡¯t Tom but someone else, he would¡¯ve grabbed them by their neck. Maybe Tom realized that. So he opened his lips without hesitation. ¡°You really seem to know nothing, so I¡¯ll start from the beginning. Five years back, you know that Krono recruited prospective trainees? Maybe not, 6 years maybe¡­¡± The story of Krono¡¯s monster started. His rise in the mid-term evaluation. The final evaluation ending with him in second ce. Overwhelming results in all kinds of tests. With skills different from the golden generation who are currently performing tremendous things on the continent. ¡°I don¡¯t know about others, but Bratt Lloyd and Judith, who are now known to be unrivaled among the trainees of Krono, said that person¡¯s skills are iparable. Even¡­¡± ¡°Even?¡± ¡°In the final evaluation, that person was on par with Ilya Lindsay. The difference was as thin as a paper, as the instructors had to give out the positions.¡± ¡°¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t believe that. On par with Ilya Lindsay? In current times, she is considered the best of the geniuses on the continent, a child known to have talentparable with ¡®I.¡¯ A person who is expected to take the title of Swordmaster, which was the aim for every knight. ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter if Ilya Lindsay bes stronger. What matters is when she reaches the title.¡¯ But, a person of the same skills as her is in the Hale Kingdom? ¡°Why did such a great guy give up formal admission into Krono? No, why would he give up the position? Maybe you heard it wrong, Mr. Miller. Maybe he is in Krono?¡± ¡°No. From what I heard from my disciple, it was clear that he returned to his estate. But I don¡¯t know why¡­ by the way, did you know this?¡± ¡°Huh? What?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know how to say it¡­¡± ¡°Please! Just say it already! I feel like my heart is about to burst!¡± ¡°Ah, I see, I¡¯ll say it! So the thing is¡­ that monstrous young man, from what I know,es from the south of the Hale Kingdom¡­¡± ¡°What? From the south?¡± ¡°Y-Yes. Wait! Calm down¡­¡± Even as Miller said that Hill couldn¡¯t calm himself. South of the Hale Kingdom, that¡¯s the ce he was in right now! All the sons of the southern nobles were staying here, and he had already seen them. It hasn¡¯t even been a few hours since he saw them. Even then, there wasn¡¯t a single one who stood out to him¡­ ¡°¡­ maybe he doesn¡¯t participate in the subjugation?¡± ¡°What? He isn¡¯t here?¡± At Hill¡¯s words, Tom Miller sounded disappointed. He hade to pick a disciple and to see that mysterious genius that everyone spoke of. No matter how quiet the kid had been for the past 5 years, he thought that the kid woulde out when the news of a demon lurking around the estates came out. But looking at Hill¡¯s words, maybe his judgment was wrong. Clicking his tongue, he drank his drink. He wasn¡¯t as disappointed as Hill, but he still felt regretful. ¡°¡­ do you know the name?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Name. Didn¡¯t your disciple give a name?¡± ¡°Ahh. Right. Come to think of it, he did give me the name. Irene, Irene Pareira, I think.¡± ¡°Pareira¡­!¡± Hill But kept repeating the word Pareira several times. Hepletely forgot that Tom Miller was in front of him. Tom Miller shook his head. ¡°This, I can¡¯t stay here much longer.¡± ¡°Ah! I¡¯m sorry! I was thinking about something else¡­¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. I just stopped by. I don¡¯t have much time anyway.¡± ¡°I¡¯lle back some other time, and if youe to know anything before that, send me a letter.¡± With that, Tom Miller left. As silence came, Hill fell deep into thought. ¡®The only one I know of in the Pareira family is Kirill¡­¡¯ Although Hill was born and raised in the Hale Kingdom, he didn¡¯t know much about the south of Hale. Because he spent most of his life in the capital. Kirill was a promising sorcerer, and Ryan Gairn is a graduate of the Royal Knights Academy. He didn¡¯t know anyone else except for those two. Well, he didn¡¯t care about the others. Not even about the head of the Pareira family. But not anymore. ¡®Irene Pareira¡­ I need to look into it.¡¯ Thinking that Hill But called for his subordinate and ordered them. And tried to get information. Getting information wasn¡¯t that difficult. However, the content of the information was different from what he expected. The information he got about Irene Pareira, a genius at the same level as Ilya Lindsay, was worse than he expected. ¡®The best cker of the Hale Kingdom.¡¯ ¡®Deadbeat Noble.¡¯ ¡®A fool who does nothing.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t even normal. Everything about the person was negative. Hill But burst intoughter as he saw the report. ¡°What is this?¡± He thought that it was a different person, but he was wrong. Irene Pareira actually entered Krono Swordsmanship School and went back to his estate a yearter. And was caught up in sorcery for 5 years. But¡­ ¡®The one who was notorious throughout the south of the kingdom and called a sloth¡­¡¯ Was it possible? Krono is known to be the best. 27 of their trainees are known to be the strongest. But to reach the number 1 or 2 spot among such kids, was it possible? ¡°Nonsense.¡± Crumble. He mercilessly crumpled the paper he was holding. Throwing it away, he turned off the light andid on his bed. He had to sleep early. Since tomorrow is the subjugation day, he needed some good quality sleep. ¡°¡­¡± However, Hill But couldn¡¯t sleep. It was because Tom Miller¡¯s words kept ringing in his ears. ¡®He¡¯s said to be a genius on another level!¡¯ ¡®My disciple is quite prideful, but hepliments that one very much¡­¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t know why the hell he¡¯s been silent till now, but if he shows up, the world will be shocked.¡¯ ¡®Isn¡¯t he a blessing to the Hale Kingdom?¡¯ ¡°¡­ stop, stop thinking.¡± It wasn¡¯t like the story was false. And Irene Pareira is a member of subjugation, so tomorrow, he would be able to see his skills with his own eyes. ¡°¡­¡± But, Despite knowing all that, Hill But¡¯s curiosity about Irene didn¡¯t die down. After a long time, he managed to fall asleep. Some day in mid-May. Finally, the troops to subdue the demon moved. 50 knights, magicians, and priests from the capital. 50 members of the heads of the southern nobles. This was smaller than the usual monster subjugations, probably because quality was more important for this mission. The number was less than a thousand, but the power couldn¡¯t bepared withst year. ¡°I hope this goes well.¡± ¡°Demon¡­ a fearful enemy, but with this power, it¡¯s unlikely to turn into a disaster for us.¡± The nobles smiled as they saw the Twilight Knights and royal magicians advancing ahead. The support from the capital was so great that they didn¡¯t have to worry. Rather, they were concerned if their families could take an active role in the subjugation. ¡®The knights of my family need to look good!¡¯ ¡®It would be amazing if my son could do great and catch the eyes of the vice-captain.¡¯ Except for Harun Pareira, the other nobles'' minds were filled with those thoughts. It wasn¡¯t just them. Their kids too wanted to be noticed by Hill But more than anything else. For the nobles¡¯ kids, who are at an optimal age for growth, the present subjugation seemed like the most important opportunity in their lives. That was why. At lunchtime, after a long march and no monsters, they wielded their swords. ¡°Ugh!¡± Woong! ¡°Hmph!¡± Wooong! Ryan Gairn, the eldest son of the Gairn family, was training. It¡¯s simple sword practice. Well, it was to show off and let the others know just how hard-working he is. The Twilight Knightsughed at it. It was because they saw that as something cute. ¡°Well. It¡¯s better than doing nothing.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. And is he at a better level than you thought?¡± ¡°Well, that one¡­ was it Ryan Gairn?¡± ¡°Right. That¡­ that one is good.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± The knights all looked at Ryan Gairn. It was natural. Although all of the other kids had good skills through the years of subjugation, none of them could match the eldest son of the Gairn family. Everyone knew that. But they didn¡¯t stop him from training despite knowing that. Just as people who do things when no one else does stand out, people who don¡¯t do anything stand out too. Not many would like to be branded aszy by the knights from the capital. And one could never know. The others couldn¡¯t bepared with Ryan, but they could still get a positive evaluation. Something good could happen to them! With those thoughts, the other kids swung their swords too. That passion continued until the soldiers finished their chores. It was then. Hill But, who had been silent till then, rose from his seat. And walked around. Phill Gairn, who saw that gulped. It was because where Hill was heading was towards his son, Ryan Gairn. ¡®Is he going to give him a chance to prove himself?¡¯ Teaching was always weed. However, he was nervous as the one who was going towards his son could one day be a core power of the Hale Kingdom. Phill Gairn, who was losing his mind with those thoughts, stared at Hill But. Unlike usual, he couldn¡¯t hide his excitement. That was why. Hill passed by his son. And then went towards Irene, who was sitting quietly with his eyes closed. He could hide his distorted expression. ¡®Why?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just Gairn¡¯s thoughts. Everyone thought the same. Why the hell was the vice-captain going towards Irene instead of Ryan? To someone who was doing nothing while the others were practicing? Was it to scold him? Amidst all that, Hill But spoke to Irene, who opened his eyes. ¡°Irene Pareira.¡± ¡°Yes, vice-captain.¡± ¡°Call me subjugationmander. Since I¡¯m leading the subjugation troops right now.¡± ¡°Yes, subjugationmander.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll ask you outright. All the young ones here, except for you, are practicing their swordsmanship during their lunch break. They are working hard. But you¡¯re enjoying yourself.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Give me the reason why you¡¯re staying still while the others are training so hard?¡± The others were intently listening. He was there to question Irene. But considering the character of the vice-captain, his tone was much softer. Scolding? Or was it out of curiosity? It was when they were thinking. An unexpected answer came out of Irene¡¯s mouth. ¡°in swordsmanship training can¡¯t be called true effort.¡± ¡°¡­ wouldn¡¯t it be effort to swing the sword?¡± ¡°Sorry. I should rephrase it. I mean¡­ regardless of other people, I meant that swordsmanship training wouldn¡¯t be pure effort for me right now.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Hill But asked again. He didn¡¯t expect a great answer. He got an unexpected answer, so he reflexively asked why. However, Irene¡¯s answer to why was much deeper than expected. ¡°Because I won¡¯t be putting my heart into it now.¡± Chapter 59: The Sleeping Dragon of the Hale Kingdom (4)

Chapter 59: The Sleeping Dragon of the Hale Kingdom (4)

¡°¡­¡± Those who were listening to the conversation between Hill and Irene couldn¡¯t hide their strange expressions. Their hearts were pounding. What was the kid even saying? It wasn¡¯t absurd or anything, but people felt that it wasn¡¯t something a young man should say. These were things that old priests were supposed to say. ¡®Isn¡¯t that just a fleeting answer?¡¯ ¡®What is he talking about?¡¯ ¡°Hmm.¡± Hill But stroked his chin. It wasn¡¯t like he didn¡¯t like the answer. But there was still a ray of anticipation left in his heart. So he asked again. ¡°It looks like additional exnations are needed now more than before. Can you borate a little more on why your heart isn¡¯t in it?¡± ¡°I apologize. I didn¡¯t say that because there was some meaning behind it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine, so don¡¯t be afraid.¡± ¡°¡­ the reason I participated in the subjugation war is to subdue the demon. And in that process, I n to enhance the honor of my family.¡± An honest answer. Not bad. It was natural for a young lord to work hard for the honor of his family. The young man¡¯s words continued. ¡°I was constantly thinking about what I should do to stay active. Sure¡­ seeing the others wield their swords, I thought that I should do the same, but I decided that training on the day of subjugation wouldn¡¯t be much help to the troops.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°True effort is achieved when one follows their heart with detailed actions. My heart never gets involved right from the start¡­ even if I practice swordsmanship, I won¡¯t be able to categorize it as effort.¡± Those around him, who heard Irene Pareira¡¯s words, especially those who weren¡¯t on good terms with his family, smiled. Irene¡¯s words started off strong, but in the end, it was just an excuse for not training. Of course, it was true that training on the subjugation day wasn¡¯t advisable, but it was better to do something than nothing. ¡®Indeed, the Deadbeat Noble.¡¯ ¡®All these excuses forziness.¡¯ ¡®His words are nothing special¡­¡¯ Their gazes naturally focused on the vice-captain. As usual, Hill But had a strict expression that didn¡¯t change. His eyes were staring intently at Irene. People around them trembled thinking of the consequences. Those cold eyes of his, no one wanted to look at them for long. Naturally, they turned their heads. However, not Irene Pareira. There was no reason for that. A tall young man maintaining his posture with his gaze slightly down. The vice-captain, who had been watching him for a long time, kept watching. At that point, the preparation for the march waspleted. He looked around and spoke in a loud voice. ¡°We will start the advance right away! And¡­ you stay by my side. We need to talk a little more.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± People were shocked. It wasn¡¯t just the knights and soldiers who were shocked. Even Viscount Gairn and Ryan Gairn were shocked. ¡®Why¡­¡¯ ¡®What does he see in him?¡¯ The hot feeling of jealousy rose. However, neither Hill nor Irene paid any attention to them. The march, which had been stopped for a while, began again. When talking to someone, Hill But doesn¡¯t just look at the content of the conversation. That was especially true when evaluating people. Eyes. The mirror which reflects the person¡¯s heart. The eyes, which tell the other person what they are thinking, are just as important as the content. At least, that was what Hill thought. ¡®Even if the same content is said, the weight of the words change depending on whether you really mean it or not.¡¯ Just like how there¡¯s a huge difference between an 80-year-old man who had a rough life saying ¡®life is fleeting¡¯ and a five-year-old kid who picks it up and repeats it. When Hill But spoke, the most important thing was whether or not he could handle the weight of his words. And what he felt¡­ ¡®Irene Pareira is the former.¡¯ And it wasn¡¯t a superficial level of ¡®I think so.¡¯ The eyes of those who have practiced what they speak, the experiences they have had, and their beliefs were different. The moment he saw that Hill But threw away all the negative rumors he heard about Irene. An irresistible curiosity took their ce. He wanted to know more about the young man. With that thought, he spoke to the young man next to him. ¡°Let¡¯s continue talking. You said that you were thinking about what should be done in the demon subjugation, right?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°I think something can be made from those thoughts¡­ can you tell me them?¡± ¡°It may not be to your liking because of myck of experience¡­ I focused on three areas.¡± ¡°Three? Go ahead.¡± The vice-captain was interested, so he urged Irene to speak, who nodded and spoke. 1. I¡¯m an inexperienced person who has never seen blood. Therefore, it¡¯s necessary to prepare in advance for the shock and confusion that will follow the first kill. 2. I heard that there is nothing more dangerous than a sudden action of an inexperienced person. Calm down, follow the guidance of the superiors and be careful not to be a nuisance to the troops. 3. The demon and the magi that demons use always keep an eye on the energy they emanate and try to understand the enemy in advance. Hearing that, Hill nodded with satisfaction. And spoke. ¡°You¡¯re a lot more realistic than I thought. Not bad.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°The first one is really important. For any person, the first battle is bound to be terrifying. Controlling your mind in advance is a good habit. However, that shouldn¡¯t affect your movements. Keep that in mind.¡± ¡°I will.¡± ¡°The second one isn¡¯t bad. Likewise, it¡¯s amon mistake made by the people participating for the first time. I think I¡¯ve seen more than a hundred idiots who can¡¯t even follow the instructions of their superiors and then run out to battle.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be careful of that.¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m not saying that you¡¯ll do that. This current calm look is nice. As long as you continue with this mindset right now, I don¡¯t think there will be any problems. And the third¡­¡± The vice-captain burst intoughter. It was because he felt that the young man next to him certainlycked experience. With his age, and his calm appearance, for a second, he thought, ¡®is he really a starter?¡¯ but it was sure. And he felt pity. ¡®However, he can grow. With great time he can be reborn too.¡¯ He isn¡¯t trying to show off or make himself look good in front of others. Without any of that, he was moving ahead with a pure heart. How could he help with the subjugation? Hill was pleased with his demeanor. So pleased that he wanted to teach Irene. With those thoughts, he continued to speak with a smile on his face. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about that.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. Because the priests were brought for that reason.¡± If filthy demons pollute the underworld, then there is a holy God who watches over thend from the sky. And there are the priests who can use some of that great being¡¯s power, and some were in the subjugation squad. ¡°Priests can detect demons and the terrible magi that demons release.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Of course, there are those times when the energy is so gloomy that even holy energy cannot detect it, but we have sacred relics from the church as well. So, you don¡¯t need to worry about that part of the battle¡­ hmm.¡± Hill But¡¯s expression stiffened as he spoke. It was because of Irene Pareira. Irene had been listening to him, but all of a sudden, he changed. Even though the conversation wasn¡¯t over, he turned his head and looked behind him. ¡®What¡¯s wrong?¡¯ The vice-captain didn¡¯t get angry immediately. It was their first meeting, and thanks to the time they spent talking, he was able to understand the other person. Hill knew that Irene wouldn¡¯t have acted like that without reason. There had to be a reason. What was it? When he was thinking. Suddenly, a chill ran down his spine. Whoooo! ¡°¡­!¡± A disgusting, dirty, and terrifying feeling touched everything. Truly terrifying monsters appeared from behind the subjugation squad. It happened in an instant as if someone ced them there. ¡°Ah, no!¡± ¡°Are they monsters?¡± People were confused. It wasn¡¯t just one or two. Just a nce, and there were dozens of them, and the number kept increasing. Seeing those ck creatures rising from the shadows of the trees and stones, the vice-captain shouted. ¡°Everyone! Get ready for battle! Knights move to the front! The 6 families will fall behind and protect the magicians and priests!¡± ¡®I need to figure something out!¡¯ Hill But, who gave the orders, was worried. Why didn¡¯t the priests detect this? But he didn¡¯t have time to worry about such things. He had to focus on what he had to do. He didn¡¯t even have time to scan the area around them. No, there was no need for that. He looked at a 5-meter tall giant which was soaring high in the sky. ¡®I need to take care of that one!¡¯ Why did he join the subjugation troops? It was to take down the strongest enemy that the nobles couldn¡¯t handle. He did give out the orders, but he could reduce the damage to a minimum while dealing with the powerful monsters alone. But the situation at hand was bad. He should have prepared in advance and prepared ahead of time, which he didn¡¯t. Even if they moved, he had to stop the monsters from crossing them. Damn, he should have moved right away without wasting time thinking. He shouldn¡¯t have noticedte! It was then. He saw a blonde young man approaching. It was Irene. Who said that he would follow the superiors¡¯ words but was acting abruptly. The vice-captain¡¯s expression turned stiff. ¡°No¡­!¡± He didn¡¯t even have the time to say no. ng! A leap that rumbled the ground. Swoosh! And a sword which fell down into a downward sh. As sharp as lightning. The 5-meter tall monster, which hadnded, couldn¡¯t even resist when it got split into two. Gulp. Hill But¡¯s body, which was drawing his sword, hardened as if he was under a petrification spell. ¡®What is he?¡¯ Chapter 60: The Sleeping Dragon of the Hale Kingdom (5)

Chapter 60: The Sleeping Dragon of the Hale Kingdom (5)

It wasn¡¯t just the vice-captain who was shocked. The knights of the Twilight Knights, who were busy moving in the urgent situation, and the 6 families¡¯ troops were the same. Even the demonic monsters which rushed towards them seemed bewildered. It was then. The eyes of the ck giant, which seemed to have lost all life as it was shed through the middle, began to glow in red. Kwaah! Kwwaak! Screams came out of its mouth. And its divided body moved individually. Seeing that, the subjugation troops were startled. However, not Irene Pareira. And the sword was faster than before. Woong! Woong! Woong! Swing! And another swing, The people there didn¡¯t know, but it was undoubtedly Judith¡¯s swordsmanship. A strong attack with a strong core as the center and rotational force added to it, each sh holding the power of a one-hit fatality! The me-like attack broke the ck giant into pieces. The demonic monsters which were close by suffered injuries, and more were pouring out. But that wasn¡¯t the end. Thorns and des sprouted from the ground as the pieces of the giant body copsed. The creepy energy and thorns looking at Irene all aimed for him. Surely. This time too, he was ready. Tang! Tang! Bratt Lloyd¡¯s defense technique formed into a soft circle around him. Swoosh! The Sky Sword of Ilya Lindsay, the free, sharp, and ruthless attack which followed. Irene¡¯s great sword swung without stopping. The giant¡¯s body was separated into hundreds of pieces which looked like a storm. Tuk-tuk! And it couldn¡¯t move anymore. At the sight, the subjugation crew was all just watching. Kwang! Kuak! ¡°What are you all doing! The battle is happening! Move!¡± ¡°¡­ woah, woahh!¡± Of course, it didn¡¯t keep going on. Hill But, who ran to the front line, kicked one of the demonic monsters and shouted at the others who were gaping at Irene. It was natural they were shocked. The huge ck giant got turned into a lump of meat in one shot. The others began to make sure to use their swords with their best effort. Puk! Kwang! Among the people who were doing the best, Hill But stood out the most. Swordsmanship, whichbined with his rough and powerful body, literally burst and smashed the demonic monsters. Some demonic monsters were frightened and tried to run away, but somehow the demonic monsters were caught up to and chased down. It was an act that was suitable for the vice-captain of the Twilight Knights. However, in this battle, the major contributor was different. ¡°Phew.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± After defeating all, Irene was breathing with his expressionless face. Various eyes from the troops were looking at him. Awe, jealousy, confusion, wonder¡­ Among them, the dampest eyes belonged to his father. ¡®I am proud of you, Irene!¡¯ It was Baron Pareira, who had been sleeping with worries about his son, despite the confidence on his son¡¯s face. It was unavoidable. He heard that Irene changed ever since he went to Krono, but he saw Irene as nothing more than a soft-hearted boy who had wounds from his childhood. But now, those worries have gone away. The overwhelming power. As he looked at his son, who seemed like someone out of a fairytale, he burst into tears. ¡°Jack! Jack Stewart!¡± ¡°You called for me, my lord?¡± ¡°What I said before the departure, get it done!¡± ¡°¡­ I will do so.¡± Hate and anger. Viscount Phill Gairn, who had a stiff face instead of his gentle public face, ordered his knight. Jack Stewart nodded with a dark expression. About half a day had passed since the subjugation of the demon began. The march for the subjugation of the demon continued without stopping. Even the unexpected attacks from demonic monsters couldn¡¯t stop it. Except for minor injuries, no one was heavily wounded. It was a critical time when even a piece of small wrong news could bring disappointment to the troops, but the subjugation troops moved forward to the demon¡¯s base with high morale. Of course, they weren¡¯t drunk on the joy of victory. Although they were careless in not realizing the ambush, Hill But was a skilled knight who had experienced several demon subjugations. No one would make the same mistake twice. ¡°Irene Pareira.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°From now on, I will prioritize your words over the priests. If you feel anything, the presence of the demon or the demonic monsters which are being controlled by it approaching us, say it right away. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± He found out right after the battle. That the ne Irene possessed was an outstanding artifact. And it was something that Irene¡¯s younger sister, Kirill, had created. Because of that, Hill immediately decided to trust Irene. It probably wouldn¡¯t matter if it was some high-ranking noble''s item. But this was an artifact made by a sorcerer, and he was prioritizing it over the holy objects. Some priests were dissatisfied with it. However. ¡°The enemy. It¡¯sing from the left.¡± ¡°Everyone! Ready for battle!¡± Once again, Irene managed to sense the presence of the demonic monsters approaching them, so they couldn¡¯t act stubborn. With that, the troops were able to safely camp in the afternoon without a single casualty. ¡°Amazing. That artifact.¡± ¡°Right. Its ability to detect Magi is superior to the relics¡­¡± ¡°It seems like Pareira¡¯s sorcerer is great.¡± ¡°Is she pretty?¡± ¡°What does it matter if a young girl is pretty or not?¡± Over dinner, the knights of the Twilight Knights talked about Kirill. They couldn¡¯t help it. They just witnessed the power of a sorcerer they never saw. However, there was another hot topic. The story of Irene Pareira, the young swordsman who performed amazingly in two battles. ¡°How old is he? 25?¡± ¡°21.¡± ¡°Crazy¡­ does that mean that he is that skilled at the age of 21? I guess he is already an Expert? Is he not? Maybe I¡¯m going too far.¡± Expert. It refers to people who are inferior to the state of Sword Master, but those who possess excellent skills to the point where it is difficult to club them together with knights or swordsmen. Naturally, the title of Expert wasn¡¯t something one could easily get. The person had to formally graduate from a famous swordsmanship school, like the Krono. And one has to be recognized by every member of the knights. Those who are recognized by the Holy Land. Or a person who receives a gold emblem or higher from a mercenary agency. At least, that was how the qualification for the glorious state could be acquired. And it wasn¡¯t a title to be given to a 21-year-old young man. However, ¡°Obviously he is an Expert.¡± ¡°Right. That demonic monster, if it were just us, it would have been difficult for us to deal with, right?¡± ¡°That is right. It looked stronger than most medium-sized demonic monsters, but he handled by himse¡­¡± ¡°Maybe the vice-captain thinks so too.¡± ¡°It didn¡¯t even look like he tried his best¡­ just how talented is that kid?¡± Not all of the Twilight Knights questioned Irene Pareira¡¯s status. Rather, they were curious about his true abilities. Naturally, the conversation spread to the nobles of the 6 families. There was envy and jealousy in their eyes. ¡®He did that?¡¯ ¡®How could that be? The Lazy Prince¡­¡¯ ¡®Baron Pareira, that smile isn¡¯t leaving his face!¡¯ Seeing Harun Pareira¡¯s face, some of the noble heads were disgusted. No one knew how Irene lived. The young one who always got beaten around by Viscount Gairn¡¯s kid and even recently at the meeting 5 years back rose to the top in an instant. On the other hand, the Gairn family, who was supposed to perform brilliantly in the subjugation, had faded. Surely Ryan Gairn was good, but no knight paid any attention to him. They were all focusing on the blonde young man who was exceptional. ¡°¡­¡± However, Irene Pareira, who was at the center of attention, was quieter than anyone. It wasn¡¯t like he was forcing himself to keep a stiff face. It was because he had no interest in what was going on. He lowered his head towards the meal that was served. However, what he looked at was his sister¡¯s ne. And the part of the ne which had turned ck. Shhh! The artifact can purify food. Which meant that the meal Irene was served had poison in it, and it was no different than saying that someone in the troops had tried to poison him. ¡®This is no surprise.¡¯ It was probably the lord of Gairn. 5 years ago, he had already seen Irene¡¯s skills, so Irene presumed that he prepared poison that would cause a stomach ache. Anger? Irene didn¡¯t feel that. Because he knew how people were. What was more worrisome was the note which was attached to the bottom of the meal te. [This food has been poisoned! Be careful!] A warning message. Crooked writing, as if written with the left hand, was still impressive, but the content was even more shocking. Did the writer of the note know that the meal was poisoned? And why was he helping Irene? ¡®Who¡­ I never thought that there would be someone who would help me.¡¯ That wasn¡¯t the end. There was something else he was concerned about. Closing his eyes, he recalled the battles. It wasn¡¯t about finding what he wascking. Today¡¯s fight was perfect, in his opinion. Although it was demonic monsters, he didn¡¯t tremble at all, not even during the first kill, and his field of vision didn¡¯t narrow despite it being his first battle. No mistakes and no damage. ¡®That is the problem.¡¯ He felt nauseous. He wasn¡¯t the kind to be good with anything. To learn something, he had to work hard and try to see the results. And he thought that there would be mistakes during the subjugation, so he did what themander said, control his mind. However, it was perfect. As if he had battled with demonic monsters thousands of times before. Ti-ti-ti A sound from the ne. Meant that it was purified. Irene nodded and started eating. What if it wasn¡¯t purified? He didn¡¯t have that thought. That was how strong their bond was. Maybe that kind of trust would increase the performance of the artifact even more. It was when he finished eating. ¡°Irene Pareira. Finished eating?¡± ¡°Yes. Subjugationmander.¡± ¡°Shall we have a practice match?¡± The vice-captain of the Twilight Knights, who came, asked something unexpected. Chapter 61: The Sleeping Dragon of the Hale Kingdom (6)

Chapter 61: The Sleeping Dragon of the Hale Kingdom (6)

¡°What, now?¡± ¡°It looks like that.¡± ¡°The vice-captain? Really?¡± ¡°Yes. I heard it as I passed by. He must be wondering what his real skills are like.¡± ¡°Haa¡­¡± The vice-captain of the Twilight Knights and Irene walked to an empty spot that was next to the camp. The 6 southern families who saw that were curious. Among the most exciting spectacles in the world, one is to watch someone else fight, and the other is to watch a fight. This time too, their target was to ridicule the young man. A knight who will be the future of the Kingdom, Hill But. And Irene Pareira, who showed a mind-blowing performance that no one expected. If these two faced off, it would be much more interesting than any other majestic scene. Of course, the emotions in the eyes of the 6 families wasn¡¯t just curiosity. ¡®It can¡¯t be denied anymore. Irene Pareira has fully established a connection with Hill But.¡¯ ¡®Well, if he is at the level of what his performance today showed, it¡¯s natural for anyone to show interest.¡¯ ¡®Ha¡­ how good it would be to have my son in that position.¡¯ ¡®If I had the opportunity to battle with the vice-captain¡­¡¯ Their jealousy couldn¡¯t be hidden. Seeing the others'' expressions, Baron Pareira smiled happily, especially while looking at Viscount Gairn. And the knights of the Twilight Knights, seated far away from them¡­ ¡°Battle with the vice-captain? Ohh¡­¡± ¡°I hate to even think about it.¡± ¡°Terrible, terrible thing.¡± They were showing apletely different reaction than the 6 southern families. There were no feelings of envy or jealousy. The gaze of Irene looked like a young animal being led to a ughterhouse. One of the youngest knights listening to the conversation asked. ¡°Excuse me, is it that tough to fight the vice-captain?¡± ¡°Uh? Ah, it hasn¡¯t been long since you joined, right?¡± ¡°Yes, as soon as I entered the Knights Temr, I was dispatched here¡­ so, what does that even mean? The things about the vice-captain? Of course, I know the vice-captain''s personality, but the kid will gain a lot from fighting a master¡­¡± ¡°Gain?¡± Upon hearing those words, the knights around the young one burst intoughter. He didn¡¯t know what happened, and he couldn¡¯t understand them. When one of them said, ¡°Gain huh¡­ of course, that happens. After fighting the vice-captain, a monster or a demon doesn¡¯t feel that scary. Maybe you¡¯ll know once you try it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It wouldn¡¯t make sense to see someone else battling, so try it yourself and understand. Hahaha!¡± ¡°Right. Be sure to try it! Even if you don¡¯t want to, just try it. Hahaha!¡± At the knights¡¯ words, the young knight¡¯s gaze turned towards the vice-captain, with an unknown feeling of insecurity. Of course, Hill But didn¡¯t care. There was only one thing running through his mind, Irene Pareira. And he spoke. ¡°It isn¡¯t that dark, right? There is moonlight and fire right here.¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Well, if you are as skilled as you showed, the darkness shouldn¡¯t matter. Because you have already reached the Expert Level.¡± ¡°That¡¯s an exaggeration.¡± ¡°Your modesty is one charm, but keep in mind that overdoing modesty is disrespectful to others. There is probably no one better than you in the Twilight Knights, apart from the captain and me. If you are going to act humble, what would they look like?¡± ¡°I will keep that in mind.¡± ¡°Nice. Talking ends here¡­¡± Srrng! Hill But pulled out his sword. The sword which was shining in the moonlight felt dangerous. However, there was something more worrisome. Irene Pareira looked into the opponent¡¯s eyes. ¡°¡­¡± A look different from before. The feeling was different from a simple gaze. The air around felt ferocious and raw. Irene could feel the goosebumps that stood on his back as if he was on the edge of a cliff. ¡°The major events in my knighthood were demon subjugations.¡± Hill But said while swinging his sword. It wasn¡¯t a serious look like a neighborhood alley leader ying with a kid. However, Irene couldn¡¯t rx. He picked up the great sword which he had summoned from the world of sorcery. ¡°You might have seen today, those beings are terrible. They are uglier than the monsters and even more disgusting than them.¡± ¡°At first, I hated them. Like everyone else, I was bad at it.¡± ¡°Because of my swordsmanship style, I need to face them at a much closer distance than others.¡± The vice-captain¡¯s swordsmanship was special. Strictly speaking, it wasn''t swordsmanship. He was someone who utilized his body more than weapons, such as his hands, feet, shoulders, and head. As he enjoyed using crude fighting methods, Hill But had no choice but to make eye contact with the monsters more than anyone else. He had no choice but to face the horrifying demons. There was a time when he was terrified that his sword would break. However, after oveing the ordeal. His eyes were filled with energy so strong that even demons would tremble in fear. Woong! ¡°Don¡¯t drag this out. The purpose of this battle is to test your skills till the very end. Even if no one else knows, I think you should know your skills properly. And you seem quite stronger than I thought.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So, the best sword. Just show it to me clearly. No need to get hurt while overdoing this¡­ just enough for me to grasp your abilities. Do you get that?¡± ¡°¡­ Understood.¡± Irene, who nodded his head, immediately took his stance. The median line. A greatsword that is positioned precisely in the center without leaning to the left or right. Hill But eximed. ¡®He doesn¡¯t falter at all.¡¯ It was unusual for knights, especially those of Irene¡¯s level, to show an unstable appearance. Even his subordinate knights, who are far below Irene, could do that. However, if one was in a situation where they were making eye contact with an opponent like Hill, it was a different story. Cold sweat. One wouldn¡¯t be able to resist the aura and step back. Hill had seen the ones who shivered. Not only that, the amount of aura he was giving out now was scary. Irene was maintaining himself despite facing such an aura. It was not something that could be overlooked with just apliment. ¡®He¡¯s stronger than I thought.¡¯ It was the time when he was evaluating the other person. The vice-captain, who was staring at Irene, frowned slightly at the feeling that something had changed. ¡®What? This¡­¡¯ He looked different. The other person, who is a young man at 21 years old, felt different from before. Like a sturdy rock. No, stronger than that. ¡®Steel?¡¯ Right. Simr to that. It wasn¡¯t the feeling of simply showing off his guts. It was apleted aura of steel as if he kept hitting the limit. Under that pressure, Hill But felt his mouth run dry. Kuuuunnnn¡­..! It wasn¡¯t done. The image behind Irene continued to grow. Without knowing the end, it grew. From a medium-sized human to a monster, and then from a monster to something bigger. And even bigger! Woong! Hill But raised his energy even more. There was no way he could rx after seeing that. Conversely, if he made a mistake, he would be devoured by the opponent¡¯s force. The vice-captainpletely abandoned the idea of looking after the young man. His gaze changed to the sharp eyes which he would have when encountering a demon. The overheated air. The atmosphere kept getting tenser and tenser. It wasn¡¯t them who broke the air. ng! ¡°Ah! Ahhh¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So-Sorry, I apologize. I really am!¡± A soldier of the Russell family, who was staring at their confrontation, dropped the tableware he was holding. As he ended up receiving attention from everyone around, he trembled in fear. He was on the verge of tears. When Irene asked. ¡°Would you like to continue?¡± ¡°¡­ no. This is enough.¡± Sad sighs erupted from the mouths of those watching the battle. The eyes on the man who dropped the tableware grew even more. Fortunately, that didn¡¯tst long. It was thanks to the vice-captain. As the situation ended with a slight disappointment, Hill said. ¡°Irene Pareira, you may move forward independently without my guidance.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°With your skills, it would be much more helpful to the subjugation troops to let you move freely. Not just the demonic monsters, but even when wee across the demon.¡± Saying that the vice-captain went towards his seat. The Twilight Knights, who were bound by a trust to their superior, nodded their heads. While the members of the 6 noble families looked at Irene with an expression of ¡®What was that?¡¯ Hill But, who went back to his seat, sat down. ¡®With this level of skill¡­¡¯ He was seriously considering what he had said. How good was Irene? Did he know his skills? No, it wasn¡¯t that. Hill was unable to know if Irene was above him or below him. It was a huge shock to Hill But. ¡®The third one. Such a shock¡­¡¯ The first was when he heard the story about the greatest genius on the continent, I, who attained the status of Sword Master at the age of 20. It was an obvious thing. No one was surprised to see that girl attaining great heights at the youngest age in history. The second was when a simr genius, Ilya Lindsay, became an honorary member of the Moonlight Knights at 14. That was amazing. If anyone could break I¡¯s records, that would be Ilya Lindsay. ¡°Hm¡­¡± Compared to the previous two, Irene¡¯s achievements were inferior. Of course, being on the same level as Hill at 21 was a huge deal, but if the entire continent was searched, it wasn¡¯t like he was the only one on the continent. Being on the level of the vice-captain of the knights in this small country was one thing. However¡­ ¡®It feels like there is something that cannot be exined by a simpleparison.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t put his finger on it. No, he hadn¡¯t figured it out yet. Hill But felt his stomach churn. But it was fine. Irene Pareira belonged to the Hale Kingdom. Which meant that his connection with Irene could be continued. With that, Hill¡¯s expression brightened. He nodded his head with a smile. ¡°¡­¡± On the other hand, Irene Pareira¡¯s face was more serious than usual. He had just felt the sensation of facing two huge demonic monsters at once. To be precise, he felt that from the moment the vice-captain¡¯s gaze turned ferocious. ¡®Such great pressure. It felt like I was standing in front of a monster and not a human.¡¯ Of course, that didn¡¯t mean that Hill But had been corrupted. It just meant that his energy was strong enough to make a person think like that. Being exposed to that, his sword became stronger. And sharper. Since it was the third time, he could understand it better. How should he ept the fact? As he was trying to think, Irene felt a surge of extreme suffocation. It wasn¡¯t like hecked stamina. Although many things have happened in one day, it was nothingpared to what he did in Krono or the world of sorcery. Was he finally feeling the fatigue from his first killings? Maybe it was that. Irene, who thought to himself, slowly closed his eyes and fell asleep. And the next morning. ¡°¡­¡± After a long time, the dream changed. Chapter 62: Demon Slashing Sword (1)

Chapter 62: Demon shing Sword (1)

Irene Pareira has been having a mystical dream ever since the age of 15. In a yard with an old shabby fence, the dream of a mysterious man wielding his sword without rest. It was strange, but it was a daily thing. Of course, he didn¡¯t have the dream during the five years he was trying to create his own sword. However, the night he came out of the world of sorcery, the mysterious man appeared again and continued to wield his sword with the same stance until yesterday. This time, it was different. A familiar sight, familiar smell, familiar character. Honest swordsmanship training will soon begin. Irene Pareira, who had turned into a 21-year-old young man, has watched that a lot. He watched it. He watched it with concentration. There were times when he was obsessed with the dream, even in reality, but not now. He knew. He knew the subtle differences. About an hour after the dream began, Irene could discern the smallest differences that no one but him would notice. ¡®Eyes.¡¯ Eyes. For some, it¡¯s a simple sensory organ that can see objects. For others, it¡¯s a mirror that reflects the heart. For Irene, it was thetter. The faint emotions in the man¡¯s eyes made him wonder. ¡®Why do you feel so angry?¡¯ The man had never revealed his feelings before. As if his lifelong karma was to wield the sword, he silently repeated the same thing every day without changing his expression. The same thing every day repeating. So now he was showing his anger? It was unbelievable. Irene continued to focus on the man. He only looked into his eyes this time. He was sure. It was only a little, but the man was clearly angry. ¡­ and the dream ended. ¡°You, move quickly!¡± ¡°Are there enough supplies?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s finish preparing the meal quickly.¡± The bustling sound of soldiers doing chores. The young man realized that he was back to reality. Originally, he would have immediately stood up and moved his body. Even if it wasn¡¯t swordsmanship training, he would try to relieve his stiff muscles. However, Irene spent some more time lying down. Closing his eyes, he thought. ¡®Until now¡­ every time the dream changed, something always happened.¡¯ It was definite. From the moment he was able to maintain himself in the dream, the swordsmanship training, and the moment the man in the dreams looked at him, he ended up immersing himself in the world of sorcery. Given the past, perhaps something would change this time as well. ¡®No, maybe the change has already happened.¡¯ Irene began to think about what happened. Something definitely seemed odd. The fact that he showed a perfect performance beyond what he achieved in the world of sorcery. It was strange that he didn¡¯t seem ted, especially when he should be happy that he raised his family¡¯s honor with such an outstanding performance. Of course, it was a trivial matter, so it could be his own delusion¡­ ¡°¡­ stop.¡± Irene shook his head and got up. The changed dream. Right, there was more to do than that. The subjugation of the demon. Even though he was recognized by the vice-captain of the Twilight Knights, he was still a beginner with insufficient experience. He had to always keep that in mind. To focus. To never rx. Thinking so, he got up from the bed. And slowly rxed. ¡°Hey, young lord, how was your sleep?¡± ¡°Yesterday¡¯s performance was amazing!¡± Unlike the first day, some of the Twilight Knights spoke to him. Aside from them, it seemed like a lot of people wanted to talk to him. After addressing all of them with a moderate smile, he looked towards his father. A smile deeper than his own caught his eye. Irene smiled broadly, looking at that. Sssss¡­. The ne was dyed ck again. He felt good and bad. It seemed like the malice would continue until the end of the subjugation. ¡®You never know. They could try other means too.¡¯ As he waited for the poison to detoxify, he thought that he had to act more cautiously. That was when something touched his hand. Irene Pareira was startled, and he snatched it. Heughed bitterly. [It contains poison this time! The men are really bad! Always be on guard!] The same writing. It felt like Irene fell and got back up. ¡®It isn¡¯t like I don¡¯t have anyone on my side.¡¯ Whoever it was, he wanted to thank them. And he would always be cautious. Irene, who thought so, waited for the detoxification to be done and ate inrger bites than usual. Trying to put on an act. Jack Stewart was looking at him with a stiff expression on his face when Phill Gairn approached him and whispered. ¡°Will it be effective this time?¡± ¡°I checked that the poison was added. If it¡¯s any normal person, it¡¯ll be so bad that they¡¯ll be exhausted with diarrhea for three days and nights¡­¡± ¡°You said that yesterday too! So why is he fine?¡± ¡°¡­ if it doesn¡¯t work this time, I suspect that he may have an artifact which blocks poison.¡± ¡°Damn it, shit! He has a high-level artifact that even we don¡¯t have? Such nonsense! Another fail!¡± Gairn opened his eyes wide as he cursed the Pareira family. He spit on Jack Stewart¡¯s face. Gairn left the man, who decided to stay silent. He wanted to bring the downfall of the Pareira¡¯s. After confirming that Gairn left, Jack pulled out a handkerchief. He didn¡¯t like it. Even more than the saliva on his cheek, the fact that he had to harm the one who was helping the subjugation more than the family he works for. The second day of the demon subjugation march continued smoother than expected. Not a single ident. Perhaps because the two surprise attacks failed, the demonic monsters didn¡¯t show up. Rather, only a few monsters with no intelligence asionally ran wild. Neither Hill But nor Irene Pareira had anything to do. The monsters fell down, dripping blood under the des of the Twilight Knights. Seeing that, Irene¡¯splexion turned pale. ¡°You don¡¯t look good. Are you fine?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Hearing that answer, Hill But nodded. Today was supposed to be insignificant. Whenpared to the bloodshed the day before, there was no reason to feel repulsion to killing the monsters. That was right. But the instinctive reluctance to kill. Irene could feel bad. ¡®What is up with me?¡¯ Of course, as he was unfamiliar with such situations, it was natural to feel that way, but he was fine yesterday, so why now? He spent the second day with that question and had another dream. The dream of the softly furious man. And the third day of subjugation began. Irene showed another great performance. ¡°I can feel magi from there. Perhaps there is something.¡± ¡°The demonic monsters are approaching from the left. I will take care of them.¡± It was after entering the forest where the stronghold of the demon was. Irene felt a change in his body again. He was calm. Incredibly sharp. His senses were so keen that he noticed and prepared for the demonic monsters one step ahead of the rest with the help of the artifact. And his sword didn¡¯t know of mercy. Watching him slice through the enemies without hesitation, the vice-captain smiled. On the other hand, Gairn¡¯s heart began to feel hot. In a situation where there were no casualties because of Irene Pareira¡¯s performance, it was impossible for him to feel happy. He stared at Jack Stewart with bloodshot eyes. But there was nothing Jack Stewart could do. No, he didn¡¯t want to do such a dirty thing to Irene, who had managed to grow up and be such an excellent swordsman. ¡®Even if the family I serve holds hostility towards them. I am still a knight!¡¯ Honestly, it wasn¡¯t even the family. Phill Gairn specifically hated the Pareira¡¯s. Jack¡¯splexion darkened. As the various groups moved with different thoughts, they arrived at the demon¡¯s stronghold. A cave with a wide entrance that looked twisted. Hill But spoke to Irene. ¡°Let¡¯s move together.¡± A reasonable decision. It was natural to put the strongest and the most sensitive person in the subjugation squad at the forefront. No one objected to a young man being given such a heavy task. The entire subjugation troops already acknowledged Irene as a strong person. ¡°Yes, subjugationmander.¡± Irene didn¡¯t refuse either. The change he was so concerned about in the beginning was solved. His senses became sharp, and he kept his cool. Confidence that told him he could deal with any kind of opponent. Both of them entered the cave. Around 100 subjugation troops followed behind them. For about a minute, they walked with the help of magicmps. ?? ??? Then, music began to y. Everyone¡¯s footsteps halted at the same time. If the sound of an instrument came from somewhere other than the troops, it meant that it wasing from the opponent. People frowned. ¡°String instrument¡­ violin?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s a piano¡­¡± Some people who were good at music tried to identify the instrument being yed, and some quietly listened to the music. It wasn¡¯t bad either. They closed their eyes and began to appreciate the melody. ?? ??? ¡°Isn¡¯t it nice?¡± ¡°Quite skilled.¡± As the melody continued, peoples¡¯ expressions rxed. Some who were on guard slowly began to focus more on the music. What they all had inmon was they were moving closer to the music little by little without even realizing it. One step, two, and three steps. As they moved, the beat began to increase, and the speed of the troops also increased. So everyone kept moving. ¡°Haa!¡± Whoo! Hill eximed. With the energy wave, which spread in a wide radius, the troops suddenly came to their senses. They were shocked. It was because they realized they weren¡¯t in their usual manner. ¡°Is everyone fine?¡± ¡°Y-Yes!¡± ¡°We are fine!¡± ¡°Check if there is anyone around you who is still in a trance and shake them strongly. Irene Pareira, are you fine?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Irene nodded his head. He was one of the few people, including Hill But, who weren¡¯t manipted. At that moment, a woman who was ying piano in the huge space stood up. The ck dress and long ck hair caught everyone¡¯s attention. The skeleton soldiers around her were quite shocking too. They had strings in their hands. ¡°Guests have arrived. Nice to meet you.¡± A being that was no different from a human, except for its red eyes. In a low voice, Hill But mumbled. ¡°¡­ a much stronger demon than I thought.¡± Chapter 63: Demon Slashing Sword (2)

Chapter 63: Demon shing Sword (2)

The demon is a human. But it wasn¡¯t human. When one epts the terrible power from the devil, their mind is corrupted, and their body and face change as a result. It will be reborn as a being that cannot be called human. However, the demon in front of them wasn¡¯t like that. Apart from the exceptional red gaze, she looked like nothing but a human being. It meant that her self-awareness was strong and that she didn¡¯t lose her beliefs, managing to be something closer to the devil himself. It was something that Hill But, who had gone to several demon subjugations, hadn''t seen. ¡®We won¡¯t lose, but¡­¡¯ He quickly thought of a n. The skeleton soldiers on the periphery of the demon weren¡¯t powerful. They didn¡¯t seem to have any use other than ying an instrument. Of course, there¡¯s a high possibility that the demon was hiding something, but at least for now, there was one enemy. Their holy relics didn¡¯t respond, and Irene Pareira too couldn¡¯t give them a warning. Yet, the troops will win. No, Hill and Irene would be enough to subdue the demon. ¡­ which made the vice-captain puzzled. ¡®Why the hell didn¡¯t it run away?¡¯ The demon should know too. That the difference in power was too great. No matter how strong a demon is, it couldn¡¯t defeat all the troops alone. That was something only a real ¡®devil¡¯ could do. And it didn¡¯t seem like the cave had anything valuable in it. From what they saw, there was nothing there except for the piano and skeleton soldiers. It was the moment when he was concerned. With a smile, the demon spoke. ¡°Would you like to listen to one more song?¡± ¡°Shut up! You wicked demon!¡± Baron Russell spoke with a stern voice in his usual arrogant attitude. He wouldn¡¯t have even thought of doing that if he was alone, but now, he was surrounded by the best knights, so his courage sprung up. Of course, the demon didn¡¯t care. She smiled more and spoke to Baron Russell. ¡°But¡­ my performance was quite good, wasn''t it?¡± ¡°You bitch, spouting¡­¡± ¡°That song was just an appetizer. I¡¯ll show you the real me. Sweet and dark like a bed which embraces a weary body¡­¡± ¡°Uh, ahh¡­¡± ¡°Maybe it will feel closer to a dream?¡± ¡°Then, just one more song¡­¡± Baron Russell¡¯s eyes widened, and he nodded. Little by little, he moved forward, and the people around didn¡¯t stop him. ¡°Get yourselves together!¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Once again, it was the vice-captain who brought the Baron back to consciousness. Baron Russell seemed startled as he took a step back with a nk expression. Seeing that, the demon spoke. ¡°Such a pity. What I said was unmistakably true¡­¡± ¡°No need to wait any longer! Kill the demon before it uses another trick! Twilight knights! Everyone¡­¡± Hill But made the decision. He wasn¡¯t sure what all was prepared beforehand, but it seemed like it would be better to attack now than to give the demon more time to control them. The knights who listened to the order moved ahead, and the troops of the 6 families naturally protected the magicians, priests, and nobles. It was the basic formation from before. However, the knights couldn¡¯t charge towards the enemy. It was because the powers of the demon unfolded a step ahead. Whoo! ¡°Huk!¡± A hand reached out from the shadows beneath their feet, grabbing the foot of one of the members, and dragged them into the darkness. After a while, Viscount Gairn eximed as he saw the knight who was dragged towards the demon. ¡°Sir Jack Stewart!¡± ¡°Ah, that was his name? Nice to meet you, Jack?¡± A long, loose hair wrapped around Jack¡¯s neck. He was hanging in the air, struggling to breathe. The air became chilly. And the ck-haired demon said. ¡°Ah, don¡¯t worry too much. I¡¯m not a great demon who can keep using great abilities over and over again.¡± ¡°You wench¡­!¡± ¡°And I have no intention of killing Jack. I¡¯m a pacifist.¡± ¡°What bull¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s make a deal.¡± Swoosh! The hair, which was around Jack¡¯s neck, pulled him higher. ¡°The life and death of this wonderful knight¡­¡± The demon pointed to herself with her finger. ¡°And my beautiful and talented life. An exchange.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°How does that sound? Isn¡¯t it nice? If you clear the way, I¡¯ll get out of here and then leave him in a ce I think is safe.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not lying. I swear on the person I serve, Lastor. If you guarantee my safety, I will repay you with his safety.¡± ¡°Kua¡­¡± ¡°Viscount Gairn!¡± Hill called out Gairn. A lot of content was omitted, but everyone could see his intentions. It meant to not fall for the words of the demon. To never negotiate with the demon under any circumstance. A directive from the Holy Land. ¡®No, even if not about that, they have to be killed! Considering the damage that demon would do by getting out of here alive and the mess it would cause¡­¡¯ When put like that, Jack Stewart¡¯s sacrifice is inevitable. Hill intended to attack, even if Gairn objected to it. However, if he decided to act like that, internal strife may arise, so it was better to let Viscount Gairn be in charge of making the right decision. The vice-captain''s eyes became desperate. Maybe he noticed that. With a frown and worried look, Phill Gairn opened his mouth. ¡°¡­ we do not negotiate with filthy demons!¡± A sigh of relief escaped from the knights¡¯ mouths. They all looked at Viscount Gairn with feelings of respect and awe. To make the decision of sacrificing the first knight of his family for the sake of the continent. It was the right thing to do, but not an easy choice. ¡°¡­ thank you. And Sir Jack Stewart. I apologize.¡± The vice-captain knew it very well. He nodded in gratitude and looked back at the demon. The atmosphere changed. In the midst of that, the face of the demon changed. It was natural. As the negotiations failed, there was no way for the demon to survive. That was what everyone thought. The Twilight Knights moved cautiously. At that moment, the demon¡¯s expression changed. A creepy change, as if a mask was changing. For a second, a chill ran down the spine of Hill But, and once again, something happened. Swoosh! ¡°Uh, ahh!¡± A simr situation. Another person was dragged from the shadows and appeared next to the demon. ck hair split in the middle and held two people but their necks. It was Ryan Gairn, the eldest child of the Gairn family. When Phill Gairn saw his son, he screamed even louder. ¡°Ryan! No!¡± ¡°You have to make some sacrifices! All¡­¡± ¡°Stop! Stop!!¡± The sound of his voice cracking. The Twilight Knights and even Hill But stopped. It was because the way Viscount Gairn spoke was different. Totally different from how he spoke when Jack Stewart was caught. If the subjugation went on like this, then no one was sure how the situation would end¡­ an uneasy feeling. It was an indisputable truth. Phill Gairn, with a distorted expression, ordered. ¡°Everyone, even the Twilight Knights, stop!¡± ¡°Viscount Gairn!¡± ¡°Baron Russell and Baron Lester. Will you follow my words?¡± ¡°¡­ stop the Twilight Knights.¡± ¡°Stop them.¡± Baron Russell and Lester joined with Gairn¡¯s men and stopped the knights. Nothing could be done. The two heads had their weaknesses caught by Viscount Gairn, so they could hardly disobey him. And the air changed again. With a frantic look, Hill But eximed. ¡°Viscount Gairn! I¡¯m going to overlook this, only this once!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk! No, it will be toote to talk!¡± ¡°What the hell, it¡¯s never toote¡­¡± ¡°Shut up! First of all, say what you want! Look here! The negotiations are open, right?¡± Phill asked. It was madness. With a satisfied smile, the demon nodded. ¡°Of course. Didn¡¯t I tell you before? I swear on the name of Lastor, whom I serve. I¡¯ll keep my promise.¡± ¡°Good. We will stop the Twilight Knights¡­¡± ¡°Twilight Knights! Do not forgive those who block the subjugation of the demon, regardless of the family or status!¡± ¡°Hill Buttt!¡± Seeing Viscount Gairn cry out as if he was bleeding, all the subjugation members looked confused. Baron Russell and Lester were scared of fighting the Twilight Knights, but they couldn¡¯t refuse the order of Viscount Gairn. The troops under theirmand were also unable to keep up with the sudden change. The Twilight Knights were a mess in their own way. No matter how important the subjugation of the demon was, it was a great burden to carry out the operation while opposing several noble families. Excluding the Russell, Lester, and Gairn families, the other three noble families were confused. The demon, who was watching, whispered to her right. It was in the direction of Jack. The first hostage. ¡°How is that, Jack? I think there¡¯s a huge difference from when you were taken¡­ tell me how you feel.¡± ¡°Euk¡­ kuk¡­¡± ¡°Look at me now. It¡¯s so hard to answer because I¡¯m clenching your neck too hard! It¡¯s okay, stay there. Because I think I know how it feels.¡± Despair, anger, and sadness. The demon smiled at Jack, who was surrounded by all kinds of negative emotions. Her smile grew brighter as she watched the subjugation turn into a mess. Because of this. It remained there without running away. The demon licked its red lips with her tongue and looked at each person¡¯s face. It felt like she was going to lose her mind. For a second, she thought she was going to die. It didn¡¯t matter if she was attacked by broken troops. But if all the troops united attacked her, she wasn¡¯t confident about staying alive. Now, she just wanted to enjoy the situation a little more. To look at the stupid faces and leave with good memories. It was the time when the demon was thinking like that. Her eyes caught something. ¡°Hm?¡± Unlike the others, with a face that never changed, a young blonde stood there with his eyes closed. However, his posture was strange. It was like he was holding a sword. But there wasn¡¯t a sword in his hand. ¡®Has he been doing that since the beginning?¡¯ The demon recalled her memory. Thinking, it was true. That strange guy was like that from the moment she finished ying the piano and greeted them. Closed eyes and a strange stance. He stood still as if he was rooted to that ce. As if waiting for something. No. Like gathering power. ¡°¡­!¡± Wheik! The demon used her ability. It wasn¡¯t to snatch anyone. But to avoid and run away from that ce. She didn¡¯t ignore the rm bells which were ringing in her head btedly. ¡®No letting go¡­ from the beginning.¡¯ The man never thought of letting the demon go! The moment the demon realized that fact and was about to leave. sh! Irene¡¯s eyes opened. With that, a huge greatsword which didn¡¯t exist until a moment back, quickly formed. Shack! It couldn¡¯t be avoided. It couldn¡¯t be blocked either. The demon¡¯s body couldn¡¯t react at all, as it got split in precisely half. Chapter 64: Demon Slashing Sword (3)

Chapter 64: Demon shing Sword (3)

¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Everyone in the cave was wide-eyed and confused. The figure of the demon splitting left and right with a lot of ck blood spilling out felt unrealistic. Not just the soldiers and knights, but even the vice-captain of the Twilight Knights just stared ahead. It was a world where everyone seemed to have stopped. Step! Irene Pareira moved forward. Raising his sword once more, his eyes burned with cold mes. At that moment, a shout came from the cleaved mouth of the demon. Kyaaak! The Devil she worshiped, Lastor, is the Devil of Shadows. Thanks to that, even her split body could merge back together. No, something was wrong. The speed of the rejoining was much slower than usual. A look of wonder lingered on the demon¡¯s face. ¡®What? The blow was bigger than I thought!¡¯ However, she didn¡¯t have time to leisurely contemte what happened. The demon restored her body with all her might and focused on the hostages she took. She nned on using their lives. If she squeezed their necks once again, that one who acted like lightning would stop. ¡®Crazy!¡¯ No. She could tell by looking into the eyes of the blonde who was approaching her. She knew that the guy didn¡¯t think about the hostages by looking at the greatsword raised to the sky. All he aimed for was the demon itself. So¡­ ¡®If I don¡¯t block this¡­ I¡¯ll die!¡¯ Kwang! The body of the demon soon covered itself with its ck hair by throwing the hostages away. And Irene''s sword fell. She seeded in defending herself after a short dy and flew back. However, her expression was horribly contorted. It wasn¡¯t the end. Before the demon could even stand up, Irene rushed her again and swung his sword. He constantly, mercilessly swung the sword. Kwang! Kwang! Bang! The feeling of being crushed under a boulder! It was overwhelming destruction. The rotational force and gravity all pushing against her, the demon who was given power from a Devil. It was strange. Under the increasing pressure, the demon thought. ¡®He shouldn¡¯t be a match for me!¡¯ Surely the young man was great. His swordsmanship, and his attitude towards demons like herself, and his unparalleled skills. However, that wasn¡¯t the reason she was being pushed back. It was because of the energy the blonde man¡¯s sword had. The faint energy she could feel was scattering away the Magi. ¡®How is that possib¡­¡¯ Kwang! ¡°Kuak!¡± A powerful assault that took advantage of her broken concentration. The upper and lower body of the demon was separated. With a vicious expression on her face, she tried to use her powers again. However, Irene was one step faster. Puck, he flicked the upper body away and started to slice it again. ¡°Hap!¡± Kwang! Hill But, who arrivedte, took the lower body of the demon. He had a more savage and furious energy than Irene. The demon, who felt all of this, smiled. After a while, her ragged torse exploded with ck mes. Crackle! ¡°Irene!¡± ¡°Irene Pareira!¡± ¡°Huh! Young lord Pareira!¡± Harun Pareira, whose face instantly turned pale, and Hill But and the Knights were all worried. However, the peoples¡¯ reactions subsided as Irene Pareira reappeared, unscathed by the mes. ¡°Phew.¡± The young blonde walked through the dust and smoke without breaking a sweat. One thought popped into the minds of the entire subjugation force. In the humble Hale Kingdom, a genius who could surprise the continent has made an appearance. ¡°¡­ I have nothing to say.¡± Hill But mumbled with augh. The three-day battle of the demon subjugation in the southern part of the Hale Kingdom had ended. Without a single casualty. ¡°Woahh! Woah!¡± ¡°Woah! Ahaha! Aha!¡± ¡°Irene Pareira! Irene Pareira!¡± ¡°Irene Pareira! The treasure of the Hale Kingdom!¡± At Irene, who was trudging, the Twilight Knights were cheering and supporting. The same was true for the southern families. Considering the situation in which the subjugation ended in peace, they couldn¡¯t express their emotions in words. Even Russell and Lester sighed. Not to mention Harun pareira. The only person with a nasty scowl on his face was the Viscount Gairn. ¡°Wahhhhh!¡± ¡°Irene Pareira! Irene Pareira!¡± In the never-ending cries of joy, Phill Gairn walked up to his son. He was unconscious, so the knights had to support Ryan. Jack Stewart was also being helped. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m really fine. I¡¯m not hurt enough to be supported.¡± Jack Stewart, who refused to be helped, stood up. Without another word, he joined Gairn¡¯s side. His face was so dark that it was hard to believe that this was the face of a person who seeded in the subjugation. The vice-captain approached him btedly. ¡°¡­ I apologize, really.¡± ¡°No. Themander only followed the instructions of the higher-ups. Rather¡­¡± A very low voice. And with no follow-up. But Hill But knew what he was thinking. ¡®¡­ he will have a lot to think about once we head back.¡¯ He wanted to rest. To do that, the things here had to be done quickly. Thinking, Hill But approached the priests. It was to purify the base of the demon. ¡°¡­¡± In the midst of the noisy crowd. The person who yed the biggest role in the entire subjugation, Irene Pareira, had aplicated expression. Two dayster, all the subjugation troops returned safely to Gairn¡¯s estate. It was a miracle. No one was injured, let alone dead. ¡°It was absurd, really.¡± ¡°I know. It made the demon look like it was nothing! I never saw such a strong man in my life.¡± ¡°So funny. This is your second time in a demon subjugation. And you didn¡¯t even swing the sword once in front of the demon, did you?¡± ¡°Ah! Why are you saying that, senior? Wouldn¡¯t you know! It was my first time being controlled, and then what was done to Sir Jack Stewart and Ryan Gairn! Maybe even the vice-captain was shocked too! Wah, such a powerful demon¡­¡± One of the young knights of the Twilight Knights was pouring out the saga of Irene. It has been some time, and the people around him had all seen the same thing, so the story wasn¡¯t that interesting. But nheless, everyone was listening to the story of the young knight. Because the aftertaste was so strong. Beyond their realm, even on the continent, an amazing talent bloomed! An unbelievable 21-year-old swordsman appeared. As if the man fell from the sky! For the knights, there wasn¡¯t a more exciting story. They enjoyed the time, which was as sweet as honey, and for a long time, the story of Irene bloomed. However, not everyone was feeling as good as the Twilight Knights. And what was Viscount Gairn doing? Viscount Phill Gairn didn¡¯t just disregard the orders of Hill But but also tried to break the guidelines of the kingdom and cause internal division. This was something that could never be overlooked from the point of view of the subjugationmander. However, Phill Gairn had an excuse. ¡°I apologize. But, I wasn¡¯t in my right mind.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It feels like I was exposed to that demon¡¯s brainwashing.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°No matter how important my son is, I am not an idiot who would insist on destroying the continent¡¯s peace. I, really. If it hadn''t been for the brainwashing of that wicked demo¡­¡± Hill But was stunned. Phill Gairn couldn¡¯t have been brainwashed. The memories were still vivid in his mind, so he could distinguish between those who were brainwashed and those who weren¡¯t. It¡¯s because the facial expression differed. However, there wasn¡¯t even circumstantial evidence, making it more difficult to refute the im of Viscount Gairn and his theory of being brainwashed. And it didn¡¯t end there. It had nothing to do with the case, but the Viscount was trying to sway public opinion to his side by trying to inte the ws of Irene Pareira. ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter if he was given the authority to act alone, suddenly attacking the demon is clearly wrong!¡¯ ¡®He didn¡¯t even try rescuing the hostages, even though he should have. Hepletely ignored the virtue of protecting the weak. He didn¡¯t even act like a noble!¡¯ Of course, Hill But noticed that. On the contrary, he began to realize just how disgusting the attitude of Viscount Gairn was. However, he was concerned about how Irene acted during the battle. ¡®At that time, I couldn¡¯t even raise my sword.¡¯ Irene quietly closed his eyes in his room and remembered the battle with the demon. When looking back on the battle, there wasn¡¯t a single w. An attack, then he gained momentum to continue attacking and be at an advantage. Thanks to acting fast, he was able to stay safe during the explosion. But the attitude was the problem. ¡®It wasn¡¯t a sword for my family. It¡­ it was a sword for shing down demons.¡¯ The emotions with which Irene fought didn¡¯t disappoint him. He was embarrassed. He has constantly been training him for the past five years. Along the way, he would be frustrated. However, he would always ovee things and be stronger. It meant that he made his own sword with an unshaken heart and feelings. Of course, there will surelye a day when even his great sword will rust, and he will be shaken. But it was strange that such a moment came so quickly and unnaturally. ¡®The dream¡­ because of that?¡¯ Irene Pareira¡¯s face hardened. The dream has always helped him. Each time the dream changed, he gained a foothold for growth. Even now, the swordsmanship has changed. But if it was changing his own sword, then it wasn¡¯t a good thing. What should he do? The young man, who was just 21, didn¡¯t know the answer. He didn¡¯t even know how to proceed towards the answer. But it was fine. Irene wasn¡¯t alone, and someone came to help him. ¡°Excuse me.¡± Irene looked surprised, seeing Jack Stewart. ¡°Sir Jack Stewart?¡± ¡°My greeting, young lord Irene Pareira.¡± ¡°How are¡­ here¡­ why¡­¡± However, there was another guest. A small creature showed up behind Jack. The moment he saw Lulu, the cat sorcerer with its shiny ck fur, Irene couldn¡¯t help but stand up from his seat. ¡°Lulu!¡± Chapter 65: The Reunion (1)

Chapter 65: The Reunion (1)

After escaping the world of sorcery, Irene Pareira was busy. And he couldn¡¯t take a break during such an important task as the demon subjugation. He did his best with the mindset to clear away the mistakes he made in the past. However, in the midst of that, he never forgot the precious people who were the reason he changed. School Master, Ian. Ilya Lindsay, Judith, and Bratt Lloyd. And Lulu, the cat sorcerer. Among them, he longed for Lulu the most. He could still remember. The excitement when he looked under the bed after breaking out of the barrier after 5 years, only to be disappointed when he found something else¡­ But now, all those feelings were irrelevant. Because the real Lulu was in front of him. ¡°Lulu!¡± Irene jumped up from the bed and stepped forward. Lulu was there. From what he knew, the ck cat was floating in the air. He stretched out his arms to hug Lulu. When Lulu raised her front paws and stopped Irene. The pink soles were quite cute to see. Very cute. Of course, in such a serious atmosphere, Irene wasn¡¯t ignorant enough to say that. So he asked. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°We¡¯ll talkter. First, listen to Jack Stewart.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What this person has to say will lighten your mind. Probably.¡± With that, Lulu moved back. Irene, who was staring nkly at Lulu, turned to Jack Stewart. A Serious face. It wasn¡¯t different from the face he had in the demon¡¯s cave, but he knew he had to ask. So he did. ¡°Sir Jack Stewart?¡± ¡°Yes, young lord Pareira.¡± ¡°Do you have something to say?¡± ¡°Yes. In the demon¡¯s cave¡­ I heard that you¡¯re having a hard time because of that.¡± ¡°Who sai¡­¡± ¡°Me.¡± Irene looked at Lulu. Lulu still had a serious face. ¡°It¡¯s true that you care about the things that happened back there. Your heart is shaken. Even if it wasn¡¯t because of what Viscount Gairn said.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And it isn¡¯t like you don¡¯t care about what the Viscount says.¡± That¡¯s right. The fact that Irene¡¯s sword didn¡¯t move because of his will but because of the man in his dreams was important. And it was true that Viscount Gairn¡¯s words affected him. ¡®At that time¡­ I really didn¡¯t care about the hostages.¡¯ He focused on shing down the demon. Of course, in the end, no one was sacrificed, but if things went wrong, two lives could have been lost. All because of his actions. His sword was shaken. Especially if it meant endangering someone¡¯s life. And such a fact burdened Irene into feeling guilty. However, the following words of Jack Stewart denied it. ¡°The only person in the subjugation force who cared about my life was Irene Pareira.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°No one cared for my life. Vice-captain Hill But, my subordinates¡­ even my lord, Viscount Phill Gairn.¡± Jack Stewart recalled that time. The gazes of the subjugation troops wereplex instead of showing pity for him. Hill But¡¯s cold eyes, which were ready to sacrifice Jack for the sake of the continent, and Gairn¡¯s disgusting eyes, which were prepared to give him up for the sake of his family and honor. No one cared about Jack Stewart¡¯s life. Phill Gairn only valued Ryan Gairn¡¯s life. But Irene was different. He alone raised his sword for Jack. ¡°It wasn¡¯t like that.¡± Irene spoke with a stiff face. He just wanted to kill the demon. He never thought about saving anyone. That was what he thought, which was why Jack¡¯s words made him ufortable. However, he couldn¡¯t find any way to refute Jack''s following words. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter to me how the young lord felt, to be honest.¡± ¡°The important thing for me is that only young lord Pareira wielded his sword.¡± ¡°And I am alive and well thanks to that.¡± ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for young lord Irene Pareira, I would have died. I wanted to tell you that.¡± With quick words, Jack Stewart thanked him. His words were sincere. His feelings were sincere. In the midst of great anger, sadness, and despair, gratitude for him bloomed like a flower. Irene looked into the man¡¯s eyes and could feel it. When Lulu said. ¡°It¡¯s bad that your will has been shaken. Very, it¡¯s very serious.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°However, because of that one person, no two people were saved, and more than that¡­ isn¡¯t that supposed to be a very, very, very good oue?¡± At the sage-like words from the cat, Irene had no choice but to nod his head. After enough time psed for the intense emotions to subside, Jack continued to speak. It was close to a confession. He spoke about how the meal was poisoned to prevent Irene Pareira from taking an active role. And when that didn¡¯t work, he spoke about how they tried to interrupt the battle. And the instructions to do all those things hade from the mouth of Viscount Phill Gairn. ¡°I know that my fault is great. Even if it was the orders of my Lord¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have done that. Both as a knight and a human. Doing such things as a member of the subjugation force to take down the demon¡­ I apologize. I¡¯m really sorry.¡± A bad story. Of course, it wasn¡¯t a surprise. Because it was something, Irene had already guessed. But just because he knew it didn¡¯t mean that he was prepared to listen to it like this. ¡°I will humbly ept any punishment. Young lord, Irene Pareira.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Irene Pareira was confused. He had been subjected to malice, disregard, and ridicule by countless people. So, he knew several ways to deal with that. He used to avoid it, but now he was facing it. However, it was the first time in his life that a person who mistreated him had visited him personally and asked to be punished for his misdeeds. ¡®I¡¯m flustered.¡¯ Of course, he had no intention of forgiving Jack Stewart. Because this man was someone who didn¡¯t just hurt him, but his family too. But right now, there was nothing he wanted to do. ¡®And¡­¡¯ Irene looked at him. Far away, he could see Lulu floating at the back of the room. Right. He wanted to talk with Lulu. He didn¡¯t want to waste the reunion with his precious cat just because of Jack Stewart. ¡°We can talk about thatter.¡± ¡°Young Lord Pareira¡­¡± ¡°I have no intention of forgiving you. But right now, there is too much my brain has to process, so just leave me for now. Understood?¡± ¡°¡­ yes. I will definitely pay for my sins.¡± Once again, asking for forgiveness, Jack Stewart stood up. And opened the door to leave. But why was Lulu following him? In surprise, Irene shouted. ¡°Lulu!¡± He didn¡¯t just shout. He dashed and closed the door before Lulu could leave. Which resulted in Jack Stewart getting pushed out by the door! He was confused, but no one cared. A moment¡¯s silence. Irene tried to make contact, but Lulu avoided it. Coming down from the air, trudging towards the corner of the room. And with the cat¡¯s back facing the room. That sad look, he knew it. ¡®You think it¡¯s because of you that I entered the world of sorcery.¡¯ Perhaps, Lulu had the same thoughts as Kirill. Because Irene had been separated for five years from his family, Lulu was ming herself. But it wasn¡¯t true. It definitely wasn¡¯t true. Irene could say it a thousand times if needed. It was because he entered the world of sorcery that he managed to grow. And it wasn¡¯t a bad thing at all. Lulu knew that better than anyone but couldn¡¯t stand it. The closed heart of the ck cat wasn¡¯t something that would open easily. ¡°If I taught you a little better, you would have manifested other abilities.¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have been away from your family for five years.¡± ¡°Kirill wouldn¡¯t be so sad.¡± ¡°It was all because of me. Sorry.¡± Irene shook his head. He told her that it wasn¡¯t her fault. It was thanks to Lulu that he was able to grow up so splendidly. Thanks to Lulu¡¯s wonderful teaching, he was able to be one of the few sorcerers on the continent and sharpen his swordsmanship, allowing him to finish the demon subjugation safely. Did his sincerity work? Lulu¡¯s ears perked up. But that wasn¡¯t enough. Lulu¡¯s ears dropped again. Lowering her head, she spoke in a gloomy voice. ¡°I am an unlucky ck cat. Unlucky ck cat.¡± ¡°What is that supposed to mean? You said that it was a superstition and held no basis whatsoever.¡± ¡°Even superstitions have power.¡± Especially the famous ones. Lulu paused for a moment and continued to exin. ¡°Even if it¡¯s a baseless story, it will be a reality if many people start believing it. Even an existence without any power bes great when many people support it. The will of many people gather to be sorcery and change thews of the world. Have you heard of Animism?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about the belief in inanimate objects. In ancient times, people believed in the sun and worshiped huge rocks, and so on. But that isn¡¯t all bullshit. Some sorcerers im that the God of the Holy Kingdom was born that way.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m a horrible ck cat. Because that¡¯s what a lot of people believe.¡± Irene was bewildered by the new things he was told. It wasn¡¯t an unbelievable story at all. Priests would be furious if they heard that, but after awakening sorcery, he thought that Lulu¡¯s words might be true. But if someone asked him if he was convinced that the ck cat brought bad luck, he would definitely say no. Irene strode towards the corner of the room. Shocked, Lulu tried to run away, but it was toote. He spoke, holding her paws before she could use sorcery. ¡°From today on, a ck cat is a symbol of good luck.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­ what do you mean? ck cats are bad.¡± ¡°No. I believe that ck cats are good. It¡¯s been that way for a long time, but I¡¯m even more confident now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say strange things!¡± Lulu yelled loudly. To Lulu, Irene said. ¡°I believe more strongly than everyone else put together. You are a cat which brings good luck.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So, there¡¯s no other problem, right?¡± A voice that was calm but stern too. This time, even the stubborn Lulu couldn¡¯t resist. The ck cat stopped struggling and quietly embraced Irene Pareira. And said, ¡°¡­ I missed you.¡± Chapter 66: The Reunion (2)

Chapter 66: The Reunion (2)

After a short time passed, the two, who had calmed their emotions, had a conversation they were supposed to have. Irene Pareira started. ¡®I remember when I first came out of the world of sorcery.¡¯ At that time, the words his father said about the status of their family. About how he was curious about the son he saw again after five years, but he still waited until the son brought up the story first. And how Irene said he would repay the care he received. Irene, holding back his desire to hear Lulu¡¯s story, unraveled his own story one by one. A mysterious world that was exactly the same as his dream, but where he could sleep whenever he wanted. The hardships, adversity, and oveing process in the mysterious world. The results he obtained through that and what happened after leaving that world. Lulu immersed herself in the stories as if they were her own, And said ¡°Ah, so fun! Indeed, sorcery is mysterious! That¡¯s possible!¡± ¡°Yes. I didn¡¯t even know that my friends woulde there.¡± ¡°The story after you broke out was fun too. Of course, I know that part.¡± ¡°Well¡­ Lulu, since when? Since when were you watching me?¡± Irene asked with a curious expression. He already guessed that Lulu was secretly chasing him. It was from the time when he received the notes. Without thinking, he immediately realized that there was only one person who could deliver such messages, someone who cherished him. It was Lulu. ¡®Maybe right before the subjugation?¡¯ No. Lulu, who flew around in the air,nded on the bed and wagged her tail. And answered, ¡°From the beginning.¡± ¡°Huh? Beginning?¡± ¡°I have been by your side ever since you came out of the world of sorcery.¡± ¡°¡­ what?¡± Irene was startled. Embarrassed by that reaction, Lulu went into the quilt. The ck cat, with only her face sticking out, spoke. ¡°After you were sucked into the world of sorcery¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t a very special story. For about a year, Lulu tried to somehow enter the world and then realized it was impossible, so she would sit in front of the barrier and pray every day. So that Irene could safely return to reality as soon as possible and return to his family. Those words meant that Lulu had devoted all five years to Irene. ¡°Honestly¡­¡± ¡°Honestly?¡± ¡°I was the white cat in your room. I just changed colors with magic.¡± ¡°What? Why!¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t show you my face¡­ I was concerned about the ck cat superstition. Of course, not now! I won¡¯t grieve that anymore, and I won¡¯t even think about the superstition!¡± Because Irene didn¡¯t want to see Lulu in that light. So, she won¡¯t ever feel bad about herself in the future! Seeing Lulu jump out of the duvet and speak with confidence, Irene burst intoughter. He was happy and delighted. To the extent that the troubles he was dealing with before felt unimportant. Of course, it was a problem that couldn¡¯t be overlooked, but emotionally, they felt at ease. With a much brighter appearance, he even asked for advice about his changed dream. ¡°Hm, so that¡¯s how it is. Somehow, the past few days have been bizarre. But, it¡¯s interesting.¡± Hearing about the man in his dream, Lulu flew around the room. However, despite being an excellent sorcerer, Lulu had nothing to say. She was unaware at first. If the man in the dreams is a real person or not. What was the rtionship between the man and Irene Pareira? What did the man in the dream want? Nothing has been revealed. At least they managed to find one thing. ¡°That man, he seems to have a strong hatred for demons. Maybe not demons, but the reason for them¡­ the cause of hatred could be the devils. Which means he¡¯s someone from 150 years ago.¡± ¡°Umm.¡± ¡°Well, honestly, it doesn¡¯t matter. Does it really matter what that man thinks? What¡¯s really important is that your heart is being swayed by the will of some person you don¡¯t even know.¡± Irene nodded. To be honest, it was bittersweet. It was natural since he moved like a puppet underneath the man¡¯s hand ever since he picked up the sword. The time when he trained every day without any thoughts or hopes of his own. However, ever since he became aware of what his sword meant, he put in a lot of effort to establish it. As such, the new negative thoughts were shaking Irene. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± The ck cat, Lulu, flew. And tapped Irene¡¯s shoulder with her soft sole. Still unreadable. However, her emotions were conveyed through her eyes. Believe in yourself. That¡¯s what Lulu¡¯s eyes said. ¡°Sometimes you¡¯ll be shaken, sometimes it will be difficult to put down your sword too, but you will lift your sword again, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If it¡¯s tough, then I¡¯ve been through the same hardships! For thest 5 years, I trained and got stronger! In the Pareira estate, I¡¯m the strongest cat!¡± Lulu spoke while puffing out her chest. Irene burst outughing. Lulu¡¯s past wordse to his mind. ¡®When you don¡¯t believe in yourself, trust those who believe in you. Andter, when those people are in difficult times, reciprocate the trust you received.¡¯ Fortunate. Without Lulu, his current worries probably would have grown out offort to the extent where he wouldn¡¯t have been able to bear it alone. But now, Lulu was by his side. There were also his parents. Although far away, his sister believed in and loved him too. And the rtionships he formed in Krono couldn¡¯t be left out. ¡®Now that I think about it. There are things which haven¡¯t been resolved yet.¡¯ His promise to Ilya. His promise to Ian. Although the deadlines had passed, the promises cannot be abandoned. Regardless, he wanted to see them. ¡®I miss Judith too¡­. How is Bratt Lloyd doing? I remember he looked upset thest¡­¡¯ ¡°Hmm.¡± Irene, who was thinking of people, suddenly went stiff. He met their avatars in the world of sorcery, but from their point of view, it was a rtionship that had a 5 year gap. ¡®No, it couldn¡¯t be that I¡¯m the only one who thinks of them as friends, right?¡¯ He was timid enough to believe that he didn¡¯t manage to subjugate the demon. But this was Irene¡¯s true face. Surrounded by unnecessary anxiety, he trembled. However, there was another person more anxious than Irene. ¡°Irene, Irene.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I need a favor¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°That¡­ with¡­ Kirill¡­ talking¡­ with¡­. Kirill¡­ to¡­ reconcile¡­ uh, well. If¡­ it¡­ can be done¡­ would¡­ you¡­ help¡­ me?¡± ¡°¡­ Of course.¡± ¡°Promise! Promise me!¡± Irene nodded, remembering his younger sister¡¯s pale face. Compared to Lulu¡¯s worries, his own didn¡¯t seem that big. The people of the Pareira family, who stayed in the Gairn estate, left the next morning. Because of the ufortable rtionship and the chaotic atmosphere. ¡°I¡¯m upset. If I could, I would share many more stories with you¡­ there¡¯s so much work to be done here, I can¡¯t do nothing.¡± The Vice-captain of the Twilight Knights, Hill But, was particrly upset. Instead, Lulu was following Irene. Of course, not openly, but secretly like before. Because it felt burdensome to be out in front of Irene''s family. But it couldn¡¯t go on forever. A day after arriving at the Pareira estate, Lulu appeared in front of the Baron couple. ¡°It¡¯s alright. We already knew that it wasn¡¯t intentional. Rather, it would be more appropriate to express gratitude for helping my son grow into such a wonderful person.¡± ¡°Right. And if you went through any heartache because of that, you don¡¯t need to think about it anymore.¡± The Baron couple thanked Lulu. If the results are good, then everything is fine. It took a long time, but the son managed toe out of that barrier. He didn¡¯t juste out, but he came back great. ¡®You have a wonderful son!¡¯ ¡®Your son is the treasure of the Kingdom, no, the treasure of the continent!¡¯ ¡®You must be very happy. I¡¯m so envious!¡¯ The words from the knights and Hill But were still vivid. With overflowing emotions, Harun Pareira spoke. ¡°In the future, don¡¯t ever feel shy and stay herefortably.¡± ¡°Thank you! Thank you!¡± Lulu fell t on the table and expressed her gratitude. Of course, the encounter with Kirill didn¡¯t go that smoothly. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­ aren¡¯t you going to say something?¡± ¡°Ah, well¡­¡± At the same time the subjugation was done, Kirill hade back to the family with her teacher¡¯s permission. And her unbearable cold expression. Of course, she didn¡¯t push Lulu away or reject her like she did in the past. Awkward, but they reconciled, and thanks to Irene, they even shook hands and hugged. Although Lulu was a little gloomy at Kirill¡¯s cold expression, it was still a good result. And time will heal that rtionship. Just like the people of the Pareira family, Lulu was hoping for a brighter tomorrow. Viscount Gairn, on the contrary, was spending his days under dark rain clouds. nk! ¡°Why does the tea taste like this! What kind of shitty tea is this? Who made this, who!¡± ¡°T-That¡­¡± ¡°Who? Is it you?¡± ¡°Hiik!¡± The maid wept as Viscount Gairn shouted. It was pathetic to look at the woman trembling. However, Viscount had no mercy as he kept kicking the maid with all his might. ¡°Get lost! I don¡¯t want to see you, so get the hell out!¡± ¡°Huh! Yes! I apologize¡­¡± ¡°Shut up and get lost!¡± After the subjugation, Phill Gairn¡¯s hysteria had gotten worse. Of course, it did. His eldest son who he was proudest of didn¡¯t do anything, and his family faced a crisis. It was because of Hill But, that leech-like bastard who kept forcing Gairn to take responsibility for thest day of the subjugation. It was fortunate that public opinion on the Gairn family hadn¡¯t worsened. In fact, the excuses Gairn made were so persuasive that many people were brainwashed. It was fortunate that it happened to the Gairn family, but the damage that the incident brought to the family was so great that it couldn¡¯t be cleared with money. However, it didn¡¯t end there. Jack Stewart had locked himself up in his home and didn¡¯t want to leave. And the moment he spoke out, the situation rapidly deteriorated. Chapter 67: The Reunion (3)

Chapter 67: The Reunion (3)

¡°Damn it! I need to do something¡­¡± Mumbled Hill But. Anxiety was glued to his face. And the reason was the Gairn family. ¡®The demon had brainwashed me and clouded my judgment. I never intended to do that.¡¯ ¡®This is a trick of the demon. Even after death, it¡¯s trying to divide the kingdom.¡¯ Those were the excuses that Viscount Gairn, Baron Russell, and Baron Lester were making. Other families who were watching the situation were like, ¡®that¡¯s possible, right?¡¯ Of course, even with such excuses, disobeying themand of the subjugationmander is a huge deal. That alone could extort a considerable amount of reparation from the Viscount. But that wasn¡¯t what Hill But wanted. ¡®For the sake of the Kingdom¡¯s well-being and continent¡¯s peace, this should be used to set an example.¡¯ Now was the era of peace. Demons were nowhere to be found except for novels, and even if they do, they rarely appearpared to decades ago. However, the situation he faced could be more dangerous. Because the number of people who feared the demons was gradually increasing. ¡®Peace ends when an atmosphere is created where the subjugation of demons is taken lightly. And with that, the continent will be unstable, and the boundary between the Devildom and us will be broken again.¡¯ For that reason, Gairn should be used to set an example. Hill But, who thought so, pondered. And then. ¡°Vice-captain Hill But. Sir Jack Stewart wants to see y¡­¡± ¡°Huh? Sir Jack Stewart?¡± Jack Stewart¡¯s testimony was refreshing enough to blow away his headache. ¡°Sir¡­ I honestly don¡¯t know if Viscount Phill Gairn was brainwashed or not. You might think this is a lie, but it¡¯s the truth. Because there was always madness within him.¡± ¡°But there¡¯s something more important than that.¡± And those words which followed were shocking. Being jealous of Irene, the top performer of the subjugation troops, he poisoned his meals. And it wasn¡¯t just once, but several times and when that didn¡¯t work, Jack was instructed to interfere during Irene¡¯s confrontation with the demonic monsters. An act which could never be forgiven! Hill But¡¯s expression distorted. His feelings for Viscount Gairn worsened. And his negative feelings weren¡¯t just towards Phill Gairn. ¡®The feeling of remorse is gone.¡¯ Hill But stared at Jack Stewart. Because of what happened when the demon took Jack hostage, Hill decided to express his feelings of remorse. Hill saw Jack perform his duties neatly, so he never thought Jack would do that. But now everything has changed. In a cold voice, Hill spoke. ¡°You don¡¯t think that you¡¯ll be forgiven just because it was your lord¡¯s orders, do you?¡± ¡°No. I will ept any punishment given.¡± ¡°You should¡± Jack admitted his wrongdoings. He looked regretful of his past choices, but Hill didn¡¯t sympathize with him. His sins were far too great for that. Aside from that, Jack¡¯s testimony was a huge help. ¡°This is nonsense! That¡¯s bullshit! Jack Stewart did that on his own! No! No! That one has been brainwashed too! Right! That¡¯s right! It isn¡¯t my fault! No!¡± ¡°You still have more to say, Viscount Gairn.¡± Not just the Gairn family, but all six families knew. What kind of a position Jack Stewart was in. When Phill Gairn¡¯s first knight turned his back on his master, there was nothing that Russell and Lester could do. Even Gairn, who should have been calm, couldn¡¯t stay quiet and yelled. Unable to stand the pressure, he was acting odd. The viscount¡¯s reputation was ruined as the subjugation ended. However, no one was saddened by that fact. --- ¡°Phew, now things are all settled.¡± Hill But sessfullypleted the report on the demon subjugation and the misdeeds of Viscount Gairn. The next thing he did was visit Baron Pareira. The schedule was rushed for that. Still, his heart was impatient. His impatience was because of the thought that the treasure of the Hale Kingdom could be scouted by others. ¡®I need to make him join us before the rumors spread!¡¯ As mentioned, Hale is a weak kingdom. And the ruler is weak. To be honest, Hale wasn¡¯t a kingdom that could nurture Irene¡¯s talent. It would be difficult for the kingdom to stop Irene from joining any of the famous knights of the other kingdoms. But that didn¡¯t mean he couldn¡¯t try. He would promise Irene the best treatment. With a determined expression, he arrived at the Pareira estate. ¡°You havee a long way. But¡­ I think it was a waste of your time.¡± ¡°Huh? What do you¡­¡± ¡°My son isn¡¯t in the estate now.¡± His heart pounded. Perhaps, another kingdom has already recruited him! Fortunately, that wasn¡¯t the case. However, the following words of Harun Pareira weren¡¯t that weing either. ¡°He went to Krono Swordsmanship School?¡± ¡°Yes. He said that there was something he had to do. Now that we are talking, he officially enlisted there five years ago.¡± ¡°Haa¡­ I see.¡± ¡®But, it¡¯s strange. There¡¯s no way others won¡¯t take him.¡¯ He was disappointed. Just because he came from a swordsmanship school didn¡¯t mean he would only serve the country¡¯s knights. Those from Krono generally had a stronger tendency to wander around and move freely than belong somewhere. Irene might not be like that, but¡­ ¡®For once, I should try.¡¯ In the end, the only thing he could do was build a rtionship with Baron Pareira. Along with the gifts he brought, he began to praise Irene. ¡°Hehehe, thank you for looking after him.¡± Harun couldn¡¯t stop smiling. It wasn¡¯t because of the gifts. The best gift a father could get was to listen to his son beingplimented. Even more for him, who had suffered for 15 years. However, he didn¡¯t fall for Hill But¡¯s words. His son¡¯s future will be decided by his son. He had no intention of controlling Irene, who was strong enough to grow on his own. In the end, Hill But had no choice but to leave with regret. Looking at his back, Kirill, who had been silent, spoke. ¡°My brother dide out. I heard that peoplee out strong, but he wasn¡¯t like that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But, my brother doesn¡¯t fall under the usual category. He isn¡¯t a bad person, with great swordsmanship skills, and then there is that sorcery¡­?1? well, there are a lot of things involved.¡± With an expressionless face, Kirill poured out half praises and half curses at her brother. Then she did something unusual. She ced ten marbles vertically and bnced them all on her foot. And closed her eyes to meditate. As soon as Hill disappeared, Harun looked at his daughter. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°A sorcery trick. To raise my senses.¡± ¡°Senses?¡± ¡°I need to head back to Cesar.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Even Amel, who understood her daughter, was shocked. However, Kirill spoke with a calm voice. ¡°It¡¯s about refining my senses so that I can be stronger when my brother returns. I heard the news and headed here, but I arrivedte. I hated that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Did you know? Teacher meditates even after stacking 30 marbles.¡± Could she also do that? At Kirill, who was thinking that, her father spoke. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Sure, do that.¡± The higher her achievements in sorcery, the more difficult it was to understand her. Regardless of that, they both loved Kirill more than anyone else. --- ¡°Can young lord really go alone?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. And not just me, Lulu ising.¡± At those words, Marcus¡¯s worried face settled down a little. Actually, there was nothing to worry about. Irene was stronger than their knights. Why would he need an escort? The school wasplicated but the main building of Krono was closer too. Irene said goodbye to Marcus, his parents, and even Kirill, whom he didn¡¯t get to spend much time with, and left. As he walked, the memories from 5 years ago shed through his mind. ¡®How much have they changed? Does the schoolmaster look the same? I can¡¯t imagine him being older.¡¯ The reason why Irene sought the school before the Lindsay¡¯s estate was because of the dream. It was because his will was shaken by the dream. And to him, he thought that the school would be the right direction. Along with Lulu, who changed him. ¡®If it¡¯s the schoolmaster¡­ could he give me some advice?¡¯ Of course, as promised, it would be right to drop by the Lindsay¡¯s estate. He did promise her that. However, five yearster, he realized that matter wasn¡¯t that important. And to be honest, he wanted to solve his problems first. And it was time to move forward. Swoosh! ¡°Cha-chang!¡± A ck cat fell from the sky. It was Lulu. The people passing by looked at that with shocked eyes. However, Irene was the most shocked. ¡°Oh? You are dressed?¡± ¡°Yes! It¡¯s my first time going out with Irene! So I dressed extra special!¡± Irene nced at Lulu¡¯s outfit. A hat decorated with feathers. Stylish leather vest, pants, and ck boots. There was a sword on her waist too. It was a sword as thin as paper, and it had a funny appearance, but it suited Lulu. With a thumbs-up, he said. It¡¯s cool. ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Huh. Very cool.¡± ¡°Haha! After all, this is my great fashion sense! I don¡¯t usually dress up this much, but when I put my mind to it, it¡¯s an easy task!¡± Wait, Krono! Isn¡¯t that where the strongest knights are made! Yap! Yap! Seeing Lulu scream and shout, Ireneughed. ¡®I won¡¯t be bored on the way.¡¯ Following the ck cat which was running, the young blonde moved with a cheerful look. ?1? The author likes to skip long lines of dialogue/fights. One example is Kirill and Irene¡¯s fight. He skips most of it. This is another case, she continued speaking after ¡°and then there is that sorcery¡± it¡¯s just cut out. I presume this is where she cursed and praised him. I¡¯m thinking of putting an asterisk (*) or an editor¡¯s note where there¡¯s something cut out/skipped since it happens frequently. Let me know what y¡¯all think. Chapter 68: Krono Swordsmanship School (1)

Chapter 68: Krono Swordsmanship School (1)

¡°Ugh¡­ I am tired from working.¡± Wilson, the owner of a small-town clothing store, yawned and mumbled. It was something he does every day, but it wasn¡¯t much help to open the store so early in the morning. But to earn a penny, he had to be that diligent. Who knows? Maybe in the early morning, a rich man woulde by and sweep away all the expensive clothes. ¡®No, that isn¡¯t going to happen.¡¯ Wilson shook his head. Things were tough these days, so his delusions began to increase. After a few more grunts, he stretched himself. And was about to pick up the duster. Tring! ¡°Pleasee in!¡± He smiled immediately. It wasn¡¯t too broad, but it showed how happy he was to see customersing in at such an early hour. He put down the duster and moved to the customers. And froze like a stone. ¡®¡­ a cat?¡¯ Wilson rubbed his eyes. He must have seen it wrong. Cats couldn¡¯t be customers. He must have mistaken some little girl for a cat. Having thought so, he opened his eyes. ¡°¡­¡± However, he saw the same thing. A ck cat. Not just any cat. Wearing stylish leather clothes, leather boots, and even a hat with feathers. It looked like a character in a fairy tale. And it spoke too! ¡°Are you the owner?¡± ¡°Huh! Oh yes! I¡¯m Wilson, the owner of Wilson¡¯s Clothing Store. Do you have any particr clothes you want?¡± Despite the surprise, Wilson didn¡¯t forget what he was supposed to say. It was a habit that he acquired after years of doing business. The ck cat answered. ¡°Uhm! I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what to buy. Something, there seems to be something that I¡¯mcking, but I have no idea what it could be.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What should I do?¡± Wilson was perplexed at the cat, which was asking him questions when another person entered his store. Fortunately, it was a human this time. A handsome young man. And he said, ¡°Lulu, if you want to go to a clothing store, inform me at least. I had to find you.¡± ¡°Ah, sorry! I came in as soon as I saw the nice-looking sign.¡± ¡°Fine. What do you want to buy?¡± ¡°That, I have no idea. But I want to buy something.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that supposed to mean?¡± Seeing the blonde young man conversing with the cat without any awkwardness, Wilson was more puzzled. What was that? Did he wake up too early? Or was he still dreaming? If not, did the world change overnight? ¡°Excuse me, are you the owner of this ce?¡± ¡°Ah, yes!¡± ¡°My friend wants to look around. Would that be fine?¡± ¡°S-Sure! Feel free to browse around!¡± He nodded quickly as he led them further into the store. And that was the end. Normally, Wilson would talk to the customers and find out about their tastes and rmend products they might like¡­ but now, Wilson was having a hard time epting the current situation. In the end, he chose to stare at the two of them. And a little time passed. The ck cat yelled. ¡°Woah! This! This is it!¡± The cat found a child-sized Little Red Riding Hood costume and reached out. And then, the cloak automatically wrapped around her. The cat flew from there and tried out various poses with the cloak and asked the young man. ¡°How is it?¡± ¡°Looks good. I like it.¡± ¡°Nice! I should buy this! This is a must-buy!¡± ¡°Huh! Ah, yes!¡± Wilson made eye contact with the cat, which flew towards him, making him step back. The cat didn¡¯t care. The cat ced its paw in front of him. ¡°Hand.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°Give me your hand.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ huh?¡± ¡°Done. Let¡¯s go. Irene!¡± ¡°Wait, let him look at the payment¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay! I gave as much as I liked it! The owner will be happy too!¡± The cat quickly left after paying, and the young blonde followed her. What remained was Wilson in a confused state and a mouse-shaped golden sculpture in his hand. Irene and Lulu were on their leisure journey. It wasn¡¯t like he didn¡¯t want to rush, but because Lulu really enjoyed it. ¡°It¡¯s my first time traveling with anyone!¡± ¡°Uh, really?¡± ¡°Hmm. And it¡¯s a lot more fun than I thought.¡± Lulu said while flying through the streets. The fluttering hem of the cloak was impressive. Of course, people¡¯s eyes were focused on the cat rather than the cloak, but the ck cat didn¡¯t care. Its full concentration was on the person next to it. Seeing that Lulu liked that, Irene had doubts. ¡®It¡¯s her first time traveling with someone?¡¯ It was shocking. He knew that most sorcerers have entric personalities, so theycked social skills. And strictly speaking, this cat¡¯s personality was far from normal. But wasn¡¯t there something Lulu kept emphasizing so many times until now? ¡®How important mutual trust is in sorcery. I think I¡¯ve heard that around fifty times.¡¯ Because of Lulu¡¯s personality, Irene thought she had a special rtionship with someone other than Irene, and he felt that the rtionship would have been a long one. But for this to be her first trip with someone¡­ ¡®Maybe, that person isn¡¯t in this world anymore?¡¯ Or, maybe they decided to break away? No matter, it didn¡¯t seem like the rtionship ended on a happy note. And he wanted to change the topic of the conversation. Irene thought about it, but luckily Lulu was the one to change topics. ¡°Ah, Ian? That Sword Master? Is he a great person?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t hear?¡± ¡°I did, but I wasn¡¯t interested. I don¡¯t really concentrate on other stuff.¡± ¡°I see. Well¡­¡± Irene remembered Ian¡¯s face. An old and unsightly appearance. However, that man with amazing swordsmanship may be the strongest on the continent. And the person he first called teacher. ¡°Ah-ah! I think I heard that! I remember him being your first teacher. Then the second one?¡± ¡°Yes. You are my second teacher.¡± ¡°Hehe. Nice.¡± Lulu, who liked the word teacher,ughed like a child. Making Ireneugh, too, as he said. ¡°If it¡¯s him, maybe he could give me some advice about my precarious state. Of course, I will have to talk about my dreams¡­¡± ¡°You never know. Maybe the mystery about the dream will be solved.¡± ¡°Uhm. That would be difficult.¡± Irene shook his head. A mysterious phenomenon that couldn¡¯t be exined by sorcery. Even the great sorcerer Lulu couldn¡¯t think of an answer. How could Ian do it? When he said that, Lulu shook her head. ¡°But you said that he was the best swordsman on the continent.¡± ¡°Yes. So?¡± ¡°Anyone who can be called the best in any field is no different from being a sorcerer. Because they possess unbelievable abilities and will which cannot be exined bymon sense.¡± It might not be possible, but it didn¡¯t mean that there was no hope. Lulu, who said that, suddenly took off her hat. It wasn¡¯t just that. She threw away the cloak, vest, and all her other clothes by stuffing them into a subspace and moved onto Irene¡¯s back. And opened up a bed and slipped into it. ¡°Suddenly, I feel sleepy.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Just a little bit. Don¡¯t wake me up unless there¡¯s something wrong.¡± ¡°¡­ okay.¡± Ah, the unpredictable personality. Irene mumbled as he moved faster. ¡°We¡¯ve arrived!¡± ¡°Wah! We arrived!¡± A few days after buying the cloak at the clothing store in a small town. Irene Pareira arrived at Alcantra, where Krono was located. They weren¡¯t the only ones arriving. Behind Irene were five cats huddled together and leaping. All because of Lulu. With her body out of the bag, she shook a fishing rod with a cat toy on it and lured them. Wheik! Wheik! ¡°Haha,e up! Can¡¯t catch it?¡± Meow! Meow! ¡°Lulu, stop it. If we enter with them, it¡¯ll get noisy.¡± ¡°That so? Then what about me?¡± ¡°Hm, I think it will be fine if you don¡¯t talk.¡± ¡°I must be quiet then.¡± Coming out of the bag, Lulu got onto his shoulder. Lulu doesn¡¯t usually pay attention to what¡¯s happening around her, but this time she kept looking around and realized that staying silent was better. It was because she knew how bothersome it would be if the guards near the gate saw a talking cat and asked questions. ¡°When I travel alone, I usually just teleport and jump in. Shall I do that now?¡± ¡°Hm. That might be better. Let¡¯s meet inside.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± Swosh! The ck cat disappeared in an instant. When Lulu disappeared, the fishing rod and the bed disappeared as well. The stray cats looked at Irene and then moved away. Seeing that, he smiled. ¡®I¡¯mughing a lot more than before.¡¯ Not a bad feeling. Taking a deep breath, he entered the city of Alcantra. He was shocked. ¡°There are so many magic items on the streets¡­¡± Even though it was prettyte and the gates were half-closed, the streets weren¡¯t dark. It was thanks to the magic lights installed all over the roads. Many other things caught his attention. A sophisticated architecture that couldn¡¯t be found in small towns and viges. People passing by. Beautiful statues and fountains all over. It was beautiful even before entering. Irene felt overwhelmed by the sheer size of it, but¡­ ¡®The ce where I live isn¡¯t like this.¡¯ A tiny Kingdom like Hale couldn''t bepared to this shocking ce. Of course, it was because Alcantra was a developed city. It was a city built by traders and merchants, the capital was huge, and since the main building of Krono was here, many different countries'' goods were brought in. Right. In the end, it was all thanks to Krono that this ce developed. ¡®Such a great ce, Krono is.¡¯ Irene could feel the power of the Krono once again. He sat at the fountain and watched people walk through the city looking for a ce to stay. It waste, so he decided to sleep and visit the school the next day. And in time, a suitable ce came into view. An inn with a sign, ¡®Cradle of Swords, ¡¯ very close to where the Krono was. ¡®Lulu will be able to find it.¡¯ He nced at the building and opened the door while stepping in. Kiik- An unpleasant noise came from the door, probably because it wasn¡¯t well lubricated. Fortunately, the inside was neat. People were eating, the first hall was spacious with numerous tables, and most people inside had muscr physiques. No, not most, all. ¡®What?¡¯ Everyone had a sword by their side. It was strange. The city wasrge, and it made sense that many would be mercenaries and travelers with swords, but still, all the guests had swords? Thinking, Irene walked to the counter, In order to stay, he had to talk with the innkeeper. However, one giant man approached him. ¡°Are you also here for Krono?¡± It wasn¡¯t a bad first topic. Irene wasn¡¯t the type of person who would avoid conversations. And there were too many people older than him, so he would talk out of being considerate. But, he couldn¡¯t help but be concerned at that question. And he answered. ¡°I am. But how¡­¡± ¡°Hahahahaaha!¡± ¡°Haha, haha, hahaha!¡± ¡°Is he also here for Krono? Unbelievable¡­¡± ¡°Really, it looks like dogs and cows wille together.¡± With theughter, sarcasm erupted from everywhere. Irene couldn''t help but panic. Chapter 69: Krono Swordsmanship School (2)

Chapter 69: Krono Swordsmanship School (2)

¡®What¡¯s going on?¡¯ Irene Pareira was confused as he looked at the men who wereughing. It was absurd, but he didn¡¯t feel bad. No, he was just wondering. How the hell did the giant man in front of him even know that Irene had something to do with Krono? ¡°Haha, well, anyone can take up challenges. But it isn''t good to be overconfident.¡± ¡°Anyone can take up a challenge, what bullshit!¡± ¡°Right! There¡¯s nothing worse than being pushed around by a kid!¡± However, before Irene even got a chance to finish responding, the giant man went up to the second floor. And Irene heard the men at the nearby table whispering. He didn¡¯t know what they meant, and he couldn¡¯t even ask. ¡®Strange.¡¯ It¡¯s natural since I don¡¯t know them, but everyone in here feels unfamiliar. It felt as if he entered a different world. At that moment, he heard a voice calling him from the corner. ¡°You there, young man.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yes. Apart from you, everyone here is old. You¡¯re the only young one here.¡± He was a muscr middle-aged man who upied a table without alcohol or food. Some who heard him, snorted. Irene obeyed the call. And then sat down at the table while asking. ¡°There are quite a few tables. Is it fine if I just take the seat without ordering anything?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, totally fine. This is my inn. Who canin?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± He was the owner. He thought that the man was a customer because of how rxed he seemed. Irene asked. ¡°I see. Is there a reason why you called me?¡± ¡°Did you say that you were a guest of Krono?¡± ¡°Yes. But how¡­¡± ¡°How do we know without being told? All these tough-looking men here are guests of the Krono Swordsmanship School. In the first ce, this is a ce famous for those kinds of people, so ordinary people don¡¯t notice this.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Interesting? You came to the ¡®Cradle of Swords¡¯ without even knowing that. Hahaha! Well, talking makes me thirsty. Oye, a beer here! Ah, my name is Edgar.¡± ¡°I-Irene.¡± Irene didn¡¯t bother with his surname, and the introductions didn¡¯tst long. Meanwhile, a clerk brought a beer, just one. He didn¡¯t intend to drink it, but he did. With that in mind, Edgar emptied the mug at once and asked for another beer. ¡°Anyway, if you are a guest of Krono, there is something you should know.¡± ¡°Huh? Something I need to know?¡± ¡°Yes. Guests are not allowed to enter the school whenever they want. They are only allowed once every two weeks. Which is tomorrow.¡± ¡°Once every two weeks?¡± Irene frowned. Well, if it was guests, then it could be possible. Once every two weeks, but he still couldn¡¯t understand it. He tried to question it, but Edgar didn¡¯t give him a chance. He drank the second mug in a second and ordered another one. And continued to exin. ¡°And this is really important. To be a ¡®real guest¡¯ of the Krono Swordsmanship School, you need a way to prove your skills. Well, the mostmon guests are mercenaries, but¡­ you, are you mercenary?¡± ¡°No. Uhm, but¡­¡± ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be. Just looking at your face, I know you¡¯re a fresh kiding out of your house just recently. Ah, don¡¯t get me wrong. I didn¡¯t mean that as an insult. I¡¯m just envious, rather than the other leeching men. You¡¯re fresh. It doesn¡¯t seem like you¡¯ve suffered. It¡¯s apliment. I¡¯m envious because you¡¯re handsome.¡± ¡°Ah. So¡­¡± ¡°Anyways, if you were from a reputable mercenary group, there would be a high probability that you would be allowed to enter without participating. I hate it when idiots enter that way. But, if you don¡¯t have a mercenary card, it¡¯s better to get one now.¡± He didn¡¯t have a mercenary card, but he had a card that proves he¡¯s an official trainee of Krono. Irene wanted to say that. But there was no room to interject. The man wasn¡¯t even breathing while talking. It was words, drink, and then more words. He had no intention of listening to Irene. ¡°Of course, not a low-ranking mercenary. In order to receive the recognition of the tough guys and be a ¡®real guest,¡¯ you would need a wooden or iron card, maybe a copper one. It will be difficult for someone with no track record to win a bronze card on their first try, but honestly, this is annoying, right?¡± ¡°Annoying?¡± ¡°Yes. That everyone here is ignoring you?¡± Edgar pointed to the other tables while holding the beer mug. No beer spilled as he had drunk it all. Rather than that, he was more concerned with the men looking at their table. Irene looked at them. Right. Those men were all ignoring him. ¡®This doesn¡¯t hurt my feelings, but¡­¡¯ Something felt off. However, these men were way better than the people in his childhood, and no one frowned at him, not a single sign of malice. But Edgar seems to have mistaken that. ¡°Right, one can¡¯t help but feel bad.¡± ¡°Huh? No, not¡­¡± ¡°Good. Go to the mercenary agency right now. I know the manager, so you can take the testfortably.¡± ¡°What? Now?¡± ¡°Yes. Better to do it right away. Ah, and you will be staying here? A few days?¡± ¡°One day¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s a discount if you stay for two days.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother if you don¡¯t want to. 2 silver.¡± ¡°¡­ here.¡± ¡°Great! Then let¡¯s go. Yah! Take good care of the inn while I¡¯m away!¡± Edgar shouted and stood up. He drank seven beers in a short time, but he looked totally fine. But what was more remarkable was his way of speaking without slurring his words. He wasn¡¯t a bad one either. ¡°¡­¡± He decided to follow Edgar. Nodding, he followed. Krono is famous. So famous that even a stranger can find it. Even an alley rat from a rural vige in a remote country would want to enter Krono. It was a truly fantastic dream. Was it because of that? There were a lot of guests who came to Krono with swords. People who wanted to prove their skills and gain fame. A guest who seeks to grow bypeting. A guest who wants to prove his strength. Dozens of such people knocked on Krono¡¯s door every day. For the swordsman school, it was really difficult. Because there were too many, it was burdensome to deal with all of them, but if they refused, they would say stuff like ¡®Krono is a bunch of cowards.¡¯ And some people would never leave the premises until they were dealt with. Thus, the rule of Krono was to ¡®Wee the Guests.¡¯ It meant that anyone who wanted to chat with their swords could enter on the set day, which was once every two weeks. ¡®So that¡¯s what it means to be a Guest of Krono¡­. Those who want a battle would go.¡¯ Irene realized it toote. He never even found time to question it. With Edgar talking so much, he barely had time to think. By the time he reached the mercenary agency, Edgar was drilling the history of Krono into him. Anyway, now he knows. That guest wasn¡¯t the usual guest, and their reason was different. In other words, he didn¡¯t have to attend like a guest. Which meant there was no need to stop at the agency. However¡­ ¡°Hey, boss.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that Ed? What the hell¡­ oh, a young visitor. Test?¡± ¡®It¡¯s toote to say that.¡¯ Seeing Edgar work, Irene just sighed. If he didn¡¯t want to, he could quit right away. And it wasn¡¯t tough. But Irene was the kind to go with the flow. He wasn¡¯t a straightforward character. ¡®Mercenary card¡­ there¡¯s nothing bad about getting one.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t like it would be of any use, but it didn¡¯t matter. No, he didn¡¯t even have time to think. By the time he started thinking, Edgar had gone back to the inn, and the boss with the scar on his left cheek looked at Irene. And asked, ¡°Are you going to take the test?¡± ¡°Yes? ah, yes.¡± ¡°What¡¯s your field? Strength? Speed? Skill? Since you are a guest of Krono, your weapon has to be a sword, is there any other weapon you can handle?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Okay. So what¡¯s fine with you¡­ no, enough. Let¡¯s just go with intuition. Follow me.¡± The man spoke with ng and then went out the building¡¯s back door. Irene meekly followed his instructions. When he went out, there was a fairlyrge open field. Training dummies, fitness equipment, and other objects. Unlike the noisy inn, there were very few people here. With the people¡¯s gazes on him, he arrived at a spot. An object which looked like metal or rock covered with rubber. There was a square te on top. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± ¡°A measuring instrument. If you hit it hard, an impulse wille up on the square te above.¡± ¡°A magic-based tool? Aren''t they expensive?¡± ¡°They are expensive. I didn¡¯t buy it directly, but a recently retired gold card mercenary gave it to me as his retirement gift. It was a hit.¡± ¡°Anyway, hit this.¡± ¡°With my fist?¡± ¡°Sword. After seeing the impact, I judge the grade and issue a card, and that¡¯s it. Simple.¡± ¡°What if I hit it, and it breaks?¡± ¡°Huh? Hahaha.¡± The manughed. He stopped and answered. ¡°Because it isn¡¯t that weak. Even if it¡¯s a magic tool¡­ except for the square te on top, this is like a lump of iron. There are only a handful of gold card mercenaries who can break this. Even the retired one I told you about couldn¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Yes. So don¡¯t worry and hit it as hard as you can. You shouldn¡¯t do something which will cause regret.¡± ¡°Yes. I will do my best.¡± ¡°Uh? But¡­¡± Where is the sword? Did he leave it somewhere? When he was about to ask that question. A great sword suddenly appeared in the air. Sssh! ¡°¡­?¡± The blonde young man grabbed it as if it was a natural thing to do. And took a stance. He raised his arms. The greatsword rose high as if it wanted to pierce the moon. At that, the boss was rather dumbfounded. And then. ng! An unstoppable roar resounded throughout the vacant ground. Chapter 70: Krono Swordsmanship School (3)

Chapter 70: Krono Swordsmanship School (3)

¡°W-What?¡± ¡°Was that lightning? It isn¡¯t even cloudy?¡± Those who were on the ground were shocked. In the quiet evening, they were all shocked to hear the loud noise. Of course, it wasn¡¯t thunder. The truth was it was the sound from the sword wielded by the young man. Irene, who finished the task, checked the te. [10772] ¡®Is that high?¡¯ He didn¡¯t think it was low. Irene was modest, but he wasn¡¯t shy enough to discard his effort. Even Hill But had constantly told him that. Irene had already reached the Expert Level. ¡®I don¡¯t know, but I think I can get a bronze card.¡¯ He looked away from the meter and asked the boss. ¡°How is it?¡± ¡°Y-Yes?¡± ¡°Score. I don¡¯t know the standards, so I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s high or low.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ just a, wait a minute.¡± The boss stuttered. He''s observed the scores of many people. He saw the sword of a person from a rural area, the sword of a seasoned mercenary who¡¯s gone through everything, and even of extraordinary veterans. However, no one had exceeded 10,000. Even the gold card mercenary who gave him the magic tool. ¡®¡­ a malfunction?¡¯ The man looked at Irene. Right, it had to be that. No, it could be the result of the kid. Taking out a sword from the air, handling the weight of a greatsword, and the sound. His kid had to be guided by someone great. Maybe he was a noble of a prestigious family. Thinking, he asked. ¡°Excuse me¡­ what was your name again?¡± ¡°Irene.¡± ¡°Yes, Mr. Irene. I¡¯m sorry, but I have one question¡­ how did you get the sword out?¡± ¡°It¡¯s something like magic.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. I was so narrow-minded¡­ haha.¡± The man¡¯s words became even more polite than before. Even if Irene wasn¡¯t a noble, he was still a kid who had exceptional abilities. Gulping, he spoke. ¡°The score is great. Not a bronze card. You could get a silver card too¡­ ah, don¡¯t misunderstand, for first-timers, silver is the limit. Above that, it will be possible when you get credits and performance umtes¡­¡± ¡°Then I will take the silver card.¡± ¡°Ah, then¡­ excuse me, can I ask you to take the test once again?¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°Yes, sometimes the tool malfunctions. I¡¯m not saying that Mr. Irene¡¯s skills are low¡­ no¡­ never¡­¡± ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll do it again.¡± Irene nodded happily. It didn¡¯t matter if he didn¡¯t strike it as hard. He just had to do it again. Raising the sword, he concentrated. Breath in, clench and think. Finally, remembering the sensation of hitting it and the points he umted. Soon, the sword swung. Boom! ¡°Ack!¡± ¡°What now!¡± People were shocked again. So were the people watching Irene. Even though they prepared their hearts, the sound was still shocking. Everyone looked at the square te. Whisper. Noise which didn¡¯t exist before, and then it came. The score. [11002] ¡°¡­¡± Higher than before. The boss couldn¡¯t speak. It wasn¡¯t just him. Those who were watching it and those who came to check out the number too were all shocked. No one spoke. No, there was one. Irene looked at the boss and said. ¡°Should I do it again?¡± ¡°¡­ ah! No! This is enough! The result¡­ it¡¯s silver¡­ let¡¯s register! It doesn¡¯t take long.¡± The man moved. His attitude wasn¡¯t that polite as he was too shocked. Irene followed the man. ¡°As I said before, silver is what we can give to the first-timers. It isn¡¯t that I¡¯m ignoring Mr. Irene¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. It¡¯s fine.¡± The two entered the building. The others on the grounds were still left in shock. ¡°Was that real?¡± ¡°Yes. Even I¡¯m doubting my eyes.¡± ¡°Ten thousand? Is that possible? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s easy for even an Expert to do that, right?¡± ¡°Maybe he¡¯s a knight from the top 5 kingdoms?¡± The mercenaries were confused. One of them drew his sword. From what he saw, he had to try it for himself. With a serious expression, he swung the sword. Whoops! Chik! [86122] ¡°Isn¡¯t this broken?¡± ¡°Shit! When did you awaken and turn into a Sword Master?¡± ¡°Then, that guy got a silver card by luck?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ I don¡¯t think so. You heard the sound. It was very different.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, but¡­¡± Arguments broke out. He¡¯s an Expert level talent, no, he looked too young to be that, then that sound, he¡¯s good, but not an expert¡­ People voiced their opinions without raising their voices, but they raised their fists. There was only one person who was watching quietly. What could the reason for the failure of the tool be? He pondered for a moment andughed. ¡°Haha, no, it can¡¯t be that.¡± Thus, a small situation happened at the Alcantra mercenary agency. ¡°What? Silver card?¡± ¡°Yes. Is this enough?¡± Returning to the Inn, Irene took out the card. Edgar went stiff. It was because he thought that this young man wouldn¡¯t even get a bronze card. Nevertheless, he took the kid to the agency to show howpetitive it was to enter Krono. That was the best care he could give. But seeing the silver card, he didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°Thank you. It was a fun experience.¡± ¡°Uh? Uh, yes.¡± ¡°Is it possible to have my dinner in the room? Simple dishes, bread, and smoked fish would be nice.¡± ¡°Ah, sure.¡± Edgar nodded and went into the kitchen. He was an innkeeper who did nothing. The chef was the one who made the dishes. However, he was too flustered to the point where he couldn¡¯t think of anything. ¡®Silver? At that age? He only looks twenty.¡¯ ¡®It doesn¡¯t make sense¡­¡¯ ¡°Oh, don¡¯t eat those; they are for the customers!¡± No matter what he was told, he didn¡¯t listen. He picked up the snacks in the kitchen and mumbled over and over again. Of course, Irene was unaware of Edgar¡¯s thoughts. Irene was full of thoughts about visiting Krono. He thought of what he and Lulu would eat and went up to his room. Shortly after, Lulu appeared. ¡°Why are you sote?¡± ¡°I was ying with the local cats. Oh!¡± After that, nothing special happened. They ate, chatted, and showered. Separate washrooms were given in each room, but it was nice considering the price of the amodation. And he went to bed a little early. ¡°Then, shall we go?¡± ¡°Let''s go! Go!¡± The next day, Irene got up before anyone else and left with Lulu, who was all dressed up. And headed for Krono. Maybe they were thinking of going to Krono; many were shocked to see Lulu. Lulu looked at those who were shocked to see her and said. ¡°Hello? I am a cat sorcerer, Lulu. As you can see, I can speak like humans. I understand that I look interesting, but it¡¯s hard to answer your questions. Let''s just keep it to simple greetings.¡± Toktoktok! Lulu touched the swordsman''s hand with her tiny front paw. Even though it was a simple touch, everyone was satisfied. Some of them smiled, and some looked a little shy. As they moved, they arrived at the gate of Krono. One of the gatekeepers said. ¡°Guests. Come inside.¡± ¡°Uh? Ah¡­¡± The gatekeeper led the way, and the swordsmen followed him. Irene, who was with them, was perplexed. He wasn¡¯t a guest but a real guest. He didn¡¯t have to participate. But the gatekeeper acted as if he had no idea that there would be any ¡®real guests.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t an atmosphere where he could talk. Of course, after everyone disappeared, he could talk to the gatekeepers¡­ ¡°Irene, where are all of them going?¡± ¡°To wee the guests, to fight with the people of Krono¡­¡± ¡°Oh-oh, fun! Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s take a look.¡± Seeing Lulu swing her sword with excitement, he changed his mind. Thinking, Irene nodded. ¡°Sure.¡± ¡®There¡¯s nothing urgent. It won¡¯t take long to look around.¡¯ Irene also wanted to see this guest thing. He wondered how powerful the person of Krono would be and wondered how strong the swordsmen were. Above all, the atmosphere was strange. ¡®Like a festival.¡¯ Except for Krono and the subjugation, Irene never saw so many swordsmen. And in both cases, it was far from a pleasant and light-hearted atmosphere. The former one was too fierce, thetter too heavy. Besides, he didn¡¯t have to participate. He was just going to watch. Thinking so, he thought that going along with Lulu was fine. ¡°Why are you stroking me all of a sudden?¡± ¡°Just like that.¡± ¡°Then do it under my chin.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Irene hugged Lulu and touched her nape. Some people who saw that felt envious. After a short period of time, they arrived at a spacious room. There was tension on the faces of the swordsmen who knew what wasing. Soon, a man walked in. A young man with a bay draped over his shoulders. Someined. ¡°What! Why is a young man here?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t they looking down on us?¡± ¡°They will know.¡± ¡°This kid¡­¡± ¡°Be careful. What if we get kicked out?¡± Some interjected, and most mumbled. It was dissatisfying. These people hade from various kingdoms because they wanted to battle the strongest man in Krono, but now a young man hade. But not Irene. It wasn¡¯t because he was too young. It was a familiar face. Quietly he said the young man¡¯s name. Chapter 71: Krono Swordsmanship School (4)

Chapter 71: Krono Swordsmanship School (4)

¡°¡­ Lance Peterson?¡± ¡°Someone you know?¡± Lulu, who was sitting on his shoulder, asked. As he turned his head, the feathers on Lulu¡¯s hat hit his cheek. Irene moved the feathers and nodded. ¡°Yes. A ssmate from Krono. He¡¯s changed a lot.¡± Although he wasn¡¯t close to his ssmates, Irene had often talked with Lance Peterson. It was because he was one of the three people close to Bratt. He was pretty good. Ilya, Judith, and Bratt. Excluding those three, he would be the strongest. ¡®No, can he be the strongest if those three are excluded?¡¯ Maybe not. Irene hardly remembered Lance winning any battles. In the case of one-on-one, Irene was inferior to his ssmates then. ¡®If pure swordsmanship is being evaluated, would I be in the top 15?¡¯ It was then, Lulu said. ¡°He looks strong.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. I think he will be strong for his age.¡± It wasn¡¯t because Lulu had a knack for swords. Lulu is a sorcerer, which meant that she could look at people objectively. And that was probably why she could guess it. Of course, even Irene could feel that. But not as clearly as Lulu. Which was why he wanted to see it for himself. How much has Lance grown over the past five years? Lance Peterson stood in front of the guests and said. ¡°Greetings to the guests of Krono Swordsmanship School. I am Lance Peterson, an official trainee from the 27th batch. It¡¯s an honor to meet you.¡± ¡°What, trainee?¡± ¡°Not even graduate?¡± ¡°Wait. Didn¡¯t you hear the rumor? The 27th generation is called the Golden Generation.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s gold or not. A trainee is a trainee. Isn¡¯t this a scam?¡± As soon as Lance finished speaking,ints erupted. It was Inevitable since it was customary for graduates toe and receive the guests. It was good enough for guests who hade to get their skills recognized but a disappointment for those who wanted a real battle. Lance Peterson stood tall. He mmed the sword on his shoulder to the ground. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± A huge echo and tremble on the ground. With that, the expressions on the swordsmen changed in an instant. Voices subsided. In such a quiet time, Lance Peterson spoke. ¡°I know very well. That it¡¯s the graduates thate and wee the guests. However, this time there¡¯s a change. I wanted to gain experience by battling with people outside the school.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I will do my best to not disappoint you. Well¡­ if I disappoint you, I will bring in a senior right away.¡± With that, Lance Peterson bowed. He looked polite. But it was a provocation at the same time. It could be said, Lance would never bring in a senior. He was determined to give his best. ¡°Then¡­ shall we start? Anybody is fine. Those who want to fight,e forward.¡± ¡°Good. I will be first.¡± Through the crowd, one huge man stepped forward. It was the man who asked Irene the question in the Inn. He was holding a sword that was big enough to intimidate others. Lance Peterson said. ¡°You have a bigger sword than mind.¡± ¡°Why, scared?¡± ¡°Not at all. There¡¯s someone whoes to mind.¡± ¡°Stop talking and start.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Lance Peterson took a serious stance after picking up his sword from the ground. The giant man ran to him. Apanied by huge cheers. It was at that moment that the guests were being weed to Krono. Kwang! ng! ¡°Kuak¡­¡± ¡°You did well. Do you want to reconsider the battle?¡± ¡°¡­ no. Enough.¡± The man with scars on his body picked up the sword, which had flown away, and retreated. A look of disappointment and slouched shoulders. Not a single person sympathized with him. Because there was one person who caught everyone¡¯s attention, Lance Peterson. ¡°Woah¡­ strong. Isn¡¯t that right, brother?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± At the words of his brother, Gilbert let out a grunt. He was a well-known swordsman in the neighborhood, a man who had never lost to any mercenary. After a year¡¯s worth of battles outside, he wanted to see how strong he became and came to Krono. ¡®Damn it.¡¯ He mumbled to himself. Until he entered Krono, Gilbert thought that the reputation of Krono was inted. Everyone around looked to be at the same level, and there was one who was nothing more than a rookie. It was like he was having a pic with a cat. Besides, the Krono trainee who greeted them looked to be in his 20s, so he didn¡¯t have high expectations. However. Kwang! The giant man came out right away. Kwang! Even the fast guy who went in second came out. Kwang! The moment the third one was defeated, Gilbert began to turn scared. ¡®Fuck¡­ is that a trainee? Does that even make sense?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t that the people the trainee faced were of low level. The third one was excellent. The third one was sophisticated and strong. Gilbert thought that he would win. However, the trainee didn¡¯t lose hisposure and faced the man. Only then did he realize. That trainee was like a ¡®wall¡¯ that couldn¡¯t be ovee by any mercenary or swordsman. ¡°A lot stronger than I thoug¡­¡± ¡°The 27th generation, the Golden Generation? Even a trainee¡­¡± ¡°Definitely great. There were so many nonsensical stories, I thought they were rumors, but man, it¡¯s different.¡± ¡°Even those who were from that batch and didn¡¯t turn into official trainees are all active¡­ that boy, he had a reason to act that confident.¡± ¡°The world he and we live in is different.¡± ¡°What will you do, brother? Are you going out?¡± ¡°Stay still.¡± While praising Krono, Gilbert¡¯s younger brother asked him about his ns to battle. Gilbert asked him to stay still. He dide here to battle and prove himself, but he wouldn¡¯t be able to do that here. He wanted to be admired by people. And when that possibility disappeared, the best thing to do was remain still. To turn into a spectator. It was time to put his head down. ¡°Brother? That one, he¡¯sing here?¡± ¡°Uh?¡± Gilbert was startled at his brother¡¯s whispers. It was true. Lance Peterson, who didn¡¯t move from the center, was approaching him. It felt different. Unlike before, the trainee¡¯s eyes were full of energy. ¡®Shit, why!¡¯ Gilbert cursed and clenched his fists. He couldn¡¯t figure out why this was happening. Why was the trainee approaching him of all people? He was scared. Even if it meant death, he didn¡¯t want to battle. It was the time when he stared forward. ¡°Irene Pareira.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± A name. Gilbert was confused. And then looked at Lance. Now that he looked. The trainee wasn¡¯t looking at him but far back. He turned and looked. That one. The blonde kid with a cat. He wouldn¡¯t have even bothered with the kid if he saw him somewhere on the street. But not now. The young blonde didn¡¯t seem scared. He received Lance Peterson¡¯s gaze with confidence. And that wasn¡¯t it. Putting down the ck cat, he spoke as if he knew the trainee. ¡°Long time no see.¡± ¡°Right, it has been too long. What the hell were you up to? I thought you would be back soon!¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s long, well you¡­¡± ¡°Of course, it¡¯s long. Five years have passed! I thought I was going to die waiting for you!¡± Lance spoke loudly. Apletely different attitude from before. Although shaken by excitement, he was happy. At that, Irene sighed with relief. It was his biggest worry. What if his ssmates forgot about him? They were together for one year and apart for five. It was a natural concern. He wasn¡¯t close friends with Ilya, Bratt, or Judith. ¡®Pointless worry.¡¯ Irene smiled. It has been a very long time. Lance weed him, and his heart felt warm. ¡°Are you like officially back? Have you solved the homework the schoolmaster gave you?¡± ¡°Well¡­ to an extent.¡± ¡°Really? Is it that tough?¡± ¡°Tough because I wascking.¡± ¡°I guess so. You say that, but I¡¯m sure you became stronger. You were always that way.¡± ¡°Haha.¡± ¡°This is bad. If you came a little earlier, you could have met Judith and Bratt.¡± ¡°Bratt? Bratt is in the school?¡± ¡°Ah, you don¡¯t know, right? He came back right away. To do it right.¡± Lance didn¡¯t seem to follow Bratt, unlike before. But it was nice to hear about Bratt. Bratt was looking good in the sorcery world, but thest time he saw Bratt in the real world, he was depressed. Listening to Lance, it seemed like things worked out. ¡®That¡¯s good.¡¯ Irene smiled. He felt good. The worries in his mind disappeared. He opened his mouth with a smile. It was to ask about Judith and Bratt. But Lance Peterson was one step ahead. He said. ¡°Irene.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do it.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°We met after a long time, shouldn¡¯t we do it? Battle?¡± Irene was shocked. Till a second back, they were talking about nice things, and now suddenly it¡¯s a battle? It was too sudden. Even more so because he was here for a purpose. ¡®Battle¡­ isn''t bad, but I want to hear about Judith and Bratt right now. I have to meet the schoolmaster as well.¡¯ He didn¡¯t think that this was the right time. Irene thought so and tried to refuse. That was when Lance said. ¡°Let¡¯s battle.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Irene looked at him. Lance did the same. The two quietly looked at each other. In the stillness, Irene recalled the past. ¡®Strange.¡¯ The situation is different. The words exchanged were the same. But the eyes were different. He suddenly remembered what Lulu taught him. ¡°¡­ okay.¡± He didn¡¯t think about anything more. Irene Pareira nodded. Seeing that, Lance showed his brightest smile. ¡°Shall we start?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± To the center of the hall, the two young men walked. Chapter 72: Krono Swordsmanship School (5)

Chapter 72: Krono Swordsmanship School (5)

Step, step. The two young swordsmen gradually moved. The people who watched the scene quietly exhaled as if they had been holding back. The conversation between them was quite short, but it wasn¡¯t a mood where they could intervene. No one was brave enough to casually speak with the heavy pressure around. ¡°What is he?¡± ¡°That blonde?¡± ¡°Yes. Anyone know him?¡± ¡°I remember that he stayed at the Cradle of Swords¡­¡± ¡°Ah, me too. It was a huge thing. People said that he looked easy¡­¡± ¡°But what is his real identity?¡± Everyone was curious about Irene. No one underestimated his skills. Lance Paterson of the 27th batch of Krono just won three battles, and he didn¡¯t even move an inch from where he was standing. However, they were more curious about the other guy, who seemed to be friends with him. Then, one person confided his thoughts. ¡°Maybe him? A person who was rejected in the final evaluation and couldn¡¯t be a formal trainee.¡± ¡°Ah, that could be right.¡± ¡°Right, the dropouts are known to be very strong too. Right, that could be right.¡± ¡°Then he can¡¯t win.¡± ¡°Right. It will be difficult against a sessful candidate.¡± Gilbert, who was listening, nodded. It was reasonable. Of course, the change could happen within the 5 years gap, but it was improbable. A swordsman with that talent would have stayed in Krono. Rather, the one in Krono must be superior. Therefore, people were sure about Lance Peterson¡¯s victory. The anticipation they had in the beginning quickly disappeared. However, not everyone. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Irene is very strong. Maybe Irene will win? I swear by this sword.¡± Clench! Lulu pulled out the sword on her waist and mmed it on the floor. Looking up. Eyes without any doubt. Even though a cat¡¯s face is hard to read, people could feel the trust. Turning their heads, they looked at the center. Maybe he can win, right? Once again, expectations rose. ¡°Is that a pet cat? How is it talking like a human?¡± Lance asked, swinging his sword. It was a strange sight. Irene replied with a grin. ¡°No, teacher.¡± ¡°What? Teacher?¡± ¡°Yes. I learned a lot.¡± Swosh! Irene stretched out his hand. And a huge object appeared. Old and crude, but the strange greatsword felt heavy just by looking at it. Lance Peterson stared nkly at it. ¡°¡­ that¡¯s great. Magic? No, it must be sorcery. Right, that makes sense. A talking cat, I can¡¯t think of anything other than sorcery.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Hmm, then there is no need to prepare a separate sword. Somehow, I couldn¡¯t see your sword¡­ it¡¯s nice that you don¡¯t have to carry that heavy one around.¡± ¡°It¡¯sfortable.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t it look like a lot has happened in the past 5 years? Ah, fine, we¡¯ll talk about itter.¡± Lance, who said that, swung his sword vigorously. Terrifying sound, like a gust of wind. Lance was definitely better than 5 years ago. In fact, his physique itself was ridiculouslyrge, close to being 2 meters tall. However, there was something more interesting than that. It was the face of his opponent. A face that didn¡¯t know how things came to this. Irene thought. ¡®He changed a lot.¡¯ He wasn¡¯t sure about the past, but when he thought about the current Lance Peterson, they had very few simrities. His parents'' wishes and his interests. Lance was swept away by erratic things in his childhood and somehow ended up in Krono. Perhaps if not for being led by Bratt, he might have been knocked out during the midterm. But not now. Now he was entirely different. Irene looked at Lance with serious eyes. ¡®¡­ you too found your own sword.¡¯ Lance¡¯s will could be felt in the way he held the sword. The reason was obvious. It was because of Irene. To the extent that he wanted to exchange swords rather than words with a ssmate, he met after five years. Lance Peterson longed to meet Irene. In other words, his sword was longing for this very moment. ¡®This is what a person who loves swords looks like.¡¯ It felt weird. Different from him. Yet simr. At least, the will of Lance Peterson felt simr. Just as Irene did his best to build his sword in the world of sorcery, he could see his opponent also put in a lot of effort. At that moment, Irene felt a feeling of regret. ¡®Battle¡­ I shouldn¡¯t have agreed to it.¡¯ Irene closed his eyes and looked back on himself. The reason he came to Krono was because his sword was shaken. It was why he didn¡¯t want to participate in the guest weing. It was because he wasn¡¯t sure about his own sword. Although it was possible to shake off the suspicions in his mind, his current state was unstable. That was how Irene judged his condition. He thought more. ¡®Is this really fine?¡¯ The opponent in front of him held an unwavering sword. Did he have the right to hold a sword against such a man? It was when he was thinking. ¡°Tell me when you are ready.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Without regrets, let¡¯s do our best.¡± Let¡¯s do our best. The moment he saw the sincerity of those words, Irene took a stance. The thoughts shaking his ground vanished. ¡®Lance Peterson¡­¡¯ Is wishing for Irene¡¯s best. To be in perfect condition. To unleash the efforts he had built up over thest 5 years. Against such a young man, it was impossible. It¡¯s not wrong to raise a sword with feelings of doubt. ¡®Don¡¯t think of anything else.¡¯ At least for the duration of the battle, pour the heart out. Irene vowed. And stared at his opponent. ¡°¡­ what? Looks like something changed?¡± Lance, who was swinging his sword, stopped. His smile was gone. With a serious expression, he asked again. ¡°You look a lot better than before.¡± ¡°Shall we start?¡± ¡°Okay. The match starts from the moment I count to three.¡± And Lance Peterson counted. One, two, Three. Whoops! Lance Peterson stepped forward as soon as the word fell. With a heavy charge, the confrontation between the trainees of the 27th batch began. ¡°Woah!¡± ¡°He went first!¡± The swordsmen who were looking at the battle with sweaty palms were shocked. They couldn¡¯t help it. Lance Peterson had never attacked first, so they thought it would be the same this time. They were wrong. There was no leeway, unlike before. Rather, overflowing tension turned their mouths dry. Anyone who saw what happened 5 years ago would be the same. Lance, who knew Irene¡¯s past, bit his lip. ¡®Before that crazy sword strikees out, I need to attack!¡¯ He still dreams of that sword. The image of a guy who wasn¡¯t supposed to be good step forward and take a weird stance. The way he shed his sword roughly in the hall. Even Instructor Karaka, who had a stable face at all times, was shocked. This mad man in front of him shouldn¡¯t be given an opening. The battle had to be finished quickly! ¡°Hmph!¡± ng! Great sound resounded throughout the hall. The strength of the impact made it hard to believe that it came from two swords colliding. Receiving the attack, Irene¡¯s body was pushed back. Those who saw Lance Peterson¡¯s power were shocked. But it wasn¡¯t done. Correcting his stance, he moved in for another attack. ng! ng! A diagonal cut from top right to bottom left. The strongest right-handed attack a person could do. It was the same. No, this time, Irene was pushed back a lot more. Lance Peterson¡¯s superiority was definite. But he didn¡¯t smile. Rather, it was a serious expression. It was because his opponent¡¯s skills were superior to his. ¡®I used my strength and spread the distance!¡¯ Lance recalled the past again. Irene was a genius. That was definite. Unless one was a genius, one couldn¡¯t perform ridiculous swordsmanship. But, not aplete genius. The result of confronting him was proof of that. Compared to Ilya Lindsay, who was perfect in every way, Irene had clear advantages and disadvantages. And now, he was doing nothing but getting pushed back. ¡®Of course¡­¡¯ Of course, he didn¡¯t expect Irene to be the same as five years ago. He must have put effort into his sword too. He was the best hard worker of the 27th batch, so considering the amount of sweat that Irene had to shed for that, his growth could be amazing. But still, Lance Peterson had no ns of going easy. ¡®Besides¡­ weird. Something feels familiar!¡¯ Lance Peterson had just restored his strength after the attack. Irene had a defensive technique that draws soft arcs and clears out the opponent¡¯s offense. It reminded him of someone he knew. It felt like he could remember it with just one more push. However, he couldn¡¯t think. The opponent wasing in. ¡®Not bad.¡¯ Lance Peterson took a defensive stance. To be honest, he was morefortable defending than attacking. There were only two people in the 27th batch who could break through his defense. It looked like Irene was trying to attack straight in like Lance did. ¡®I will not back down!¡¯ Lance Peterson hunkered down. Dodging and backing away wasn¡¯t his kind of defense. He would stay still like a mountain and then aim for the gap. That was the sword Lance had built over the years. If you want to get close, get close. Irene¡¯s sword fell for him. Kwang! Fell! Kwang! And fell again. Kwaaang! ¡°Kuak!¡± Three hits in an instant. Lance Peterson¡¯s body swayed to and fro smoothly while defending the attacks. With disbelief, he looked at his opponent. A much stronger offense than he expected? That¡¯s right. But even more shocking was that his swordsmanship, too, felt very familiar. One of his ssmates, he was sure it belonged to a ssmate. And then he recalled the face of the cheeky red-haired brat. ¡®Is that even possible?¡¯ Chapter 73: Krono Swordsmanship School (6)

Chapter 73: Krono Swordsmanship School (6)

Lance Peterson¡¯s face went stiff. He couldn¡¯t understand what was happening. He thought it was an illusion. Because there was only one person in the world who would use consecutive attacks. Of course, there could be more than one, but they couldn¡¯t use the sword where each attack holds the same amount of power as thest. But now, Irene was one such person. However, the more he received the sword, the more distant the thoughts became. Kwang! Kwang! Kwaang! Constantly flying, non-stop. An attack so fast that it looked like multiple people were attacking. But wrong. There was only one person wielding it. The reaction speed of the next attack was being increased with the rotation. It wasn¡¯t an easy thing. Difficult to perform too. To maintain the same pace, one would need a strong grip that can withstand the impact and a strong center. The required physical ability would be ridiculously high. Besides, this wasn¡¯t what Irene was training in the past. A person who can actively react to their opponent¡¯s actions, Lance Peterson was a trainee of Krono. He was ustomed to this situation. Although his style was to counterattack after defending, he was well trained. Lance Peterson had worked hard for a long time to stop such aggressive attacks. So he knew. He was sure. ¡®This guy¡­ learned Judith¡¯s swordsmanship. I¡¯m sure!¡¯ Kwang! ¡°Kuak!¡± Lance groaned. It was because he was a littlete in responding while he was thinking of something else. He bit his lower lip to regain his scattered concentration. He opened his eyes wide and did his best to predict his opponent¡¯s sword. However, it was difficult. Questions kept popping up in Lance Peterson¡¯s mind. He continued his thoughts while still trying to block. When the hell did he learn it? Have the two of them kept meeting without Lance knowing? Did Irene meet with Judith secretly and then appeared here to surprise him? That couldn¡¯t be. From what Lance knew, Judith has never been out of town. Unlike Bratt and him, she didn¡¯t have parents or a home to return to. That was why she stayed in the school for 5 years. Then¡­ ¡°¡­!¡± Lance¡¯s eyes widened as he blocked Irene¡¯s sword. Because he finally found out. By dismissing the incorrect answers one by one, the only possibility remained. And that was the correct answer. Five years back, 100 trainees gathered to show off their swords for the final evaluation. If his memory was right, Judith found her sword at that time. ¡®That makes it even more impossible!¡¯ Kwang! A roar rang out. The same as before, the roar of swords shing. Irene swung his sword wildly, and Lance blocked it. What was different was the appearance. For the first time since taking offense, Irene¡¯s stance copsed. It was impossible to fix the sword, which was out of stance because of the opponent who excelled in strength. A gap was revealed for the first time! Lance Peterson didn¡¯t miss it. Crouching, he unleashed his sword. ¡°Hmph!¡± It wasn¡¯t an attack that was done with calctions. Lance couldn¡¯t afford to take time. The fact that the opponent in front of him was showing such talent and the fact that the deprivation he felt five years back could resurface if he lost broke his cold reasoning. Reced by hot anger. It was strength that came from resisting the previous attacks. Equivalent exchange of power. An attack that should have ended the battle. Swoosh! But it didn¡¯t. Despite the raging attack, Lance¡¯s sword was beautiful. No haggard movements. Rather, he moved ahead for Irene Pareira, drawing the most beautiful sword path. It wasn¡¯t a fluke. It wasn''t a coincidence. It was the effort he has built till this very day and his strongest self. The strongest blow to break down the wall he desperately wanted to break. However, Whoops! Irene suddenly took a defensive posture and swung his sword. Completely different from the sword he used a second back, soft movements. Lance¡¯s attack didn¡¯t break through. In an unexpected counterattack, his sword flew high into the sky. Wheik! Clench! The sword struck the ground at an angle. Lance turned his head to confirm it. And then looked at Irene Pareira. The same expressionless face as the first andst time he saw him, 5 years back. ¡°Ha, ha¡­¡± Unknowingly, he smiled. ¡°Reproducing Bratt¡¯s swordsmanship¡­ no.¡± Lance, who mumbled, denied his own statement. The word ¡®reproducing¡¯ isn¡¯t correct. Shaking, he thought of Bratt and Judith. What would be the oue if he had battles with Irene in the past? Even if Irene was put in a 2 on 1 battle, he might win. That was a fact, not spection. ¡®Because I lost¡­ saying he reproduced them might be rude.¡¯ Irene developed the sword of Judith and Bratt, which he saw five years back. Judith and Bratt have grown a lotpared to the past. Behind all of the reproducing¡­ ¡®There must be a lot of hard work.¡¯ Lance smiled. Not as a joke. A cheerful smile which acknowledged the opponent and epted the result. Irene Pareira¡¯s talent is real. And if people would watch him, they would feel jealousy boiling in their stomachs. But still, Irene¡¯s efforts are real. And one wouldn¡¯t know if they didn¡¯t see him. Just how madly he wields the sword. It makes people say. ¡®¡­ that, that is Irene Pareira.¡¯ Lance Peterson, who faced the greatest hard worker of the 27th batch of trainees, reached out. And said, ¡°I Lost. It was a good fight.¡± ¡°It really was.¡± And the conclusion came. The victory overturned the expectations. Irene Pareira owned the victory. ¡°Wo¡­ ah¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That was amazing. This¡­ how is this possible? Was he one of the 27th generation kids? Right? That¡¯s crazy¡­ it really is crazy¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seeing the match between Lance Peterson and Irene Pareira, one man kept talking. It was just that. All the swordsmen who were in the hall were excited as they kept talking. But Gilbert couldn¡¯t. Because the moment he spoke, his current emotions would burst out. ¡®What? What is this feeling?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t describe it. For Gilbert, who was originally not good at talking, his current emotions were impossible to exin. Something was overflowing. But he wasn¡¯t sure what it was. This was the best way he could express it. A strange feeling, where he enjoyed the battle. He wasn¡¯t the one moving the sword, but it felt like his heart popped out of his mouth. That wasn¡¯t the end. ¡°¡­ uh?¡± ¡°The cat is flying!¡± ¡°Why are you so surprised? The talking cat is flying.¡± The swordsman mumbled. Normally, Lulu would have reacted in some manner. But not now. Higher, higher, and higher, Lulu flew to the height of a three-story building and looked. The most serious expression she had. And mumbled. ¡°Is it that person?¡± ¡°Huh? That person?¡± ¡°Who are you talking about?¡± ¡°Eing, is someone here?¡± ¡°¡­ don¡¯t say cute things like Eing with such a vicious face.¡± People were confused. Most of them stayed silent, but people with good eyes shared their thoughts. Perhaps the graduates who were worried about sending a trainee arrived. Some people talked and nodded. And after a while. An old man appeared. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The old man looked normal. He had a typical old man¡¯s body with wrinkles. A friendly smile which would remind one of a kind-hearted vige chief. However, not a single person could speak in front of him. There were only two old people in Alcantra who could walk like they owned Krono. And one is male. The schoolmaster. Ian. Everyone froze. ¡°Haha¡­ this is an unexpected sight.¡± Ian mumbled as he nced at the hall. Normally, Ian would joke around and release the tensed expressions of the trainees and swordsmen, but not this time. He was too interested in something else. Of course, there was no way one¡¯s attention couldn¡¯t be drawn. ¡®What is that ck cat?¡¯ Lulu was floating around wearing stylish clothes. Even Ian was shocked. He was curious about its identity. ¡®But that isn¡¯t important.¡¯ The old man looked away from the cat. He walked to the center and called out, ¡°Irene Pareira.¡± ¡°¡­ schoolmaster.¡± ¡°It has been a long time. Have you been well?¡± ¡°¡­ yes. For the first time, I have been very well.¡± ¡°You seem to have a lot to say.¡± As Ian said. There were many things he wanted to say, but he wasn¡¯t sure what had to be said first. Irene¡¯s mind was confused. However, he didn¡¯t have time to organize his thoughts. Ian pulled out the sword on his waist. ¡°Since a swordsman met another swordsman, how about we let our swords talk?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°This is right if you look at us as teacher and student. It has been a while, and I would like to see your skills.¡± Woong! As soon as he said that, Ian¡¯s body released formidable energy. Even the swordsmen who were indirectly exposed could feel a chill run down their spines. Those who couldn¡¯t hold their ground took a couple steps back. However, no one was concerned about that. The fact that the schoolmaster of Krono had taken out his sword was more shocking to them. ¡®Thest time the schoolmaster took out his sword for an outsider¡­ how long has it been?¡¯ ¡®4? 5 years?¡¯ Everyone looked at Ian, the master of the sword, and Irene. Who was that blonde? Who was he that even the schoolmaster of Krono is bringing out his sword? Of course, Irene didn¡¯t bother responding to those gazes. Irene thought. ¡®Simr to before.¡¯ Just like Lance Peterson, Ian pulled out his sword as soon as he saw Irene. Shocking and awkward. If this is how a true swordsman looks, that meant Irene wasn¡¯t that good yet. However, ¡®Not bad.¡¯ It was fun. Irene raised his sword. And swung. Woong! The sound of something shing the wind. It was to relieve the tension. But unavoidable. It would be strange to maintain hisposure against the strongest man on the continent. Irene decided to enjoy the moment. A clear subtle change. ¡°I''ming.¡± ¡°Come.¡± The disciple paid respect to his teacher, and his teacher was ready to receive it. Immediately, Irene¡¯s body moved as quick as an arrow. He didn''t realize it, but he was acting differently from when he met Lance Peterson. Chapter 74: Krono Swordsmanship School (7)

Chapter 74: Krono Swordsmanship School (7)

Tat! With strong footing, the body moved ahead. As the distance narrowed, Ian¡¯s face came into view. Smiling. He looked so calm that it was hard to believe that it was a battle. Of course, Irene wasn¡¯t offended by that. His opponent is the best on the continent. Perhaps, the strongest in the world. It didn¡¯t matter to him if Ian was smiling or standing still with bare hands. ¡®With full strength!¡¯ Irene¡¯s eyes lit up. It wasn¡¯t just his eyes. The mes which ignited during the fight with Lance Peterson had now spread throughout his body, making him look like an active volcano. The opponent didn¡¯t care. He chose the attack which best suited him then. Having made a decision, he vigorously swung the greatsword. Kwang! Sword and sword collided. A considerable shock was transmitted to Irene¡¯s hand. But it wasn¡¯t painful. Rather, it was enough to make him more excited. Instead of going head-on, Irene swung his sword in the opposite direction. And the 2nd and 3rd attacks followed. Judith¡¯s sword appeared again. Kwang! Kwang! Kwanng! Loud bursts kept pouring out left and right. The mouths of the swordsmen watching were wide open. At first nce, it looked like random attacks, but they were blows that could turn the tables. And with Irene¡¯s strength added to it, the roaring sound made the spectators¡¯ bones tremble. However, those with sharp eyes didn¡¯t just look at Irene. Rather, they were focusing on Ian, who was taking those attacks. So was Lance Peterson. He retreated to a corner of the hall and mumbled with a serious expression. ¡°He is predicting the sword in advance¡­¡± It was exactly as Lance said. Ian was anticipating Irene¡¯s next attacks. The opponent¡¯s eyes, muscles, joints, the sword¡¯s angles, and countless other things were being observed. It was close to foresight. The faster he analyzed the information, the faster he was prepared. After thinking ahead, he would be more rxed and secure. That was what Ian was doing. With a smile, he said. ¡°The attacks are too monotonous.¡± Kwang! ¡°It¡¯s nice that you are reversing the force during attacks. It¡¯s good for adding speed and strength. But to be honest¡­¡± Bang! ¡°It¡¯s no different from gambling.¡± Ian, who said that, lowered his sword. The sword moved without warning, like a ghost, making Irene step back in surprise. The speed at which the opponent¡¯s sword was approaching was faster than his own. However, the gaps in the forced transition from offense to defense were toorge. Ian, who came close, shed the opponent¡¯s sword and then closed the range. His left hand hit Irene¡¯s stomach. Puck! ¡°Kuak¡­!¡± ¡°Very interesting. Is that Bratt¡¯s swordsmanship? The degree of perfection is quite high too. Actually, I was going to hit your hand with my sword.¡± ¡°Huk, Hu¡­¡± ¡°But the flow got cut off. Your transition from offense to defense is too clumsy. Even if the swordsmanship is changed, it¡¯s only meaningful when the transition is smooth. Actual battles aren¡¯t tests.¡± Ian¡¯s teachings. Irene didn¡¯t answer. His sword was stopped for a moment, but he was fine. If the previous blow had been a fist instead of the palm, he would have copsed on the spot. It wasn¡¯t upsetting. Rather, it was enjoyable. It was the first time he felt something while facing someone with a sword. However, Irene wasn¡¯t aware of those feelings. He was just focusing on the opponent in front of him. ¡°¡­ I¡¯ming again.¡± Phat! Irene, who was pushed back, rushed in again. The tip of his sword drew a new trajectory. Judith¡¯s sword? Nope. It wasn¡¯t even Bratt Lloyd¡¯s sword. However, Lance Peterson, who was watching, felt a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. As soon as he realized it, he eximed. ¡°Crazy shit! Even the Sky Sword!¡± As if Judith and Bratt¡¯s swords weren¡¯t enough, he even learned Ilya Lindsay¡¯s sword! He couldn¡¯t believe it. His feelings intensified as he watched Irene use the Sky Sword. His fists were clenched, trying to calm his excitement. This time, even Ian was surprised. With his eyes wide in shock, he stretched out his sword towards the sword which was approaching him like a butterfly with wings made out of steel. Kang! Kang! ¡°Not bad.¡± The swordsmen who heard Ian¡¯s words gulped. Words close to praise had juste out of the continent¡¯s strongest man¡¯s mouth. However, Irene¡¯s potential started from then on. Shh! The flight of the steel butterfly whose wings don¡¯t break even in the face of the strongest gusts. In the end, it would spread out into a great sword and turn into a typhoon that can swallow the gusts! The swordsmanship which cut down the demon king 400 years ago was being reproduced. Ah, it wasn¡¯t the real thing. The Sky Sword shown by the head of the Lindsay family in the past was more powerful and dominated the sky. Compared to that, this reproduction was like a firefly. However, even though the sword contained only fragments of the Sky Sword, it was enough to surprise the crowd. Right, Whoops! ¡°Obviously, it¡¯s fine, but it''s hard to say that it¡¯s significantly better than the previous ones.¡± It wasn¡¯t at a level that could take down Ian. The sword which Irene was swinging with all his might, Ian was blocking lightly with one hand. Those who were watching this held their breath. ¡°Woah!¡± ¡°Indeed¡­ the strongest sword!¡± ¡°To see the strongest person on the continent¡­ he¡¯s something else. I can¡¯t even see what¡¯s happening.¡± ¡°But, isn¡¯t the young one better than the schoolmaster?¡± Everyone nodded at those words. That¡¯s right. Of course, the strongest was amazing, but this young man had shed with Ian dozens of times. Although he was pale and out of breath, that was no reason to undermine the young man¡¯s abilities. Rather, it was a situation where the young man deserves to be apuded even if he copsed. But Ian thought differently. With eyes full of hope, he asked. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, is this all?¡± ¡°Huak¡­ kuak... pant¡­ I apologize, phew, this is how far my strength¡­¡± ¡°Is there something you haven¡¯t shown me yet?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The swordsmen around were shocked at Ian¡¯s words. What the young man showed until now was great, but he has something more? It was hard to believe. Some even thought that Ian had excessive expectations for Irene. However, ¡®He¡¯s talking about that sword.¡¯ Thought Lance Peterson. Gulping as he recalled that. That scene would keeping back to him each time he closed his eyes. The sword which made people angry, long for it, disappointed in themselves, and burn with passion. Ian was right. It had to be seen. If that sword wasn¡¯t seen, he wouldn¡¯t be able to say that he saw the full strength of Irene. ¡°Show us, Irene.¡± Lance mumbled. Lulu, who was watching the battle leisurely while eating jerky, stopped and looked serious. There was some kind of anticipation on the faces of those who understood it. Everyone looked at the blonde young man. And Irene, who had attracted all of the attention. ¡°¡­¡± Was hesitating. He wouldn¡¯t have been like this a month ago. If it was the time when he just escaped from the world of sorcery, he would have proudly shown it to everyone. Whose swordsmanship is being used doesn¡¯t determine who the master of the sword is. It matters who did the swordsmanship better. ¡®But now my heart¡­ is unstable.¡¯ He still remembers it. The strange him, which took down the demon. No, the ufortable feeling of being someone else and swinging his sword. Perhaps, that ¡®someone else¡¯ was the man in his dreams. Cold anger. That was why Irene was hesitating. To use that man¡¯s sword. It was because he thought there could be no worse situation than that. That was when Ian spoke softly. ¡°Trying to look good shouldn''t be important, Irene Pareira.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°This is the ce where my disciple has visited me after a long time to show his skills. That means I need to see you for what you are. So¡­¡± Rx the shoulders. Let go of the clutter inside your mind. With those words from Ian, all theplicated feelings in Irene disappeared. The anxiety is gone. So was the obsession. As the anxiety disappeared, his true self, which was crouching, revealed itself. He got up and stood. The current peace he found was temporary, all because of the advice from his teacher. However, that was more than enough. Irene got up and caught his breath. And closed his eyes. ¡°What?¡± ¡°What is he doing?¡± ¡°What is he going to show? Is he concentrating?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t the distance too far¡­¡± People mumbled as they saw the young blonde taking a stance from a distance. Most couldn¡¯t understand. But not Lance Peterson. He trembled, excited, and waited for Irene''s sword to fall, and Ian looked at it with serious eyes. And Irene didn''t disappoint the pair. ¡°Phew.¡± This time when Irene opened his eyes, they were glowing. No delusions that shook him. The man he is now wasn¡¯t someone in cold anger. He was an official trainee of the 27th batch of the Krono Swordsmanship School. Aware of that, he lowered his sword. sh! Irene¡¯s sword came to the ground. Of course, there was nothing to cut. Just empty space. The speed at which the sword lowered was amazing, but that was all. Unlike five years ago, the ground didn¡¯t crack. It was a sh directed at Ian. But the current sword didn¡¯t surprise the others. The energy which flew from the sword wasn¡¯t colored and wasn¡¯t visible to the naked eye. But that wasn¡¯t all. ¡°Hm!¡± Ian, who was leisurely holding his sword, let out a sound. It wasn¡¯t a lesson. It wasn¡¯t an exmation because of his disciple¡¯s growth. It was surprise. The sword was swung at a terrifying speed. Pang! Such a strange thing. The sound of something being hit. However, it was the sound of hitting a sword. No, it didn¡¯t seem like Ian¡¯s sword was touched by anything. It was too fast to see, but at least for the others, they knew Ian and Irene had different swordsmanship. After a while, a huge roar resounded from the two. Kwakwakwang! ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Everyone was shocked. No, they were bewildered as if they heard something crazy, and some were drooling from their mouths, unable to close it. Even Lance, who had high expectations, was speechless. A sword scar from enormous strength stretched out in the direction the sword was swung and in the opposite direction. There was no one here who was ignorant enough to not know what it meant. ¡®Irene shot something, and it ricocheted back! And the result¡­¡¯ Yes. An unrealistic sight, something which happened in myths. The myths were the evidence that exined the miracle Irene had shown. However, there wasn¡¯t any concrete evidence. There was just one piece of evidence that showed how great the sh was. Woong¡­. Ian¡¯s sword was making a strange sound. Its length was increased. But it wasn¡¯t sorcery. Ian was definitely a great person and an amazing swordsman, but he wasn¡¯t fluent in other fields. What bloomed from his sword¡­ in a sense, was a mysterious crystal power that was closer to sorcery than sorcery. A brilliant white light covered the de. Aura Sword. Ian, who was the strongest, showed the technique that only a Sword Master can use. ¡°I had no intention of using this¡­¡± Chapter 75: Krono Swordsmanship School (8)

Chapter 75: Krono Swordsmanship School (8)

The schoolmaster Ian¡¯s Hahahaaughter could be heard. It really was. He really had no intention of using the Aura Sword. It wasn¡¯t because he looked down on Irene Pareira¡¯s skills but because he was sure of himself. In fact, there was a huge gap between the two which couldn¡¯t be expressed in words. However, the moment his student¡¯s sword approached him, he knew. Maybe his sword could be damaged. That was the reason Ian used the Aura Sword. He couldn¡¯t help but be shocked. ¡®No matter how cheap an iron sword is, it¡¯s still strong enough to not be damaged by the opponent when I¡¯m holding¡­¡¯ It was hard to hold back the smile. However, Ian managed his expression. It was because of the Krono¡¯s guests. He¡¯s a person who really doesn¡¯t care about other people¡®s opinions or his own fame. What he cared about was his students. And he said, ¡°I was surprised. You have found your own sword.¡± ¡°Yes. But¡­¡± ¡°I know. You¡¯re shaken. And you¡¯re here to talk about it.¡± Ian looked at Irene. He looked more mysterious than before. However, some parts were easier to understand than before. It was probably because Irene managed to find himself over the past 5 years. Irene, in the past, was an empty being that Ian wasn¡¯t able to study. ¡®I couldn¡¯t look through him. Well¡­¡¯ He looked better now. Thinking so, Ian said, ¡°Follow me. Now that we¡¯ve talked with our swords, we should have a real conversation.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± ¡°Can I follow too?¡± ¡°Well¡­ I would like it if you could. Should I be formal with you, or can I speak¡­¡± ¡°You can talkfortably! I¡¯m also Irene¡¯s teacher!¡± Lulu, who approached Ian, stretched out her paw and said, ¡°Ah! I¡¯m his sorcery teacher! Let us teachers get along!¡± ¡°¡­ ha, haha. Sure. Let¡¯s do that!¡± Ian burst outughing. He thought Lulu was unusual, but it wasn¡¯t like Ian was normal either. He continued wiping the tears which were falling from the corners of his eyes. ¡°We will continue the conversation inside¡­ Lance?¡± ¡°Yes, Sir!¡± ¡°It must have been difficult to entertain the guests. So go in and rest.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Lance Peterson bowed and left the room feeling lucky. He had enough stamina, but his head was confused. It was because of Irene. With a heavy face, he left the hall. Ian didn¡¯t stay long either. Looking back at the crowd, he said, ¡°And the guests¡­ I apologize, but today¡¯s meeting will end here. I believe that you can understand why.¡± Polite words. However, the meaning was stern. With those words, Ian also left the hall. With the young blonde and the ck cat. Thus, the hall of the Krono faded into the background as the small group left. No schoolmaster, only guests. One might be upset that their once every two weeks opportunity flew by, but not a single person was annoyed. Why would theyin¡­ what they saw was mind blowing. Directly facing a trainee who belonged to the Golden generation, they witnessed a mysterious kid who belonged to the 27th batch. They didn¡¯t have the eyes to understand all of his skills, but knowing some of it was enough to know how great of an asset he would be in the future. And that wasn¡¯t it. One of the swordsmen mumbled. ¡°The schoolmaster¡¯s Aura Sword¡­ to see it¡­in my lifetime¡­¡± The best of what happened. To actually see the brilliant sword that manifests by umting Aura to the limit, the mysterious power built up by concentrating on the inside of the body called the inner universe! Just that one thing was reason enough to call their day productive. Everyone felt heavy-hearted. And there was one among them. ¡°No. I need to go and practice.¡± His body felt weird. Amidst the excitement, exaltation, and strange unknown emotions, he could feel his body boiling. Like something unknown would burst out of his throat. In order to relieve that feeling, he felt he had to swing his sword right away. As if possessed by something, the man left the hall. ¡°M-Me too!¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to practice too!¡± ¡°I can¡¯t just do nothing after watching that!¡± And there were others too. Not all of them had gathered for the same purpose. Some came to develop, while some were here to see the unexpected, and the remaining wanted to make a name for themselves. But in the end, they were all swordsmen. Those who walk the path of the sword, whose hearts pound when seeing a great battle unfold. ¡°¡­ let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Yes, brother. Should we practice?¡± ¡°No, let¡¯s go to the vacant lot behind the agency.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The brother seemed confused, but Gilbert didn¡¯t answer and kept moving. That wasn¡¯t enough. So he ran after a while. It was because he was worried that there wouldn¡¯t be enough space there. ¡®Take it seriously. Really¡­¡¯ Gilbert, an unknown swordsman who sought Krono without knowing the truth. His heart was now burning. At that time, swordsmen were looking around the ce. As it was his first visit, Ian suggested that Irene shoulde inside and take a look. He was exhausted from the battle, and he recovered his stamina by leisurely touring the school. ¡°How¡¯s the school?¡± ¡°It feels clean and fine. And, it¡¯s smaller¡­ than that branch.¡± ¡°That? The ce where preliminary trainees were kept. Calling it a branch wouldn¡¯t be nice. It¡¯s a ce we hire once every few years to train kids.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Well, there are only a few people here, less than 100 people, but this is big enough.¡± That was true. The past ce was too big, and this was enough for 100 people. After looking around for a while, the group headed to the waiting room. Irene Pareira, who saw Ian and Lulu enter, tried to close the door. But there was one more. A middle-aged woman with white hair. Irene was startled at the sudden sight and stepped back. ¡°Huh!¡± ¡°Ugh, another person got pranked by Keira.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t a prank.¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you just talk to him so he wouldn¡¯t be surprised? Didn¡¯t you just follow?¡± ¡°I had nothing to say.¡± ¡®Were they together since the start?¡¯ Irene''s expression turned stiff. Ever since the awakening, his sense had sharpened. But he couldn¡¯t even hear her footsteps or even her breathing. Who on earth was the white-haired woman? And at that time, Lulu spoke while looking at the woman. ¡°This person is very strong too. Are you a teacher?¡± This time, the woman was shocked. It wasn¡¯t much of a reaction, but the fact that her expressionless face furrowed was great. ¡°You do pretty well for a cat.¡± ¡°Cat! Cats and humans are the same! No, cats are better than humans! Cats are faster than humans, and can climb higher ces, and are cuter!¡± ¡°Lulu¡­ was it? I apologize in her stead. Deputy-head, beware of the way you speak. What is with the rudeness on their first visit?¡± ¡°¡­ I admit it. I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°I apologize too. I withdraw my im that cats are better than humans.¡± Be rude quickly, be angry quickly and apologize quickly, along with reconciling. Such a crazy situation that Irene couldn¡¯t understand. Rather than that, he was focused on the words teacher and deputy head. It was then that he understood. ¡®Krono¡¯s deputy, Keira Finn.¡¯ The second talented person of Krono, that was why he wasn¡¯t able to feel her presence. But she looked younger than he expected. ¡®I heard that she was the same age as the schoolmaster¡­¡¯ She looked 30 years younger than him. Maybe even less than that. Of course, he didn¡¯t say that. Ian was surprisingly sensitive and older. ¡°This is messy. Everyone take a seat, deputy. Are you here because you have something to say?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then did youe to listen. Irene?¡± ¡°Yes, schoolmaster?¡± ¡°The instruction iste, but let¡¯s get it done. This is the deputy of Krono, Keira Finn. And this is Irene, the 27th batch¡¯s trainee¡­ but, for some reason, he came here today, four years past the promised deadline.¡± ¡°¡­ I apologize.¡± ¡°No, no. I didn¡¯t mean for you to apologize, but to ask for you to exin it now. Four years ago, I got a letter from your parents saying it would take time, but I didn¡¯t know it would take this long. So what happened in thest five years?¡± Ian ended the instruction right away. He tried to sound reasonable, but he was curious about what happened 5 years ago. Even more so when he checked the sword of Irene. What the hell happened that allowed him to use Judith, Bratt, and even Ilya¡¯s swords? What else happened that made him grow so much, yet he could see anxiety on Irene¡¯s face. Even Ian was full of questions when it came to Irene. ¡°¡­ to exin that, there is something I need to tell you first.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about my dreams.¡± Irene revealed what he had been hiding for a long time. A secret that even his family didn¡¯t know of. A dream that only Lulu knew, something which couldn¡¯t be exined. He carefully unraveled it. And that wasn¡¯t it. Leaving the school and meeting Lulu. Realizing his true self through family conflicts. Training in sorcery to raise his sword and in the process how he entered the world of sorcery. There, he met with a fictional Ilya, Judith, and Bratt¡­ The encounter with the demon, the dream changing again, and even that his heart was shaken by it. It took a while to exin it. It was even more troubling as Irene wasn¡¯t the talkative kind. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± However, no one felt bored. Even Keira Finn wasn¡¯t bored. The story was so intriguing that she couldn¡¯t divert her attention from it. Now that Irene¡¯s mouth stopped, she was back to herself again. She looked at the man sitting next to her. What advice would her close friend give to his pupil, who seemed to be wise, savage, and also strange? Before long, Ian opened his mouth. ¡°There¡¯s a lot I want to say, but I¡¯ll give you some advice first. Oh, I¡¯m not talking about the dream. As a swordsman, I don¡¯t have the ability to solve problems that even sorcerers can¡¯t solve.¡± ¡°That¡¯s unfortunate. I thought it would be possible for you since you¡¯re someone amazing.¡± Lulu said. Lulu climbed onto the table and swung the sword while adding. ¡°Like this, shak! I thought you would cut the dream or something.¡± ¡°Huhu, I can say that there is nothing in the world I can¡¯t cut down, but it¡¯s difficult to cut down dreams. This is hurting my pride. Anyway, let¡¯s talk.¡± Ian stretched out his hand. And folded three fingers in front of Irene. He left two fingers straight, the index and the middle finger. ¡°There are two ways to quell your shaky sword. The first is to study here at Krono.¡± Ian¡¯s exnation continued, and Irene nodded his head. That was correct. Krono has an outstanding number of swordsmen in it. And they are all sharpening their swords. Not their swords in reality, but the sword of their minds. There were all seniors who raised swords far ahead of Irene. If he joined them and followed their teachings and wisdom, he would probably be able to swing his sword more freely. ¡°However, what I rmend is the second one.¡± Irene was shocked. Ian, the schoolmaster of the school, didn''t want Irene to choose the first one. So what was the second one? The doubt was resolved right away. ¡°Look for a teacher better than me.¡± And another question rose. Chapter 76: Krono Swordsmanship School (9)

Chapter 76: Krono Swordsmanship School (9)

As far as Irene knew, Ian was the best teacher. It wasn¡¯t just him. He would be everyone''s answer. He wasn¡¯t just the owner of Krono, the best swordsmanship school, but he was also the best swordsman on the continent. However¡­ ¡®Someone better than the schoolmaster? Who can that be?¡¯ Not a single person could answer it. It was then, Keira Finn, who had been silent, shouted. ¡°What? Are you talking about that crazy bastard? No. Not him!¡± She raised her tone, and she was frowning. Anyone would be confused if they saw that. Who was that person, and why was this woman reacting like that? Irene and Lulu looked at her with curious eyes. But they weren¡¯t the only ones. Even Ian was looking at Keira, unable to understand why she was acting like that. ¡°What are you talking about? Do you know who I¡¯m talking about?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°No way. Are you thinking of Khun?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Right. You could have thought that. Haha, hahaha.¡± ¡°¡­ if it isn¡¯t him, then fine.¡± ¡°Why are you so embarrassed? It was totally understandable. Khun also teaches, but he has his own firm philosophy. However¡­ aren¡¯t I a better teacher than him? Indeed, since you are a couple, your arms reach out¡­¡± ¡°End it there.¡± Keira¡¯s eyes turned cold. It wasn¡¯t just her eyes. Irene felt like he was being hit with winter winds. Lulu, too, stood up and ran to hide behind Irene. Even Ian looked away. But it wasn¡¯t like that until the end. With a heavy cough, the chaotic air was cleared. ¡°¡­ let¡¯s talkter. The better teacher I was talking about wasn¡¯t meant to point someone out. It was just a metaphor.¡± ¡°Metaphor?¡± ¡°Yes. The world. I meant that you should go explore the wider world out there.¡± ¡®¡­ that was what he meant?¡¯ Irene nodded his head. If this was what he meant, then he understood. A lot of people say that. In order to grow, people need to experience the bigger world out there, meet more people. Ian¡¯s words meant the same. ¡°Finding an opponent stronger than yourself and pushing yourself to your limit¡­ this isn¡¯t a story about being the protagonist of a novel. It¡¯s wanting to see, hear, and feel so much more. Until now, you have been confined to two narrows words, your family and Krono.¡± ¡°¡­ yes.¡± ¡°When the environment changes, what you see changes. The way you see and think changes, leading to a change of mind. There will be many more ups and downs in the process, but in the end, it will be nothing more than a process you have to go through to recement your shaken sword.¡± ¡°You may find something that will make your sword strong.¡± ¡°Perhaps you will pick up a new swordpletely different from what you have.¡± ¡°If not, you may end up with a sword of arger concept, including what you have in mind now.¡± Ian, who finished that, looked at his pupil¡¯s eyes. And asked. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Irene didn¡¯t answer right away. He didn¡¯t think Ian was wrong. He agreed with Ian. What Ian said was something most people would say. One needs extensive experience. Just as he grew little by little after leaving his family, Irene needed to move out. ¡®But¡­ my family?¡¯ That was what troubled him. He had spent his entire childhood in his room, and he was locked away for 5 years. It was safe to say that he started having a happy period with his family only recently. For Irene, the thought of leaving them and going into a wider world troubled him. ¡®He has no choice but to be concerned.¡¯ Ian thought to himself. He wasn¡¯t going to force Irene. He could only give advice. Ian, who has seen many people, knew that advice was all he could give. However¡­ ¡®Eventually, this child will go into the world.¡¯ He smiled and opened his mouth. ¡°For reference, Bratt and Judith have followed my advice and went on a trip a few days ago.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t know if you know, but Ilya Lindsay also left for training. I heard that child is getting close to her dreams.¡± Those three names appeared out of nowhere. It wasn¡¯t even rted. Because the current conversation had to be focused on Irene. Since people came from different circumstances, how they changed would differ. But for Irene, they were important. Maybe his rtionship with them could influence his decision. The friends who helped him out when he needed them the most. ¡­ as he recalled them, his concern deepened. After a while, Irene bowed his head. ¡°¡­ I want to think about it a little more.¡± ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s not make hasty decisions. Get some rest. I will guide you.¡± Ian didn¡¯t want a rushed decision. He tapped Irene¡¯s shoulder and directed him to the resting ce, and Irene was grateful that he was given time. Yet, his face was full of anguish. ¡°The people that old man mentioned were your friends, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I see. I¡¯m curious. What kind of kids are they? Hmm, I¡¯m sleepy¡­¡± ¡°Would you like a little break?¡± ¡°Yes. Irene, don¡¯t be too hard on yourself. Take it easy. This isn¡¯t a bad thing¡­¡± With those words, Lulu fell asleep. Irene smiled. ¡®Right. I should rx and then think.¡¯ There was no bad option. They were options for a better future. Which meant he didn¡¯t have to suffer. Irene, who felt better than before, thought better than before too. ¡°How is he? A good kid?¡± ¡°Not bad.¡± ¡°Not bad? Really?¡± Hearing Keira¡¯s words, Ian frowned. In terms of swordsmanship and personality, Irene is an impable kid, right? He burst outughing and spoke to her. ¡°Look here. I know you¡¯re upset since I talked about Khun, but there is no need to get angry¡­¡± ¡°Stop it, really! Why do you keep talking about that guy who left home 5 years ago!¡± ¡°To say he left home when he went to practice¡­ and¡­ he sends you letters from time to time¡­¡± ¡°Just stop!¡± Keira Finn yelled. This wasn¡¯t something everyone saw from her, but for Ian, this was a familiar sight. He¡¯s known her for decades. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t provoke her anymore. Actually, I didn¡¯t even bring him up¡­¡¯ As Ian grumbled, Keira spit out words in anger. ¡°Lacks enthusiasm.¡± ¡°What? Ah¡­¡± ¡°He isn¡¯t passionate about swords. If I randomly picked someone out of the 27th batch, even that person would be better than this kid. He¡¯s a good kid, a straight one but¡­ to be called a Krono¡¯s swordsman, no.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Ian stroked his chin. She wasn¡¯t wrong. Irene clearlycked enthusiasm for the sword. Especially considering how other kids in Krono would even jump into a pit fire to improve their swords. But it wasn¡¯t a huge w to Ian. ¡°Isn¡¯t that good enough? I¡¯m sure that Judith would have affected him in some way if she would have met him. And Judith would also be influenced by Irene.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What about filling in each other¡¯s shorings? And being good motivations?¡± At this, Keira said nothing. That was how Krono functioned. People help each other in mastering the sword. That was how Ian turned into the best. That couldn¡¯t be objected to. However, Ian¡¯s next words made Keira grumble. ¡°Irene, if he met I, I think something nice wille out.¡± ¡°¡­ don¡¯t even talk about her.¡± ¡°Haha. Again.¡± Ian nodded. Unlike him, Keira didn¡¯t like I. And it got worse a year back. When she suddenly applied for a duel. ¡®Skills are skills, but to think this¡­¡¯ Most people shook their heads, thinking it was a pointless goal. Some people thought her sense of choice was too cocky. But Ian was fine. Was there anything more exciting for an old man than when a young kid asks for a challenge? Ian smiled. ¡°Tch.¡± Keira turned her back on him. Seeing her disappear, Ian asked. ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to know.¡± ¡°Be safe.¡± ¡°¡­ by the way, Irene isn¡¯t my disciple yet. Keep an eye on him.¡± A voice filled with grumpiness. Ianughed. Even if she said that he knew in the end, she would want Irene. On the surface, she was strict, but Keira Finn was the most affectionate person in Krono. And now, Ian could guess where she was heading. ¡°Thank you, I mean it.¡± With that, Ian left too. A hall located deep in the school. It was much smaller than where the guests were entertained. There weren¡¯t many who didn¡¯t like it. Therefore, at any hour, three to four people would be there. But not now. It was just Lance Peterson. Considering the face he came into the hall with, the others quickly left. He was left alone like that as he shed tears and swung his sword. Whik! He didn¡¯t think he would win. Irene Pareira. Irene Pareira had reached a level that neither Bratt nor Judith could reach. It wasn¡¯t like Irene wasn¡¯t without ws, but as he continued to swing his sword, it felt natural that Lance lost. But he never thought that the difference would be sorge. He never even dreamed that. Wheek! Lance swung his sword. And continued to do so. To stop his heart which was getting weaker, to not let himself get drunk on emotions. He was so fixated that he didn¡¯t even notice who wasing. Keira Finn. Shocked, he stopped swinging. ¡°Don¡¯t let yourself drown in that inferiorityplex.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°All of the senior swordsmen who reached higher levels than you have felt just as if not more frustrated with the sense of defeat. Those who couldn¡¯t hold out were culled, and only those who persevered rose higher.¡± A calm yet firm voice. It was her story and the story of the person she loved the most. It was something she could say because of the bitter experiences she had and because of the sweet fruits she had. ¡°Don¡¯t let yourself drown. Grow up more. Get up and move, as you always did.¡± ¡°¡­ yes, ma¡¯am.¡± For Lance, who still couldn¡¯t stop crying, Keira Finn quietly stepped away. Chapter 77: Krono Swordsmanship School (10)

Chapter 77: Krono Swordsmanship School (10)

After the battle with Sword Master Ian, Irene spent ten days at Krono. The first day was just greetings and talking about the current situation. ¡°It had been a long time. Irene Pareira.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Greetings, Instructor Ahmed. Instructor Karaka.¡± ¡°Instructor! What! I can¡¯t even remember how long ago that was. We are seniors here.¡± ¡°Ah, yes, Senior Ahmed.¡± ¡°What? Irene? Really?¡± ¡°When did youe back?¡± ¡°No, why are you here?¡± ¡°Haha¡­ I had some work.¡± ¡°What was that work? Judith said you would be back in a year, but it has been 5 years!¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you continuing the sword?¡± ¡°Yah, didn¡¯t you hear? Yesterday, Lance was all broken.¡± ¡°Be quiet.¡± Lance Peterson, Nichs Vaughn, and Marlon Davidson, the friends of Bratt Lloyd. And numerous others were eager to talk to him. Frankly, it was shocking. Of course, Irene didn''t think it was bad. It has been a long time, and he, too, remembered their names and faces. However, it was embarrassing to put on a friendly expression. In the past, his rtionship skills were worse than now, and he never had a friendship with anyone except for Bratt, Judith, and Ilya. And the others weren¡¯t sure if Irene would be interested in them. ¡°Hello, Irene¡¯s friends? My name is Lulu, Irene¡¯s super cool sorcerer teacher.¡± ¡°Oh, what!¡± ¡°A cat! A talking cat!¡± ¡°Get out of my way! Let¡¯s shake hands with the cat!¡± ¡°Can I try petting your head?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Even though the attention shifted to Lulu, Irene was still grateful for the hospitality. Thanks to that, he felt at ease, and his entire story was old, everything except for the dream. His old instructors and ssmates focused on Irene¡¯s story, not knowing the passage of time, and even those who met him for the first time were listening to it. However, it was a story limited to the first day. ¡°Let¡¯s see your skills.¡± ¡°Yah, don¡¯t be cocky. Didn¡¯t you hear about Lance? One strike is all that is needed.¡± ¡°No, Lance is Lance, and I am Me¡­?¡± ¡°Great. When your battle with Irene is done, I wonder if I can join.¡± Maybe because they were swordsmen of Krono? Or were all swordsmen like that? They all wanted Irene. People looked at him like they were waiting for their first date with a new lover. Over 30 people were there. As a result, despite being strong, Irene had to run away. He has never been so tired ever since he got out of the world of sorcery. Which was why he knew. Everyone, including his seniors, and those who didn¡¯t have much of a motive, were all fighting their own battles. It meant that everyone made an effort to raise their sword towards the sky. ¡®¡­ only I¡¯m shaken like this.¡¯ Surely they, too, have been through stuff. Troubles in the past and troubles which still torment them. Maybe they are suffering from troubles that hurt their futures too. But those thoughts weren¡¯t constion. ¡®Maybe it¡¯s because of myplex mind.¡¯ On the 10th night, Irene went out for a walk. He couldn¡¯t make a decision. If he hadn¡¯t heard about Judith, Bratt, and Ilya, he would have chosen to go back home. Or maybe study at Krono while visiting his family sometimes. However, the moment he heard about them, the weight on the scale bnced. ¡®I want to meet Judith.¡¯ ¡®I want to apologize to Ilya for not keeping my promise.¡¯ ¡®I want to hear from Bratt how he overcame the pain.¡¯ ¡®Even if we aren''t together, I want to see the world the same way my friends do.¡¯ His heart was pounding. ¡®If I choose that, I won¡¯t have time with my family.¡¯ ¡®All I did was cause trouble for them.¡¯ ¡®And now that I can y the role of a son, I want to leave?¡¯ ¡®I need to take care of my sister.¡¯ Soon, another thought shook him. And he continued to stand still. In the end, Irene couldn¡¯t make a decision until he left the school. First, he decided to head back home and meet his parents before making up his mind. ¡°I apologize. The stay was a little longer.¡± ¡°Haha. It increased day by day. You could have stayed too.¡± He was on the way to the city after greeting the schoolmaster and deputy. Lance Peterson, too, stayed till the end to see Irene off. His eyes, shining like jewels. ¡®He feels stronger than the first day¡­¡¯ When he decided to shake hands and part. ¡°Irene.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°When your mind is messed up, think about why you should do it rather than why you shouldn¡¯t. It¡¯s nice and short.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ah! That wasn¡¯t what I wanted to say. Once upon a time, when I was lost, a certain senior told me that.¡± Lance Peterson smiled and let go of Irene¡¯s hand. Irene looked at him with a nk expression, and he added. ¡°Bratt and Judith went west.¡± ¡°¡­ west?¡± ¡°Yes. The 5 western kingdoms are famous for their swordsmen. There are many swordsmen and famous ones too.¡± ¡°For reference, with your current mental state, you can¡¯t beat them. Because both of them are strong.¡± With those words, Lance left. It looked like Lance managed to bounce back. ¡°¡­¡± Irene watched him for a long time. Eventually, Lance was nowhere to be seen. That was when Irene said. ¡°Thank you.¡± [Side Story - Judith & Bratt Lloyd] ¡°Ah shit, is someone cursing me?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°My ears feel itchy all of a sudden. That Lance bastard must be the one. I won¡¯t back down no matter how much he curses me!¡± ¡°Crazy girl.¡± Seeing Judith spout nonsense, Bratt ended up swearing. He used to asionally swear, but it was more frequent now. It was unavoidable. Living with Judith, she ended up tainting him. He sighed and spoke. ¡°Stop saying nonsense and get that mercenary card.¡± ¡°It¡¯s so annoying. Do I have to get that? And, why won¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I''ll go and get it, wait for me, and don''t eat!¡± Judith got up from the table and headed for the mercenary agency. Seeing her like that, Bratt shook his head. The two were famous enough to be recognized in Alcantra, but the continent didn¡¯t know them. To the other locals, they were young inexperienced puppies. But Judith didn¡¯t think like that. She said what she wanted and did what she wanted. As a result, she fought with ill-tempered men, quarreled¡­ ¡®We can¡¯t go on like this. If we hold a high-grade mercenary card, opponents will notice us to some extent.¡¯ Of course, if that was their intention, then their certificates from Krono could be used, but the problem was no one believed it was real. It was embarrassing, but it couldn¡¯t be helped. And that was why Judith wanted to register with the mercenary agency. ¡®I don¡¯t know why people struggle with it.¡¯ ¡°Your meal is here.¡± ¡°Ah, thank you.¡± With a brief thanks for his food, Bratt picked a piece of pork and put it into his mouth. And thought. It would¡¯ve been better if he came out with a more modest person than Judith. Of course, it was pointless now. In Krono, the phrase ¡®go and experience the world¡¯ was the same as a graduation speech like it was the ¡®final test¡¯ for formal trainees. Through this, he had to realize what hecks and ovee it and return to the school. And the current leaders of the 27th batch were him and Judith. No, there were other fine ones too¡­ ¡°¡­ annoying.¡± Bratt mumbled as hepleted his meal quickly. He didn¡¯t regret bringing Judith. However, he wished fewer idents would happen. It gave him a headache, thinking of what she would do next. And suddenly¡­ a name popped into his head. ¡®Irene Pareira¡­ I don¡¯t know what he¡¯s doing.¡¯ A guy with superior talent to those who are already superior, if Irene had returned to Krono as scheduled, maybe Bratt would have chosen him to go with him for the final test. Perhaps if it was Irene, he could spend each day calmly¡­ Bump! ¡°Yah! It¡¯s done! But only silver¡­ this bastard! Didn¡¯t I tell you not to eat!¡± ¡°I forgot to put away the dishes.¡± ¡°You shameless jerk¡­¡± ¡®I¡¯m tired.¡¯ Watching Judith, who grabbed his cor and shouted, Bratt sighed. A fortnight had passed since the two geniuses of Krono hade out. [Side Story - Ilya Lindsay] One of the 5 Western Kingdoms famous for swords, the Khaliad Kingdom. There was a diator field where the world''s most sophisticated swordsmen were active. It was because of the fundamentals of strength that the master of Khaliad directly established it. A ce where veteran mercenaries, powerful swordsmen, wandering knights, and even official knights showed up. This ce became even more famous after I, the greatest genius on the continent. The Land of Proof. There, a beautiful person appeared in the moonlight. Ilya Lindsay. ¡°¡­¡± After watching the entrance for a long time, the girl from the Lindsay family entered. The escort knights looked at her with pitiful eyes. Because they knew. What their youngdy was thinking whileing here. Whose name was engraved on her heart. ¡®You don¡¯t have to worry¡­¡¯ Ilya Lindsay, the one they knew. There was no need for her to be tense like someone is chasing her, let alone conscious of someone else¡¯s gaze. Their youngdy should be much happier than she looks now. ¡°¡­ we leave you now, mydy.¡± The escort knights bowed their heads to the priest. The knights thought that maybe if they prayed to God, the girl¡¯s heart would be at least a little morefortable. Unfortunately, there was very little they could do. ¡°I will do my best to bring peace to Miss Lindsay¡¯s heart.¡± Fortunately, the priest had a good reputation. And left a good impression too. The escort knight lowered his head as he left the vicinity. It has been a little over two months since Ilya Lindsay embarked on her journey. And at that time. On the journey home from Krono, Irene and Lulu, who were almost at the estate, entered a small town. A strange sight entered their eyes. ¡°Ack! Ack! Save this Orc!¡± ¡°This bum! If you don¡¯t have money, you shouldn¡¯t havee! ¡°Wah, Orc!¡± Lulu mumbled. It was strange to see an Orc that should be in the northwestern part of the continent in the south and being beaten by someone. It couldn¡¯t be more interesting. It was the same with Irene. He approached the Orc with more interested eyes than Lulu. Because he felt familiar. It was the Orc he had seen on the way back from Krono in the past¡­ It was then. The Orc, who made eye contact with Irene, shouted with a face full of worry. ¡°That one, young man! You know me, right?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You know! The Orc which performed divination on you 5 years back!¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Exmation erupted from Irene¡¯s mouth as he recalled the past. Chapter 78: Spiritualist Kuvar (1)

Chapter 78: Spiritualist Kuvar (1)

¡°Phew. Thanks. It¡¯s terrifying to imagine just how long I would have been beaten if it wasn¡¯t for you.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± ¡°By the way, can I order a beer? My body hurts so much. I think I would feel better if I had a drink¡­¡± ¡°¡­ sure.¡± Irene nodded at Kuvar¡¯s words. This was great. As if it wasn¡¯t enough to make a customer from 5 years ago buy him a meal, he even took them to additional ces. And even borrowed money. His gambling debt was the reason, and it was also the reason he was getting hit. Realizing that he had no money, the gambler began to trash him. ¡®Why gamble without money?¡¯ It was something Irene couldn¡¯t understand. Of course, he couldn¡¯t just ignore him and move on. He was a good-natured person, and the fact that they both knew each other mattered to him. However, the biggest reason was that he handed a note to Irene five years ago, which caused him to have a small awakening. ¡®You don¡¯t have to be alone to stand alone.¡¯ It could be seen as the Orc writing down a few words, which seemed reasonable, but at least for Irene, the words were of great help. In a way, the note was the reason Irene could talk so openly with his ssmates. In the past, he was a person who had trouble interacting with people. Besides¡­ ¡®It kept bothering me that he asked how old I was.¡¯ Irene looked at the Orc, who introduced himself as ¡®Kuvar.¡¯ Did the Orc know about the dream and the mysterious man in it? It was when he was thinking. ¡°You! Aren¡¯t you too shameless, aren¡¯t you?¡± Tock! Tock! Lulu, who stayed silent till then, pounded on the table. The pounding was from a cat¡¯s body. No matter how hard the paw hit, it didn¡¯t make a threatening sound. However, her gaze towards Kuvar was fierce. And Lulu said again. ¡°If you met a few years ago, then you two are practically strangers! Borrowing money, and then eating with his money! You are such a worthless Orc! You disgusting gambler!¡± ¡°Huh? Gambling isn''t a bad thing. My little friend.¡± ¡°Who is your little friend! I¡¯m a pretty big cat!¡± Lulu jumped up from her seat and puffed out her chest. It was bigger than before, but still, a cat is a cat. Taking a sip of his beer, Kuvar said. ¡°You are still little.¡± ¡°You brat!¡± ¡°If I¡¯m an addict who is blinded by money and puts all of my body, mind, and soul into gambling, then that¡¯s a problem. However, that isn¡¯t the case. Because I only get happiness from worldly goods, not money¡­ but if you can have a good time with a few pennies, wouldn¡¯t that be a bonus?¡± ¡®What nonsense.¡¯ Irene decided to keep those thoughts to himself. It wasn¡¯t unreasonable, but it wasn¡¯t something the Orc, who was being trashed for hisck of money, could talk about. But shockingly, Lulu didn¡¯t say anything. As if thinking that there was no logical objection to it, Lulu rolled her eyes. At that moment, the Orc, who smiled brightly, put his hand on Lulu¡¯s head. ¡°This kid!¡± Naturally, Lulu tried to p away Kuvar¡¯s hand with her front paw. The speed was so fast that even Irene admired Lulu. However, her reaction changed. Lulu, who was trying to get away, slowly put her head forward. ¡°What is this scent! It¡¯s really good?¡± Flutter! Lulu sat down, rubbing her face into the Orc¡¯s hand. Irene was dumbfounded at the ck cat¡¯s behavior when Kuvar said with a deeper smile. ¡°I put some powder from a fruit called Taiho on my hands. It only grows in the northwestern part of the continent, but cats go crazy for it.¡± ¡°What? Was there such a thing?¡± ¡°Want some?¡± ¡°Give it! Not a little, but a lot!¡± ¡°If you promise to love me from now on, I¡¯ll give it to you.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t say that for sure. Instead, I won¡¯t hate you!¡± ¡°Let¡¯s settle for that.¡± Kuvar nodded his head and took something out of his pocket. The ck cat¡¯s eyes followed. After confirming that the item was what she wanted, she quickly grabbed it and returned to Irene¡¯s arms. Lulu, drunk on the scent of Taiho, spoke with a smile. ¡°Irene¡­ that Orc, might not be a bad one¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hmm, it seems like I have be morefortable with the picky sorcerer¡­ now I need to solve the borrowed money problem.¡± ¡°Huh? But, you don¡¯t have a singl¡­¡± ¡°Who am I! Aren¡¯t I a fortune-teller? Orc fortune tellers are braver than humans! If this Kuvar gives divination, I think I¡¯ll have more money than I can deal with.¡± He was shamelessly praising himself. If Lulu heard that in a clear state of mind, she would yell, ¡®is there such a brave fortune teller who doesn¡¯t have a single penny?¡¯ However, the cat enchantress was now drunk on Taiho, and Irene showed considerable interest in Kuvar¡¯s fortune-telling. But his words couldn¡¯t be 100 percent believed¡­ ¡®No, can¡¯t we ask to find out about a dragon or something?¡¯ Irene nodded his head. He didn¡¯t know much about fortune tellers, but he heard a few stories. That they could guess recent events in a person¡¯s life by just meeting them, or that they can recite a big event in someone¡¯s life by just hearing their name, date of birth, and time of birth¡­ He wouldn¡¯t have believed in such things before, but now it¡¯s different. Since he realized how amazing a sorcerer is, what a fortune teller does is easy to ept. However¡­ ¡°Is there a persimmon tree where you live?¡± ¡°¡­ no.¡± ¡°Ah, it must have been there before. Maybe you were too young to remember.¡± ¡°Definitely not.¡± ¡°Maybe they nted it a few days ago? You¡¯ll see it when you get home.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Me, do it for me! Guess mine too!¡± ¡°You? Hmm¡­. I feel this right away. You seem to be very fond of raw salmon.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that what every cat likes?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because you, the cat, know that, but I, the Orc, didn''t know that information. Even so, I managed to get it right.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kuvar¡¯s reasoning was a mess. Throwing in words that might seem highly probable and trying to make a reason around it. And if that¡¯s refuted, he made another excuse. And with that, their trust was blown away. ¡°Irene, that Orc¡­¡± Lulu, who was close to Irene¡¯s ears, voiced her thoughts. However, it wasn¡¯t quiet. It could be heard from the other side too. Kuvar scratched the back of his head. ¡°This. Today isn¡¯t my day. Well, there are days when I¡¯m not in good shape.¡± ¡°This is enough.¡± Irene answered appropriately. He was a little disappointed. But it wasn¡¯t a bad feeling. It was fine if he wasn¡¯t a fortune teller. He had already gained a lot from the note 5 years ago, so it was safe to say that the money he lent was enough for it. No, considering Lulu¡¯s favorite Taiho, he received a lot more in return. However, Kuvar didn¡¯t give up. ¡°Huhu, this friend. You don¡¯t believe that I¡¯m a true fortune-teller.¡± ¡°No, uhm, that¡­¡± Irene tried to say something. If he was upfront, he would have responded right away, but Irene wasn¡¯t talented in that area. He thought about how the situation could be handled, but he couldn¡¯t think of anything. Of course, Kuvar wasn¡¯t upset. He just pointed it out. Because of the change in the air, Irene took the Orc¡¯s following words seriously. ¡°The burden on your heart is bigger than anything I have seen before.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°It used to be well hidden, but it¡¯s out in the open now. With a hard and heavy iron stake in your chest, it must have been hard.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t something that you have ced on yourself. Someonepletely unrted is doing that.¡± ¡°What? Aren¡¯t you a bluffer? What is with this¡­¡± ¡°Hmm, to be honest. I¡¯m not very good at fortune-telling. But now, I¡¯m looking into Irene Pareira, not with fortune-telling but with animism. Well, even though my spirit skills aren¡¯t at the level where I would show off¡­ still, they aren''t so messy that I can¡¯t recognize a strong and unnatural taboo.¡± Kuvar smiled brightly at Irene¡¯s stiff expression. Lulu¡¯s expression was also stiff. Although she wasn''t involved in it, she could guess what Kuvar meant. The man in the dreams. His life, where he wielded his sword, was nothing but the life of a lump of metal. The same went for his swordsmanship. Even the man¡¯s motives weren¡¯t known. All that was known was a moving ¡®steel giant.¡¯ A strong presence. Crudeness and weight that cannot be controlled by one¡¯s own will. Kuvar¡¯s metaphor was very appropriate. Irene looked at Kuvar without realizing it. Sssh! The Orc opened a pouch and poured its contents on the table. Not something special like Taiho, just soil. However, what happened next was weird. Some of the scattered soil gathered together and turned into hard metal. ¡°Orc spiritualists believe that the world is made up of five elements. Hard metal is born from earth¡­¡± Sss¡­ As Kuvar swung his hand, water droplets began to form on the metal. Eventually, the water which formed was soaked into the pile of soil, and a tree the size of two fingers grew. ¡°Water appears attracted to it, and the tree grows with the energy of water. And the tree¡­¡± Tak! Wheeing! Kuvar snapped his fingers, and sparks rose from the tree. The me which was burning with the firewood went out, but it didn¡¯tpletely disappear. Pointing to the ashes, Kuvar said. ¡°A fire is lit, and the me that was exhausted will eventually return into the earth. The world is constantly maintained by the cycle of the five elements.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the same with life. Just as earth nourishes metal, metal gives water, water nourishes trees, trees gives fire, and fire nourishes earth. The five elements are the source of life that maintain harmony through bnce and coexistence. Huh.¡± ¡°¡­ so, does my current state mean that my bnce and harmony of energy is broken?¡± ¡°You understand quite quickly. As I said before, it''s too heavy and crude.¡± ¡°Then, how do we get rid of the iron stake?¡± ¡°It cannot be removed. Didn¡¯t I say that bnce is important. However, the force is too strong, so in this case, it¡¯s necessary to suppress the energy by borrowing the opposite element¡¯s energy. This isn¡¯t some win-win, you need the element of fire. And that¡­ could be a good opportunity.¡± Thu! As Kuvar waved his hand, metal rose again from the soil. Although smaller, it was undoubtedly an iron stake. It was dull and clunky. It didn¡¯t look like it couldn¡¯t be easily handled. However, when fire came, the situation changed. Shhh¡­. The shape of the iron stake changed due to the heat. The fat lower part changed into the shape of a handle, and the upper part boasted a sleek and sophisticated look. It was as if a fairytale swordsman took out a sword, a really beautiful one, enough to make anyone happy. Kuvar handed the small sword to Irene, who was watching it with a nk expression. ¡°This was an iron stake considered as a burden, but now it was smelted beautifully through such a hot me¡­ like this, it can be reborn as a great sword anyone wants to wield.¡± ¡°How do I make a me hot enough to melt an iron stake into a sword?¡± Irene asked. This was no light matter. Kuvar, when talking about fortune-telling and animism, waspletely different. There was a sense of seriousness in his eyes. And the answer was very simple. Chapter 79: Spiritualist Kuvar (2)

Chapter 79: Spiritualist Kuvar (2)

¡°Move.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°By any chance, do you know the difference between you 5 years ago and you now?¡± To Irene Pareira, who was stunned by the answer, which was very short and unexpected, Kuvar asked another question. He wasn¡¯t able to answer. The other one didn¡¯t answer right away but then spoke. ¡°The fire in your heart. You, whom I met before, werepletely empty. But not now. It isn¡¯t enough to control the energy of gold but¡­ but there is a difference between not having it and having it.¡± At Kuvar¡¯s gesture, the me rose again. This time, it was very small. So thin that even a small wind could clear it. However, the situation changed when an earthen doll diligently brought branches from the tree and used the wood to make a fire. What was initially a feeble fire had grown into a huge one. ¡°I don¡¯t know if you want to extinguish the embers, but there are various ways to make sure the embers survive. Pick up the branches that fell on the ground and throw them in, or create the firewood with an axe. It might be a good idea to use wind properly too. And to do that¡­ you have to work hard.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Sit still, but don¡¯t hesitate to act first. If the fire goes out, you will regret it.¡± Kuvar, who cast a deep nce at Irene Pareira, left. There was silence for a while. Lulu and Irene were engrossed in the topic of discussion thrown out by the Orc. ¡®The difference between five years ago and now¡­¡¯ If he thought about it, at that time, he didn¡¯t think for himself. There was a time when he thought about raising his own sword but then wandered because he didn¡¯t know where to get it. He heard something like that from Lulu. About acting without your heart being involved. She called it an act in vain. So what about now? ¡®Exactly the opposite.¡¯ He realized it the moment Kuvar said the words ¡®embers in your heart.¡¯ His mind was already tilting to one side. His heart was burning because he wanted to go into the world with Ilya Lindsay, Bratt Lloyd, and Judith. This was better than before because a moment back, he was lost, unable to decide where to go. In a situation where all he had to do is act and move, Irene finally decided. Move before the embers in your heart burn out. Irene spoke to Lulu, who was on hisp. ¡°I Decided.¡± ¡°Huh? What are you going to do?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going out into the continent.¡± ¡°Great. And I will cheer for you.¡± The cat sorcerer said calmly. The cat expected the situation to be like this. Because Irene wasn¡¯t the kind to run away. If his mind is set on it, he¡¯s the kind to follow through. Of course, countless people can¡¯t do that. This is why the word ¡®effort¡¯ is a lot more important than most people realize. ¡®You are trying, Irene.¡¯ Seeing Irene run for his own growth, Lulu climbed on his shoulder and stroked his head. ¡°I¡¯ll support you. And continue to support you. Wherever you go, I¡¯ll follow until the end.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a trip around the continent. It¡¯s a good one.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing that can warm the hearts of young people more than going out into the wider world. The perfect choice to ignite a fire! This Kuvar will sincerely support you as well.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t leave?¡± Lulu asked, confused. Isn¡¯t that the usual case? A mysterious character appears, gives advice for the appropriate situation, and then disappears. But he was back? ¡°Huh? I just went to the bathroom¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What? Why are you being like this? Hmm, to continue what I was saying¡­. Can I join in on the trip?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I think this will be my first long journey after a long time, and I can be of help. If you give me a little bit of remuneration, I think I will be able to take care of the chores while moving¡­ what do you think?¡± Irene was perplexed. It was difficult for him to understand why this Orc is asking to join the party of someone he just met. But Lulu didn¡¯t think of it that way. Instead, Lulu asked. ¡°You want to act as a guide? How good are you?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°This is the great party of Lulu the great sorcerer and Irene Pareira, the genius swordsman with massive potential! If you wish to join us, you will have to prove yourself to be a very good guide. Can you do that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s difficult to find a guide like me who has mastered Good Luck, Bad Luck, and Fortune¡­¡± ¡°Enough!¡± Tak! Tak! Lulu tapped the table. There was no bang. However, this time, Kuvar spoke in a serious voice. ¡°I¡¯m not proud of it, but it has been 10 years since I wandered around the continent. There are so many things I can tell you on the road, like culture, people, and the food of each ce.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± ¡°Did you know? There are shops for animals in big cities?¡± ¡°Really?¡± Lulu asked with bright eyes. A reaction simr to when she learned about Taiho fruit powder. ¡°Yes, it¡¯s real. And it¡¯s for pets, but¡­ there¡¯s nothing you can¡¯t enjoy. Instead of eating a meal tailored for humans, you can eat food tailored for cats as much as you want and get a magicb that works only for yo¡­¡± ¡°Oh¡­. Oh¡­¡± Swish! The cat looked at Irene. With dazzling eyes. The strict interviewer¡¯s attitude was long gone. And she said, ¡°What should we do, Irene?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°We can make a decision slowly.¡± Kuvar kept looking at them. ¡®Isn¡¯t the continent too big? Maybe he likes me?¡¯ Irene couldn¡¯t figure it out. However, it was known that his advice was the reason he decided to take up this task. To act while the embers are still lit. But that didn¡¯t mean he had to act alone. He realized that long ago. Irene was able toe this far because of everyone¡¯s help. In that sense, he thought it wasn¡¯t a bad choice to spend time with this weird fortune-telling orc. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s go together.¡± ¡°Haha! Nice! I will get a stable ie after a long time.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­ ah, I¡¯m not doing this because of money. There¡¯s nothing more satisfying than watching a young man grow close up. If I can help in the process, it¡¯s even more rewarding¡­¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t work properly, we won¡¯t pay you.¡± ¡®And introduce the shop mentioned!¡¯ The ck cat frowned. Kuvar smiled and patted Lulu¡¯s head. ¡°Don¡¯t worry¡­ ack!¡± Tat! ¡°Don¡¯t touch my head!¡± To be precise, he tried to touch her head and failed. And finally, a new member had joined Irene Pareira¡¯s adventure. A few dayster, Irene safely arrived home and told his parents his decision. He thought that if he dragged the issue, he would end up regretting it, and his parents nodded their heads. ¡°I thought you were going to leave. I thought you would decide to be a trainee of Krono¡­ but, going out to broaden your horizon is a wiser choice.¡± The baron said that while controlling his expression. It wasn¡¯t that he wasn¡¯t disappointed that Irene would leave. He, too, wanted to spend time with his son, who only recently came out. But he was more desperate for Irene to grow into a better person. ¡®His swordsmanship skills are strong enough to be recognized by the Twilight Knights Vice-captain, but hecks general experience because he never went out.¡¯ In that sense, his son¡¯s decision was a matter he would wholeheartedly support. Irene Pareira hugged him. Kirill, she gave some pretty unique advice. ¡°Brother, don¡¯t go around pretending to be stupid and easy.¡± ¡°Kirill. I¡¯m not like that anymore. But even then, thanks for your concern.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not concerned about you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m saying this because I¡¯m worried about others, not you.¡± Kirill, who was meditating, continued to speak. If one is strong, one needs to put up a strong face, but her brother doesn''t do that. Since he doesn¡¯t, there will be people who will look at Irene and try to fight and end up bing victims. ¡°How was it, Lulu? Doesn¡¯t my reasoning sound right?¡± ¡°Yes. Kirill is absolutely right.¡± ¡°Nice. In the future, too, continue to agree with me.¡± ¡°Of course. Kirill is always right.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Irene was shocked at the way the two of them were talking. He didn¡¯t think it was wrong. He just couldn¡¯t understand what happened. As his sister said, he decided that he would walk with more confidence now. But he wasn¡¯t sure how. And decided to take it slow. ¡®It¡¯s never toote to start thinking about travel. For now, I should be faithful to the time with my family.¡¯ After the next few days, he won¡¯t get to spend time with his family anymore. Instead of thinking about the future, he thought he had to spend the current time he had with his family. Thanks to that, Irene was able to have a brief yet happy time with his family before leaving. ¡°Come back safe.¡± ¡°Be careful.¡± ¡°Take care of your health!¡± ¡°Get me presents whileing back!¡± With his family sending him off, Irene left the mansion. He didn¡¯t look back. Because the moment he turned, he would end up crying. Forcing himself, he took a step forward. As he walked on the quiet streets in the early morning, he felt excited and anxious. Eventually, Kuvar appeared at their meeting point. There was no change in appearance. Since he was a wanderer from the beginning, it seemed like he didn¡¯t prepare much. However, the cat sorcerer was the most shocking one. ¡°Lulu?¡± ¡°This¡­ how is this possible?¡± Looking at Lulu, who was a 2m 50cm?1? tall giant, Irene and Kuvar were dumbfounded. ?1? About 8¡¯2, for my Americans. Rynoh: So kinda like me huh? ? Chapter 80: Continent’s Best Swordsman (1)

Chapter 80: Continent¡¯s Best Swordsman (1)

Lulu is a ck cat with long thick fur and a rtivelyrge bodypared to normal stray cats. The reason was unknown. It could be that Lulu ate well or slept well, or maybe she was born that way. However, she was onlyrgepared to cats. Whenpared to humans and Orcs, cats are small creatures. Kuvar teasing Lulu by calling her small wasn¡¯t unfounded. However, Lulu, who was in front of them now, transcendedmon sense. ¡®How tall¡­ twice Kuvar¡¯s height?¡¯ Irene, who saw Lulu being much taller than Kuvar, who was 2m tall, couldn¡¯t close his mouth. It wasn¡¯t just the height. The shoulders were so broad that three cats could sit on each side. On the other hand, the head looked abnormal. ¡®Is the head empty?¡¯ Irene, curious, approached Lulu. Lulu was covered with a robe. Lulu is a sorcerer, so it made sense for her to have clothes that were as big as her current body. But it was weird. Inside the robe was a torso and limbs that were identical to those of a human. ¡­ however, it was a crude model body that anyone could recognize as fake. Kuvar smiled and asked. ¡°What is this now? Is it because I called you small?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not small.¡± ¡°Not small when you¡¯re on top of a model body made of cotton.¡± ¡°This is just a dress. And people be taller when they wear high-heeled shoes or hats. I¡¯m the same. Don¡¯t you know that, you little Orc?¡± Lulu stuck out her tongue after she teased Kuvar. Irene shook his head. ¡®When I look at this, you are more childish than a neighborhood kid.¡¯ But shockingly, Kuvar seemed to be paying attention. Instead of ignoring her antics, he looked around as if he was trying to refute something. Seeing that, Lulu said. ¡°Hehe, the air above you is so nice and clear.¡± ¡°Oh, let¡¯s see how different it is¡­¡± ¡°What. Where did that sounde from¡­ ah! Sorry! I didn¡¯t see you because you are so small. I need to look down to see you.¡± Lulu bowed her head and walked forward. Of course, it was all being controlled by sorcery, so the steps were clumsy. It was like watching a poor marite show. With an angry expression, Kuvar said. ¡°Okay. I will see how you live your life like that. I¡¯m watching you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to stay like this! Except for when I¡¯m sleeping. I¡¯m going to wear this outfit all the time.¡± ¡°Then sleep¡­¡± ¡°It will be fine once I¡¯m sleeping as I won¡¯t be hearing anything. Let¡¯s go, Irene.¡± Lulu quickly turned her head and walked forward. People who were on the street early in the morning reacted strangely to the weird steps. It was as if they were watching a circus. The funny thing was this attire was much less eye-catching than Lulu¡¯s usual appearance and actions. ¡®Because Lulu flies¡­¡¯ Irene remembered what happened in Alcantra. Lulu flew through the sky in a swordsman outfit, with dozens of people looking at her. Even those who didn¡¯t seem like the kind to pay attention to others were looking at Lulu. Of course, just because those days were special doesn¡¯t mean that these days are ordinary. Irene looked back at hispanions. A green-skinned Orc with a five-point star representing the five elements hanging around his neck and tattoos on his forearms. More than that, therge monstrous creature with two heads which was controlled by a cat. It was indeed an unusual party. Irene smiled. ¡®It looks like it¡¯s going to be a pretty nosy trip.¡¯ Not bad. At least, it looked like he wouldugh a lot more than if he was traveling alone. With a smile, he kept moving forward. Five days have passed since Irene, and his party left the estate. As predicted at the beginning, Lulu and Kuvar would quarrel all the time. Mostly, Lulu would start it, but sometimes Kuvar would start it. ¡°Haha, did my little friend return?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that you were going to wear that thing throughout the trip yesterday?¡± Lulu looked annoyed at Kuvar¡¯s words. Lulu was now the same as any other cat. It was unavoidable. Not for a day or two, nor the entire trip. There was just no way that Lulu could control that body with sorcery. But Lulu wasn¡¯t the type to sit still. She jumped over to Kuvar¡¯s shoulder and then ran down his back. ¡°Ack!¡± Kuvar screamed. Contrary to the belief that wandering fortune-tellers are nasty, he stayed very clean. Even when walking on the streets, he would asionally brush the dirt off his pants. For him, it was an unbearable pain that a cat with long fur was rolling down and walking on his clothes. ¡°Ach! My white clothes with ck fur¡­¡± Kuvar sighed. He kept sweeping his back, trying to get the cat fur off, but it didn¡¯te off as easily as he wanted. Lulu, who watched that, said, ¡°It¡¯s just a little bit of fur.¡± ¡°A little bit? ck fur on white clothes¡­ I can only have a clear mind if my clothes are clean¡­¡± ¡°But your mind is never that clear. Kuvar is always in his worst version every time I see him.¡± ¡°You¡¯re the same. You¡¯re the worst talking cat I have ever seen.¡± ¡°This...¡± Seeing them argue again, Irene sighed. It was good that he wasn¡¯t bored, but if he didn''t stop the fight, it would continue. Besides, they were supposed to be talking about something important. He lowered his voice and said, ¡°Mr. Kuvar.¡± ¡°Huh? Ah¡­ right. We were talking about the route of the trip.¡± ¡°Right. Which kingdom would be better?¡± Irene asked with a curious face. The big trip¡¯s location has already been decided. He was thinking of heading to the five western kingdoms. It was a decision that was influenced entirely by Judith and Bratt. It was natural for a swordsman to head to the five western kingdoms, which were famous. However, Kuvar had rmended stopping by one more ce before going to the kingdoms. ¡°The Artisan City, Derinku?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. It¡¯s a ce where there are many skilled cksmiths, including dwarves. It would only alter the n a little. It wouldn¡¯t be a problem. Right?¡± ¡°But, does Irene need a new sword?¡± Asked Lulu. As Lulu said, Irene doesn¡¯t need a new sword because he already had a sword he could summon at any time. The old and clunky one, but Irene never had a problem with the sword, so he didn¡¯t have to change it. Besides, the sword he was using was the one he saw in his dreams, so he was used to it. ¡®I¡¯m a little concerned about the man¡¯s sword, but¡­¡¯ Kuvar¡¯s reason to head to the Artisan City, Derinku, might not be to get a new sword. ¡°Fire and iron, to meet people who have the best connection with those elements.¡± The reason they were currently traveling is to seek the growth of Irene. More specifically, it was to ignite a fire that will melt the iron stake inside his heart. It¡¯s just an analogy. Inside him wasn¡¯t a real iron stake, but an unidentified man, his will, and burning heart that wouldn¡¯t go away. ¡®I felt it once five years ago. Thanks to the families meeting¡­¡¯ It was a bad memory, but the rage at that time helped him. And this time, too, it¡¯s going to be a story about his heart-changing. It¡¯s not about starting a fire in a cksmith shop and foraging the iron. Nevertheless, Kuvar thought that it would be helpful to go there. ¡°The sight of a hot fire melting a block of iron, you need to see that with your own eyes. Just thinking of a strong and realistic image will make your mind stronger.¡± ¡°I agree with that.¡± Lulu, who was stubborn, also agreed with it. ¡°It¡¯s often the case when sorcerers develop their abilities. To get strong power! Rather than thinking abstractly, after seeing a man of great strength pulling a tree out with his bare hands¡­(*) it works better to see a specific image which expresses strong power.¡± Irene nodded his head. And looked at Kuvar and Lulu. They were both serious and wise. It was hard to imagine the two of them in childish quarrels. It was confusing. That thought grew stronger when food was brought to the table. ¡°Ah! My fish!¡± ¡°Uh? Aren¡¯t we all eating together?¡± ¡°No! I made that dish because I wanted to eat it!¡± ¡°Huhu, if you act like this with food, you¡¯ll never be popr, my small friend.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not small! And I only need Irene and Kirill to like me!¡± Seeing them argue again, Irene decided to just eat without saying anything to them. A month had passed. Irene Pareira and his party safely arrived in a city a fortnight away from Derinku. In the meantime, he realized Kuvar was going to be very helpful on the trip. ¡°In terms of distance, this is close, but I rmend this route. The Rakazan Kingdom has an atmosphere that rejects sorcerers, so it might be tough to go around.¡± ¡°This is my third timeing here. I know a great restaurant here. If you are fine, can we go there?¡± ¡°The Inn across the street is cheaper than yours. Shouldn¡¯t you lower the price?¡± Directions, shop rmendations, and bargaining. Kuvar filled the missing pieces of Irene and Lulu, who were ignorant of the world. They realized that when they saw him negotiating the price with shopkeepers. Just how much they were ripped off on their way to Krono. Of course, it wasn¡¯t like they werecking when it came to money, but when you spend more than needed, you end up feeling bad. Thanks to that, Lulu, who used to say ¡®I hate Kuvar to death,¡¯ was now backing off a little. Now was the same. Kuvar stroked Lulu as she slept on the table. Just three weeks ago, Lulu would have hit him. ¡°W-What are you going to talk about today¡­?¡± Kuvar knew a lot. Having wandered around for a long time and seeing numerous people, he had a lot of stories to tell. The stories he told while walking or eating were sometimes boring, but most of them were interesting. And now it was thetter. ¡°Oh, do you know the ten strongest people on the continent?¡± (*) - An asterisk next to any line means that the author cut either a section of dialogue or fight. In this case, the author cut out what Lulu said after ¡°seeing a man of great strength pulling a tree out with his bare hands¡­¡± Read the editor¡¯s note at the end of chapter 67 if you want to read more examples of when the author does this. And just to be clear, I¡¯m adding these asterisks to make the story clearer. The raws are not like this. Asterisks will only be added when needed from this chapter onwards. I¡¯m not going back and adding them to the previous chapters. Chapter 81: Continent’s Best Swordsman (2)

Chapter 81: Continent¡¯s Best Swordsman (2)

¡°Hmm¡­ no. I don¡¯t know. I do know that the schoolmaster, Mr. Ian, is one of the strongest swordsmen on the continent, but other than¡­(*)¡± ¡°No way, is one of them him?¡± ¡°Yes. Ah, the head of the Lindsay family, Joshua Lindsay, is an amazing one.¡± ¡°You¡¯re far less interested in the world than I thought. Still, to be a swordsman and not know thi¡­¡± Irene was embarrassed. The list was called the ¡®ten strongest,¡¯ so it was obviously filled with more than just swordsmen. All kinds of people like magicians, sorcerers and many more. Sorcerers would usually be excluded as their strength cannot be measured. ¡®The only swordsmen I know belong to Krono.¡¯ If he had to add one more, it would be Hill But, the vice-captain of the Twilight Knights. However, the level of the ten strongest was too high for him to be mentioned. After taking a sip of water, Kuvar started talking. ¡°From generation to generation, the ten strongest people on the continent were from the five western kingdoms. The heads of the swordsmanship families, the Holy Kingdom¡¯s White Knightsmander, and themander of the Red Knights alone took around seven spots. Most of the other three spots were also from the same ce.¡± However, from 50 to 60 years ago, that tradition had disappeared. Swordsmen from non-western kingdoms began to stand out. The best among them was, of course, Ian. Despite being from amoner¡¯s part of the continent, he showed brilliant talent and rose to the level of Sword Master at the age of 25, and by the age of 50, he was one of the strongest. When asked who is the best, his name would be the first toe out, so it was no exaggeration for people to treat him as a great being. ¡°But I don''t think that Ian is the strongest. I think that someone else is the strongest.¡± ¡°Someone else?¡± ¡°He is also amoner. Someone called Khun.¡± ¡°Khun?¡± Irene frowned. A name he heard somewhere. However, he couldn¡¯t remember where. He must have heard it in Krono¡­. ¡°By the way, Khun is said to be married to the deputy of the Krono Swordsmanship School. The couple are both Sword Masters. Isn¡¯t that amazing?¡± ¡°Ahh, I heard that.¡± ¡°Right? It¡¯s a famous story.¡± Irene listened to Kuvar. The woman thought that he was a ¡®better teacher than Ian.¡¯ Which meant that the life of this supposed strongest man couldn¡¯t be ordinary. And the story that followed was great enough to meet his expectations. However, it was a little different. ¡°Huh? 70 years old?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s said that he barely managed to reach the level of Sword Master at the age of 70.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Irene was at a loss for words. He wasn¡¯t stupid enough to think that everyone would reach the level of Sword Master at a young age. Being a Sword Master is such a rare thing. But still, at 70. It meant that he achieved it at an age where one''s life was nearly over. Bing a Sword Master at that age meant that the man hadn¡¯t neglected his training all that time. ¡°¡­ incredible.¡± ¡°Right! In fact, people said that they don¡¯t know about a swordsman called Khun. Only the Krono¡¯s people and a few more knew about him. Because that man considers Ian as his rival. Ah, I heard that a few people learned about him because of that.¡± Did they make fun of him? Kuvar smiled. What he said was true. Most people thought that Khun was stupid. Anyone would think that someone who considered the best swordsman on the continent as their rival was stupid. However, Khun didn¡¯t stop challenging him. And Ian didn¡¯t back out either. Time went by. ?1?To the question of the Sword Master from the West who seemed to be the strongest on the continent, the schoolmaster of Krono replied: ¡®Ten years ago, I thought I was the best. Themander of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s White Knights may be offended, but at least I stood till the end, hehe.¡¯ ¡®Compared to 5 years ago, I¡¯m not that confident anymore. It¡¯s a draw every time I fight Khun.¡¯ ¡®Now? I really don¡¯t know. Maybe he got stronger, maybe I got stronger. Should I try again? Well, I still don¡¯t know.¡¯ It was a statement that shocked the world. Since then, no one ignored Khun. All the swordsmen on the continent looked forward to meeting him with their swords, andmoners praised him. Some people even called him the best on the continent. In fact, even Kuvar was influenced by it. Of course, to him, it didn¡¯t matter if Khun was the best or not. It was the heart that wasn¡¯t broken at an old age that made Irene admire the man. The relentless effort until it bore fruit was admired by everyone. At least, that was what Irene thought. ¡°Hmm, shall we talk about something else? Themander of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s White Knights, Julius Hul, is also a great swordsman. It¡¯s said that Ian, Khun, and Julius Hul are the three greatest swordsmen on the continent and¡­(*)¡± Julius Hul, a knight of the Holy Kingdom, can easily cut down powerful demons. Joshua Lindsay, the descendant of the great hero Dion Lindsay from 400 years ago and the head of one of the 5 Great Swordsmanship Families. Likewise, the other heads of the Rey, Clifford, Preston, and Page families, Karakum, the great warrior of the Orcs, and the captain of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s Red Knights were all included on the list. Lastly, I Crescentia, who is weaker than the top 10 but famous for being the youngest Sword Master. Stories of strong people. However, Irene couldn¡¯t concentrate. It was because of Khun¡¯s story and the various thoughts he got from it. ¡°I have a lot going on.¡± ¡°Huh? Still thinking about Khun?¡± ¡°Yes. I can¡¯t imagine what kind of heart he must have to go that far.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t either. It would be normal for anyone to give up before even turning 50. Without giving up, he became a Sword Master at 70. And now that he is over 90, he gets called the strongest¡­ just like a novel. He truly is a great person.¡± ¡°Khun must have been amazing at 50 too.¡± ¡°Um?¡± ¡°Even though Khun at that time was an ordinary swordsman who was ridiculed by people because they didn¡¯t understand him¡­ still, he must have been a great person.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kuvar stopped talking, and Irene started talking. It wasn¡¯t a long story. 50-year-old Khun, 70-year-old Khun, and 90-year-old Khun. All three times, Khun must have been a different swordsman with different skills, but each great in their own way. The 50-year-old Khun didn¡¯t achieve what he did at 90, but nevertheless, he had more to learn than anyone else. Likewise, among those who haven¡¯t bloomed yet, there must be many great people. However, no one knows them yet. Hearing that, Kuvar¡¯s expression went stiff. ¡®This is an interesting young one.¡¯ He had no particr reason to tell the stories of powerful people on the continent. He just did it because it was fun. The discussion of who is stronger and who is best is childish, but it¡¯s something that everyone involved themselves in. Especially swordsmen. However, Irene¡¯s reaction was different from Kuvar¡¯s expectations. ¡®His thoughts aren¡¯t limited to swords. He speaks with a much broader perspective.¡¯ Any other swordsman would have asked, Is he that strong, or what his swordsmanship is¡­ Irene didn¡¯t though. He was trying to see the things hidden inside. ¡®He knows nothing of the world, yet he thinks like an old man.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t a bad thing, rather a very nice thing to see. And this was what he wanted to see. It was better to keep bringing up such topics. If they piled up like firewood, one day, the mes would start growing bigger. With a smile, Kuvar said. ¡°Good words. As you said¡­ there must be a lot of people in the world who haven¡¯te out yet.¡± ¡°Right?¡± ¡°Probably in Derinku.¡± ¡°They could be here too. Maybe the innkeeper who made the dish or the old man we met along the way¡­ maybe the one in the clothing store is learning too. Like Khun.¡± ¡°Of course. For some people, the old man in the clothing store is a better teacher than Ian.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Kuvar nodded his head. Lulu, who was woken, smiled. The hot food hade out, and it looked more appetizing today. However, the peaceful meal didn¡¯tst long. It was smashed before they even ate. A group of mercenaries who were drinking at the table next to them did it. To be precise, a young man, who had arge build, smashed their food after walking towards them. ¡°Let us hear it too.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°What? Krono¡¯s schoolmaster is no different from the clothing store¡¯s old man. You bastards, do you know how great Sir Ian is¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Kids surely talk easily when they aren¡¯t taught a lesson. Is a Sword Master a funny topic? You think it¡¯s easy! Huh!¡± Irene couldn¡¯t even talk. He just said that as an example. It meant that even an ordinary person now could be someone great the next day. He had no intention of lowering the standard of Sword Master Ian. He didn¡¯t say anything bad about Ian. However, this man was looking at Kuvar and Irene with an angry face. Fortunately, the man¡¯s party apologized to them. ¡°We¡¯re sorry. This friend of ours has an impulsive and angry personality, plus he¡¯s drunk¡­¡± ¡°Wh-What are you saying! I didn¡¯t even drink that¡­¡± ¡°Shut up! And I think our friend got overly excited because he respects the Krono Swordsmanship School so much. We will back down¡­¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± Irene nodded his head. It felt bad. Probably because of Krono, it felt like he was insulted andplemented at the same time. But he was d that the fight didn¡¯t escte. It was then. Lulu, who was up, mumbled while looking at mercenaries and Irene. ¡°Irene, Kirill told you. Don¡¯t walk around with that look and look strong. Otherwise, weak ones wille to you.¡± ?1? The initial question is left out, and the questions in response to Ian¡¯s answers in the next two lines are also left out. Chapter 82: Alhad Bandits (1)

Chapter 82: Alhad Bandits (1)

¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Just now, did the cat¡­?¡± Upon hearing Lulu speak, the guests were all startled. They all just assumed that the cat was a pet, which was brought along. Cat¡¯s tend to follow humans, and Orcs or Druids. I want to touch the cat too. That was what the people thought while looking at the ck cat. However, when they realized that Lulu was no ordinary cat, the entire dining hall was shocked. However, only one wasn¡¯t. Only therge man who epted the advice of his colleagues and started walking back to his table was unaware of the situation. Because he turned away, he couldn¡¯t see Lulu talking. While standing, he slowly turned. As he turned back around, blood rushed to his face as he was drunk. The blood which rose to his eyes was saying the man¡¯s emotional state. ¡°These bastards are trying to pull¡­¡± ¡°No! Trent! It wasn¡¯t that person¡­¡± ¡°Then who said it? The Orc? After all, one of the two must have changed their voice and said that for me to hear!¡± ¡°Neither of them!¡± ¡°Then who?¡± ¡°The, the cat¡­¡± Trent¡¯s colleague pointed to the table. A cat with dull eyes, which just woke up. It made eye contact with Trent, tilted its head, and went back to sleep. ¡°Have you gone mad? What? The cat talked?¡± ¡°No, just now it really¡­¡± ¡°No matter how drunk I am, I¡¯m not stupid. You think I¡¯ll stand still and listen to that bullshit?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ha, the cat spoke? If such a cat was there, I¡¯d bet my hands.¡± Angry, Trent strode towards the sleeping cat. No matter how many people were there, it didn¡¯t seem like he would stop. Irene looked at Lulu. ¡®She was sleeping one moment, then got up, said something like that and¡­¡¯ He didn¡¯t think what Kirill said was wrong. To block unnecessary quarrels in advance, Kirill¡¯s opinion had some truth. It was just that Irene wasn¡¯t the kind of person who could do that. But there was no more time to think about that. The situation has changed. To say such a thing to a person who just left was like riling them up. ¡®Did Lulu do that while sleeping? Even if I wake Lulu, what if she forgot what she sai¡­¡¯ Irene looked at the one called Trent. The misunderstandings seem to have piled up. No, it wasn¡¯t a mistake on his side. And what he was talking about was different from what the man understood. He felt bad. But Kuvar was different. He looked at Trent and very calmly said. ¡°Hey, big man.¡± ¡°What? Are you suddenly scared, Orc?¡± ¡°Of course I am. I¡¯m a fortune-teller who has no intention of fighting a mercenary like you.¡± ¡°That so? But what can you do? I want to fight no¡­¡± ¡°Are you serious about what you just said?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°That if the cat spoke, you¡¯d bet your hands.¡± ¡°Ha, what happened suddenly¡­.¡± ¡°Should we ce a bet?¡± Trent¡¯s face turned redder. He thought that the Orc, who was scared of fighting, was trying to twist things around. He took a deep breath. However, Kuvar spoke before he did. ¡°If this cat can¡¯t speak humannguage. I will apologize right away, in any way you like. If you want me to get on my knees, I will. If you want money, I will give you money¡­¡± ¡°What are¡­¡± ¡°On the other hand, what if the cat can talk? Losing your hands would be too much. Instead, you will pay for our dinner today. How is that? It¡¯s okay if you want to back out. There¡¯s nothing that can be done if you¡¯re scared.¡± ¡°¡­ this jerk! Right, okay! Let¡¯s seeit!¡± Trent said in a loud voice. He threatened to kill the man if he tried to perform ventriloquism or something. However, no one was worried about that. The same was the case for the guests in the inn, the innkeeper who was frightened by themotion, and the mercenaries with Trent. Seeing that, Trent realized that something was odd. ¡®What? No way¡­¡¯ Kuvar smiled at his stiff expression. He turned and smiled at Irene, cleared his throat, and shook Lulu, who was sleeping. ¡°Lulu, wake up. Now isn¡¯t the time to sleep.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Lulu! Lulu!¡± Perhaps she fell asleep after the brief moment she was up. Lulu didn¡¯t wake up despite the violent shaking. But when Kuvar lifted her, Lulu couldn¡¯t help but wake up. Trent, with a serious expression, asked. ¡°Yah. You¡­ can you speak?¡± ¡°¡­ who? Is this ugly person?¡± ¡°¡­¡± While watching the ck cat rub its eyes with its paws and talking, Trent looked stiff. Kuvar was still smiling. He said to Lulu, who was confused. ¡°Lulu.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You can order whatever you want for dinner tonight. Go ahead and ask for whatever you want.¡± Irene and the others managed to escape a fight because of Kuvar¡¯s bet. However, after waking up, Lulu went to see Trent and his group and bowed. It wasn¡¯t because of Kirill¡¯s words that she repeated, but because of the ¡®ugly¡¯ remark she made. ¡°You¡¯re Trent? Sorry! I suddenly woke up and was shocked to see a person¡¯s face so close to mine.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t ugly! But you¡¯re not handsome, just normal.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re still angry? What should we do? Shall I give you a massage? As an apology, I can rub everyone''s shoulders.¡± ¡°What? Nice. It was Lulu? I ept your apology, start with me¡­¡± ¡°What! I haven''t epted the apology yet!¡± ¡°Trent! So what if you don¡¯t ept it? You didn¡¯t listen to me and made that bet, losing all of our money. Do you really want to argue now?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t act cocky, and let it go. I want to get a massage from the cat. Lulu! Trent is okay now. So, start with me!¡± ¡°Understood!¡± ¡°Ohhh, ohhhhh¡­ nice¡­. Ahhhh.¡± Thanks to the soft paw massage service, peace came to the inn, and Irene sighed in relief and went to bed. ¡®We¡¯re not going to see each other anymore, so there won¡¯t be any problems.¡¯ He was wrong. Was it because their destination was the same? Or was it a coincidence? They visited the same vige the next day, and the next and the next day too. They even stayed at the same inns. And Trent always looked at them with distasteful eyes. Fortunately, there were no more quarrels, but the gaze alone was ufortable. It was the same today and a weekter. Seeing the mercenaries walking ahead, Irene asked Kuvar. ¡°It looks like we are heading to the same ce again.¡± ¡°Looks like it. I¡¯m not sure if their destination is Derinku, but it sure looks like they have something to do beyond the mountains.¡± ¡°They areing with us until the end.¡± ¡°Maybe?¡± Kuvar nodded. They were currently moving through a city near the Alhad Mountains, and to get to Derinku, the mountain had to be climbed. However, since there was news about arge group of bandits on the way, traveling inrge numbers seemed better. That was the reason Irene and his party wanted to join others. ¡°There¡¯s a simple test, but I¡¯m fine with you.¡± ¡°I have no problems either!¡± ¡°Uhm, I don¡¯t think the cat needs to be tested¡­¡± ¡°Cuba, are you confident?¡± ¡°For thest time, it¡¯s Kuvar, the Orc fortune teller. Orc fortune tellers are symbols of good fortune. And anyone is wee.¡± Lulu shook her head at Kuvar¡¯s words, and Irene smiled. Light meaningless conversations. However, Trent, who was walking ahead, didn''t like it. He would always frown at the actions and words of Irene. ¡®Damn it. That bastard!¡¯ He didn¡¯t like the group. And among them, he especially didn¡¯t like the one called Irene. More than the Orc, who made the bet, and the cat who called him ugly. Because he was a swordsman. To be precise, it was because this guy called Irene wasn¡¯t even a swordsman but pretended to be. His skin didn¡¯t seem like it suffered before. He wasn¡¯t even carrying a sword despite being a ¡®swordsman.¡¯ And he also hated how he spoke about Ian, the best swordsman. In any case, to Trent, Irene was a rookie. It was clear that Irene was drunk on the title of swordsman and didn¡¯t even try. ¡®It¡¯s annoying to think about. How can he talk about Ian so easily?¡¯ Trent, who remembered that, frowned. That guy probably doesn¡¯t know. What a great person Ian is. He was amoner who rose to the top. And how much hard work Khun had to do to reach that level. Just how manymoners gained hope through Ian. If Irene really knew that, he would neverpare Ian to a shopkeeper. Of course, that was Trent¡¯s personal opinion. Irene never spoke lightly of any swordsman. Rather, he tried to deeply understand how hard they had to work to reach the level they were on. However, in his drunken mind, Trent saw Irene as an idiot who took swords lightly until a weekter. Because of that¡­ ¡®I need to show off properly this time!¡¯ Trent decided. In the Upper Level Escort test, he would show the difference between his level and Irene¡¯s. ¡°Hmph!¡± Swoosh! Standing in front of the guard, he swung his sword with all his might. He tried his best from the first time he held a sword till the moment he received his mercenary badge, and even now too. Through his skills, he wanted to mess up the expression on the blonde kid¡¯s face, who was taking swordsmanship too lightly. Was it conveyed? The head guard looked satisfied. ¡°Uhm. Nice. You look young, but your swordsmanship skills are great.¡± ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating. I just worked a little harder than others.¡± Hearing the praise, Trent bowed his head. And looked at Irene. It was as if he was asking Irene to listen to what was being said. However, the boy didn¡¯t show any reaction. With his usual expressionless face, the smiling Orc by his side, and the unlucky cat on his shoulder. However, it didn¡¯t matter. Since the test would only take a moment. And then he would see how differently the head guard treated him and Trent. Rather than getting hired as an escort and getting paid, he would be ashamed at how he had to pay to be escorted by someone despite being a swordsman. From now on, Irene would truly know the diff¡­ ¡°Whoa! A silver card, you look very young¡­ that¡¯s amazing. There¡¯s no need for you to take the test.¡± ¡°Is that so? Okay.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Chapter 83: Alhad Bandits (2)

Chapter 83: Alhad Bandits (2)

Hearing the words of the head guard, Trent was stunned. Silver. It couldn¡¯t be. Perhaps he heard it wrong. He stared at the guard, hoping he would say, ¡®I was wrong. I¡¯ll start the test¡¯. And that blonde guy will show his horrendous skills and then¡­ Trent¡¯s delusion ended there. Irene Pareira and the others nodded and turned around, and the guard didn¡¯t call for them. Seeing that, he hurriedly ran towards the head guard. ¡°E-Excuse me!¡± ¡°Hm? What is it?¡± ¡°Th-Those people. Why did you let them pass without taking the test?¡± ¡°Ah. Of course. Orc fortune tellers are known to bring good fortune, so why not let him join? I¡¯m reluctant about the ck cat, but if its bad luck is raised by the Orc, then it shouldn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°What about the blonde one?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear? You were in close distance¡­ that young one, um, has a silver mercenary card. It¡¯s amazing considering his age.¡± ¡°Ah, no, I heard it¡­ that, it might not be¡­¡± Trent, who wanted to speak, couldn¡¯t say anything. It was because the head guard¡¯s expression didn¡¯t seem nice. His gaze went stiff for a while, and Trent lowered his gaze. In a low voice, the man asked. ¡°Are, are you saying that like an idiot I didn¡¯t even properly check the mercenary card?¡± ¡°Ah, no, not that¡­¡± ¡°I have seen fake cards hundreds of times. That means I know whether one is real or fake.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Besides, that young man got his card from Alcantra.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°If I forged cards, I don¡¯t think I nor anyone would use the name Alcantra on theirs. Don¡¯t waste my time. Next!¡± After that, the guard changed his gaze to someone else. That also meant he had no interest in what Trent was going to say. Trent moved away with a ck expression. ¡®He got a silver card from a mercenary agency in Alcantra?¡¯ Alcantra. Trent was familiar with that ce. Isn¡¯t that where the swordsmen who admired the Krono gathered? With such a background, the mercenary agencies in Alcantra were exceptionally tough, and those who received high cards there got a lot of attention. That said, it wasn¡¯t a good ce to use when forging. He knew that because he, too, got his card from Alcantra. Even mercenary cards were made with magic, so they were difficult to forge. ¡®¡­ silver? At that age?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t believe it. No, he didn¡¯t want to believe it. A guy who acted like he didn¡¯t care about anything had a better card than him? ¡°Trent, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t stand around ande with us.¡± ¡°¡­ yes.¡± Of course, there¡¯s nothing Trent could do. Nothing but stare secretly at the face, which didn¡¯t seem to suffer since birth. The recruitment of escorts to cross the Alhad Mountains ended. The head guard, the people, and the mercenaries all started the hike with satisfied faces. Although they had to break through where a huge group of bandits lurked, most of their faces didn¡¯t show tension. Well, all but two. One of them was Trent, who was sarcastic about Irene. And he didn¡¯t know why Irene had a stiff expression. Lulu, who noticed it, looked at Kuvar. And said, ¡°Kuvar. Give that.¡± ¡°Hmm? What¡­¡± ¡°The armor.¡± ¡°Ahh. I understand. Where was that¡­ here!¡± Kuvar rummaged through his bag and pulled out something. Pieces of iron. The shape of the parts was simr to the armor worn by knights, but they were small. He tossed them into the air. Thanks to skillful throwing, each part flew without being cluttered. And then, Lulu quickly jumped and spread her limbs. The pieces of iron, which wereing down because of gravity, clung to her body with a ttering sound. Chak! The ck cat turned into a cat with armor. Kneeling on one knee with her sword thrust into the ground. She had a serious expression on her face while speaking with Irene. ¡°Sir Irene Pareira, if anything is weighing down your heart, please tell me right away. As thy sword, I¡¯m ready to ughter whoever the opponent is.¡± ¡°Oh, Oh, Oh¡­¡± ¡°What¡¯s that!¡± ¡°So cool!¡± ¡°Cute!¡± People who saw Lulu reacted. Some apuded, and those who knew Lulu was a sorcerer were wide-eyed. But Irene was calm. This wasn¡¯t the only time the ck cat acted strangely. ¡°Where did you learn those words?¡± ¡°I learned them from the novel I read yesterday!¡± ¡°Very cool.¡± ¡°Hehe. But staying in this pose is ufortable, so it¡¯s hard to stay like this for a long time.¡± nk! nk! Seeing Lulu walk, it seemed to be true. He burst intoughter, and Lulu took off the armor. Taking back those armor pieces, Kuvar asked. ¡°Lulu said it as a joke, but I¡¯m curious too.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Look at your face. You were normally expressionless, but today you don¡¯t seem to have that normal look or a smile. If you have any concerns, let me know. It might be a bit old-fashioned, but I¡¯ll give you advice as your senior.¡± ¡°Umm¡­¡± Irene let out a low moan as if he was troubled. Kuvar and Lulu waited patiently. After a while, what came out was heavier than they expected. ¡°I have a lot of thoughts, but the biggest concern right now is¡­ if I can wield a sword against a person.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t killed anyone.¡± Horrible words came out gently. However, since he was a swordsman and a mercenary, it was a natural thing to say. It was even more concerning as they were going to face bandits. Kuvar¡¯s face turned serious, and the mischievous grin on Lulu¡¯s face turned stiff, and they stared at Irene. Who continued. ¡°Of course, it may sound absurd to veteran mercenaries to not take care of the bad ones who loot the good merchants, but¡­ still, there is a thing called life.¡± It¡¯s right to protect innocent merchants. And it¡¯s also right to defeat vicious thieves. However, if he could kill the people in the process, Irene couldn¡¯t answer it. His troubles didn¡¯t end there. ¡°Doesn''t beating the group¡¯s head mean the surrender of the group?¡± ¡°Or would it be right to end the fight with threats?¡± ¡°But if the bandits survived by always doing bad deeds, they wouldn¡¯t stop, either¡­¡± Thoughts kept growing and growing. Hearing the thoughts of the 21-year-old man, who seemed innocent, Kuvar smiled. He liked this side of Irene. It may seem frustrating at first nce, but it was much better than the attitude of those who handled swords lightly without thinking about the situation. Hearing everything, he nodded and gave his answer. However, it was different from what Irene was thinking. ¡°There¡¯s no need to worry.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°We don¡¯t need to fight. No one here will draw their sword while crossing the mountain.¡± ¡°But, on the mountainside, there is a fearsome bandit boss called Kazhar¡­¡± ¡°That Kazhar wants peace.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Identification of power, greetings, and a small toll. That¡¯s all the bandits in Alhad do.¡± The exnation of the bandits which Kuvar gave was unexpected and different from what Irene thought. It was true that Alhad¡¯s people were led by the one called Kazhar, and it has been that way for 5 years. Only a handful of times were swords drawn during those five years, and those who paid the toll could cross the mountain safer than anyone else. The reason the merchants seek escorts is to put pressure on the bandits, not to fight. ¡°In a way, they are merchants and not bandits. I don¡¯t think merchants think of the bandits that badly either. They are annoying, but it¡¯s like a city¡¯s tariffs.¡± ¡°Well, even then¡­ aren¡¯t they not merchants of the state and evildoers who eventually take the goods of the merchants without pay? Those¡­ aren¡¯t the surrounding kingdoms sending subjugation troops?¡± ¡°They can¡¯t. The brides the bandits pay to the surrounding estates aren¡¯t small.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Haha, the more you hear, the more shocked you are.¡± ¡°Honestly yes. But I think it¡¯s going to a ce with too many problems¡­¡± ?1? ¡°But it¡¯s okay to conclude this as an okay thing. It can be seen as an advantage to everyone.¡± It wasn¡¯t a bad thing, but Irene couldn¡¯t understand it. How was it not a problem for the country when the bandits were exploiting the merchants? However, Kuvar¡¯s next exnation made Irene look more shocked. ¡°First of all, it¡¯s good that the surrounding provinces have less work. It¡¯s difficult for anyone to im ownership because it¡¯s geographically ambiguous, so it¡¯s difficult for the state or a kingdom to directly manage the road.¡± ¡°You can see that the bandits are working for them. Besides, he¡¯s only a bandit with horses, and what Kazhar is doing is shockingly stabilizing the region. The conflicts will be resolved by properly controlling the surrounding territories, and the robbers around will be removed, so security will also improve.¡± ¡°It was said that before Kazhar was the boss, the damage to property and life was much greater. However, it was a situation where they had more troops, and it was tough to constantly send subjugation troops and merchants to risk their lives.¡± ¡°¡­ it''splicated.¡± ¡°Hehe, this is the world. There is good and evil, right and wrong. It¡¯s almost impossible to find the difference between the two.¡± Irene nodded at those words. It was shocking. He didn¡¯t know all these things when he was at home. In his narrow world, he spent each day thinking about the sword. But the world was different. It was moreplex than he thought, and it onlyplicated his mind. Since he couldn¡¯t easily decide what was right and wrong, he had to be too careful with each action. ¡®So burdensome. My head hurts too.¡¯ However, Irene Pareira couldn¡¯t stop worrying. He didn¡¯t want to. ¡°¡­ I need to think a lot more.¡± ¡°About what? About Alhad¡¯s wild bandits?¡± ¡°That and what I said at the beginning.¡± ¡°Beginning? Ah¡­ talking about murder?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s not something that¡¯s happening right now but something we could face in the future. Sigh, I still haven¡¯te up with an answer to it. Instead, my thoughts are moreplicated now. Even then¡­¡± It was better to think ahead. That way, he can make the right choice when things happen. Kuvar looked at Irene, who said that. ¡°It¡¯s a good thought. I will cheer for you.¡± ¡°I will support you too! It¡¯s a difficult problem, but be strong!¡± Lulu said that as if she was concerned about it. But what Lulu felt for Irene was sincere. Irene smiled brightly, yet he continued to worry, and they continued to walk quietly. However, those around them had different opinions. ¡®He never cut anyone?¡¯ ¡®He doesn¡¯t even know what the Alhad is? Isn¡¯t he too inexperienced?¡¯ ¡®I heard he has a silver card, but looking at his age, it seems like a lie¡­¡¯ Some doubted Irene¡¯s ability. No matter how good the eyes of the head guard were, they couldn¡¯t believe that a kid with such inexperience had a silver card. Trent, too, was the same. ¡®Maybe he only saw famous swordsmen.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s because he grew up preciously.¡¯ ¡®How can he not know the world?¡¯ ¡®Why is he worrying so much?¡¯ Others didn¡¯t question Irene¡¯s ability. Often there are such cases. Because he grew up in a nice family, he had excellent skills, but he knew nothing about the world. However, they looked down on Irene. To question the order which has been maintained for five years. There was nothing more meaningless to worry about than that. ¡°Everyone is here.¡± As they were with each other, the time passed quickly, even when everyone had different thoughts. In front of the Alhad Mountains¡¯ top, the bandits arrived, including Kazhar. However, the atmosphere was strange. Unlike usual, the owner of the bandits, Kazhar, didn¡¯t smile. And the bandits lined up behind them with a firm expression. The question was soon resolved. Uneptable conditions flowed out of Kazhar¡¯s mouth. ¡°Leave half of the stuff and go away. Then I¡¯ll spare your life.¡± ¡°Wh-What! What are you sayin¡­.¡± The merchants were embarrassed. Irene, who had been thinking for some time, muttered quietly. ¡°That person¡­ I can feel Magi from him.¡± ?1? ¡°It¡¯s¡± refers to the discussion about the region¡¯s politics. He¡¯s saying that he thinks the discussion has too many problems around it. He gets interrupted before he can finish which is why it¡¯s a bit confusing. Chapter 84: Alhad Bandits (3)

Chapter 84: Alhad Bandits (3)

¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Magi?¡± Lulu and Kuvar questioned. Irene Pareira nodded while looking at his ne. As an artifact that was gifted to him by his sister, it was an object which showed excellent performance in detecting Magi, poison, and magic. The current color of the ne was red. Although very faint, it was clear that the color changed. In fact, he didn¡¯t even need the help of the artifact. The moment he met the bandits, he immediately felt something. Well, not everyone had Magi. ¡®It doesn¡¯t feel like a demon, but¡­¡¯ Irene watched the bandits, including the leader, Kazhar. It was different from the demon he saw during the subjugation. Most of them were no different from humans, and only a little bit of Magi could be felt from Kazhar. Did hee into contact with a demon recently? If not¡­ It was the time when he was thinking. Lulu, who floated towards him, asked. ¡°Irene, are you alright?¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°The condition of your mind. Does it feel like a sudden change happened like during the subjugation?¡± ¡°What is that supposed to mean, Lulu?¡± Kuvar asked. He realized that he didn¡¯t know something about Irene¡¯s concerns, which seemed rted to the Magi. Irene answered. ¡°It has something to do with the iron stake. If Ie in contact with Magi, the symptoms worsen. Feelings turn colder, and I¡¯m unable to think about my surroundings¡­¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°But it¡¯s fine. It¡¯s because the Magi is weak, so it¡¯s bearable.¡± Irene reassured them. But as his face was so stiff, it didn¡¯t have an effect on them. Kuvar and Lulu looked at Irene¡¯s face with heavy expressions. Of course, they were the only ones. The people who heard the words of Kazhar were all unable to understand what was happening. The faces of the bandits told them that this was no joke. ¡°I can¡¯t understand.¡± In ce of the merchants, who were lost, someone close to being an old man stepped forward. He was the most experienced one in the merchants union and had passed through the Alhad mountains more than 20 times. In a calm voice, he asked. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like there¡¯s any room for us to negotiate, so I¡¯ll start. It¡¯s half of our things. Nonsense.¡± ¡°Why? Is there any rule that states bandits should only take a certain amount of goods from merchants?¡± ¡°There is. For nameless mundane bastards in the rural mountains, you all have sense, and you act like the representative of them and the three close-by estates. You¡¯re an outstanding person with courage and wisdom.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true. Men, it looks like that is all I have! Hahaha!¡± ¡°Hahahaha!¡± Kazharughed as if he was in a good mood, and his subordinates followed him. Seeing that, the merchants were shocked. For the men of Alhad, who were more like soldiers than bandits, to show this kind of figure. It felt ominous. But they couldn¡¯t say what they wanted to. It was the moment when the old man tried to talk. Spit! ¡°It isn¡¯t a funny story.¡± ¡°Huh!¡± Dang! ¡°That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Ku, euk¡­¡± ¡°The old tolls are no more. From today on, the toll is unconditionally half of the goods.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Of course, if you don¡¯t want to pass, you don¡¯t have to pay the toll. Instead, we will take all of your belongings, and you can head down.¡± With that, Kazhar burst intoughter again. This was how bandits acted, but still, the merchants were shocked. This wasn¡¯t how the Alhad bandits were supposed to be. Unlike this harsh manner, Kazhar treated merchants with respect. They even served meals asionally to grow their rtionship, and some of them were even friends. The confusion and shock were indescribable. However, just because the opponent came out strong doesn¡¯t mean that they will retreat. The head merchant, who retreated a couple steps, looked at the head guard. He nodded and looked at another person when a man from the mercenaries appeared. ¡°W-What is this? You want to deal with it like this?¡± ¡°You have it wrong. We are still hoping to settle it peacefully.¡± ¡°Besides, that jerk¡¯s eyes are scary! What is this?¡± ¡°We feel that to get peace, we need to show that we have the power to resist.¡± Srrng! As soon as the head merchant finished speaking, a mercenary drew their sword. A heavy yet sharp-edged sword. The entire de was glowing blue, and one of the mercenaries who saw it shouted. ¡°cial de! That person is Wolfgang!¡± ¡°Wolfgang is the best!¡± Magic Swordsman Wolfgang. As one can see, he was a seasoned mercenary with a magic sword cold enough to give people chills when close to him. Just like getting a mercenary card from Alcantra, he received a silver card in the five western kingdoms, and he was a veteran among veterans known to have received a gold card a few years after that. With that, the group¡¯s dark atmosphere grew brighter. The head merchant, who was smiling, continued to smile. ¡°It isn¡¯t just Wolfgang. There are four more silver card mercenaries among our men and quite a few bronze card mercenaries.¡± ¡°That so? Why put so much care into the escorts when you only paid tolls every time?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no guarantee that this won¡¯t happen. As a result, we are d it turned out like this. Now, what are you going to do? Haven¡¯t you changed your mind?¡± The head merchant asked with a confident expression. Of course, their power wasn¡¯t ahead of the bandits. Right now, their leader is an Expert, which means that he is above Wolfgang. In addition, there were too many talented subordinates under him, the mercenaries were still at a disadvantage. ¡®But, Kazhar would know. With this power, he will take damage too.¡¯ The bandits draw their swords to plunder the wealth, eat well and live well, not to risk their lives against strong enemies. Especially smart ones like Kazhar. The fact that if he fought, he would lose half his power. And if he was unlucky, he might even be injured. Because of that, the merchants were convinced that there would be no battle. They weren¡¯t sure what changed the situation, but no matter how strong Kazhar was, he would have topromise¡­ Bang! Sshhh! ¡°Ahh!¡± ¡°Uh, Uh¡­¡± ¡°¡­ hic.¡± Gasps escaped from the merchant''s mouths. The mercenaries were the same. A strong expression that shook their confidence. It was because of the bandit leader, Kazhar. The battle hammer he swung with all his might had created a huge crack in the ground. ¡°I see how you look at me¡­¡± Shhhh! Kazhar picked up the battle hammer, which was lodged in the ground. No ordinary person could handle the weight of that hammer with one hand. Wolfgang shook his hand like he was getting ready. Cold sweat was running down his back. ¡°If you want a fight this bad, then fine. Wolfgang? I¡¯ll take him down at once. But after him, it¡¯ll be your turn.¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll give you half.¡± ¡°No! What is that! How can you say that!¡± ¡°But, we¡¯ll lose our lives if this goe¡­¡± ¡°If you leave half to them, you¡¯d be practically dead anyway!¡± The moment Kazhar¡¯s threat ended, the merchant''s side fell into chaos. Those who think that life is the most important thing wanted to meet the demands, but those who knew about money, knew that living or dying was the same if half of the goods were left. The merchants were split as they argued among themselves. The confusion in the mercenaries was no less than the merchants. Most of them thought that this was an easy job and would get some money. But now, they were being asked to put their lives on the line. What¡¯s more, the enemy they had to deal with is Kazhar. What they saw meant that Kazhar was an Expert. It meant that he was powerful enough to get a title from one of the five western kingdoms. ¡®Please, I hope it ends without a fight¡­¡¯ ¡®Just give them the goods! We will never win!¡¯ Most of the mercenaries, including those with silver cards, shared the same thoughts. No one had courage. Some merchants seemed to be in despair. And Trent couldn¡¯t even meet their gazes. ¡°¡­¡± As he was shy, he never told anyone that he wanted to be a hero. That was why he decided to be a swordsman. Hearing the heroic stories of swordsmen, including Ian¡¯s, he thought he would feel like a hero if he swung his sword. And he was in the middle of a bad situation. And much better than ordinary swordsmen. A much nobler heart than the mercenaries who only want money. He was nobler than children of prestigious families who grew up without suffering. He thought that if he gained experience, he would be a great swordsman like the ones from Krono. It was a mistake. ¡®I can¡¯t do¡­ anything.¡¯ He realized that the moment he saw Kazhar¡¯s strike. He wascking. He didn¡¯t have the determination to step forward courageously in the face of crisis, and he didn¡¯t have the skills to stand up to his opponent¡¯s hammer. He really didn¡¯t have a reason. He got drunk on the cool heroic story and just thought, ¡®I¡¯m different from other people.¡¯ The result was this. He just stood still as his mouth went dry. Trent closed his eyes as the sense of shame was creeping in. He heard voicesing from behind him. ¡°Irene, you are going?¡± ¡°I should. I made a rough decision on what to do. This may not be the right answer, but¡­¡± ¡°And the Magi influence? Right now, you aren¡¯t¡­¡± Lulu frowned. The meaning was conveyed. It meant for Irene to confirm that he wasn¡¯t under the influence of the man in the dreams. The only thing he had to think about until he came to the top was if he was ready to kill people. And he still hadn¡¯te to a conclusion yet. In such a situation, Lulu was worried that the man in the dream might take the initiative. ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Irene smiled. His face was stiff but not under the influence of Magi. However, Lulu sighed in relief. ¡°Good.¡± ¡°Though, I wonder what choice you will make¡­ but you¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°Yes. I will do well.¡± And that was the end of the conversation. Slowly, the blonde stepped forward. Contrary to his gentle appearance, his eyes were confident now. The same as Kazhar. The opponent asked, looking at Irene, who passed by Wolfgang and went forward. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°I am Irene Pareira, an official trainee of the Krono Swordsmanship School¡¯s 27th batch.¡± Chapter 85: Alhad Bandits (4)

Chapter 85: Alhad Bandits (4)

¡°What?¡± ¡°Irene Pareira, an official trainee of the Krono Swordsmanship School.¡± Looking at Kazhar, Irene Pareira spoke again. In a much louder voice. With an attitude as if he was boasting his identity, which was different from his disposition. Of course, the other one didn¡¯t care. He only focused on the content of Irene¡¯s words. ¡°Official trainee of Krono?¡± ¡°27th batch?¡± ¡°Did the 27th batche out?¡± ¡°Irene Pareira? A name I never heard of¡­¡± ¡°I heard that there were more than 20 people this time, but that might not be correct.¡± ¡°Yah, the 27th batch means¡­¡± ¡°Indeed, there was a reason why he received a silver card from a mercenary agency at such a young age.¡± ¡°Wait, then¡­ aren¡¯t things settled?¡± ¡°Uh? Ah! Yes!¡± ¡°Right, who would dare raise their weapons against the people of the Krono Swordsmanship School. Right! That¡¯s right!¡± ¡®It¡¯s going the way I thought it would.¡¯ Irene nodded to himself at the positive voices of the people behind him The reason he stood proudly in front of Kazhar wasn¡¯t because he cleared his confusion. He was still concerned about cutting people down. And concerned about the unique group called the Alhad Bandits. None of his concerns could be answered right now. For those who umted a lot of experience, these were questions that could be answered, but Irene Pareira couldn¡¯te to a hasty conclusion. And the situation with the Bandits was different from what he heard¡­ ¡®It makes me even more confused.¡¯ Because of that, Irene changed his mind. He wasn¡¯t going to make decisions on the two issues right now. Dealing with themter isn¡¯t a bad thing. After gaining more experience, he could think about it at ater time. If so, what¡¯s the best thing he could do right now? His current mission: escorting them to the bottom. ¡®The merchants or the mercenaries, not a single one of them can die.¡¯ No, he didn¡¯t even want things to escte to that. And that was Irene¡¯s current mission. And the best way to achieve that mission was, ¡®do not initiate a fight.¡¯ ¡°Here¡¯s the card which proves that I¡¯m an official trainee of the Krono.¡± Irene took out the trainee card from his pocket and handed it to Kazhar. As he openly showed off the card, the merchant¡¯s expression improved even more. Even if Kazhar was acting arrogant a moment back, this was proof that cannot be ignored. They could try and renegotiate with him despite it making him look bad, but still, Irene and the merchants would get to cross the mountain without breaking things or losing a life. That was what everyone thought. Kazhar, who examined the card which was in Irene¡¯s hand, shook his head. It was too short of a time to check it. And with a smirk, he said, ¡°What if it¡¯s a fake?¡± ¡°¡­? No. I received it directly from schoolmaster Ian. Please check it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t have the kind of eyes which can judge things. But¡­ over the past five years, we had three men try to get past us by pretending that they were trainees of the Krono, so there is no way to confirm this.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Maybe you''re like them?¡± ¡°Woahhh! You¡¯re right, leader!¡± ¡°If we trust each and everything said, we¡¯ll be the losers! How is it that everyone who meets us turns out to be a trainee of the Krono?¡± ¡°Leader! Let¡¯s just wipe them all out!¡± The bandits revealed their ferocious side at the appearance of Krono¡¯s name. Kazhar looked at his subordinates with a satisfied smile. With that, the merchant''s faces turned dark again. That was when Irene realized the Alhad bandits didn¡¯t care about the situation. All they wanted was a fight. It was absurd, but that was how they worked. Not just Kazhar, not a single one of the bandits seemed to care about the situation or the card¡¯s authenticity. The head merchant felt ufortable. ¡®No was¡­ Kazhar is clever. He would never do such a sloppy verification.¡¯ Kazhar was the meticulous type who kept track of the famous people who passed through the mountain. No, Kazhar was never this aggressive in the first ce. Nor were his subordinates. Why did it turn out like this? Why the hell were they so different? Why were they tormenting the merchants? The merchants didn¡¯t have the answer. However, Irene Pareira, who was facing Kazhar, seemed to know the reason. He looked at the man¡¯s neck. ¡®¡­ for now, I have no choice but to use that method.¡¯ Phew, Irene took a deep breath. Actually, he was hoping to avoid this method. Because its risk was greater than using the name of Krono, and its certainty wasn¡¯t 100%. Irene was confident if it came to beating Kazhar, but he needed more power for that method. Irene put the trainee card back into his pocket. Seeing that expressionless face, Kazhar scoffed at him. ¡°What? You should keep holding it. I¡¯m from Krono, don¡¯t strike me, if I wear this on my head, other people will be too scared to evene close to me, did you think that would happen? Sorry, but we aren¡¯t like that.¡± ¡°Ah-hahaha!¡± ¡°Mr. Kazhar.¡± ¡°Huh? Look here, young one! Why don¡¯t you rx your face and talk? You aren¡¯t saying that you¡¯ll beg for your life with such a serious expression, right?¡± ¡°Haha, hahaha!¡± ¡°Can I show you the difference in power?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°If I show you that I¡¯m strong enough to defeat everyone here, will you back down?¡± ¡°¡­ ha, haha.¡± 3 seconds. Considering the way the talks went, that wasn¡¯t a long period of silence. However, as Kazharughed, the bandits behind himughed too. ¡°Puah-ahahahah!¡± ¡°Kekeke¡­ kekekeke!¡± ¡°What did this bastard just say?¡± ¡°He¡¯s going to wipe us out?¡± ¡°Leader! Can¡¯t we keep this one? He¡¯s so funny!¡± The bandits ridiculed Irene. Even the merchants and mercenaries on Irene''s side went silent without supporting him. It was because the blonde man¡¯s words were too bold. And the serious atmosphere on the bandits¡¯ side turned into a buzzing market. But everyone knew. The only thing they could do wasugh. Once this moment passes, there will be no more jokes, and the ughter will start. And if the other side wanted a happy ending, they had to give up half their stuff. It was then, The blonde young man who quietly listened to their jokes held a sword. Shhh! ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± All the bandits stoppedughing. It was the same with the people on Irene¡¯s side. As he pulled out a sword from the air, everyone¡¯s attention was focused on him. But what unfolded next was even more shocking. Strong energy began to flow from the young man¡¯s body, who had closed his eyes to concentrate. Wooong! ¡°Uh, uh¡­¡± ¡°Gulp. Hic.¡± It wasn¡¯t like the air around him was terrifying or anything, but... The mystical energy, the Aura he built up through training in his own world, moved out in all directions. Although it wasn¡¯t the same shape as a Sword Master¡¯s Aura Sword, the overwhelming energy was enough to make people retreat a few steps and notice the man in front of them. Everyone could feel it. They were perplexed, and their embarrassment soon turned into fear. The impossible idea that one guy could deal with everyone here was gradually turning into reality. ¡®No! He needs to be stopped!¡¯ Only Kazhar could resist Irene¡¯s power. However, it wasn¡¯t anything major. Rather, he thought that he would be pushed back if he let Irene start. Tightening his hand around his weapon, he approached the young man. An evil aura circted throughout his body, giving him new power. Irene Pareira, who felt that, opened his eyes. As their eyes met, Kazhar unknowingly took a step back. ¡®What is¡­ with that gaze¡­¡¯ He couldn¡¯t move forward. Seeing him standing still, Irene sighed. It wasn¡¯t because he thought he was weak. Rather, as Kazhar was under the influence of Magi, he was concerned that the man would act out of character. ¡®I can¡¯t kill him. But if his subordinates rush in and start a fight, we might have casualties on our side.¡¯ Again, Irene Pareira wasn¡¯t sure what the answer to the difficult subject was. He didn¡¯t have enough experience toe to a peaceful solution. Which was why he made his current mission safely escort them down the mountain. To do his best to not cause a battle. And show strength which will help him! Woong! Irene¡¯s new will and hope revolved around his body. The will of the man who appeared in the presence of Magi had faded, and the hostility towards Kazhar was gone. At the same time, his power was raging. Due to his inability to concentrate properly, it wasn¡¯t as sophisticated as when he fought Ian, but it was better than Irene expected. ¡®Rather than a neat blow concentrated in one ce¡­¡¯ Wooong! ¡®It would be better to show off a wild, blunt blow which extends uncontrobly!¡¯ With that thought, Irene¡¯s greatsword fell to the ground. It was like a club instead of a sword. Immediately after, the mountain roared. Kwannng! Crack! Crack! ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Uh-hu¡­¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± Their ears were ringing, and their vision was blurry. Hardly anything could be seen thanks to the impact, which caused dust to rise. However, they could clearly see the young man¡¯s power, who introduced himself as an official trainee of Krono. Because his power was too huge to not notice. It was five timesrger than the traces that Kazhar could leave with his hammer. No, ten timesrger. Looking at the cracks in the ground, everyone thought they were losing their minds. Wheeing¡­ Eventually, the wind blew the dust away, and the work made by the monster called Irene was revealed. The monster walked towards the leader. Startled, Kazhar stepped back and said. ¡°I-I-I apologize. Just, just pass it¡¯s okay¡­ no, I surrender! Let me know if you need anything! As long as it¡¯s possible¡­ no, even if it isn¡¯t possible. We¡¯ll get things done. My life, just my life¡­¡± His former prestige disappeared, and he acted like a dog with his tail between his legs. This was what Irene had hoped for, and the result was what he hoped for too. However, he didn¡¯t stop walking towards Kazhar. Of course, he wasn¡¯t aiming to take his life. He quickly went and snatched Kazhar¡¯s ne. Pull! The leader¡¯s face turned pale. However, Irene Pareira focused on the snatched ne. The closer he looked, the more certain he was. This was the source of the Magi. Chapter 86: Vulcanus’s Numbering Swords (1)

Chapter 86: Vulcanus¡¯s Numbering Swords (1)

¡°Mr. Kazhar.¡± ¡°Y-Yes?¡± ¡°Where did you get this ne?¡± Irene Pareira looked at Kazhar and asked. His eyes were cold. It wasn¡¯tparable to when he came in contact with the demon or the demonic monsters, but this ne possessed Magi, which couldn¡¯t be ignored. And it shook Irene, making the man in the dreams rise up. Not knowing that, Kazhar thought that he might get killed. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t lie! I should tell him the truth!¡¯ ¡°Th-That¡­ uh?¡± But he couldn¡¯t understand. It was strange. He knew that he was wearing it, but he couldn¡¯t remember anything about it. Not just that, he couldn¡¯t even understand why he acted the way he did until now. ¡®Why, why did I do such a stupid thing?¡¯ Breaking the merchants¡¯ items or asking for half of them turned into a pain. If the merchants gave them away and left, it was good, but the situation would have worsened for him if subjugation troops arrived. He knew that better than anyone else, which was why he controlled his greed until now¡­ ¡°I asked where the ne came from.¡± ¡°Ah! That¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t remember?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m sorry¡­ I really am! I just can¡¯t remember it! As if I was possessed by something¡­ ac-actually, what happened now too¡­ hm!¡± Kazhar tried to make himself look better in front of the merchants, but the mood was already bad. If Irene Pareira permitted it, the merchants looked like they would kill the man. He gave up and decided to wait until the young man¡¯s verdict fell. Fortunately, he wanted a peaceful end. ¡°Mr. Kazhar.¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± ¡°I believe that you were possessed by something.¡± ¡°Thank you, thank you!¡± ¡°You know it too. The fact that the surrounding estates have stayed quiet until now is because you were good. I hope that today¡¯s mistake doesn¡¯t continue.¡± ¡°It won¡¯t!¡± Kazhar nodded his head. It wasn¡¯t just him. The bandits, who were pale-faced, bowed their heads. Some even bowed by falling onto their knees. It¡¯s because they, too, couldn¡¯t understand their leader¡¯s recent behavior. Fortunately, Irene had enough power to bring their leader back to his senses. And they knew that their leader wasn¡¯t someone who took people¡¯s lives lightly. Turning to the merchants, Irene said. ¡°Okay, it¡¯s settled, so let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°¡­¡± In that way, the tension-filled situation that almost turned into a battle settled without one. With the help of the golden generation of Krono. ¡°Thank you! Thank you so much!¡± ¡°We survived thanks to you! The 27th batch of Krono will be responsible for the great future of the continent¡­. I saw one of them in action!¡± (*) ¡°Hurrah, Krono Swordsmanship School!¡± ¡°Hurrah! Hurrah!¡± ¡°Uh¡­ thank you.¡± The matter with the bandits was settled, and from one point on, the group began to regain their senses after the shock. And Irene Pareira was treated like a great hero. ¡°I apologize. We misunderstood you too much! We ridiculed you while we were in the wrong. We will pay for those sins with our lives!¡± ¡°No, calm down. It¡¯s fine¡­ it really is fine.¡± Trent and the other mercenaries who made fun of Irene came forward and apologized as Irene was being treated as a hero. Of course, it was burdensome for Irene. He just did what he was supposed to do. Even if he was asked if that was his best, he couldn¡¯t nod and say yes. Maybe the way he approached the issue was wrong? Maybe there is a better way? Irene thought about it and asked Lulu. ¡°Fortunately, we got out, but¡­ is it alright to leave the bandits like that?¡± ¡°Right! It¡¯s a stupid idea! Those bandits! How dare they torment us! You should have destroyed them!¡± ¡°That¡­ that is a bit much. Still, it would have been better to put something like an eye on them. Maybe other merchants will suffer if we leave them¡­ is it not? But I took the ne, so that shouldn¡¯t happen, right?¡± ¡°If you couldn¡¯t destroy them, then you should have broken their legs! Right! Their legs!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, we should have chained them together! Or put them in a cell!¡± ¡°If that happens, there will be fights and casualties on our side too. Sigh¡­e to think of it, leaving them like that is the right thing. Since the merchants around the estates are involved, we can¡¯tplicate it and if we don¡¯t have a n, leaving it like that is better¡­. For now.¡± Perhaps, the news was being delivered to the lords, and ns were being made? ?1? Even with that being said, Irene pondered. To figure out a better way. Kuvar looked at him with deep eyes. ¡®Even if it¡¯s done, you don¡¯t stop worrying.¡¯ When he first saw Irene, he thought the kid was too young. A young master who grew up in a family with little social knowledge. It seemed like he would have fun giving him information, so he joined the party. But every time he saw that deep and serious image that came out, Kuvar thought that even he was learning something. ¡®You don¡¯t avoid a problem that doesn¡¯t have an answer because it¡¯s burdensome. You keep trying to find an answer by pondering it.¡¯ Usually, no one does that. Alhad was like that. It was a troublesome and tiring matter. There wasn¡¯t a proper answer. Most people give up on finding an answer. But a few didn¡¯t. Those few don¡¯t run away from a problem, and they constantly ponder and work hard toe up with an ¡®answer of their own¡¯ even if it isn¡¯t the correct answer. Such people are the ones who had their own ¡®beliefs¡¯ and whose swords didn¡¯t waver. ¡®Irene is like that.¡¯ Kuvar smiled. Irene had a flustered expression. It was a good thing that Irene wasn¡¯t conceited. And Irene was always shy when he was praised. If it was Irene a few years back, he would have avoided the situation. He would close his eyes to avoid the ridicule and force himself to sleep¡­ ¡®Still¡­ I think I have grown a lotpared to back then.¡¯ He didn¡¯t hate it. As Kuvar said, he managed to ovee his old habit of running away. He said. ¡°Thank you, Kuvar. Although yourpliments are burdensome, they felt good.¡± ?2? ¡°Haha. They were exaggeratedpliments. Looking at those adoring eyes over there. Those are the burdensome ones.¡± ¡°I have to practice. I haven¡¯t done it in a while.¡± Irene turned away from the mercenaries¡¯ hot gazes. Kuvar narrowed his eyes. ¡°Why all of a sudden? Aren¡¯t you strong enough? You did a great job today.¡± ¡°Yes? If you wanted to learn swordsmanship, you could have stayed back at the school.¡± ¡°Ach! ws!¡± Kuvar yelled at Lulu, who was sitting on his head. Ireneughed seeing those two. He smiled and then spoke. ¡°I think I can improve in some things, and the better I get in those things, the more options I get to choose from.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Today, if it wasn¡¯t for you overwhelming Kazhar¡­ an unwanted fight would have erupted. People would have lost their lives.¡± ¡°Hm. Right.¡± Irene nodded. That was certainly right. Even if the answer was found because of his worries, if he didn¡¯t have the ability, then it was worthless. Irene pointed something out. He said. ¡°I heard that a lot of famous swordsmen gather in Derinku, right?¡± ¡°Right. Those men often duel, so that might help you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to it.¡± It was the moment Irene Pareira slowly nodded. Whoo! Kuvar suddenly stopped walking. It was because he noticed a change in Irene. It was so fleeting that it couldn¡¯t be felt, but¡­ ¡®In an instant, the fire in his heart seems to have gotten stronger¡­¡¯ ¡°Kuvar? What is it?¡± ¡°¡­ nothing.¡± Kuvar, who was dazed, took a step forward. Irene looked at him as Lulu fell into a deep sleep. As Kuvar moved, this time, he smiled a little. Four days after crossing Alhad safely, Irene and his party moved with the previous mercenary group. There was no need to travel separately because their destination seemed to be Derinku. Besides, after what happened that day, they took pleasure in walking with Irene. The only thing which bothered Irene was the ne with Magi that Kazhar was wearing. But that wasn¡¯t something he could resolve. Thanks to sealing it inside one of Kuvar¡¯s spirit pouches, there was no problem. ¡°But where did ite from? I don¡¯t think you can get that type of thing rand¡­¡± ¡°Even if we use all of our heads, no answer wille. Let¡¯s go to the temple and talk about itter. The fire element pouch has anti-magi properties, so it should be fine for a month.¡± After that, the pouch will be useless, and there is no way to stop the Magi in the ne from spreading again. ¡°Are you feeling good, Lulu?¡± ¡°Yes. There, scratch my back! And my neck!¡± ¡°Yes! Please enjoy the magicb of our Reika that removes dead hair!¡± ¡°What? This is a magic tool?¡± ¡°No, this isn¡¯t a magic tool¡­ at this level. This is a treasure¡­.¡± ¡°Ah, I know.¡± Lulu was being groomed. ¡°Hmm! This sweet scent¡­ this, it seems to be around 17 years old¡­¡± ¡°It is. This Talista is 21 years old. Whisky with a slightly smoky vor, although there are a few who dislike it¡­ I thought that if it was someone like Mr. Kuvar, you would enjoy it¡­¡± ¡°Of course. It must taste amazing! But, to give me such a precious drink¡­¡± ¡°Ehhh, what are you saying? Irene Pareira¡¯s party can take more than this.¡± ¡°Really? Then can¡­¡± ¡°Come on, let¡¯s have a cup!¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, yes. Kuah¡­ so nice.¡± Kuvar enjoyed the whisky with the merchants. It was truly noble hospitality that even nobles wouldn¡¯t receive. However, Irene, who had to be the main character, didn¡¯t demand any special treatment and lived a normal life. ¡®This is burdensome.¡¯ Of course, it wasn¡¯t that he hated the favor. But it was difficult to refuse it, and he knew that refusing it would make them feel bad. To be honest, he also liked the part where he was given a good room. Irene, who unpacked in the luggage room wide enough for five people to stay in, went downstairs. Lulu fell asleep enjoying the grooming, and Kuvar was drinking with three merchants. ¡°Irene! Come and have it with us.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t drink. I will have a meal¡­¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t drink. I have an interesting story to tell you. This gentleman here has brought news of Derinku.¡± ¡°Derinku?¡± ¡°Oh, is he the young hero who overthrew the bandits in Alhad? He looks great!¡± ¡°¡­ thank you. Can we hear about Derinku?¡± ¡°Ah, of course. Do you know that Derinku is where the best cksmith is out of hiding. And he¡¯s looking for a new master of the sword.¡± ¡°The best cksmith?¡± ¡°A dwarf named Vulcanus. There is an interesting story about him. Come and sit.¡± At the gesture of the unknown man, Irene took a seat. Vulcanus, a familiar name. It seemed like a man who had great skills. What was it about him that made the merchant so excited? That question was immediately resolved. ¡°Vulcanus puts a number on the swords he cherishes. They¡¯re called the Numbering Swords, and there are 9 on the continent. He only passes those swords to two sses.¡± ?3? ¡°I see, what sses?¡± ¡°The first is Sword Masters. And the second¡­ someone who can be a Sword Master.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s said that every person who received a Numbering Sword from Vulcanus has be a Sword Master.¡± ?1? The news being that the bandits have gone ¡°crazy.¡± ?2? The whole spiel about those who ponder answerless questions is Kuvarplimenting Irene. It¡¯s just not written out in dialogue. ?3? The author writes ¡°numbering¡± in English and Korean, ¡°??? (numbering),¡± although I prefer ¡°Number Swords,¡± we will use ¡°Numbering Swords¡± as it¡¯s literally given to us in both English and Korean. Chapter 87: Vulcanus’s Numbering Swords (2)

Chapter 87: Vulcanus¡¯s Numbering Swords (2)

Novelists, painters, sculptors, etc¡­ who were in the profession of making something were proud of themselves. The more confident one was in their skills, the stronger they became, and the same applied to their creations. They use the saying ¡®work is more precious than children¡¯ for no reason. And the dwarf Vulcanus was the representative of such people. ¡°That means you can¡¯t hand over a masterpiece which you put your heart and soul into.¡± That was why Vulcanus¡¯s masterpieces, the ¡®Numbering Swords,¡¯ were only given to Sword Masters. It was the thought that he couldn¡¯t hand over his kids toplete idiots. The pride of the cksmith was that his swords should be in the qualified hands of Sword Masters. It was an attitude that might sound arrogant at first nce, but no one looked down on Vulcanus. Because he was one of the best cksmiths whose skill was unparalleled. ¡°That was why everyone was surprised. When he gave a Numbering Sword to a swordsman who wasn¡¯t a Sword Master.¡± It was 10 years ago. Vulcanus dered that he had made his 7th, 8th, and 9th Numbering Swords, which turned the world upside down. Because it was the first time that he showed 3 Numbering Swords at once. However, more surprising was that all 3 swords were passed on to existences other than Sword Masters. The public didn¡¯t like that. They thought that Vulcanus was losing his touch, that he must have sold the swords for a huge sum of money, and that he should no longer be called the representative of cksmiths. Even those who never saw the swords insulted him and his work. Maybe because Vulcanus was a proud man¡­ numerous people admired his stubbornness as much as his skills, so maybe that reaction was natural. However, 5 yearster. All those who insulted Vulcanus¡¯s choice began to regret their words. It was because the masters of the 7th, 8th, and 9th Number Swords had risen to the level of Sword Master. ¡°¡­ that¡¯s exciting.¡± ¡°Right! I¡¯m curious too. If they were swordsmen, how did a cksmith even recognize that they would be Sword Masters? Of course, the three of them had great records, but even then, the status of Sword Master is something only a small number of people can reach!¡± At the man¡¯s words, Irene nodded his head. Definitely a great story. Even he, who wasn¡¯t very interested in swords, began to take interest. ?1? Unsurprisingly, not just that table, but the tables and swordsmen around were listening to the story. One of them was Wolfgang, a veteran mercenary, who asked. ¡°So, these Numbering Swords of his¡­ how does he decide who are the right masters for his swords?¡± In an instant, everyone focused. Yes, actually, that was the important part. Getting the sword was important, but the most important part was how was it decided? Vulcanus''s judgment was as if he was saying, ¡®You are the next person to rise to the level of Sword Master!¡¯ Some swordsmen wouldn¡¯t want that burden. Some gulped and waited for the answer. Fortunately, the man answered. ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard, it¡¯s going to be a contest.¡± ¡°Contest?¡± ¡°Yes. I didn''t hear him say it¡­ I heard it from one of the disciples. A week from now, the swordsmen, who want the 10th Number Sword, will gather together and be in that contest.¡± ¡°How can one participate? And what are the rules?¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know that. Since there aren¡¯t many rumors, maybe you should find out?¡± The man who was suddenly asked to participate stuttered and answered. (*) It was understandable. Anyone who thinks about the opportunity to obtain the best sword on the continent is bound to be overexcited. All the swordsmen inside of the inn thought of themselves holding that sword. Someughed, and some were trembling. Wolfgang was the same. However. ¡°It sounds fun. I think it will be a good experience.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I want to participate too.¡± The moment Irene Pareira, who had been listening quietly, opened his mouth, the excitement cooled down. ¡°Come to think of it, if he participates, I won¡¯t have a chance.¡± ¡°Ahh¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± At the words of Wolfgang, the mercenaries realized that they were dreaming. They couldn¡¯t do anything but dream. The great background of a Krono Swordsmanship School¡¯s trainee. A formidable superpower that overwhelmed everyone. Even though they could try, they wouldn¡¯t be victorious. ¡°Well, who would dare enter with Irene Pareira¡­¡± ¡°Because of Sir Irene Pareira, we can¡¯t even dream. But besides that, how many swordsmen wille to Derinku?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. I heard that even the gold card mercenariese to the city from time to time, and the knights from the five western kingdoms too.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t think that even gold card mercenaries or knights can beat Irene¡­¡± ¡°Maybe, Sir Irene is the real master of the 10th sword?¡± ¡°Maybe it¡¯s a possibility?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± The air inside the inn changed. Even if Irene wasn¡¯t thinking of himself as a Sword Master, the current story was interesting. A swordsmanship contest, where strong men gather to win. Isn¡¯t it a topic that would make one excited? Even thinking that the person considered the strongest candidate had a small connection to them made the mercenaries proud. The mercenaries and merchants were even more excited. Of course, Irene, who heard the story, wasn¡¯t that excited. ¡°¡­ I¡¯m going to my room.¡± ¡°What? Why? We just heard good stories from all over the ce.¡± ¡°It¡¯s burdensome. It really is. There are many people stronger than¡­¡± Irene spoke with a slightly red face. He was being sincere. It was true that he had excellent skills for his age, but that didn¡¯t matter. He knew it better than anyone else that there were countless people greater than him in the world. Right now, even those in Krono are stronger than him. It was unlikely that such a man would get the sword in Derinku. That was what he thought. A loud voice resounded from the table in the corner. ¡°No, I don¡¯t get why Irene Pareira is being praised like that? He can be a Sword Master?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°He isn¡¯t even a Sword Master. Why can¡¯t you all keep your mouth shut? Don¡¯t you know who is in Derinku right now!¡± ¡°Brother, we are here for a good time. Let¡¯s not start an argument.¡± ¡°What the hell? You are all talking about someone no one has ever heard of and thinking of him as a candidate.¡± ¡°Then who do you think the winner will be? Is a Master reallying?¡± ¡°No. From what I¡¯ve heard, no Master ising. There are some strange rumors, but nothing has spread regarding that.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t talk in circles. I asked who you think the winner will be.¡± The drunken mercenary who questioned him before stood up and pushed further. He was next to Trent and someone who praised Irene more than anyone else. Perhaps he didn¡¯t want to be pushed. The man at the corner table got up and said. Two names. ¡°Charlotte and Victor.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°What? The strongest twins?¡± ¡°Ahh, Charlotte and Victor. Quite a monster they are.¡± ¡°Someone you know?¡± Irene asked Kuvar. And he said. ¡°They are quite a famous duo. They are twin swordsmen, but they are also veteran mercenaries who are rumored to be able topete with a Sword Master if they both raise their swords.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Irene was shocked. He knows how strong a Sword Master is. It¡¯s because he directly met and talked to Ian and also saw Keira Finn. ¡®Of course, they probably couldn¡¯t win against the schoolmaster¡­ maybe Miss Keira could lose?¡¯ No matter how much he thought, Irene thought it was impossible. If the rumors about the twins were true, it meant that both were superior swordsmen to him. However, listening to Kuvar¡¯s words, it seemed like there was more. ¡°That could be an exaggeration. I don¡¯t know much about swords or what kind of existence a Master is.¡± ¡°Ah, I see.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s true that the twins are strong seeing how the rumors go around. There are so many stories, and many mercenaries respect them.¡± Kuvar shared what he knew. They could subdue a den of demonic monsters, which are difficult to subdue in the countryside, and save a mountain fromrge monsters¡­ All of the stories were great. It was enough to guess what level they were at. It was because ordinary mercenaries couldn¡¯t even dream of subjugating demons. ¡°Of course, you are great. Because you saved the escorts from a bandit influenced by Magi.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to bring that up.¡± ¡°Well, I was just stating the truth. You are too humble. Didn¡¯t your sister tell you to walk confidently? I don¡¯t think that¡¯s bad advice.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°In that sense, how about showing them your skills?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m talking about the people trying to ignore you.¡± Kuvar pointed to some people in the corner. About ten people, including the man who started the angry outburst. It was childish, a debate whether Charlotte and Victor were stronger or Irene was stronger. ¡°Before the fight starts, show them your skills. Then, even those who are corning us will back off.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± ¡°¡­ no. I¡¯ll do it.¡± It wasn¡¯t that he liked it. However, Irene knew that it would be helpful if he took some kind of action now. ¡®At times like this, I really think she¡¯s right.¡¯ In order to avoid disputes, sometimes one needed to show off their skills. Reflecting on Kirill¡¯s words, Irene Pareira stood up. Summoning his sword, he hit his fist on it. Tang! Eyes gathered in an instant. The person who argued about him, the mercenary who was holding his neck, and those who were ready to fight looked at him. To them, Irene Pareira spoke in an awkward tone. ¡°Uh, hm, so¡­ calm down, and would you like to watch my swordsmanship outside?¡± ¡°Huh. Let¡¯s see. I¡¯m not good at swords, but I have amazing eyes when ites to it.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have such eyes at all. If it wasn¡¯t for your stupid eyes, and you actually saw what happened. You would know how great Sir Irene is!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Irene sighed as he looked at the people still arguing. He remembered what the schoolmaster had said before he left the school. It¡¯s inevitable to get a lot of attention, so start getting used to it. ¡®Right. I havee all the way here, so I need to get through this.¡¯ He nodded his head. He didn¡¯t intend to break things to show it. It was then. Irene thought of Ilya Lindsay¡¯s sword. The most morous sword he had and Judith¡¯s and Bratt¡¯s swords are difficult to show with no opponent. Making the decision, he summoned his sword again. As people saw that, exmations flowed out. Some even apuded. p p p! ¡°Oh, magic?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he a swordsman?¡± p! p! p! ¡°Is that so? Then what is he?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Let¡¯s take a look.¡± p! p! p! ¡°People are still apuding.¡± ¡°I know, I know it¡¯s strange, but they should stop¡­.¡± p p p¡­ ¡°¡­¡± People were shocked, so was Irene. They thought that the pping would stop, but it continued. Some even frowned in displeasure. The reason they didn¡¯t swear was because it was a child who was apuding. ¡°Woah! That¡¯s so cool.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So cool! Very cool!¡± A girl in a ck dress continued to say it. It was quite weird to see a young girl, who was barely ten, not afraid ofrge mercenaries. Her pale white skin and thick eye makeup didn¡¯t seem appropriate for her age. After finishing the apuse, she moved towards Irene. Lulu, who was behind him, moved closer and said. ¡°Sorcerer.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Irene nodded his head. He wasn¡¯t that well-versed in it, but he knew sorcery, so he could guess the child¡¯s identity. The girl, who approached him, said. ¡°This, can¡¯t you give this to Anya?¡± ¡°Are you referring to my sword?¡± ¡°Yes. I want to give this to my captain.¡± She was a child, but she said what she wanted to. Of course, it wasn¡¯t an eptable request. He had no intention of giving it away, but since it was a sword made of sorcery, one couldn¡¯t even lift it. Neither the powerful Kuvar nor the sorcerer Lulu were able to ¡°Sorry, but I can¡¯t give this to you.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a sword I cherish, and it can¡¯t be lifted.¡± ¡°Anya can do it.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Anya can do it. Ah! By the way, Anya is my name! So give it. Okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you give me the sword, I will give you something you like.¡± ¡°No, wait¡­¡± The girl called Anya put her hand into the air. Surprise struck the faces of the onlookers. After a while, a strange thing popped out of the gap. ?1? Swords meaning greatswords, rapiers, etc., not swordsmanship. He¡¯s interested in swordsmanship, obviously. Chapter 88: Vulcanus’s Numbering Swords (3)

Chapter 88: Vulcanus¡¯s Numbering Swords (3)

¡°It¡¯s dazzling¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°G-Gold?¡± ¡°Golden, golden pig?¡± Unfamiliar words came out of the mouths. Pig. At that, a golden pig. However, it was true. A pig big enough for someone like Anya to ride on its back, she looked at Irene Pareira, who was looking at the golden pig. ¡®Is that thing alive?¡¯ Irene, too, was looking at the pig. Upon closer inspection, it wasn¡¯t alive. It didn¡¯t move, and it was too cute and round to be a pig. A toy for children to y with. ¡®What the hell is it used for?¡¯ While he was looking at it, the small girl in a ck dress jumped up. ¡°Sword! Sword! Let me touch it!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Let me touch it! No, let Anya swing it!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll put it down for now. But what is that pig even used for?¡± Anya didn¡¯t respond. She wielded Irene¡¯s greatsword with an innocent face, but her movements were quite fierce despite her small and slender body. Of course, what was even more shocking was the fact that she could lift it. ¡®Lulu was unable to do it¡­¡¯ The pig was amazing too. Anya hadn¡¯t answered about the pig because of her excitement, but it was certain that she was skilled. It was something even Irene could feel. ¡°What? How did you do that?¡± ¡°Huh? That one, Anya had to work for one year to get it!¡± ¡°Can I touch it?¡± ¡°You can, but I won¡¯t give it. I¡¯m going to exchange it for the sword.¡± ¡®¡­ I never said I was going to exchange it.¡¯ Lulu still hadn¡¯te to her senses. It was like the time when she first smelled the Taiho fruit. With possessed eyes, Lulu approached the pig and licked its body. After doing that, Lulu approached Irene and said. ¡°Irene! Can¡¯t we exchange it for the sword?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you exchange it?¡± ¡°Before that, what is the pig even used for¡­¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you exchange it?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you exchange it?¡± Lulu and Anya were on one team. It was cute, but it was rude too. ¡®My questions aren¡¯t even being answered, but Lulu¡¯s are being heard.¡¯ ¡°No. And Lulues to your senses.¡± ¡°Huh! I was drunk for a moment! Sorry.¡± Irene refused and grabbed Lulu. Lulu, who realized it, apologized. But Lulu¡¯s eyes were on the golden pig. Irene shook his head and reverse summoned the sword. ¡°Ah!¡± Anya had a sullen expression. It was as if the child had dropped the candy she was eating, but Irene couldn¡¯t help it. Irene repeated himself. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Really.¡± ¡°Maybe with a bigger pig?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°No. Take a look first and then think! If I work hard until I head to Derinku, it will improve. Then you might even change your mind!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Anyway, she kept speaking and ran somewhere. The ce where she stopped was none other than the head merchant. ¡°Mister?¡± ¡°Uh-huh?¡± ¡°Are you heading to Derinku? I¡¯m heading there too.¡± ¡°I-Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. In the meantime, carry this with you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t feel pressured. I can do a lot of things. And that isn¡¯t so expensive. And I¡¯ll work hard too.¡± Seeing Anya say all of that, the merchant had a puzzled expression. Who was that kid? Where are her parents? No, is she really a child? In front of the unidentified sorcerer, the man was confused. ¡°Huhu, you are an interesting friend.¡± ¡°Hehe. I like you too.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Looking at the girl, Irene Pareira had no choice but to fall into more confusion. Two days had passed. Now, their destination was right in front of their eyes. And by noon the day after tomorrow, everyone would finally reach the artisan city, Derinku. ¡°I¡¯m d that nothing major happened.¡± ¡°Nothing major? Did you forget about the bandits?¡± ¡°Ah, that was a big thing. Just thinking about that time¡­ ugh.¡± As they said, nothing bad happened over the past two days. At most, there were just a few monsters that came every once in a while. However, there was a lot of good news. Strong people were participating in the contest. And the good news was that gold card mercenaries wereing to participate too. And they heard a rumor that there is a wandering knight in Derinku who can wield a sword as amazingly as the twins. It was said that the Master of the Quick Sword, who was famous in the West, was also participating. The mercenaries couldn¡¯t stop their mouths from running on about the contest. Even those who had no intention of staying in Derinku thought of watching it. ¡®A lot of great people areing.¡¯ Of course, Irene thought about them too. Charlotte and Victor were strong, but there seemed to be more expert-level swordsmening in. However, the one who caught his eyes was the 10-year-old sorcerer. Wheik! Bubble¡­ ¡°Phew! The stew is done!¡± ¡°No, why is it this delicious?¡± ¡°What did you put in this?¡± ¡°Haha! I told you that there is a lot I can do! I¡¯m good at cooking!¡± Absolutely great culinary skills. Squeak! Rub! ¡°Here, the shoes and armor are done!¡± ¡°How neat!¡± ¡°It¡¯s better than giving it to the worksho¡­¡± ¡°There are so many other things I¡¯m good at! If there is something I can do, tell me! Oh, you have to pay!¡± ¡°Of course we will. Cute, and good at the job too. I think I should pay more than¡­¡± ¡°No! I only want to get paid for what I do, nothing more.¡± Even the mercenaries were impressed by her. She was doing all of the tasks very well, and Anya would put all of the money she raised into the golden pig¡¯s back. It turns out that it wasn¡¯t a pig but a piggy bank. What happened next was. Woong! ¡®Every time money gets put in¡­ the pig gets bigger!¡¯ And not just bigger. The others could barely feel it, but the energy increases every time money is put in the piggy bank. And the energy slowly grew so strong that it felt like another sorcerer was among them. ¡®A lot stronger of a sorcerer than I thought. Perhaps¡­¡¯ She could be on the same level as Kirill¡¯s teacher, Keaton. Of course, it wasn¡¯t urate. Theparison was meaningless. Because sorcerers can¡¯t be measured. However, the child could hold the greatsword and had tremendous power that proved her level. ¡®I don¡¯t know what to do with the piggy bank¡­¡¯ Anya wasn¡¯t good at exining, and Lulu couldn¡¯t even figure it out. ¡°Amazing sorcerer.¡± ¡°Kuvar thinks the same.¡± Just then, Kuvar came to his side. Seeing Irene agree, heughed. ¡°That is the only thing I can think of. Sorcerers are extremely unstable, and I think it¡¯s amazing to be able to store some kind of energy inside a piggy bank.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Which is why I¡¯m curious.¡± ¡°About?¡± ¡°The one she calls captain. What on earth is so great about that person that such an excellent sorcerer is under theirmand?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Irene had a serious expression. He heard that too. Most sorcerers are independent beings. Their personalities are typically unusual, and they have higher pride than dwarfs. It wasn¡¯t prejudice but a fact. And among those sorcerers, this outstanding child had someone above her. One couldn¡¯t help but wonder. ¡°Me too. I¡¯m curious too.¡± ¡°Right? Hehe, at first, I thought that it was some kind of nickname, but it doesn¡¯t seem like that¡­ I wonder if it¡¯s another sorcerer or a swordsman. Well, we¡¯ll find out once we get to Derinku. Because that person seems to be there.¡± ¡°Ah, it could be a swordsman.¡± Irene said. He thought that the captain could be a sorcerer, but them being a swordsman wouldn¡¯t be strange. Because of what Anya said. It was because the little sorcerer wanted to gift the sword to her captain. After hearing that, the captain not being a swordsman felt weird. No, more than that, Irene wanted to get close to the swordsman. He said. ¡°I wish it was a swordsman and not a sorcerer.¡± ¡°Hmm? Shouldn¡¯t you wish for the opposite? If it¡¯s a swordsman, your chances of winning the contest will be lowe¡­¡± Kuvar frowned and asked. It was reasonable. If the swordsman had such a sorcerer below them, then their skills would be enormous, and it would be bad if they were greedy for Vulcanus¡¯s Numbering Sword. In other words, for Irene, it was a horrible situation. However, Irene seemed to be thinking differently. ¡°It¡¯s because I didn¡¯te to Derinku because I wanted the sword.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If I can learn from a great swordsman, I think that is a better reward.¡± Kuvar was silent. It was weird. A Numbering Sword that everyone wanted. A famous sword that had rumors swirling around it saying that its owner would achieve sess. It was a treasure that would make people greedy and obsessed with it. However, Irene wasn¡¯t disying such things. And he said. ¡°Uh, you know what? When I see you, this often strikes my mind. Despite being a swordsman, you don¡¯t fit into the swordsman category.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ I actually heard that in school at times.¡± ¡°However, in my opinion, your current words are suitable for that of a swordsman.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Swords are important to swordsmen, but more important than that has to be honing one¡¯s swordsmanship through battles and good opponents.¡± After looking at the bandits, Irene changed a little. Saying that Kuvar left. Looking at the gestures the merchants were making at him, it seemed like Kuvar had been drinking since the morning. Seeing that, Irene smiled. Swordsmanship. Even in this ce, which was far from school, there were always teachers who taught him. Two more days have passed. In that short time, Anya relentlessly worked. The merchants were very satisfied because she did a great job on the tasks. Of course, that wasn¡¯t all. On the day of their arrival in Derinku, Anya said. ¡°I¡¯m going to rest today.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°People need rest. And when we get a good rest, we get to work harder.¡± The girl made a solemn deration and asked Lulu to read her a book, and Lulu dly epted. It has only been four days, but the two of them quickly became friends and seeing the cute cat and the cute girl together, people smiled. ¡°Went into father¡¯s bag? Lulu, what is this? It sounds weird?¡± ¡°Idiot! You read it wrong the wrong way.¡± ¡°That so? Then, what is the correct way?¡± ¡°This is ¡®father dies at night¡¯!¡± ¡°Huh, their father passed away. That is very sad.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°What is this? The father enters the room.¡± Irene was flustered. It seemed like they were reading something, but the child wasn¡¯t that good. But he understood. A cat was speaking humannguage, and the human child was being taught. Such a peaceful morning. Around the time when it was a bitte for lunch, the scene in the city caught his eye. Someone came to meet Anya. A man in histe 30s with grey hair and a sword on his side. ¡°Ahh, grubber.¡± ¡°What? Why is it only you! Where''s the captain!¡± ¡°Something came up, so it might take some time for the others.¡± ¡°Then why are you here? Useless.¡± ¡°I came here since I was worried that you would be all alone. But you came here with a group of merchants?¡± ¡°I¡¯d be bored if I came alone, and I wouldn¡¯t be able to make money! It¡¯s nice to work and move in a group!¡± ¡°This grubber.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a grubber!¡± The person had a childish quarrel with Anya. He didn¡¯t look like the captain. They were too friendly. However, Irene and the others looked at him with serious expressions. Kuvar whispered. ¡°That person looks strong.¡± ¡°I feel the same way.¡± ¡°Probably an expert¡­ and not an ordinary expert.¡± It was then, Lulu, who had examined the man with grey hair, said. ¡°Master.¡± Chapter 89: Vulcanus’s Numbering Swords (4)

Chapter 89: Vulcanus¡¯s Numbering Swords (4)

¡°¡­!¡± Irene¡¯s eyes widened at that word. Master. It¡¯s used to say that the person is a Master in one field, but in this situation, there was only one reason for Lulu to say that. Right. Lulu said that the grey-haired man is a Sword Master. It wasn¡¯t even shocking. Sword Masters weren¡¯t people who only appeared in fairy tales. However, it was true that there were very few of them, and most of them were high-ranking nobles and royalty. That meant that meeting a Sword Master is a once-in-a-lifetime chance. ¡®I¡¯ve never heard of such a Sword Master¡­¡¯ Irene wasn¡¯t the only one who was shocked. Kuvar seemed more agitated. He had seen a lot and heard a lot about Sword Masters. And he had seen many mercenaries, adventurers, and wandering knights. However, none of thempared to the man in front of him. That meant¡­ ¡®A new Sword Master was born on the continent.¡¯ That was likely. Of course, the man didn¡¯t have to be that. He and Irene, who were confident, thought that the man was an Expert. However¡­ ¡®Lulu is a sorcerer, so it can¡¯t be wrong¡­ but.¡¯ It was a waste of time to think it over as they had no information. The grey-haired man, who was arguing with Anya, approached them. Looking closer, he didn¡¯t look like a Master. Although he was well-bnced and had a nice body, his fragile appearance reminded them of a schr. Of course, Kuvar didn¡¯t say that out loud. Meanwhile, the man introduced himself. ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Georg, Anya¡¯s colleague.¡± ¡°Hello. I¡¯m Irene Pareira.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Kuvar, an Orc, as you can see.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a cat! And my name is Lulu!¡± ¡°You people are as unique as one group can get. Ah! I don¡¯t mean that in a bad way! I apologize if I offended you.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡± Irene waved his hands and said that. Looking at how he talked to Anya, he thought the man was gritty, but he was more polite. With a friendly face, he continued. ¡°Then I¡¯m happy. There are cases where I end up making mistakes without realizing it since I stayed with that kid¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a bad one! All the merchants praised me!¡± ¡°They don¡¯t know you that well.¡± Georg smiled and said that. When Anya, who heard that was about to get angry, the grey-haired man opened his mouth. ¡°Mr. Irene Pareira?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I know this might be rude, but could you please show me your sword?¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡± ¡°Ah! Of course, I¡¯m not trying to covet it like Anya. I¡¯m well aware of how precious a sword is for a swordsman. But¡­¡± Georg nced at Anya and sighed. ¡°That girl said that it was an amazing sword, I want to look at it, and that¡¯s it. I won¡¯t change my mind or anything¡­ I¡¯m sorry for making this request.¡± Who apologizes when making a request? Georg said it very politely, and Irene nodded after a moment of thought. It wasn¡¯t a difficult request. It wasn¡¯t like the sword wears out when one looks at it, and he was curious about what the man would say about the sword. He extended his hand. Woong! The crude sword was revealed, no, the man in his dreams, his greatsword appeared. Irene looked into Georg¡¯s eyes. And the man watched the sword. ¡°¡­¡± What was unusual was that the man didn¡¯t just watch the sword. Throwing away the smile, he seriously examined the sword. And looked at Irene. As time went on, he focused on Irene longer than the sword. Long. Very long. Irene could feel the goosebumps on his arms. ¡®What?¡¯ Georg¡¯s eyes traced his whole body. The gaze went from his legs to his body, to his face, and then looked into his eyes. It was when Irene was about to take a step back. ¡°Ah! Sorry! I was staring too much. Georg went back to his smiling face. The bizarre feeling Irene felt vanished. He lowered his head and said, ¡°Indeed, it¡¯s a great sword. Anya, it does deserve to be coveted.¡± ¡°Right? Do you think the captain will like it?¡± ¡°That could be true, but that doesn¡¯t mean you try to steal other people¡¯s things.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t stealing! We are going to exchange it for the piggy bank with a year of savings!¡± ¡°A year? No, the sword is worth more.¡± The sword, and the man too. That was what Georg added, but he mumbled it so low that even Lulu couldn¡¯t hear him. ¡°It was very rude. I will take her now.¡± ¡°It has been fun! Lulu and friends! Let¡¯s meet again!¡± ¡°Whew¡­ well, we¡¯ll take our leave for now.¡± In the end, Anya and Georg left. Seeing them leave, Lulu was sad, and Irene fell into silence. Kuvar was closer to Irene''s side. And thought. ¡®What?¡¯ He wasn¡¯t thinking about Anya and Georg. Surely they were amazing and made people curious, but it was the one called the captain who made him even more curious. A Sword Master. And a sorcerer. If these two people treated that captain with such respect, then the captain must not be an ordinary person. It was intriguing. With a serious face, Kuvar began to recall everything he saw and heard. At that moment, Irene, who had been silent, spoke. ¡°You were right. He¡¯s a Master.¡± ¡°You think so too?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s difficult to notice. Maybe that person will participate too, right?¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to be a tight contest.¡± Georg wouldn¡¯t be the only one who deserved to be called a tough opponent. As Georg stared at Irene, Irene, too, looked at him and was able to glimpse his strength. Of course, he wasn¡¯t worried. Nor did he regret meeting. As he said before, he was here to learn. Win or lose. Seed or fail. It didn¡¯t matter to him. ¡°I need to work hard with the feeling that I¡¯m learning something.¡± Irene said. Kuvar looked at him with delighted eyes. He definitely changed. The current Irene was active in learning and iparable to the beginning days of the trip. However, it wasn¡¯t without regrets. Kuvar thought and then said. ¡°Irene. One piece of advice. If you feel stuck, drop out.¡± ¡°No. I wouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t enter the contest with an easy thought. Go in with the determination to win.¡± Irene''s expression hardened at the strong remark. Lulu, too, was shocked and looked at Kuvar. However, Kuvar didn¡¯t stop and continued. ¡°Khun wasn¡¯t a Sword Master when he challenged Ian. You think he raised his sword intending to learn? No, he was trying to win. I want to win. I must win. I will definitely win this time¡­ I personally think it was because of that fighting spirit that he was able to rise to such a position.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°For a swordsman, the spirit for improvement is important. Being humble and willing to learn is a huge advantage. However¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t a good attitude to ept loss before the fight even started. Kuvar didn¡¯t continue. Nor did he speak strongly. However, it was because of how softly he spoke that the air became different. ¡°¡­¡± Irene stayed silent for a long time after hearing Kuvar¡¯s words. They walked and found a ce to stay before the contest and waited for their meal to be served. Even when the food came out. Did he touch a nerve? The ufortable silence continued to the point where Kuvar was regretting it. ¡°Ah! Sorry. I broke the mood.¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m sorry for the useless talk¡­¡± ¡°Useless talk? It wasn¡¯t like that. Instead, I should thank you. I think I found something that I was neglecting.¡± Irene said with a serious face. Only then did Kuvar¡¯s mind begin to ease. He regretted that he gave inappropriate advice to a man because he was greedy to help. Irene was getting the best of him. However, Irene¡¯s subsequent actions made his heart feel ufortable again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But I¡¯ll leave first.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I think I need to reflect deeply on Kuvar¡¯s advice. For now¡­¡± The blonde kid walked to his room at a quick pace. Looking at that, Kuvar was worried. Three days had passed since Irene arrived in Derinku. Kuvar and Lulu looked around the city. At the excellent cksmiths and their crafts which were astonishing, and their weapons. They enjoyed local food and drinks. However, Irene was left out. It was because of the advice Kuvar gave. ¡°Um, I said something unnecessary.¡± On the day of the contest, Kuvar mumbled, recalling how Irene looked. It looked like his greed brought trouble to Irene¡¯s mind. Intoxicated by the fast-growing young man, he handed out excessive advice. In his opinion, Irene was close to a seeker. And it wasn¡¯t topete but to raise his awareness of the sword. For that reason, Irenecked the fighting spirit that others would have, and that disappointed Kuvar. It was because he thought that there was no better catalyst for growth in youth thanpeting. However¡­. ¡®I was wrong. I should have considered Irene¡¯s heart.¡¯ Kuvar sighed. He knew. How far Irene stayed away from battles. Irene¡¯s charm didn¡¯te from fierce battles with others but from solving his persistent worries within himself. He overlooked that¡­ ¡®If his results in the contest don¡¯t turn out good¡­ that would be my responsibility.¡¯ It was then that Kuvar¡¯s expression darkened even more. Unlike him, Lulu was spread out on the table without much thought, and she looked towards the second floor. Just then, Irene opened the door and appeared. ¡°Irene!¡± Kuvar jumped up from his seat. He was going to apologize. No, not apologize. He wanted to tell Irene that his words shouldn¡¯t be taken so seriously. He thought that his advice made Irene¡¯s mind wander and worry. However, the blonde man looked a lot better than they expected. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Kuvar? What is it?¡± ¡°Uh? Irene, did something change?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Well. I don¡¯t know, but you look better.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± No, that wasn¡¯t enough. Kuvar closed his eyes and then opened them again. And looked at Irene. ¡®The embers, mor¡­¡¯ ¡°Kuvar? What is it?¡± ¡°Uh? No, nothing. It has been a long time since I saw you, it¡¯s so nice. Haha.¡± ¡°I have been in my room for a while. Thank you for caring.¡± Irene smiled. Lulu flew and sat on Irene''s shoulder and looked at Kuvar. Eyes that said she was feeling bad for Kuvar. And then she said, ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Ha, haha. This¡­¡± Kuvar scratched the back of his head. Lulu was right. He didn¡¯t have to worry. Irene smiled. And said, ¡°Then, shall we go?¡± Chapter 90: Vulcanus’s Numbering Swords (5)

Chapter 90: Vulcanus¡¯s Numbering Swords (5)

The search for the owner of the Numbering Sword. It wasn¡¯t a small number of people who came to the announced ce. Of course, most of them were onlookers. It was rare to have a chance to witness a fight and even look at highly skilled swordmen. Would this contest meet their expectations? As the contest drew nearer, the figures emitting dangerous pressure began to appear in the vacant lot one by one. All of them were unusual. Some of them had a great reputation, so great in fact that even the darkest ces in the world knew their faces. ¡°Look! Crochet! The one who uses dual swords!¡± ¡°It¡¯s Samir! He¡¯s known to be the most talented one among the mercenaries with gold cards¡­¡± ¡°Randel is here! Even Randel is participating!¡± ¡°If so, then the chance of Charlotte and Victor winning won¡¯t be high, right?¡± ¡°Kuvar, are the ones these people talking about famous?¡± ¡°Famous? Crochet is a young one from the north, and Samir is a veteran swordsman who has been well known for the past 15 years. Randel, Charlotte and Victor are the strongest ones too.¡± ¡°I see. This is new.¡± Lulu said while chewing on dried fish. Irene, too, nodded. Those people who were mentioned in the crowd had a formidable air around them. ¡®And those whose names are unknown¡­. There are a lot who look strong.¡¯ It was when he was thinking that. There was amotion in the distance. As Irene strained his eyes, he looked at a man approaching the crowd. It was Vulcanus. It was impressive to see the sloppy appearance of the dwarf cksmith. But he wasn¡¯t alone. There was one dwarf of the same body type. And then a human who seemed to be 2 meters tall. Those who saw them shouted. ¡°So it isn¡¯t just Vulcanus?¡± ¡°There is Dwanson too!¡± ¡°And Pablo is next to him!¡± ¡°Pablo? The best human cksmith?¡± The ce was buzzing at the unexpected appearance. Not just the spectators, but even the swordsmen who were there topete were shocked. In such a chaotic atmosphere, Vulcanus went up to the podium. ¡°Silence! Let me speak.¡± The voice seemed to be amplified by a magic tool. There was a bit of annoyance in his voice. The crowd went silent. At least, here, the dwarf was king. After the noise subsided, he spoke. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the inconvenience, so please understand. As everyone knows, the prize for the contest is a sword I made. The 10th Numbering Sword. I see the swordsmen around.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I may not be able to give you the Numbering Sword.¡± ¡°What? What is that supposed to mean?¡± ¡°Then why decide to hold the contest?¡± ¡°Well, this, this is a mess¡­¡± ¡°Quiet! Let me talk!¡± Vulcanus maximized the output of the tool. Like before, everyone became silent at his sensitive attitude, which was unusual. With a grim expression on his face, he exined. ¡°I will exin the rules of the contest. First of all, any two who are confident wille up and fight. After the match, the loser goes down, and the winner remains, and the next opponent arrives. Of course, you can give up if your strength runs out. In that case, two new people wille up and fight. And that process will repeat. When all participants have shown their swordsmanship, the contest is over. Ah, and if I don¡¯t like it, I will discard the winner.¡± ¡°What kind of a rule¡­¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t a contest for the winner.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°To make the 10th Numbering Sword¡­ the purpose of this contest is to pick out the one who can give me inspiration. Do you understand? By the way, Dwanson and Pablo, who are next to me, are here for the same purpose.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s how it is.¡± Kuvar nodded. It was the same for Lulu and even Irene, who understood it. Vulcanus has no intention of picking a winner from a fair contest. The goal is to get inspiration that will help him create a sword. To put it simply, he intends to use the contest to boost his creativity. ¡°I didn¡¯t make the 10th sword and gather you, but I gathered you to make it.¡± It was understandable that he was unable to make the 10th Numbering Sword. If no one could inspire Vulcanus, then the sword wouldn¡¯t be made, and its presence isn¡¯t needed either. ¡°For reference, this contest will be held every month. Until we find a swordsman we like.¡± As soon as that was said, the faces of all the swordsmen turned pale. Because that was simr to words like ¡®you are not what I want!¡¯. In fact, the masters of the 9 Numbering Swords were all Sword Masters on the continent. It was no surprise that their confidence fell. However, not everyone was like that. ¡°So, if we win, there won¡¯t be more contests?¡± ¡°I¡¯m d I came here early. Isn¡¯t this like saying that we won¡¯t have a chanceter?¡± ¡°Victor. It¡¯s okay. Even if you don¡¯t get Vulcanus¡¯s sword, you can get Pablo or Dwanson¡¯s.¡± ¡°Hahaha, what a disgusting choice of words. As if I will be content with that.¡± There were people who believed in themselves. Real strong people who thought that their potential wasn¡¯t far behind Sword Masters. They were looking at the podium with bright eyes. ¡°Then, those who are confidente up.¡± With that, Vulcanus went down. And sat next to Pablo and Dwanson and looked at the swordsmen. A while after, two swordsmen came up. The onlookers confirmed their identities. ¡°Right off the bat¡­¡± ¡°The winners?¡± One of the Charlotte and Victor duo, the strongest in the contest, Victor. And Randel ncy, a wandering knight from Adan, famous for his quick sword and single blow victories. At the strong two men who appeared, shouts and cheers erupted. ¡°Victor! Show your best skill!¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t Charlotte the best?¡± ¡°Victor and Charlotte!¡± ¡°No, if it¡¯s Randel ncy, even Victor might be in trouble.¡± ¡°Right. There aren¡¯t many people who know Randel.¡± ¡°Maybe they will know after today.¡± There seemed to be a lot of people who supported Victor, who had a great personality, skills, and experience. However, there were few who predicted Randel¡¯s victory. No matter who they supported, they all looked up, expecting something to happen. Randel ncy looked at Vulcanus and said. ¡°I have a question, Vulcanus.¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°Is it fine if I kill someone?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± For a moment, everyone went silent. Randel¡¯s expression and his words. They were telling them that his question was a sincere one. Some could even feel a chill run down their spine. Some looked at Randel as if they were about to curse him. And then, he added. ¡°It isn¡¯t that I n on killing anyone. I don¡¯t want to kill anyone.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°My sword, I asked because my sword has no choice but to kill my opponents.¡± One blow Randel. A title he got three years ago, and they were the perfect words to describe his explosive stabs. Randel¡¯s sword, which stretched out before one knew it, pierced many monsters¡¯ heads. There was no mercy. He himself couldn¡¯t stop the sword once he pulled it out. Only with that did the onlookers realize just how serious the contest was. The moment Randel ncy wins, Victor loses his life. And the next challenger and the next. Randel could mess up the contest. However, ¡°It sounds fun? It doesn¡¯t matter to me.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Of course. Only if the other person agrees.¡± Vulcanus didn¡¯t care. Neither did Dwanson and Pablo. Rather, they looked at Victor with interested expressions. It seemed like they were expecting him to ept the match without fear, but quite a few swordsmen gave up on the contest at those words. Of course, Victor didn¡¯t. He smiled and said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. As long as I overpower Sir Randel, there should be no problem, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± For a second, Randel frowned. It wasn¡¯t because hisposure broke. Rather, it was because Victor¡¯s remarks stimted him. Some people noticed it, and Charlotte, who was below the stage, burst intoughter. ¡°Good. Stop talking and move. You can start fighting the moment I say begin. Got it?¡± Randel ncy nodded. His cold eyes looking at Victor. So was Victor. He took out his sword and took his stance. Serene atmosphere. Vulcanus¡¯s voice resounded through the silent ce. ¡°Begin!¡± Swoosh! Shhhhh! The result was out right away. (*) ¡°¡­¡± Randel ncy looked at his severed sword with a puzzled face. ¡°Phew! Very fast. One step wrong, and I would have had a hole in my chest.¡± Victor said that while wiping the sweat off his face. Victor¡¯s victory. Roars of cheers erupted from the audience. ¡°Woahhhhh!¡± ¡°Victor! Victor! Victor!¡± ¡°Splitting Randel¡¯s sword! He¡¯s faster than Randel?¡± ¡°Maybe the timing was right¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know! It was just great!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this it? The Master of the sword has been decided?¡± Not to mention that Vulcanus¡¯s expression was brighter. Like the face of a child who received a gift. Irene, who saw the fight, softly said. ¡°Indeed, he¡¯s strong.¡± ¡°He¡¯s strong.¡± ¡°Really? How strong?¡± ¡°It would be hard for him to find an opponent among Experts.¡± Georg, who was watching the match, said. Anya, who heard that, tilted her head. ¡°Is that one strong?¡± ¡°¡­ he¡¯s strong.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Really. Think withmon sense. Experts are strong, and they are strong in their own way, there¡¯s nothing to define them by, that means Experts are directly ced in the top 200 on the entire continent.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Anya nodded, not interested. Georg, who watched that, sighed. ¡®It¡¯s because you keep moving around with the captain.¡¯ He didn¡¯t say that out loud. He gave up on convincing Anya and said, ¡°Fine, let¡¯s check it out.¡± ¡°Okay!" This time, she just agreed. Saying that she put her hand in the air. And a golden piggy bank appeared. Its size was so small that it couldn¡¯t bepared to what she showed Irene. And with regret, she said. ¡°Goodbye, my savings.¡± Crack! And it shattered. And a golden line that was only visible to Anya and Georg stretched out towards Victor and Charlotte, who were below the stage. And the golden energy which surrounded them turned red. ¡°They¡¯re the ones we are looking for.¡± ¡°Right. Then leave a mark.¡± ¡°Hm. I don¡¯t want to spend two on the same day.¡± With a distasteful expression, Anya pulled out another piggy bank. It wasn¡¯t Georg¡¯s orders. It was the captain¡¯s orders. A golden line stretched out again, leaving a seal on Charlotte and Victor¡¯s foreheads. Georg, who looked at that, admired it. ¡®No matter how much I think about it, it looks like a scam.¡¯ A piggy bank that grants any wish as long as it doesn¡¯t exceed the value of the saved money. That was Anya¡¯s ability. Chapter 91: Vulcanus’s Numbering Swords (6)

Chapter 91: Vulcanus¡¯s Numbering Swords (6)

¡®Isn¡¯t this a scam?¡¯ Georg touched his chin as he looked at Anya and her golden pig. When he thought about it, there were a lot of conditions attached to it. The fact that Anya¡¯s criteria apply to both the value of money and the weight of the wishes, along with that only money earned by diligently working can be saved, and the wishes can sometimese true in unexpected ways. However, even considering the shorings, it was powerful sorcery. ¡®If it were me, I would have done it without having to choose anything¡­ for her, collecting is more fun.¡¯ He called her grubber, but she never used it for her own gain. ¡°You¡¯re a scammer.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not! I¡¯m a wise sorcerer!¡± ¡°Yes, not so wise sorcerer.¡± ¡°Hehe.¡± ¡®That wasn¡¯t apliment. It was sarcasm.¡¯ Georg sighed. What was he doing with a young child? As he wondered that, he decided to stop talking and wanted to sleep. He had to get the job done quickly. And he said, ¡°Let¡¯s get the work done.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Anya nodded, took out a third pig, and smashed it. A line appeared and then cracked away like it never existed, leaving a mark. However, that wasn¡¯t what they wanted. With a puzzled face, Georg asked. ¡°Wasn¡¯t that supposed to be for Irene Pareira. Why did you send it to the cat?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if it''s Lulu since they stick together.¡± ¡°Since when did one pig equal two? Do both.¡± ¡°No. Doing it for a sorcerer is tough.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Are we done? Let¡¯s go back and take a nap.¡± With his question, the girl in a ck dress began to walk. Standing there silently, Georg shook his head and then followed. ¡°Then, let¡¯s continue the contest.¡± Victor and Randel, who were considered the top swordsmen there, their match was done. The cksmiths who saw Victor¡¯s swordsmanship smiled, and Vulcanus was looking much brighter than before. The contest wasn¡¯t done yet. It was just the beginning. The three cksmiths looked for more inspiration. At that moment, Randel, who stood on the stage, picked up his broken sword. Shhhh! Breathe, concentrate, and strike. Excitement and cheers. Although his sword was broken, Randel still stood tall. He looked sharper when he pointed the sword at Victor. And said, ¡°Vulcanus.¡± ¡°What now?¡± ¡°I¡¯m a loser. I was weaker than Victor and lost.¡± ¡°Right. So what?¡± ¡°This result is only the current one, and the potential of my swordsmanship isn¡¯t inferior to the man in front of me.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Victor looked as if he was wondering what was happening. The atmosphere of the onlookers changed too. It was because Randel looked like he was arguing. But Vulcanus looked at Randel with a faint smile. ¡°So, what is it that you want to say?¡± ¡°I put my future in the sword, and it just unfolded. My orientation, beliefs, and determination¡­ I don¡¯t know if that has been fully passed on to you, but I wanted to say that if you make a sword while thinking of myself 10 years from now, you¡¯ll have good results.¡± Swish! Randel, who retrieved the sword, bowed politely and went down off the stage. The cksmiths, including Vulcanus, were smiling while Victor and Charlotte exchanged nces. They weren¡¯t worried, but it was true that the twins were older than Randel. ¡°A junior swordsman might show that level of ambition.¡± ¡°Right. He didn¡¯t say something he wasn¡¯t supposed to. Because this contest isn¡¯t meant to search for the strongest swordsman.¡± ¡°Right. This is just for inspiration. Nothing else should matter.¡± ¡°Ah, right¡­¡± ¡°Right. Then there is nothing to be afraid of.¡± Charlotte and Victor and the other swordsmen who heard Vulcanus¡¯s words nodded their heads. ?1? That was right. This wasn¡¯t a ce to decide who was the strongest. Rather, it was close to a self-introduction time in front of Vulcanus. Of course, nothing inspires more powerfully than ¡®overwhelming strength,¡¯ but that wasn¡¯t everything. The swordsmen began to worry. What should they do? How should they appeal to their strengths? Some seemed to have found their own answers. The most confident ones stepped onto the stage. Victor said. ¡°You look confident.¡± ¡°To be honest, I can¡¯t beat you. But to make Vulcanus look at me, I have confidence in that and myself.¡± ¡°What? Do you want a sword in the future like Sir Randel? Are you going to call me old too? Will you?¡± ¡°That..¡± ¡°Hahaha! That was a joke. Anyway, let¡¯s get this done.¡± ¡°Yep!¡± ¡°Done talking? Are we starting right away?¡± Victor nodded his head, and the other one did too. The second match began with Vulcanus¡¯ s voice. Again, the results were out right away. Kang! ¡°Ugh!¡± Victor¡¯s sword cut through the opponent¡¯s sword and stopped at the nape of his neck. The rtively young swordsman broke into cold sweat. An eerie re emanated from Victor¡¯s eyes. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. But I have no intentions of losing to a junior.¡± ¡°¡­¡± With Victor¡¯s pressure pouring down to the opponents below the stage as well, the swordsmen who were waiting to battle decreased. Kang! ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Again!¡± ¡°Another blow¡­¡± ¡°What One Blow Randel, he is nothingpared to Victor!¡± ¡°This, I don¡¯t think there will be much difference¡­¡± Thirty minutes have passed since the contest started. It was neither short nor long. There were cases when swordsmen of the same level would meet, and their match would go on for an hour. Of course, that didn¡¯t happen in this day¡¯s contest. Matches thatsted for more than a minute didn¡¯t happen, let alone an hour. It was because Victor, the first on stage, was defeating his opponents with a single blow. Kwang! Sometimes he smashed their swords with his. ng! Sometimes, he overpowered his opponent with a quick blow that was even better than Randel¡¯s. Shhhh! And sometimes, he would y tricks on his opponent by changing the flow of his sword. A skill no one could beat. Kwang! ¡°Kuah!¡± ¡°Anyone elseing up?¡± Victor, who defeated another opponent, asked with a warm smile. No one returned his gaze. The onlookers who saw that shook their heads and said. ¡°It¡¯s over.¡± ¡°I know. No one answered.¡± Only seven swordsmen participated. And among the opponents, there were talented mercenaries with gold cards and good reputations, but none of them could unleash their swords to their hearts¡¯ content. Only Victor continued to prove himself. Due to the intimidation of Victor, who was standing like a mountain, the opponents below began to hide themselves. It was as if the owner of the 10th Numbering Sword had been decided. But that wasn¡¯t true. The eyes of people who looked at the stage went down. And looked at the man below. The gazes increased over time. Charlotte, the man who received the gazes, calmly asked. ¡°Is there no one else apart from me?¡± ¡°Right. No one but you, stop beingzy ande up.¡± ¡°You¡¯re talking to your brother. Sir Randel¡¯s strike seems to have hit your head.¡± ¡°Sir Randel¡¯s strike was terrible. Enough of that,e up. There¡¯s no one else.¡± Charlotte nodded at his younger brother¡¯s words. It was expected. If no one else participated, there was no other variable to find out the owner. The 10th Numbering Sword would be theirs. Of course, Vulcanus didn¡¯t announce anything. However, Charlotte¡¯s high self-esteem didn¡¯t think it was impossible to get the sword. ¡®If we are together, we can even face a Sword Master.¡¯ Charlotte closed his eyes. As he remembered the hardships, he and his brother went through. Who among those who reached the Expert Level waszy? They had trained themselves to death. ¡®Great. Let¡¯s show them properly.¡¯ Show the little dwarf that he¡¯s great enough to give inspiration. Let people know who the owner of the 10th Numbering Sword is! It was when Charlotte, who was determined, moved. A young man caught his eyes. ¡°Irene, are you leaving now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t wait for Georg?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯m interested.¡± Was he twenty? A nice face and blonde hair added to the skin, which looked like the man never suffered. It looked like the man didn¡¯t do a single rough thing in his life. However, Charlotte could see that the man was a swordsman, a skilled one at that. It wasn¡¯t because of the air, the muscles, or the breathing. He just knew. The man¡¯s body felt solid, like it was made of iron. No one else knew, but Charlotte could feel it. ¡®Interesting.¡¯ And amazing. But he didn¡¯t think that he would lose. Once again, it was something he knew. Unless the other man was someone who practiced the sword even in his mother¡¯s womb, Charlotte wouldn¡¯t feel threatened by a swordsman of that young age. Charlotte smiled. Thinking that there was something up with the man. ¡°A talking cat. It¡¯s amazing! Is that your pet?¡± ¡°Ah, she¡¯s my teacher.¡± ¡°¡­what?¡± ¡°My sorcery teacher.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ my bad. I apologize.¡± ¡°I will ept that apology! One could think that if they didn¡¯t know!¡± The cat¡¯s voice came from behind, and Charlotte smiled. Teacher or not, the cat was cute. Seeing that, the young man smiled too. And said, ¡°You wanted to go up on stage first. I will wait down here.¡± ¡°Ah, it¡¯s fine. I was only heading up there as there were no more challengers, but if you want to go, please go ahead. Hey Victor, you fine with that?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. Hehe, a fine young junior¡­¡± Victor was a bit surprised. But he noticed that his brother seemed to have sensed something. Charlotte nodded his head. ¡®Maybe one of the three cksmiths will take a liking to the young man.¡¯ Of course, most didn¡¯t think so. The onlookers looked at the young man slowly ascending the stage with mysterious expressions. The man was too gentle to be a challenger. And young. He didn¡¯t even have anything in his hand. Charlotte. And Victor, too, thought that it was strange. It was when Victor was about to open his mouth and point it out. Vulcanus suddenly jumped out of his chair. And ran up the stage like a crazy dwarf. ¡°Vulcanus?¡± Victor called his name, shocked. But Vulcanus didn¡¯t care. He stared intently at the face of the young blonde. His eyes were so sharp that Victor¡¯s opponent felt burdened, and Victor called out again. ¡°Vulcanus, I¡¯ll start exining what is happe¡­¡± ¡°It has been decided!¡± ¡°Gasp!¡± ¡°Eik!¡± Vulcanus roared. The sound was so loud that people were startled and jumped back. It was like a hammer hitting iron. He grabbed the hands of the young man, Irene Pareira. Andughed. Making everyone confused, but the dwarf didn¡¯t care. In a voice full of excitement, Vulcanus shouted. ¡°It has been decided! The owner of the 10th Numbering Sword is this young man!¡± ?1?Vulcanus¡¯s words¡± refers to what he said when exining the rules in thest chapter, not the words he said just before this. Chapter 92: Vulcanus’s Numbering Swords (7)

Chapter 92: Vulcanus¡¯s Numbering Swords (7)

Turning back time a little, when the party first stepped into Derinku. Irene Pareira thought for a very long time because of Kuvar¡¯s advice. Kuvar said that it was useless, but Irene didn¡¯t think so. Thanks to Kuvar, he decided to travel, and he deepened his sense of his improvements. He nodded and closed his eyes. ¡®What is fighting spirit?¡¯ He didn¡¯t know. He didn¡¯t feel it. That was Irene¡¯s honest thoughts. It was unavoidable. Because he had never once in his life thought of defeating someone. If one looked at it, one would say that during the conflict with Viscount Gairn, Irene had fighting spirit, but it was far from saying that he desired to win. Rather, the emotions he felt were close to the spirit of improvement. It meant that he spent each day with his heart full of the desire to break free from his ugly roots and be a strong son and brother. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ He began to worry. He wasn¡¯t the kind to let things go. The single year of hard work he put in at Krono Swordsmanship School gave him the best experience regarding fighting spirit. Everyone did their best to survive and get ahead of others. Even Judith and Bratt Lloyd were swinging their swords with hearts more passionate than anyone else. It goes without saying that their actions stimted many kids. The problem was¡­ ¡®I''m not one of those many kids.¡¯ Irene sighed. It was unavoidable. At that time, to be honest, he was nothing more than a puppet to the man in his dreams. He spent every day empty, thoughtless, without even knowing why he held the sword. It was a time that the current Irene thought was unfortunate, where everyone did their best. A scene from the midterm evaluation shed in his mind. A strangely good physical condition, a wider field of view, a clearer head, a position far ahead of others¡¯ expectations, and the back of the silver-haired girl running ahead of him. And looking at her, something bloomed in his heart. As soon as he recalled that, Irene realized that he was wrong. ¡®¡­ I felt it. I did!¡¯ He was clearlycking when he was in Krono. The great void which was brought in byck of experience. In a way, it was natural to be swept away by the man in his dreams. But even in the midst of swaying, there was something that warmed the boy¡¯s heart. It meant that there was a time when Irene Pareira existed, and not just as someone¡¯s puppet. It was from then on. Irene focused on the tender embers he found in the past. The feeling he felt when he followed Ilya. The sparks he felt when looking at Bratt Lloyd and Judith. Then there was a heat which he had never felt before. Thus, the embers in his heart gradually grew over the course of three days. Of course, it wasn¡¯t an amazing me or anything. It was still trivial and insignificant in size. But it was good. As Kuvar said, ¡®nothing¡¯ and ¡®small¡¯ arepletely different things. Irene cherished that feeling and went to the contest and then the stage. To face Charlotte. To learn the sword from Victor. To defeat Georg and be the winner! However¡­ ¡°It has been decided! The owner of the 10th Numbering Sword is this young man!¡± Before he could even wield his sword properly, he was the owner of the Numbering Sword. Irene couldn¡¯t hold back his emotions. ¡®No, I don¡¯t need that sword.¡¯ It was the truth. Of course, he would wee it if it was given to him. Isn¡¯t that a sword that can make one a Sword Master? Even if he doesn¡¯t use it, just having it would make one feel great. However, he was standing on the stage to develop more of a fighting spirit andpete with strong swordsmen than acquiring some metal. As a result, Vulcanus¡¯s deration was a bit disappointing. Of course, there were others even more frustrated than him. Victor had overpowered everyone till now. And Charlotte was equal to him in skills. ¡°No, wait¡­ wait a minute. What do you mean!¡± ¡°cksmith! What is this all of a sudden!¡± Victor approached Vulcanus and asked. The same went for Charlotte. He, too, jumped onto the stage in one step and asked for an exnation. It wasn¡¯t just them. The onlookers looking forward to the fight between Charlotte and Victor, too, voiced their anger. ¡°What kind of bullshit!¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t even see his sword. What is he up to! Is this your doing! Aren¡¯t you messing with us?¡± ¡°Who even is that bastard? He looks like some rich kid. Does he even know how to raise a sword!¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t go off of his looks. Even though he looks gentle as if Krono¡­.¡± ¡°Ah, so? He¡¯s stronger than Charlotte and Victor? No, does it make sense to announce it without him even swinging his sword! So stupid¡­¡± ¡°Everyone silence!¡± Silence¡­ silence¡­ silence¡­ All of the people covered their ears at the loud sound. It was because of the magic tool which amplified the sound and the bad temper of Vulcanus. However, the effect was clear. Vulcanus, who saw the crowd go silent, said this. ¡°I said it in the beginning.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t apetition of who is the strongest. This is a contest to see the swordsman who will inspire me.¡± ¡°Vulcanus. You can¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Right. We agree.¡± ¡°¡­ silence. This is a contest to find a swordsman who can inspire me, Pablo and Dwanson.¡± After that, Vulcanus exined. With a bit of gibberish out of anger and excitement too. But the summary was simple. It meant that no swordsman could inspire him as much as the young blonde, Irene Pareira, who was on stage. Hearing that, the audience was dumbfounded. ¡®No, who the hell is the young man¡­¡¯ ¡®He was said to be from Krono Swordsmanship School, but isn¡¯t it too much to give him the Numbering Sword without even seeing him in action?¡¯ ¡®Inspire? He must be going senile.¡¯ ¡®Are the other ones thinking the same?¡¯ Everyone was confused. Pablo and Dwanson came up to the stage and looked at Irene Pareira. They were the same as Vulcanus. They were looking at him everywhere. After that, they exchanged nces and then nodded. And said, ¡°We go with the young man too.¡± ¡°I was trying to avoid ovepping if possible, but I can¡¯t. I''m so greedy.¡± ¡°¡­ so, the contest ends here. You follow me.¡± ¡°Sorry? Ah? ah¡­¡± As soon as Vulcanus was done, he descended to the bottom. Irene couldn¡¯t do anything. Charlotte and Victor¡¯s expressions didn¡¯t look good. Pablo and Dwanson noticed that. Pablo coughed and said. ¡°I''m sorry. Vulcanus only thinks about himself. I don¡¯t know if he ever takes other people¡¯s feelings into ount. I guess you feel bad?¡± ¡°¡­ rather than feeling bad, it''s absurd.¡± ¡°Right. I get that.¡± ¡°Same here.¡± Dwanson worked with Pablo to calm Charlotte and Victor. They added things like ¡®the next time youe, we will provide swords at a low price¡¯ and ¡®I will provide small items such as daggers and belts for free.¡¯ It was fortunate that the duo didn¡¯t make a fuss. Rather, they apologized to Pablo and Dwanson. ¡°Ah, I''m sorry. I think we were too self-concerned and made you ufortable.¡± ¡°I know. We knew that it was a contest¡­¡± ¡°Hehe, thank you.¡± Pablo and Dwanson sighed. They did the same with Irene. Ha! As if they had shaken off the twisted emotions, Victor asked for a handshake with a cool smile. ¡°Congrattions. At first nce, I knew you were an unusual friend, but I didn¡¯t think that you would be the owner of the Numbering Sword.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ hmm¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be so stiff. To be honest, I don¡¯t feel good, but that doesn¡¯t mean I wish bad upon you. Charlotte, you too?¡± ¡°Of course. But, I''m envious.¡± ¡°I am too. I think we bothck discipline.¡± Watching the two surrender to the results, the two cksmiths and one swordsman smiled. When they were being so warm, the onlookers couldn¡¯t even say anything. ¡°Phew, this is how it ends.¡± ¡°Still, I acknowledge Charlotte and Victor¡¯s skills. If it was me, I would beat them up.¡± ¡°If it was you, you wouldn¡¯t even go out there.¡± ¡°No, why are you bringing me to¡­¡± ¡°But, I''m curious. Why on earth did the cksmiths look so excited?¡± ¡°Yes. No matter how I look at him, I don¡¯t see anything special¡­¡± ¡°Was it Irene Pareira?¡± The crowd dispersed while praising Charlotte and Victor, swearing at Vulcanus and curious about Irene Pareira. Randel ncy, who was standing between them, watched Irene Pareira. After the messy contest was done. Irene and his party went to the three cksmiths'' forge. To be precise, they stopped in the middle of the road leading to the forge. It was because the cksmiths who were smiling suddenly broke out into an argument. ¡°No! I was the one who created the contest, so I get to work first!¡± ¡°What nonsense! Aren¡¯t the three of us together?¡± ¡°Then, in seniority¡­¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you be silent?¡± ¡°¡­ what is this?¡± ¡°It looks like they didn¡¯t decide an order among themselves. Amazing.¡± ¡°Amazing?¡± ¡°I never heard of a sword being made like this. I knew that there were swordsmen who had their own custom-made swords, but they weren¡¯t made like this.¡± Irene nodded his head. It was definitely weird. Following them, he heard about what had to be done. To use his power, show his energy, show off his swordsmanship, and fully convey the feeling of him using a sword¡­ ¡®It''s like cooking, where all the ingredients need to be understood in detail.¡¯ Irene thought with a frown. Now he knew. They were coveting the steel-like image of the man in the dreams and not Irene¡¯s real self. ¡°Hm, that could be right.¡± Hearing that, Kuvar nodded. What Irene had wasn¡¯t unusual. But if they were cksmiths, then they worked with fire and metal all their lives, so they could recognize the man in his dreams¡¯ steel will. ¡°What¡­ I get it. You came here to work on the iron and make it your own. However, in the meantime, being treated like this can make one feel bad.¡± ¡°It''s fine.¡± ¡°Right. Don¡¯t worry too much. This is just a workaround. The day will surelye when your embers will melt that iron stake. At that time, no one will be able to treat you like a piece of iron. Hmm, I think this is a bit messy, right? Wait up.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°If you think about it, you don¡¯t actually need a sword. The situation is about what your heart is.¡± ¡°No, we don¡¯t need to bring¡­¡± ¡°It''s fine. Fine. Seeing them, they seemed excited. Even if you ask for a few more swords, they won¡¯t refuse.¡± ¡°Really? Then ask them to make a sword for me.¡± ¡°I want one too.¡± After that, Kuvar intervened with the cksmiths. Lulu looked at him with dazzling eyes. After a while, Kuvar returned with a confident expression and spoke with four fingers up. ¡°The negotiation was sessful. Four extra items have been added.¡± ¡°Did you ask them to make my sword?¡± ¡°Of course. Yours was the first thing I mentioned.¡± ¡°Oh oh oh, that¡¯s amazing.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Irene Pareira shook his head at what his party members just did. Chapter 93: Unexpected Guest (1)

Chapter 93: Unexpected Guest (1)

Again, Vulcanus¡¯s masterpieces, the so-called ¡®Numbering Swords,¡¯ are of great value. The performance of the sword itself was terrific, but the symbolism of ¡®Sword Master¡¯ added the title premium to it. In fact, numerous swordsmen, nobles, and wealthy people contributed a huge sum of money only to obtain the sword if possible. And it wasn¡¯t a sum that ordinary people would guess. It was even a sum that would stun rich people. However, Vulcanus never sold one of the 9 Swords to them. In other words, the Numbering Swords were like relic-ss treasures that couldn¡¯t be obtained with money. However, it wasn¡¯t something that could apply to Irene Pareira. ¡°For, I, the best cksmith on the continent, to hand over the sword for free¡­¡± After negotiating with Kuvar, Vulcanus sighed. He had no choice but to do that. He had never given a sword to anyone for free. When it is said that Vulcanus gave a sword away, it means that he gave away the ¡®right to buy a sword,¡¯ and even the 9 people who took the Numbering Swords had paid a considerable price. They even got loans. However, this time it didn¡¯t seem possible. It was because the Orc, who is excellent at speaking, pointed out his weakness. ¡®It¡¯s a coboration between a cksmith and a swordsman, so we should work together and make a good sword¡­ isn¡¯t this the only option you have?¡¯ ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®Let¡¯s be honest here. You, aren¡¯t you just using Irene to develop past your stagnant skill level?¡¯ ¡®That¡­¡¯ ¡®Pablo and Dwanson. You two are also the same.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ Straightforward words. It isn¡¯t just swordsmen consistently meeting their limits while training or improving. cksmiths, too, continuously aim to improve their skills, and when faced with arge wall, they feel like they will go crazy if they can¡¯t ovee it. And the three were in that kind of situation. They have been slowly nearing ack of ideas for the past 10 years. There have been times when they listened to others, and there were times when they diligently started from the basic lessons. However, everything they did failed. The three cksmiths made no progress, concluding that only a new stimulus would lead them to higher ground. It was for that reason that the tournament was held after calling the entire world. ¡®And it was like a miracle. That young man.¡¯ Right. Meeting the blonde young man could only be called a ¡®miracle.¡¯ The ultimate strength is obtained by smelting, forging, and polishing a mysterious stone whose potential is unknown. And that stone is a human. Furthermore, for them, the human was Irene Pareira. Inspiration seemed to spring up just by looking at Irene. The three, who had worked with metal all their lives, could immediately feel it. If they lose the young man, they will never have an opportunity like this again. That was how the cksmiths felt, and Kuvar made 4 demands. ng! ¡°Hmm. This seems fine.¡± ¡°How is that? I made it light enough for even you, whocks strength, to be able to wield it. The bnce is good, and its beauty wasn¡¯t overlooked either.¡± ¡°Great! This much is enough!¡± ¡°¡­ right.¡± The first demand, the Numbering Sword. The second request was to provide small equipment for Lulu and a sword and armor for Irene, all for free. Irene and his party, especially Irene, were using armor that was far behind their skills. Wearing armor was inconvenient, and it was also because the workshops in the city didn¡¯t satisfy Kuvar¡¯s eyes. Of course, if it came from Vulcanus¡¯s workshop, it was undoubtedly the best. He possessed great ability and was the best in handling leather and metal too. Lulu swung her sword with a smile. ¡°How is this? Does this mean that my role as the guide needs an upgrade?¡± ¡°Ah, right. Kuvar is our great guide.¡± Irene, who wore the leather gear, spoke with a smile. Come to think of it, his rtionship with Kuvar was that of an employer and employee. Of course, that wasn¡¯t the case now. In a way, Kuvar was his third teacher after Ian and Lulu. He never said it out loud, but he admired Kuvar. And Kuvar¡¯s third demand was. ¡°Hello, Irene Pareira. It¡¯s an honor to meet an official trainee of Krono. My name is Khalifa, an apprentice of Vulcanus¡¯s workshop.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± ¡°During Sir Pareira¡¯s stay, I will do my best to inform you of the detailed process of sword making. Feel free to ask me any questions!¡± A young dwarf spoke with a smile and in a cheerful way. He wasn¡¯t rude. Yet, the three cksmiths were looking at the young dwarf. Seeing that, Irene smiled. Right. The reason why Irene had stopped in Derinku before heading to the 5 Western Kingdoms was to observe their work and to train himself. An attempt to refine the iron stake, which was heavily stuck in the middle of his chest. And this was what Kuvar insisted on. Irene learnedter that Kuvar tried to convince the cksmiths who were extremely reluctant to leak their skills. ¡®What do I say? The number of people working for me increased.¡¯ Thank you. Other than that, there was nothing Irene could say. Irene wasn¡¯t good at expressing himself. Therefore, what he could do was to show the best image of himself so that Kuvar¡¯s efforts wouldn¡¯t be in vain. ¡°Phew.¡± Irene closed his eyes and recalled the outline of the forging and crafting process, which he heard about from Khalifa for several days. Gather high-quality ores, smelt them into ingots, and then heat them to forge them into the desired shape. And then polish. There were many more detailed processes, but this was the basic process of making a sword. The entire process wasn¡¯t necessary. The iron stake in Irene¡¯s heart was already pure. And it was made by the Man¡¯s will. It was strong and firm. The process of smelting and refining was unnecessary. Small details like polishing weren¡¯t important either. In other words, what Irene needed now was the fire to melt the iron stake. And then hammering it, hammering it, and more hammering to transform it into the shape of a sword. Irene nodded as he thought about that. A lump of iron that had settled in his heart. A hot me that would soften the metal. And a hard hammer to create the shape. He immediately moved the me in his heart and began to heat it. ¡®Not easy.¡¯ After 10 minutes, Irene frowned. It was strange. It was just an image in his mind, not reality. Which meant that it was a ce with infinite possibilities where one could achieve anything with their imagination. However, the iron in his heart seemed a lot harder than he imagined, and the size of the mes he created was shabbier than he imagined. Efforts to reduce the iron and to ignite the mes were futile. After trying for a while, no results were achieved. Sweat dripped from his cheek despite not moving his body. He was short of breath. A pressure that would make an ordinary person faint. But Irene wasn¡¯t an ordinary person. Maybe he was in the past, but now he was a ¡®hard worker¡¯ without the help of the man in his dreams. While he continued to heat the iron, he struggled to ignite the mes in his heart. No attempt was made to soften the iron. He knew instinctively that he couldn¡¯t do it. One hour, two, and then three hours passed. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± In the end, Irene Pareira, who received no oue, woke up from the mediation and looked exhausted. ¡°Ah¡­ it¡¯s hard, this one.¡± It wasn¡¯t harsh. There was a time when Irene wouldn¡¯t frown despite hard training, but now, he seemed down. It made it even more difficult as there were no results. Of course, he had no intention of simply giving up. ¡®Because I didn¡¯t think that it would get better in a day or two.¡¯ It took a year to be an official trainee of Krono. It took five years to build a sword for his family in the world of sorcery. And this was just the beginning. With a determined expression on his face, Irene left the room and headed for Vulcanus¡¯s forge. Three cksmiths were waiting for him with restless expressions. ¡°Why are you sote!¡± ¡°Right!¡± ¡°No, enough of that, summon the sword first. Quickly!¡± ¡°I¡¯m running out of breath! Get it out quickly!¡± ¡°¡­¡± At the face of Vulcanus, who seemed like he would faint, Irene quickly summoned the great sword and put it on the table. In an instant, their interest shifted to the sword. The cksmiths poured out all kinds of exmations and entered into a deep discussion on how to refine the sword. A clean repair of a crude and old item. That was Kuvar¡¯s fourth request. ¡°Huh. What kind of metal is this? Even if it was made from sorcery, how can it be this strong¡­¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t even scratching. We can¡¯t even change anything apart from the scratch that it already has on it.¡± ¡°How. How can we do¡­ if we can handle this even a little, we¡¯ll be closer to the God of cksmiths.¡± (*) Regardless of their words, the cksmiths were weing the sword. It was natural. The reason they wanted Irene in the first ce wasn¡¯t because they were interested in Irene but because of the will of the man in his dreams, which rested within Irene. And the great sword is an object that could be called an alter ego of the man. For cksmiths, the sword was like an irreceable treasure. However, it was difficult for Irene to erase the bitter feeling which was rising inside him. As the best cksmiths on the continent were looking at the great sword, which couldn¡¯t be polished even with their best efforts, Irene thought that it would be impossible to trim down the iron stake in his heart. ¡®¡­ it will be fine.¡¯ Irene closed his eyes. And took a slow deep breath. It was fine. Making the impossible possible and doing things beyondmon sense. He¡¯s already done that. ¡®I¡¯ll try something. Even with the fire in my heart.¡¯ With a hot feeling ticking in his heart, Irene¡¯s breathing too became hotter than before. One month after Irene and his party arrived in Derinku. Vulcanus was unable to make the Numbering Sword. It was because his mind was confused by the intricately entangled feelings of inspiration that continued to spring up and the sense of shame given by the fact that he couldn¡¯t handle the great sword. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I think it will be difficult to make it right now.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°1 Year! 1 year, just give me that time! I will trap the enlightenment within me and make the best sword! The greatest masterpiece in Vulcanus¡¯s life, better than the sword you showed me!¡± ¡°Me too! This time I n to take the title of the best cksmith on the continent!¡± ¡°Who gave you the right! I¡¯m the¡­¡± ¡°Shut up! The best on the continent is me, now and in the future too!¡± ¡°¡­ then, I will aim for next year!¡± ¡°I believe in you. Stay strong! Cheery people!¡± With Lulu¡¯s cheerful goodbye, Irene and his party left the city. They didn¡¯t get the Numbering Sword, but there was no regret. They received the best equipment one could get and established a friendly rtionship with the best cksmiths on the continent. But more importantly, the motivation for his goal was bing stronger. In less than half a month, Irene had gained a sense of improvement and realized what fighting spirit was. He learned how to practice imagery, and his desire to control the will of the man in his dreams grew greater. Two hours after leaving the city, he looked up. The clear blue sky of early autumn conveyed a refreshing feeling. And a sense offort was on the faces of Lulu and Kuvar. ¡­ it wasn¡¯t long before he felt that. ¡°¡­¡± Irene lowered his head and stared into the distance. A shape that was like a small dot. However, it got closer as time went on. The gazes of Lulu and Kuvar, too, looked at it. And Lulu said. ¡°Dangerous. I smell blood.¡± Irene nodded his head. He knew what it meant. The stench emanated from a greedy heart that resembled a monster¡¯s. And his eyes turned cold. He waited for the cool rage to rise like a monster beneath the surface. Eventually, two people arrived in front of them. It was Charlotte and Victor. ¡°Let¡¯s talk for a moment.¡± Chapter 94: Unexpected Guest (2)

Chapter 94: Unexpected Guest (2)

Charlotte and Victor were a famous duo that no mercenary wouldn¡¯t know. It wasn¡¯t just about being socially good or giving a good impression. The good deeds they had done over the past 40 years couldn¡¯t be counted. Subduing a goblin tribe for poor southern territories. Dealing with monsters who threatened small towns without being paid. There have been times where the two attacked a dungeon where a demon was lurking. In the process, many had lost their lives. Because they weren¡¯t as strong as them. However, Charlotte and Victor survived all their hardships and became two of the strongest mercenaries in the world. And respected by swordsmen. ¡®For them¡­ to do this?¡¯ That was why Kuvar was unable to believe the current situation. Of course, their intentions were unknown. And they could simply be trying to talk. It would be more usible for them to go separate ways after talking about each other¡¯s well-being. No. It can¡¯t be that simple. Even without the senses of sorcerers like Lulu and Irene, Kuvar could tell. The expressions on Charlotte and Victor''s faces gave off dangerous vibes like they would do anything to get what they wanted. And what they want is¡­ ¡®It has to be the Numbering Sword. I¡¯m sure.¡¯ Kuvar thought to himself. Only they knew that thepletion of the sword had been dyed. It was natural for others to think that Irene already had the sword. Which meant it was natural for a robber to appear. And this happened because Kuvar didn¡¯t think it through. He let out a long sigh and asked. ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s just talk. And aren¡¯t you standing too far away¡­e closer to us.¡± ¡°I think this distance is appropriate.¡± ¡°Heh hehe, so upsetting. Didn¡¯t we even share a drink in Derinku?¡± ¡°We did. But right now we are in a hurry, we don¡¯t have time to talk. Let¡¯s pick up the conversationter.¡± ¡°No, we need to talk now.¡± ¡°Right. We did a lot of hard work for you, really a whole lot of work.¡± ¡°What is that¡­. Euk!¡± Kuvar groaned. Even Irene and Lulu went stiff. It was because Victor took out a man¡¯s head from his backpack. His wide eyes looked like he never thought he was going to die. Randel ncy. A man well known as ¡®One strike Randel.¡¯ ¡°We worked hard to get rid of countless thieves like him. But we get treated so harshly¡­. This is so unfair. It¡¯s really bad.¡± Victor said with a nice man''s smile. However, his eyes weren¡¯t smiling. It was a cold gaze. Lulu jumped off Kuvar¡¯s shoulder and spoke angrily. ¡°So! What nonsense! Stop with the bullshit and tell us the truth!¡± ¡°Haha, our cute friend is also in a hurry. But we, too, are in a hurry. Our hearts are in a hurry too.¡± ¡°Give us the Numbering Sword.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t have it! It wasn¡¯t finished yet. It doesn¡¯t even exist now!¡± Lulu answered. To what was now a voice full of evil intent rather than anger, but what Lulu said was the truth they had to believe. Charlotte and Victor, who were greedy, didn¡¯t ept that. Theyughed. Their faces, which had an arrogant look, turned into bizarre expressions. It was like a marble that had been in the fire for a long time, hot and raging. Lulu, could feel the hair on her body rise and took a step back. Kuvar, too, did the same. Only Irene remained still. A force that couldn¡¯t be ignored was flowing from his body. ¡°Hmmm.¡± When Victor saw that, he narrowed his eyes. However, it was only for a short moment. Returning to the eerie eyes, he said. ¡°Don¡¯t y around with us. Give us the Numbering Sword and Pablo and Dwanson¡¯s swords. Maybe you are hiding it with sorcery, but it¡¯s of no use.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t lie about sparing you all. Without pain, I¡¯ll kill you all in one strike. But if we don¡¯t get the sword, we won''t have a choice but to spend time tiring each other out.¡± ¡°Do you guys think you can get away with this? To covet a sword which was given to a specific person! At that, a sword made by Vulcanus, it will be wanted, and if you covet it from its owner, the entire continent will search for it!¡± ¡°Thank you for your concern. But we are fine. Because we aren¡¯t the only ones aiming for the sword. As you can see, Randel and many more men want the sword. You will be victims because of the sword, and then slowly, the whereabouts of the Numbering Sword will disappear.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But no one will suspect us. Excluding this¡­ we did a lot of good things for people.¡± ¡®I was wrong. This can¡¯t be solved with words.¡¯ Hearing Victor¡¯s words, Kuvar clenched his fists. There was no way to avoid it. A fight was bound to happen. However, their chance of winning was slim. Charlotte and Victor were known to face Sword Masters and win. Which meant that one of them was enough to overwhelm Irene. Of course, there was Lulu and him, but they weren¡¯t good atbat, and no matter how much they thought¡­ ¡°I have a question.¡± It was when Kuvar was in thought. Irene, who had been silent till then, spoke. Charlotteughed dryly. Just as he was about to tell Irene to not waste any more time, he saw Irene¡¯s expression harden. ¡°¡­¡± The strange feeling that he felt the first time he met Irene in the contest. An unparalleled power. Feeling a little ufortable, Charlotte said something through his eyes, and Victor respected his brother¡¯s judgment. At that, Irene asked. ¡°Were all the things that you said in Derinku lies?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The things about subjugating goblins for vigers in the southern jungle and fighting demons while putting your life on the line and never receiving properpensation¡­ was that all to manage your reputation?¡± It was a simple question, but it could be called a stupid question too, depending on the way the listener took it. A question that had nothing to do with the current situation and why the person asked the question could make the person ufortable depending on the person. However, it was important for Irene. He remembered what happened in Derinku. Charlotte and Victor met them by chance. Kuvar knew about their good deeds, and the duo exined them in a bar with shy faces, and even Lulu apuded them. At that time, the twins looked really happy. Back then, it seemed like there was no way they would act like they are now. So he was curious. Why? Why were such strong people doing this to get the swords? ¡°So, with such expressions¡­ you who spoke about your past good deeds, exin why you are doing this now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t answer me, you won¡¯t get the Numbering Sword even if you kill me. Never.¡± Swoosh! Clench! After speaking, Irene summoned his sword and put it on the ground. The crude and hard-looking greatsword seemed to represent his heart. Charlotte and Victor exchanged nces. Irene meant what he said. Charlotte nodded as if it meant to answer. Looking down for a moment as if to choose his words, he then raised his head. And he confided his thoughts. ¡°Because we did all that. Vulcanus¡¯s Numbering Sword is more important.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you talking?¡± ¡°That, is that all?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s all. Why? Did you think something was up?¡± Charlotte asked. His eyes seemed to ask what Irene was expecting from them. However, Irene couldn¡¯t speak. It was because he couldn¡¯t understand. Managing toe to his senses, he said. ¡°Just because of that?¡± ¡°Just?¡± ¡°Yes. Just. Just for that sword¡­ it¡¯s more precious than the way you¡¯ve lived your life so far, so precious that it doesn¡¯t matter if you betray all those who you saved with your own hands?¡± ¡°The Numbering Sword is not just a sword!¡± Cutting into Charlotte and Irene¡¯s conversation, Victor shouted. Kuvar and Lulu covered their ears. It was full of energy, and the sound was loud, but the emotion in the voice hurt their hearts. And he went on. ¡°It¡¯s been 20 years since we faced that wall. To be an Expert even now. It has been over 30 years. There is nothing I didn¡¯t challenge to break down the wall, and there is nothing that I didn¡¯t encounter. Still, the wall never broke. Me and my brother are still locked in hell.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t just us. Countless swordsmen struggled for decades because they couldn¡¯t cross thest wall to reach the Sword Master Level, risking their lives, risking their lives for one thing. The weight we carry, the pain we endure¡­ you don¡¯t know. A young kid like you who has never seen anything will never know.¡± Srnng! Victor drew his sword. His eyes were red like blood, and vicious energy emanated from his body. So did Charlotte. Their faces changed. They didn¡¯t look like humans anymore. The same went for their eyes. The mes around them were hotter than those in Irene''s heart. He knew. It wasn¡¯t a lie when they said they would risk their lives to get the sword. However, that fire. Irene wasn¡¯t jealous of it. ¡®It¡¯s different.¡¯ Irene remembered. His ssmates, including Ilya, Bratt, and Judith, whom he had worked with five years ago, and Lance Peterson, who he met again a few months ago. The light of his friends was much warmer and more dazzling than the mes burning in front of him now. Theirs were healthy and beautiful mes that warmed the hearts of onlookers and beholders. The ones in front of him were different. The appearance of them burning themselves with desire and obsession looked no different from demons. ¡®It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t understand.¡¯ He recalled the past again. After the final evaluation, Bratt Lloyd, the sight of his gloomy appearance and burdens which kept piling up unresolved, but he came back and was now ahead of Irene. Bratt never made any excuse for his situation. Swish! Irene drew his sword. The energy he had been controlling until now vibrated around his body. Charlotte and Victor¡¯s eyes widened. Their opponent¡¯s power seemed much greater than they thought. The power that Irene was borrowing now was the power that came from someone who had endured pain much longer than the twins. More lonely. More suffering. The man¡¯s will, which was not corrupted even though he had the most miserable timepared to any swordsman. Wooong! Listening to the quiet sound of the sword, Irene released everything he had been holding back. He couldn¡¯t help it. He didn¡¯t desire to be swept away by the man in his dreams, but in order to break through the current crisis, he couldn¡¯t find any other way. Irene chose the lesser evil. The aura of steel spread out. Charlotte and Victor looked tense at the force, which was heavy, like metal pouring onto them. Irene, as well as Kuvar and Lulu, who were next to him, were getting ready for the fight that would soon begin. Tension as if everyone was walking on ss shards. But the sound which came wasn¡¯t that of swords colliding. p! p! p! ¡°Woah! Woah!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Georg, look here! Did you see it? It¡¯s even better now! It''s a lot stronger!¡± ¡°¡­ be quiet.¡± The apuse came from somewhere, followed by the voice of a girl and a man. Startled, Charlotte and Victor turned their heads. So did Irene¡¯s party. All five pairs of eyes focused in one direction. What caught their eyes was a cute girl in dark makeup and a ck dress and a grey-haired swordsman with strong air around him. A woman in a ck uniform slowly walked out of a golden portal. Kuvar, who figured out her identity, was shocked. ¡°¡­!¡± From a member of Krono to a captain of mercenaries. A person who went from being a mercenary leader to an honorary knight and then given the position of themander of knights, only three people did that in the kingdom. I Crescentia. She moved her long jet-ck hair and pulled out her sword. Chapter 95: Unexpected Offer (1)

Chapter 95: Unexpected Offer (1)

Unlike in the past, the current world has narrowed the gap between social statuses. It was because, while fighting demons and demonic beasts for hundreds of years, people realized that one¡¯s ability is more important than their bloodline. Themoners, who were thought of as heroes 400 years ago, established swordsmanship schools all over the continent and developed their own swordsmanship. And that line continued in this way and yed a great role during therge-scale invasion of demons 150 years ago, and the treatment ofmoners improved once again. Of course, it was still difficult to surpass the dignity of royalty and nobles, but people like Ian and Khun, who were two major forces on the continent, gave hope to many people. A person who believed that growing up was I, or Count I Crescentia. No, it wasn¡¯t enough for her to just be granted a glorious surname from the Holy Kingdom. The young swordsman was also given the position ofmander of the Red Knights. The greatest talent of the present time, who reached the status of Master at the age of 20. One of the three people given a Numbering Sword 10 years ago. Upon her appearance, the entire air around them changed. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Charlotte, Victor, and Irene, who looked at each other like they would kill the other, all focused on I¡¯s movement. A woman of not veryrge stature moved lightly and gave off a hot and heavy pressure as if a volcano was approaching. She swung her sword, the 9th Numbering Sword of Vulcanus, like a toy and ced it on her shoulder. Her eyes were on Charlotte and Victor. And, a deep voice for a woman resounded. ¡°Charlotte and Victor.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I will give you a chance to speak.¡± ¡°¡­ what do you mean a chance to speak.¡± ¡°Count Crescentia, did youe all the way here looking for us? How¡­¡± Charlotte and Victor seemed to know I. It was natural. At such a young age, there was only one swordsman who could exude such pressure. They were even more certain since the person had such an elegant figure. The two looked at each other. I didn¡¯t even respond to their question. yfully bouncing the sword on her shoulder, she repeated the same question. ¡°I will ask one more time. Charlotte and Victor. If there are any words you want to say, pour them out now. This will be yourst chance.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The twins stayed silent. It wasn¡¯t just that. The two of them stared at Irene and his party for a moment and then exchanged nces and turned towards I with their sword pointed at her. They couldn¡¯t help it. From the moment she appeared from the portal, the mysterious portal, I¡¯s eyes oozed anger. And her pressure was so strong that anyone would get tired. How could they oppose her? They didn¡¯t know. However, if they stayed still, they would lose their lives. A white haze glowed from the two swords that had decided to fight. Shhh! Aura manifestation. And focus. A skill which could be demonstrated by those who reached the level of Sword Expert, and it was a method of increasing instant destructive power. However, very few swordsmen used it because, unlike the Aura Sword, all the energy gathered would get wasted with one strike as focus gives out. It was a ssic example of high risk and low return. Nevertheless, they were using the technique to stop the Aura Sword. And they did that because the opponent was a ¡®Master.¡¯ ¡°Phew.¡± ¡°Ph¡­¡± Tension was crawling up their entire bodies, which were getting ready to use the sword. The eyes of the twins who devoted their lives to the sword were focused on I. She looked at them with a nk expression and then swung her sword. When Charlotte and Victor were stunned at the action, I said. ¡°You both.¡± Swish! ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Must have a tragic ending.¡± Kwang! After saying that, I stomped her foot. The ground exploded below her foot as if it was hit by magic, and the ck-haired girl moved. A red aura swirled around her body like a whirlpool. Seeing the opponente at them, Victor shed his sword strongly. It was an instinctive action that suddenly came out, all thanks to the years of sword training. I hit it with the back of her left hand. Tang! ¡°What¡­!¡± Punch! ¡°Kuak!¡± And hit Victor in the stomach with her right foot. That wasn¡¯t the end. Kwang! I, who went after the opponent in one leap, moved. Victor coughed up blood and retreated back, and then the same thing happened three more times. In a sorrowful voice, Charlotte yelled. ¡°Victorrr!¡± Kwang! Charlotte followed. Although his speed was lower than that of his opponent, he had no choice but to try and catch up with I, who was kicking Victor. Charlotte caught up in three leaps and delivered a blow. Although he was inferior, his destructive power was so great that it could beparable to a Sword Master. But it was all in vain. Whoop! I turned back and waved her arm. Unlike Victor, who only stepped back, Charlotte¡¯s sword bounced away. Blood dripped from his torn hand. And tears fell. The twins looked at each other. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Silence. It was Victor who broke it. His appearance, which was giving out more than a killing intent, crossed the river of no return. I turned casually and kicked Victor. Kwak! Victor¡¯s neck broke, and he died. Seeing that, I said. ¡°To die from being hit with bare hands, how miserable.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Once again, silence spread. Kuvar, Lulu, and even Irene Pareira, who were half-conscious trying not to get caught up with the demon energy from Charlotte and Victor, shut their mouths. Charlotte was no exception. His expression crumbled. Next, I would turn ande towards him, who was standing still after giving his all in life. After everything he built, he would now be denied by the woman and finally copse. Thud! He knelt down, lowered his head, and spoke. The content was different, but it was the same story. It was of the evil he had done. I, who heard it, calmed down while Kuvar and Lulu frowned. Irene was just dumbfounded. It was only now that he realized that Charlotte and Victor had lost their humanity long before he met them. ¡°Stop!¡± I said. A strangely warm voice. Charlotte¡¯s continuous confession stopped. I squatted down to his level and forcibly lifted the man¡¯s head. Their eyes met. Apletely different situation than before, Charlotte looked at the ck-haired woman with a glimmer of hope. Suddenly, I questioned. ¡°How was my body? Charlotte.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Tell me. How was the atmosphere when I arrived?¡± ¡°¡­ noble?¡± Charlotte pondered for a moment and then spoke. His body and mind were too tired to think of anything else. I smiled contently. Nodding her head, she got up from the ground and raised her foot, and mmed it down. Crash! Charlotte also died. Anya, who had been silent till then, picked up her sword and ran for her. ¡°Captain! Captain! Here is your sword!¡± ¡°Good.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll clean your shoes too!¡± ¡°Thank you. I will pay you for it.¡± ¡°Oh yes! I will work hard!¡± I Crescentia, who sat on a rock, stuck her feet out for Anya, who was polishing her shoes. To Georg, who was staring, I said. ¡°Did you hear it?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°What I asked Charlotte. I¡¯ll ask again. Did you hear it?¡± ¡°Yes, I did.¡± ¡°Huhuhu.¡± She smiled at Georg¡¯s shaky reply. ¡°Look. I was praised for looking like a noble. It meant that I had the air which wasparable to the nobles of a kingdom.¡± ¡°Is that pleasing you that much? You have been living in the Holy Kingdom for 3 years now. It¡¯s time to throw away your old way of speaking.¡± ¡°Huhu, huhuhu¡­.¡± ¡°Haha, hahaha!¡± Georg smiled, but I didn¡¯t mind his words. In front of her, Anya burst out in clearughter. It was a situation that would make oneugh out loud. However, Kuvar, who had been watching it from beginning to end, couldn¡¯t speak. ¡®¡­ strong.¡¯ There was no mercy in the hands of I Crescentia. The ck Knights were a group formed to exterminate demons and demonic monsters and beings, which the Holy Kingdom calls evil. It seemed like Charlotte and Victor had made some mistakes in the past. What really surprised Kuvar was that I¡¯s skills were far greater than the rumors which spread around. ¡®Of course, I didn¡¯t think that Charlotte and Victor would be opponents for a Sword Master, but¡­¡¯ However, it was true that the duo was strong enough to bring down Experts. Since they were twins, he thought it wouldn¡¯t be impossible for them to hold out a few minutes. But, I crushed them with her bare hands. Less than about 30 Sword Masters could do that. ¡®Of course, I don¡¯t know the Master¡¯s world in detail¡­¡¯ That wasn¡¯t important. Kuvar bit his lip. He was d that Charlotte and Victor were dealt with. However, in front of them was I Crescentia, an even more terrifying being. And their fate was in her hands. Of course, he didn¡¯t think that themander of a group of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s knights would act tyrannically for no reason, but¡­ It was when he thought that. Irene Pareira, who had the same expression as Kuvar, approached I. They couldn¡¯t stop him. But by the time Kuvar noticed, he was in front of her. And said, ¡°How could you do that?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°How can you act like you are full of confidence when killing people?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not being sarcastic. I asked because I¡¯m genuinely curious¡­ if that sounded rude, I apologize.¡± At that, Kuvar and Lulu, as well as Georg and Anya, opened their eyes wide. It was an inevitable question. ¡®She is great.¡¯ Like Kuvar, Irene was impressed by her. However, the part which shocked him was not her skill. But the ¡®confidence¡¯ which came out of every action. Murder, an act humans are bound to be reluctant to do, but I acted like it had to be done. She looked so confident that even Irene thought ¡®it was the right thing to do.¡¯ Not just because it was Charlotte and Victor, but if anyone was in their ce, Irene would have thought that. It felt like the existence of I made it possible for the viewers to think that killing was fine. ¡®I can¡¯t do that.¡¯ So he asked. Face to face. She was different from him, who carried thousands of worries, regrets, and hesitation in every action. What would her reason be? The answer was out. ¡°Irene Pareira.¡± ¡°¡­ you know my name?¡± ¡°As of today, I appoint you as a member of the ck Knights of Avilius, the Holy Kingdom.¡± Chapter 96: Unexpected Offer (2)

Chapter 96: Unexpected Offer (2)

¡°¡­¡± Hearing the words from I Crescentia, Kuvar gulped. Lulu, too, looked at Irene with tense eyes. The ck Knights are the third-ranked knights of the Holy Kingdom, Avilius, and they are a bit inferior to the White and Red Knights, which have a long history. However, it was just the rank within the nation. No one on the continent would ignore the members of the ck Knights. The Holy Kingdom is the oldest kingdom in the world. A ce that has protected the continent as a sacred shield throughout its long history. A ce that produced the most heroes and defeated the most demons. Thus, it was a ce that was respected all around the world. To be a member of the ck Knights means to be a member of such a ce. It was no exaggeration to say that it would be a swordsman¡¯s or knight''s greatest honor. ¡®But, isn¡¯t this too sudden?¡¯ Irene definitely had talent. His swordsmanship skills are so great that he can¡¯t find an opponent his age, and he has a nice personality. Although he is indecisive due to hisck of experience, he¡¯s good enough to consider taking him in from I¡¯s point of view, as experience can be gradually filled. However, Kuvar never heard of a member being appointed without the proper procedure. ¡®She isn¡¯t asking for a mercenary, but a knight!¡¯ Has she still not given up her mercenary captain habits? Seeing Georg and Anya calling her ¡®captain¡¯ rather than mander,¡¯ Kuvar thought that it could be the case. Irene thought the same. I, a name he heard a lot. The continent¡¯s greatest genius, heartless, cold-hearted swordsman. That was the feeling he got from what Ilya Lindsay said and the rumors he heard. However, there were no rumors about her being a reckless person. ¡°¡­ I refuse.¡± ¡°Sharp as a knife. What is it that you dislike?¡± ¡°Rather than saying I dislike¡­¡± ¡°Wait, listen. The Holy Kingdom is a much better ce than you think.¡± I raised her hand, cutting off Irene, and spoke about the strengths of Avilius. Irene didn¡¯t care. Even thezy noble knows how great the Holy Kingdom is and what it means to be a pdin there. However, the words which came out of I¡¯s mouth werepletely out of line. ¡°The Holy Kingdom is freer regarding sex than you think.¡± ¡°Sorry? ¡°It isn¡¯t a ce that emphasizes stuffy, stupid, innocence, and pure white character like outsiders think. It¡¯s often misunderstood, and young talented ones are reluctant toe to the kingdom.¡± ¡°¡­ that doesn¡¯t matter.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter?¡± I, who said that looked at Georg. ¡°That guy said that he wouldn¡¯t join the knights because of that.¡± ¡°¡­ please don¡¯t talk to me about that, captain.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± ¡®I can¡¯t figure her out.¡¯ Kuvar thought. When she killed Charlotte and Victor, there was no one more terrifying than her, but when she joked around, she seemed like an ordinary woman. Thanks to her rtively young appearance and tone of voice, she actually felt cute. Fortunately, I¡¯s attitude towards Irene was friendly. ¡°Hmm. There are many other advantages, but when I say them, they don¡¯t exactlye out smoothly. Please understand that I¡¯m not good at talking. Hmm, so the biggest advantage is¡­¡± If she was socially adept, she couldn¡¯t have continued such a soft atmosphere after killing people. It was different, and I¡¯s current appearance was clearly far from the harsh rumors. ¡®Still, I don¡¯t think Irene will enter the Holy Kingdom.¡¯ Kuvar looked at Irene. A humble and fragile young manpared to his skills. A person who is so gentle that he wondered about how he lived until now. And when it came to stubbornness, Kuvar would agree that he was. What he knew about Irene was right. And if he doesn¡¯t understand the offer, he would never follow it. No matter who said it. That was what Kuvar knew about Irene. At least, until he finds a way to control the iron stake in his heart, he won¡¯t want to belong anywhere. Then, the important part was how he would reject the offer from I¡­. ¡°I apologize, but no matter how you try to convince me, I can¡¯t ept your offer. Because I have something to do.¡± ¡®I knew this would happen.¡¯ Kuvar sighed in relief. It was unavoidable. I said that she wasn¡¯t talkative, but in her view, Irene was even less talkative. Kuvar¡¯s heart skipped a beat at the way Irene had conveyed his intentions. Fortunately, I didn¡¯t seem to be angry. Still, in the same posture, she sat on the rock and looked at Irene. And time passed. 10 seconds 20 seconds 30 seconds. And 1 minute. A short time passed. It should be normal, but it was ufortably long, considering it came in the middle of the conversation. Kuvar was puzzled, but Lulu said with a tense voice. ¡°She¡¯s looking into him.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°She¡¯s looking inside Irene. Just like Georg¡­¡± At that moment, I, who looked at Irene, opened her mouth. ¡°I heard that there was a man with a lump of iron in his heart.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t believe it at first. I¡¯ve seen people with grudges, pride, and vanity but I¡¯ve never heard of someone with iron in them. But the moment I arrived in Derinku and saw you, I knew that Georg¡¯s report was true.¡± Irene¡¯s breathing became rough. His hands were bing sweaty. This wasn¡¯t the first time someone managed to see the iron inside him. Sword Master Ian, Lulu, and Kuvar managed to see it with their sharp eyes. Georg¡¯s gaze was sharp too, and he must have ryed the information. Irene remembered that he was nervous then too. However, now, he was feeling suffocated. Her eyes gave him a sense of dread as if he was an animal in a ss tube being observed. ¡°I got interested. No, it was more than that. It¡¯s a piece of iron, enough to make the arrogant Vulnacus drool¡­ I couldn¡¯t help but want to covet it too. However, there was also the thought that nothing can be done if it wasn¡¯t forged. Right? You can¡¯t do what you want with this metal in your heart. However¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Seeing you here, it looks like you haven¡¯t be the ¡®master of iron¡¯ yet.¡± Whoops! A fierce fire poured out from I¡¯s sword. It was an Aura Sword. A red and dark aura, as if it wasva. A drop of sweat ran down Irene¡¯s forehead. ck uniform. ck hair. ck eyes. I Crescentia¡¯s appearance was all ck. There was no ce on her that wasn¡¯t dark. It was as if one was looking at a mirror made of obsidian. While looking in her eyes, Irene wanted to run again. He couldn¡¯t raise his sword. And he felt himself being swayed. ¡°I will say it again. Irene Pareira, I appoint you as a member of the ck Knights. This is an order, not an offer.¡± ¡°¡­ I decline.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you? You have no choice. It¡¯s very tiring to see you get swept away by the force which you will never control and make¡­¡± ¡°He said he¡¯s noting, you witch! Irene can ovee it! He¡¯s nothing like you!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°He¡¯s so nice and so strong, and he¡¯s even getting stronger! Even if you don¡¯t help, he can get over it on his own!¡± I turned to the cat, which was talking. She smiled and said. ¡°ck cat. I like it. The ck color and the cat too.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter if you like me or not! Irene is not going anywhere! If Irene says he doesn¡¯t like it, then ept it and leave!¡± ¡°Haha! Georg, oh my. Look at the beast. It¡¯s so fun.¡± I said. As if she was happy looking at Lulu, her eyes smiled. However, Lulu didn¡¯tugh. ¡®I¡¯m scared.¡¯ For a brief moment, their eyes met. But her body was already shaking. Her throat, which was dry from shouting, also went silent, and she couldn¡¯t speak. Only then did Lulu realize that there was a reason Irene couldn¡¯t speak properly. It was a great thing to just stand up like that. At that time, I¡¯s pressure disappeared. ¡°I don¡¯t like this.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± At her words, everyone except for Anya was puzzled. She said she was happy a moment ago when she saw Lulu. Now she¡¯s saying negative stuff. Of course, no one cared about that. She continued. ¡°You act as if I¡¯m doing something wrong? I¡¯m trying to help him handle the steel he can¡¯t handle properly.¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯m trying.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe that.¡± ¡°Sword Master Ian saw me. My parents, my sister, and Kuvar and Lulu here, they all believe in me, so I believe in myself too.¡± I¡¯s eyes widened for a moment. It was because of Ian. Even for her, the owner of Krono wasn¡¯t someone who could be ignored. However, even that name couldn¡¯t break the will of the ck Knights¡¯ Commander, who is the greatest genius on the continent. ¡°There you go again. Don¡¯t depend on the power of others. Irene Pareira, all you have to show is your own abilities. It¡¯s no use trying to convince me with a thousand words unless you can prove it.¡± ¡°I will prove it.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°I will prove that I have the power to control the steel in my heart.¡± Silence passed. It was because no one expected Irene to say such cool words. Even more so for I. The Irene she saw was a child, swaying to and fro under the weight of the sword. And now, he seemed confident. She asked. ¡°Tell me how you can prove it?¡± ¡°There is a knight called Hill But in the Hale Kingdom. His fighting spirit that came from ughtering numerous demonic beasts is as ferocious as a demon. It was enough to stimte the iron in my heart.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Even Count Crescentia, if it¡¯s possible, I¡¯ll show you that I will not be swept away any longer.¡± The silence was even deeper this time. Kuvar, Lulu, Georg, and Anya looked at Irene speechless. And then looked at I. They saw the brightest smile on her face. As she said. ¡°Can I take that as you want to fight with swords?¡± Irene Pareira nodded and summoned his greatsword. As he said, ¡°Irene Pareira of the 27th batch of Krono is asking Commander I Crescentia of the Holy Kingdom for a duel.¡± Chapter 97: Unexpected Offer (3)

Chapter 97: Unexpected Offer (3)

Four humans, an orc and a cat, gathered on a piece ofnd where there were few trees, rocks, and clouds. That alone was a strange sight, but their actions were even more bizarre. Tododod! ¡°Captain! Captain! I got the corpses! Praise me!¡± ¡°You did great. You are a hundred, no a thousand times better than that stupid Georg.¡± ¡°¡­¡± A girl was casually collecting corpses, and a beautiful woman was praising her actions, and a man was looking at it as if it was a daily thing. Whoop! Whoop! Whoop! A young blonde with no regard for those three was wielding his sword to stretch his body. The other two didn¡¯t say anything. The Orc with tattoos on his arms, and a flying cat, were unique in their own way. One of the unique ones, Kuvar, an Orc Spiritualist. Said. ¡°There has to be¡­¡± His voice was weak, and he had an expression full of concern. He saw the energy of Irene, which was released in front of the corrupt Charlotte and Victor. The air became so cold that it was iparable to the one shown in Alhad. ¡®If she is themander of the ck Knights of the Holy Kingdom, she must have killed a lot of demons. If she put her mind to it, she could actually look like a demon in front of us.¡¯ Would Irene be able to withstand such a person? He wasn¡¯t sure. To him, Lulu said. ¡°Kuvar, believe in him.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Irene is a thoughtful and frustrated child, but he isn¡¯t the type who can¡¯t keep his words. He said those words because he¡¯s confident.¡± ¡°¡­ right. You¡¯re right.¡± Kuvar nodded and looked at Irene. His eyes were filled with trust in the man. But something happened, which the two didn¡¯t expect. ¡®Can I do this?¡¯ Irene Pareira, wasn¡¯t too sure of himself. Actually, it was normal to think that. If there was another way, Irene would not have gone on the continental trip in the first ce. Then, why did he ask for a duel with I Crescentia? It was out of anger. ¡®It¡¯s strange. Why was I so angry?¡¯ At first, he thought it was because of Ilya Lindsay. He remembered what she said. The story she told after the final evaluation. The person that Ilya was aiming to catch up with, a goal Ilya had to ovee at all costs. That existence was in front of his eyes, and as if that wasn¡¯t enough, she was asking for him to be a member of her knights. The moment he ended up getting lost in the situation, he thought that he would never be able to see Ilya if he let this woman dominate him. But that wasn¡¯t it. The more he warmed up for the match, the more he swung the sword, the more his heart realized that that wasn¡¯t true. He realized that that wasn¡¯t the reason, and it was only after a few minutes that he realized he was angry with I. ¡®Why?¡¯ Irene pondered. He wasn¡¯t the kind to get angry. Even if he heard harsh words, even when peopleughed at him, he never acted out. It was the same in Krono when he was training silently despite the ridicule which came for him in the beginning. There was only one time that Irene was angry at someone. It was towards Viscount Gairn. However, this was different from that. That incident happened because hatred umted for more than 10 years, and he felt bad for his father and med himself for not looking after his parents, that couldn¡¯t bepared to now. In the end, five minutes passed and Irene couldn¡¯t properlyprehend his feelings. However, he had a different realization that came from somewhere else. He realized that anger was the only way to control the man¡¯s will. Whoop! Irene Pareira¡¯s fire grew strong. Nothing was visible. It was a fire inside his heart. However, everyone gathered on the ins noticed it. Kuvar, Lulu, Anya, Georg and even I looked at the blonde man. Irene didn¡¯t care. He lowered his sword and closed his eyes. And began the imagery training that he learned at Vulcanus¡¯s forge. Woong! Five, no six years ago. A small spark came to life when he was pursuing Ilya Lindsay who was running ahead of him. And it grew with the advice Kuvar gave once they reached Derinku. Even in front of Charlotte and Victor, who were clearly ahead of him, he was able to hold his ground. But that wasn¡¯t enough. Irene had beencking for a long time. The will of the man in his dreams was steel and it went beyond the iron lump. A much hotter fire was needed to trim down that iron stake in his heart, which had been formed by the man. And now, an unparalleled fire zed in Irene¡¯s heart. Crackle! Embers. Fire. At longst, the mes in his heart wererge and hot enough to be called a fire. Irene brought it to the iron stake. And he concentrated and tried to pound it. Kang! Kang! Kang! Still not enough. The iron stake was so big and hard that it seemed like it wouldn¡¯t be possible to create a sword with a brief attempt. But Irene didn¡¯t give up. Irene continued to pound on the heated iron stake. Then, little by little, change urred. Kang! Kang! Kang! Instead of hammering the whole thing, he focused on one ce, the tip. Not getting tired, he kept hitting it. As a result of constantly hitting it, its form changed. It took the shape of a sword that couldn¡¯t be grasped, and its handle, though crude, could be held and wielded. ¡°Phew.¡± Irene took a deep breath and exhaled. Sweat poured down from his forehead, cheek, and his chin. He couldn¡¯t feel it. He was in the middle of lifting a huge iron stake with both hands. Kuuuu¡­! He felt an amazing power. Irene always thought he knew the extent of the man¡¯s power, but no, he didn¡¯t. The feeling right now¡­ was like he was lifting a mountain made of steel. ¡®Of course, it¡¯s still difficult to handle, but¡­¡¯ Irene swung the iron stake in his heart a couple times. It wasn¡¯t easy. It was so heavy that his body would lean in the direction the iron stake moved. But it was fine. Irene Pareira finally opened his eyes. As if waiting for a long time, with her sword on her shoulder, I stood still. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re ready.¡± ¡°¡­ yes.¡± Irene nodded his head. It was enough. Apletely different confidence than before awakened in his body. He stared at I with a hot gaze that wanted to burn anything. And she said, ¡°I won¡¯t back down because you¡¯re a junior. Act as you please, until our swords collide three times.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°The duel starts the moment I radiate energy. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± I lowered her sword. That was too much leeway in front of an Expert Level swordsman, but no one pointed it out. Because she is one of the Sword Masters, who are fewer than 100 on the continent. However, Irene, who faced her, didn¡¯t look timid. He was like a steel giant with mes all over its body. Energy rose from I¡¯s body as she looked at him. Puahhh! Fear, darkness, void. As if a real demon appeared, terrifying energy spread out. The power of themander of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s ck Knights. Irene¡¯s eyes twitched. It was because the energy of the man in his dreams wasing out. The iron stake in his heart, no, the greatsword in reality swung here and there. Kuk! Irene clenched his hands. The scorching mes and strong winds as he grabbed the handle. A grip strong enough to crush even a rock into powder, and then the tremors subsided little by little, and stoppedpletely. He won. He finally overcame it. It was when he smiled with joy because he achieved the result he wanted. I, who took a stance, began to run at a terrifying speed. Tat! She swung her sword, reaching for her opponent¡¯s nose with one huge leap. Irene was shocked at the diagonal cut that flew from the bottom to the top. Kwang! ¡°Kuak!¡± Even though it was a fight where one had a one-handed sword, and the other had a two-handed sword, Irene was pushed back. Irene, who had taken five steps back, was about to say something. But there was no room for talking. I came back again, and Irene responded by clenching his teeth. Kang! Kwang! Kwang! In an instant, three shes. Each time Irene stepped back, he lost his bnce. Not only did his hands and feet hurt, but he also would feel dizzy, and he couldn¡¯t get focused right away after each hit. In the midst of that, he couldn¡¯t block the fist that came for him. Puck! ¡°Kuak¡­¡± A punch powerful enough to make one''s feet leave the ground. Irene Pareira, who was on his knees, couldn¡¯t stand the pain and passed out. The fight was over. Woong! A breeze blew across the wide in. It was a quiet sound. The first to speak was Georg, who had been with I since his mercenary days. ¡°Are you going to take him?¡± ¡°Are you saying that I¡¯m a liar? Irene proved his words.¡± ¡°I know. But haven¡¯t you already lied?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say only three sword strikes?¡± ¡°It was a lesson for the junior. How can one get through the harsh world with a simple and innocent heart that truly believes what others say?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­ there are other reasons. But this one wasn¡¯t trying to prove himself.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°He was trying to beat me. Sincerely.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Even Georg was shocked. Trying to sincerely defeat the 3rd ranked swordsman in the Holy Kingdom, who¡¯s been a Sword Master for 7 years already. The word ¡®crazy¡¯ wasn¡¯t enough to describe that. ¡°He¡¯spletely crazy.¡± ¡°Right. Crazy.¡± I looked at the fallen Irene. The Orc and talking cat were there concerned and worried about him. And she who saw it said, ¡°Even then, I want to have that guy by my side.¡± ¡°Uhm¡­¡± Irene Pareira opened his eyes with a groan. He had a different dream than normal. A dream of I. The woman in his dreams was beating him without listening to his words. He was hit despite blocking, and even when he ran or stood still, the hits kepting. He was so tense that he came to his senses. He sighed as he looked around. Kuvar was dozing in a chair to his left, and Lulu was snoring on hisp. ¡®They must have brought me here when I fainted. Did wee back to Derinku?¡¯ With that, he turned his head to the right to find I Crescentia sitting there. Irene gasped. ¡°Eik!¡± The Orc and the cat woke upte and looked at him. After looking at him for a long time, she said. ¡°Still, I like this guy quite a lot.¡± Chapter 98: Unexpected Offer (4)

Chapter 98: Unexpected Offer (4)

¡°Hmm? Ack!¡± ¡°Uh? Irene, you are up¡­ ack!¡± Kuvar and Lulu, who were awakened by Irene Pareira¡¯s voice, were also shocked. I was calm. She enjoyed the air, which slowly changed from shock to rm, and looked at Irene. ¡°Apologize. Didn¡¯t you just wake up those who had a hard time sleeping because of you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Irene didn¡¯t answer. It was strange. He heard the same type of words from Judith and Kirill. Each time, Irene replied to them, but with I, he didn¡¯t want to. I, who looked at him, stretched out her hand. Irene, startled, tried to move away, but it was in vain. She pushed his hand away and pulled her opponent¡¯s shirt off. Lulu yelled. ¡°What are you doing! You wench!¡± ¡°Wench, don¡¯t say such profane words. You are not talking to some ordinary person but amander of knights of the Holy Kingdom.¡± ¡°W-What are you doing¡­ euk!¡± Irene couldn¡¯t understand why I was putting her hand on his stomach. He looked down and saw a mark, a dark bruise on his stomach. However, after a little while. Woong¡­ A pure white light erupted from I¡¯s hand, and the pain subsided. In shock, Kuvar said. ¡°Holy magic!¡± The recovery magic that only the high priests of Avilius could use. Of course, considering I¡¯s position and rank, this level of ability was natural. Still, it was surprising considering that she¡¯s beenmitted to the Holy Kingdom for less than three years. ¡®She is one of the best swordsmen on the continent and good at holy magic. Besides, she seems to have a knack for spirit¡­¡¯ It felt like there was nothing she couldn¡¯t do. Lulu also stopped and looked at Irene¡¯s stomach. Watching the bruise fade. ¡°Amazing¡­¡± However, I pointed something out as if holy magic wasn¡¯t a big deal. ¡°Of course it is. Because of my hard work and training, my fists are strong. Most of my opponents cough blood after one hit.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°This one''s body is strong, but it doesn¡¯te close to the strength of my body. Haaa¡­¡± After finishing, I raised her arm and showed off her biceps. All three of them looked at her with puzzled faces. They thought she was joking, but when they looked at her face, it didn¡¯t seem like it, and she wasn¡¯t the kind to joke around. Surely¡­ ¡®It¡¯s undeniable that she¡¯s strong.¡¯ Irene thought. It wasn¡¯t just swordsmanship. She was a strong human. Iparable to himself. ¡®She must have trained herself through countless experiences and worries.¡¯ I Crescentia. Because she was famous and Ilya¡¯s target, he knew about her. A person who went through hardships and adversities while wandering around the world and who was a war orphan in the Macan Kingdom, which was having a civil war. And the person who overcame all of that stood proudly in front of him. Perhaps every single experience made her stronger. She must have constantly thought about things that were much tougher than what Irene thought about in Alhad, and she must have made countless choices that were difficult to make. All the beliefs and goals she formed made her I. He just found out. The reason she was confident in her every action was because she perfected her own ¡®sword.¡¯ ¡°What is your sword?¡± He asked. A somewhat absurd question. However, Irene¡¯s eyes were serious. He wanted to know. An unbearable curiosity arose to what kind of sword I Crescentia, who confronts the world much fiercer than he does, had created. ¡°Strange question. You are from Krono, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Those must be Ian¡¯s words. After all, they¡¯re too deep for a kid like you toe up with on your own.¡± Fortunately, I seemed to understand the meaning of the question. Lulu and Kuvar heard simr words from Irene, so they waited for the other person to respond. She pondered for a moment. Rather than worrying, it seemed like she was thinking if she should answer or not. I nodded and said. ¡°My sword is the King''s Sword.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°It isn''t a sword for the king, but a sword to be a king.¡± ¡°What crazy¡­¡± Kuvar jumped to his feet. Lulu, who was in hisp, fell to the floor. But she didn¡¯t worry. Because I¡¯s words were shocking. King! Although the line betweenmoners and nobles was blurred in recent times, aiming to be a King or emperor is a different story. Whether they fail or seed, fierce conflicts would arise, or great wars would ensue. A sea of blood would be created in the process, all of which shortens the rift between the world and the Devildom. It¡¯s an issue that would bring demonic beasts or even the ¡®devils¡¯ who had not appeared in over 100 years into the world. ¡°Haa!¡± I Crescentia made eye contact with Kuvar. Her cool, ck eyes with intense emotions. It wasn¡¯t over. She walked towards Kuvar, who was unarmed, and stretched out her hand. The word ¡®death¡¯ shed through his head in an instant. Snap. I didn¡¯t harm Kuvar. What she touched was the pouch that was hanging from his side and covered with a Spirit Barrier. From there, I took a ne out of the pouch, which was raging with magi and used holy magic. Woong! ¡°Spiritualist Orc, as you know, this is an era of peace. It¡¯s because my home country forbids wars between kingdoms. It¡¯s a natural action. 150 years ago, 400 years ago, and long before that when wars were endless¡­ each time, great evil terrorized humans.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°However¡­ any wandering Orc who likes to roam around knows it. The fact that the world today is not as peaceful as it was.¡± ¡°¡­ I know.¡± Kuvar nodded. Chaos radiates negative energy, which would scratch the solid wall between the human world and the Devildom. To reduce the threat of devils and demons, Avilius enactedws prohibiting wars between nations. However, problems existed. It was a series of dirty and ugly civil wars between some nations that weren¡¯t afraid of invasions that caused that to happen. Woong¡­ ¡°It was the same with the Macan Kingdom where I was born. Seven princes had bloody banquets to im the crown, and the nobles used all sorts of filthy tricks to make sure the prince they supported took the crown. The burden was borne solely by the people, and I had to do anything in order to survive. In the meantime, I was lucky enough to catch the attention of people in Krono, and after that, you probably know the story. I became a mercenary, an honorary knight, and rose to the position ofmander¡­ my body lived this way.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I was able to get rid of my terrible past and rise to a position that everyone envied, but the memories of my childhood aren¡¯t easy to erase. Especially¡­ the old people whom I lived with and picked up the bread crumbs on the road with.¡± I paused for a moment. Irene couldn¡¯t figure out what her eyes were saying. However, he could understand her feelings. Woong! ¡°Hmm, it looks like everything has been cleaned. Take this.¡± ¡°Huh!¡± I threw the ne at Kuvar. Startled, he caught it. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to save every individual who is still out there suffering or a way to control the ugly things which flow into the human world.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Just, wouldn¡¯t it be nice to make a country free from such bad things with my own hands? I suddenly thought. And from then on, the sword of this body, my body, is the King¡¯s Sword.¡± I turned her head towards Irene. ck eyes. However, if one looked deeply into them, one could feel it, a huge me that cannot bepared to his. As Irene felt it and trembled a little, she continued to speak. ¡°I know the path I have to take, and I know that it will be a difficult one. I know that those who follow me will have to walk through hardships, and I know that that¡¯s difficult.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But what I¡¯m strongly convinced of is that there is another way¡­¡± In the end, she was going to ovee everything and achieve what she wanted. I, who spoke till then. Went towards the window and opened it. With her back to the window, she looked at the trio. ¡°Kuvar.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You have nothing to worry about. This body of mine will peacefully achieve that goal.¡± ¡°¡­can¡¯t the goal the Count mentioned be met by working hard as amander?¡± ¡°Avilius is a wonderful ce. Although it has a long history, it hasn''t rotted. However, it isn¡¯t without frustrating aspects, so it¡¯s slightly different from the nation I¡¯m aiming for.¡± Kuvar spoke again, but I ignored it and spoke to Lulu. ¡°ck cat.¡± ¡°¡­ what.¡± ¡°It¡¯s good to enjoy the present happiness, but you will have to work a little harder for a rtionship.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lulu looked at I with raging eyes but said nothing. Looking at her like that, the ck-haired woman grinned. And then looked at thest person. ¡°Irene Pareira.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do you understand now? Why I am so confident in my every action?¡± ¡°¡­ yes.¡± ¡°Okay. This body will make the same offer next time. Not to the steel will within you, but to Irene Pareira.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you want to refuse it, then you will have to work hard.¡± I finished speaking and smiled. That was the end. She jumped out of the window without saying another word. It was a three-story building, but no one was concerned. Who would be worried about that when the person was the Holy Kingdom¡¯s 3rd ranked swordsman? ¡°¡­¡± Everyone fell into deep thought. Lulu and Kuvar. Irene also closed his eyes and retraced his interactions with I. And found it. Why did he feel angry at her? ¡®¡­ I must have admired her.¡¯ Right. He was longing for I. He was envious of how perfect her control waspared to him, who always shook because of his sword, his time spent pondering, and hisck of experience and courage. When the object of envy stabbed him, anger rose to the top of his head. And now it turned into another emotion. What he thought he had in the past, what he was aware of now. Fighting spirit. The blonde young man who felt it opened his eyes. ¡®Next time¡­¡¯ He won¡¯t be shaken. Or angry. With a more dignified figure, he will smile. And will work hard to make things happen. Irene¡¯s eyes lit up with a zing fire. It was red and hot like the Aura Sword of I Crescentia, themander of the Holy Kingdom¡¯s ck Knights. Chapter 99: Reunion (1)

Chapter 99: Reunion (1)

A few days after the meeting with I, Irene and his party headed to the Maios Kingdom, one of the 5 western kingdoms. Kuvar was driving their carriage, so they were moving fast. And it wasn¡¯t because of Irene''s condition. The road was rtively good, and one reason was Irene wanted to continue his imagery training which he learned in Derinku. ¡°¡­¡± Irene Pareira slowly closed his eyes in the carriage. He felt the vibrations on his back and his posture was ufortable, but it didn¡¯t matter. Of course, it would be better if he meditated in the cross-legged position in a quiet ce, but he didn¡¯t need so many things to concentrate now. And as he closed his eyes, the huge lump of iron appeared in Irene¡¯s mind. ¡®Interesting.¡¯ When he was with the cksmiths, it seemed like an iron stake which was as big as a pir. A clunky piece of iron that couldn¡¯t be transformed despite the fact that people were trying to change it. Now, the lower part differs. It was as if a fire giant had grabbed it tightly, handprints were left on it. The changes that urred before the battle with I stayed. ¡°Ahh.¡± Irene took a deep breath and focused again. And then it appeared, a me. Thanks to Kuvar¡¯s advice. However, the me was shabbier than what he created before the battle with I. He felt sad, but there was nothing he could do. Because his mind is ever-changing. Rather, he was fortunate that he managed to progress this much. Nodding to himself, he moved the me to the iron. Whoo! And from then on, it was a battle of patience. Focus to the limit, don¡¯t lose the me and keep going. Continue to break it until the iron in front of him was dyed in the color of the sunset. Fortunately, Irene had been seedingtely. It was because of the increased size of the me. In the past, his concentration would run out before he could heat the iron. However, not now. Irene clenched his teeth as he came up with a new image. His tightly willed heart gradually brought in the shape of a hammer. A young swordsman''s will to refine the man¡¯s huge and solid will which was swaying him. After a moment of hesitation, Irene hammered it hard. Kang! Kang! Kaang! The sound kept resonating in his heart. No change, no sign of forging. It was the same as always. cksmiths too hammered a piece metal thousands of times to make it into the shape they desired. Irene gave up his doubts, and banged on the iron again and again. Beads of sweat dripped down his face. When the morning passed, Kuvar, who stopped the carriage, opened the door. ¡°Irene, Lulu! Meal¡­ hmm. You¡¯re practicing imagery.¡± ¡°Ah, is it time already?¡± Irene, who opened his eyes from mediation, asked. Not just his face, his body too was drenched in sweat. Kuvar who looked at him said. ¡°Looks like you worked very hard. Any change?¡± ¡°Not yet, but it will happen when it needs to.¡± ¡°Right, right.¡± Kuvar smiled as he nodded. Honestly, he was a little concerned. Meeting I had to be good as Irene managed to ignite the me, but he was worried because he had seen many people who ruined themselves as they failed to handle the me. However, looking at Irene¡¯s current condition, it seemed like he was concerned for nothing. ¡®Amazing. He¡¯s calm despite his young age.¡¯ Maintaining oneself was as important as running behind passion. Suffering and anguish was unavoidable and if one was greedy or impatient with their heart, they would end up burning in the mes they created. However, Irene wasn¡¯t like that. He wasn¡¯t losing himself in training, but he was being patient with it. ¡®Maybe it¡¯s because of the iron that was already in him.¡¯ Kuvar looked at Irene, who wiped his sweat off with a towel. He still couldn¡¯t figure it out. How could a young man have such a taboo in his heart? Well, he would know when the timees. With that in mind, he turned his gaze to Lulu. ¡°Lulu.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Lulu, Lulu!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like she will wake up even if you yell.¡± ¡°¡­ hmm.¡± Lulu, too, closed her eyes like Irene. Her posture was very peculiar. Sitting on her hips like a human, and her front paws gathered on her lower abdomen as if meditating. (1) Kuvar asked. ¡°Do all sorcerers train like this?¡± ¡°No. Each one is different¡­. Perhaps for Lulu this is the most effective.¡± ¡°Right. We should have lunch.¡± The two of them left Lulu in the carriage and prepared lunch. It didn¡¯t take long. Irene put the ingredients into the pot and Kuvar, brought in firewood, started the fire and poured water in. Bubble! Bubble! After a while, the stew was done. For a quickly cooked dish, it tasted quite good and it was due to the sauce that Kuvar added in at the end. ¡°Just what did you put in?¡± ¡°A trade secret.¡± Irene looked at Kuvar. And Kuvar looked at Irene. After doing that for a while, the two of them smiled and then went back to eating. A quiet atmosphere unlike the times when Lulu was there. However, the calmness wasn¡¯t ufortable. The time they spent together, the experiences they had together, and the words they exchanged cleared away any awkwardness they had. But, this peace didn¡¯tst long. It was because Irene, who was done eating, summoned his greatsword. ¡°Hmph!¡± Wong! ¡°Hmph!¡± Woong! ¡®¡­ really, amazing.¡¯ Watching Irene who was devoted to his swordsmanship training without missing a single day, Kuvar admired it. Of course, he knew how sincere Irene was. However, as he devoted himself to imagery training to the point of sweating profusely all morning, he couldn¡¯t help but still admire that he did physical training. ¡®Not only is his mind made of steel, his physical strength is also like steel.¡¯ ¡°Hmm.¡± Kuvar watched Irene for a moment, and closed his eyes. And focused on the five spirits surrounding the world. It cannot bepared to Irene¡¯s ming passion and steel will, but it was true that he, too, felt stimted after meeting Charlotte, Victor, and I. No matter howzy he was, he wanted to try. As he nodded, it was time to use the power of a spiritualist. ¡°Give me food.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What are you doing? Give me food. You cooked a special fish dish.¡± Lulu, who woke up from meditation, interrupted Kuvar¡¯s concentration. Kuvar opened his eyes and looked at the ck cat in front of him. Scratch. Her scratching her stomach with her paw, strangely stimted Kuvar¡¯s temper, but he decided to just give her the food. The hands of Kuvar, a fortune teller, a second-rate spiritualist, and a first-rate travel guide were busy. Nearly a month has passed. In the clear autumn weather, people¡¯s clothes were bing thicker. Meanwhile, Irene and his party almost reached their destination, Lation, one of the cities of the Maios kingdom. One of the two oldest Kingdoms after the Adan Kingdom. The thought of entering the city with the most swordsmanship training, made Irene¡¯s heart swell in anticipation. ¡®There has to be a lot of good swordsmen.¡¯ Before traveling, he was holding his sword for his family. But not now. Families are important and something that can¡¯t be reced by anything, but the idea that only they represent his life has long disappeared. It was a change that came from meeting many people. And he expected more changes. Many swordsmen boasting that their history isparable to members of Krono can be found. And many many swordsmen showed off their greatness. What would their beliefs and thoughts be? What kind of swords were they holding in their hearts? He would find out in a few days. Irene, who calmed his mind, started practicing imagery. Woong! Slowly raising the iron, mes, and hammer. Unfortunately, the forging hasn¡¯t progressed. No matter how much he hit the hot iron, there was no change in shape. Nevertheless, he devoted himself to practicing, not because of his persistence, but because of his achievements elsewhere. His swordsmanship skills were changing and increasing. ¡®How did it happen? Is it because I sharpened the sword of the man in my dreams?¡¯ It was a usible assumption. The swordsmanship that Irene learned today was abination of Judith, Bratt, and Ilya¡¯s swordsmanship with a surprising amount of power. However, he couldn¡¯t erase the crude feeling, perhaps due to the swordsmanship of the man. In a way, his swordsmanship felt like the iron stake in his heart. However, as he continued to hit the iron stake to change its shape, Irene thought that he had no choice but to use the man¡¯s swordsmanship. Of course¡­ ¡®That doesn¡¯t solve anything.¡¯ What the imagery training gave him was a possibility. Rather than giving immediate ability, it felt like the wall which had been blocking him till now, opened a little. Another effort was needed for him to grow, which meant he had to meet another limit and surpass it. And Irene would wee it. When Irene smiled confidently for the first time. ¡°We will stay here today.¡± ¡°Great.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± A city located three days away from Lation. The party who entered found a ce to stay. It was because the sun had set. As usual, Kuvar quickly found a decent inn and got a room for a reasonable price. He told Irene, who ordered dinner. ¡°I¡¯m going to the bathroom.¡± ¡°Me too!¡± ¡°I wonder, do cat¡¯s use human bathrooms?¡± Pak! ¡°Ouch!¡± Lulu jumped up and hit Kuvar on the top of his head. The Orc frowned. And Irene was left alone. ¡°¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t awkward. Since the two of them were so free spirited, there were many cases where he was all alone. He thought about Lation''s swordsmen and waited for the meal to be served. Thud! As soon as he got deep into thought, he heard the sound of a chair falling. Irene turned his head. This was the first time since he met Trent that he was startled by such a disturbance. Such things weremon in inns and pubs. Regardless, he wondered who was quarrelling. He got up from his seat and looked at the woman pointing at the men on the other side who looked bewildered. And his expression hardened. The red-haired woman yelled. And her face was very familiar. ¡°¡­ Judith?¡± ¡°Irene Pareira?¡± Just then, he heard someone call his name. Surprised, Irene turned around. And he was shocked yet again. A young man with blue hair and a noble atmosphere. Bratt Lloyd, who had grown iparably taller than before, was staring at him with a nk expression. (1) - Just to add some more rity, her front paws were in a position close to prayer hands but upside down and they were by her lower abdomen. Chapter 100: Reunion (2)

Chapter 100: Reunion (2)

Bratt Lloyd a noble of the Gerbera Kingdom and the eldest son of the Lloyd family. Although he possessed confidence worthy of his status and ability equal to that, in his childhood he was often told to be arrogant. It was unavoidable. Because in the entire kingdom, no one the same age as Bratt couldpare to him. ¡®Well, I was a frog in the well.¡¯ Two people appeared before him at that time, Ilya Lindsay and Irene Pareira. They gave Bratt Lloyd a clear idea on what a ¡®real genius¡¯ is. Fortunately, he acknowledged Ilya Lindsay. She was a member of a prestigious family with a long history, at that she was a descendant of Dion Lindsay, who beheaded the Demon Dragon King 400 years ago. And it wasn¡¯t a secret how they were unable to rise above the Duke¡¯s position, it was because of the checks of their king. However, Irene Pareira was a different case. He wasn¡¯t acknowledged. Iprehensible talent. Will of steel. Watching him catch up and overtake him at a mysterious speed throughout the year, Bratt felt a deep sense of frustration and deprivation. Of course, he didn¡¯t have any bad feelings towards him. Rather, he was grateful for something. He awakened Bratt¡¯s narrow-mindedness, made him aware of his shorings, and made him grow into a solid person suited to be the eldest son of the Lloyd family. He sincerely cheered for Irene. May Irene Pareira finish the homework given to him by the schoolmaster and return to Krono. He hoped to meet him again with smiles on their faces. However¡­ ¡®I didn¡¯t think we would meet here.¡¯ Bratt looked at Irene with unfazed eyes. No, it wasn¡¯t like he wanted to, but his heart didn¡¯t seem so strong now. He knew about the letter from the Pareira estate four years ago. And he understood their reasons. Because he knew how painful it was to be blocked by a wall. The reason he gave up after sending a couple letters to the estate was because he didn¡¯t want to burden Irene. But the situation is different now. It seemed like he was traveling the continent with an expressionless face and a different feel. ¡®No, did he always look like this?¡¯ He felt confused. However, it was obvious that he was doing much better than he thought, which made Bratt angry. There was slight anger in Bratt¡¯s eyes as he moved closer. ¡°Irene, what the hell we¡­¡± Bratt Lloyd called out his name, and he moved closer to Irene. ¡°Stop.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± A ck cat suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Followed by an Orc with a strong physique. The two of them moved close to Irene as they narrowed their eyes and looked at Bratt. They were evaluating Bratt. ¡°He¡¯s a strong one.¡± ¡°Yes. Very strong.¡± ¡°From the point of view of a spiritualist, all five elements are in bnce. And there seem to be quite a few variables¡­ Lulu, what do you think?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s a bad person. Still, he¡¯s a strong one, so shouldn¡¯t we be careful?¡± ¡°¡­ Irene?¡± ¡°Wait. Bratt. Just one minute¡± Bratt called Irene for the third time. Now he was trying to ask him to exin what kind of rtionship he had with the beings next to him. Irene Pareira, who cleared his mind, spoke to Lulu and Kuvar. ¡°No need to be on alert. This is my¡­ friend from swordsmanship school. Bratt Lloyd.¡± ¡°Ah, that young man you mentioned a few times?¡± ¡°Then I guess this is safe?¡± ¡°Huh, and¡­ Bratt. These are people I call teachers. This is Kuvar, a fortune teller and spiritualist, and this is Lulu, a sorcerer.¡± ¡°Hehe, teachers¡­ you tter us too much. Nice to meet you, I¡¯m Kuvar.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Lulu. Irene¡¯s sorcery teacher.¡± ¡°We had to go through something difficult a month ago, so please forgive me for being on guard. When a strong person appears, I reflexively be alert¡­¡± ¡°¡­ ah, I see.¡± Bratt Lloyd nodded. His angry eyes softened lightly. Kuvar''s words cleared a little misunderstanding, but Irene¡¯s words melted his heart. ¡®Friend¡­¡¯ It wasn¡¯t like he forgot Irene either. At those words, Bratt¡¯s lips almost rose into a smile, but he forced himself to hold his expression. And organized his thoughts. There were a lot of things he wanted to say, but not a single thing came out of his mouth. He shook his head with a sigh. ¡°There are so many things I want to ask, but I don¡¯t know where to start.¡± ¡°I also have a lot of things I want to say.¡± ¡°Did you know? I returned to the school again. I¡¯m an official trainee of Krono.¡± ¡°Ah, I heard. From the schoolmaster and Lance Peterson.¡± ¡°Schoolmaster? Lance Peterson? You went to the main school?¡± ¡°Huh. To talk about the homework¡­¡± It was when Irene was trying to tell him about what happened. A loud voice ran out and he went silent. It was Judith. Irene and Bratt, who turned their heads at the shout, looked back at each other. ¡°Let¡¯s solve that first and then talk.¡± ¡°¡­ does that happen often?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t really have a say, and it doesn¡¯t seem weird to me anymore. Hmm¡­ hey, can I ask you something?¡± ¡°Are you talking to me?¡± ¡°Exactly, I¡¯d like to hear about the fight, and if you tell me about it objectively, I¡¯ll give you a silver coin.¡± ¡°Oh, sure.¡± Bratt spoke to one of the onlookers. Since he couldn¡¯t jump right into it, he decided to figure out whose fault it was. Judith was bound to im her innocence, whether or not she started it. It was much more urate to listen to a third party¡¯s words. The man was that, but he was a bit different¡­ ¡°You see that red-haired girl, I was looking at her, so I can exin it very well. Her eyebrows were slightly raised and her fluttering red hair was so attractive that it caught my eye. Oh! Are you colleagues? Sorry. I mean, it wasn¡¯t that I was staring or¡­ ah, okay? Thank you, thank you. Anyways, what was I saying! Ah! The woman quietly ordered a meal by herself and sat down, ah, she ordered a beer in the meantime? So¡­¡± ¡°¡­ can we just skip to where the fight started?¡± ¡°Ah, sorry. I¡¯m a very talkative person¡­¡± The man spoke the truth after Bratt urged him. Shockingly, the fault wasn¡¯t with Judith but the other side. Judith was sitting and drinking her beer waiting for her meal, when three men including some rich man asked her to join them. Of course, she refused but somehow an argument broke out and in the process Judith showed her silver card mercenary badge. That was the real problem, the men started to say that she forged the badge. ¡°They are bad ones.¡± ¡°So rude!¡± Lulu and Kuvar seemed annoyed. However, the emotions Irene felt were different from theirs. With a shocked expression, he asked Bratt. ¡°¡­ is she actually controlling herself?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°She isn¡¯t hitting the opponents but arguing. The Judith I know is¡­¡± ¡°Ah, about that. It¡¯s because of my hard training on her. You can call me a ¡®Judith training expert¡¯.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Irene shook his head and thought. Not just Judith but even Bratt seemed to have changed. He had the same noble air around him, but there seemed to be a bit of leeway added to him. ¡®He seems to be enjoyi¡­¡¯ While he was in thought, Bratt nodded and plunged into the quarrel. Irene, who was with Lulu and Kuvar, also followed him. Whatever the situation was, he didn¡¯t want to dy meeting Judith. ¡°These bastards, let me show you! It will be very nice. I think I should stab you in your belly and then you can brag that a silver card mercenary hit you!¡± ¡°Oh-oh, look at your rough mouth. If not, are you that kind of woman? Not bad. Quite attractive.¡± ¡°Right. Exactly our master¡¯s taste.¡± ¡°No shit, where did you learn to act like a dog¡­¡± ¡°Judith.¡± ¡°Ah, Bratt! How long was your bathroom break? Are you constipated?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t answer, I need to deal with these men. No, you are good with these kinds of people. Words don¡¯t seem to work on them. Or maybe we should be prepared to get dragged out after¡­ uh? Uhuh?¡± Judith, who was swearing at them and praising Bratt at the same time, looked behind him. Irene Pareira! She screamed inside and walked towards him. One of the three men stopped her. ¡°We aren¡¯t done talking, but¡­ euk!¡± Judith grabbed the arm of the man and threw him away in an instant. Seeing the man crumpled on the floor, the one who was called master, was startled. ¡®N-No my escort¡­¡¯ The person she threw was shy, stinky and a little tough, but how could a woman subdue him like that? As he was thinking, someone stood in front of him. A man with blue hair stood ahead. It was Bratt Lloyd. ¡°Did you argue with my colleague?¡± ¡°¡­ ah, no.¡± The master, Cora Murray gulped. It was weird. An unknown sense of intimidation emanated from the young man. Rather than intimidation from a swordsman, it was the kind of air which only revolved around powerful nobles. ¡®No, why is such a person here?¡¯ Cora Murray bit his lower lip. He was the lovable son of the Murray family. Feeling that intimidation, he said. ¡°It was because that woman over there said something unbelievable¡­¡± ¡°What did she say?¡± ¡°¡­ she said she has a silver rank¡­¡± It was really weird. He is Cora Murray, the son of the Murray family, who doesn¡¯t have to care about anything¡­ still, meeting the eyes of the blue-haired man was difficult. But thanks to his arrogance, he finished what he wanted to say. ¡°I see. That was what you were wondering. Then let me show it to you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Cora Murray, who looked at him, frowned. Is the man going to pull out his sword? Was he threatening him? Fortunately that wasn¡¯t the case. Bratt Lloyd. ¡°If you are the son of the Murray family, then you can fight, right?¡± ¡°Sure, but with whom¡­¡± ¡°One of us has to answer, but of course the red-haired one and the other could be¡­¡± The blue-haired man pointed to Irene Pareira. ¡°The blonde one?¡± ¡°¡­ Bratt? ¡°Huh? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Prepare a stage for you and Irene topete against each other.¡± ?1? ¡°Oh-oh! What! Sounds nice!¡± Judith smiled despite being angry. Seeing that, Brattughed too, and Lulu, Kuvar, and Cora who didn¡¯t understand, looked nk. Even Irene was a little confused. But then, like Bratt and Judith, he smiled. ¡®Lance Peterson, these guys too. They¡¯re all the same.¡¯ They were more like swordsmen than others, Irene nodded. ¡°I like the offer.¡± He, too, seemed to understand the emotions of swordsmen to some extent. ?1?¡°You and Irene¡± meaning Judith and Irene, he switched to talking to Judith. Chapter 101: Reunion (3)

Chapter 101: Reunion (3)

Step step People were walking. Residents, merchants, even drunk people who didn¡¯t know what was happening bowed their heads. It was because Murray¡¯s youngest son, Cora Murray was walking in front of them. Murray, who is so strong that no lord would treat him rudely, and the favored son of such a man was passing by, no one could make eye contact with them. At least, those who lived there couldn¡¯t. However, there were those who followed him with nonchnt faces. The blue-haired young man next to Cora Murray and the blonde who was being followed by an Orc. And the cat around the Orc¡¯s shoulder with an innocent look. So was Judith. She thought as she walked next to Irene, or a step behind him. ¡®This one, did he solve the homework the schoolmaster gave?¡¯ At first she didn¡¯t know, but then Judith came to know why Irene left Krono. It was the result of tormenting Ian, who didn¡¯t inform her at all, for three years. However, there was a part she didn¡¯t understand. ¡®Finding his own sword, what is that?¡¯ For her, a sword is a sword. Her schoolmaster said, ¡®because he has an unstable sword¡¯ but she couldn¡¯t understand what he meant. And she didn¡¯t want to know either. Because she knew that the answer would be difficult. However, she understood that it was an important issue for Irene, who is more problematic than Bratt. ¡®Still¡­ he looks better than before.¡¯ Judith carefully looked at Irene. Irene was two fingers taller than Bratt and his body was well bnced with calluses on his palms. Then she looked at his face. She wasn¡¯t sure, but he felt more passionate than before? Not bad. ¡®It has to be fun, the first match in 5 years and 6 months.¡¯ Judith, who had a mischievous grin on her face, opened her mouth to talk to Irene. But right then, someone spoke to her. ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°¡­ hello.¡± ¡°d to meet you. I¡¯m Lulu. As said earlier, I¡¯m Irene¡¯s sorcery teacher.¡± ¡°¡­ huh, right. I¡¯m Judith. Irene¡¯s friend.¡± ¡°Yes, I know! I heard about you before. But I just wanted to talk to you.¡± As that was done, Judith smiled awkwardly as she looked at Lulu, who was smiling like a human. It wasn¡¯t her first time seeing a sorcerer. Since Krono often had special guests such as magicians and sorcerers, she met a couple of them. What concerned her was that the cat was ck. ¡®ck cat¡­ an ominous sign!¡¯ It reminded her of the stories she heard in her childhood, things she didn¡¯t want to think about. There were rumors that demons would be waiting if one followed a ck cat which could speak humannguage, and that an epidemic spread in the town where a ck cat appeared. Of course, she knew that they were all groundless rumors, but¡­ Judith was still a little bothered by it. ¡°I will give you this. A gift!¡± But Lulu seemed different. And Judith was beginning to like her, and the cat took out three golden mice from her subspace. Kuvar who saw them gulped, and one of Cora¡¯s escorts who was watching that, went stiff. With a mixture of surprise and joy, tension and anxiety, Judith said. ¡°I-Is this gold?¡± ¡°Yes! Don¡¯t overthink. I have a lot!¡± ¡°A lot?¡± ¡°Do you want more?¡± ¡°No, not at all. No no, what do you mean more¡­ uh?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seeing Judith confused by Lulu¡¯s words, Irene smiled. She looked different but she didn¡¯t change too much. It was nice to see Judith still have her innocence as she matured. Of course, the change wasn¡¯t just in her behavior. One nce was all that was needed. She was tall and had a great body. Perhaps her sword had changed too. ¡®I want to fight quickly!¡¯ Sparks shed in Irene¡¯s eyes. He wouldn¡¯t have felt it before, but now he did. Quickly, quickly. He continued his steps, hoping to get to Cora Murray¡¯s manor. Fortunately, as he thought that, Cora stopped walking. A very spacious area. Once entered, it was even more amazing. Judith admired the hall, which had a stone floor. ¡°Woah, it¡¯s huge.¡± ¡°¡­ wait.¡± ¡°Huh? What? Can¡¯t we start right away? I can¡¯t wait.¡± Irene didn¡¯t say a word but looked at Cora Murray with excitement, making the others look at Cora as well. Flustered by that, Cora sighed and opened his mouth. ¡°Anyway you people, you don¡¯t believe my words, right?¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Even if you show a poor sight and do not have a silver card, you will just dismiss everything that happened and weave your own stories to others.¡± ¡°So what do you n on doing?¡± ¡°Bringing in a notary. He¡¯s in the manor, so I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± ¡°What? Isn''t he on your side? How do we trust¡­¡± ¡°Not on our side. Sir Brian Burns, a wandering knight, a wonderful man, skillful, and just.¡± ¡°Ah, Brian Burns.¡± ¡°Anyone you know?¡± Judith asked Bratt who eximed. ¡°He was ordained as a knight in the Belson Kingdom. As that one said, he isn¡¯t the kind to lie about such things. I ept it.¡± ¡°Nice.¡± ¡°I need to unwind.¡± After talking to him, Judith stretched her body. She swung her sword with a single movement and when the others saw it, they knew that she was skilled, but it wasn¡¯t something Cora and his escorts epted. Instead, it was Irene who caused amotion. Shoo! ¡°Huk!¡± ¡°There was nothing. The sword¡­¡± ¡°Oh-oh, what is that? Is that¡­¡± ¡°Yes. Sorcery. With a smile! Irene was wielding his greatsword. Even the calm and cool-headed Bratt couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. Rather, Judith was quick to adjust. ¡°Yep, he definitely wasn¡¯t ying around for five years.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t get to talk and it has been so long, but once the match is over, I¡¯ll tell you. What happened in the past.¡± ¡°Great. Me and Bratt will listen and talk too. It might not be fun though.¡± The two of them looked at each other and smiled bitterly. A knight approached the hall and greeted Cora. ¡°I came here as I was asked to be the notary.¡± ¡°Yes. That red-haired girl over there and the blonde one. After watching the match between those two, if you think that they have the skills of a silver card mercenary or more, say yes or no.¡± ¡°Easy task. Understood.¡± ¡°You two have noints, right?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°Are you agreeing to grant what the winning side wishes?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Sure! I can¡¯t hold back anymore! Let¡¯s start!¡± ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s watch.¡± Brian Burns spoke in a hard tone. Judith, who smiled, took her stance. Irene, too, took his position facing her. Eventually, the two geniuses of Krono headed towards each other. ¡®Damn it. Do I have to do this again¡­¡¯ A famous wandering knight from the Belson Kingdom, Brian Burns, was grunting to himself. Because he didn¡¯t want to do such things. But he couldn¡¯t help it. For his younger brother who was copsing, he had no choice but to listen to the family of Murray. That meant that he should do whatever the youngest son of the Lord requested. ¡®Damn it! Howe¡­¡¯ He was thinking nasty thoughts but he couldn¡¯t escape from the situation. He had to act like Murray''s dog for at least half a year. Brian Burns, who managed to calm himself, recalled themand. ¡®So, whether the match results are out or not¡­ I should just say if they are worthy of the silver card level or not?¡¯ Great. This was easy. It didn¡¯t require effort, nor his life, and it didn''t take a lot of time. He wondered if there was anything simpler than that. ¡­ no, it wasn¡¯t simple. Even though he was a wandering knight, for him, who knew what honor meant, this wasn¡¯t an easy task. ¡®¡­ but I¡¯m d.¡¯ The swordsmen were both young. And a silver card wasn¡¯t something easy to acquire. It was a high level card which was given to those with excellent performance and skills. Of course, even if one has the skills of a gold card, first timers are only given a silver card¡­ ¡®But it¡¯s impossible at such a young age.¡¯ Whether it¡¯s achievement or skill, such young kids couldn¡¯t have it. Thinking so, Brian sighed. It was a relief that he didn¡¯t have to deceive anyone by downgrading the kids. And then, the Murray kid wouldn¡¯t do something bad to those kids. Brian Burns looked at the match with such a heart. However, as soon as the two young people¡¯s swords met, all thoughts in his mind disappeared. Kang! Kang! Kang! The red-haired woman and the blonde collided in the hall. The two, who didn¡¯t seem very strong, were fast in their moves and kept changing their stances. Kwang! Kwang! Kang! The two faced each other and then did three more attacks. A standard sh which aimed for the upper body. However, the sophistication and power contained in it was so strong that it was engraved in Brian¡¯s eyes. ng! The blonde swung his sword loudly. The girl epted it and then pushed the sword back. It was an intentional act. The appearance of her stomping hard and fast to move and attack. The blonde was carefully posed. Wheik! That was when it happened. Just before hitting the greatsword, the red-haired woman made an iprehensible movement. Stopping, ignoring the inertia, and then quickly returning the opponent¡¯s attack. And blow! Kwang! The loudest sound ever made in the hall. The blonde man horizontally ced his sword and blocked the attack which came hammering down from above. Kwak! The floor cracked because of the impact. Even Brian Burns'' body shuddered for an instant. However the two who were in the match didn¡¯t stop and continued to wield their swords. Strike, strike, and another strike Block, block and another block. They did the same thing about 50 times then widened the distance. Brian Burns could see the excitement in their eyes. ¡°¡­¡± Cora Murray, the escorts, and others went stiff. Even Brian Burns didn¡¯t say anything. Bratt Loyd who had been quiet, said. ¡°Look here, won¡¯t you both get serious!¡± Chapter 102: Reunion (4)

Chapter 102: Reunion (4)

¡°¡­?¡± Brian Burns¡¯ head turned to Bratt Lloyd. He had no choice but to do that. His words made him doubt his ears. Get serious? Then, did that mean they weren¡¯t at their best right now? He couldn¡¯t understand. No, he didn¡¯t want to ept it. Even the swordsmanship the two had shown so far, was so amazing that no young person could do it. No, they were stronger than most people their age. And they were close to an Expert¡­ ¡®That means¡­ it means, those two who turned 20 had reached the Expert Level¡­¡¯ Was it possible? He stared with a nk expression for a while, then looked at the hall. It wasn¡¯t just that. Everyone in the Murray manor¡¯s hall was looking at them. Judith who looked around said. ¡°You¡¯re a lot better than I thought, Irene.¡± ¡°I practiced hard.¡± ¡°I see, I get it. I thought that you were meditating or something trying to find your sword, but I guess that wasn¡¯t right?¡± ¡°Haha¡­¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t learn all this alone, who did you learn it from?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Irene Pareira had a puzzled expression at the question. It was weird to say he learned it alone or he learned things from people. And if he had to exin briefly, she would think he was weird. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you thatter.¡± ¡°Well, that isn¡¯t very important at this moment, so okay¡± Judith took her stance again. Without a drop of sweat on her, and a smile. It showed how rxed she was. However, it was the same with Irene. Concentrating, he looked at Judith, and Judith, too, looked at him with eyes full of tension, anticipation, and excitement. The tension that couldn¡¯t bepared to the warm-up match. In an instant, Judith¡¯s form blurred. Step! A leap strong enough to crack the hall! It wasn¡¯t that she jumped into the air. She lowered herself and then put force on her back leg as she leaped a little over the floor and moved like a ray of light. Irene didn¡¯t miss it. His sharp eyes caught his opponent¡¯s movements. And thrust his huge sword down. Whoops! Judith avoided it, but she didn''t move back. She rolled on the ground and then dashed ahead, and with her left elbow she aimed for Irene¡¯s abdomen. A surprise attack that worked well in closebat and it was better than using a sword! Irene raised his right knee to block it. Tang! Thanks to his bnce, the distance widened in an instant. In the meantime, Irene, who recovered his bnce, took a stance. However, Judith¡¯s offensive streak wasn¡¯t done yet. Nope, it just started. Kang! Kang! Kang! Kwang! Kwaang! Continuous attacks which unfolded like fireworks! Unbelievably fast. Most of the people in the hall looked at Judith¡¯s offense, unable to know what was going on. Only Brian Burns was able to follow her movements, but he wasn¡¯t the kind to stop them during a match. And that made it even more shocking. He was able to stop all the ruthless attacks that came at him as he¡¯s been devoted to the sword for 30 years, but he wasn¡¯t sure if he would be able to stop Judith¡¯s sword. No, just like Judith, the swordsmanship of the one called Irene, who responded with simr attacks shook his heart. Just then, he heard a low voice. ¡°This is insane¡­¡± The words of the blue-haired young man called Bratt Lloyd. It was strange. Before he became the notary, he heard that this man was a colleague of the two. Of course, he assumed that he was equally skilled. ¡®He said something earlier.¡¯ However, his expression now was as shocked as Brian was. ¡®Is something the matter?¡¯ For a moment, doubt arose, but then Brian Burns brushed it away. The match was too great to think about something else. He even yelled at himself for wasting his time by looking at Bratt. After watching it a little more, he realized it. The swordsmanship of the two was simr. Kang! Kwang! Kwang! A sense of stability and bnce from an incredible core bnce. The tremendous rotational force, and the collisions of the swords. There were differences though. The swordsmanship of the blonde was monotonous and crude, and that of the woman was more cheerful and bright. Above all, her feet were free. In fact, she was circling around the young man while attacking him from all directions, and she seemed free yet intense at the same time, like a wildfire spreading around. But the young man didn¡¯t back down. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Slower and heavier movements than the opponent. A response that was half a beatte could put him in jeopardy. However, he didn¡¯t copse. But how long could hest? He endured without losing hisposure despite the sense of urgency and running out of breath. As a result, Brian Burns'' anxious mind calmed down. And he admired him at the same time. It was because he instinctively realized that the blonde man¡¯s swordsmanship had changed. ¡®As if surrounded by dense water!¡¯ No matter how hot the mes were, no matter how intense the explosions were, they didn¡¯t seem to get closer to him. A truly invincible defense technique. At least, it couldn¡¯t be broken. Perhaps her sword was swept away by the strange flow, her sword seemed to deviate into an undesirable direction. Brian nced around. The young man called Bratt seemed to have sensed it, and he had a serious expression. ¡®But, rather than feeling shocked by the young man¡¯s abilities, it feels like he¡¯s surprised¡­¡¯ While he was thinking. The young man¡¯s greatsword, which had been clinging to defense, changed. ¡°Huh!¡± Judith seemed taken aback. She was about tounch a stronger attack to break the opponent¡¯s defense. Her breathing and bnce were disturbed by the attacks which Irene managed to do through the gaps. In the end, she gave in to the offensive and tried to end it at once. ng! Papak! And retreated back. Silence fell again. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± All the onlookers were blown away. Among them, Brian Burns, who was in thought, looked. Both Judith and Bratt Lloyd were looking at Irene with the most serious faces. After a while, Judith, who managed to calm herself, asked. ¡°The swordsmanship you showed, did you copy me?¡± ¡°¡­ I took a lot of notes.¡± ¡°Did you just see it and follow it right away? No, it can¡¯t be. It¡¯s because you started to use Bratt¡¯s swordsmanship in the middle. And¡­¡± Judith swung her sword. It was clumsy but it was simr to thest strike Irene showed. She asked. ¡°¡­ was that the Sky Sword?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Most people in the hall were shocked. They were currently in the Maios Kingdom, one of the five western kingdoms. There was no way they wouldn¡¯t know what ¡®Sky Sword¡¯ meant. But, why was it mentioned now? At that moment, Bratt who had been silent till then interrupted their conversation. ¡°I¡¯m certain. It¡¯s the Sky Sword.¡± ¡°That so?¡± ¡°I saw it only once during the final evaluation, but¡­ there¡¯s no way I can forget that. The shock I received at that time.¡± Bratt Lloyd closed his eyes. His vision darkened, and the memories from five and a half years ago came to his mind. One of the two swordsmanship disys that hurt him. Sigh, he sighed as he opened his mouth to ask Irene a question. ¡°By any chance, have youpleted the current sword based on your memories from the final evaluation?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Irene put on a troubled expression. It seemed like Bratt and Judith misunderstood. He wasn¡¯t someone great enough to follow swordsmanship he saw only once. However, in order to exin it, he would have to tell them about the world of sorcery and Irene didn¡¯t want to do that in a public ce. In the end, he decided what to say. ¡°I will tell youter. I will exin it all.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Huh. And I don¡¯t want to talk about it here.¡± Bratt looked around with cold eyes. Everyone who made eye contact with him trembled. It was strange. The two people in the match were amazing, but this young man made them feel frightened. An air which made them feel like Bratt was the main character here. With that, Bratt nodded. ¡°Okay. We¡¯ll talkter.¡± ¡°Right. After hearing the results from Sir Brian Burns over¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Irene looked at Bratt. It seemed like he didn¡¯t want the fight to stop. The match was only used to show off Judith¡¯s skills to Cora Murray. Now that it was over, he thought it was natural to move away and then talk to them about all that happened. But, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. There seemed to be something else that Bratt Lloyd was concerned about. ¡°There¡¯s something you haven¡¯t shown yet.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You know what I¡¯m talking about, right? Show me what you showed in the final evaluation.¡± ¡°Ah! Right! If I don¡¯t see it, I¡¯ll end up regretting it!¡± Said Judith while wiping off her sweat. She looked very excited, and seemed really interested about it. However, Bratt seemed to take it more seriously. ¡°Will you show it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Bratt was different than usual. Despite wearing different attire than usual, he seemed calm and collected. (1) In reality however, that wasn¡¯t the case. Irene Pareira who was a half-sorcerer could look into people¡¯s hearts. Especially when he looked into their eyes. From his point of view, Bratt¡¯s condition was¡­ ¡®Not stable!¡¯ And if he didn¡¯t show the skill of the man in his dreams, it seemed like something would happen. It was Irene''s first time seeing Bratt like that, so he started to panic. But aside from that, he didn¡¯t want to turn down Bratt¡¯s request either. ¡®Come to think of it, I haven¡¯t used it since I met with I.¡¯ After meeting that woman, Irene realized what fighting spirit was, and it helped a lot in his training. Although the technique was a little forgotten as he didn¡¯t practice it much, he thought that there could be changes now. He thought that it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to check it out here. But the problem was¡­ ¡°If I use that¡­ the hall will be¡­ a little damaged¡­ would that be fine? This isn¡¯t a dirty floor but a pretty expensive hall.¡± ¡®Damn it! What the hell is he talking about!¡¯ Cora Murray tilted his head hearing Irene¡¯s horrifying remarks. (1) - To borate some more, since I think this detail is interesting, he¡¯s wearingmon men¡¯s clothes instead of his usual noble attire. Chapter 103: Reunion (5)

Chapter 103: Reunion (5)

Murray¡¯s son, Cora Murray didn¡¯t think much until dinner. He just went into some moderately okay inn as he was bored and saw a woman he liked, so he talked to her. He didn¡¯t feel bad when the woman used sharp words at him. Because he liked rough and strong women. But since then, things have changed. He ends up making a bet and invited the woman¡¯s party into his manor. The match began, and the opponents used their words. He couldn''t believe what was happening right before his eyes. ¡®What are they doing¡­¡¯ They looked far superior to Brian Burns, who was the notary for the match. He knew swordsmanship, so he knew it. Looking at the cracks on the floor of the hall, even unaware people could understand how great the two were. But, what? The hall could be damaged further? ¡®What the hell are you trying to show!¡¯ He couldn¡¯t even imagine it. No, he actually hated trying to imagine it. Shaking his head, Cora Murray yelled. ¡°S-Stop! Stop it now! We have verified your skills, go away now!¡± ¡°What do you mean¡­¡± ¡°You, well, we recognize the skills of the woman! Isn''t that right, Sir Brian Burns?¡± Cora asked him in an urgent voice. He was perplexed, but soon he realized his intention and nodded. ¡°Right. The status of the two swordsmen is silver¡­ no, I think they are skilled enough to get gold cards.¡± ¡°D-Done! The notary confirmed it! Your skills are proven, and you¡¯re done. So¡­ so go now! I¡¯m going to turn a blind eye to the damage to the hall so far, so go¡­¡± ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be right.¡± Bratt interrupted him. It was a stern tone as usual, but there was a little heat in it. He went closer to Cora and said, ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that the one who loses the bet agrees to the request of the winner?¡± ¡°T-That¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We won¡¯t make harsh demands. Because it isn¡¯t a big deal to us. We want to stay at this ce for a moment. Including the hall.¡± ¡°Yah! I did all the hard work, why do you get to say what you want!¡± ¡°If this ends here, we won¡¯t be able to see Irene¡¯s sword.¡± The heat in Bratt¡¯s words grew stronger. Even his eyes seemed to be on fire. Judith was startled by it. ¡°O-Okay. Let¡¯s do that.¡± ¡°Great. Irene! Everything has been resolved, so feel free to unfold it!¡± ¡®What a mad man!¡¯ Cora¡¯s expression worsened even more. He thought that Bratt was the most normal person in the group, but he was wrong. This man was the craziest. He had scary eyes which only a mad man could show. He rubbed his body as he felt a chill run down his spine. Either way, Bratt looked at Irene, and Judith walked over to Bratt. In addition, Brian Burns, Cora¡¯s escorts, Lulu, and Kuvar all looked at Irene. ¡®This is a little burdensome.¡¯ But he didn¡¯t want to avoid it. Irene was also curious about how the skills of the man in his dreams changed. Taking a deep breath, he looked at Bratt and Judith. Then, closed his eyes to concentrate. And an amazing thing happened. Wooong! ¡°¡­!¡± He realized it the moment he gathered strength. It changed. It was much easier to deploy the skill than before. It wasn¡¯t like this in the beginning. During the final evaluation and the time with Ryan Gairn when he was in front of the Demon, facing the Sword Masters, or against the Bandit head, he had to concentrate a lot more. ¡®But now¡­¡¯ It felt like he had to use less than half the concentration. Irene, who was ready, opened his eyes. ¡®It feels so much morefortable to control the power!¡¯ This, too, was shocking. The current Irene borrowed some of the man¡¯s power and in the past it was impossible to maintain. Maybe it was because he wasn¡¯t used to it, he couldn¡¯t hold it and always shot it out right away. But not now, now he was able to maintain it. It was still burdensome, but being able to have that thought itself meant Irene changed. He definitely made some progress. With a faint smile Irene mumbled. The man was still his opponent, but after the meeting with I, it seemed like his mind had cleared up. ¡®And the thoughts end here.¡¯ Phew, Irene exhaled and raised the sword up in a sh. No hesitation. Concentration which wavered, returned. The muscles and cells in his body, and the mysterious power of the aura inside him, everything was felt in detail. With a good feeling, he mmed down his sword. Immediately after that, a long sword mark appeared in the hall. Shhh! The sound wasn¡¯t great. As if one was slicing a tender steak, Irene¡¯s sh gently hit the ground of the hall. Maybe that was why the length of the trail wasn¡¯t that long whenpared to the past, but even now, it seemed like the earth tore. But, ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Bratt and Judith were the most touched. Perfect concentration. Without even a little wastage of power, the two couldn¡¯t help but admire Irene¡¯s swordsmanship which only went for the target. Of course, the others were the most shocked. ¡°No way!¡± ¡°The floor made of stone¡­ split!¡± ¡°How many meters is this¡­ no, what is this¡­¡± ¡°Hehehe¡­¡± Seeing the result of a single strike, and the people talking, Cora Murray burst out inughter like a mad man. Lulu and Kuvar were calm, but it felt weird to be calm in the midst of shocked people. In such an atmosphere, Bratt drew his sword. And slowly approached Irene and said. ¡°I can¡¯t hold back. Have a match with me.¡± ¡°¡­ weren¡¯t we going to talk?¡± ¡°I did want that, but I changed my mind.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Is that a no?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s fine.¡± Irene nodded. While pouring out the sh, the aura stamina and mental strength was consumed a bit, but it wasn¡¯t to the extent that he couldn¡¯t move. More than anything, Bratt Lloyd¡¯s burning eyes were the problem. Until those eyes were cooled nothing else made sense. ¡°What? Another match? Me too!¡± ¡°You already had one. This is my turn.¡± ¡°No, can we do a one-on-one-on-one? I want to!¡± Judith intervened, Bratt grimaced at it, but didn¡¯t say anything. It was because they often fought that way as unofficial trainees of Krono, which was five and a half years ago. ¡®It has been a while, really¡¯ The corners of Bratt¡¯s lips went up. Irene smiled a little brighter than him, and Judith had a smirk on her face without hiding any emotions. They spoke through swords until the night and dawn passed. It was a time only for the 27th batch of Krono, so no one interrupted them. Irene, Judith, and Bratt fought. After a brief shower they entered Murray''s manor to talk. Fitting of a son of a wealthy family, the rooms were spacious and the furniture was luxurious. ¡°Ohh¡­ this is good! Bratt, does your family have things this good too?¡± ¡°We spend money on what we need of course, but we don¡¯t have this luxury.¡± ¡°Really? If I had a lot of money, I would keep spending it. I have a lot of money now, a lot!¡± ¡°What¡­ gold?¡± ¡°Yes. The cat gave me a gift.¡± Bratt¡¯s eyes widened as he saw the three golden mice which Judith pulled out. It was real gold and not fake. At that a huge amount of gold. Gifting such a thing to someone on the first meeting was unique¡­ no, this was weird. ¡°Come to think of it, I don¡¯t see your teachers. Wouldn¡¯t this be a nice time to talk?¡± ¡°As, it has been a long time since the three of us met, they said that they didn¡¯t have to be with me¡­¡± ¡°Out of consideration for you? Such good people¡­ no, good orc and cat.¡± Bratt thought he made a mistake and quickly changed his words as he looked at Irene. ¡°Tell me now.¡± ¡°Yes! Say it! What the hell happened? I have so many questions to ask, not just one or two.¡± ¡°Haha¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯tugh, say it! I¡¯m so curious!¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Irene nodded. Perhaps it was because of Judith¡¯s reaction, he, too, wanted to tell it They wanted to know that nothing bad happened to him, and Irene told it in a way that the listener would understand. He closed his eyes. He had a lot to talk about, so he wanted to organize his thoughts. Fortunately, it didn¡¯tst long. Just before Judith fell asleep, Irene opened his eyes and told it. ¡°So¡­ to start, before entering Krono¡­ I started having these weird dreams¡­¡± Irene''s story began a long time ago, when he first dreamt of the man. He wasn¡¯t hoping for any advice unlike when he confessed to Lulu or Ian. He just wanted to tell them. He wanted the two most precious people to know what happened. Bratt and Judith were initially puzzled. They wanted to ask about what happened five years ago, but Irene was speaking about something too far back. However, such doubts disappeared. The dream of man changed Irene. His eyes were changed by the dream. He spoke about how he lost himself because of it, and in order to find his lost self, he continued to struggle with deep sorrow and effort. And faced challenges. The two of them were too immersed in Irene¡¯s story, and Irene talked very calmly. ¡°¡­ that¡¯s how I got here.¡± And the story ended. There was silence for a while. Irene, who brought up the story, and Bratt and Judith who heard it, were all silent and in their own thoughts. Judith was the first to break it. Looking at Irene she said. ¡°You worked hard.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Considering her usual personality, he was shocked by her friendly words. Judith didn¡¯t care. And continued to speak. ¡°Actually, I was a little annoyed at first. No, right. I thought that you would be a tough one because of your age but no, and then I saw your swordsmanship which was ridiculous. I was like¡­ how could there be such a crazy guy? But when you know that it was because of the help of the man in the dreams and not your own, it seems a little bit like cheating. Well, that was what it was. After listening to others¡¯ advice, you turned yourself away from the man who wielded his sword all day, all his life, can you even defeat such a person? Well, you could win at ater time, but he¡¯s too tough of an opponent for a kid. Anyways.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°However¡­ now that I think about it, you¡¯re trying to break away from the man. I think it¡¯s nice that you¡¯re working so hard against such a strong person without getting tired or turning your back on it¡­ but this act of yours is weird.¡± (1) Judith ended it with a small smile and got up. And then tapped Irene¡¯s shoulder. She sat back down and opened her mouth. ¡°It must¡¯ve been hard. To be fighting against the man who was alone and abandoned.¡± Sincere feelings of acknowledgement. Irene felt like someone had blessed him. Editor¡¯s Note - (1) - To summarize, she was unsure of him at the beginning of their time together at Krono, then she was very impressed by him, and now that she knows the full story, she has fully acknowledged Irene, not just the Irene who was following the man¡¯s will without a will of his own, but the Irene who went through all of that. However, she thinks it¡¯s weird that he hasn¡¯t fully abandoned the man and is still following the man by using his swordsmanship to an extent. And "act¡± in ¡°but this act of yours is weird¡± is referring to what she just said before that. Chapter 104: Reunion (6)

Chapter 104: Reunion (6)

Deadbeat Noble. A name which stuck with Irene. But now no one called him that. They had no other choice. Who out there would wield their sword as hard as Irene does? Anyone who watched him would think that. However, if one asks what kind of effort Irene Pareira was putting into it, few people would be able to give an answer. Waking up from a sweet sleep in the early morning. Then, doing swordsmanship training all day long, which was more painful than heavybor. And repeating it every day. That was great. It deserved praise and in fact, many admired Irene for it. However, the people who focused on ¡®why do you go to such lengths?¡¯ And urately pointed out the mistakes in it were¡­ ¡®Not many.¡¯ Ian, Lulu and I? And now, Judith. From the mouth of the person who seemed indifferent to others more than anyone else, praised Irene from the bottom of her heart. ¡°¡­ thanks.¡± Said Irene with a smile. There were more things he wanted to say, but couldn¡¯t. Even if he tried, he wasn¡¯t sure he could express himself properly. Judith, too, nodded without saying anything, as if aware of what was happening within Irene. A warm air which was unlike her filled the room. Bratt Lloyd, who was looking at Judith and Irene, said. ¡°I grew up.¡± ¡°¡­huh?¡± ¡°I turned her into a human. It took a lot of hard work to get here, so this is my way of thanking you.¡± ¡°¡­ thanks.¡± ¡°It was nothing.¡± ¡°What is this bastard spouting?¡± ¡°I¡¯m only stating the facts.¡± Judith looked at Bratt with angry eyes, but Bratt didn¡¯t budge. Irene, who watched them, looked nk. He felt it before, but Bratt changed. A lot more than Judith. And it didn¡¯t feel bad. ¡®At least he looks better than thest time I saw him.¡¯ Irene smiled as he looked at both of them. The appearance of the two Expert Level swordsmen trying to kill each other. Somehow, it felt warm to Irene. Of course, it didn¡¯tst long. If that wasn¡¯t the case, it seemed like they would run to the hall again to resolve the fight. So change the mood. Irene thought to himself and said. ¡°I, now that I¡¯m done talking, I want to hear from you guys too. Are you fine?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°Umm.¡± At Irene¡¯s question, the two folded their arms at the same time. It was funny to look at. But he tried not tough. If he burst intoughter, they would gang up on him. Fortunately, both were focused on the question and not Irene¡¯s expression. Looking at Judith, Bratt said. ¡°I¡¯ll say it.¡± ¡°Okay. You tell him.¡± ¡°Well. Judith and I have been at the school the whole time, and it¡¯s the same except for a few visits back home, but there isn¡¯t anything fun to talk about.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. Please feel free to talk.¡± Irene said with a smile, and Bratt¡¯s story began. There was nothing special about it. The story of hardworking swordsmanship training, the story ofpeting with outstanding seniors, the aspects which the schoolmaster and the instructors didn¡¯t know, and the story of Keira Finn, whom Irene didn¡¯t know well. As he talked about other things, the topic waspletely mixed up and after an hour or so, they were talking about the present and future. And naturally, the three of them decided to go on a journey together. However, in the process, Irene''s n was questioned. ¡°You said you were heading to Lation?¡± ¡°Huh. Why?¡± ¡°No, we were just on our way back from there before stopping here, and it was utterly disappointing!¡± ¡°That I agree with.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± Irene was shocked at what they said. Lation was a major city in the Maios Kingdom, which was one of the five western kingdoms with many swordsmen there. And this was a ce on par with Alcantra where Krono was located. But why did Bratt and Judith say that? His doubts were resolved quickly. ¡°They don¡¯t ept matches. They were so scared of us, and when we showed our Krono ids, they moved away. Or put someone who wasn¡¯t strong enough.¡± ¡°It was an exaggeration honestly¡­ no, the city is definitely overdone. Such a strong sense of restraint in the people there.¡± It was fun. When they revealed the silver mercenary card they refused the challenge because the kidscked quality, and when theyter learned that they were trainees of Krono, they made excuses and postponed the matches. In order to avoid any possible defeat and decline of their reputation, they made up excuses. ¡°Utter disappointment. Our swordsmen ept all challengers so I thought that Lation is the same, but no. It was hard to see Masters, and some famous swordsmen were nobles¡­ I feel frustrated thinking about them, we are going somewhere else.¡± ¡°Different ce?¡± ¡°Yes. We are going to Partizan.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Upon hearing Bratt¡¯s words, Irene burst out in exmation. It was a city he knew. It was because he was also nning to go to Partizan after Lation. The history of swordsmen in Lation was short. And there was no chance that challenges would be rejected if it was the Partizan city where swordsmen had more freedom. So, the destination of the three was decided. However, not all of the stories were done. ¡°Then, are you going to go with the Orc and the cat?¡± ¡°Ahhh.¡± Irene had Lulu and Kuvar with him. And it wasn¡¯t a huge deal. Kuvar was a good natured person and Lulu would be fine if someone kept telling her stories. And Lulu liked Judith a lot. And his friends should be fi¡­ As he was thinking, an unexpected person showed displeasure. ¡°Hm¡­ hey¡­¡± ¡°Huh? What is it Judith?¡± ¡°So¡­ it¡¯s just a saying, but¡­ then, there are superstitions around, and some nations take it seriously, and believe it¡¯s true, so¡­¡± ¡°¡­ are you talking about the ck cat superstition?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Judith¡¯s eyes widened at Bratt¡¯s tone. However, she didn¡¯t object. It seemed like she was really concerned about it. Bratt sighed and opened his mouth. ¡°You even believed all kinds of strange superstitions about swordsmanship. Get some courage will you! You¡¯re 18 and still believe in that ck cat thing?¡± It didn¡¯t end with that. Calmly exining the origin of the ck cat superstition and how it spread, Bratt listened to things she said and carefully told her that they had no basis. Rather, he added that cats are beneficial animals and prey on mice which spread diseases and it¡¯s good to have a pet regardless of color. Irene who listened said. ¡°Lulu doesn¡¯t eat mice.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. Sorry.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. As Bratt says, the ck cat thing ispletely wrong. Rather, in the Hale Kingdom, the ck cat is known to be a symbol of good luck.¡± ¡°Huh? I never heard of such a thing¡­¡± ¡°Really.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Bratt raised the question, and Irene answered proudly. He was good at listening to others'' opinions but he had no intentions of falling into Judith¡¯s stubbornness. With a flustered expression, Judith said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I spoke all that without thinking. It¡¯s your party¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. You were at fault and fix that habit of talking nonsense.¡± ¡°This brat¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Judith. Don¡¯t worry too much. And Bratt, don¡¯t scold her too much.¡± ¡°Ah! This is reall¡­¡± Knock. When Judith couldn¡¯t stand it and tried to grab Bratt. The three turned their heads at the sound of knocking. Then heard Kuvar¡¯s voice. ¡°Is it fine if wee in? Or do you need more time?¡± ¡°Totally fine. We were just waiting.¡± ¡°Haha, then¡­¡± ¡°Hello! Judith! Uh, and you¡­ Bratt?¡± ¡°Bratt Lloyd.¡± ¡°Ah, right! Bratt Lloyd! Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Lulu.¡± Lulu and Kuvar appeared at the right time. Thanks to that, Bratt and Judith stopped fighting and the room was filled with a new vibe. Of course, as it was the first time, it was a bit awkward. ¡°Hmm, Lulu introduced herself first. So I think it would be good to take time to introduce everyone again¡­¡± Kuvar took the lead. Moreover, he had something to close the awkwardness between them. ¡°This¡­ whiskey? Isn¡¯t this too precious¡­¡± ¡°Haha. It¡¯s precious. I have been saving it to drink with precious people.¡± A high quality whiskey he received from the merchants near Alhad. Bratt, who was quite knowledgeable about alcohol, his eyes lit up at it. ¡°The bottle looks so luxurious. But is three bottles enough?¡± She wasn¡¯t the kind to drink. She would asionally drink beer, but she had no idea how strong whiskey was. So it led to Bratt provoking her. ¡°Will it be enough? If you can drink this bottle by yourself, I will call you brother for a week.¡± ¡°What bastard? No, not even sister, but brother? Are you crazy?¡± ¡°Okay then. Doesn¡¯t matter brother or sister! It¡¯s hard for a kid who just began to taste alcohol to endure strong al¡­¡± Bang! ¡°Great. Okay!¡± Judith mmed the table and took the bottle. She blew away the neck and grabbed it. ¡°Mr. Kuvar, can I drink all of this? They say it¡¯s expensive, so I¡¯m asking first.¡± ¡°Uh? Uhuh, that¡¯s fine. But you might not be able to drink the¡­¡± Isn¡¯t that too much? But he couldn¡¯t say. Judith¡¯s eyes seemed to burn with passion. In the end, Kuvar couldn¡¯t stop her and Irene couldn¡¯t either. Judith drank about a third of the whiskey. Haa! With that said, she put it down and said. ¡°Wait¡ªgulp! It¡¯s a little strong, but this?¡± ?1? ¡°¡­¡± Exactly an hour after. Judith lost it and kept hugging Lulu. ¡°Sorry Lulu¡­ sorry Lulu¡­ I¡¯m sorry for thinking you¡¯re a bad cat¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. Judith I understand.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry¡­ sorry Lulu¡­ sorry Lulu¡­.¡± ¡°Irene! Get her off me! She¡¯s so strong that I can¡¯t move her!¡± ¡°Haha, such a nice sight.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lulu asking the woman to be taken away and Judith still repeating the same words, Bratt looking at her with a happy face, and Irene not knowing what to do. Seeing them like that, Kuvarughed. ¡®It¡¯s louder than before.¡¯ Not a bad feeling. This was a nice feeling. With a smile on his face, Kuvar poured the whiskey down his throat. ?1?¡°But this?¡± Basically means that she thinks she will be fine even after drinking that much of the whiskey. Chapter 105: Genius, Genius and Another Genius (1)

Chapter 105: Genius, Genius and Another Genius (1)

It was the third day since Irene, and his party met Judith and Bratt. They naturally blended into the party as if they have been traveling together since the beginning. Of course, Lulu was someone people liked, and the good-natured Kuvar had gotten close to Judith. Irene did expect them to get to know each other, but not so quickly. Most of all, the rtionship between Kuvar and Bratt was surprising. ¡°Bourbon? I¡¯ve heard of that, but I never drank it¡­ may I have a sip?¡± ¡°Sure, here you go.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ it''s better than I thought. It''s sweeter and thicker than the regr whiskey, but¡­¡± ¡°Haha. That''s the charm of bourbon. Since the raw material is corn and the oak barrels used are different for each, the taste differs. And you know what. The bourbon here is only three years old.¡± ¡°What¡­ if it''s just 3 years old, why does it taste like that?¡± ¡°Haha. It''s said that the region where the bourbon was made is so hot that it doesn¡¯t have to age for a long time. But, are you fine?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ and it isn¡¯t bad.¡± Irene wasn¡¯t sure when the hobby started, but Bratt Lloyd was pretty savvy. However, even he couldn¡¯t beat Kuvar in one of his majors. The orc had a broader knowledge of alcohol than the noble. And Kuvar had no choice but to be happy with Bratt. It was his first time having a drinking buddy. He couldn¡¯t help but feel excited. Thanks to that, the two quickly became friends without needing Irene¡¯s help. The appearance of a high-ranked noble who listened about alcohol while sitting next to a wandering orc driving a carriage was out of ce, but in Irene¡¯s eyes, it seemed like the two had known each other for 10 years. Of course, Kuvar was not only the friend of Bratt. Rather, he showed a strong bond with Judith too, but the medium that connected them was¡­ none other than divination. ¡°You, was there a persimmon tree in the town where you lived when you were little?¡± ¡°¡­ how did you know?¡± ¡°And there were a lot of cats too?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Was there a sign with a picture of a marlin?¡± ¡°H-How did you know that!¡± The beginning was ordinary. As usually the case with quack fortune tellers, Kuvar opened a story that would be readily epted. What kind of town doesn¡¯t have a persimmon tree? And was there ever a town without cats? Judith even said that a ck cat roamed where she lived when she was drunk. But she doesn¡¯t remember saying it. The only thing hard to find would be the marlin, but that wasn¡¯t so strange considering where Judith lived. The east Pavar coast is known for catching marlins, so having a sign made of it wouldn¡¯t be weird. But because of that, Judith came to believe Kuvar¡¯s skills. Not just that, she even thanked him for giving her a free divination. ¡°Pathetic. Like I said before, you are too superstitious. You went ahead and even made a mistake with Lulu¡­¡± ¡°If you bring up that story one more time, you¡¯ll regret it, I mean it!¡± ¡°¡­ anyways, don¡¯t get too caught up in it. When I say other things a hundred times, you never even listen, but for this¡­¡± ¡°Are you cursing Mr. Kuvar now?¡± ¡°No, I''m close with Kuvar too, but that isn¡¯t what I mean¡­¡± ¡°Astrology is an important branch of science which predicts what will happen on earth by analyzing what happens in the sky. A rational approach to human destiny would be based on information umted by closely observing the sun, moon, constetions, andets¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Bratt couldn¡¯t say anything to Judith, who was already engrossed with Kuvar, who was talking about astrology. Rather than them, Lulu was the one who had little interaction, but there was nothing to worry about. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t get along with them, but it was because Lulu wanted to concentrate on her sorcery. She meditated in the seated position during the journey and after eating she went back to training, so there was no time for conversation. ¡°Judith, Brat Lloyd. Would you like to eat this?¡± ¡°¡­ not brat, it''s Bratt.¡± ¡°Ah right, sorry. Would you like to eat this? There''s a special sauce on the raw salmon, which is quite suitable for human taste. Right, Irene?¡± ¡°Yes. I enjoyed it.¡± ¡°Really? I never had raw fish¡­ well! What is this! This is better than I thought!¡± ¡°¡­it''s definitely not bad.¡± However, whenever there was time, Lulu would interact with the two, so Irene could push aside his worries. ¡®I was worried that she was nervous after what happened in Derinku¡­¡¯ The ambush of Charlotte and Victor who threatened their lives. And then I, who left a stronger impression than the twins. Because of that, Lulu was looking nervous and restless recently, but thanks to Bratt and Judith, Lulu seemed to have calmed down. ¡°Irene, have you eaten?¡± As he was thinking, Judith, who finished her meal, called Irene. ¡°Yes, why?¡± ¡°What do you mean why? Do you have anything to do after lunch? Hurry up and raise your sword.¡± Judith, who took out her sword from its sheath, moved her red hair and smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s battle.¡± ¡°¡­ okay.¡± Practice matches after meals. This, too, was different from before. The practice matches between Irene, Judith, and Bratt weren''t done with bare hands. As long as one used a sword to fight, they could get injured if they didn¡¯t use the right energy to control it. They didn¡¯t use them in cities or viges since people moved close by, but they would use the empty roads once in a while. But that didn¡¯t mean they weren¡¯t using their full force to battle while being over conscious about people moving around. Around 80-90% of their strength was used. It was at a level sufficient to differentiate between who was superior, and Irene also came to realize his position through the matches. ¡®I''m the weakest.¡¯ As expected. He felt it while fighting at Cora Murray¡¯s manor, but the swordsmanship of his friends was at perfection. ¡®Actually, this isn¡¯t wrong. Because I was never actually able to win against them at school¡­¡¯ It was all thanks to his one sh that he got second ce in the final evaluation. In reality, he was far short of Judith and Bratt. In fact, having one-on-one matches with the two geniuses was enough to make anyone arrogant. But not Irene. Rather, he was thinking of doing his best to catch up with the two who were a step ahead of him. ¡®Judith¡¯s swordsmanship¡­¡¯ Judith¡¯s sword was free and light with an inclination to the wild and violent side. Maybe it was because her sword resembled a formless fire in the first ce, or her foot technique which held her bnce and sword, was something that Irene couldn¡¯t imitate. The same went for Bratt Lloyd. He, too, was showing off more sophisticated swordsmanship than Irene¡¯sst memory of it. To be precise, it was much softer and smoother. Compared to Bratt, who washed away all the attacks like a river flowing profusely, the technique that Irene learned was much duller. Besides, there was a part that widened the gap even more. It was the use of ¡®aura¡¯ that Judith and Bratt would asionally do. Kwang! Kwang! As usual, Judith¡¯s burst of fire was intense. But that wasn¡¯t the end. Whenever the swords collided, the aura which came out like sparks was burdensome for Irene. But it was nothingpared to a Sword Master¡¯s Aura Sword. Let alone Aura Swords, they were extremelycking whenpared to Charlotte and Victor. It would be safe to say that they contained almost no energy that could damage the opponent. However, the story ispletely different when the mes would form with a small amount of aura imbued in them. Dread and fear would flow through him, knowing that the aura that would strike him was likeva. ¡°Phew, I lost.¡± ¡°Great! With this, it¡¯s 8 wins and 1 loss!¡± Irene smiled bitterly as he saw Judith celebrate her victory. Maybe it would have been eptable in the past, but not now. As he realized fighting spirit when he met with I, defeat was painful. Of course, he wasn¡¯t afraid of losing, so he didn¡¯t just shy away or run away from the matches. Bratt Lloyd, who was waiting for his turn, came over and said. ¡°Is your body okay? To go again right away?¡± ¡°No problem.¡± ¡°Well, there''s nothing more foolish than worrying about your stamina. Here Ie.¡± The second match followed. Contrary to the disastrous results against Judith, Irene¡¯s record against Bratt was 4 draws and 2 losses. Considering the past, it can be seen that they are on the same level. In reality, however, that wasn¡¯t the case. Irene had little to no confidence in beating Bratt, while Bratt was confident in not losing to Irene. There were so many draws because Bratt¡¯s swordsmanship was better on defense than offense, and Irene¡¯s skills were excellent. And Bratt used aura to widen the gap between him and his opponent. It would flow out little by little in the battle. Shhh¡­ The light energy that anyone could feel when walking beside a river at dawn. However, it had the ufortable existence of making the opponent¡¯s body moist and heavy. Bratt¡¯s aura was like moisture. With every swing of his sword, it radiated a little, less than Judith¡¯s but it still radiated, and the appearance wasn¡¯t intimidating at all. However, thanks to the aura, the heaviness umtes more and more, and Irene would have no choice but to feel his movements slow down. ¡®At least my physical strength is good, so I can hold out for a long time.¡¯ Amid his thoughts, Bratt¡¯s aura kept flowing, limiting Irene¡¯s actions. The battlested for 20 minutes. And there was no conclusion. It was because Judith, who was bing bored, cried out loudly. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s no fun! Stop it now!¡± ¡°I''m having fun.¡± ¡°How long do you two n on ying alone?¡± ¡°What are you talking about? Once with you, once with me. This is still the second match he¡¯s having.¡± ¡°It takes 5 minutes if I do it, and you two have been going at it for an hour. Is this really the same? Move, it¡¯s Irene and me.¡± Bratt shook his head and looked at Irene. Irene smiled lightly and nodded his head. Eventually, another draw, Bratt stepped down, and Judith took his ce. Kwang! Kwang! Kwang! Seeing the two collide with more intense movements, Bratt Lloyd thought. ¡®Looks like Judith is also hyped up.¡¯ He nodded to himself. Irene might not realize it. Despite caring for Bratt and Judith a lot more than they know. But it was natural. Bratt looked away from them. His eyes looked at the sky, but his mind was lost in the sh that Irene did at the Murray manor. The manifestation of aura and focus. And most importantly, the talent to rise to the status of Sword Master, Irene Pareira, possessed both of them. Which meant that Irene had the highest chance of bing a Sword Master out of the three. Thinking that heughed. It had been 6 years since Irene first touched a sword. No, it has been a year since he passionately went after the sword to be a Master. There would be no swordsman who can stay proud in front of such a genius. ¡®He says that the man in his dreams helped him, but¡­ being able to follow him is a great feat.¡¯ Kwang! Kwang! ¡°Kuak¡­¡± ¡°Oh yeah! 9 wings and 1 loss! 90% win rate!¡± As he saw Judith yelling, Bratt clicked his tongue. If one wins, they win. Why was she taunting him? There was a time when he thought such things, butter, he realized that Judith had been that way since they were young. He sighed and walked over to them. When Judith said. ¡°What? Why the long face? Do you want me to battle you instead of Irene?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been two wins and two losses for you and me recently. And I can destroy you, instead¡­¡± Huff huff, he looked at Irene, who was panting for air and said. ¡°We fought with our bodies to this extent, and this time, let¡¯s fight with our mouths.¡± Chapter 106: Genius, Genius and Another Genius (2)

Chapter 106: Genius, Genius and Another Genius (2)

The carriage stopped a little away from a well-maintained road, three young people gathered in a hurry next to it, and an orc and a cat were watching them. Except for the fact that the party members were unique, nothing was special about that sight. Maybe it was just a usual chat time after lunch. Actually, there wasn¡¯t much of a difference. However, the words which came out of their mouths, Bratt and Judith¡¯s to be exact, were bloody. ¡°Are you talking about it? The first of the 7 matches at Murray manor?¡± ¡°Right. When I stabbed you were flustered.¡± ¡°Flustered, what nonsense, don¡¯t you remember that I evaded to the right and that your sword didn¡¯t even reach me?¡± ¡°That¡¯s the proof. That you got hit because I attacked differently than usual, and because you got hit, I reflexively avoided it. Dodge to the side, dash, and then counterattack, ites out like a habit. So, you expected me to do it right away.¡± ¡°¡­ I will admit it. I need to pay more attention.¡± An in-depth discussion about who stabbed and cut. The two were truly demonstrating what ¡®fighting with words¡± meant, but Irer realized that this was a rey of the matches. And he was surprised by how they remembered every move they made, he could feel their mad obsession with swords. They didn¡¯t just memorize actions, they thought about, Why did they do that? What was the benefit from it? What if it got blocked, and what could be used next? What would the opponent¡¯s response be? Seeing the two weaving dozens of ideas into one, Irene couldn¡¯t help but admire them. ¡°What could be an easier way to attack in that situation?¡± The discussion about swords didn¡¯t end. After a hypothetical situation appeared, discussions followed one after another to solve it. Judith would start and Bratt would continue, watching the two of theme up with topics three times in a row and then searching for the answer, Irene was able to realize a lot of things he missed. Psychological warfare between swordsmen, coping and creative breakthrough techniques, and urate judgement ording to the situation. Various otherrge and small things made up Judith¡¯s swordsmanship. ¡°How is that? Do you get that?¡± (*) ¡°¡­ huh. I think it would be difficult to do it right away.¡± Irene answered Judith¡¯s question. To be honest, just listening to them was overwhelming. ?1? And his realizations were also overwhelming. ¡®I was so overly concerned with my attitude towards swords that I neglected swordsmanship a lot.¡¯ That meant that since he came out of the world of sorcery, he hadn¡¯t paid much attention to swordsmanship. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but can I just listen to you this time?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Bratt nodded and looked at Judith again. And the verbal sword training resumed. Of course, it didn¡¯tst all day. If it did, they would have had to sleep on the street instead of in a town. They could have continued the discussions in the carriage, but they didn¡¯t. Bratt was next to Kuvar, driving the carriage and Judith was on the roof of the carriage. Lulu fell asleep next to her. The only one left was Irene, who was inside the carriage. In a space where he was alone and rxed, he smiled. He felt d about the free time where he got to think for himself. When he thought about it, it was the same in the school. The two always helped and he always received. While it warmed his heart, his feelings of regret and desire to win grew little by little. ¡®I should do my best so that I can join them as well.¡¯ He didn¡¯t want to constantly be helped. He didn¡¯t want to be left behind. In order to do that, he had to match the level of the two as soon as possible. Irene Pareira, who had made a firm decision, slowly closed his eyes. He wasn¡¯t ready for imagery training. Will, mind, and belief. The most important things, but¡­ now was the time to focus purely on swordsmanship. The troubles which started then, continued for three hours while the carriage moved. Andsted until they reached a vige and entered an inn. Irene had been concentrating on swordsmanship until it was time for dinner, but then he got up as the food was about toe out. ¡°Sorry. But I¡¯ll skip dinner.¡± ¡°Where are you going?¡± ¡°To practice swordsmanship.¡± ¡°At this hour¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll find somewhere. If it doesn¡¯t work, I¡¯ll go outside the vige to practice ande back in the morning.¡± With those words, Irene left the inn. Kuvar looked at him with a puzzled look, and Judith, who got up a few secondster, also left the inn. ¡°¡­¡± The air became empty. As food filled the table, Bratt shook his head. ¡°He¡¯s at it again.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Irene. Every time he acts like that, he shows incredible growth. It seems like Judith was also stimted and went away. Seriously, if that crazy monster is training, I can¡¯t even imagine the results.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t that happen when he was with you, Mr. Kuvar? It should¡¯ve happened.¡± ¡°¡­it did.¡± ¡°I knew it.¡± Bratt nodded with a serious expression and then moved his fork, without losing his grace. He finished his meal a little faster than Kuvar and Lulu and got up saying. ¡°I too will train. When I saw that face, I felt like I had to do something,¡± ¡°¡­¡± In the end, only Kuvar and Lulu were left. It was still the third day after Bratt and Judith joined them. A week passed since Irene went into training. During that time, he went back to the basics and spent days thinking about swordsmanship. Fortunately, he realized something. He remembered something he had forgotten. It was what the roots of his swordsmanship was. ¡®My swordsmanship¡¯s center is¡­¡¯ He entered the world of sorcery to find his sword and acquired various swordsmanship. Bratt¡¯s sword which resembled water, Judith¡¯s which resembled fire, Ilya¡¯s which resembled the sky, and the sword of the man. And the basics he learned at Krono. None of them were unimportant, but the main things were the man¡¯s swordsmanship which he learned and Krono¡¯s swordsmanship, which contained a little heaviness. ¡®The problem was that I forgot them and tried to just imitate Bratt and Judith¡¯s swordsmanship.¡¯ There are some things that he vaguely felt through their matches and discussions. The point was that he couldn¡¯t be Bratt or Judith. It wasn¡¯t a good idea to let the opponent¡¯s attacks flow or to imitate the sword of Judith which was explosive. If he did, it would mean that he was chasing after the two, and would do that for the rest of his life. If so, what should he do? Should he throw away everything he learned so far in the world of sorcery and start over? No. ¡®Focus on the content. Add only the parts which can be taken and applied from Bratt and Judith¡¯s.¡¯ Instead of losing his center and being dragged here and there, hold onto the center and harmonize the other attributes. Having reached a satisfactory conclusion, Irene¡¯s swordsmanship slowly began to bloom. Whoo! Whoo! He couldn¡¯t follow the free and light footsteps of Judith. Because he wasn¡¯t her. It was because he was dull and heavypared to her, who moved like fire. However, he was able to capture her explosiveness. And it melts away the heaviness. Irene¡¯s attack, which waspleted in that way, was as if a red-hot sword was flying. Whoop! ng! It was impossible to make an attack flow as smoothly as Bratt did. Because he wasn¡¯t Bratt Lloyd. He didn¡¯t dare imitate the movements. The water that dissolved the heaviness which made one feel stiff wasn¡¯t there, but it was fine. Because he made a defensive technique, which was like striking a deep puddle, it rxed the iing attacks and made them lose their strength. Bratt Lloyd, who felt that was shocked. ¡°This crazy basta¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t him who said that. Judith constantlyined over and over again as she looked at Irene, who changed in a week. She had no choice but to do so. It was because her win percentage against Irene, which was at 90% had fallen to 70%. ¡°Shit. How can the world work like this?¡± ¡°This is how the world works. I felt this 5 years ago when I saw Ilya. And I feel it now.¡± ¡°Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck¡­.¡± Lulu trembled at Judith¡¯s rather different choice of words. The air in the carriage was overflowing with the desire topete. However, instead of being ufortable with that, Kuvar felt a kind ofpassion. ¡®It¡¯s hard to stay with a genius.¡¯ He knew that because he was a spiritualist. The intense fire which cannot bepared to ordinary people. A person with such an attitude will never be able to lose. Whether it¡¯s rock-paper-scissors or a quick meal, if there¡¯s apetitive element, no matter how trivial it may be, that type of person has to win. And when irrational talents appear in front of such a person, they will suffer. Perhaps Judith¡¯s heart would swell like an active volcano. ¡®It will be my job to manage it well. Of course, right now¡­ that might be difficult.¡¯ From an adult¡¯s point of view, Kuvar was concerned about Judith. He hoped that the talented young woman wouldn¡¯t burn herself with her passion and get injured. ¡­ exactly a weekter, he realized that he had greatly underestimated her. Kak! ¡°Ugh! I won!¡± ¡°Judith learned from Irene. There¡¯s a mixture of lightness and heaviness in her footsteps. It¡¯s gotten pretty tricky¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Even without Bratt¡¯s exnation, they knew. Because Kuvar was attentive, and even if his body didn¡¯t know, his eyes showed him. Just as Irene absorbed Judith¡¯s strengths. Judith did the same thing with Irene¡¯s strengths. At that, in a very short amount of time. What made it possible¡­ ¡®Talent and tenacity¡­ I was greatly mistaken. Judith is a genius.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just her. Bratt Lloyd, too, aplished something during the time when the other two grew. Just looking at his attitude would make anyone realize it. There was no nervousness in Bratt anymore. Kuvar finally realized. Irene Pareira. Judith. Bratt Lloyd. There was no way he could have urately judged the full scope of their talent. ¡®Genius, genius, and another genius¡­¡¯ It was when he was thinking. Bratt, who came in front of him, asked. ¡°How long until Partizan?¡± ¡°Uh? Ah! Let¡¯s see¡­ we¡¯ll arrive tomorrow.¡± ¡°Oh, finally! They won¡¯t avoid us like they did in Lation, right?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about that. It¡¯s a city built by people who don¡¯t like that kind of attitude.¡± ¡°¡­ nice¡± ¡°Ah what? Look at Irene. He looks like he¡¯s going to destroy all the swordsmen in Partizan.¡± ¡°What are you¡­¡± ¡°I like that attitude. Very nice. Whether we destroy or get destroyed, let¡¯s just go ahead and realize that one side is bound to be destroyed!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be silly.¡± Judith, Irene, and Bratt were excited to challenge the swordsmen in Partizan. Kuvar smiled softly as he looked at them. Seeing ambitious people made him excited too. In such an air, Lulu alone felt different. ¡®It seems that they don¡¯t have a sense of what level they¡¯re at because it¡¯s just the three of them right now¡­¡¯ Well, once they get to Partizan, they¡¯d find out. The ck cat yawned and fell into meditation again. Judith and Bratt joined the party over a week ago. And the party finally set foot in Partizan. ?1?At least the author agrees that that was needlesslyplicated. My brain hurts. Chapter 107: What do you think? (1)

Chapter 107: What do you think? (1)

For a long time, the western part of the continent was famous for swords. There were five cities that represented the five western kingdoms, and Lation, which was supposed to be a swordsman¡¯s paradise, was one of them, and there were other cities that could bepared to it. It was a must-see ce. And there was an emerging city called Partizan. Although itcks history and famepared to the aforementioned city, it was young and filled with energy and freedom. At least Irene, who was there, thought so. ¡®This is different.¡¯ Numerous swordsmen were there. And countless swordsmen wereing and going. Watching such a scene, Irene felt a strange sense of upliftment. But it wasn¡¯t an unfamiliar sight. He¡¯s been traveling for less than half a year, despite that, Irene went through a lot as a swordsman. However, most swordsmen were ¡®mercenaries¡¯ who wielded their swords for the sake of earning money. It was safe to say that very few people were trulymitted to the sword. However, the ce Irene was in was different. Passion. And pride. Irene could see the fires burning in the eyes of the people in the city; they were warming his heart. ¡°Well, the atmosphere is surely different from Lation. This feels freer.¡± ¡°Like a mercenary agency.¡± ¡°This is better, it¡¯s crowded. There seems to be a lot of people who want to be knights¡­ ah, that cat looks like Lulu. No, is that Lulu?¡± ¡°No way.¡± Unlike the three of them who went out as soon as they unpacked their luggage, the other two were in their own rooms training; Lulu was training sorcery and Kuvar was training his spirits. Maybe in Partizan, it was just going to be the three of them walking around. With that thought in mind, they wandered around the streets without any fixed destination and Judith pointed to somewhere with a shrieking voice. When they all turned and looked there, they saw a pretty-looking building with a sophisticated feel. However, the first thing that caught their eyes was therge sword statue next to the gate. ¡°The bronze statuememorates the founding of the Hyram Swordsmanship School¡­ well, it holds some meaning. But is doodling on it alright?¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re right!¡± It was Judith who pointed it out. There were too many things written on the statue, it seemed like the city was truly free-spirited. [The one who will be a Sword Master, Kayton came and went.] [I¡¯m going to learn a few things. -Paragon-] [I hope that Hyram Swordsmanship School will grow beyond Partizan and be the best in the west.] [I won¡¯t lose next time - Anonymous swordsman.] Seeing how the statue was filled with words, it felt absurd. The statue wasmemorating the founding of a school, is it okay for visitors to treat it like this? At that moment, Bratt Lloyd, who had been silent until then, nodded and said. ¡°Hyram Swordsmanship¡­. Let¡¯s go there.¡± ¡°Should we? Do you know about it?¡± ¡°No. But I understand that it''s a ce with an unconventional and free spirit.¡± ¡°But¡­ fine. It¡¯s a ce where people can even scribble on its statue, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s an easy ce to beat.¡± Actually, on the statue, there were countless swordsmen whoined about how they challenged it and couldn¡¯t win. Looking at that, they thought that the school would be strong. The three naturally formed their opinion and walked in front of the gate. Before Judith knocked on the gate, Irene asked. ¡°Can I be greedy?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°If both of you are fine with it, I want to challenge them first.¡± ¡°¡­ oh.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Judith eximed and Bratt, he seemed slightly startled. They felt like it was a bit burdensome, but Irene didn¡¯t ask again. They could feel his excitement since the moment he stepped into Partizan. This was an unfamiliar side of Irene, but they didn¡¯t hate it. On the contrary, they never even thought that Irene could say such things. And it was nice that he didn¡¯t try to hide his feelings. ¡°Great!¡± ¡°Okay! You can go first, if it was Bratt I wouldn¡¯t have agreed, but since it''s Irene¡¯s request, I¡¯ll yield. This older sister will yield.¡± ¡°I beg of you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Please just shut up.¡± ¡°Huh, you shut up. Irene, you knock.¡± The two of them stepped back. Irene, feeling nervous for nothing, gulped and looked at the gate. The moment he knocks on the gate, he would be a challenger. It was a little pressuring; his body was heating up. ¡®It''s fine. I can do it.¡¯ Sigh, he exhaled and put on a determined expression. And bang, bang bang. He knocked on the gate. After a while, a person came out from inside and greeted them. Rattle. ¡°This is Hyram Swordsmanship School. And the reason for your visit?¡± ¡°¡­ hello. I''m swordsman Irene Pareira. I know that this mighte out rude, but we knocked on the gate with hopes topete with the swordsmen of Hyram Swordsmanship School.¡± Thanks to thinking in advance, he was able to exin it clearly. However, as he spoke, his heart was gradually beating faster and faster. The act of challenging another swordsman was making him nervous. ¡®They don¡¯t think it''s rude, right?¡¯ There was no reason for such nervousness. It was something that often happened, and the person from the school guided the trio inside. Chirp! Sniff! A chirping sound from somewhere. A subtle woody scent. All their senses were on high alert. Probably because they were sensitive. Irene was clearly aware that he was nervous. Fortunately, he had time to calm himself down. Irene entered the waiting room and closed his eyes to take deep breaths and calm his mind. Bratt and Judith did the same. Although the two would bravely stand in front of their Krono seniors, challenging another school was a different thing. But they weren¡¯t as nervous as Irene. For them, a pleasant feeling was rising in their bodies. In short, they were fully prepared for what woulde. ¡®Let¡¯s do my best!¡¯ ¡®I will do my best!¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll kill them all!¡¯ Irene, Bratt, and Judith¡¯s resolute determination. ?1? After a while, two swordsmen appeared in front of them. ¡°Huhu, nice to meet you! Young friends! This is Hyram, who is the owner of Hyram Swordsmanship School.¡± ¡°¡­ nice to meet you. I¡¯m Kent, an instructor.¡± The face of the person who was an instructor was stiff. And he spoke with slight difort. Feeling that, Judith¡¯s fists tightened. She wasn¡¯t someone crazy enough to yell at that attitude. She wasn¡¯t going to act reckless as she was a trainee. Her gaze shifted to the left. ¡®I don¡¯t need to worry about this.¡¯ Unlike the man called Kent, the middle-aged man treated them gently. To be honest, she was surprised. It was because she didn¡¯t think that the owner of the school would personallye out to meet them. ¡®In Lation, the only one who came out to meet us was a young instructor.¡¯ The size of the cities was different, but¡­ With that thought in mind, she nced sideways, and saw that both Bratt and Irene were shocked. But, it was impossible for them to stay shocked like that. The trio stood up and introduced themselves. ¡°Thank you for weing us. My name is Bratt Llyod.¡± ¡°I''m Judith.¡± ¡°I''m Irene Pareira.¡± ¡°Huhu, is that so! Would you three like to have a cup of tea and talk?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± The three of them nodded at the same time. The conversation which followed was the usual. The one called Hyram had relieved them of the awkwardness by asking questions about ces like other schools, and Bratt Lloyd, the most knowledgeable of the three, would receive the questions and answer politely. However, Kent had a sullen expression which made Judith feel ufortable. But it didn¡¯t matter. They were there to fight, not have conversations. ¡®If possible I want to have a strong opponent.¡¯ Those were her thoughts throughout the talks. It was the reason why the three were there! She wanted to yell that out. To throw away pleasantries and sh with swords. But it isn¡¯t easy to put that into words. It was outright ridiculous to say, ¡®Since I''m pretty good, I hope someone strong is sent.¡¯ ¡®But if I reveal that I''m from Krono, there¡¯s a possibility that they won¡¯t fight at all like what happened in Lation. If the opponent is strong, people will avoidpeting¡­ this is so tough. What should I say?¡¯ Taking advantage of the gap in the conversation, Bratt shook his head. At that, Judith and Irene looked at him. They two could surely wield their swords, but when it came to talking, they were of no help. It was better to cheer for Bratt than say anything. But, to their surprise, what they wanted to hear came out of the mouth of the schoolmaster, Hyram. ¡°Let¡¯s get to the point. You people, would you like to fight strong opponents if possible?¡± ¡°Huh? Ah¡­¡± ¡°How about me?¡± ¡°S-Schoolmaster?¡± Irene and the others were shocked. They never thought that any schoolmaster would ask topete with 20-year-olds. They liked it, but considering how things worked in the swordsmanship world, this was unconventional. And this was too much even knowing that Partizan is a city known to be free and open. And they weren¡¯t the only ones surprised. Kent, who was standing behind the schoolmaster, looked at him with a startled expression. ¡°It''s embarrassing to say it, but there¡¯s no one stronger than me in the school. Is-Isn¡¯t that so obvious? I''m the schoolmaster, who can be stronger than me? Hahaha.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, it isn¡¯t bad, right?¡± Schoolmaster Hyram smiled brightly. Seeing that, the three couldn¡¯t hide their bewildered expressions. And they looked at each other. However, despite being bewildered, there was something to be said. ¡°We will ept the challenger.¡± Irene answered with a firm expression. ¡®What a nonsensical thing¡­¡¯ Watching Hyram equipped with protective gear and a wooden sword topete with young challengers, the instructor Kent couldn¡¯t hide his difort. Of course, he knew about Partizan culture, but now he was thinking that it was too much. ¡®Anyway, to use the sword directly against little kids¡­¡¯ He was dissatisfied from the first time he looked at the challengers. Were they twenty years old? Seeing the kids who didn¡¯t have enough time to train in their lives, let alone experience challengers, Kent could barely hold himself back. Swordsmen shouldpete on a level ying field. However, those who came to the city with light hearts because of the free culture in Partizan weren¡¯t good, and Kent thought the trio in front of him were that. At that moment, he heard someone. It was Hyram. ¡°Instructor Kent.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You seem very dissatisfied. But think carefully. If they were people I could leave to you, do you think I would have followed you here?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hyram smiled. It wasn¡¯t that he was trying to look down on Kent. He just had good instincts, so he was stating the facts. ¡°I will struggle quite a bit with these young people.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°It will be a tough fight. Maybe I¡¯ll lose. After watching this, maybe you should try to change your bad habit of judging people by their appearance.¡± Surely their age was young, but¡­ The schoolmaster, who said that, stepped ahead. It was unusual to see him holding a wooden sword. ¡°Is a wooden sword okay? I¡¯ve kept several for challengers, but they¡¯re probably not asfortable as your swords.¡± ¡°Sure. Thanks for the kind words.¡± ¡°I want to avoid doing dangerous things with each other. Please excuse me.¡± After finishing that, Hyram took a stance. Strong energy emanated from his body. Irene, who gulped, took a stance with arge sword. ¡®We¡¯re going to fight right away.¡¯ It was flustering. Burdensome. And unexpected. But that didn¡¯t mean that he didn¡¯t like it. Irene thought with a determined expression. ¡®Let¡¯s pour everything out!¡¯ For Hyram who must have devoted everything to his sword, Irene wanted to give his all and not regret. Of course, the young instructor Kent had different thoughts. ¡®What was the schoolmaster even saying¡­¡¯ He couldn¡¯t believe that. No matter how much he respected Hyram, he didn¡¯t think that his choice this time was right. For a 20-year-old to fight Hyram. Even if the kid trained in his mother¡¯s womb, winning would be impossible. ¡®Maybe it was an exaggeration. He looks talented, but this match won¡¯tst long.¡¯ Would it be done in a minute? With that, the confrontation began. ¡°I''ming!¡± ¡°Come.¡± Kent stared with his eyes wide open at the old and the young swordsmen. So did Judith and Bratt. They watched Irene show his best against the schoolmaster. After a short while, the victor came out. Just as Kent thought. Tack! Puck! ¡°Kuaaak¡­.¡± Thud! ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Everyone watched in shock as they saw the master of Hyram Swordsmanship School fall to the floor after being hit by a wooden sword. ?1?I typically don¡¯t add notes for my personal thoughts, but the contrast between their confidence and way of thinking is disyed here very nicely. Irene isn¡¯t as confident, so he makes a less definitive decision that being ¡®let¡¯s do my best,¡¯ as if that wasn¡¯t already a given. While Bratt, the more confident one, just t out and confidently decides ¡®I¡¯ll do my best.¡¯ And finally, Judith is just Judith, so she thinks ¡®I¡¯ll kill them all.¡¯ Chapter 108: What do you think? (2)

Chapter 108: What do you think? (2)

Irene Pareira¡¯s unpredictable victory. Seeing the result, Bratt and Judith were at a loss for words, and instructor Kent had a dazed expression until he came back to his senses. And then he moved back and forth in confusion. At that moment, the schoolmaster, who was on the floor, jumped up. He looked around and then stopped his gaze at instructor Kent. And said. ¡°This is very embarrassing.¡± ¡°Wait, are you alright, schoolmaster!¡± ¡°I''m fine, fine. In the end, the damage wasn¡¯t great as the young man decreased his strength.¡± ¡°But, you fell to the floor, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°It''s embarrassing. I did say that it would be a fierce fight, but maybe because I overestimated myself I lost the match so quickly? I was so embarrassed that I was unable to raise my head. So I fell to the floor to organize my thoughts.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But while thinking, I was more embarrassed after lying down, so I got up.¡± With that, Hyram smiled. Hahaha. It was embarrassing, it really was. However, instructor Kent¡¯s expression was much worse. His schoolmaster, who is an Expert, was beaten so quickly! At that by a young man who just turned 20! He couldn¡¯t believe it, he didn¡¯t want to believe it. ¡°Huhu, your face looks bad. Instructor Kent, head inside and rest.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make me say it twice. You need to control your mind now. I¡¯ll see youter once you calm down.¡± ¡°¡­ yes.¡± With that Kent walked away. And thus, only Hyram, Irene and his party remained in the training room. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± There was silence for a while. Hyram and Kent were perplexed, but Bratt and Judith were baffled. Because they didn¡¯t expect Irene to have such an overwhelming victory against a schoolmaster. Hyram looked at their faces. As he smiled, the atmosphere changed a little. The three of them waited for him to speak, and he did. ¡°You people, are you from a swordsmanship school?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Which one?¡± ¡°Krono Swordsmanship School.¡± ¡°Hu, indeed you are. Are you perhaps the ones they call the golden trainees of the 27th batch?¡± ¡°¡­ we are called that.¡± ¡°Indeed¡­ seriously, there''s only one ce that can nurture geniuses of this level. Hehe, I guess this is how it is¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Silence fell again. It was strange. Obviously the three of them were superior to the man, but they still felt overwhelmed by their opponent. Even Judith, who had a temper, looked at Hyram. The schoolmaster opened his mouth with a gentle expression. ¡°At first I thought you were here to deceive me or something.¡± ¡°No deception! Absolutely not!¡± ¡°Huhu, I don¡¯t think so now either. But when using swords, I had no choice but to think like that. You possess such skill, but you didn¡¯t reveal it? No, I don¡¯t get it, is there a reason for you of this level toe to this ce? Is what I want to know.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry we didn¡¯t reveal where we came from. We don¡¯t have an excu¡­¡± ¡°I know. If you revealed that you were from the 27th batch of Krono we wouldn¡¯t have epted your challenge. And if someone does ept, it would be burdensome for them, even us elderly are not much. Even if we win a lot, one loss is all that is needed for us to lose ourselves¡­ ah! That''s what I thought.¡± ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± ¡°Hahaha! It was a joke. I''m the kind of person who doesn¡¯t care about that at all. Among the swordsmen of Partizan, it can be said that I''m most Partizan-like. Well? I didn¡¯t mean to say that¡­. Now, I just want to know. Why did you challenge a swordsmanship school with your level of skill? You made me so embarrassed of myself.¡± Hyram said the same thing again. ¡°You, you people don¡¯t realize just how strong you are.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you did know, you wouldn¡¯t havee to this city in the first ce. The swordsmen who will take you on in this city¡­ even if you hide yourselves would be four? Or five? But that''s all. And you will win over them. Even the two behind this young blonde man, if you¡¯re on the same level, then you¡¯ll win too.¡± Hearing that, Judith wanted to say something. However, she didn¡¯t say anything because she didn¡¯t want toe out as rude by asking, ¡®Is the level of swordsmen in Partizan so low?¡¯ Fortunately, she didn¡¯t speak. Cough, the schoolmaster cleared his throat and exined. ¡°Do you know what level most swordsmen want to reach? Shockingly, there are very few who aim to be Sword Masters. Most people dream of being an Expert.¡± Sword Master. There are only 100 Sword Masters on the continent. Which was why most swordsmen don¡¯t target the Master Level. Because they know that it won¡¯t happen. For those who are aware of their talent, origin, and efforts while being realistic, the highest level for them is Expert. ¡°But being an Expert also isn¡¯t easy.¡± What the man said was the truth. The Holy Kingdom, Avilius, has 200 Experts, and in the case of the five western kingdoms, there are more than 100 Expert Level knights and swordsmen. However, it was a shame that such power can only bloom in powerful nations. In small scale nations, there were fewer than 10 Experts. In other words, people try to reach the Expert Level to get treated like nobility. ¡°And the people in Partizan¡­ not one has reached past the level of Expert. But it makes sense to think that the power of this city is greater than a small nation. Right. Although this ce cannot bepared to historical ces such as Lation or Paitan, the swordsmen of Partizan are of high quality. However...¡± After a moment of hesitation, Hyram spoke in a confident tone. ¡°Your skills are so great that even swordsmen in Partizan won¡¯t stand a chance.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t that they¡¯re weak, It¡¯s that your level is abnormal. To the extent that an ordinary Expert can¡¯tpete¡­ I wanted to let you know that.¡± After hearing those words, the trio fell into thought. Thinking about it, it did feel right. Irene remembered his homnd, the Hale Kingdom. There were only five to six Experts including Hill But. Considering that, Hyram wasn¡¯t someone who wascking. No, rather, he was at a level where he had a different air around him as the schoolmaster. Nevertheless, Irene felt disappointed in the confrontation because of the opponents he had so far. ¡®I was like that and Charlotte and Victor, too, were stronger than me. Judith and Bratt¡­ schoolmaster Ian.¡¯ The people Irene met on his trip were all strong, so he was never able to know his true level. And it seemed like Bratt and Judith were in the same boat. ¡®They, too, had crossed swords with the seniors of Krono¡­ they must be in the same situation as me.¡¯ Hyram¡¯s words pointed it out. ¡°Perhaps because youe from Krono. And because of the monstrous senior swordsmen you have, you weren¡¯t able to know your own level. You people are Experts, a level which many swordsmen want to reach, and you¡¯re strong enough to stay at the top of the list. If you¡¯re expecting to meet someone more talented than you in this city, throw those thoughts away.¡± ¡°Then what do we do?¡± ¡°You need to go to Lation, Paitan, or Malta. A ce with more than 150 years of history.¡± ¡°Lation doesn¡¯t ept challengers.¡± ¡°Right. I did hear about that, but I forgot. It can¡¯t be helped though. You people get so strong so fast. Even if you run around the world, it will be hard to find a partner.¡± ¡°Ugh.¡± Judith couldn¡¯t help but sigh. Bratt hit her arm at her rude response. Of course, he thought that the truth was harsh too. The same went for Irene. The three had much darker expressions on their faces than when they entered the school. Seeing that, Hyram couldn¡¯t help but burst intoughter. ¡®They really are young people. Rather than being happy at thepliments, they¡¯re disappointed that they won¡¯t meet opponents. When one gets this strong, they be conceited, but these ones are hungry¡­ maybe I''m looking at three future Sword Masters right now.¡¯ Great talent and enthusiasm. And there was nothing wrong with these three. Thinking that, Hyram felt envious after a long time, looking at them, he spoke again. ¡°Of course, you have nothing to gain here. And this might not be good to say since I was defeated in an instant, but let¡¯s fight again. I won¡¯t let you win so easily this time.¡± ¡°Another match?¡± ¡°Yes. Aside from the fact that both Krono and Hyram focus on central styles, western nations use different styles than other parts of the continent¡­ it would be good to study and analyze the differences. How about it? Does that sound interesting?¡± ¡°Of course! This time fight me!¡± Judith said, raising her hand. A much brighter face than before, seeing that Hyramughed. ¡°Nice. Are you as good as that young man?¡± ¡°I''m better than him.¡± ¡°Man¡­ then let¡¯s not fight, but let¡¯s talk with swords. Do you get that?¡± ¡°I know. I will use a wooden sword!¡± The battle between the four swordsmensted tillte night. It was a useful and meaningful time for both the old and young swordsmen. ¡°We learned a lot.¡± ¡°Hm. There are a lot of things to keep in mind. He was better at teaching thanpeting.¡± ¡°He''s a good person.¡± Judith, Bratt, and Irene, who came out of the school, spoke. The time in the school wasn¡¯t bad. And it was something they enjoyed. He even wrote them a letter of rmendation saying that they cane back and visit at any time. However¡­ ¡®It¡¯s unfortunate!¡¯ ¡®So unfortunate.¡¯ ¡®I wish there was a stronger opponent.¡¯ Even if meeting Hyram was nice, the three of them felt regret. They hade to the city to fight fiercely. They came here imagining that they would meet strong people who would give them a hard time. But now, that feels impossible. The 5th greatest swordsmanship school in Partizan. A prestigious school. But that school gave them nothing much. ¡®And we have already been rejected by Lation¡­¡¯ In the end, by the time they went back to Lulu and Kuvar, they couldn¡¯t hide their dark expressions. Meanwhile, Kuvar said something. ¡°There may be a person who you might be interested in.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. And he''s a very strong person.¡± ¡°That''s weird. Schoolmaster Hyram didn¡¯t mention anything about this¡­¡± Irene questioned. It was strange because the schoolmaster wasn¡¯t the kind to lie. But Judith didn¡¯t seem to care. And asked. ¡°How strong? A Master? Is that person a Master?¡± ¡°Not a Master. But¡­ he¡¯s a famous sword master. He''s rumored to be the 101st strongest swordsman on the continent.¡± ¡°101st strongest swordsman? Ah¡­¡± Judith eximed. It was the same with Irene and Bratt. The number of known Sword Masters was only 100. In that case, calling him the 101st strongest swordsman meant that he was¡­ ¡®The strongest among Sword Experts!¡¯ Sparks shed in the eyes of the young swordsmen. Chapter 109: My Fighting Spirit (1)

Chapter 109: My Fighting Spirit (1)

20 years ago there was a wandering knight moving around the continent. He wanted to help his juniors, and used to coach all kinds of swordsmen. The 101st ranked swordsman gained the title Jet Frost around that time. ¡®You have amazing skills¡­ if I don¡¯t use my Aura Sword, I might not win.¡¯ That was the highestpliment one could receive from a Sword Master. When he got thatpliment Jet Frost was still 35 years old, very young, if you didn¡¯t consider geniuses like Ian and Julius Hull. Thanks to his age and strength, he received the world¡¯s attention and earned the title of ¡®Strongest Sword Expert,¡¯ that no one other than Sword Masters could beat. ¡°I didn¡¯t hear about him for a while, but while I was shopping for something, I heard he was in Partizan.¡± ¡°So where in Partizan is he? Will he ept challenges? What if he lives here but doesn¡¯t ept challenges? Did you get that information? Kuvar you are good at that! So quickly, quickly¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re going to run out of breath. I¡¯ll tell you this¡­¡± Kuvar spoke to Judith who was excited. ¡°Two days for now, at 9 in the morning, there¡¯s a match. It¡¯s said that it doesn¡¯t happen much, but sometimes theye out andpete.¡± ¡°Great. Are we going?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Bratt replied immediately and Irene nodded. The fight against Hyram was helpful, but they wanted to fight stronger people. The three swordsmen spent their time thinking about Jet Frost¡¯s abilities, and after hearing all the information from Kuvar, they went back to their rooms. ¡°Well.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Lulu asked, looking at Irene who was sitting on the chair instead of the bed. Irene shook his head and said nothing, and the ck cat fell into sorcery practice again. Irene did the same. He quietly closed his eyes, and the sounds of drunk men talking and Lulu breathing, slowly disappeared. Suddenly, the 101st ranked swordsmen, Jet Frost, came to his mind. ¡®It isn¡¯t the best title.¡¯ However, being 101st was a big deal. Especially when people consider that man the ideal Sword Expert. Didn¡¯t that mean he was the best among Sword Experts? However, Irene, who realized his fighting spirit and desire to win, focused on something other than the man¡¯s skills. 20 years. Irene was thinking about how excruciating that time would have been for the man who was just one step away from the Sword Master Level. ¡®He must have felt a lot of pressure, stress, and shame. Maybe he still feels that.¡¯ He wouldn¡¯t have thought about such things before. But now he did. He felt a little of what the man must have felt, two weeks back. How depressed he felt when he couldn¡¯t keep up with Bratt or Judith who were ahead of him. ¡®Of course, I got rid of those feelings pretty quickly¡­¡¯ He got rid of them by growing, but no one knew how Irene would have handled the situation that Jet Frost was in. While thinking about that, he was reminded of the story of Khun which he heard before. He also remembered the man in his dreams. Not only did Khun reach the Sword Master Level at the age of 70, but there were also those who reached it at 90 years old. And the mysterious man who swung his sword every day for decades. Irene felt like he couldn¡¯tpare himself to them. But he would have to break past the man¡¯s will. Or be a person who could embrace it. ¡®¡­ I want to see him soon.¡¯ The 101st ranked swordsman, Jet Frost. Competing would be nice, but he wanted to learn more about the man. With that, Irene looked out the window. 2 dayster, the three swordsmen were prepared and moved to Jet Frost¡¯s mansion. At Judith¡¯s request, Kuvar had gone out and found the location. The mansion was asrge as Hyram Swordsmanship School. But there was a problem. ¡°¡­ aren¡¯t there too many people?¡± ¡°Will we be able topete today?¡± ¡°¡­¡± At Judith¡¯s words, Irene thought the same thing. Swordsmen crowded the wide yard. The crowd was evenrger than the crowd of guests Krono had. It was crowded to the extent that they thought it would be impossible topete today. They were bewildered. ¡°Well, it¡¯s normal to say that a person at his level of skill is willing to figh¡­¡± ¡°It seems like there are a lot of rumors about him being here going around.¡± ¡°Then what should we do? We¡¯re thest ones here¡­ isn¡¯t there another way?¡± ¡°What! We need to get in! That¡¯s what we should do!¡± ¡°Hm? What¡¯s wrong?¡± A soft voice came in response to Judith¡¯s screeching. At the familiar voice, Irene and Bratt looked. Hyram''s schoolmaster asked with a friendly smile. Bewildered Judith asked. ¡°W-Why!? The schoolmaster is here too?¡± ¡°Why am I here? I¡¯m here topete with him.¡± ¡°¡­ you¡¯re a schoolmaster, is it alright toe here and do this?¡± ¡°Is something wrong with that? If there¡¯s something to learn from someone, then learn, Jet Frost is stronger than me. I have no hard feelings.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ah,e to think of it. I didn¡¯t mention Jet Frost to you two days ago. Sorry. Since he¡¯s sozy, there are very few days he actually wants to ept matches¡­ I thought that he would just spend his time sleeping while you kids were in the city. Or just get drunk.¡± Hyram swore at Jet Frost. However, there was a sense of friendliness in the way he spoke. Making Irene ask. ¡°Are you familiar with Mr. Jet Frost?¡± ¡°Uh? It has been around 10 years since he came to Partizan, but it isn¡¯t an exaggeration to say he only stayed here for 10 years.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that close enough? But¡­¡± Couldn¡¯t Hyram and Jet Frost just have a separate match? Judith, Bratt, and Irene all thought the same. However, Jet Frost waspletely different from what they imagined. ¡°He rejected me.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because he thought it was troublesome.¡± ¡°¡­ no, if his friend''s request is troublesome, then what is he doing right now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Jet¡¯s theory that asionally one has to do tedious work. That way, the taste of training will be special¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®The real Deadbeat Noble wasn¡¯t Irene but Jet Frost.¡¯ It was something that Judith and Bratt thought at the same time. ¡°Don¡¯t try to understand it. He¡¯s an unusual person.¡± Hyram clicked his tongue and shook his head. Aside from the friendship. Even he thought that Jet was strange. However, from the standpoint of the trio, Hyram was also an odd one. No matter how frivolous and free he was, how can a schoolmaster, an Expert at that,e to ask for a match without caring about his school? ¡®Is this it? Do odd people flock together?¡¯ Judith frowned. The door of therge mansion opened and a bald man came out. And themotion which was buzzing around subsided. The bald man spoke. ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m the butler here. I¡¯m here to share the words of Jet Frost.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but the master is troubled since a lot more people than he expected havee. His desire topete with everyone and share the sword exists, but he only has one body¡­¡± ¡°Huhu, he could easily justpete with everyone over the course of three or four days. He¡¯s sozy.¡± Hyram clicked his tongue. Of course, the trio couldn¡¯t do or say anything. They just looked at the bald butler with a look that asked ¡®what are you going to do then?¡¯ And after a while, the butler came to the main point. ¡°¡­ for that reason, we will give priority to those who pass a simple test, and the rest will have to meet my master the next time, sorry.¡± ¡°What is this now!¡± ¡°Right! I have been staying in Partizan for three weeks just to see Jet Frost.¡± Comints came from all over the ce. They all came here expecting to get one-on-one tutoring andpete with the strongest Sword Expert, but now he was saying that the weak ones should just head back. But the butler didn¡¯t like their reaction. Pointing his finger at some swordsmen who were shouting loud he said. ¡°You people.¡± ¡°What!¡± ¡°If youin once more, you will be sent out.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°The same goes for everyone. Neither me or my master are doing this while expecting something in return. This is volunteer work, so don¡¯t whine about how things turned out like this, or are you people not confident!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Taking a test isn¡¯t an unreasonable request. He would be wasting time if he spent it with someone far below the level of a normal Partizan swordsman. You can understand that too! If you understand, just nod your head.¡± Nod. Hundreds of swordsmen nodded their heads at the same time. Irene Pareira thought. ¡®I think that man is also an expert.¡¯ This wasn¡¯t something an ordinary butler could do. Thanks to the bald butler, the situation calmed down. The desperate swordsmen followed his guidance and quietly moved into the mansion, and then arge tool appeared. Seeing that, Irene mumbled. ¡°Magic meter!¡± ¡°Oho, you know it?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a lot bigger, but¡­ it looks the same.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a magic meter?¡± ¡°What? What is a magic meter? Am I the only one who doesn¡¯t know?¡± Judith was shocked when Hyram and Bratt seemed to know about it too. She was embarrassed as the other three knew, and she felt bad that she didn¡¯te across it until now. ¡®Bratt, that bastard! What does he know!¡¯ Hyram smiled and exined to her. ¡°It¡¯s a magic tool that quantifies the strength of an impact that a swordsman can make. See that shiny square thing over there, the score is disyed on it.¡± ¡°Ah, that circle just needs to be hit right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Simple and nice.¡± Bratt nodded. In order to convince people, objective evaluations had to be used, and nothing was better than the magic meter. While he was thinking that, the butler spoke. ¡°One needs to get over 5,000 to pass.¡± As many people didn¡¯t know of it, they weren¡¯t sure if 5,000 was high or not. Thanks to that, all the swordsmen were nervous. But Irene, Judith, and Bratt weren¡¯t. ¡°Should we bet?¡± ¡°Bet?¡± ¡°Yes. The person with the lowest score gets hit on the forehead by the one with the highest.¡± ¡°Flick to the forehead¡­ nice.¡± ¡°I thought you¡¯d say no seeing that expression.¡± ¡°I have a chance to legally hit you, how can I turn it down?¡± ¡°Shit. Wash your face and wait. I will be the one to hit you.¡± ¡°Tch. These kids. Do they think this is a joke?¡± ¡°Right. Do they not know how high of a score 5,000 is?¡± Some swordsmen frowned as they watched the three young people chatting with happy faces. And the faces of those who never saw a magic meter were especially unpleasant. Knowing that 5,000 was probably high, they didn¡¯t like the kids acting all childish. But Irene and his friends didn¡¯t care. Hyram didn¡¯t either. Knowing their skills, he knew that 5,000 wasn¡¯t a tough score for them. He asked Irene. ¡°Irene.¡± ¡°Yes, schoolmaster.¡± ¡°Do you remember what you scored thest time you used it?¡± ¡°Hm¡­ yes, I remember.¡± Some of the people around them paid attention to it. Some were eager to know how high 5,000 was. After a while, the previous score came out of Irene¡¯s mouth. ¡°I think it was around 11,000 points.¡± Chapter 110: My Fighting Spirit (2)

Chapter 110: My Fighting Spirit (2)

¡®Now¡­¡¯ ¡®What did he say?¡¯ ¡®Did I hear that right?¡¯ Upon hearing Irene¡¯s words, the swordsmen around went stiff. Not all of them had used a magic meter. However, since they heard the story of an experienced person, they knew that 5,000 points was a formidable score. ¡®Or, did he lie?¡¯ The heads of the swordsmen turned to one of the people who were talking about the meter first. Upon receiving their gazes, the man spoke with a bewildered expression. ¡°Ah, that would be a lie. If not¡­ right. Not all measuring tools have the same scoring standard¡­ maybe it was different?¡± (1) ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°That so?¡± ¡°Hmm, no matter how much I think about it, it doesn¡¯t make sense to get double the standard score.¡± The swordsmen who heard the man¡¯s excuse, mumbled and nodded their heads. But Hyram thought differently. He believed that Irene scored 11,000. ¡°It''s a little lower than I thought?¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Right. Because I felt your sword first hand. Maybe your skills have improved in the meantime. Did you measure it a long time ago?¡± ¡°¡­ no.¡± Irene said. He checked it pretty recently, about 4 or 5 months ago. However, a lot happened in that time. His encounter with the bandits in Alhad, the events in Derinku, meeting I, and then his time with Bratt and Judith have been helpful. Thinking about it, he wondered. How far has he progressed since then? ¡°Is the scoring different? It''s bigger than what I saw before, but¡­¡± ¡°If the shape and color is the same. It has to be the same thing.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Even we don¡¯t know how much you grew, and you can¡¯t lose to your past self. I will do my best!¡± ¡°Judith, wipe your forehead clean.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t cry when you lose.¡± The three of them spoke without listening to their surroundings, and Hyram looked at them with a smile. Apart from them, the other people were busy taking the test. ¡°Taha!¡± Kwang! ¡°6,201 points. Pass.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Shouts of joy. ¡°Ahhh!¡± Kwang! ¡°4,984 points. Out!¡± ¡°Ah! Please, can¡¯t I do it again? There isn¡¯t much difference¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. There are a lot of people who passed, so I¡¯m wondering if we should raise the standard¡­¡± ¡°Yah! Get out if you didn¡¯t get 5,000 points!¡± ¡°People are waiting behind you!¡± ¡°The score is life or death!¡± Some people left, embracing their frustration. After some time passed there were four people left, excluding those who passed. As they were thest to arrive, they were thest to test. ¡°Great. So, should we try?¡± While stretching his shoulders and body, Hyram approached the meter. Those who knew him watched him with serious eyes, while those who didn¡¯t asked questions. And when the word ¡®expert¡¯ came out, they were surprised. It was because they didn¡¯t expect such a talented person to appear so gentle. Was he really an Expert? A middle-aged old man who looked like a kind person? He grinned at them and swung his sword vertically. ¡°Taha!¡± Kwaang! ¡°Gasp!¡± ¡°Euk!¡± ¡°Hmm!¡± A different sound than before. The expressions of the swordsmen around changed while waiting for the number. They all looked at the square scoreboard simultaneously. And the bald butler showed the score. [12,081] A score much higher than what was needed and the highest recorded so far. The people watching were in shock, but the butler spoke with a calm expression. ¡°12,081 points. Pass. Your record is better thanst time. Schoolmaster Hyram.¡± ¡°Haha, using this often tuned me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t do this too often. It will break¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t some small thing, it''s a huge one. It won¡¯t break. Oh, of course, these kids might break it¡­¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± At those words, the butler looked back. Three young swordsmen. A blue-haired man with a rxed expression, a red-haired woman with an excited face, and a blonde man who looked a little nervous. They looked like they were just over 20. No, maybe they weren¡¯t even 20. ¡®Young people like that will break the meter?¡¯ That must be a joke. Thought the butler. Hyram was a serious person, but like Jet Frost he joked around. Perhaps it was him trying to promote good talents. Thinking that, he looked at the blonde one. ¡°Next. When you are ready, start.¡± ¡°Yes. Phew¡­¡± Irene Pareira, who had been called by the butler, stepped ahead. As he stretched out his hand, arge sword appeared. Shocking everyone. The same was true for the butler, even Hyram. It was because Hyram and Irene used wooden swords to spar. ¡°S-Sorcery? Is that a sorcery sword? The use of sorcery is prohibited in measuring¡­¡± ¡°Ah, it''s a sword made of sorcery, but¡­ can I not use it? It''s just a hard sword with no features¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ah, if there¡¯s a sword simr to this can, can I use it?¡± ¡°¡­ wait a minute.¡± The butler with the stiff expression moved in front of Irene¡¯s sword. A blunt, piece of iron, it was weird that it looked like a sword and a club. It was so heavy that no one could lift it, but Irene could. Waving it a few times, Irene asked. ¡°Can I use it?¡± ¡°¡­ yes.¡± The butler answered in a low voice. After getting an answer, Irene moved in front of the device. The onlookers, and Hyram, Bratt, and Judith, too, were watching. Judith and Bratt knew it best. When it came down to a single strike then he was the best of the three! Irene didn¡¯t want to overthink it, so he quickly swung his sword through the air. And hit the device hard. Kwaaaaaannnnnnnggggggggg! ¡°Euk!¡± ¡°Kuk!¡± A great sound. It was a sound that terrified everyone. Some swordsmen even fell down unconscious and some covered their ears. With that everyone frowned, their eyes looked at the meter. And they didn¡¯t say anything. [18,817] ¡°¡­ 18,817 points. Sess.¡± The result was so shocking that even the butler hesitated. While everyone was in shock, someone else shouted. ¡°Great. Next is me.¡± It was Judith. She spoke to the butler. ¡°Mister, can I do it?¡± ¡°Uh? Yes¡­ do it.¡± ¡°Haaa¡­. Hmmm!¡± Kwaaannnnggg! ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°What!¡± Another roar. [16,581] A strange score again! And that wasn¡¯t the end. The girl stepped back with a regretful expression and a young man with blue hair came up. [16,601] ¡°Huh, Judith lost. Irene, go ahead and hit her.¡± ¡°No! Bastard! This makes no sense! Is this broken! Ah! Ah! Ah!¡± ¡°¡­ ah. The bet.¡± He forgot. Seeing Irene mumble, everyone in the yard was shocked, unable to understand the kids who were enjoying themselves. ¡®What is with these people?¡¯ The test was done. The sessful ones entered the mansion in turn andpeted with Jet Frost while the next in line waited. Irene and his party werest again. They arrived on time, but so many people came early, so they had to wait. Looking at those ahead of them Judith spoke. ¡°There''s a lot left. Maybe we won¡¯t get a chance today?¡± ¡°There are a lot.¡± ¡°They should have raised the score to 6,000¡­¡± Judith, who voiced her thoughts, looked around and then went silent. The eyes of a swordsman who barely crossed 5,000 were on her. To them, she was someone who hit 16,000 so she didn¡¯t care about them. And she fully understood their feelings. ¡°I mean, it''s for a match¡­¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± The trio and Hyram, their expressions darkened. (2) The trio came here not knowing. That this Jet Frost was reallyzy. And in the case where the matchesst for another day, there was a higher chance that he would quit and go back to doing nothing. And that thought made them nervous. They kept thinking about Jet Frost for two days straight and came here! The three of them were thinking the same thing, even Hyram was too. At that time, the butler stopped by and delivered news. ¡°I deliver the words of my master. Apparently, there are too many sessful applicants, so we don¡¯t think this will end today¡­¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°¡­ and we¡¯re going to change it to three on one. Please understand.¡± ¡°Phew¡­ thank god.¡± Judith sighed in relief. Not just her, but every swordsman did. The strongest expert was their opponent, so it didn¡¯t matter if it was 3 on 1 or 1 on 1. As long as they went in and got some pointers, it didn¡¯t matter. Of course, there were those who didn¡¯t like it. One such person was Hyram, but. ¡°Ah, Mr. Hyram is an exception. They willpete 1 on 1.¡± ¡°Huhu, he''s taking extra care of me.¡± ¡°He seems to be in a better mood than usual.¡± ¡°I get it. I will receive his favor. Calling this a favor huh, but¡­¡± Hyram spoke with a frown and then stopped, but the butler smiled as if he knew what Hyram wanted to talk about. However, the conversation didn¡¯t proceed. Bratt took a step forward and asked. ¡°Then, are you saying that the three of us will deal with him at the same time?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°When I counted the people left, we three will be one group. Is it really okay for us to do that?¡± ¡°¡­ wait. I will ask.¡± The butler spoke with a serious expression. It was an important issue. No matter how great his master was, three crazy young people on one team against his master didn¡¯t seem like a wise choice. Was it possible? To deal with those three at once? He wasn¡¯t sure despite knowing Jet Frost¡¯s strength. But, there was someone who stopped him. It was Hyram. ¡°Wait.¡± ¡°Sir?¡± ¡°Is there a problem? It isn''t like we¡¯ll have another choice. He¡¯s the kind to do what he says.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Did you know? The fruit wine you wanted to drink on New Year¡¯s, Jet drank it.¡± ¡°¡­ we will go this way.¡± The butler nodded and Hyram crossed his arms and smiled with a vicious expression. Irene just looked nk at their exchange, but Bratt thought about it and asked. ¡°Schoolmaster Hyram.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It may be a rude question, but¡­ Sir Jet Frost, how are his teaching skills?¡± ¡°As good as his swordsmanship. If he put up a school, then people would flock to him.¡± ¡°And does he have any disciples?¡± ¡°No. Didn¡¯t I tell you. He¡¯s theziest person in Partizan.¡± ¡°Then now?¡± Bratt closed the distance and then whispered something into his ear making Hyram smile. Irene and Judith who looked at them couldn¡¯t understand what they were talking about, and then the blue-haired man went up to them and said. ¡°Is one match enough?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Thatzy teacher, let¡¯s make him a proper teacher for an entire month.¡± ng! nk! ¡°Hmm¡­ I lost.¡± ¡°Of course. Did you think you could beat me?¡± ¡°No. But you are so temperamental. Do you have to rub it in my face?¡± ¡°Enough, you are better thanst time, but¡­¡± After the battle with Hyram, Jet Frost pointed out some things. The expression on his face told Hyram that he was bored, but the exnation was detailed. Hyram nodded. ¡°Thanks. It was a big help.¡± ¡°Well. You are my friend.¡± ¡°And what does this friend want in return?¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking about the three honey wine bottles in your school.¡± ¡°See youter.¡± ¡°Be safe.¡± ¡°Ah, right I forgot.¡± ¡°What. If you aren¡¯t going to give me those bottles, just disappear.¡± ¡°Tch. Your behavior is¡­ well, the young friends are quite nice.¡± ¡°Young friends? What are you talking about all of a sudden?¡± Jet Frost frowned. Hyram chuckled. And then told him a story. ¡°No, there are some people who are a bit upset since you said you would deal with three people at once. Even with your level of skill, I wonder if you¡¯re acting too ignorantly this time.¡± ¡°Uh, really? Well, the story could change depending on their level of skill¡­¡± ¡°But those swordsmen, they are around 20 years old.¡± ¡°What?¡± Jet Frost asked, confused. But the next words were even more absurd. ¡°They asked me to tell you. If you win over those three, they will do anything you want for a month.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°And if they win, you give them individual swordsmanship training and pointers for one month.¡± ¡°Insane bastards¡­.¡± Jet Frost snorted. The world wasn¡¯t without talented young ones. I Crescentia hit the Sword Master Level at 20, and Ilya Lindsay had many experts on their knees at the age of 18. But there is no way that three young talented ones were in his mansion at the same time. He smiled. ¡°Fine. I ept the bet. We¡¯ll have them clean the mansion.¡± ¡°I will be the notary since I don¡¯t want you running away.¡± ¡°Why would I? But, if you want to watch, fine. Bring them in!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The butler politely went to get the young ones. In the meantime, Jet Frost wasughing to himself. After a while. ¡°¡­¡± Jet Frost looked at his friend without saying a word after seeing the three people walk in with a strong pressure. Hyram smiled and said. ¡°It¡¯s payback time.¡± (1) ¡®That¡¯ is referring to what Irene said would be a lie. (2) Hyram¡¯s expression darkened because he felt bad for the kids since they came there not knowing anything. Chapter 111: Scary, Poisonous Ones (1)

Chapter 111: Scary, Poisonous Ones (1)

¡°What is this¡­¡± Hearing Hyram¡¯s words, Jet Frost¡¯s eyes widened. And he turned his head back to the young swordsmen. The three of them approached with a dignified gait. And he knew right away. They were all Experts. ¡®Stupid¡­ no way! At that age? All three?¡¯ How the hell were they so talented? When it came to talent, Jet Frost was a very talented one. At the age of 22 he became an Expert and at the age of 35, he hit the peak of the Expert Level. However, the pressure he was feeling from this¡­ ¡®They aren¡¯t ordinary Experts.¡¯ Did they hear his thoughts? At that moment, the blue-haired young man in the center introduced himself. ¡°Hello, sir. I¡¯m familiar with your name and reputation. Although we aren¡¯t much, we would like to introduce ourselves. I¡¯m Bratt Lloyd from the 27th batch of Krono.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Judith, a trainee of the 27th batch.¡± ¡°My name is Irene Pareira, I¡¯m also a trainee of the 27th batch of Krono.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Thank you for epting an offer which might havee out as rude. So now, we will do our very best.¡± ¡°W-Wait¡­!¡± Wheeik! Jet Frost eximed, but Bratt Lloyd didn¡¯t stop and began to increase his pressure. It wasn¡¯t just that, Judith and Irene who were next to him, began to raise their immense pressures. As he watched the other two do the same, Jet Frost panicked. ¡®Damn it!¡¯ He was attacked. He couldn¡¯t believe that three of the 27th batch, the golden generation, woulde out at once. And, they were much stronger than the rumors! However, he couldn¡¯t get his thoughts out until the end. As before he could, three experts were going to attack him. Phat! Kwang! ¡°¡­!¡± The blonde young man¡¯s attack pushed against him like a rock. The attack was quite heavy. His hands holding the sword rumbled because of the attack. Of course, it wasn¡¯t like Jet Frost was too flustered to move. He raised his power! He began to generate Aura and pushed the opponent away with his power. It was the moment when he was about to extend his sword and hit the opponent who lost his bnce. Whoop! That wasn¡¯t possible anymore. Because Bratt Lloyd, the blue-haired one, approached Jet Frost to keep him in check. And the one called Judith was approaching him from behind. He bit his lip. ¡®If I get hit from behind, it¡¯ll be tough to escape!¡¯ Realizing that it was time to step back, he quickly mmed his foot into the ground. ¡°Woah!¡± Judith admired that move. The movement of Jet Frost, who glided back with one step backwards was smooth and fast. As she was someone who was concerned about footwork, the opponent¡¯s move caught her eyes. Judith, who remembered the movement, worked hard to get into an advantageous position. Bratt Lloyd and Irene, too, moved quickly to press the opponent. A fierce pursuit followed. Kwang! Whoop! Kwang! ng! Kwang! They caught up and the opponent moved away, it happened again and again. But, it wasn¡¯t like the three weren¡¯t in crisis. The Jet¡¯s sword which held precision, strength, and speed was unreasonable. Jet somehow created a one-on-one situation where he tried to take one of the three down. However he couldn¡¯t as the other two immediately caught up and he wasn¡¯t strong enough to subdue one of them in an instant. Seeing that Jet Frostughed. ¡®Have I ever seen such crazy people!¡¯ Each one was stronger than Hyram. Even though he was a close friend and it felt bad to use him as aparison, it was true. If this was their skill level, then they would stand up on the King Level in the Land of Proof. How old were they? It was unreasonable. They were so talented that even he who heard himself being called a genius couldn¡¯t handle it. ¡®No, fuck that, I can¡¯t lose!¡¯ He was angry. And getting annoyed. What the heck did the kids grow up eating that allowed them to learn so much and be so strong? These three were in a hurry to eat him up. And he was anxious. ¡®Being their teacher for a month, absolutely not!¡¯ Volunteering when he was bored was one thing. But forcing him to do something was very! Thinking of that miserable future, he looked ahead. And a terrifying energy was flowing from him. Irene, who felt it, stopped, and Judith, too, kept her distance from him. Bratt Lloyd was the opposite. He moved forward and pressed the opponent using his momentum. The three had different approaches. Jet Frost, feeling the energy he wanted to attack, threw his sword. ¡°Huap!¡± Swoosh! ¡°Uh!¡± Judith was startled as she looked at the sword which came flying towards her. Who would have thought that he would throw his sword? Despite being shocked, she moved her body swiftly. Lowering her center of gravity, she struck his sword. Meanwhile, Jet Frost drew a different sword from his waist and rushed towards Bratt. He had a spare sword! He wanted Judith to move away. Although, he wasn¡¯t too worried about Judith. One was still there, Irene. Knowing that his defensive position was sloppy, Bratt decided to hold on until Irene joined him¡­. As soon as he thought that, Jet¡¯s actions changed. Kwang! ¡°¡­!¡± He kicked the floor. The smooth stone floor of the hall was destroyed with a roar. Fragments flew in the air, and thergest of them all went for Irene. Throwing a sword was one thing, but this was truly an unpredictable attack. Irene, whose response got dyed, thought the same. While Irene was distracted, Jet Frost approached Bratt and swung his sword. ¡®Calm down. I only need to block it once or twice!¡¯ He didn¡¯t want to drain himself. And Bratt knew that his opponent was experienced. Considering the difference in level, blocking would be hard. But he didn¡¯t think that he would fail when it came to blocking. After all he was the one who dealt with the numerous seniors in Krono! With a determined face, he took a better defensive position. His eyes were staring at his opponent¡¯s sword. ¡°¡­¡± Because of that he knew. ?1? The deadliness of Jet¡¯s movements. If he blocked, he would be mercilessly cut down! ¡°Uh¡­!¡± Bratt was pushed back. It was a smooth movement, as if he was sure that his attack would go through. He took a big step ahead and moved his wrist. The sword changed its trajectory from shing to stabbing and tapped Bratt¡¯s mitt. ¡°One down!¡± As soon as he said that, Judith mmed into from the side. Irene, too, went for him, despite being a littlete. But it was fine. Dealing with the two of them without anyone aiming for his back meant that he was safe. Jet Frost fiercely used his sword to defend against both of them and then hit Irene with his foot. And thrust his sword at Judith who was alone. Thuk! ¡°Two down. Sigh¡­¡± By the time Irene regained his bnce, Judith was already down. Her face was red from being hit by the sword of her opponent. She didn¡¯t think that they would lose. Neither did Bratt. Seeing Bratt with a sad face, Jet Frost sighed and advised. ¡°Was it Bratt Lloyd?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Your skills are stable. I was impressed with your mature use of your sword, that isn¡¯t something people your age can typically do. But you don¡¯t seem to have the eyes for making estimates. Maybe you care too much about safety.¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t your sword just be one I couldn¡¯t handle?¡± ¡°No. This was a bet I didn¡¯t want to lose, but I was faithful to the match. You swung your sword with enough force to slightly pressure me. Nevertheless, I didn¡¯t step back because I was pushed, I stepped back because I lost myposure there.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Anything to say?¡± ¡°No. Thank you.¡± Bratt surrendered. And Jet turned to Judith. ¡°Your attack is monotonous.¡± ¡°What? Where¡­¡± ¡°Where did you sell your sword? Just shing and handling the sword doesn¡¯t mean that you¡¯re using it properly.¡± ?2? ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t. I don¡¯t want to listen to some long story. Think about it seriously ande up with an answer of your own. I¡¯ll help you again once. Think of it as a favor because I like your footwork, be grateful.¡± Jet didn¡¯t bother listening to any objections. And Judith didn¡¯t say anything. In the end, she was defeated. Irene was still there, but he couldn¡¯t handle an opponent which the three together couldn¡¯t. Knowing that, Jet Frost was about to give advice. However, Something strange happened. ¡°You¡­ okay. You¡¯re alone. But I¡¯ll y a little more.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You can give up. But I¡¯d like to show you something. Your attacks are quite heavy, soe at me with your strength¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°After that, I¡¯ll show you the weight of my sword. Feel free toe at me.¡± ¡°Puahahaha!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Hearing Jet¡¯s words, Judith burst intoughter. The sound ofughter filled the hall. Jet Frost, who looked at her, frowned. ¡°Haha, hahaha, hahahah!¡± Judith wasn¡¯t the only one. Even Bratt Lloyd who was standing with a serious expression until then, burst intoughter. For someone serious like Bratt tough out loud, Jet Frost felt a bit uneasy. He looked at Hyram. ¡°Do you know why they¡¯reughing?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± Even schoolmaster Hyram didn¡¯t know. At that. Irene Pareira who was silent raised his sword. A truly terrifying energy gathered. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Hyram¡¯s eyes widened. He was even more shocked than the time he was defeated by Irene. It wasn¡¯t just him. Jet Frost, too, looked at Irene, wondering what he was trying to do. However, Judith and Bratt were smiling. Irene, who received everyone¡¯s attention, spoke. ¡°Did you say to give up?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°This is payback for that.¡± ?1?¡°That¡± is referring to him looking at Jet¡¯s sword. ?1?¡°Where did you sell your sword?¡± basically just means, ¡®why aren¡¯t you using your sword?¡¯ Chapter 112: Scary, Poisonous Ones (2)

Chapter 112: Scary, Poisonous Ones (2)

Gulp. The schoolmaster Hyram who was watching it gulped. The fight between the trio and Jet Frost was exciting. The close fight between the trio and Jet was something he never thought he would witness. ¡®It was worthwhile to ce the bet!¡¯ But where there was a beginning, there was an end. The defeat of Bratt and Judith left Irene alone. At least that was what Hyram thought. Because the only one who can take Jet Frost down would be a Sword Master. But¡­ ¡®What is this feeling?¡¯ His palms were sweating. He wasn¡¯t sure why. But, he sensed that something great was happening. And he sensed that Irene was different. Jet Frost was also aware of it. ¡®What now!¡¯ He was better than Hyram. In addition to handling swords, Jet could use aura and detect aura. So he knew. How terrifying the auraing out of Irene¡¯s body was. ¡®There¡¯s no wastage of power. If he releases that much aura, it wouldn¡¯t be weird for it to run wild¡­ but it¡¯s being controlled!¡¯ He knew that Irene was hiding his trump card. Unlike Bratt and Judith who were actively showing off their Aura, the blonde only disyed his strength during the match. Which was why he told the blonde to give up. But to think he was going to show it now! It was weird. He who was looking at the person with nk eyes, sharpened his teeth. ¡°Oh my, I¡¯ll receive it!¡± Jet Frost¡¯s eyes shone as he took a stance. He raised his aura as much as possible and spread it all over his body to elevate his senses. It had been a long time since he did that. Without even realizing that, the 101st swordsman looked at the young genius. ¡°¡­¡± Keeping his eyes looking straight forward, Irene concentrated. Again, it felt different. Bratt and Judith were looking at him, but this time Irene was confident that he would be able to exert smoother and sharper power than before. No, he wanted to win the bet at all costs. ¡®This kid is incredibly strong!¡¯ He knew that the young man was strong. Not just from Hyram¡¯s words. The magic meter score was proof. But Jet Frost was able to ovee three of them at once. And he wasn¡¯t even exhausted. Amid that fight, he didn¡¯t forget the purpose of the match. It was a short but great lesson. ¡®If I can learn from such an amazing person for an entire month¡­¡¯ He had to seize it! Thinking that, Irene raised his strength even more. Crackle! The mes in his heart were growing stronger. The passion which stayed dormant awakened, adding to his spirit and will. It was still difficult to call the stake a sword, but Irene was one step closer to that. It was the moment when the blonde man was ready to swing with all his might while imagining that he was holding his will. ¡°I surrender.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I lost. I lost. So¡­ put that damn thing down.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Put it down, fast! Fuck, won¡¯t put it down?¡± Cold sweat was flowing down Jet Frost¡¯s face as he kept swearing. ¡®No. I can¡¯t survive that!¡¯ Seeing Irene go to a far higher level, Jet Frost fell down on the floor. And said onest thing. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be chased by the swordsmen of Partizan for murder, put it down.¡± ¡°¡­ please look after us for a month.¡± ¡°Take good care of us.¡± ¡°We look forward to it!¡± Along with Irene, Judith, and Bratt, too, bowed their heads. Jet Frost groaned as he looked at them. ¡®Damn it!¡¯ The 3-on-1 ended safely. Jet Frost exceeded everyone¡¯s expectations, and Irene showed a terrifying power which led them to victory. Hyram asked. ¡°No, what the hell was that? What was it?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try to understand. Because he¡¯s a crazy one.¡± ¡°It¡¯s hard to argue with that.¡± ¡°Haha¡­¡± Hyram shook his head. He thought that the kids were amazing, but he didn¡¯t think they could leave him dumbstruck and speechless. He actually felt like crying. He felt depressed as he remembered that he was a 40- year-old expert. But that didn¡¯tst long. Since he was optimistic by nature, he congratted the three geniuses. ¡°First things first, congrattions. You get to bully thatzy bastard for an entire month. Today¡¯s drink will taste better to me.¡± ¡°Thank you. That honey wine you mentioned earlier? Can I have a little of it¡­¡± Bratt asked quickly. Judith put on an absurd expression as Bratt was usually as reserved as Irene. Hyramughed. And said, ¡°Of course you can, but don''t drink too much.¡± ¡°Is it because of the teaching which starts tomorrow?¡± ¡°Right. Considering his personality¡­ you will have an insanely tight schedule. Maybe a lot worse than I¡¯m imagining. He will try to exhaust you guys.¡± Sincere words. Jet Frost wasn¡¯t a bad guy. And he wasn¡¯t the kind to waste other people¡¯s time, especially when it came to teaching. However, if the trio couldn¡¯t handle it and gave up halfway through, he would readily ept it. Did the trio know that? All three of them nodded at Hyram¡¯s words. They were all seriously contemting what would be taught to them. ¡°I think a bottle should be fine though.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If it¡¯s something you treasure, one ss is enough.¡± ¡°¡­ no. Have as much as you want.¡± That night, Bratt Lloyd drank three bottles of honey wine and went to bed with a smile. The next day they went to the mansion in good shape. ¡°Are you okay, Bratt?¡± ¡°Of course. It wasn¡¯t that strong.¡± ¡°¡­ that so?¡± Judith asked. It was milder than what she drank with Kuvar, but it was still strong ording to her standards. But Bratt didn¡¯t seem to be concerned. ¡°Kid. Don¡¯t lump me together with you.¡± ¡°You crazy fu¡­¡± ¡°Sir Jet Frost has arrived.¡± As the two were quarrelling, Jet Frost appeared with his bald butler. He didn¡¯t have a good expression. Probably because his normal routine has been disrupted. ¡°Follow me.¡± He said and walked somewhere. The three of them followed him and looked around the mansion. It was only slightly smaller than the Krono. Judith spoke. ¡°The ce is spacious.¡± ¡°I hear that a lot.¡± ¡°Are you rich?¡± ¡°I am, are you jealous?¡± ¡°I would¡¯ve been in the past, but not now.¡± Jet Frost nced back. He looked at the strange girl, but she seemed sincere. ¡®If I used what Lulu gave me, wouldn¡¯t I be able to livefortably like this?¡¯ To her, Lulu was the richest person on the continent. With those thoughts, they arrived at their destination. A building which had geometric patterns drawn on the walls, making Bratt ask. ¡°Is it magic?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s a fitness room where you can control gravity with magic. For the next month you will train your bodies here in the morning.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Judith eximed, however, Irene and Bratt had nk expressions. They heard stories of wealthy knights using such ces to train. However, it was their first time seeing one. Seeing them like that, Jet Frost grinned. As they entered, the magic circles were activated. ¡°Uh!¡± ¡°Hm¡­!¡± ¡°T¡­ This is a lot harder than I thought!¡± The three immediately said. Judith was the most vocal one, but the other two had serious expressions. It was because this was a lot tougher than they expected, however, Jet Frost chucked. ¡°Nice. Swordsmen who have be experts start to neglect their training after a certain point. Since they try to rece everything with aura. However, if the body is strong, the aura¡¯s effectiveness will improve. Also, while oveing the torture, the amount of aura will increase.¡± There was a lot of talk about how aura can be improved. Some people used physical training to improve their aura. Others had big or small realizations that improved it. But most swordsmen believed that physical training can improve aura. So did Irene, Bratt, and Judith. Because of that, they didn¡¯t refute Jet Frost¡¯s words. Rather, they liked the fitness room. ¡®Of course, it will be very difficult but¡­¡¯ The three of them clicked their tongues as they looked at the schedule given to them by the butler. If they didn¡¯t work diligently, they wouldn¡¯t be able to get the workout routine done on time. Jet Frost spoke. ¡°If you aren¡¯t done by noon, I will know that you have no will and you¡¯ll be disqualified. If you¡¯re dissatisfied with this, let me know. If you hurry up and get this done, I won¡¯t say anything.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And, don¡¯t even think about cheating. The butler will be keeping an eye on you.¡± ¡°Leave them to me, sir.¡± The butler answered calmly as he sat in a chair. The area around the chair didn¡¯t seem to be affected by the magic. ¡°Well, see you at lunch.¡± With those words, Jet Frost left the gym. With a smile on his face. All three saw it, but they didn¡¯tin. They already decided to follow Jet Frost for a month. Moreover, his teachings weren¡¯t absurd. Although they didn¡¯t like his expression, they liked getting to use the expensive fitness room. ¡°Fuck, let¡¯s do this.¡± ¡°Nice.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t talk like that.¡± Judith, Irene, and Bratt were prepared. Their determined wills were evident in their eyes and a firm determination was revealed. Perhaps, if they focused on their task without saying a word, all three of them would be able to finish the training. But Judith¡¯s provocation ruined everything. ¡°Whoever finishesst.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Will have to listen to the one who finishes it the fastest for an entire day?¡± Irene and Bratt exchanged nces while Judith ran towards the exercise machines. Both of them followed her and jumped into training. And after a while, their time in hell began. ¡°Huk! Huk! Huk!¡± ¡°Huh, hump!¡± ¡°Haa, haa¡­¡± Three young people were on the floor sweating. The butler, who was drinking his tea, looked at them with a nk expression. ¡°Uhh¡­ ah, I overslept.¡± Jet Frost woke up from his nap and checked the time. 1:20 pm. Frowning, he moved to the gym. At 12 sharp he had lunch and after that thought he would take a quick nap¡­ ¡®Well¡­ it¡¯s their first day, so an hour break is fine.¡¯ He didn¡¯t think that they would back down. He didn¡¯t do a lot nowadays, but he used to wield his sword vehemently. So he could tell by looking at their eyes. They would somehowplete the schedule. At that, very narrowly¡­ Since he walked while deep in thought, he suddenly arrived in front of the training room. And the three were nowhere to be seen. ¡®What? Are they resting inside?¡¯ He thought that might be the case. It wasn¡¯t that the magic circle was turned off, but there didn¡¯t seem to be an effect in ce. Jet Frost thought and strode inside. He went stiff for 5 seconds. ¡°Huh, huh, huh¡­¡± ¡°Uk¡­ uk¡­¡± ¡°Fuck, ugh, fuck¡­¡± He didn''t know if those were moans or groans. And he also heard swearing. From Irene, Bratt, and Judith. The problem was that it was past 1:25. Jet Frost asked the butler. ¡°Didn¡¯t they finish?¡± ¡°¡­ all three finished before 11. Irene Pareira, Judith, and Bratt Lloyd.¡± ¡°¡­ before 11?¡± That fast? Jet Frost thought. However, more surprising words followed. ¡°They bet that the person who finishesst would listen to the one who finishes first¡­ and the result wasn¡¯t satisfactory. So Bratt Lloyd proposed another bet.¡± ¡°What bet?¡± ¡°Who will get more done before you arrive¡­¡± ¡°¡­ but why are they still doing it?¡± ¡°They seem to be too involved with the training, so they didn¡¯t notice you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Jet Frost was speechless as he looked at Judith. And then Bratt Lloyd. And finally Irene Pareira. The three of them were doing their best despite being tired. ¡°¡­ haaa.¡± He sighed, shaking his head. When it came to dealing with these three, he knew that he had to be more serious. Chapter 113: The Person Called Judith (1)

Chapter 113: The Person Called Judith (1)

6 am. Jet Frost¡¯s training room was very silent. It was because it was too early. And Jet Frost didn¡¯t raise his sword unless he wanted to fight. At best, the butler Glenn would use it two to three times a week. But that wasn¡¯t the case now. ¡°Whoop!¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± Swish! Swish! Young people who were about 20 were there. However, the two people, Judith and Bratt were wielding their swords with a terrifying force which didn¡¯t suit them. They immersed themselves in the ce as if it was a practice hall in Krono. Without wasting a single second. Or getting disturbed. How long had they been swinging their swords like that? An hour? Another person came in. It was Irene Pareira. Judith asked as she looked at him. ¡°Did you meditate again?¡± ¡°Imagery training. Well, something like that.¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t understand. Does that help? No, seeing you grow stronger I think it¡­¡± ¡°Enough, let¡¯s eat.¡± ¡°Yeah. What are Lulu and Kuvar doing?¡± ¡°Kuvar is sleeping and Lulu is practicing sorcery.¡± ¡°Lulu is so hard working. Ah, sausage!¡± The three of them went back to training after a simple meal. Just like before, they didn¡¯t waste a single second. While they were moving around like that, two people came in. Jet Frost and Glenn. ¡°Once you have warmed up, let''s go to that training room.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The trio nodded. After that, it was the same. Relentless physical training until 12. Training under gravity magic was painful as hell, but the three swordsmen would perform the assigned exercises without a sign of displeasure. It has been ten days since they started receiving instructions, but their enthusiasm hadn¡¯t changed. Rather, it was Jet Frost who changed. ¡°Your posture has been disrupted. You¡¯ll hurt your back!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help you, stay safe.¡± ¡°Control your breathing. Yes, you¡¯re doing good.¡± On the first day, Jet Frost left watching them to his butler and went to eat and take a nap. Did he change because they were determined? Although he still had the same bored expression, he assisted Irene and the others with a much more serious attitude. Even Glenn, who cared for him for 30 years, was shocked by his sincerity. Such devotion led to not just physical training, but also swordsmanship advice. At 2 pm, Jet Frost spoke to the three swordsmen who recovered from fatigue with the help of a nutritional diet and a recovery room. ¡°Starting from today I will teach each of you separately. First is Irene, tomorrow will be Judith, and then Bratt. Irene Pareira! Stand in front of me. And you two, practice freely.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Yes. Yah, let''s have a match.¡± Judith and Bratt nodded and started to head somewhere to battle, leaving Irene alone. Jet Frost generously gave his knowledge to Irene. ¡°You make great use of that heavy sword. When attacking you apply a lot of pressure which is hard to deal with and when ites to defense, you keep your center firm. And your timing and skills aremendable.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°But it isn¡¯t like you¡¯re great. You¡¯re too passive. Maybe you feel overwhelmed by the thought that you¡¯re slower than your opponent¡­ that could be why it feels like you¡¯re slow whenpared to people like Judith who are good with their feet.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t it true that I¡¯m slower than Judith?¡± ¡°Right. But being slow and dull doesn''t need to make you passive.¡± Whoops! As he said that, heavy energy flowed from Jet Frost¡¯s body. Irene unknowingly took a defensive stance and Jet slowly stepped ahead with his sword. ¡°Don¡¯t think about catching up from the start.¡± Jet continued to move. It wasn¡¯t a quick step. However, each step felt solid and stable, and Irene couldn¡¯t stop his advance. All he could do was throw a light attack and then step back. ¡°As you move forward, keep upying the space. It gives you a space advantage and makes the opponent ufortable.¡± Kang! Kang! Jet Frost advanced and Irene retreated. Sweat dripped down from Irene who was constantly retreating. He felt like he was being pushed and dragged even though he was agile. ¡°You will be nervous as you retreat and it will be hard to aim as you¡¯re on alert and anxious. And if I take up this space, I will have more chances to make a move and defend.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get swayed by your opponent, and quietly upy the space and move ahead. Then you can move at least half a step faster. Now, do what I showed you.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The coaching which followed was more difficult than the training, but Irene wasn¡¯t dissatisfied. Neither were Bratt and Judith. Despite the anguish on their faces, their hearts were filled with joy. Because they knew and felt that they were growing and getting stronger. ¡®We did a good job with that bet.¡¯ ¡®Thank god. Meeting Jet Frost in Partizan¡­¡¯ ¡®Calling it lucky wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration.¡¯ Jet Frost. A great person. And their respect for the 101st swordsmen grew. Of course, they weren¡¯t the only ones who were satisfied. Jet Frost, too, felt proud while looking at the trio following his guidance. ¡®¡­ I feel bad using the term genius.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t because the juniors weren¡¯t talented. It was because they had wills that far exceeded their talent, and they were people who grew through unimaginable effort. He only watched them for ten days, yet he could tell. They were ¡®geniuses of effort.¡¯ ¡®¡­ I keep wanting to do it.¡¯ Jet Frost frowned. He was doing enough. He was teaching them everything he knew and could do, and the trio were readily epting it and using it. But their passion. The mes in their hearts. The image of them constantly striving for a higher level, pierced Jet Frost¡¯s heart. ¡®¡­ I should do my best.¡¯ 20 days passed since he was stimted by the three of them. Jet made a decision. He wasn¡¯t sure if he could do it. The truth that made him hesitant until then. However, if he didn¡¯t do it¡­ he thought he would feel greater regret. ¡®Right. I shouldn¡¯t hesitate.¡¯ It was fine. As long as his talented juniors don¡¯t repeat his mistakes, he didn¡¯t mind tolerating a little bit of shame. Jet thought and called for Judith. ¡°Judith.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I have a piece of advice for you, soe here.¡± ¡°Hm? Now?¡± ¡°You can wash up and thene to me. I will wait in my room.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Judith answered. She was curious about what he wanted to say, but the air around Jet seemed a lot different. It aroused her curiosity even more. And Bratt and Irene were the same. Even though they were told a lot during the training sessions, there has never been a case where Jet asked for a single person toe like that. However, they had no intention of secretly eavesdropping. The two shrugged their shoulders and finished their training and went to dinner with Glenn, who was now their close friend. It was then, they heard a loud noise. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Uhm.¡± Judith¡¯s voice which anyone could recognize. And the sound of a door mming shut. Bratt frowned and stood up, followed by Glenn and Irene. They quickly arrived at Jet Frost¡¯s room and opened the door. ¡°¡­ hmm? What is it?¡± Jet Frost had a calm face as if nothing had happened. However, Irene, a sorcerer, knew. The bitterness and sadness in his eyes along with regret. No, it wasn¡¯t just him. The butler, and even Bratt could recognize that the expression of Jet was strange. Bratt spoke. ¡°What happened to Judith?¡± ¡°Ahh, did you hear that sound? Nothing much. Just a not funny joke¡­¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­ fine. It wasn¡¯t a joke. I think I crossed the line and said something.¡± ¡°As if. Judith must have just over reacted.¡± ¡°No.¡± Jet Frost answered. It felt like the truth. So Bratt asked. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but can you tell me what you told her?¡± ¡°I have no intentions of doing that.¡± Jet closed his eyes. Which meant that he had nothing more to say. It wasn¡¯t just that, it was his silent appeal for them to leave his room. The butler, who saw that, tried to move away and so did Irene. But Bratt didn¡¯t. He took something out of his sleeve and went to where Jet was seated. And ced something on the table. ¡°This is schoolmaster Hyram¡¯s honey wine.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s much more precious than honey from beehives. And the ingredients in it are hard to find even for herbalists.¡± ¡°¡­ how did you get this?¡± ¡°I have my ways. Are you going to drink it or not?¡± ¡°¡­ butler, bring me a ss.¡± The butler shook his head as he grabbed sses. The butlerid down four sses and naturally sat in a chair and Irene, who was watching, joined them. All four cups were filled. Jet looked at the ss with a slightly embarrassed expression, and Bratt said. ¡°Judith has a terrible personality.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Beyond one''s imagination. Not just terrible, but even stubborn. Even the second head of Krono along with our seniors would get angry. She doesn¡¯t like following people. She¡¯s the crazy kind. And she¡¯s a piece of shit. Even jellyfish can be smarter than her¡­¡± Bratt spoke and swore like Judith. It seemed like he wouldn¡¯t be able to end the story until morning. Irene, the butler, and even Jet Frost, who seemed troubled, looked at Bratt with puzzled faces. As everyone looked at him, Bratt stopped swearing. And then said, ¡°Maybe Jet Frost taught her something that hurt her confidence?¡± ¡°¡­ it was like that.¡± ¡°If the person was kind then it would be a different story, but Judith who¡¯s stubborn won¡¯t listen.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But there¡¯s a way to get that filthy one to listen. As an expert in Judith I guarantee it. It is¡­¡± ¡°It is?¡± ¡°She needs to grow through the teachings first.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Then she will get angry and explode or she¡¯ll try to digest it and utilize it. Because she¡¯s someone who hates losing more than dying.¡± Both Jet and Glenn looked at Bratt with nk faces. However, Irene nodded. Bratt was right. Judith was such a person. ¡°So, talk. Was the advice given to Judith because you were worried about her or because you wanted her to do better?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I will listen and try to understand it well. So¡­¡± ¡°Can you tell me now?¡± At that, Jet Frost went still for a while. The room turned heavy. While everyone was looking elsewhere, only Bratt looked at Jet Frost. Maybe he couldn¡¯t stand the stare. Jet sighed and drank the wine. And lowered his ss while raising his head. ¡°Before the thing with Judith, let me tell you my story.¡± Everyone nodded at Jet Frost¡¯s words. Chapter 114: The Person Called Judith (2)

Chapter 114: The Person Called Judith (2)

Jet Frost has loved swords since his childhood. Because of the heroes in the fairy tales, his mother would tell him at bedtime and the great men of history who did tremendous deeds. The demons and demonic beasts which once drove the continent into fear! And the heroes who cut down those evil creatures with their swords! He admired them and wanted to be like them. Thus, Jet Frost stepped into the world of swords and developed his skills at a frightening pace. Actually, it was a natural oue. Frost was from a prestigious family that had produced excellent swordsmen for generations, and Jet¡¯s talent was unique among them. He was so talented that even his brothers, who were also talented, lost their motivation. In addition, his passion and interest for swords skyrocketed, and more rumors about him spread. ¡°That was the most enjoyable time.¡± Jet smiled bitterly and continued. Five years after he started practicing the sword. He was praised for being the best among his peers in the nearby provinces. But it didn''t matter. Jet continued to swing his sword happily. Then 10 years passed since he first started practicing. And around that time, rumors about him being the best talent in the kingdom spread Still, he didn¡¯t care. That wasn¡¯t why he wielded his sword. 15 years after picking up the sword. He reached the Expert Level at an early age and he joined the Knights of one of the five western kingdoms. After that, the story of Jet Frost began to spread beyond the kingdom to the entire western part of the continent. When people talked about the young swordsmen who would lead the next generation, his name was always mentioned. It was the same when talking about the next Sword Master. Although he was still 22, Jet was someone who was mentioned. But from then on. He couldn¡¯t fully focus on the sword. ¡°Gradually¡­ little by little, other people began to care.¡± It was the truth. Until he was 22, Jet was the best talent in the Kingdom. It felt wrong to put someone in front of him while he was only known in the kingdom. However, when he reached the Expert Level, and his stage changed from kingdom to continent, he wasn¡¯t the best anymore. He was just one of the best. Maybe a little lower. And that shook Jet Frost. ¡®Jet Frost? That young man is great. Butpared to the masters in the five kingdoms, isn¡¯t he a bitcking?¡¯ ¡®Simr? No, he¡¯s not. The owner of Krono, that one was the best¡­¡¯ People began to indirectly bully him. ¡®What bullshit! Do you know how great Jet Frost is?¡¯ ¡®So? You don¡¯t even know their strength, he isn¡¯t muchpared to the five kingdoms¡­¡¯ ¡®You¡¯ll regret those words. Sir Jet Frost will fully awaken his talents and be a Sword Master in his 40s or earlier!¡¯ But there were people who trusted him. Thousands of positive words came to the Frost family. However, no one was unaffected by the negative words. Everyone in the family began to focus on the growth of Jet Frost and put him under pressure. They made him learn possiblepetitors¡¯ names and achievements when he didn¡¯t want to know them. He was being influenced. He only rejoiced or felt sorrow at hispetitors¡¯ skills instead of his own. Thus, Jet Frost began to practice the sword with a different feeling than before; the joyous feelings that were there at first faded away. ¡°Of course, that stimtion wasn¡¯t terrible. It was helpful enough, even if it was forced. And the reason I got the title of the 101st Strongest Swordsman at 35 was because of my hard work, I won¡¯t deny it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But that was the limit.¡± It wasn¡¯t fun anymore. He was no longer happy. The stimtion throughpetition didn¡¯tst forever, but rather, it eroded his heart. After 10 years passed since he reached the peak of the Expert Level and he still couldn¡¯t be a Sword Master, he realized that training the sword was no longer fun for him. And Jet gave up on his journey to be a Master and settled in a corner of Partizan. ¡°Comparison,petition, and a desire to win¡­ aren¡¯t bad things. And if they are used properly and in moderation, they would help you a lot.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But the problem is that ¡®moderation¡¯ isn¡¯t always possible. There¡¯s always a person stronger, faster, or smarter than you. And because of that a person who is obsessed with being on top will have no choice but to keep fighting and struggling. In order to be ahead of the race, one will be impatient, overworked, and have no choice but to do more than they possibly can. And¡­¡± Jet Frost looked at Irene and Bratt, who were listening to him. ¡°And when geniuses like youe around, that impatience gets worse.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I brought it up to make her aware of it. Don¡¯t focus onparing yourself to others, orpeting, find yourself. Focusing on the pleasure of holding the sword will be more helpful in the long run. That was what I meant¡­ but it seems to have backfired.¡± He sighed, and he drank the wine. Seeing that, Irene understood why Judith was angry. No matter what the reason was, Jet¡¯s words were bound to hurt Judith¡¯s pride. Didn¡¯t his words mean that shecked talentpared to Irene and Bratt? Of course she reacted. ¡®And he said that to not someone else, but Judith, of course she would explode.¡¯ Irene¡¯s expression hardened. Because he never thought that Judith was inferior to him. And Judith herself would have never thought that. But if someone like Jet said it, she would definitely be concerned. No matter how good his intentions were. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Silence fell. Neither Bratt, Irene, nor the butler spoke. Even Jet Frost didn¡¯t. All of them were looking at one ce. Judith had quietly entered the room at the beginning of the story. She looked at his face with a calmer expression. ¡°First, I¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I know that you weren¡¯t downgrading me. Well, I do admit that these jerks are smarter than me. And you were right that I was trying too hard to catch up with them, but what do you know?¡± ¡°¡­ what?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t pick up the sword for fun.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I raise my sword to make sure I survive and not die.¡± With that, Judith spoke about her childhood. As we know, Judith lost her parents when she was young. And because of that, she fell into the slums of Pavar at the age of seven and had to do anything to survive. ?1? No, just doing anything wasn¡¯t enough. She had to be the best to survive. ¡®You jerks! We give you a ce to sleep and even protect you from bugs, but this is all that you earn? From now on, kids who don¡¯t meet the quota don¡¯t get food!¡¯ In order to eat one meal a day, she had to bring in money and satisfy the boss, and for that, she had to beg better than others. Judith would study the passers-by and use that information to survive and get food while others starved to death. But that wasn¡¯t enough. As time went on, the boss¡¯s greed grew, and Judith, who couldn¡¯t get enough money from begging, started pickpocketing. Judith had a knack for using her body. She would rob the passers-by with her hand skills, and because of that she could live better since she made the boss a lot of money. And she thought that it would get better. But, ¡®W-What you bastard! Where is the money!¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t give you a ce to sleep and food for nothing¡­!¡¯ A monthter, pickpocketing stopped working, and Judith couldn¡¯t get money. She stared at the boss, who kept beating her. She didn¡¯t want to live like that. And she didn¡¯t want to get beat anymore. That was why Judith took up the sword. ¡°Of course, I didn¡¯t have a proper sword or teacher.¡± It was natural. How could a girl own a sword and live in the slums? And where would a teacher evene? She picked up a pretty straight branch and trained herself, and watched the fights between rough men on the shores. asionally, when a wandering knight woulde and boast about himself, she would try to watch them and imitate their movements. And she thought. One day, she would be able to kill the boss and his subordinates. And someday she will be an excellent swordsman, and even the wandering knights would have to look up to her. As amoner, orphan, and slum dweller, she promised to equip herself with skills so that no one could look down on her. Her peers made fun of her, but Judith never stopped. She swung that branch while the others would act helpless. She would swing it while everyone slept. She even swung it when the boss took the kids¡¯ money and got drunk. She lived harder than her peers, the boss, and anyone her age. And then she turned 12. Judith¡¯s wooden sword smashed the boss¡¯s head. It surprised everyone in the slums. ¡°If not for the person who inspected the scene, he¡¯s my senior now¡­ I would have died. But I was able to survive thanks to the senior who took me in.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But, I still can¡¯t forget that time.¡± She was saved by someone from Krono, and then became a preliminary trainee. However, Judith would never forget it. If she didn¡¯t move faster than others, she would have to starve. A hell where if she wasn¡¯t better than others, she would be trampled to death. For her, that was what defeat symbolized. ¡°Of course, now I like swords. Learning the smallest things makes me feel good and the smallest growth makes me smile. Before I knew it, I turned into a swordsman.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But that isn¡¯t my initial intention. My focus¡­ waspetition.¡± For her, it was apetition. Winning or losing was rted to survival. Judith, who said that, paused. Everyone waited for her to cool her emotions by breathing deeply. And then she spoke. ¡°It will be crazy. And overkill. But if I can get myself to defeat the ones superior to me despite being overworked, if I can move forward without losing¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Suffering in the process can be tolerated.¡± As if she was making an oath to herself, Judith finished in a strong tone. Her eyes were on fire as she looked at Jet Frost. And Irene watched that. He stared at Judith¡¯s fire, which was much more intense than his. ?1?Pavar is a coastal city. Chapter 115: The Person Called Judith (2)

Chapter 115: The Person Called Judith (2)

¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The room was filled with silence. Everyone who heard about Judith¡¯s past had no choice but to have a stiff expression. Bratt and Irene couldn¡¯t imagine such a childhood. And consoling her was a difficult task for them since they were cared for since birth. Even butler Glenn, who was amoner, was unable to say anything. A heavy air surrounded them as they looked into eachothers'' eyes. The first to break the silence was Jet Frost, who received Judith¡¯s hot gaze. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Judith couldn¡¯t understand him. She thought he would say sorry. Of course, there was no reason he had to say it, but she was preparing for it in her mind. So she didn¡¯t expect the words ¡®thank you¡¯ toe out. However, Jet Frost spoke with sincerity. With a serious expression, he looked at Judith¡¯s eyes and said. ¡°When I was younger, there was a time when I thought that there was only one way to use the sword. It was after I had tasted a quick sword for the first time. Whether it was with a greatsword or a different sword, I used to think that speed was the most important thing in swordsmanship.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Of course, I don¡¯t think that way anymore. I realizedter that the most important thing is the person who holds the sword. Is there a correct path to take while pursuing the sword? No, there isn¡¯t, just walk down the path that you think is right for you. But despite knowing that¡­¡± Jet Frost continued to speak with a smile. ¡°¡­ I made the same mistake. Since you reminded me of myself.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Which is why I said thank you.¡± There was no set answer to how a person can ascend to the Expert Level or higher. Each person had to find their own way. Like Jet Frost, it¡¯s right to consider the pain ofpetition as unnecessary and focus solely on the sword. And if one can find their true self through that, then that is their answer. But that didn¡¯t mean that Judith¡¯s way was wrong. She was fully aware of the pain ofpetition and bitterness of defeat, but she was determined to endure it. Even if the mes inside her end up burning her, it can be a correct answer if she doesn¡¯t lose herself and ovees it. Jet Frost realized once again. That there is no fixed answer. So he said. ¡°I don¡¯t think my way is wrong.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But your way isn¡¯t wrong either. If you can get through it, then that would be the best way for you. But I couldn¡¯t stand the pressure and copsed¡­ on the contrary though, I think you will get stronger.¡± ¡°Absolutely. But that¡¯s because I¡¯ve been living like this until now. As you know, it¡¯s impossible to keep up with these crazy jerks.¡± ¡°Haha, that¡¯s right. Butler, bring it out.¡± ¡°Are you talking¡­ about that?¡± The butler asked with a surprised expression. Jet Frost nodded, and the butler stood up with a serious expression. And then he walked over to the ss case in the corner and pulled out a bottle and sses from the case. It seemed like alcohol, and as soon as it was ced on the table, Bratt eximed. ¡°30-year-old Ruabor!¡± ¡°What. Do you know this?¡± ¡°I do. I think I talked to Kuvar for an hour about this whiskey.¡± For that to be here¡­ Seeing Bratt mumble with excitement, neither Irene nor Judith could understand. But Jet Frost understood. He chuckled as he opened the bottle and poured it into five sses. ¡®I think he poured 1.5 times more into his¡­¡¯ Bratt mumbled under his breath. Well, the owner of the drink was Jet Frost, so he could drink more. Thinking that, he looked at Judith. Because her cup had more alcohol than others. ¡®Should I ask her to exchange it with mine?¡¯ Bratt thought about asking but decided not to. The atmosphere was too serious for such actions. And he didn¡¯t want to make the mood worse. And of course, no one took notice of his troubles. When Judith, Irene, and Glenn were in their own thoughts, Jet said. ¡°I¡¯ll say it again, thank you. You all woke me up from being trapped in a narrow field of vision and gave me a new stimulus when my motivation was dying¡­ it¡¯s all thanks to you guys. Especially Judith, thank you.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m d I was of help to you and I¡¯m grateful for what you taught me. Let¡¯s make great use of the remaining 10 days we have.¡± ¡°Right. Although the mood became sour because of my narrow thoughts¡­ the end seems to be a good one. I hope this drinking party will blow away all of the bad feelings and end the day with good ones. Come on, lift your sses!¡± Jet Frost said boldly. He only had two to three sses of honey wine, but his face was already red. As if drunk, his emotions were also intense. It was the same with Glenn. He¡¯s served the man for decades, and it¡¯s been a long time since he saw such a lively look on Jet¡¯s face. He, too, raised his ss with excitement, followed by Irene and Bratt. Judith reached for the sses a beatter. After the five sses collided, everyone took a drink from their sses with joyful expressions. Except for Judith. ¡®¡­ this looks like 100% alcohol.¡¯ Judith stared at her ss and nced around. Jet Frost, the butler Glenn, Irene, and even Bratt, who was famous for drinking, wrinkled their noses. And seeing that, the embarrassing memories of the first day she met Kuvar and Lulu came to her mind. But she couldn¡¯t not drink. That was how the air was. ¡®¡­ just one ss will be fine.¡¯ Right, that will be fine. Judith, who made up her mind, drank the 30-year-old Ruabor. Jet Frost seemed happy, but Bratt looked sad. He thought that 30-year-old Ruabor was too precious to give to a child who doesn¡¯t know the value of alcohol. ¡®Well, it¡¯s just a cup¡­ she won¡¯t drink anymore because of what happened in the past.¡¯ But Bratt didn¡¯t know. That the 30-year-old Ruabor filled with Jet Frost¡¯s heart was enough to make Judith drunk with just one cup. ¡°Oh? It¡¯s strong, but it tastes better than I thought?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The fact that drunk Judith turns into a monster who can¡¯t hold back made him worried. ¡°Yah, stop¡­¡± ¡°Stop what! Can I have one more?¡± ¡°Haha. Sure you can. It was taken out with the intention to empty it. Come on, have another ss!¡± ¡°Euk! Thank you! Kuk¡­ this is nice. It surely has alcohol, but it¡¯s very delicious. Bratt, have more. You like to drink.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Bratt and Irene exchanged nces. They wanted to stop her. But they couldn¡¯t. Just as Judith couldn¡¯t refuse the first drink because of the atmosphere, they too couldn¡¯t say anything to stop her now. Jet, Glenn, and Judith were already excited. But of course, their fun was shattered in an hour. ¡°Fuck¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll kill you¡­ kill them all, those motherfuckers¡­¡± ¡°Judith, are you okay? I think you¡¯re very drunk¡­¡± ¡°Oh, Irene! Are you worried about this sister? Hehheh, hehehe¡­ but why do you sway back and forth like that? Uh? Mr. Butler¡­ since when have you been bald?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­ ah, I¡¯m sleepy.¡± She spit out abusive words at random,ughed like a madwoman, and then said some more words and fell asleep. ¡°I¡¯m d that it didn¡¯t get boring.¡± ¡°Are you going to cry?¡± ¡°No. You did thatst time.¡± ¡°¡­ I adjusted to it though.¡± Jet Frost shook his head at Judith, who was half-asleep, and Bratt, who kept speaking to her. Glenn took Judith to her room. In the chaotic atmosphere, Irene smiled. This wasn¡¯t great, but sometimes he thought that such days weren¡¯t bad. The day after the drinking was embarrassing for some and tiring for others. But regardless of that, the three swordsmen and one teacher continued their training as if nothing happened. Rather, they continued each day with a more intense and dense schedule. During this time, the protagonists were Judith and Jet Frost, but Irene was riled up too. ¡®Fear of defeat and oveing it¡­¡¯ This was something he hadn¡¯t thought deeply about until now. To have a fighting spirit means to be desperate for victory. It was possible to draw greater motivation and strength from that. However, if you look at it the other way around, someone who thinks like that is afraid of defeat and falling behind. And someone who gets engulfed in such emotions will have a hard time and copse badly¡­ he saw that with Charlotte and Victor. ¡®One way or another, the fear ofpetition has to be ovee.¡¯ Like Jet Frost, one could move away frompetition and focus on their sword. Or they could face anypetition head-on like Judith. He wasn¡¯t sure which one was his way. Maybe he will find a different path. Of course, he didn¡¯t have to make a hasty decision. Because the trip isn¡¯t over yet. ¡®As I gain experience, I will be able to find my path.¡¯ Irene, who was firmly determined, did his best in thest 10 days of training, and he greeted the farewell party with a satisfied expression. Unlike before, this time, there was no alcohol. Instead, there was delicious food and drinks, and Lulu, Kuvar, and Hyram who weren¡¯t called before, were seated together. It was a fun time. While it was bustling and chatty, Jet asked Irene and the others. ¡°Have you decided on your next destination? Did you say you were going to the Graveyard of the Devil¡¯s Blood?¡± Devil¡¯s Blood. It was a disaster that appeared long before the Demon Dragon King¡¯s appearance 400 years ago, and it was a demon that was killed by an old hero whose name was forgotten. There¡¯s a legend that the demon¡¯s body which was torn in half by the hero turned into two hills, and in between them is a river that flowed with blood instead of water. ¡°There were a lot of swordsmen who stopped there and achieved enlightenment¡­ so there¡¯s no reason not to go. And it¡¯s just a week away.¡± ¡°Hmm. Right. But you don¡¯t have to go right now, right?¡± ¡°¡­ yes?¡± ¡°Then I would rmend stopping somewhere before that. Have you heard of the Land of Proof?¡± ¡°Ahh¡­¡± Irene and his group nodded their heads at the same time. Of course, they heard about it. Isn''t it thend of proof for diators that the Khaliad Kingdom, one of the five western kingdoms, is proud of? It was a ce they had to visit someday, but it was put off for ater time because of the distance. However, there had to be a reason why Jet Frost mentioned it. When Bratt asked for the reason, Jet answered. ¡°Because it¡¯s being said that one would have to run away from there because of their inability to withstand her power. Some even say that the Land of Proof¡¯s level has risen since she arrived there. And after hearing the rumors, many talented people have moved there.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Only one person came to the minds of Irene, Judith, and Bratt when they heard that. The person who defeated them. And left the school to walk down on her own path. Jet Frost said her name. ¡°Ilya Lindsay¡­ the current champion of the Land of Proof.¡± It was shocking that thedy of the Lindsay family had conquered the Land of Proof. Chapter 116: Ilya Lindsay (1)

Chapter 116: Ilya Lindsay (1)

The day after a healthy farewell party, where even beer couldn¡¯t be found. Irene and his party left Partizan early in the morning. Jet Frost, Glenn, and Hyram saw them off. ¡°Goodbye! Next time, let¡¯spete again!¡± ¡°It¡¯s upsetting that we couldn¡¯t drink again. Let¡¯s do it again next time!¡± ¡°We learned a lot.¡± ¡°We really learned a lot!¡± ¡°We will visit again. Stay safe.¡± The three swordsmen, the cat, and the Orc disappeared like a cloud of dust after saying goodbye with bright expressions. Jet Frost looked at them until they disappeared. ¡°Good juniors have left.¡± ¡°.. right.¡± They really were good juniors. Jet nodded in response to Hyram¡¯s words. At first, he thought that they were annoying, but at some point he became immersed in their growth and passion. Because of that he learned a lot too. In a short period of one month, he realized what he couldn¡¯t achieve throughout his life. ¡®It feels like the wall is broken.¡¯ ¡°It has been a while since I¡¯ve trained.¡± Jet said that and then turned around. Seeing him like that, Glenn and Hyram smiled. It felt good to see the sleeping dragon awaken after a long time. Hyram thought after Irene and his group left. ¡®Ilya Lindsay¡­ the genius who some people call the greatest talent of all time andparable to I.¡¯ Her talent is so brilliant that even great people would be ufortable. But those three might hold on. No, it could be a catalyst for growth. ¡®I want them to keep their promise ofing back.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just Hyram who thought that, the others thought the same. Dagdak! Dagdak! The carriage moved along the path. The entire carriage was filled with the three swordsmen¡¯s excitement and the carriage moved faster than usual. Among them, the one who felt the most passion was Irene. Closing his eyes, he thought of his friend, Ilya Lindsay. ¡®The first person who approached me, a loner.¡¯ At the time, Irene was truly isted. Because of the rumors of his indolence and his poor physique, everyone there treated him badly. Even Judith and Bratt didn¡¯t like him. However, Ilya helped and guided him without prejudice. Their rtionship was the first one that Irene formed outside of his family. ¡®In retrospect, Ilya was the reason I wanted to go around the continent.¡¯ He remembered it. Thest thing she said when she spoke about I after the final evaluation. ¡°Work harder. Otherwise¡­ the gap will widen in an instant.¡± After mentioning I who is considered the greatest genius of all time. She spoke about her ambition to stand up to her. The check she put on him was a great stimulus for the boy who was nothing. He didn¡¯t realize it at that time, but Ilya was a benefactor who helped him feel a sense of struggle. ¡®I¡¯m going to see Ilya again.¡¯ His heart was thrilled. Even if they drove the carriage faster, it would take 20 days, but it was hard to control the feeling of wanting to meet her. His heart was pounding even faster than when he identally ran into Judith and Bratt. He was deep in thought, but he was soon interrupted. ¡°Yah¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Yah, yah.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hey, hey, hey.¡± ¡°What!¡± Irene and Lulu both abruptly opened their eyes because of Bratt¡¯s voice which angrily responded to Judith. After looking at them. Bratt turned to Judith and asked. ¡°Are you nervous?¡± ¡°What? Wh-What¡­ do you mean?¡± "You''re nervous. I can tell by how you¡¯re feigning ignorance." ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Bratt, what are you talking about?¡± Irene asked with a curious expression and Bratt answered. ¡°You were sucked into the world of sorcery right away, so you might not know.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Do you remember what this one said to Ilya back in the day?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ huh.¡± Irene nodded his head. At that time, he worked for the man in his dreams, but there was no way he didn¡¯t know about it. The confrontation between Ilya, and Judith and Bratt was such a hot topic that even the instructors were interested in it. But wasn''t that resolved in the process of Ilya leaving the school? ¡®I don¡¯t think it¡¯s something to be concerned about, six years have passed¡­¡¯ Was what he thought for a while. But after hearing Bratt¡¯s story, Irene went stiff. A tragedy awaited for Ilya as she returned to her family. A sad and tragic story that has yet to conclude. And even worse were the venomous rumors which followed it. An incident which would make anyone¡¯s heart break. Even more so for Irene, who lost his childhood because of his mother¡¯s death. ¡°¡­ well, I didn¡¯t bring it up to make you feel bad.¡± In the heavy atmosphere, Bratt Lloyd cleared his throat and moved on to his main point. ¡°I understand that this has burdened you Judith. But don¡¯t have that shitty expression on your face for 20 days. I just wanted to say that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You and Irene got that tinum emblem from Ilya right? Even I, a member of the Lloyd family, wasn''t given it. Thinking about that makes me angry. How dare she skip me and give you two those emblems!¡± ¡°Bastard, back then you were all depressed and ready to go back home.¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t that upset.¡± ¡°Damn it. I saw you go home. All uh uhu huh, crying and fussing. And then your parents kicked your ass and made youe back to school.¡± ¡°¡­ that isn¡¯t important.¡± Said Bratt. Maybe it was because of his low voice, Bratt still disyed dignity. And now, Bratt had everyone¡¯s attention, when he said. ¡°We¡¯re going to see Ilya Lindsay because we want to see an old friend, but¡­ I want to finish what we started five years ago.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Judith¡¯s eyes widened as she bit her lip. And she nodded with an angry expression. Bratt was right. She didn¡¯t want to go and hold hands or hug her. Of course, that wasn¡¯t a bad option, but the important thing would bepeting. And repaying the defeat they faced in the final evaluation. ¡°No need to worry. Ilya is the champion of the Land of Proof. It¡¯s a pity what happened to Carl Lindsay¡­ but if she got swayed and copsed, she wouldn¡¯t have risen to this level.¡± Bratt looked up as he recalled the past. How much he had grown. And how incredibly strong the girl must have be. She, too, was a genius. She was one of the two people who showed Bratt what real talent is. Still. ¡°First, we need to try our best to meet her.¡± ¡°¡­ try what! I won''t lose this time!¡± ¡°No. To be honest, winning will be hard. Don¡¯t you know what level a champion of the Land of Proof has to be on?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t get you, you jerk, you go around breaking down my passionate heart¡­ what are you nning?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just talking about being able to close the gap between us. To be honest, winning will be difficult. She¡¯s a champion.¡± ¡°This absurd bastard¡­¡± ¡°Fighting again, tch tch.¡± Seeing Bratt and Judith fight again, Lulu shook her head. And went back to meditation. ?1? Irene, too, smiled and turned away. As the scenery outside the carriage slowly passed by. He seemed calm, but to be honest, he was worried. He knew how painful it was to lose a family member, and how much Ilya loved her brother. The words he heard before made his head ache. The Land of Proof. The ce Ilya had aimed for in the past, but she said that she wouldn¡¯t be obsessed with it. ¡®¡­ maybe she didn¡¯t go for that reason.¡¯ Ilya Lindsay, Carl Lindsay, and I. Thinking about those three, Irene closed his eyes. She will be fine. It would be nice to shake off the pain of the past. And smile when they meet again. He thought that she could shake off the pain since he managed to do it in the past. After organizing his thoughts, Irene began to practice imagery. On the 19th day after leaving Partizan, Irene and his party arrived safely in Eisenmarkt, a city in the Khaliad Kingdom. A city famous for diators, they could see a huge number of swordsmening and going. Of course, there were normal people, and merchants too. ¡°There are a lot of people who seem rich.¡± ¡°It also looks like there are a lot of beggars¡­¡± ¡°Haha. It has to be like this. In the Land of Proof, there are many diators which makes gambling an easy sport.¡± Judith nodded at Kuvar¡¯s words. She saw simr people when she was a kid. ¡®I think there are many who have empty hands¡­¡¯ She knew that gamblers could have empty hands, and be poor and even be naked. But they didn''te here to bet. ¡®I¡¯m here to fight.¡¯ Of course, that didn¡¯t mean that she was going to fight right away. It seemed like it took quite some time just to register a name in the Land of Proof. So what could they do in the meantime? Well¡­ ¡°Should we see the skills of the champion?¡± Everyone nodded at Judith¡¯s words. They couldn¡¯t help but wonder. Rumor had it that Ilya was terrific, but how good she really is was still a mystery. Of course, the champion doesn¡¯t always fight. ¡°Precious people! New to Eisenmarkt? Have youe to see the diators? The best match is happening today at 4pm, don¡¯t you want to watch it?¡± ¡°The best match means¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s a match between Dame Ilya Lindsay, the champion, and Sir Cedric Cooper, a king-ss of the Land of Proof, the 2nd ce diator.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°By the way, it might be difficult to find a seat. It will be sold out.¡± Seeing the man smile by showing his yellow teeth, Bratt looked at his friends. There was no reason to refuse. So he told Judith. ¡°Give him money.¡± ¡°Me? Why me?¡± ¡°You have a lot of money. Don¡¯t keep hoarding it and use it at times like this.¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll pay.¡± Irene, who passed through them, paid the price. It was expensive, but it wasn¡¯t a burden to him. And they didn¡¯t think of it as a scam. Since the excellent sorcerer, Lulu, said that it was genuine. Just like that, Irene and his party got the chance to watch Ilya Lindsay¡¯s game, so they went to lunch feeling excited. But during lunch their expressions went stiff. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± A story about Ilya was spreading around the restaurant. And they heard it. Unless they were deaf, they would hear it. Eisenmarkt¡¯s best swordsmen were going topete with each other, how can one not listen to that? However, the information that people were excited about was shocking for Irene, Bratt, and Judith. ¡°¡­¡± Even after eating, when they were walking around the streets to pass time, and when the time was up and they went to sit in the luxurious seats they brought. The three didn¡¯t speak. With sharp eyes, they only looked at the stage to make sure that what they heard was true. After a short period of time, the match between Ilya Lindsay and Cedric Cooper began. And they witnessed it. At 18, silver light came out of the genius¡¯s sword. ¡°¡­ aura sword.¡± The champion of the Land of Proof. Had obtained a title so grand that everyone around would fade away. Sword Master. Seeing Ilya Lindsay on the stage, the three swordsmen had no choice but to go stiff. ?1?She was meditating before she was interrupted by Judith and Bratt. Chapter 117: Ilya Lindsay (2)

Chapter 117: Ilya Lindsay (2)

Woong¡­ A strange sound echoed from Ilya Lindsay''s sword. No, not really. The distance between the audience and the stage was too far to hear anything. However, the sword made the three swordsmen''s ears ring since they''d seen it before. It seemed like the brilliant silver ray of light was approaching their eyes little by little. It was an Aura Sword. The skill that only Sword Masters can use. A powerful ability that can cut and block anything and can only be used by the best. ¡®Ilya is at... that level?¡¯ "Haa¡­" Bratt Lloyd smirked. He couldn''t say anything since he was too excited. Ian, who was called a genius among geniuses, became a Sword Master at the age of 25, and I, praised as the greatest genius of all time, became a Sword Master at 20. And now Ilya Lindsay was one at 18. ''Close the gap?'' Bratt smiled bitterly. He knew just how absurd that sounded. And Bratt¡¯s expression looked different from Judith¡¯s. "¡­" There was no change in expression on her face. With her eyes wide open, she stared at the stage. Her gaze was directed at the light that Ilya Lindsay was manifesting. As it moved smoothly and pressed the opponent, she held her breath and watched. Grunt! The sound of her clenching her teeth could be heard. Clench¡­ And she dug her nails into her palms. But still, she didn''t feel any better. Was it jealousy, anger, or self-doubt? Maybe all three¡­ she couldn''t understand what she was feeling. Over the past two months, she has grown. She improved her footwork by exchanging swords with Irene and realized how to properly use her sword because of Jet Frost. She also learned a lot about how to fight opponents stronger than herself. Even though the swordsman was superior to her, she believed she had a 30% chance of beating Ilya if she moved while ignoring the risk of damage. But no. Woong! Wooong! Ilya''s sword danced. It was a sword that flies lightly and then falls heavy. Her opponent, Cedric Cooper, had to step back. It was because his sword would shatter the moment it collided with the Aura Sword. And Ilya took advantage of that. Little by little, step by step, she pressured her opponent. And that made the opponent nervous. "Hmph!" In the end, Cedric Cooper, who couldn''t endure it, took an offensive stance, but Ilya was still rxed. sh! After avoiding the attack with a side step, she lowered her sword lightly. Then the sword of her opponent fell to the floor. The referee, who was watching the fight, announced the oue. "The champion, Ilya Lindsay, wins again!" "Woahhh!" "Ilya Lindsay! Ilya Lindsay!" "Indeed only a Sword Master can defeat a Sword Master!" "Right! Unless another Sword Masteres, the result won''t change!" "Long live the youngest Sword Master, Ilya Lindsay!" Before the announcer could even praise her strength, people screamed and cheered. They had no choice but to do so. Even in the Land of Proof, it wasn''tmon to see a Sword Master. Moreover, she was a member of the Lindsay family, and she was the youngest Sword Master who rewrote history; she even looked beautiful. The crowd chanted her name long after she left the stage without an interview. And¡­ Amid such excitement, three people sat nkly. "¡­ I''ll leave first." Judith got up and disappeared somewhere without looking back. Herst expression lookedplicated as if she was ready to burst because of all kinds of emotions. It wasn''t just her. Bratt stood up and sighed. "I''m going for a walk too. Don''t bother waiting for us. We will go back to the inn when we¡¯re ready." His expression was better than Judith''s. However, there was a bitter smile on his lips. Kuvar and Lulu looked at Bratt, knowing that they couldn''t help him. And then turned to Irene Pareira, who was still looking at the stage. "Irene." "¡­" "Irene, Irene!" "Ah! Yes, Kuvar?" "Are you okay? You don''t look too good." "Are you all right, Irene?" "Ah¡­" Irene raised his head and stared at Lulu and Kuvar as if he had just regained his senses. After a moment of hesitation, he smiled and said. "I''m fine. Rather good actually." "Good?" "Yes. Actually, when I heard about her brother''s situation I was worried, but seeing that she reached the Sword Mas¡­" Irene, who was smiling while speaking, stopped. His expression faded. The lips which were forcibly raised went down, and his face went stiff. Finally, unable to finish what he was saying, he said something else. "I''m sorry, Kuvar. Sorry Lulu. I''m a little¡­ I think I need to think about things." Eventually, even Irene left the arena leaving them two alone. Kuvar took a deep breath and said, "This, this must have hurt their self-esteem." "¡­" Lulu didn''t respond. She remembered thest appearance of Irene. ''I don''t think that''s the reason.'' Lulu was worried, but there was nothing that could be done. In the end, they, too, left the arena and went to the inn they were staying at. It felt like they were all alone at a noisy festival. Irene, who left the arena, aimlessly wandered the streets. Was it because he was deep in thought? He kept bumping into the shoulders of countless people. "Tch, watch where you¡¯re walking!" "What are you doing? Look straight ahead!" "Ah! This bastard¡­ hm, never mind." A fight almost happened, but luckily it didn''t. All thanks to Irene''s eyes. He looked like a gambler who lost his entire fortune, so they left him alone, and he continued to wander the streets. ''What was it?'' Seeing Ilya Lindsay after 5 years was really nice. Wasn''t that how it was supposed to be? She broke I¡¯s record, which no one could break until now, and she wields a sword that made people cheer for her. She was living a life that was the fantasy of every swordsman. But. Ilya Lindsay looked so strong and cool as she should be. And Irene just felt weak. It felt like he was going to copse at any moment. It was funny. In fact, Irene burst outughing in the middle of the street. "HAHAHAHAHAHA!" "What is with him¡­" "Must be crazy¡­" "How much did he lose?" "Don''t look at him and keep moving." He could hear their words, but he didn''t care. Irene moved and sat on a bench. Right. There was no need to worry. The reason why Ilya''s expression didn''t look good was because of the match. Or something unpleasant happened before the match. No, maybe he was just imagining it. Maybe the fact that she was in the so-called ''Land of Proof'' made her a little sensitive. Right, maybe he¡¯s just overreacting. "She seemed upset, but I don¡¯t know for sure and I shouldn¡¯t act like this." Irene nodded and got up. There was no reason to act like this. It was better to head back to the inn and wait for Judith and Bratt. The reason he kept quiet when he heard that Ilya reached the Sword Master Level wasn''t because it hurt his pride. It was because he was concerned about Bratt and Judith. It must have hurt Judith a lot. Irene walked towards the inn while trying to think of words that couldfort her. But then he turned away. ''¡­ no.'' That couldn''t be. Some reason? An exact reason? Nothing was there. His senses were telling him. The current Ilya Lindsay was strange. He felt sorry for Judith, but Ilya''s condition seemed worse than her''s. ''It''s my intuition as a sorcery, and it¡¯s sharp enough to be urate especially when it involves a loved one.'' The words of his sister Kirill came to his mind. One''s ''intuition'' should never be considered insignificant. And his heart, which loved his friends and family, made it sharper. Irene, who thought that, asked. Ilya Lindsay, is she precious to you? "¡­ it''s obvious." Sigh, Irene sighed and raised his head. Confused emotions ran through his eyes. He had to meet her. Ilya Lindsay. But how could he do that? A sign caught his eyes as he looked around. A tavern''s sign with Adonis petals engraved on it. ''¡­ after Kuvar gathered information, he mentioned this.'' Without hesitation, Irene entered the tavern. And then, the eyes of the guests inside quickly turned to him. "¡­" He felt a simr atmosphere before. The atmosphere felt simr to the ce he stayed in Alcantra, where Krono was located. Perhaps, the people gathered here had simr interests. Or were of the same group. Irene took a deep breath and walked towards the counter. It was simr to the ce in Alcantra. However, the atmosphere was gloomier and harsher. But that didn''t stop him. Arriving at the counter, Irene said. "This is my first time in Eisenmarkt. I came here as I needed to know something. I can give you a small reward if you answer me." "¡­ what is it?" "Where do I go to meet Ilya Lindsay, the champion of the Land of Proof?" "Pu-hahahah!" "Kua-kuakaka!" Everyoneughed after the question finished. It was expected. It was like that in Alcantra. It didn''t matter if the question was funny or not. Irene wanted one person to be kind to him, just one. With such thoughts in mind, a giant man came to him. The giant man had a long knife mark on his left cheek, and he said. "Kid." "What is it?" "Would you like to bet with me?" "What would we bet on?" "From now on, one by one, we will punch each other in the face! If you can receive and return the previous punch, you stay, but if you surrender or pass out, you lose. Whoeversts the longest wins." "¡­ "If you win, I will guide you to Ilya Lindsay''s residence. Instead, if I win¡­" "Fine." "¡­?" The man''s eyebrows furrowed. The kid was epting the bet without hearing his side? "¡­ hmm, fine. The bet is epted. Don''t regret itter. My demands are strict." "Hahaha, that''s right! That bastard is so evil!" "He''s trash!" "Work hard, kid!" "Cheer up and don''t lose!" Those in the tavern cheered for Irene. Of course, it wasn''t really cheering. They were all ridiculing him. But Irene didn''t care. He looked at the other person with cold eyes. Wheik! Puck! The scarred man''s fist flew. Irene turned his head in a sh and was hit by the man''s fist. "Hahah! Have you ever heard of home field advantage? I''m sorry, but my turnes first. This happens a lot, so the owner will confirm that. Right?" Seeing the man giggling and asking for confirmation, some cheered while others booed. However, more people cheered andughed than booed. But after a while, thoseughing gradually stopped. Because Irene, who was a hit, straightened up. "¡­" "¡­" His skin was slightly red. But his expression looked as if nothing had happened. No, it was different. It was chillingly cold. Seeing that, the scarred man gulped. Immediately after, Irene opened his mouth. "Now it''s my turn." Punch!! Chapter 118: Ilya Lindsay (3)

Chapter 118: Ilya Lindsay (3)

¡°Kuak!¡± Thud! The scarred man fell after being hit by Irene¡¯s fist. But it wasn¡¯t a simple fall. He was pushed back so far that he knocked down a few tables and chairs. The spectators who watched it held their breath. Some even got up from their seats with startled faces. However, Irene didn¡¯t care. He walked towards the man and knelt on one knee, and said. ¡°It¡¯s your turn.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve fainted, so get up.¡± ¡°Uh, uhk!¡± Scared by the cold voice, the man opened his eyes instinctually. Then, he saw the expressionless blonde man''s face. He stuttered, not knowing what to say. ¡°Uh, ah, well¡­¡± ¡°Or do you want to surrender? If so¡­¡± It was the moment when he was about to say, ¡®tell me where Ilya Lindsay is.¡¯ The sound of chairs being pushed to the ground could be heard. The sound of people standing up. Suddenly, seeing the men move, Irene got up. ¡°Fuck this! Do you know who we are?¡± ¡°Where did this crazy bastarde from¡­ he must want a beating.¡± ¡°You seem to be someone whose name is unknown¡­. Do you think that this ce is clumsy like other towns?¡± In an instant, profanity and threats were all thrown at Irene. Irene nced around the tavern with his face still expressionless. His guess was correct. All of the guests inside were rted to the scarred man. No, before that, this ce seemed like somewhere such people would gather. Nevertheless, the reason Irene didn¡¯t avoid it was because he was in a hurry. It didn¡¯t matter if the tavern was dangerous or not; he wanted to know what had happened. And to be honest, it didn¡¯t even feel that dangerous. ¡®Brother, don¡¯t go around looking like that.¡¯ Suddenly, he remembered what Kirill said. She said that many people would pick up fights with Irene because he looks gentle. Even so, he couldn¡¯t change himself. But now, he decided to follow his sister¡¯s words. She seemed to be right after all. After thinking about that, Irene moved. A few tried to stop him, but they couldn¡¯t move because of the unknown pressure. So the blonde young man arrived in front of a man sitting on a chair. He was arge man with a skull tattoo on the back of his hand. There was a moment of silence. A strange atmosphere formed between the two. But Irene broke the silence by asking. ¡°Would you like to bet with me?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Same rules as before. How is that? And what I want is the same.¡± ¡°This jerk¡­¡± The man with the skull tattoo opened his mouth. And his voice was like a beast growling. Everyone stayed silent. Since he was the leader. Irene knew it too. It was his intuition. And that intuition was telling him. This man isn¡¯t his opponent. Irene spoke again. This time he raised his energy to a great degree. Woah! ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to bet, you don¡¯t have to. I don¡¯t really want to fight. If you give me the information I want, I will leave this ce quietly and nevere back. I will pay you too.¡± The air in the tavern was heavy. And it wasn¡¯t because of the tattooed man. It was because Irene''s energy was spreading all around and restraining all of the men. The energy was so strong that even the ones with the dullest senses could feel it. When there was heavy pressure, as if someone important was there, looking at the blonde man made them sweat. That was when the tavern¡¯s door opened. A handsome man with pointed ears entered. ¡°Uh, what? It¡¯s really hot. Did you set fire somewhere? Or has the friendship between men made this ce hot?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I see that you aren¡¯t in the mood to joke. Sorry. My apologies.¡± The man took off his hat and politely bowed. It was weird, but no one spoke. The man with pointy ears took advantage of the silence he created. After bowing, he approached Irene with light footsteps. And said, ¡°A swordsman? What¡¯s your name?¡± ¡°¡­ Irene Pareira.¡± ¡°Irene Pareira. Pareira, Pareira... I don¡¯t think you¡¯re from the west. And it looks like this is your first time in Eisenmarkt.¡± ¡°It is.¡± ¡°Ah! I apologize. You don¡¯t look too out of ce. Don¡¯t get me wrong¡­ however, it seems like you have some questions¡­ ah, I heard it from outside¡­¡± As he spoke, he pointed at his ears. And then Irene realized that the person talking to him wasn¡¯t a human. ¡®He¡¯s an elf!¡¯ Elf. A race that lives in the eastern part of the continent, they were characterized as more beautiful than ordinary people, with sharp, bright ears and slim bodies. And they were known to have fewer interactions with humans than dwarves and orcs, so Irene didn¡¯t think about them much, but the man in front of him was definitely an elf. ¡°Well, if you have any questions, please ask me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you stay here, things will only get worse and you won¡¯t even get an answer.¡± ¡°But do you know the answer?¡± Irene asked. The elf¡¯s attitude was weird and sly, but his eyes felt honest, so he couldn¡¯t tell if the elf was messing with him or not. Was Irene hiding his confusion? It seemed that way since Irene¡¯s words came out more blunt than usual. However, the elf smiled, took out an identity card with a portrait of himself on it, and showed it to Irene. No, it wasn¡¯t a portrait but a picture taken by a magic tool. Below the picture of the elf smiling were his name, affiliation, and position. [Chief Reporter of the Weekly Arena, Hinz.] ¡°I¡¯m Hinz, the chief reporter who deals with the news that will be published in the weekly magazine, Weekly Arena. I know about most of the events in Eisenmarkt, especially those rted to diators. Maybe I can give you more useful information than the ones here¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Irene shook his head at the arrival of someone with a job he hadn¡¯t expected. Newspapers and reporters. It was unfamiliar but not something he was unaware of. A newspaper is a periodical publication designed to quickly and urately deliver various news to society. And a reporter is someone who reports and covers the news. But Irene has never read a newspaper or met a reporter. He just knew that such a system existed. However, even Irene was aware of the fact that dealing with a reporter would be tiring. The problem was that he was in such a hurry that he couldn¡¯t care about such a thing. ¡°Ah! I¡¯m just saying this¡­ please understand that I want nothing in return.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not saying that I¡¯m doing this without any selfishness¡­ haha, in order to effectively publicize myself, I need to interview someone, so if possible at least a brief¡­¡± Words of persuasion flowed out of Hinz¡¯s mouth. He spoke for so long, but not a single person stopped him. Not because of Irene¡¯s energy, but because the elf seemed to be a difficult person to touch. ¡®I¡¯m sure he knows a lot.¡¯ Irene sighed. He didn¡¯t care about fame or interviews. However, he thought that the elf could help him, so he didn¡¯t mind paying a price. Irene nodded while giving strength to his eyes and staring at Hinz. Feeling a strange pressure, the elf looked down, and then came the question from Irene. ¡°Do you know where Ilya Lindsay is?¡± ¡°¡­ huh?¡± ¡°I asked if you knew where Ilya Lindsay, the champion and Sword Master of the Land of Proof, is.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hearing Irene¡¯s words, Hinz took a step back. He was still smiling. However, anyone with a keen eye would know that his face had gone stiff. And then Irene spoke to him again. ¡°If you know, please guide me. To the residence of Ilya Lindsay.¡± ¡®This is difficult!¡¯ Reporter Hinz nced at Irene, who was following him, and sighed. When he first looked at Irene, he was interested. Obviously, he was. The people of Eisenmarkt are addicted to fighting and gambling, so new powers were always weed. The emergence of a talented young man who even he didn¡¯t know of. It seemed like an interesting article to the elf who¡¯s been a reporter for 15 years. So he approached him intending to get to know him and then write an article¡­ ¡®But he¡¯s a madman who wants to go straight to the champion.¡¯ Of course, it wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t know where Ilya Lindsay lived. Any reporter who lived here for a few months would know where the champion lives. But when reporters were beaten by Ilya Lindsay¡¯s escorts for trying to get an interview with her, Hinz had given up on the thought of meeting her. It was because he had no intention of clinging to something that had less than a 0.01% chance of sess. ¡®¡­ even the lord of Eisenmarkt will be sent away, there is no way this one can meet her.¡¯ Hinz sighed. After guiding this gentle yet crazy man to where she lived, he nned on running away. If he stayed, he would be beaten by them too. Since he was a different race, they wouldn¡¯t beat him badly¡­ ¡®But I don¡¯t want to be hit at all.¡¯ While thinking about that, they arrived in front of arge mansion. It was one of the most elegant ces in Eisenmarkt, and there was a man, who seemed like the gatekeeper, standing there. Hinz pointed towards the mansion and said. ¡°This is where the champion lives.¡± ¡°¡­ I see. Thank you.¡± ¡°Haha. For what? I¡¯m d it was helpful. Then I will¡­ ah! Weekly Arena Hinz, Hinz! Don¡¯t forget me. Kay bye.¡± ¡°¡­¡± After guiding Irene to the mansion, Hinz turned away without feeling any regrets. There was no reason to stay there. And he had another story to cover at the northern side of the square, so he would head there. However, those thoughts disappeared as if washed away by the voice of the blonde young man behind him. ¡°Here, this is the emblem of the Lindsay family.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I came here to meet Miss Ilya Lindsay as a guest.¡± ¡®What?¡¯ The emblem of the Lindsay family. The reporter, who heard those unexpected words, looked back with a shocked expression. Chapter 119: Ilya Lindsay (4)

Chapter 119: Ilya Lindsay (4)

Most noble families have their emblems put on gs or clothing. In ces with a long history and strong power, they were also put on tiles and given to important guests, friends, and allies. And when asked which one is the most valuable among them, many people would pick the Lindsay family''s tinum emblem. Because, unlike the other four families who generously give out their emblems, the Lindsay family only presents them to those they have a deep rtionship with. It was a treasure that couldn¡¯t be received without a deep rtionship. When such an object appeared, Hinz stopped. ¡®Really? No, no way!¡¯ Was it really the Lindsay family''s tinum emblem? It wasn¡¯t something that a young man like Irene could have. So in all likelihood, it was a fake. It had to be a bad n that the young man came up with to meet with Ilya Lindsay. However, if it was real, then that alone would be a great article. Hinz, who prided himself on being the best reporter in Eisenmarkt, couldn¡¯t just ignore it. He hid nearby and raised his pointy ears, and soon he heard the gatekeeper¡¯s voice. ¡°W-Wait a¡­ minute. Sorry, but just to confirm¡­ could you please give me the tinum emblem for a while?¡± A bewildered voice. It was a natural reaction. Someone who didn¡¯t look that important was asking to meet Ilya Lindsay and casually presented the emblem. It wasn¡¯t something that a mere gatekeeper could handle. And the gatekeeper couldn¡¯t even determine the emblem¡¯s authenticity. The gatekeeper, who was sweating profusely, hurriedly ran inside. He had to find someone with a higher rank. In the silence that came afterwards, Irene calmly waited for the gatekeeper toe back. ¡®Please, please, please be real!¡¯ He was desperately hoping that the emblem was real. ¡®No, there¡¯s no time for this. Let¡¯s take a picture now.¡¯ Hinz, who suppressed his excitement, took out a magic camera and took a picture of Irene Pareira. Carefully and meticulously from various angles. In the meantime, the mansion¡¯s gate, which was closed, opened. Then, the gatekeeper and a woman with a strong expression appeared. The elf, who saw her, quickly and joyfully took a picture of the two of them. ?1? ¡®Escort Knight, Emma Garcia!¡¯ The head of the Lindsay family, Joshua Lindsay, trusted this knight, and she was a talented individual in her mid-30s. She was an important figure who handled all the big and small things rted to Ilya Lindsay as well as the escort missions. The fact that she came here meant that the card Irene had was real! Hinz, who felt like he hit the jackpot, took another picture. To make sure that he got both faces clearly. Of course, in the meantime, his ears were wide open. Emma spoke. ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Emma Garcia, and I¡¯m escorting Ilya Lindsay.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Irene Pareira. I¡¯m here to meet with Ilya Lindsay.¡± "I see. First of all, I''ll return the Lindsay Family''s tinum emblem. It¡¯s definitely genuine. If you¡¯re unhappy with the verification process, please do not hesitate to get rid of your anger. I''ve experienced troublesome things because of..." ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Irene said. He wasn¡¯t the type of person to get annoyed at such small things. And it didn¡¯t matter as he wasn¡¯t left outside for long. However, Emma Garcia¡¯s following words made him turn stiff. ¡°However¡­ it may seem very disrespectful to the owner of the tinum emblem, but the youngdy has refused to meet you.¡± ¡°Refused?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°When thedy is here she isn¡¯t the youngdy of the Lindsay family, but a knight who is training in the Land of Proof. Originally, we should be weing you, but right now she wishes to focus on her training.¡± Emma continued to exin. Saying that the youngdy knew how disrespectful it was. And that the day her training finishes, she would personally visit the guest and apologize, so she would be grateful if he was understanding. Upon hearing that, Irene looked at the escort, but the woman didn¡¯t move and just bowed her head. He could feel that she wasn¡¯t going to let him in. Hearing the conversation, Hinz was shocked once again. ¡®She doesn¡¯t even meet people who have her family¡¯s tinum emblem? What the hell¡­¡¯ Again, the Lindsay family¡¯s emblem had a different valuepared to others. When Carl Lindsay was defeated about nine years ago, the entire family didn¡¯t take in any guests; the only exception was the owners of the tinum emblems, so Ilya¡¯s attitude was very strange. ¡®What is with Ilya Lindsay? Isn¡¯t she just not epting contact with outsiders¡­¡¯ Gulp. Hinz gulped and paid close attention to what would happen next. More important things than Ilya Lindsay were happening now. He had no idea if the young blonde would decide to walk away or not. He could tell that the young blonde was stubborn, kind, and tougher than a whale. However, the escort couldn¡¯t disobey Ilya Lindsay¡¯s orders, so it was clear that there would be some form of a conflict. ¡®What will happen? If this goes on, there will be drama¡­¡¯ Of course, writing an article about this could put pressure on the Lindsay family, and being an elf was helping him. He would be able to protect himself since the Holy Kingdom prevents fights between races. So he wanted to see it through to the end. Come on, hurry! Hinz¡¯s mouth was bing dry as he immersed himself in the situation. Even in the absence of words, the atmosphere was gradually moving in the wrong direction. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Irene looked at Emma Garcia. And Emma, who had her head lowered for a while, didn¡¯t avoid the gaze of Irene Pareira. It looked like she was wearing an iron mask. And the gatekeeper behind her was sweating. Irene asked. ¡°Did Ilya Lindsay say she refuses to meet me?¡± ¡°Yes, but...¡± ¡°Did you tell her my name when you exined the situation? You said that Irene Pareira is here?¡± ¡°¡­ as I mentioned before. The youngdy has training to do and she isn¡¯t willing to meet anyone. So¡­¡± ¡°Then I will wait.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But in the meantime, please ask again. Tell Ilya that Irene Pareira, her friend, hase to visit. And that I want to meet her right away. If she still doesn''t want to see me¡­¡± He would quietly leave. After saying that, Irene looked into her eyes. ¡°¡­¡± Emma Garcia was speechless. What kind of existence did the young man have in Ilya¡¯s life that he was calling her a friend? Even she couldn¡¯t understand it. Normally, she would have yelled at the person, telling them not to spew nonsense. However, that wasn¡¯t possible now. Because of the way he was proudly standing in front of her and the deep reverberation that was felt when he said ''Irene Pareira.¡¯ She decided to fulfill his request and said. ¡°¡­ please wait.¡± Emma Garcia bowed her head and stepped inside. And Irene waited patiently again. While Hinz was still hiding and waiting to see what would happen next. And a short time passed. Emma Garcia came back and said something that surprised everyone. ¡°Pleasee inside.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± It wasn¡¯t just the people in the mansion who were shocked. The gatekeeper was and Hinz was even more shocked. Irene entered the mansion. And this meant that everything he said was true. ¡®What? How the hell did this happen?¡¯ The young man was strong enough to subdue a gambling group called the ck Skull all by himself. And he had the Lindsay family¡¯s tinum emblem. Even Ilya, who didn¡¯t like interacting with outsiders, admits that he¡¯s a friend. ¡®I didn¡¯t know anything about such a great person?¡¯ Was he the only one that didn¡¯t know him? Was the man famous elsewhere and unknown to the western part of the continent? Was that why he was unaware? He was more annoyed than interested. Hinz, whose pride was wounded, moved away quickly and muttered. ¡°Irene Pareira, Irene Pareira, Irene Pareira¡­¡± The entric elf was nning on mobilizing all of his informationworks and finding out who he was. Hinz quickly ran through the streets with a short stride. Inside the mansion, Irene Pareira quietly followed Emma Garcia. It was fortunate that he was going to meet with Ilya Lindsay, but his mind was stillplicated. What should he say? How have you been? Why did you seem like that? Is it because of your brother? Is it okay to ask such a sensitive question? Several thoughts ran through his mind. After thinking for a little while, the two reached Ilya¡¯s room. Then Emma Garcia lowered her head and said. ¡°She¡¯s in here.¡± Perhaps, she thought it would be rude to listen to the conversation, so she stayed far away despite being an escort knight. But it wasn¡¯t too strange. Ilya Lindsay was at the Sword Master Level, which only 100 people alive managed to reach. ¡®It¡¯s kind of gratuitous to worry about Ilya who¡¯s so strong, but...¡¯ He couldn¡¯t help but worry. Irene took a deep breath and thought. What does Ilya, who is behind the door, look like? How would she greet him? What would she say? Those questions couldn¡¯t be answered by him. Shaking his head to remove those thoughts, he knocked on the door. ¡°Come in.¡± He heard her voice right away. It felt more mature than before. Thinking that a lot of time had passed, Irene took a deep breath and turned the doorknob. The door opened. And he saw Ilya Lindsay, not 13 but 18, sitting on a chair in a graceful posture. She had a slightly cold expression that he had often seen, but she spoke with a bright smile. ¡°It ¡®s been a while, Irene.¡± ¡°¡­Ilya.¡± The first emotion he felt was. Joy. The image he saw of her in the match felt wrong despite her achieving something great. However, her smile now didn¡¯t seem bad. Pure white face, pure white teeth. And a smile even brighter than that. It was when Irene feltpletely relieved. ¡°Why are you sote?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I personally sent a letter, but was told that there was a situation. It wasn¡¯t even a reply you wrote.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Well, first things first, I need to hear what happened...¡± She would be disappointed if he didn¡¯t have a good exnation. After seeing Ilya smile so brightly, Irene could feel himself sweat. ¡®Come to think of it, I should exin my situation first.¡¯ As he sat down with an awkward smile, he looked at his friend whom he hadn¡¯t seen in such a long time and began to tell his story. ?1?¡°The two of them,¡± refers to Emma and Irene. By the way, this was myst chapter as editor since I¡¯m swamped nowadays, but you¡¯ll probably see me around since I really like this story. I hope you enjoyed the over a hundred chapters that I edited or helped with. And I hope y¡¯all seed in whatever you do in life. TKO Chapter 120: Ilya Lindsay (5)

Chapter 120: Ilya Lindsay (5)

Before sharing his story, Irene told Ilya that it would be a long one. Because he wanted to start the story from when he first dreamt about the man and not just what happened during the five years he was missing. Ilya Lindsay. A friend whom he wanted to meet as much as Bratt and Judith. And he also really wanted her to listen to everything he said. Beyond simple excuses for not keeping the promise, he wanted to show her who the real Irene Pareira was. ¡°It was how I, who was called the deadbeat noble, decided to pick up the sword¡­¡± The story of Irene began like that. It wasn¡¯t that he just kept talking. Irene wasn¡¯t the kind that was good at talking, but he carefully thought of what he wanted to say and said it out loud. Nevertheless, the story got longer as Ilya Lindsay became so engrossed in it. ¡°Something like that¡­¡± When she heard about the dream, her eyes widened. ¡°What bad people they were! How could they do such a thing?¡± And when she heard about the Gairn family, she got angry. ¡°I am d. You suffered so much that I don¡¯t know if I should even use the word ¡®d¡¯¡­ but I really am d.¡± She sighed in relief once in a while. And truly sympathized with everything that Irene said. Looking at Ilya Lindsay like that, Irene had no choice but to unravel everything in detail. And then he realized it again. In the first ce, he wasn¡¯t in the position to help Ilya but was always in the position of receiving help from her. ¡®I didn¡¯t have to worry.¡¯ Irene¡¯s face brightened. It was fortunate that his worries weren¡¯t real. The Ilya Lindsay in front of him was the same one he remembered. That radiant smile in her eyes after the final evaluation was still there. Irene was more excited and spoke more, and she listened to it seriously till the end. It was after he had finished telling the story that he started to feel a little ufortable. ¡°Irene? The others who are with Gairn¡­¡± ¡°You mean Baron Lester and Baron Russell?¡± ¡°Yes. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to step on them already?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°People who have spoken dirty words before can¡¯t change their habit at all. To the extent that they will do the same thing again¡­ they need to be taught to shut their mouths.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ah, well. If it is with your current skills, it is probable that they wouldn¡¯t even be able to make eye contact with you, let alone open their mouths. I can tell just by looking, Irene, you have gotten strong, right?¡± ¡°¡­ well,pared to you, I am a long way off. I heard that you became a Sword Master. In fact, I saw the match today.¡± Irene, who had said that, smiled. He was shocked by Ilya¡¯s words just now, which were more radical than he expected, but it wasn¡¯t like he didn¡¯t understand why she was so interested. Besides¡­ ¡°Really? Did you see? Shame! I wanted to tell you first!¡± ¡°It would be weird to not know aftering here! I hear about you here and there¡­¡± ¡°Ah,e to think about it, how much does Irene know about me?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You were locked in the world of sorcery for 5 years, and then came out. Things about me, did you hear it? That story? There are so many things I want to tell you as much as you wanted to tell me.¡± This time, Ilya Lindsay wanted to tell her story, and Irene had no choice but to put away the ufortable feelings he felt a moment ago and listen. A friend who listened to his story. And now, wanting to tell him her own story, she looked at him with a bright smile. At her demeanor, which revealed her honest feelings, Irene had no choice but to smile and nod his head. ¡°Huh. I am curious. I did hear some things, but I wanted to hear it directly from you.¡± ¡°Of course. Even if you know something, pretend you don¡¯t and listen. Okay?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± He nodded again, seeing that Ilya smiled and unleashed everything that happened after she left the school. 14 years old Ilya Lindsay. 15 years old Ilya Lindsay. 16 and 17 and even the 18 years old Ilya Lindsay. The storysted a bit longer than Irene¡¯s and ended with her turning into a Sword Master, and Irene stored it all in his head. ¡­ then, an ufortable silence fell. ¡°Irene?¡± Ilya Lindsay called him in a bewildered voice. She had no choice but to do so. His expression, which became subtle halfway, turned stiff. It wasn¡¯t a usual expressionless face. Worry, regret. His eyes were filled withplex emotions, then Irene opened his mouth. ¡°Ilya.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°When did you be the champion of Land of Proof?¡± ¡°¡­ October 17th. Two months ago. Why?¡± ¡°Then you will stay here until April, right?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Ilya¡¯s voice turned sharper. It was because of Irene. It wasn¡¯t because he was forcing a subject on her, but because what he said was urate enough that she understood what he was trying to say. At that moment, Irene¡¯s two hands caught Ilya¡¯s hands which were on the table. She was startled but didn¡¯t pull away. Instead, she was focused on what the following words of the person who was looking at her would be. After a while, he said it. ¡°Stop it now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Even if you follow I, nothing will change.¡± ¡°¡­¡± There was an ufortable, very ufortable silence. And Ilya, who heard Irene¡¯s words, looked even more ufortable. Why was he talking about I? Why? No, how? She, who was immersed in what he had to say, pulled her hands away and sighed. Regaining her cold expression. ¡°What are you saying?¡± ¡°No use hiding.¡± ¡°Hiding, what¡­¡± ¡°I-¡± Woong! Intense energy emanated from Irene¡¯s body. It backed up the weight of his words. Unknowingly, Ilya went stiff as she was shocked and then leaned on the table. And looked at Irene. As if in a fight, the two looked at each other without breaking eye contact. In that position, Irene said. ¡°I never forgot that one year at Krono.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Rather than what I felt in those moments, I feel even more deeply when I recall the memories. How valuable the time was. How precious the people I met back then were. Among them, Judith and Bratt¡­ Ilya, you were even more special.¡± Enough to remember every single story till the final evaluation. Irene, who said that, smiled bitterly. It was. It really was. He remembered everything which happened with Ilya. He remembered the troubles and anguish she had been harboring and also the ns she had after school. He clearly remembered the obsession she had with I. Of course, he wasn¡¯t worried. Thest smile of hers he saw. She decided to break away from the eyes of others and carve out her own path¡­ Ilya Lindsay¡¯s smile had remained in Irene¡¯s mind when he met I in Derinku. ¡®But¡­¡¯ He realized it after listening to Ilya¡¯s story. Her activities over the past 5 years were thoroughly based on ¡® the eyes of others¡¯ and I. Irene Pareira thought. She aimed to get the title faster than I. To conquer the Land of Proof faster than I. Ilya¡¯s life wasn¡¯t morous because she reached the Sword Master stage faster than I by 1 year and 5 months. Just because I was the champion for five months, Ilya nned to hold the title for a month longer than her. That was what 13 years old Ilya Lindsay said. However, the 18 years old Ilya was in denial of such a past. ¡°¡­ it isn¡¯t useless.¡± The youngest Sword Master said. Haze-like energy was blooming over her body. A silver aura that represented the Lindsay family. Something that no one could imitate. ¡°It is as you say. I couldn¡¯t get away from the eyes of people, I couldn¡¯t free myself.¡± ¡°But thanks to being conscious of those people, I no longer wanted my brother¡­ I tried and tried to not cause nder to the Lindsay family.¡± ¡°And the result is this.¡± Woong! Ilya Lindsay drew the dagger from her waist. It had a silver hue around the de. It wasparable to the swordsmanship of Ian and I; this was the aura sword. ¡°I wasn¡¯t wrong. It was the past me who was wrong. This Aura Sword¡­ I am telling you, I know that the path I have taken so far is the right one.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Have anything to say?¡± Ilya asked with a different emotion. Irene didn¡¯t answer right away. He looked into his friend¡¯s eyes, and looked into her heart. Anger, obsession, fear, anguish, sadness. All other negative emotions. It was the fire that was burning in her. Right. Although it was weakpared to the bandit head in Alhad, or Charlotte and Victor, the current Ilya Lindsay was taking the wrong path. ¡®She needs to be stopped!¡¯ Irene was worried. The man¡¯s will, which responds to magi, was about to bloom. But unlike usual, this time, it didn¡¯t rage. Irene¡¯s heart turned warm, overwhelming the energy of the man. Without realizing it, he swallowed a lot of words. Nothing came to his mind. He wasn¡¯t sure what to say to stop Ilya. It was then. ¡°¡­!¡± Suddenly, something shed through his mind. The time in Krono. Judith¡¯s method was able to change Bratt¡¯s mind, which seemed impossible to change. One action was more effective than a hundred words. With that in mind, he finally answered Ilya. ¡°In the end, you are going to keep the title of champion? Unit April?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°No matter what happens?¡± ¡°¡­ yes.¡± ¡°Then, I have something to do.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to take you down from your ce as champion.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Ilya looked at Irene with a nk expression. A look which said she couldn¡¯t understand. She had no choice but to do so. Who was dethroning her from the title? For her, he added more details. ¡°I¡¯m going to register as a diator in the Land of Proof right away. I will fight and improve my skills and rank up¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That is why I will aim for the ce of champion in April¡­ so, in about 120 days from today, I will rise to where you are. And I¡¯ll stop you. And then your mind will finally be clear¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You can take my words seriously.¡± Irene Pareira spoke confidently. Seeing him like that, Ilya Lindsay couldn¡¯t help but feel embarrassed. Chapter 121: To Defeat the Sword Master (1)

Chapter 121: To Defeat the Sword Master (1)

¡°Are you in the right state of mind?¡± Ilya Lindsay asked Irene Pareira. A question with so many questions within. Who was she? She was the person who broke the record of the youngest Sword Master I, which no one thought could ever be broken. No, there was no need to act humble. As if the title wasn¡¯t splendid enough by itself. ¡®Are you going to defeat me and rise to the position of champion?¡¯ It was weird. Ilya looked at irene. A much more developed body than before, and he just showed what he was. She could just tell by looking. That he too, had achieved tremendous growth over the past 5 years. Perhaps he was a decent sword expert. However¡­ ¡®No matter how much he improves his skills, he won''t be able to win.¡¯ It was only natural. No matter how good of an expert he is, that was all he was. He could never beat a Sword Master. It was a fact known to swordsmen, and the young kids on the streets. But Irene was brave. ¡°Yes. I am sane.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say I was going to win right away. For the next four months. I will do my best to catch up.¡± ¡°What nonsense¡­¡± Seeing him talking with a smile, Ilya couldn¡¯t hide her troubled expression. The Irene she knew wasn¡¯t this type of person. Sometimes, the man was blunt to the point of making the other person feel frustrated, and stupid at times too. So, in a way he was eye-catching. ¡®For him to make such a provocation¡­¡¯ It wasn''t a provocation. She could see it in his eyes. The opponent was sincere. He sincerely thought that he could challenge the champion with his skills in 120 days. With only one thought to stop her. ¡°¡­ I am saying this to avoid a misunderstanding, but I am not trying to bother you.¡± She couldn¡¯te to understand the change in Irene, whom she had just met after a long time, and he replied. ¡°We used to be like this at school. We separated for a while due to disagreement, then we broke up and reconciled¡­¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°This too is the same case.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Four monthster, let¡¯s fight again.¡± Irene got up and reached out to Ilya, a gesture to shake hands. Of course, she didn¡¯t ept it. ¡°Think you can beat me?¡± ¡°Yes. I think I can win. If it was me of the past, I wouldn¡¯t dare to, but now I can.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try to prove what I am saying is true.¡± After saying that, Irene retrieved his hand. His face is full of confidence. Ilya looked at him, who seemed confident, and Irene, who was about to leave, paused for a moment and said. ¡°It has been so long since we met, but I am sorry for all that happened.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It is embarrassing to say, but you are my most precious friend. See you again.¡± Click! With those words, he left. Ilya Linsay, who was left behind, was unable to get up from her seat for a long time and looked lost. But it wasn¡¯t for long. As time passed, her mind wandered and the moment she found strength it happened. Terrifying energy began to flow from Ilya¡¯s body. Wheik! ¡®Why¡­¡¯ The moment she first heard the name of Irene Pareira, she felt sadness. And then came joy and delight which overshadowed those feelings. Just as Ilya was precious to Irene, he was precious to her. However, the precious existence denied her. It wasn¡¯t just the words. He said that he would show it in action. And stop her. It shook Ilya¡¯s heart. The buried sadness was revealed, and deeper negative emotions began to creep up. The evil fire which burned her appeared again. ¡°¡­¡± It was the old memories she hid. Ilya Lindsay got up from her seat and looked through the corner of the drawer. It had two things. A silver bracelet with something on it and a letter, the bracelet was hard to wear as she grew. Everything in there was what Irene Pareira had given to her. She carefully opened the letter she had taken out after a long time and read, reread the contents. In the meantime, the fire in her body calmed down. Ilya thought. ¡®Right. There¡¯s no way that Irene hates me.¡¯ A being who conveyed a warm heart to her despite not being able to get along with anyone. Despite her harsh attitude, he approached her with an innocent face and asked for reconciliation. There was no way he would have the same thoughts as the other idiots who ndered her brother and family. So this is¡­ ¡®Just a difference in opinion¡­¡¯ Ilya nodded her head. Irene was right. He doesn¡¯t hate her, nor does she hate him. They just had different thoughts. Of course, the results will tell who the right one is. ¡°Irene¡­ no matter what¡­¡± She wasn¡¯t going to lose. Ilya mumbled and then bowed her head looking at Irene¡¯s letter again. After reading 2 more times she carefully put it down in the drawer. She was going to visit the priest soon. ¡°Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!¡± Judith, who was confident, was constantly swearing as she walked down the street. She didn¡¯t feel good. It was unavoidable. How could she feel good when she confirmed the existence that she thought she could catch up to was miles away. However, the initial shock, depression and the feeling of failure dispelled. No, to be precise, it had been a long time since she felt the fuel to struggle and fight. ¡®Yeah. I¡¯ll admit it. She is higher than me now.¡¯ Judith nodded. She nodded vigorously, making her hair flutter. She has no choice but to admit it. Because she is an expert and Ilya is a Sword Master. It meant that she was above Jet frost. It was absurd to predict such a monster. But she epted the reality. ¡®However¡­ 5 yearster, 10 yearster.¡¯ ¡­ to be honest, 10 years may not be enough. But what about it? Khun, the spouse of Keira Finn, had worked hard for decades to defeat Ian. ¡°... leave it alone.¡± Judith made a low growl. Will ovee. She will eventually ovee it. Even if she was currently in a lower position than her, one day she would climb up and be on the same line. ¡°I can do it! Do you get it!!¡± ¡°Ah, you scared me!¡± ¡°What is happening?¡± ¡°¡­ is she crazy?¡± Seeing Judith scream on the road, people jumped up. But she didn¡¯t really care. After arriving at the front of the inn, sheughed and opened the door. And looked at a group inside. Bratt Lloyd, Irene, Lulu and Kuvar. After a long time, all five were in one ce. Not feeling bad anymore, she smiled and sat on a chair. But Bratt¡¯s expression was weird. ¡°Hmm?¡± It wasn¡¯t just Bratt. Despite being a cat, she could understand Lulu¡¯s expression and Kuvar too. All strange faces. To be precise, both Bratt and Kuvar were looking at Irene with strange eyes. The answer came quickly. After taking a sip of beer, Bratt spoke in an absurd tone about what happened between Irene and Ilya. ¡°¡­ so in conclusion¡­ Irene and the Sword Master decided to settle the matter within 4 months. With swordsmanship.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I always thought you were crazy, but I never dreamed that you were this crazy.¡± Bratt shook his head and drank the beer. It was a natural reaction. It was true that Irene¡¯s skills were great for his age. Perhaps, he would be able to improve in this ce too. However, no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn¡¯t reach Sword Master within 4 months. Same with Kuvar. Only Lulu supported Irene. ¡°You are cool, Irene! Indeed, a sorcerer has to be like this! If you think it is impossible, it is impossible, you won''t be able to break the limit for the rest of your life! I believe that Irene can defeat the Sword Master! I mean it!¡± ¡°You must have nothing more to say, cat.¡± ¡°You, want a scolding?!¡± Lulu jumped out of Irene¡¯s arms and tapped the table. She was normally quiet, but today she seemed excited. Of course, it¡¯s only cute for the 3rd person to see. In a normal situation, Judith would have cheered for Lulu. She would smile a lot and then talk with the cat. But, not now. The atmosphere wasn''t right. ¡°¡­ me too.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I will too.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I am going to try too! Ilya Lindsay, I am here to fight with her, so I will aim for the title of champion as well!¡± Bang! Judith hit the table first making it crack. Lulu, Bratt and Irene looked at her with bewildered expressions, and Kuvar clenched his fists in shock. Fortunately, there were no scratches. He breathed a sigh of relief. Kwang! Kwang! ¡°Ah no!¡± ¡°Irene, you are not the only smart one! Despite having pride, I have the desire to win even if it is with the process of losing.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Huh, anyway, I know! I am going to practice.¡± ¡°Where¡­¡± ¡°Where?¡± Judith, who screamed at Irene¡¯s question, moved to leave the Inn, and handed a silver coin to the counter. Compensation for breaking the table. Seeing her, Bratt nodded. Judith, she looked back and said. ¡°I am inspired by you, not Ilya. Just know that.¡± Someone who sets goals beyondmon sense. Most who would see that wouldugh, but not Judith. She felt ashamed at herself for not setting a goal, and tried to take time to achieve it. Judith was such a person. ¡®But that one¡­ I have no idea what he is thinking.¡¯ The blue haired young man looked at Irene. Judith was being true to herself, but why did Irene end up proposing such a thing? ¡°Irene.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°Beating Ilya. It is because you have something like a n, right?¡± ¡°There is nothing.¡± Bold answer. Bratt paused. Looking at him, Irene said again. ¡°I can do it, it doesn¡¯t matter if there is no n.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°To do or not is the important question. And I will do it.¡± Irene dered it. And then he suddenly asked Bratt a question to change the mood. ¡°So, help me.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Help me defeat the Sword Master.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s have a meeting from now on.¡± ¡°¡­ crazy guy.¡± He used a word gentle to Irene, but he couldn¡¯t help holding back. Bratt took a deep breath and ordered another beer. Chapter 122: To Defeat the Sword Master (2)

Chapter 122: To Defeat the Sword Master (2)

Master. Refers to a person who umted great skills in a field and is a modifier applied only to those recognized by many people. Of course, there are very few fields which end up making one a Master. And most of them have blurred lines as it depends on the subjective and qualitative judgement of several people. So those few who are called Master at times get asked questions like, ¡®is that person qualified to be a Master¡¯? Of course¡­ ¡®Sword is an exception.¡¯ Right, sword. Even an outstanding swordsman who has devoted his life to swordsmanship for decades, or an ordinary viger who devoted his life to farming, can distinguish between a Sword Master and a non Sword Master. Aura Sword. How could someone who wielded the brilliant sword with that shine, be on the same level as other swordsmen? ¡°Sigh¡± Bratt Lloyd sighed. Being able to ssify the realm on the objective basis also meant that the gap between the Master and the Expert was huge. Irene Pareira knew that too. Nevertheless, as he watched him do it with a serious face, he felt something clogged in his chest. ¡°Still, it isn¡¯t impossible right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°As far as I know, it is said that some swordsmen who have reached the end of Expert often defeat a Sword Master.¡± ¡°¡­ true.¡± Bratt nodded. What Kuvar said was true. In the long history of swordsmanship, it was not that there was no expert who had exceeded a Sword Master before. However, it must have been difficult to do. All they could say was that it was a miraculous situation. But the current Irene didn¡¯t care about it. ¡®It isn¡¯t whether he can do it or not, it is a matter of doing it.¡¯ After thinking that, Bratt answered Kuvar¡¯s words with an expression of dissatisfaction. ¡°In order for an expert to not get pushed against a Sword Master, three conditions are needed. First, a sword which can withstand the Aura sword.¡± Right. Not just withstand, but a good sword was needed. A sword strong enough to be mentioned in history. Then it would withstand the power of the Aura Sword. Wouldn¡¯t it be possible to see once the swords collide? ¡®At least the best cksmith, something like the Vulcanus Sword¡­¡¯ If it wasn¡¯t the best sword out there, then in front of the Aura Sword it would break right away. But things are different now. Bratt looked at Irene and said. ¡°Your sword.¡± ¡°Sorcery Sword?¡± ¡°Yes, it is a sorcery sword so how sturdy is it? Be honest, I know it is pretty good, but if you can''t fight with the Aura Sword¡­¡± ¡°It will be fine.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°No, it is fine. It is fine to lose the sword if it turns into a problem, but there is no way it would break.¡± Irene said while nodding. He wasn¡¯t sure before. But after the talks with the cksmiths in Derinku, he trusted the sword in his hand. And now Irene was confident about the sword. Even if he didn¡¯t realize it, his confidence in the sword, the Sorcery Sword, rose significantly. ¡®¡­ I guess he wasn¡¯t saying it recklessly.¡¯ Bratt felt it too. Now, he felt a bit annoyed. Right. Unless his level was excellent enough to dodge the opponent¡¯s sword, there was no other choice but for their swords to sh. And in such a fight, Aura swords were invincible. Bratt thought the other two conditions would be easy to achieve. It was easier than the first one, but it was hard too. And he said, ¡°The second one is a unique technique. Excellent sharp, unpredictably bizarre swordsmanship to the point of confusing the Sword Master, who is the strongest.¡± The Sword Master was a person of the best talent and experience. Regardless of the situation, since the Sword Master had experience, they have an easy time coping with the opponent''s swordsmanship. In order to break through the defense of such a Master, one''s senses had to be at least a level higher. After saying all that, Bratt caught his breath. And in the current case, there was one thing which came to his mind. The Gigantic sh at school, Murray¡¯s mansion and at Jet Frost. ¡°You need to refine that. Enough to be used in battle.¡± ¡°I will try.¡± ¡°What a happy world it would be if all the efforts brought in good results¡­ I want to say that, but I don¡¯t know what to say each time you say you will try.¡± Taking a sip of his beer, Bratt narrowed his eyes and looked at Irene. The atmosphere wasn¡¯t bad. He didn¡¯t look as confident as he spoke about the matter at hand, but Irene wasn¡¯t the impatient kind, and Bratt didn¡¯t know what to do. This man, he thought, Irene had something in his mind. It was strange. He knew that Irene¡¯s actions were wrong. ording to him, Ilya was the one with a problem. Unstable enough that she didn¡¯t know how she turned into a Sword Master. But she was one. The king of swordsmen. One of the 100. Was it because Irene said he would defeat Ilya within 4 months that was making him grumpy? ¡®No, well could be.¡¯ Bratt drank another sip. He seemed to understand why Judith was angry. Irene Pareira, the good guy could be annoying at such times. Bratt, who had shed his emotions, said the third one. ¡°Third, in a way, this is as important as the first. As¡­ you need to have the swordsmanship skillsparable to a Sword Master.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Well. It isn¡¯t just words. I did hear a lot of people say that those in the state of Experts for decades are on the same level as a Master when ites to swordsmanship.¡± What Bratt said was true. Most of the reasons why excellent experts couldn¡¯t reach Sword Master level would be covered like this. The Aura Sword was the only problem. Maybe it was because the aura umted in the body was insufficient to be used or something. However, to make it look good, Pure Swordsmanshippared without the aura¡­ it meant that there was a possibility that a desperate expert would have an edge on a young Sword Master. An example would be Jet Frost. In terms of swordsmanship, no one would call him an expert. His swordsmanship had reached the level of Master ages ago. However¡­ ¡°This is the most difficult one.¡± ¡°Right. It is the biggest problem for me.¡± Irene nodded his head at Bratt¡¯s words. He knew it. The fact that his current swordsmanship skills were insufficient to be the best among experts. Right now, between the battle with Bratt and Judith, wasn¡¯t he only recently having the upper hand? Besides, the swordsmanship of Ilya they saw today¡­ ¡°Amazing.¡± ¡°Yes, it was. Ilya wasn¡¯t lucky enough to just attain enlightenment and turn into a Master. Before the aura, her swordsmanship waspleted. She really is¡­ a true Sword Master.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It means that if you have a shield to block the Aura Sword and the skill to pierce the opponent, you have a chance, but it is no use if you don¡¯t use the basic skills. Oh and by the way, Ilya knows what you did in the final evaluation, so that thing needs to be refined even more.¡± At Bratt''s words, the atmosphere subsided. Kuvar who started it first and Bratt who exined, and Irene who listened, pondered. Only Lulu was full of energy like the first time and kept brushing herself. And the silence continued. But it wasn¡¯t gloomy. Irene immediately raised his head. And smiled. Bratt was a little shocked. Indeed Irene was being strange today. Unlike his usual self, he seemed to be full of confidence. What was the reason? He didn¡¯t know. Perhaps like he said, it must have had something to with the situation where it was impossible to back down. However¡­ ¡®I feel like he changed a lot since he met Ilya¡­¡¯ It was when Bratt was thinking that, Irene Pareira spoke in a calm tone. ¡°We need to do something. As there are only 120 days left.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The time I have travelled away from my family is less than 5 months. And in that short period, I have grown tremendously, really tremendously.¡± So, I¡¯ll do it somehow. Irene ended it with those words. Seeing him like that, everyone around the table smiled. Someone shoved themselves into the seat of Judith. It wasn¡¯t her, but a slender man with a stylish appearance. ¡°Hinz?¡± ¡°Nice to meet you. I am Hinz, the reporter of Weekly Arena.¡± ¡°¡­ elf?¡± ¡°Yes. You are right. An elf and a reporter, reporter and an elf. Haha. Sorry but can I join you?¡± ¡°No. I refuse.¡± Bratt responded coldly. Reporters, he had met several of them at Krono too. It was when the 27th batch was rumored to be the Golden batch. He remembered those people who pushed themselves into the ce to take a peek at their skills. ¡®Damn it! Weary bastards!¡¯ They were the kind who would do anything to dig up the information. There was no way he could feel d to meet them. However, Hinz''s next words changed the mood. ¡°You are struggling to defeat Sword Master Ilya Lindsay.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I heard the three conditions that Bratt Lloyd said earlier. A wless story, indeed from the 27th batch of Krono.¡± ¡°¡­ were you eavesdropping?¡± ¡°Eavesdropping? That is upsetting. Because of my bright ears¡­ I just tend to end up hearing all the things which happen as I walk by.¡± ¡°If you are going to y any tricks¡­¡± ¡°There is one more condition.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°For a Sword master like Ilya Lindsay, you will need all three conditions to work out. But if you want to defeat someone like her, who is the champion of this ce, if you want to defeat her within the deadline of 4 months¡­ this is the most important thing.¡± ¡°What is that?¡± Kuvar, who was listening, asked. He seemed to be a talkative elf, and if he didn¡¯t cut in, it felt like the elf would keep talking about other things. He did know that the elf would be expecting the same kind of reaction, but he couldn¡¯t help it. Asking the question was one thing. Irene and Lulu looked at the elf with such thoughts. And fortunately, Hinz didn¡¯t drag it out. ¡°To increase productivity.¡± ¡°Exin.¡± ¡°Yes, let me exin. The Land of Proof is the most fierce since its establishment. After Dame I and Ilya Lindsay, the record of the youngest Sword Master was changed twice. Thanks to that, there is a superstition spreading that good energy is here which helps in turning one into a Sword Master, like the numbering sword of Vulcanus.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Thousands of talented people are flocking here. Former champions and monsters like them are flocking here. Swordsmen who have had contact with this cee in, and likewise, not all people are talented. It is just for their fame to skyrocket. And every single one of them is something the audience wants to see.¡± ¡°¡­ are you referring to the part where you can¡¯t entertain the people, you end up getting pushed and the battle with the champion can¡¯t be done?¡± ¡°Right. No matter how talented one was, if you don¡¯t get the attention of the public, your chances of battles will fly away. The Land of Proof is a diator arena, the stage to show the audience.¡± Hearing Hinz¡¯s words Kuvar nodded. Exactly. If the champion had multiple opponents, then only those eligible would face her. Those who possess not just the skills but the performance to entertain the crowd would move. The whole group was immersed in it. Bratt had an ufortable expression and Irene just listened to the words. Then he thought about how the 4th condition had to be achieved. But that worry didn¡¯tst long. ¡°I will help. No, it is the opposite. Please help me.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°If you hold this hand¡­ this reporter, Hinz, who is second to none in this ce, will make you the best star in the Land of Proof.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I want you to be with me.¡± After throwing away the light jokes, Hinz turned serious. His eyes were filled with deep emotions like a woman who found gems. Seeing that, Bratt couldn¡¯t show his displeasure. Chapter 123: To Defeat the Sword Master (3)

Chapter 123: To Defeat the Sword Master (3)

The most famous diator among Eisenmarkt, the Land of Proof. The diators there are divided into several ranks ording to their skills. Pawn, knight, bishop, rook, queen and king, all chess pieces. There are seven stages in total, including an introductory test for those entering the ce for the first time. And that stage of the present Land of proof... waspletely filled. ¡®I did expect this.¡¯ Kuvar thought, shaking his head. He thought this would happen. After I Crescentia ascended to Sword Master, the Land of Proof, which gained reputation, was the holy ce for swordsmen. Even the knights of prestigious families flocked to the ce. In addition, the rising sun, Ilya Lindsay, made the situation even worse. The Land of Proof was gaining power and sucking all the swordsmen, and thanks to that, the audience were happier watching it, both more quantitatively and qualitatively than before. Kuvar was curious. ¡°Why did youe to us, to Irene?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It seems like you heard everything so I¡¯ll speakfortably. I don¡¯t understand you, as you said, now you might have more articles to write than ever, day after day, talented people are flocking to this ce.¡± ¡°Right, and you are one of them.¡± ¡°Butpared to the old champions and other swordsmen you mentioned, this is less entertaining. Especially Irene¡­ do you know this young man?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know much. I was curious about it, and there was a limit as it only mentioned that he was from Hale Kingdom and had an outstanding performance in the Demon Subjugation earlier this year. It is like someone who has been hiding for a long time has been revealed to the world for the first time.¡± ¡°¡­ fine. Then you know how absurd the things we were talking about were.¡± Kuvar looked at Hinz. He knew that Irene had great skills and potential. However for others, he was just a young man who gave off a gentle impression. And if he said that he would defeat a Sword Master in 4 months, he would be the centre of a joke. ¡®To Irene, why is this one acting like this?¡¯ Kuvar tried to use his spirits, and same with Lulu and Bratt. All three of them stared at him waiting for the reply. ¡°¡­ wait, give me time to think.¡± Hinz said politely. Unlike the first time, Irene and his party were calming themselves instead of refusing him. But the elf was a veteran reporter, so he wasn¡¯t flustered. It was the same for reporters, they were hated everywhere. In addition to the articles, there were times when Hinz would change the flow of the speakers with his clever speech. But not now. The orc with great senses, a sorcerer cat which could see through him and the eldest son of the Lloyd family who had cool judgement. In front of these people, showing an honest heart was better than ying tricks. Judging that, Hinz opened his mouth. ¡°First of all, I will tell this from a reporter¡¯s point of view. Reporters are more attracted to raw stone than finished work.¡± ¡°Stone?¡± ¡°Right. Not a strong person that everyone knows, but an existence which no one knows. It is the greatest joy for a journalist toe across such an existence and to process it as an article.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°The reason why Elf Hinz clings to Irene Pareira is different, do you know about I Crescentia?¡± Everyone nodded at his question. Everyone knew her. The strongest swordsman in 20s. A rare genius who could threaten even senior Sword Masters. The elf who said her name spoke. ¡°When she first set foot on the Land of Proof, she said she would defeat all the strong men within a year and turn into a champion. Everyoneughed. Although famous, she wasn¡¯t good enough to im the title... however¡­ in that year, she didn¡¯t just be a champion but even reached the great level of Sword Master.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It was a shock and Iughed at her with other people.¡± It was beyondmon sense for them. An existence which deviates from ordinary standards. At that time, Hinz thought it was just a random event. Something which happened once in a hundred years, so he didn¡¯t have to care. It wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯tugh at her but he knew how good I was. He felt bad and continued with his life. When a famous swordsman appeared, he would put out his prediction in the articles, and when things don¡¯t happen well, he writes appropriate mockery. Like that, he passed the articles and spent his days. And two months back. Another great incident happened which shocked everyone. Hinz too. Just like the general public, he too said ¡®I didn¡¯t know!¡¯. Despite the fact that he had the personality to get closer to anyone faster, analyze them, which was a quality he was proud of, he did nothing. He was disappointed in his own eyes. ¡°Not this time.¡± ¡°¡­ what do you mean?¡± ¡°It is because of the two failures I had. I guess it is some kind of feeling. The cat is a sorcerer, right?¡± ¡°Yes. Sorcerer.¡± ¡°Then you might be able to understand how I feel. I fall short whenpared to you, but¡­¡± ¡°Of course I understand. If you have been a reporter for 20 years, it wouldn¡¯t be strange to have a sense simr to a sorcerer. Anyway, you think that Irene can meet the champion, right?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°I won''t lie about what I felt when I met Mr. Pareira¡­ watching the champion go to the ce of the champion, the meeting and talks¡­ little by little, I began to feel that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So please. Before being a reporter, I''m first a diator fan¡­ before Lindsay reigns from the title of champion, I want Irene Pareira to win a battle. I want to watch a legend begin sooner, and watch it closely. I am ready to do my best¡­ only that, phew.¡± Was it because he spoke with a lot of sincerity, unlike usual? Sweat was forming on his face. And his face was a little red. Hinz couldn¡¯t tell what was happening, but he was nervous. Kuvar and Bratt stared at him. ¡°¡­ It is a statement which has no logic whatsoever.¡± ¡°Right. But that, have you two met?¡± ¡°Uh. He is the reporter who informed me of Ilya¡¯s whereabouts.¡± ¡°I see. Anyway, I agree with Mr. Kuvar.¡± The Orc said first, followed by a blue haired young man. Fortunately, they were people who were bound bymon sense. Thankfully, as they were the tougher version of ordinary people, they saw and experienced unusual things. Besides, it wasn¡¯t them who had the right to make a decision. Bratt, looked at Irene Pareira and asked. ¡°What do you want to do? It is your thing, you decide.¡± Hearing what Bratt said, Irene turned his head and looked at the elf. Hinz swallowed. This man was more special than the orc and the cat. Hinz felt naked as he waited for Irene¡¯s answer. A question came out from Irene¡¯s mouth. ¡°Fine. What should I do?¡± ¡°¡­ nice! Ah-sorry!¡± Hinz, who cheered by getting up, apologized. He had never been so nervous and embarrassed in his life. He smiled and looked at Irene. ¡°There is nothing too troublesome. And¡­ if you have something to be proud of to raise a topic that will be admired by the public¡­ please don¡¯t hesitate to speak.¡± ¡°Hm. If that is the case, then I can speak better than my friend.¡± ¡°Me too! Me too! There are so many things Irene can be proud of!¡± ¡°Come on, wait a minute. Don¡¯t speak high¡­ let¡¯s move to a quiet ce and talk.¡± Hinz, who calmed Lulu, asked to change ces. Irene and the party nodded as they headed to a room. After a while, Kuvar and Lulu bragged about Irene. ¡°¡­¡± Hinz, who listened to it, went nk faced. He didn¡¯t have the spirit to take all of it. It was because the stories which came out of the three people¡¯s mouths were unbelievable. ¡®Preliminary trainee of Krono¡­ after getting to the second position by a narrow margin, he went back to his family for reasons.¡¯ ¡®Five yearster, in the subjugation battle, he went alone against the demon.¡¯ ¡®A month ago, he didn¡¯t just overwhelm the Partizan but was also recognized by Jet Frost the 101st swordsmen¡­¡¯ ¡®Even the cksmith Vulcanus recognized him as the master of the 10th sword?¡¯ None of it was normal. But the most important was thest part. He was promised the numbering sword by Vulcanus. It wasn¡¯t just a promise, it was now a story which had to be done. At least, from what Kuvar and Lulu said it gave that feeling. But this couldn¡¯t be directly written in an article. There was better timing, and there were things which had to be checked. Early in the morning, he will send an apprentice to interview Vulcanus and Jet Frost. Due to the short time of 4 months, he can''t go to Hale Kingdom. ¡®The important thing¡­ if everything I heard is true, then a third miracle would happen.¡¯ A rival he couldn¡¯tplete when he was a preliminary trainee. The two geniuses reunite after 6 years and settle things on stage! There couldn¡¯t be anything more heartwarming than this. Hinz, full of excitement, held Irene¡¯s hand. ¡°I will try my best to raise the rankings as soon as possible and make you challenge the champion!¡± ¡°... Alright.¡± Irene responded with Hinz¡¯s words. Noon the next day. After an early lunch, Irene, Judith, and Bratt appeared in the "Land of Beginnings," an introductory test of the Land of Proof. Normally it would take a week with all the swordsmen, but thanks to Hinz¡¯swork it happened right away. Judith who crushed the candy in her mouth said, ¡°Let¡¯s go. Destroy them all!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Smash the queen levels and king levels and Ilya and smash everything. You will be smashed too.¡± ¡®¡­ why me?¡¯ Receiving Judith¡¯s eyes, Irene looked at her. And then entered the Land of Beginnings, the crowd gathered and caught their eyes. Watching that, he moved forward with a determined expression. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Chapter 124: Super Rookies (1)

Chapter 124: Super Rookies (1)

Land of Beginnings. The ce where most swordsmen gather, the three stadiums in the Land of Proof. But it was hard to find talented people. Unlike the two stadiums which carefully epted selected diators, this ce was a testing ground to see if people were really worthy to go ahead. It was a ce where anyone could knock on the door without any restrictions, whether it was a young man who ran away from home, or an old swordsman who was on the verge of death. Nevertheless, the Land of Beginnings was popr. Rather, the audience preferred this ce. The charm which came from uncertainty. A unique atmosphere where a seasoned veteran and an idiot could stand together, mixed with a bit of anticipation at the possibility that they might discover the next master. Add to that the proper betting, the feeling of exhration which came from unpredictability. ¡°Today too, give your best, children!¡± ¡°Not children? Then go up quickly! And stop staying here!¡± ¡°Look here, and there too! I think that that person is challenging for the third time?¡± ¡°Hahaha, grandpa! Don¡¯t get hurt! This time, I hope you can move up!¡± The swordsmen who heard those words raised their swords while looking at the audience. Calm expression of a veteran, but a poor body. However, that too was one of the fun elements in Land of Beginnings. However, that was just the view of the general audience. Andre, a reporter from Weekly Valha, who came to the ce, was looking around the stadium. And not just him. People were waiting with magic cameras in their hands. All of them were professional reporters covering the diator magazines, watching possible strong opponents with keen eyes. All waiting for someone to show up, but after a while, the reporters broke into exmations. It was because of the appearance of someone. ¡®Bratt Lloyd!¡¯ The eldest son of the Lloyd family, a powerful noble family in Gerbera and is known as the best in the 27th batch of Krono. Of course, he was still a young man under the age of 20, but he wasn¡¯t being treated like any other swordsman. ¡®Is that him? Not bad. But still a long way off. Of course, there are a few kids who are strong, but¡­ still, there are a lot of areas to work on.¡¯ When someone asked Ian for an evaluation of him, that was what he said. An ambiguous remark which halfplimented as well, but everyone knew the truth. Just how strict Ian was to his students. Needless to say, Bratt Lloyd is known to be the best among the ¡®useful children¡¯. Although he wasn''t from the west, him being here was enough to write an article. ¡®Thank God. If I hade a few dayster, I would have beente.¡¯ ¡®I guess it is because he is a high-ranking noble, he must have connections in the Land of Proof. Seeing how he is taking the test right¡­¡¯ It was just a day since the party had arrived in Eisenmarkt. It was an act of shing in, but the reporters didn¡¯t care. Their interest was in the pride of Krono, and to see how great Bratt Lloyd was. While thinking that, another rookie appeared. It was Judith, the geniusmoner swordsman on the same level as Bratt Lloyd. The reporter''s expectations heightened when they saw her red hair. Weekly Valha reporter Andre, hoped that the test would be exciting. In his eyes, she was an iprehensible candidate. ¡°Hinz, that guy is here too¡­¡± Andre looked at the other side and saw Hinz. Andre frowned at his appearance, but nodded at him. Considering his career, it wasn¡¯t strange for Hinz to be there. He, who was more talented than any other reporter, couldn¡¯t have missed this chance. ¡°Well¡­ if this happens, we will end uppeting for the best swordsman out there.¡± ¡°Huh? Did I hear wrong?¡± ¡°Nothing. This! If they both go to test at the same time, you take Judith¡¯s side.¡± Andre, who sent his stupid apprentice to Judith, focused on Bratt. Still, thanks to the Land of Beginnings, and the recent boom, the tests were being conducted right away. He didn¡¯t like that he would miss the fight of one swordsman, but decided to focus on Bratt. However, when he saw the opponent, Andre was disappointed. It was because it was an old man who was bluffing about himself. ng! ¡°Match over! New diator Bratt Lloyd, wins!¡± ¡°Oh my, such a pity! I was feeling good this time!¡± ¡®What feeling good shit!¡¯ Because of the opponent¡¯s poor skills Andre couldn¡¯t even see the true skills of Bratt! He couldn¡¯t help but want to scream. But the Land of Beginning was like this. The test happens three times and at the end of the test, something interesting mighte out, but it doesn¡¯t have to always be interesting either. ¡®If possible, maybe a hidden talent woulde out¡­ but it seems difficult this time.¡¯ It was the moment when Andre was regretting the match. ng! A particr sharp sound resonated followed by great cheer. His head naturally turned to the direction of the sound. A pretty handsome and gentle looking young man. As the match was over, the expression of disappointment was visible on the opponent¡¯s face. And this wasn¡¯t an umon thing in the Land of Beginnings. Since it was a ce where swordsmen of all levels gathered, one sided battles were far moremon. ¡°Still, the opponent has pretty nice muscles¡­ shocking.¡± Andre mumbled as he looked. But he turned away, he was too busy to look at someone else. Bratt Lloyd and Judith were more important to him, and there were a lot more swordsmen he was keeping an eye on. ¡®I need to see Charis and Garrett and I want to see Triston if possible¡­¡¯ As he was thinking about that, the apprentice who was out to see Judith¡¯s match was running towards him. Andre asked. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Judith¡¯s one strike finished it. The opponent was so bad and it wasn¡¯t impressive at all.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­ we can¡¯t help it. Ah! Triston¡¯s game is starting! Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Andre and the apprentice continued to wander around looking at the tests. He wanted to see the matches of all the people he had in mind. And in order to write an article quickly, he would have to prepare a draft. Fortunately, Bratt Lloyd''s and Judith¡¯s tests no longer ovepped. ng! ¡°The match is over, new diator Bratt Lloyd wins!¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ great skills.¡± ¡°Thank you. You were great too.¡± Bratt Lloyd finished three fights. He came down from the stage. After waving his hand at the audience who were cheering, he followed the guide. All the tests were over, but he couldn¡¯t leave right away because the level decision had to be announced after all the matches were over. The apprentice reporter who was watching it said, ¡°It looks like he is a master of a prestigious family.¡± ¡°Hm, right.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t getting an interview be difficult?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± It was true. Despite waving his hands, Bratt didn¡¯t once look at the reporters. Apparently it looked like he had a bad experience in the past. Andre grumbled. ¡°Anyway, that will be a problem. Clean and well mannered, huh? We can approach each other and talk about it in a polite manner, and if we push it too much, we might end up being shown a cold shoulder.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ right?¡± ¡°What? Who are those in front?¡± ¡°Ah! Judith''s match starts now!¡± As Andre frowned, the apprentice shouted. Andre¡¯s gaze turned to Judith. Unlike Bratt¡¯s third opponent, a capable swordsman stood against Judith. ¡°Great! Maybe¡­ we will get to see some action this time¡­ uh?¡± The problem was that there was someone he spotted during the match. Veteran mercenary, Charis. Before hearing about Bratt and Judith, the reporters had high expectations of him. But with what happened, there was nothing they could do. Frowning, Andre said. ¡°Charis''s match, you go and see it.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The apprentice immediately ran over to the other side. Andre, who recovered his expression, focused on Judith¡¯s match. How long will the opponent hold up? He wished it would be a long battle. If not, at least to see Judith show off her skills¡­ With those thoughts in mind, he waited for the final test to begin. In his head, Andre suddenly thought. ¡®Hinz, that sly bastard, why isn¡¯t heing for this?¡¯ It was strange. No matter what anyone said, today¡¯s protagonists were Bratt and Judith. It wasn¡¯t certain if some knight of a prestigious family or swordsman hade here, but unless there were no such people, these two were the only great ones. In fact, all the reporters were here. However¡­ ¡®Why isn¡¯t Hinz here?¡¯ Andre frowned. He couldn¡¯t understand the reason. However, it was very, very strange to not pay attention to any other match. ¡®Oh perhaps, is he hiding somewhere and secretly watching the matches?¡¯ That could be too. Unlike Andre, who stayed low, Hinz was an elf. Hinz was handsome and had outstanding abilities. Thinking that, Andre felt like throwing a tantrum. It was the moment he tried to control his anger. He saw the apprentice reporter run back to him again, and felt his anger burst. ¡°You bastard, why are you back again? I thought I told you to watch Charis¡¯s match!¡± ¡°Uh? Yes¡­¡± ¡°Uh? What uh? Hurry up and do your task!¡± Andre raised his fist. He wasn¡¯t a bad looking person, but to the apprentices he was a demon. The apprentice trembled. But he didn¡¯t go back. In a terrified voice, he said. ¡°T-the¡­.match is over.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It was won. Charis lost. Shocking.¡± ¡°Hmm, right¡­ Charis won, lost?¡± What did that mean? Just as he was about to ask, the sound of swords shing resounded. And he looked at Judith. The red haired swordsman had finished her match quickly and was descending from the stage. Andre missed the important event and couldn¡¯t suppress his anger any longer, and asked. ¡°So, Charis lost?¡± ¡°Y-yes! Lost in an instant. In fact, I couldn¡¯t even see what happened properly. It was over while I was still running there!¡± ¡°Who was the opponent?¡± ¡°That one¡­¡± The apprentice pointed to someone. Andre, turned there. And what caught his eyes was a young blonde with a gentle impression whom he had seen during the first test. ¡°¡­¡± And it was the elf Hinz, who was writing something down while looking at the young blonde. Chapter 125: Super Rookies (2)

Chapter 125: Super Rookies (2)

About 4 hours after the gates of Land of Beginnings opened. All tests werepleted for the day. The new ones who yed the matches impatiently waited for the results. Was it to ease them? The grading took ce sooner. It was because the scorers were pre-ssified. The swordsmen who checked the lists were all showing different reactions. ¡°Oh my, I failed again!¡± ¡°Nice, I passed!¡± ¡°It is natural to pass¡­ ehehe, I thought I would be of Knight level, but I''m starting with Pawn.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be too disappointed. It ispletely different than before. It is still something to be congratted for if you passed on such a fierce day. Let¡¯s go have a drink.¡± ¡°Right¡­ Well, it is better to think positively. Alright, I¡¯ll move up to Knight level soon!¡± Some shouted in joy. Someone gulped in regret. Another person who passed was depressed with the results which were less than what they expected. But soon they had a determined expression. The participants who looked at the results, poured out of the arena. In order to wee them, the audience cheered and apuded. ¡°Good job Triston! Hurry up and reach a higher level!¡± ¡°Everyone worked hard! Congrattions to those who passed and those who failed, have a drink and forget it!¡± ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t kill yourself with your thoughts, and try again the next time!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t keep trying right away, you might die from exhaustion!¡± ¡°Hahaha!¡± The Land of Opportunity, where the Pawn, Knight, Bishop and Rook levels gather. The Land of Glory where the queen and king levels gather. The biggest difference between the two stadiums and the stadium of Land of Beginning was the gap between the diators. And the audience cheered for the people who were leaving the stadium. asionally. They would drop in a humorous joke, but that was all. But the light atmosphere was short-lived. The surroundings turned quiet at the sight of three swordsmen who followed. Today¡¯s protagonist. Bratt Lloyd, the eldest son of the Lloyd family who is known to be one of the best in the 27th batch. Simrly, Judith, who was also one of the best in the 27th batch of Krono. The eyes of the audience were looking at those two in shock. ¡°They look a lot younger than I thought. Well, considering their age, it is fine, but¡­¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t they supposed to be under 20? It is amazing.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t they finish all three matches in an instant?¡± ¡°I heard that it ended so quickly that one couldn''t see Bratt Lloyd''s match.¡± ¡°They have the Bishop level, which is the highest one can get in the Land of Beginnings.¡± ¡°Well, that is because they are special. It is still enough.¡± Maybe because the audience watched the battles for a long time. They seem to know what was happening. For them, Bratt Lloyd and Judith were an exciting pair to see. And it didn¡¯t end with the two. A blonde young man appeared friendly with them. An unidentified person who overwhelmed a veteran mercenary Charis with an exciting blow that didn¡¯t go well with his gentle appearance. The audience was a bit interested in him. ¡°Doesn¡¯t he seem to be one of the 27th batch?¡± ¡°What was his name? Irene Pareira? My first time hearing that¡­¡± ¡°Well, you cannot memorize all the swordsmen in Krono. Anyway, it is great. Even if not a talented person, this means that one can afford to go up to Bishop level, right?¡± ¡°Right.¡± The sound of ¡®Indeed from Krono¡¯ came out. Of course, their tone of voice wasn¡¯t too exciting. No matter what anyone said, this western side was the best when it came to swordsmanship. No matter how great Krono swordsmen were, they couldn¡¯t bepared to the ones of the West. However, such local sentiments were also one of the fun factors of watching the matches. And it wasn¡¯t just the watchers who knew that, the reporters too knew it. ¡°Excuse me! I am Ben, I am a reporter for Weekly Dark Sword! You are Bratt Lloyd right?¡± ¡°This is Andre, chief reporter for Weekly Valha. I just need answers to a few questions.¡± ¡°Miss Judith! Please look here!¡± ¡°Why did the trainees of Kronoe to the Land of Proof? Is it to prove the swordsmanship of the central to the west?¡± ¡°Wait, please, just one question¡­¡± The reporters kept pouring out. At first it was just one or two, but then many reporters joined in and the entrance of the Land of Beginnings turned noisy. However, it stopped right away. It was because Judith began to release a dangerous energy. Wheik! ¡°Kuak!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Euk¡­.¡± Reporters took a step back with pale faces. Some experienced people managed to get through, but they too didn¡¯t ask anything more. And they instinctively felt it. No matter how many questions they asked, the young ones wouldn¡¯t answer a single question. Gulping, the reports turned their gaze to Bratt Lloyd. And he did the same as Judith. Wheik! ¡°Hm¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Compared to Judith, it was rtively mild. However, the attitude that didn¡¯t wee the media was the same. The reporter''s faces contorted. ¡®Damn, they are both hard types to touch to write up articles.¡¯ ¡®Weren''t they in the school all this time? Then most peopleing out into the continent would be excited and stuff¡­¡¯ ¡®Why are the young ones so strict?¡¯ Normal swordsmen weren¡¯t like this. The first time a swordsmanes into the world, they are proud of themselves and give information to the reporter. Unable to hide the excitement, they saw a lot of stuff. However, these kids'' reactions were cold, it was as if they had experienced something with reporters. Of course, just because they didn¡¯t get an interview, that didn¡¯t mean that they couldn¡¯t write an article. Among the 27th batch, the ones aiming to be the top have appeared! That itself would be a huge article. However¡­ ¡®If possible, I would like richer content¡­¡¯ It was when they were thinking that Hinz, who had only been standing, moved. He didn¡¯t approach the red-haired or blue-haired ones who had harsh reactions. He asked the blonde kid behind them. ¡°Hello. I am Hinz, chief reporter of Weekly Arena. If it isn¡¯t rude, can I ask a few simple questions?¡± ¡°Sure. What do you want to know?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± At that, the other reporters were shocked. Right. They couldn¡¯t get an interview with Bratt and Judith, but they can get indirect information from someone close. Moreover, unlike the previous two, the blonde one seemed easier to talk to. Gentle impression and a soft voice, it seemed like with a little pressure they could get everything done. The reports quickly rushed to him. ¡°You are Irene Pareira, right? You seem to be acquainted with the trainees of Krono, are you an official trainee, Mr Pareira?¡± ¡°Why did the 3 of you visit thend of Proof together?¡± ¡°Is it true that school master Ian told Bratt and Judith that they had enough talent to be a Sword Master?¡± ¡°I have a question regarding Bratt Lloyd.¡± ¡°Excuse me, but about Judith¡­¡± ¡°Me too¡­¡± Question after question. A feast of questions. People frowned. It is something that they have seen often, reporters jumping onto swordsmen. And most of the questions were focused on his ssmates, Bratt and Judith rather than the young man. It didn¡¯t feel weird, nor was he hurt. However, Irene, who was asked the question, didn''t even frown. He didn¡¯t even appear embarrassed by the pressure of reporters. In the centre, he spoke softly. ¡°Could you please be silent for a moment?¡± Then, to their surprise, everyone went silent. ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°What?¡± The onlookers were whispering. It was strange. The young man called Irene Pareira didn¡¯t seem special. He wasn¡¯t like Bratt or Judith. And he just requested the reporters to be silent. But, the reporters went silent. ¡°¡­¡± The reporters looked into each other¡¯s eyes. Why did they stop talking at the same time? even though they couldn¡¯t exin it. Was it a coincidence or was the young man someone with mysterious power? Such a strange atmosphere, Irene opened his mouth. ¡°I am sorry, but I can¡¯t talk about them. If they didn¡¯t speak, it means that it wasn¡¯t a question they would like to answer, and it would be rude for me to talk about it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Instead, I can tell you my story. Aspiration¡­ Can I do that?¡± The reporters nodded. Rather than going home without getting any interviews, it was better to take down something about the blonde man. Besides, Irene wasn¡¯t in a hurry either. He couldn¡¯t bepared to Bratt and Judith, but the fact that he was also a trainee was enough to attract reader¡¯s attention. But looking at him, the reporters thought that his story would be well school-boy-like, without any fun¡­ Was what the reporters thought. ¡°I won''t say more. As a proud swordsman from Krono, as a diator faithful to the essence of the Land of Proof. I will do my best to show you a fun and exciting game.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Until I step on the stage with the Queen level, I will subdue the opponent with one blow.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°I hope that answer lives up to the expectation that the reporters are seeking.¡± Irene bowed his head and walked forward proudly. And quickly left with Bratt and Judith who were waiting for him. After a while, the onlookers who were dazed, began to speak one after another. ¡°No, did I hear it wrong? Am I wrong?¡± ¡°Queen level? Not a Rook, he wants to finish a Queen level with one blow?¡± ¡°Haha. He seemed like a humble one, but he is more arrogant than I thought.¡± ¡°Why? Young ones are supposed to have that kind of ambition. But¡­ isn¡¯t the Land of Proof a tough ce these days?¡± ¡°I know, but if he knows then he wouldn¡¯t have said those words¡­¡± Some thought that Irene was cocky and some burst intoughter. In such an atmosphere, the reporters were all smiling. It was natural. Whether the man can keep his promise or not, it was a good article for the journalists. If he fails, they could write a ridiculing article, and seed, a new star is born. It was likely to be the former, but¡­ ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter, the main dishes are Bratt Lloyd and Judith.¡¯ ¡®I need to go back and write a draft. Quickly¡­¡¯ Reporters split away. The first questioner, Hinz, who silently watched it nodded his head. ¡®He did a lot better than I thought!¡¯ It was no wonder that Irene Pareira was great. However, the swordsman and his skills and enticing elements aren¡¯t always in direct proportion. The public expectations vary from floor to ceiling depending on how they look, how they feel and speak. And that was diator. From that point of view, what Irene did now was amazing. And it won''t just end with that. For a moment, Hinz felt it. The heavy intimidation which made the reporters turn silent. That was, the presence of someone ¡®real¡¯ and close to the throne they were seeking. The elf reporter smiled and walked away. ¡®There is no need to rush the information. I need more time. In the meantime, until the others sniff this out, I will make a little fuss with some fake information¡­¡¯ The moment when extracted information is held and then maximized for effect. It would explode. So intensely that it remains engraved in the minds of the public. And the day passed. ¡°Hmm? Such impressive rookies?¡± The next morning, exmation flowed from the mouths of residents of Eisenmarkt who opened magazines. Chapter 126: Super Rookies (3)

Chapter 126: Super Rookies (3)

Monday, the start of the week, is a very significant day in Eisenmarkt. It was because it was the day when the diator rted magazines such as Weekly Arena poured out. In a way, the people refer to it so they can gamble their money on yers or matches. Despite being busy with their jobs, and those who couldn¡¯t watch the game in person, reading the articles would give them enough information. ¡°Ah, the trainees of Krono Swordsmanship are here?¡± This week¡¯s diator magazine was full of content. To be precise, there were a lot of people interested in the newly emerging swordsmen. And it had been nearly six years since the swordsmen of Krono had officially appeared in the outside world. ¡°Bratt Lloyd, Judith¡­ there are the names we have heard of. Aren¡¯t they the ones who seemed to be promising in the Golden batch?¡± ¡°Right. I heard that school master Ian had praised them¡­ considering his character, they must be pretty good.¡± ¡°So the future Sword Masters are visiting?¡± ¡°Aye. Saying that already¡­ if they all became Masters because they looked promising, then wouldn¡¯t the continent have a thousand Masters?¡± ¡°Well, that is right. But they must be good ones, right?¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± Residents who were cleaning their stores naturally began to predict the future of the trainees of Krono. They were predicting the current swordsmen. The first to speak was a man with arge nose. ¡°Still, they are the best in the central region, can¡¯t they make it to the Queen level?¡± Queen level. It was a level which was given to real talent only and they were the only ones who could set foot in ¡®Land of Glory¡¯ the third arena in Land of Proof. Maybe it¡¯s because they heard about the stories regarding the 27th batch. The big-nosed man thought they could make it. But the other two people with him didn¡¯t. A man with a mustache frowned and shook his head. ¡°Eh, but the Queen level is hard.¡± ¡°Right, I don¡¯t know in the past, but now one has to be an Expert to reach Queen level.¡± ¡°But, they are the 27th batch trainees?¡± ¡°Hey, they are kids who just entered the continent¡­¡± ¡°Even then¡­¡± The big-nosed man groaned at their words. It was because hispanions were skeptical of his opinion regarding the trainees of Krono. However, the words of the mustache man were logical. ¡°Do you know what the average age at which the Sword masters of the continent reached Expert level in their lives?¡± ¡°Huh? I don''t know¡­¡± ¡°Early 20s. Of course some people do that faster and some slower but that is the average. And Bratt and Judith are 20.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Now do you get it? Why I said it will be hard?¡± The big-nosed man nodded. It was right, and he knew it too when he thought about Sword Masters in their prime. Hearing that most of the Experts on the continent reached that point in their 20s, he thought it was difficult for the trainees of Krono topete here. ¡°Even so, it isn¡¯t impossible.¡± The short man, who had been silent till then, spoke and both the other men nodded. Because they witnessed it twice. Swordsmen who didn¡¯t seem like they could do anything reached the status of Sword Master. ¡°With talent like I Crescentia, who turned into a master at 20 and Ilya Lindsay, the current champion¡­ not just Queen, King level is possible too.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Julius Hull be an expert at the age of 14? And Ian at 15? Of course, it is possible for great geniuses.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Of course, they weren¡¯t emotionally involved in the discussion. But still, the trainees of Krono were promising. And these people were the ones who saw promising swordsmene in, and even saw the best talented swordsmen in the continent fight right before them. And for that reason, the third member of Krono, Irene Pareira, didn¡¯t win the trust of people. It was because his ambition was too vainpared to his fame. ¡®Maybe Bishop level is possible but the Rook level isn¡¯t bad either. I think he spoke strongly wanting to build an image¡­ harsh.¡¯ ¡°Still, I prefer confident onespared to the meek ones. Shall we visit the game? The Weekly Arena gave a pretty high rating, around 100%.¡± ¡®I¡¯ll get a rough estimate after a month or so¡­ if it¡¯s mentioned then, I will take a look. Before that, I should watch Judith¡¯s battle. She is someone supported by themoners.¡¯ After a brief pause, the merchants continued to speak their thoughts. However, it didn¡¯tst long. Because they had a lot to talk about. ¡°Let¡¯s talk about prospects, how are the King level ones?¡± ¡°This time a new person called Master Croche, ranked 4, Grayson King.¡± ¡°Oh oh, I want to see the match of Croche¡­ damn it, I won''t be able to see it unless I use my emergency funds!¡± ¡°Why? Isn¡¯t Croche from the east?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter where he is from, I just need to see him for myself¡­¡± For each generation, there were young talents, prodigies, geniuses who only came out once in a while, and the promising ones received all kinds of praise. However, not all of them bloom. Only those who ovee the hard journey can turn into proper swordsmen. The residents of Eisenmarkt knew that very well, so they gave the young ones and veterans the same attention. It had been 3 days since Irene Pareira and his party arrived. Yet, the world was ready to ept the third genius. That time. Ilya Lindsay, standing in front of the priest with her tidy self, was unravelling the thoughts in her mind. She poured out all the things she had to say and a lot more as well. A precious friend that came to see her after a long time. Because of Irene Pareira. ¡®Did you get caught up in other people¡¯s eyes?¡¯ ¡®Are you following other people?¡¯ ¡®It is meaningless? Stop it?¡¯ ¡®Are you saying that all the efforts and achievements were in vain?¡¯ For the past 6 years or so, Ilya Lindsay had walked the set path without a doubt. It wasn¡¯t a smooth path. There were numerous eyes and mouths which ridiculed her struggles. But she overcame it all and thanks to that, she received nder about her family and brother. ¡®I can¡¯t fall for the words of those who wait for me to fail.¡¯ ¡®Even if it hurts, I need to do it. Even if it is painful, I need to ovee it.¡¯ ¡®A little harder, just a little more.¡¯ ¡®Use anger as fuel to climb higher!¡¯ However, this time she wasn¡¯t able to do it. It was because the one who caused a ripple in her heart was none other than Irene Pareira, her precious friend. ¡®It is embarrassing to say out loud, but you are my most precious friend. See you again.¡¯ Before leaving, those were the words Irene said. She remembered it, the expression on his face, everything without exception. So she knew that the other person really cherished her. ¡­If such a person said the path she walked was wrong. ¡®Didn¡¯t that mean that there really is a problem with me?¡¯ Ilya Lindsay said this out loud, without a slight rough breath. Her usual cold expression had broken for a long time. Her eyes were brimming with tears and were fixed on the priest¡¯s robe. It was difficult to look the priest in the eyes. With her head bowed, Ilya waited patiently for the priest to solve her problems. After a while. A calm voice came out from the listener. ¡°My friend, there is a story simr to a question and answer session, so I too need to think well.¡± ¡°Question and answer?¡± ¡°Yes. It is a short one¡­ would you like to hear?¡± Ilya nodded with a puzzled expression. The priest was someone who put her mind at ease numerous times. It was strange of him to say that, but she thought that there would be some meaning and nodded. And the story began. ¡°One day, as an old man was watching a g fluttering wildly, an old priest approached him and asked, ¡®Why do you think the g is waving?¡¯ The man answered. ¡®It does it when the wind blows.¡¯¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The priest said, ¡®No, it isn¡¯t the g which is fluttering, but your heart.¡¯¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°How do you think the man acted upon hearing those words?¡± ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± Answered Ilya. Actually, she knew. As it was something she heard before. What was really important isn¡¯t the environment around, but the heart¡­ there was plenty of room for interpretation. Don¡¯t worry about what others say and walk your own path. In the end, the priest was saying that Irene was right? As she was thinking about it, the priest spoke. ¡°The man with a temper punched the priest in the face.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And said, I don¡¯t know if it is the g or heart which is fluttering, but now your teeth are shaking.¡± ¡°Are you ying a prank on me?¡± ¡°Not at all. This means that you should listen to words which don''t give you a headache, and not to those which aren¡¯t helpful. Sister, raise your head.¡± At the priest''s words, Ilya raised her head. As they both looked at each other, calmness came over her mind. ¡°The priest thought the blowing of wind was unavoidable, so the g had no choice but to move. So, let¡¯s not allow our hearts to be affected. However, that is an excuse for ipetence.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Isn''t that right? Sister has silenced every wind which blows so far. As an official knight of the Moonlight Knights, the surrounding nobles rolled their eyes. Then you went ahead and became the Champion and shut the ignorant mouths of people. Now you are finally the youngest Sword Master, right?¡± ¡°I¡­ the people below I began to shut their mouths.¡± ¡°Right. That is what matters.¡± The priest got up and patted Ilya on her back. Ilya epted it. And the priest¡¯s voice continued to flow. ¡°Keep going. Keep trying. Until all the wind in the world disappears. Until all idiots on the continent shut their mouths.¡± ¡°¡­ thank you. It has been a huge help.¡± After a while Ilya got up with a determined expression. It waspletely different from the anxious face she had when she came in. The priest who looked at it, smiled and bowed his head, Ilya too did the same and expressed her gratitude. Her heart had gone back to the beginning. Feeling the same rage when she first lost her brother. Hot anger burned her. The silver haired swordsman, who was burning, left the room. ¡°¡­¡± The priest who watched it nodded without saying a single word. And then, as if nothing had happened, he opened the window and looked out. The cold wind of winter blew past his skin, but he stood there for a long time. The next day. As usual, Irene Pareira woke up early in the morning and thought. It has been a really long time, and it seemed like his dream had changed. ¡®¡­ today isn¡¯t the first time.¡¯ Right. He was sure as he thought about it, but today wasn¡¯t the first day of the change. The day he met Ilya. The day he vowed to stop her. From that day on, the man in his dream was ageing little by little. Chapter 127: How Much (1)

Chapter 127: How Much (1)

How many times and how long had he seen the man in his dreams swinging the sword? In terms of time, it must have been an unimaginable amount of time. So he knew. The finely stretched wrinkles around the eyes. Hair that was thinning. Various other pieces of evidence showed that the man in his dream was getting old. ¡®What did that mean? This time too¡­.¡¯ Irene Pareira woke up and began to worry. He had no choice but to do so. Until now, when the dream changed, it wasn¡¯t just the dream; his life and mind changed as well. Besides¡­ ¡®It wasn¡¯t just the age which changed.¡¯ The eyes of man. After the subjugation of demons with the six southern families, he saw the man wield the sword with cold rage, and he looked different from before. To be precise, it was a feeling that some emotions were added while embracing the hatred, but even Irene, who was the closest to the man, didn''t know what those emotions were. ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know what to do.¡± Irene mumbled to himself. In the end, it was the same as before. He wouldn¡¯t know what it was until the change came, so he could go ahead and do his own thing without worrying about it. Because that was what happened with the demon subjugation. But the situation now is different from before. At that time, he was already under the influence of the dream, and his body and mind moved based on the man¡¯s will. But now¡­ ¡®No way.¡¯ Irene, who was in a meditating position, closed his eyes. Huge mes which couldn¡¯t bepared to the time he met I lit up in his heart. The mes were so intense that they devoured therge iron stake as a whole. This was his will at the moment. ¡®If you want to help me, I will ept it. But if you try to disturb me, I will decline the dreams and anything. I am no longer being controlled by the will to do what you want¡­¡¯ ¡°I will start.¡± Irene whispered in a small voice. To cover the iron stake in huge mes and turn it into a sword, ng! ng! Forging. Then, surprisingly, its speed became faster than before. In the past, it was a feeling that he couldn¡¯t do much, but now Irene could feel that he could bring out a significant change in it. And turn it into a proper sword. After knowing for a while, Irene grabbed the iron stake in his heart. No, it was no longer an iron stake. Although it had a rough appearance, this was definitely worthy enough to be called a sword. Irene concentrated, grabbed it and took a deep breath. Phew. He shook his head and opened his eyes. Suddenly, the summoned great sword stopped right before it touched the floor. His mind followed the actions. ¡®The speed of bringing it has increased so much that it can¡¯t bepared to before.¡¯ True. It took less than two seconds for him to close his eyes, control his mind, take a breath and summon the sword. Considering that the skill that could only be used with a close concentration of one¡¯s mind was just a sh, this was a significant development. Of course, that wasn¡¯t enough. Irene''s current goal was to be a Sword Master. To give a blow as strong as a master''s, it had to be at a level where he wouldn¡¯t have to prepare anything. ¡®¡­ but this isn¡¯t too bad. It shortens the time a bit, and it is easier to do without using too much energy.¡¯ Irene nodded his head. In the past, it was a situation where he couldn¡¯t let go of his concentration once he brought it out. Now, he was able to gather himself in a few seconds and move the sword with utmost concentration. A new strategy, maybe? With that thought, he picked up a piece of paper. A letter written by reporter Hinz. ¡®I wish there was a helpful person.¡¯ To deal with a Sword Master. Holding the unbreakable Aura Sword, he had to create skills which outmatched a master. However, more importantly, he shouldn''t be pushed back by the opponent¡¯s swordsmanship. And for the present Irene, that was a problem. For a little over 100 days, he had put effort into such a thing, and after hearing these concerns, reporter Hinz introduced him to a person. ¡®Eisenmarkt¡¯s first ss instructor, John Drew.¡¯ Among the ¡®star¡¯ instructors, he was referred to as the first ss and also a one-time instructor. From what he heard from Hinz, there were countless swordsmen active around this ce. ¡®In terms of his teaching, he has a higher reputation than Jet frost¡­¡¯ Of course, if Jet Frost was avable, Irene would have gone there, but there was no time. In any case, John Drew¡¯s reputation as a swordsmanship teacher was second to the 101st swordsman. It wasn¡¯t easy to have such a great person as an instructor, but Irene had a n. ¡°Lulu, Lulu?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ what?¡± After getting called, Lulu, who was sleeping under the bed, answered. She slightly pushed her body outside the bed. ¡°I am going to meet the person I talked about earlier, will youe with me?¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ is that today? I am tired from practicing all day¡­ still since Irene has asked me¡­¡± ¡°Put me in your backpack so I can sleep on the way¡­¡± With those words, the ck cat fell asleep again. Seeing that, Ireneughed. He picked Lulu up and then put her in the backpack. Seeing the body which kept moving, he thought that Lulu was liquid. ¡®Sleep well. No, thinking about it, Lulu always sleeps well.¡¯ Irene thought and left the inn. Despite it being winter, it wasn¡¯t too cold. It was because the weather had improved. He smiled at the sun and moved. To find a man who will be a new teacher to him. ¡°Mr John Drew! Please take me in as your disciple!¡± ¡°Mr Drew! Teacher! Just one lesson is fine¡­¡± ¡°This time I will raise the ranking, can¡¯t I ask one more time?¡± ¡°Please¡­!¡± The residence of John Drew to the east of Eisenmarkt. When Irene arrived there, he saw the swordsmen who were waiting at the entrance. Although he heard it from Hinz, it was still surprising. Just the same as Krono and Jet Frost. People desperate to improve their skills. What really shocked him was the size of the mansion. ¡®What is this¡­ it is as big as the old Krono swordsmanship school branch?¡¯ Considering the prices in this ce, Irene came to the conclusion that John Drew was absurdly rich. Right. Money. It was the most important means of being taught by John Drew. ¡°I have a letter of introduction from reporter Hinz.¡± ¡°Ah, I was informed. Pleasee this way.¡± Of course, Irene didn¡¯t need money to meet him. Irene was able to get inside safely with Hinz¡¯s connections, and the other swordsmen who saw it, cursed him. Irene looked back, but the guide didn¡¯t care. Entering the mansion, he guided Irene to a carriage. ¡°It is quite a far walk, please enter.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Thus, the journey to meet John Drew began again. But this didn¡¯t take long. However, having to ride a carriage inside the mansion was a shock for Irene. And the scenery was amazing. There were several animals roaming around as if this was an established ecosystem rather than an ordinary garden, and it seemed to need a lot of caretakers to maintain it. In the midst of that, the guide asked a question. ¡°You seem like you want to take lessons from my master, right?¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Right.¡± ¡°I see¡­ that might be difficult now.¡± ¡°Did something happen?¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t that, but¡­ the master is satisfied with his life right now.¡± The guide answered. The fact that he had built a reputation through teaching. And thanks to the reputation, he was able to teach many people and among them were kids of wealthy families. Thanks to the teaching, the master is now the richest in Eisenmarkt and no longer needed money. ¡°Well, he still likes money, but¡­ just not as much as before? He won¡¯t budge at any amount. And recently he fell in love with golf.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ the game where the ball needs to be pushed into a hole?¡± ¡°Yes. Anyway¡­ I am saying this so you don¡¯t get your hopes up.¡± The guide spoke with sincerity. He knew how desperate the kid had to be to bring a letter with him. There, he hoped that the good looking young man in front of him would prepare his heart. However, the reaction was unexpected. ¡°It is fine.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You said he is still interested in money, that is enough. Ah, is that the annex for guests?¡± ¡°Ah? Y-yes.¡± The young man epted the words without disappointment. That shocked the guide. After serving the guest in the parlor, he went to call his master. Irene waited for John Drew. While looking at the colorful interiors in the room, and imagining what the person would look like. 10 minutes passed. Finally, Eisenmarkt¡¯s one-time instructor, John Drew appared. ¡°Ah, a young man. I thought you would be old since Hinz sent you.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you. I am Irene Pareira here to ask Sir John Drew to teach me.¡± ¡°Haha! Nice to meet you! Should I give you a hug?¡± ¡°Ah, yes?¡± As John Drew approached him with open arms, Irene got up from his seat. And that was it. He stretched out his fist and reached out to the gesture of the opponent who made the fist and when he came back to his senses, the man was doing all kinds of shy movements with his hands. ¡°Oh, you are following me better than I thought? Most hard headed ones look at me with a nk expression, but it is good that you aren¡¯t like them. Nice.¡± ¡®¡­ he is a brighter person than I thought.¡¯ Irene, who realized it, looked at John Drew. Looked over 50 and didn¡¯t seem good-looking. However, the essories which he used on him were amazing. A gold ne, gold rings on his hands and a bracelet. That wasn¡¯t it. Irene looked at the gold which was on his left hand. ¡°This¡­¡± ¡°Ah, you recognize this? It is a wrist watch. A genuine one made with the tech of dwarfs without any magic! For reference, the tourbillon tech was applied so that no matter how much the hand is shaken it doesn¡¯t get affected.¡± John was excited as he talked about it. Seeing that, Irene recalled what Hinz had told him. ¡®John Drew isn¡¯t a man who is satisfied by his wealth.¡¯ ¡®He just wants more money, so he pretends that money isn¡¯t a bad thing.¡¯ ¡®Is that alright? Although not as great as him, I know other instructors who talk less about money¡­¡¯ Irene wasn¡¯t worried about it. He did think that a significant amount of money would go into moving this person. But it was fine. Irene had no money, and wasn''t good at speaking, then, shouldn¡¯t he use someone who had both? Irene gathered his thoughts and spoke. ¡°I will say it outright. I need Sir John Drew to teach me.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°I need to get strong quickly. I will give you a course fee which satisfies you, so please ept me.¡± ¡°Hmm, you seem to have great willpower. But now I am not teaching for money an¡­¡± It was then. As John Drew was saying his lies, the young blonde put his backpack down. And a ck cat came out. Startled John Drew asked. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ Irene, are we there?¡± ¡°Huh, ah, excuse me, Sir John Drew, I am not good at speaking. So I brought someone who can convey my intentions to you.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ okay!¡± The ck cat stretched itself. Still sleepy. But it had enough spirit to talk, and it did, to John Drew. ¡°Do you like money?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Tell me honestly. How much do you need?¡± Chapter 128: How Much (2)

Chapter 128: How Much (2)

¡°¡­¡± Eisenmarkt¡¯s one-time instructor, John Drew, had taught numerous clients swordsmanship. A rural young man who didn¡¯t know about the ¡®sword¡¯ in swordsmanship had heard about him. A nobleman who said he would do anything to win the title had heard about him. Even an elderly person from a wealthy family who wanted to learn sword as a hobby had also heard about him. Countless people talked about his work and the money he had. How long? How much can I afford? He asked such questions, sometimes directly and sometimes indirectly and pulled out the maximum amount he could. That was John Drew¡¯s way of negotiating. However¡­ ¡®I''ve never talked about money with a cat¡­¡¯ No, what money? In the first ce, what kind of conversation could he have with a beast? John Drew closed his eyes and opened them, pinched his thighs, and struggled to tell if it was reality or not. The ck cat, Lulu said. ¡°This is not a dream.¡± ¡°¡­ how did you know my thoughts?¡± ¡°After seeing me talk, this is how most people react. But I don¡¯t know for sure either. Living in a pce-like house, I thought you would have seen sorcerers often.¡± ¡®A sorcerer!¡¯ A cat sorcerer, he had never met one in his life. Still, the situation was quickly understood. No matter what happens outsidemon sense, the word ¡®sorcerer¡¯ alone solves it. Now too. John Drew nodded and looked at the cat. The ck cat, Lulu, also looked at John Drew. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Silence flowed. John Drew felt sweat forming on his back. ¡®Face¡­ I can''t read it!¡¯ Was it because they were different races? He couldn¡¯t even read the expression on the cat¡¯s face! Was it because he has been taking money for decades? John Drew was pretty good at reading the expressions of people, and he used to get an edge in conversations. No, the fact that people came to him, who was famous and expensive, was proof of how much they needed him, so he always negotiated with a rxed attitude. It was a gut-business. But¡­ ¡®This cat¡­ how should I deal with this?¡¯ Gulping, John Drew looked at the cat again. The cat looked back at him. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Silence again. In such an awkward atmosphere, John was seriously contemting while Lulu scratched herself and spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t overthink it.¡± ¡°Uh-huh?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to use your head and get a headache for nothing. All you want is money. You want to get as much as possible, right?¡± ¡°¡­ as I said before, my life is getting pretty good now, so money¡­¡± ¡°So, can¡¯t you stop talking like that? You are saying that to rip us off, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Is it because it''s a sorcerer? How is it reading my mind so urately?¡¯ He had never seen a sorcerer in person because they were located in the Cesar Duchy, but he did hear that sorcerers could read human thoughts to some extent. John Drew remembered that and bowed his head. It was the moment that he was about to open his mouth and say something, while avoiding their gazes that Lulu brought something out of thin air. Tak! A golden mouse. Tak! Two, three. Dudududu! Four, five, six¡­ Ten golden mice. John Drew looked at the cat. And that wasn¡¯t all. ¡°Ahh!¡± Tak! A golden tortoise with a red ruby studded on top of its shell. Tak! A golden monk with a blue sapphire in its hands. Whoops! Finally, Lulu took out a golden cat with chatoyant stones and proudly said, ¡°This much should work for you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why? Is thiscking too?¡± ¡°¡­ no, no.¡± John Drew shook his head. His tone of voice was a lot more polite than before. His gut thinking was pushed once more as he thought, ¡®is she a billionaire?¡¯¡­ ¡®No, this person¡­ no, cat¡­¡¯ He tried to make a little more profit if luck was on his side. After thinking, he got up and greeted Lulu and Irene. ¡°I will do my best to help you.¡± Looking at John Drew who bowed at a 90¡ã angle, Lulu and Irene smiled. ¡°Indeed money turns people like this.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Uh, you think otherwise?¡± ¡°¡­ you are right, Lulu.¡± Irene nodded at her words. Perhaps the richest people on the continent were nobles or kings, but the ck cat in front John Drew was richer. Irene was curious about Lulu¡¯s past once again, but decided to overlook it for now. ¡®She never mentioned it first, so I can¡¯t just ask her, and it isn¡¯t that important right now¡­¡¯ Irene nodded and turned his head. Seeing John Drew act like a subordinate, he asked. ¡°I am sorry, but I am in a hurry, so can you help me?¡± ¡°Sure! Of course! Follow me to the training room right away!¡± Seeing his teacher smile so broadly, Irene sighed. ¡®Please, I hope he is as talented as the rumors say¡­¡¯ John Drew was born invisible. To be precise, ugly. From a young age, he was teased by his peers for being ugly, and he heard other humiliating terms associated with his name. Fortunately, he was taller and stronger than them so he could beat them, but there was nothing he could do about the whispers behind his back. Especially the women. Was that why he began to be obsessed with appearances and fame? In order to be popr with women, he learned swordsmanship and went to arenas. He would spend the money he earned to flirt and go out with his friends and spend them on luxuries. John Drew¡¯s shy fashion waspleted with the sole purpose of ¡®being there¡¯. Nevertheless, he always remained invisible. Because of his looks. And that was what John Drew didn¡¯t like about Irene. ¡®Handsome. Cheap bastard.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t even see blemishes on the white skin which looked fair as milk. His facial features, including his blue eyes, made him look like a popr kid, and his golden hair gave out a noble feel. And the body of the young man was wonderful too. ¡®If this one improves his skills, he will be more popr with women. Not one, but two, six, seven, and then people like me won¡¯t have women!¡¯ A feeling of inferiority swelled up within him. But John Drew didn¡¯t act on it. It wasn¡¯t because of Lulu who saw his true nature. It was because he received money. John Drew was more serious than anyone. And he was a pro. It doesn¡¯t matter if the negotiations were making him happy or offended him. Once he took the money from his customers, he would do his best to give the lessons they wanted. ¡®Let¡¯s make money, John Drew. Swordsmanship is the greatest pride!¡¯ He made up his mind, and Lulu, who noticed it, looked shocked. Irene didn¡¯t notice it as he was looking around the training room. He thought this ce would be decorated too, but no. Instead there were magic cameras inside at every corner. John Drew, who noticed where Irene was looking, said. ¡°The magic camera will record each of your movements. Unlike photos, it will record the entire action.¡± ¡°Ah, you can speakfortably, you are the teacher.¡± ¡°You can do the same.¡± John Drew said. ¡°¡­ then. First of all, show me all the swordsmanship moves you can perform.¡± ¡°Now?¡± ¡°Yes. Do your best. If possible it would be better to think of an opponent and use it.¡± ¡°What? Wouldn¡¯t it be easier to deal with a real person?¡± Asked Lulu, making John Dew shake his head. ¡°Even though I am still an Expert, I am proud of my eyes, knowledge and experience which aren¡¯t inferior to a Master''s. This young man must be stronger than me, so I can¡¯t deal with him.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Honestly, I am curious. You, are you one of the sons of 5 swordsman families who are here hiding their identity? Have you changed your appearance with magic? Or a disciple of a retired Sword Master?¡± ¡°¡­ I am an official trainee of Krono.¡± Irene spoke looking shocked. The man who was supposed to be teaching him, had said it with his mouth that he was inferior to Irene. As he said, it wasn¡¯t something that one could say without an excellent eye. At the same time, it meant that John Drew had the confidence to teach Irene, regardless of his skills. ¡°Hmm. I see. Then one of the 27th batch¡­ but taking that into ount too, I think you are incredibly strong¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Well, it really doesn¡¯t matter. You came to fill in those gaps, and I get paid to fill them. That is the important part, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°So we need to find it out. Your physical abilities, your swordsmanship style, your thoughts when fighting and your habits¡­ I need to understand even the smallest details. They all need to be considered. Do you get it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Good. Then start now. I want you to keep going until I say I¡¯m done. Oh, the weapons, take one from the disy stand¡­¡± Swosh! ¡°My weapon is here.¡± ¡°¡­ you are a sorcerer too?¡± ¡°I can only do this.¡± Irene smiled at the bewildered expression of John Drew. ¡°Did you, by any chance, go to the arena with that sorcery sword? It would be a problem if it had something that enhanced the performance of the sword¡­¡± ¡°It was confirmed by a few examiners, and I think it will be fine.¡± ¡°I see. You have a wide body¡­ anyway.¡± John Drew cleared his voice, operated the cameras and moved back to where Lulu was floating. With a more serious expression on his face than they first met, he said. ¡°Start. Do your best.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± As soon as the words fell, Irene swung his sword. Who! Whoo! Whooo! A heavy yet solid swordsmanship which utilized the great sword. However, Irene¡¯s swordsmanship was never passive, so it kept upying space without blocking. John Drew did his best to not look surprised. Irene was doing better than he expected. ¡®Swordsmanship is fine, but his physical abilities are beyond imagination. Didn¡¯t he say he was barely over 20?¡¯ A level of power that was hard toprehend. It was hard to believe, it looked like the young man had been training his body since childhood. But that wasn¡¯t the only thing he was shocked about. ¡®His swordsmanship style ispletely different from what I expected it to be. As a trainee of Korno, I thought it was of a more stereotypical type¡­¡¯ The young man in front of him was disying swordsmanship different from other Krono swordsmen he had seen. While holding the huge sword, he kept attacking and advancing. And when it came to defense, it was impressive, as if he was embracing the sea. For a moment, John Drew forgot about his duty as a teacher and looked at Irene¡¯s swordsmanship in awe. However he wasn¡¯t the only one. ¡°¡­¡± Lulu, who was floating in the air and ying ball. Quietly moved over to John¡¯s side and watched Irene. Five minutes, ten minutes and twenty minutes. Without moving, so focused that they couldn¡¯t feel themselves breathing. ¡°¡­ hey, Lulu? No¡­ was it Lulu?¡± Was something wrong? Seeing Lulu look serious, John Drew called her. It was strange. He wasn¡¯t a sorcerer, but he too had a great intuition. To him, the sorcerer who was silent until then spoke. ¡°He awakened.¡± ¡°Awakened?¡± ¡°Phew¡­ still, it isn¡¯t like he is going somewhere this time. Thank god¡­¡± ¡°Huh? Going where? What do you¡­¡± John Drew asked, confused. He was flustered, as if he couldn¡¯t understand what she was saying. To him, Lulu, who was floating in air, tapped on his shoulder with the front paw. ¡°Until Irene Pareira stops his swordsmanship, don¡¯t stop him.¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, yes.¡± ¡°Never. Whether it takes half a day, a day or two days¡­ never.¡± ¡°¡­ yes.¡± Overwhelmed by the strange feel, John Drew just nodded. Lulu, who saw that, also nodded and said. ¡°Thank you, sir. Thanks to you, it worked from the start.¡± ¡°¡­ ah, yes. Thank you?¡± ¡°This is a bonus, I wish you all the best for the future!¡± Shhh! Lulu put her hand into the air and pulled out an elephant with an emerald on its forehead. And dly gave it to John Drew. The swordsman quietly took it, and the ugly middle-aged man thought. ¡®I don¡¯t get it, what have I done?¡¯ Chapter 129: Rapid Upgrade (1)

Chapter 129: Rapid Upgrade (1)

¡®Let¡¯s begin. Do your best in swordsmanship.¡¯ When John Drew told him to do his best and use the sword, Irene Pareira thought of one thing at that moment. Thinking back, he had been practicing swordsmanship quite hard for the past few years. Except for the few days in the swordsmanship school where he lived as a living puppet without his own will, Irene never swung his sword in vain. But, if asked, he always did his best in every moment¡­ ¡®No.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t nod confidently at that. And it wasn¡¯t strange. Effort was something that came from abination of action and mind working together. Even though Irene was doing his best every time in his actions, he wasn¡¯t always at his best. When he first decided to travel the continent, he had a different thought. In the world of sorcery, when he practiced swordsmanship, and when he came out, his thoughts had changed. When he developed a sense of improvement in Alhad mountains, and when he met with I and realized his fighting spirit, when he met Judith and Bratt who were better than him, sparks ignited¡­ his mind was bound to change. As long as one was human, change was bound to happen. Then, what was his current mindset? Irene Pareira, was he ready to do his best in swordsmanship? ¡®I can do it.¡¯ The answer was ¡®yes¡¯. Whoop! mes rose from his posture which was as hard as steel. A strong desire was oveid, desire which couldn¡¯t be stopped. The blonde young man swung his sword in that state. His opponent was Ilya Lindsay. The first person to ever reach out to him. The person he first aimed to be, a person who shined brilliantly. But not now. Her me, which used to warm the hearts of others, was now burning her. ¡®She needs to be stopped.¡¯ Right. She had to be stopped. He wasn¡¯t sure what to do to get her back to normal, but for now, he had to stop her. Conversation didn¡¯t work, so she had to be stopped by force. To do that, he would need to have a more concentrated mind than before. Shhh¡­. Even as his thoughts continued, his swordsmanship was unfolding. Rather, it passed through the wind more fiercely than before. No, he wasn¡¯t just dealing with empty air. In front of Irene, was Ilya Lindsay, his opponent. With sharp eyes. With a sword sharper than his eyes, facing her. Woong! Woong! Woooong! Strong. Even though it was an imaginary Ilya Lindsay, she was a stronger opponent than any he had met. It was natural. Because now she was a Sword Master. There were only 100 Sword Masters in the world and the greatest talent in the continent who could draw out the Aura Sword, and amongst them, Ilya was the youngest. However, he had no intention of losing it. A me even hotter than before shed in Irene¡¯s eyes. ¡°Hmph!¡± Throw, sh, swing. ¡°Ugh!¡± Block, retreat, move ahead, and again. He literally moved his sword and body without a break. John Drew and Lulu who were there, disappeared from his thoughts. Only the fictional Ilya Lindsay and himself were in Irene¡¯s world. How long was it? Chacha! Irene Pareira, who lowered his sword to the ground, finally stopped moving. His focused eyes, which seemed to be looking at a different space, settled on his surroundings. Irene, who came to his senses, muttered quietly. ¡°How long has it been?¡± ¡°A week or so.¡± Irene turned his head. Lulu, whose expression was unreadable and John Drew who looked like he had gone mad, caught his eyes. And he asked. ¡°Has it been that long?¡± ¡°This much is considered short. Thinking about being inside the world of sorcery for 5 years¡­ Ugh. This is like a dream.¡± ¡°¡­ Sorry.¡± ¡°No! You have nothing to be sorry for! After all, a week is the quickest way to awaken sorcery. So¡­¡± Lulu, who was next to the man, nodded her head and asked. ¡°So, what is the awakened ability?¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know? First of all, I think it has to be rted to swordsmanship¡­ Sword teacher! What do you think?¡± ¡°¡­¡± John Drew looked at Irene with a nk expression. The kid who wielded a sword for a week. Even then, the boy and cat were talking normally, like this was no problem. He couldn¡¯t understand it. He didn¡¯t have the time to register and answer Lulu¡¯s question. And there was another story which was more important than that. He pped himself once and then opened his mouth. ¡°Rather than that, I think it would be better to do something urgent first.¡± ¡°Urgent?¡± ¡°A match is being held. Of Bishop level. It starts at 2 o¡¯clock today. Your match is the first of the four being done today.¡± ¡°¡­ what time is it now?¡± ¡°Noon. It is pretty tight considering that you need to be in the stadium before an hour¡­¡± John Drew¡¯s expression was dark. His heart was heavy and he was nervous to tell the man who wielded the sword without taking rest for an entire week to enter a match. But Irene didn¡¯t care. Rather, with a bright face he answered. ¡°An hour of free time is enough.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± ¡°I will wash and prepare right away. If you don¡¯t mind, can you show me the bathroom?¡± ¡°¡­ sure.¡± John Drew nodded his head a beatte, and with a confused expression as he still didn¡¯t understand the situation. But Irene seemed alright. d that he had time to wash himself, there were times in Krono where he didn¡¯t find time to bathe and kept participating in tests. ¡®Is it true that he awakened abilities? I don¡¯t really see any change¡­¡¯ Unlike John Drew who was walking quickly, Irene followed him rxed. After a while, all the preparations were done, he appeared in the Land of Proof, the second arena, Land of Opportunity. Bishop Level, diator Match. Dominic VS Irene Pareira. Many people came to the stadium to watch the match between two swordsmen. There were more onlookers in the Bishop level matches. ¡°Is that one also from the 27th batch of Krono?¡± ¡°It was said that. But it is a name I have heard for the first time, but if he is of the 27th batch, then he must have skills.¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t he acting too cheeky in the interview, though? I don¡¯t know if he¡¯ll get to the Queen level or not, but to say he would only use a single strike¡­¡± ¡°It seems like he doesn¡¯t see the big picture.¡± ¡°Anyway, it will be fun. Whether it is one hit or badly broken, it will be fun to watch with drinks.¡± ¡°You are right. I was a bit annoyed when Judith wasn¡¯t given the match, but... This surely looks fun.¡± ¡°Ehh, kid! If you can¡¯t fight properly, be prepared to eat our curses!¡± ¡°Dominic! You aren¡¯t going to lose to a kid whose name is unknown, right? Show the skills of the western side!¡± At 2, the game would start, and the cheers of the audience grew louder. Some excited, some swearing. There were other people more excited. It was Dominic, a mercenary from the West. ¡®What? One hit till he reaches Queen Level?¡¯ Dominic smiled, recalling the interview of the blonde kid. It wasn¡¯t fun. And he didn¡¯t like the way the kid seemed prideful. But he did acknowledge that the kid wasn¡¯t an ordinary opponent. An official trainee of Krono, the best school in the central region. Surely the man had skills. And there was a good chance he could lose too. ¡®But it is impossible with one blow!¡¯ He wasn¡¯t that easy of an opponent. No, he wasn¡¯t going to give up. Even at the Bishop level, he will clearly disy his skills which are ranked at the top! While he thought all that, all the procedures were finished and the referee spoke. ¡°Both on stage!¡± Bang bang! Domini pounded on his hard chest which was covered in armor. After that, he strode up the stage. An act which gave him confidence. On the other hand, his opponent Irene Pareira was calm. A young man looking at Dominic with a straight face. ¡­ it was difficult to consider Irene as a novice. Despite Irene just standing, Dominic could feel the strange coolness. ¡®It is fine, this is just¡­!¡¯ ¡°Right.¡± Dominic kept thinking and mumbling as he held the two handed sword strongly. First, he was going to take defense. He was trying to show off while getting a clear grasp of his opponent¡¯s style before attacking. ¡®That one will run right away to keep his word, so if I can prepare for that¡­¡¯ ¡°Are both of you ready?¡± While he was strategizing, the referee approached and asked them. It was a question of whether both sides understood it and were ready to fight. Dominic eximed that he was ready and Irene Pareira nodded. The referee nodded too. In order to not get in the way of the battle, he went out of the stage and then raised his hand. Dominic¡¯s senses were heightened. The moment the hand falls, and the word ¡®start¡¯ is heard, he would charge like a wild boar. A charge which was already shown and established. And he felt like he was in a much better position as he knew what Irene was going to do¡­ ¡°Start!¡± Pung! That was what Dominic was thinking. Irene, who flew across the stage in just one leap, even flew past Dominic. Dominic was startled at that and turned. His face was red. It was because he thought that the other party ignored him, and just flew by. But it was that. Grit! ¡°¡­ Uh?¡± The veteran mercenary Dominic¡¯s sword slowly stumbled back and fell. He didn¡¯t miss his footing. It wasn¡¯t a full sword anymore and the sound of the de falling down with the middle part cut out rang out. Dominic had realized it toote, and was now bewildered, and the referee, who was simrly shocked, somehow managed to speak. ¡°M-Match over! Victory for Irene Pareira!¡± ¡°Wo-woaahhhh!¡± The reaction was intense. Those who insulted Irene Pareira¡¯s cheeky attitude were now cheering united with the supporters. In the end, what they wanted to see was a strong swordsman, and there was no need to curse the one who showed them that. Momentster, a host had gone up the stage. There was meant to be an interview with the winner, but there were those who didn¡¯t like to speak. ¡®Not this time though.¡¯ A young man strong enough to give out a provocative interview wouldn¡¯t decline. The host, with a smiling face, raised the magic mic and asked. ¡°Congrattions on your victory! As in the previous interview, you did win with just one blow, how do you feel?¡± ¡°¡­ I have nothing to say.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± It was shocking. A young man who made ambitious remarks was now acting docile. But it was a mistake. ¡°I just did what I said, nothing special. I don¡¯t think I have much to say until I reach Queen level.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I am sorry, but I will have to end it here as I have work to do.¡± As if it was nothing special, Irene went down the stage calmly. As he left the ce, numerous reporters followed him and asked questions. However, Irene didn¡¯t respond. To fight the champion, he needed the help of the reporters, but¡­ ¡®Right now, more than that, I want to practice swordsmanship.¡¯ He had felt it while fighting against Dominic. The ability he acquired. And despite it being a vague realization, he had no room to waste time on interviews. Irene headed to John Drew¡¯s mansion. And the next day. The people of Eisenmarkt began to talk a lot more about the third trainee of Krono. Chapter 130: Rapid Upgrade (2)

Chapter 130: Rapid Upgrade (2)

The locals of Eisenmarkt were crazy about the diator games. While eating, they would talk about who won over whom, and while drinking one would speak about someone new who came to the Land of Proof. However, they didn¡¯t know all the swordsmen who came. Because there were too many people flocking to the Land of Proof. What does it take to stand out among the many swordsmen and attract the public''s attention? The first was ¡®Swordsmanship Skill¡¯. The second was ¡®Character¡¯. And most of the diators who visited the Land of Proof, their second quality was paid attention to. This was because it was easier to attract attention through provocative actions than skills. And most times the ending was bad. ¡°Dario has lost.¡± ¡°Dario who¡­ Ah, the guy who ranted about reaching up to Queen level? Who did he lose to?¡± ¡°I heard that too, which was why I remembered him, but he lost to a mid-rank level diator? Come to think of it, wasn¡¯t there another who had a loose mouth than Dario? That¡­¡± ¡°Dwayne? That one is still there. He won, but I can¡¯t see him. He is only worth half of what he said in the interview.¡± ¡°Tch, there are a lot of people being exaggerated these days.¡± It goes without saying that to get public attention, one had to do an interview and even exceed the expectations. How an adult defeating a child wasn¡¯t interesting, a imed swordsman defeating their lower level swordsmen wasn¡¯t exciting. Therefore, those swordsmen who want to raise their name would aspire to aim for higher levels, and then sink, unable to cope with thepetition. There were so many people who disappeared like that, and now the audience had reached a point where they didn¡¯t get swayed by interviews. However... ¡°But that one kept his word, right?¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°That Krono trainee, right? Irene Pareira.¡± ¡°Ah, the one who said he¡¯d use only a single strike till Queen level?¡± ¡°Right. They said he cut down Dominic¡¯s sword in an instant.¡± Now that so many liars were ying the matches¡­ the locals were talking about the emergence of the real deal. ¡°Dominic? The Dominic that I know? Top level Bishop?¡± ¡°Are you sure? It is amon name, but I never heard of another Dominic here.¡± ¡°Huh, even if it is of Bishop level, one strike¡­ then, does this mean he ns to do the same till Queen level? How old is he?¡± ¡°20? No, 22 I think?¡± ¡°Woah¡­ then a great rookie? No, he can¡¯t be a rookie right?¡± Someone who heard of Irene¡¯s results was shocked. In the past it was possible, but right now the Queen level was a stage where only experts could enter. The fact that a swordsman in his early 20s could be on that stage was an achievement in itself, and his name was bound to spread throughout the continent. Of course, people were skeptical if he could keep his word till the end or not. ¡°But it might be tough.¡± ¡°Right? If he is unlucky, he might meet an expert in the match, and if not that, the Rook level is full of people who couldn¡¯t reach the top. And even the Rook level swordsmen can¡¯t be taken down in one shot by a King level.¡± ¡°By the way, I am eagerly waiting for Judith and Bratt Lloyd leaving Irene Pareira to go ahead, but how strong are those two aces?¡± Favourable than before. Still, Irene was being undervalued. The 11th day in Eisenmarkt. The world was still not ready to embrace a genius. ¡°Oh my.¡± Not everyone underestimated Irene Pareira. At least, John Drew knew how talented Irene was for his age. To be honest, he wasn¡¯t sure why the man came here. No matter how famous he was, Irene could have surely found a better teacher with his talent. ¡®No, this is a ce to prove your skills, not learn! Why can¡¯t he go back to Krono if he wants to train?... why fuck me over?¡¯ John Drew began to think negatively because he didn¡¯t know why Irene was with him, and because he had a sense of victimization from an early stage. Of course that didn¡¯t mean that he would let go of Irene. It was too much money to refuse, and it wasn¡¯t like he had to teach anything in particr. After analyzing the swordsmanship for a day and refining it, John had on a serious expression. Irene too looked at his temporary teacher with a serious expression. ¡®What kind of teaching would he want?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t help but wonder. John¡¯s skills weren¡¯t that great, but his teaching skills were superior. In particr, it was unparalleled in terms of achieving results in a short period of time. Of course, there were people who quit halfway because the style of teaching didn¡¯t suit them, but Irene was the confident kind. And he had an awakening right here. ¡®The feeling¡­ it is incredibly good.¡¯ Not abstract. And it wasn¡¯t a minor change. Irene¡¯s senses were twice more sensitive than usual and he was able to recognize and grasp the situation around him. ¡®It¡¯s like when I was a pre-trainee¡­ the sensation I felt during the mid-term is back.¡¯ The Irene Pareira now was simr to the one back then. All five senses were sharply forged to observe things and remember them. In the new change which happened, Irene decided to observe everything he could to test the new mysterious change in him. ¡®The same.¡¯ It didn¡¯t matter how difficult the instructions were. Even if the task was difficult, it didn¡¯t matter. In his current state, he could do it. Irene Pareira waited for John Drew to speak with a confident face. ¡°First of all, to give you directions, I will show you practical skills.¡± ¡°Practical skills?¡± ¡°I have no intention of hurting you. I don¡¯t even have the skills to do that. But it will be enough to shock you. I¡¯ll start now, so be careful¡­ uh?¡± John Drew, who had been calm till then turned serious. It was like he saw something he shouldn¡¯t have. Irene¡¯s gaze turned back too to see what he was seeing. And there was nothing. ¡°¡­!¡± Irene realized what practical skills were as he turned back. And he was shocked. John Drew¡¯s saliva wasing for his face. Flinch! Fortunately he wasn¡¯t hit. Due to his quick reflexes, John Drew managed to stop his saliva which he spat with his right hand. And spoke to a bewildered Irene. ¡°You were flustered twice in this short time.¡± ¡°But, this is¡­¡± ¡°I know, I know. Such a cowardly tactic that it can¡¯t be called skill.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I am sorry. Handshake as an apology?¡± John Drew with a serious expression on his face, holding out the right hand. At that moment, Irene¡¯s expression darkened. But that hand had sped the saliva. Terrified, he reflexively moved to the opposite side. And felt. John Drew¡¯s left hand which naturally pulled out a dagger had touched his side. Everything was happening like John Drew wanted. ¡°Most of what I teach is this. Of course, not just low level methods like this, but many more borate and delicate things. But in the big picture it is all the same.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You, what do you think about Swordsmanship?¡± A sudden question. And Irene was unable to answer. Seeing him hesitate, John Drew nodded. ¡°I understand. Even for those who use swords every day, it is hard to answer this specific question. Since swordsmanship is a huge concept, one would need time to organize their thoughts.¡± ¡°¡­ right.¡± ¡°This is what I think. Pursuing one¡¯s intentions with a sword, and destroying the intentions of the opponent with a sword. Rather than simplyparing who is strong, faster, it is about bringing the situation to your advantage through meticulous psychological warfare and battles like chess.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That is what I think of swordsmanship.¡± Swordsmanship meant knowing how to handle a sword, and to handle a sword meant overwhelming the opponent with force. If so, what should one do to overwhelm the opponent? Most focus on sight. To draw swords faster. Swing the sword faster. Like increasing the size of muscles through weight training, focusing on power. And that isn¡¯t wrong. John Drew, as a young man, swung his sword with the same thought. He believed that his body would change and excel, and his aura would grow. And like most, he faced a wall and from then on, John Drew began to look at swordsmanship from a different perspective. ¡°It is fine if the opponent¡¯s strength is stronger than mine. It is fine if their sword is faster than mine. Unless it is the difference between an adult and child¡­. The ss difference can be ovee. How? By carrying out my intentions and destroying the intentions of the others.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Most of my life as a swordsman was full of me worrying about that.¡± Irene nodded his head. Hearing this made it clear. John Drew''s teachings were certainly suitable to ovee his shorings. Although he wielded the sword for a long time in the school and in the world of sorcery, hecked practical experience which his peers had. And such shorings were identified in the battles with Bratt and Judith. There were more than ten things which came to Irene¡¯s mind which were damaging his chances of winning. ¡®Of course that didn¡¯t mean I was wrong all this while¡­¡¯ The look in John Drew¡¯s eyes convinced Irene that there was more. In a way, it was natural. He himself said it. Most of his life as a swordsman was filled with reflections of psychological warfare of deceiving and the tricks. Irene thought that he could be much stronger if he could understand just half of those methods. ¡°I will work hard. Please take good care of me.¡± ¡°Great. Then we can start right away. First of all¡­¡± The guidance of John Drew, which began like that, gave Irene Pareira a fresh realization. The swordsmanship he had learned till now, and what he was learning now were different, and it was because the world of ¡®tricks¡¯ and deception was much wider and deeper than Irene thought. The same trick could be used in a more refined way. To take insignificant moves and lead the opponent into big traps. John Drew managed to throw Irene into a corner by doing nothing. While he was too lost in what the next trick would be, Irene forgot the basics and John would take advantage of the gap. ¡®Awesome! He isn¡¯t called the One strike teacher for nothing.¡¯ The more he learned, the more he admired John Drew. Feeling the admiration rising for his teacher, Irene swung his sword more diligently. However, his opponent wasn¡¯t surprised. Rather, John Drew was feeling disappointed. ¡®I am definitely using trickery to teach him and swordsmanship with variable movements, but¡­¡¯ Why were Irene¡¯s regr movements bing better? That too at an unbelievable speed? Ten days since it started. John Drew¡¯s eyes, which were looking at Irene Pareira, trembled. Chapter 131: Rapid Upgrade (3)

Chapter 131: Rapid Upgrade (3)

A very long time ago, when John Drew focused on psychological warfare and battles, rather than cultivating his skills. He began to like matches between swordsmen. However, it didn¡¯t mean that he was always on the winning side. ¡®Of course, the diator matches are subtler and moreplicated than chess.¡¯ The background of the match was different each time. Chess is yed within a limited space of 8 vertical and horizontal rows, but the battle of swordsmen happens in wider ces and the environment changes. Even the limited stage was far freer than chess. Is that all? There was an iparable number of methods to use. Compared to chess which could handle only 7 pieces, the shape of the sword was diverse and the swordsmanship derived was also diverse. ¡°It is something that the chess masters would hate.¡± Although Lulu didn¡¯t agree with it, John held onto the idea until the end. And Irene, a swordsman, had no choice but to agree with the idea. It was because he couldn¡¯te to senses with the tricks John Drew was using, and the man didn¡¯t run out of tricks. And there was no system of style of John Drew¡¯s swordsmanship. Simr movements and situations which inevitably ur when using swords. And after distinguishing them, a trick which works universally is applied. And then the approach of ¡®Why that method works¡¯. When listening to such exnations, Irene could see the tricks and system behind it. However, it was difficult for Irene who understood all of it. It was from then. Instead of obsessing over it, Irene began to focus on the fundamentals of John Drew¡¯s swordsmanship. ¡®What will the trick be?¡¯ Trick. It was a means or method or a technique to deceive the opponent. For example, ying rock, paper, scissors and then putting out scissors only to change it to paper based on the opponent. The opponent who thinks that it will be scissors will use rock, but will get eaten by the paper. From the victim''s standpoint, they would explode in anger. ¡®A risky method.¡¯ The most efficient would be to use paper from the beginning. Acting like scissors was going to be used and then using paper was a wrong act, so unless the other person was really deceived, it was hard to win. So, those who use tricks, hide their intentions more sophisticatedly. They try to put out paper which is like scissors and add other aid techniques to prevent the opponent from focusing. Irene started to observe them instead of learning it. ¡®This is worth doing.¡¯ Fortunately, Irene¡¯s concentration was sharper now. All the information was rushing to his mind and even the minute details he would have missed in the past were being registered, a slight change in foot angle, the movement of shoulders, the change of eyes direction and facial expression. And then he wouldpare it with the basic swordsmanship. In doing so, he was able to quickly figure out which movements of John Drew were unnatural and what his intentions were. It felt like his body was understanding a dozen times faster than being guided by words. Of course, that didn¡¯t solve everything. He was able to figure out what point the opponent was nning, but it was difficult to predict the purpose of it. Because of inexperience. However, he noticed a strange feeling, and instead of doing his own thing, being nervous and alert made him cope better with it. Do not be fooled and watch the opponent till thest minute before acting. And like that, Irene¡¯s sword was looking more stable. He expressed his gratitude to John Drew, who made it possible. ¡°Thank you. I managed to learn a lot.¡± ¡°Oh! Irene! Did you realize something? Because of that teacher?¡± ¡°Yes. It was a huge help. Thank you once again.¡± ¡°Why! Then, as Irene¡¯s best friend and the first teacher, I cannot stand still.¡± Tok! Tok! Clink! Lulu flew to John Drew¡¯s side and gracefully tapped her hands. Three gold coins fell from the air. John Drew was startled, still, he caught them and they were just coins. A beautiful jewel was embedded in the middle. ¡®No, this isn¡¯t a coin, this is the gold coin of the ancient kingdom which was destroyed 700 years ago!¡¯ This was a rare historical item. Whether she knew or not, Lulu patted John Drew¡¯s shoulders. ¡°Keep working hard!¡± ¡®¡­ but what did I even do?¡¯ John Drew thought. He did his best as a swordsmanship teacher and his efforts weren¡¯t in vain when the customers showed achievement. However, the achievement woulde at ater stage. And Irene here was being faithful to his basics. It hurt his pride rather than feeling good when he was beingplimented. ¡®Why do the ones being taught realize what I as the teacher don¡¯t?¡¯ Just what was he even doing? He wanted to scream out loud. But he couldn¡¯t. As said before, the money kepting out and he couldn¡¯t refuse. ¡®¡­ ''what did you even learn from me?'' I can¡¯t even ask that.¡¯ Right. John Drew had retired from being an active swordsman, but he was still a swordsman. Besides¡­ Although he didn¡¯t tell anymore, he was thinking of establishing a school. As a swordsman, he didn¡¯t have enough achievement, but he had great ambition to be a swordsmanship teacher. With that in mind, Irene¡¯s enthusiasm for achieving results in areas he didn¡¯t teach too made him feel good. ¡®Fundamentals? Basics? They are good. But I¡¯ll show you that there are tricks to break them down too!¡¯ He was trying to use the deadly trick he had researched and refined! John Drew was determined as he looked ahead. Irene who looked at him was startled. ¡®Why are his eyes like that?¡¯ They were much hotter than before. He could feel the passion and emotion which he didn¡¯t feel from John before. ¡°If it is okay with you, I want to put away everything else and focus on you from today¡­ How do you feel? Are you okay with that?¡± ¡°¡­ sure! Thank you!¡± Irene thanked him. He didn¡¯t know the reason. Why was John Drew looking different? Why did he say that? He didn¡¯t know. Irene smiled brightly and said. ¡°I hope you take care of me in the future.¡± ¡°¡­ same here.¡± John Drew answered a beatte. ¡®He looks more handsome when he smiles. Disgusting.¡¯ 10 more days passed. In the meantime, John gave up his favourite golf, shopping and devoted himself to Irene. Normally, he would do his best for the customer who woulde in, but this time he wanted to convey everything with the heart of a teacher. Did that work? Irene¡¯s tricks were improving. ¡°Woah, it was worth it.¡± John Drew looked at his customer. It wasn¡¯t like John Drew¡¯s entire swordsmanship was covered in tricks. He was faithful to the fundamentals. Without huge gambles, only low-risk techniques which wouldn¡¯t be noticed were used by Irene. However, that alone changed a whole lot. A person who only knows basics ispletely different from a person who knows basics but also uses tricks from time to time. Even if a few tricks were used, the opponent would end up showing gaps, so in simple terms, Irene¡¯s swordsmanship was more sophisticated than before. However, not everything was going smoothly. ¡°But it isn¡¯t easy to find opponents.¡± The part where he could test himself by going against an opponent at 100%. Till now, John Drew and Irene would lower their power and handle their swords. It was because if they did their best, John Drew was no match to Irene. ¡®It is unavoidable. The gap filled with tricks is limited.¡¯ So the skills Irene had learned so far weren¡¯t used in practice. Listening to the theory, and roughly seeing it and following it is different from using it in real battles. In order to get the feel of using it in a real match, he needs topete with someone equal to him. Of course¡­. ¡®A swordsman to deal with this monster needs to be at King level.¡¯ And there was no way that a person in that level would face Irene Pareira. John Drew knew of that, but the public didn¡¯t know yet. During the 3 week training period had two more victories in the arena, but Irene was being undervalued as there was no opponent who was drawing out Irene¡¯s real skills. In such a ce, it was safe to say that no King level swordsman woulde to battle with Irene. No, there is a greater chance of them avoiding meeting Irene. Because it would look inferior to a King level to be seen with Irene. It was when John Drew was frowning because of those thoughts. ¡°Master. A guest has arrived.¡± ¡°Guest? Who¡­¡± ¡°That¡­ he isn¡¯t Master¡¯s guest, but Irene Pareira¡¯s guest. Name is Judith¡­ what should I do?¡± One of the three rookies who visited Land of Proof. John Drew¡¯s expression turned bright at the mention of the name, and then darkened immediately. Despite being the same trainee with Irene, he doubted that this trainee could keep up with Irene¡¯s skill. ¡®I heard she isn¡¯t even 20¡­ there is no way she canpete with this crazy monster.¡¯ That didn¡¯t mean he would kick her out. He asked the servant to bring in Judith. After a while. ¡°¡­¡± Checking the red-haired swordsman, he realized how ridiculous the 27th batch of Krono was. But¡­ ¡°W-what are you?¡± John Drew wasn¡¯t the only one shocked. Judith, who hade met him after her own hellish training looked at Irene Pareira and said, ¡°What did you do this entire month? ¡­ you seem to have changed? To this extent?¡± It wasn¡¯t just the voice. Voice, expression, anger, frustration, fluster too manyplex emotions. Sensing her pressure, John Drew stepped back sweating. This wasn¡¯t something he could handle. But Irene didn¡¯t. He, who had examined his own style after knowing that Judith wasing, asked in a low voice. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, should we battle it out?¡± ¡°¡­ alright, you jerk.¡± Swearing, Judith drew her sword. Chapter 132: Rapid Upgrade (4)

Chapter 132: Rapid Upgrade (4)

¡®So¡­ in conclusion¡­ Irene and the Sword Master decided to settle the matter within 4 months with a match.¡¯ When she heard that Irene challenged Ilya, the first emotion she felt was shame. Because she didn¡¯t. And Judith tried to train harder and harder than anyone else. She decided to not feel any sense of defeat or inferiority¡­ but the moment she saw Ilya¡¯s Aura Sword, she gave up. And decided to burden her future self and not her present. She couldn''t win now. So she made a n for the future. Unlike Irene Pareira. This damaged Judith¡¯s self-esteem, and from then on she continued to work hard. Train, train and train. Harder than the days she trained under Jet Frost. So much so that she forgot to sleep and eat, but the most difficult thing for her was epting that she had felt defeated the moment she saw Ilya. And once such a feeling starts, then a person turns into nothing. Judith felt like she wouldn¡¯t be able to face Irene or Bratt. ¡®Need to work harder than them.¡¯ ¡®More than the talented ones.¡¯ ¡®Be foolish and ignorant like I am the most talented one in the world.¡¯ Judith spent each day with that mindset and a month passed. Finally, the results seemed nice. She hadn¡¯t reached Ilya¡¯s level yet. But was sure to make him startled. And for that reason Judith visited John Drew¡¯s mansion. You''re not alone, I can do it too¡­ she thought that. But the guy she saw after a month had grown up again. ¡®Fuck!¡¯ Grunt. Judith, who pulled her sword, gritted her teeth. And stared at Irene Pareira who was ready, as if she wanted to kill him. The posture of Irene wasn¡¯t strong. No, it wasn¡¯t that. He looked more calm and rxed. She wasn¡¯t sure what had changed, but the air around Irene was much more dense and heavier than before. Judith exhaled and moved cautiously. A movement which she moved around a circle. Sometimes light, sometimes heavy¡­ her unique footwork unfolded like a me. John Drew¡¯s eyes widened at that. ¡°What is she¡­¡± He was told that the woman was not even 20 years old, but her movements were so refined. Following her movements were difficult. It was a gait that she herself created. John Drew was shocked at the talent and effort to make it possible. However, there was another person no less great than her, Irene. ¡®Why are there no gaps?¡¯ Irene¡¯s swordsmanship was heavy and hard. And when attacking him who took defense, it would feel like one was dealing with a piece of iron which was stuck to the ground. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean that there was no way out. Like now, when constantly moving around the time wille. Just as how a gentle breeze can change a huge rock, Judith too was confident of shaking Irene. ¡­ but today that guy didn¡¯t seem like he would move. ¡®Damn it!¡¯ No matter how clumsy it was, all the realization she had gained while moving to Partizan and the movements of Irene in the middle, didn¡¯t seem to affect Irene at all. Rather, Judith¡¯s heart began to race. Because Irene¡¯s gaze was following her, contemting if he should move or not. Realizing that, she grunted and stopped moving, ready to charge at the opponent. ¡®If there are no gaps, then I will break him down!¡¯ Right. This wasn¡¯t her swordsmanship at all. Although she did change for the sake of efficiency, Judith¡¯s sword was a raging beast, which went to attack right away. Break this, break that! Power concentrated on her feet as she was ready to move. At that moment, Irene, who was standing firmly, raised his right foot and appeared to make a kick motion. ¡°¡­!¡± Judith was startled. The battle with Jet Frost came to mind. A strong attack to kick the floor and then use the debris as a distraction. It wasn¡¯t that she would lose, but the attack had left a strong impression. She stopped herself and turned to the side. However, thend wasn¡¯t cracked. Instead, Irene himself wasing at her. Kang! ¡°Kuak!¡± ¡®Shit!¡¯ Anger rose. She was deceived by a simple trick and lost the first hand, and now her stance was disturbed. In that state, the damage from the heavy sword would be huge. The problem was, Irene¡¯s attack started. Kwang! Kang! Kwang! Not as fast as her. But the weight of the attack was beyond one''s imagination. And she blocked the sword five times now yet she felt like her hands were going to rip. She had to get her stance right, but the force of the sword was too much for her to fix it. In the end, Judith found time to fix herself after taking 17 attacks. She widened the distance at once and looked at her opponent. mes like volcanoes in her eyes. But Irene didn¡¯t care. As before, he was calm and pretended to kick the ground. No, this time it wasn¡¯t fake, but real. Looking at the stones rising around, Judith screamed. ¡°You jerk!¡± Puck! She swung her sword to deflect the stones and shards, but Irene rushed to her. And the anger she was feeling was making her blood boil. And her anger gave strength to her hand. Strength enough to break rocks, even metals at one strike. But she couldn¡¯t attack Irene. Whoo! He kicked it away feeling the rise in energy. But that attack wasn¡¯tpletely deflected. And that alone showed the power of Judith. But that didn¡¯t matter. He would get the chance again and he would move when the stance of the opponent was broken. Irene quietly said to Judith as he brought his sword to her neck. ¡°I won after a long time.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Should we go again?¡± ¡°...ter.¡± Judith pushed Irene¡¯s sword away. The way she spoke was softer. Like she was a different person from when she first entered the hall, she looked at Irene with an expressionless face and said. ¡°I wille again.¡± ¡°¡­ okay.¡± Irene couldn¡¯t hold onto the friend who was walking out. Maybe in the past he couldn¡¯t have, but now Irene could understand her feelings. Judith¡¯s eyes were filled with deep emotions. And the eyes which looked at him were burning. After being silent for a while, Irene said. ¡°I will train by myself till the next match.¡± ¡°¡­ yes. I will figure out how to help you.¡± John Drew nodded and left the hall. It wasn¡¯t the right time to ask Irene to pay for damaging the floor. ¡°¡­¡± Judith, who left the mansion, wandered aimlessly on the streets. A few people were whispering while looking at her, but she didn¡¯t care. She didn¡¯t feel well enough to react to all that. The people who looked at her sullen face, didn¡¯t talk much. ¡®¡­ I lost again.¡¯ Judith had great potential in the centre continent, no, she was talented in the entire continent. And she knew that without someone constantly reminding her about it. But what did that mean? She lost again. Just like when she took the final evaluation¡­ She was behind Irene and Ilya. ¡®No, I am better than I was back then.¡¯ Judith smiled. That was right. At that time it was her heart which was broken. When the two of them, the silver haired girl and the blonde guy, left the school, she couldn¡¯t curse orugh. ¡°¡­ rest for today?¡± She knew. She knew that this wasn¡¯t the end. Compared to the past, she was a bit more driven, but she was still Judith. Even if she lost today, she would stand and shake the loss off tomorrow. But today, she wasn¡¯t in the mood to practice. With that, Judith headed to her room with powerless steps and a helpless expression. But she stopped when she saw a blue haired man appear in front of her. ¡°¡­ what?¡± Judith asked. It was because this didn¡¯t feel like an idental meeting. Bratt Lloyd was there standing, to meet her. And with no intention of hiding, he answered. ¡°Kuvar has a nice drink with him. Laphrow 25. Whiskey is hard to find even with money. It is a taste that beginners frown on, but it is so special that people get addicted to it.¡± ¡°Go away. I don¡¯t want to drink.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to drink, you go away.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Today I am going to be in a good mood and I am the kind to rmend the ones around me to drink too. It doesn¡¯t matter whether you like to or not. A drink which catches my eye, then I need to give it to others. I reject your rejection.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± She was about to yell, when Bratt stepped close to her. Judith stepped back and frowned. ¡°Fight me if you don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You want to rest in the room without being forced to drink, I n to bring the guys into the room and drink.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°We have a difference in opinion. So we need to resolve it through a fight and the loser will follow.¡± ¡°Have you lost it? You want to drink, go out, drink ande back¡­ sigh, no.¡± Judith shook her head. Then, as if a me sparked, she felt the urge to kill the guy in front of her. ¡°Follow me.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Judith took the lead. The two silently headed to a vacant ce which Judith had rented and they both fought till the sun went down and then rose again. Three days after Judith¡¯s visit to the mansion. Another diator match was held against Irene. It was a promotion battle to the Queen level and the opponent was Lucas Gibson, a wandering knight who was known to have Queen level skills. ¡°Battle between an Expert and another Expert¡­ I can¡¯t decide between the two.¡± ¡°Who will win? Irene Pareira?¡± ¡°Maybe? It is 7-3 for me.¡± ¡°Hmm, I never dreamed that a young man would be so strong¡­¡± Unlike before, now people were predicting victories for Irene. All his past three opponents were crushed. And apart from the victory, he actually kept his word in each match. But now, the opponent was also an expert. Defeating such an opponent with a single blow would be possible if Irene was at King level. ¡°Absurd. Crazy really.¡± ¡°And the bet? I can¡¯t believe it, I really can¡¯t.¡± A match where Irene will have to break his word. Nevertheless, people flocked to watch the match. It didn¡¯t matter if he could keep his word or not. How strong could the hidden trainee of Kronor be? And will he be revealing his true strength today? Is he higher than an expert? With such thoughts and excitement, people sat down as they sipped their beer and the match began And it was decided in a single moment. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Haa¡­¡± One Sword strike. Seeing Irene Pareira who defeated the opponent once again with a single strike, the audience realized that they were mistaken. Chapter 133: The Third Storm (1)

Chapter 133: The Third Storm (1)

¡°¡­¡± Lucas Gibson. An Expert and a swordsman known to have skills worthy of Queen level. Of course that didn''t mean that he would have a guaranteed win. To be honest, Lucas Gibson too epted the fact that he could have a hard time and that was told by the reporters too. ¡®The one called Irene Pareira¡­ I didn¡¯tpete with him before this.¡¯ He was sure that Irene''s skills were lower than his. But he knew that Irene wasn¡¯t far below him when it came to his abilities. And if he was the kind to defeat an opponent in one hit, then there was no way that such a trainee of Krono had stayed hidden for this long. ¡®Let¡¯s go at him right away.¡¯ So, Lucas Gibson¡¯s initial strategy was focused on defense. Keep your eyes wide open, observe the movements of the opponent and then take a stance to receive all the attacks. It wasn¡¯t some great profound n. All the swordsmen who dealt with Irene had the same n. Because everyone knew what he had said in the interview. Still, the difference between their experience and Irene''s was different. ¡®I am an Expert¡­ I-I mean, there is no way that young one can get to me.¡¯ Just before the match, Lucas Gibson was determined. He wasn¡¯t sure if the match could be won. But regardless of the result, he didn¡¯t want Irene to get afortable victory! It was when he was facing the match with that attitude. ¡®Uh?¡¯ Gap. There it was. The clear gap. And that wasn¡¯t because of ack of skills. Peace of mind. To put it, it was carelessness. The moment he saw Irene Pareira being calm, Lucas Gibson felt an urge rush through him. ¡°Start!¡± Phat! The voice which signaled the start of the match. Shortly after, Lucas rushed towards Irene. His obsession with victory, which was temporarily put aside, rushed through him. Hesitating for a moment and blowing away the chance to win would never make him a qualified swordsman. Thinking that, he held his sword with one hand. And then stretched out his right arm ready to pierce the opponent in the chest. Althoughcking in power, it was a perfect attack to take down an opponent. That one moment. Looking into the eyes of Irene Pareira, he knew that his judgement was wrong. ¡°¡­!¡± His expression had changed from theid back one he had a couple moments back. A light gleamed in the gloomy eyes of Irene. As a result, the stance of Irene, which was filled with gaps, soon took a firm stance. Lucas Gibson felt a chill run down his spine. But it was toote to retrieve the sword. Before that, Irene Pareira¡¯s great sword began to move. Whoop! ¡­ crack! One sword strike. Irene had blown away the sword of Lucas Gibson in a single move and then bowed to the opponent. Until then, all the spectators, the referee were all shocked. And that didn¡¯t continue for long. The referee, who recognized the situation a secondter, announced the oue with a loud voice and the audience chanted Irene¡¯s name. ¡°Woah! What was that?!¡± ¡°Again one strike! In one strike!¡± ¡°In the end, he kept his word, right?¡± ¡°His opponent is an Expert, just how¡­¡± ¡°Irene Pareira! Irene Pareira!¡± ¡°Irene Pareira!¡± The screams resonated through the arena. Lucas Gibson, who was standing there unable to understand what happened, shook his head. He lost his sword in one hit? It wasn¡¯t a strange thing. He was unable to control his hand which was ready to attack and the opponent took advantage of it. In addition, Lucas was holding the sword with just one hand instead of both, so it was natural that his sword flew away. ¡®¡­ what is important is that the man had guided this situation from the start.¡¯ One could figure it out with some thought. The gap he thought Irene showed wasn¡¯t a gap, but it was his bait to bring the opponent close to him. Strangely enough, Lucas had fallen for the trick of a swordsman in his 20s, despite Lucas being more experienced. But it wasn¡¯t a bad thing. Fighting, tricking, figuring it out, and using other tricks was all part of swordsmanship. In that respect, he was defeated. Lucas Gibson smiled bitterly at Irene Pareira. ¡°Congrattions on promotion. It was a good fight.¡± ¡°Thank you. It really was a good fight.¡± With that, the loser left the stage and the victor stayed there. During the brief time, Irene Pareira too reyed the match in his head. Perfect. A neat victory which flowed ording to his wishes. However, Irene didn¡¯t have a bright expression. It was because he knew that his current skills were far short of Ilya Lindsay. ¡®¡¯What if my opponent was Ilya Lindsay? She wouldn¡¯t have fallen for the trick. Even though she wasn¡¯t 20, she was still a Sword Master. Considering the hardships she experienced while reaching that level, it was right to consider that she had more experience and quality in her swordsmanship. ¡®No¡­ if Ilya would go for a one hand stab like Lucas Gibson, could I have pulled it off?¡¯ Irene, who thought that, shook his head. No. The reason he was able to hold off Lucas¡¯s sword was because the opponent was inferior to him in terms of skills. Conversely, when he thought of having an opponent with higher skills than him, the opposite would be the result. He couldn¡¯t be able to stop the swift stab of Ilya Lindsay. ¡®In the end, to defeat Ilya, I need to be a lot stronger.¡¯ And the way to do that? He didn¡¯t know. But he wasn¡¯t worried. Irene was still confident. Confidence which he himself couldn¡¯t understand where it came from. As he was now mentally armed and making ns for the future, the host arrived next to him and suddenly said something and held the mic. ¡®I didn¡¯t hear him speak.¡¯ It didn¡¯t matter though. It didn¡¯t matter what question was asked. At least in this moment, the main character of the ce was himself, and the words he prepared in advance were enough. Irene took a deep breath and looked around at the audience. The audience who were cheering for him all went silent in an instant. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± A sight no one could exin. In that strange atmosphere, Irene opened his mouth after a long silence. ¡°An interview I did in front of the reporters in front of the Land of Beginning, a promise which everyone pointed out as unreasonable.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Is kept.¡± ¡°Woah!¡± ¡°Irene Pareira!¡± ¡°Irene Pareira! Irene Pareira!¡± The voices of the audience shook the arena once again at the words of Irene. There was no one who disliked a person who had great talent, skills, looks and was interesting too. To be honest, they couldn¡¯t say that he was good at talking, but they only looked at the content of the words. In that sense, it was safe to say that there was no talented person like Irene in the entire Land of Proof. However. ¡°Of course, it doesn¡¯t end here.¡± ¡°After moving from the Land of Opportunity and moving to a new stage, I will tell you all about my new aspirations.¡± That wasn¡¯t the end. Seeing him say all that, everyone in the stadium held their breath. The referee, the host and even the other swordsmen. Irene didn¡¯t drag it out. And shocking words came next. ¡°In the next three months, I will challenge the champion of the Land of Proof, Ilya Lindsay.¡± ¡°And it wouldn¡¯t just be a challenge.¡± ¡°I will do my best and ¡®I lost but I fought well¡¯, isn¡¯t going to be the mindset I will use to enter the match.¡± ¡°I will win. Must win¡­ I will be the new champion in the Land of Proof.¡± With those words being said, Irene left the arena. Just like the first time he said, he was confident. And that evening. Eisenmarkt turned noisy with the story of the ¡®challenge¡¯ uttered by a bold challenger. ¡°Wasn¡¯t it overdone?¡± ¡°I know. Does he think the Sword Master is some kind of joke? The more I see, it feels like he is crossing the line¡­¡± ¡°He is out of the boat. Forget a champion, any King level one would be pissed at this¡­¡± ¡°Maybe he was drunk on fame?¡± ¡°Tch, I hope he gets to King level soon. Once he gets a proper teaching, he wille to his senses.¡± Irene¡¯s interview was the hottest topic. It was a level of attention which couldn¡¯t bepared to his first interview. The increase of fame for Irene yed a part, but it was because he spoke of the champion and garnered antipathy. Who was the current champion? A Sword Master, the youngest one. Ilya Lindsay, the genius of the Lindsay family, one of the top five swordsmanship families in the west. And people of the west were hurt by two people in the past, Ian, the owner of Krono and then Julius Hul of Holy Kingdom. ¡®How dare he challenge her?¡¯ ¡®By someone who only now reached the Queen level?¡¯ ¡®The cheekiest bastard genius of all time! Even the King level ones respect her!¡¯ Of course, the people of Eisenmarkt didn¡¯t always favor the west. They were all simple people when it came to gambling and fighting, so if one had skills and justification, they would surely encourage them. And Pareira didn¡¯t seem like that. Skills still had to be checked, and not to mention the justification. He wasn¡¯t in the 10 King level people. Nor was he entangled with the Land of proof. That was the public perception. And as a sign of that, the magazines of the arena would constantly give out columns of that. Most of the weekly magazines, even the Weekly Valha, were cold in their assessment of Irene Pareira¡¯s skills. Some reporters even wrote something simr to calling him an evil person and someone who wouldn¡¯t cross King Level. And the people nodded in agreement. But the next day. The Weekly Arena, which was different, revealed the hidden facts about Irene Pareira. [Six years ago, a person who fought for the top position in Krono with Ilya Lindsay!] [A secret existence that has been hidden under a veil for a long time, dig into the truth!] A secret yet shocking information which only the prospective trainees of that time would know. Reading the article published under the reporter Hinz who was trusted in the ce, people had no choice but to react differently. The 35th day that Irene Pareira had been staying in Eisenmarkt. Atst, the world began to prepare to ept a new genius. And the moment when the third storm hit the Land of Proof. Chapter 134: The Third Storm (2)

Chapter 134: The Third Storm (2)

Who is Irene Pareira? Actually the question had been going around since he stepped into the Queen level. It was because not much was known. And there were his peers, Judith and Bratt Lloyd. The two never appeared outside Krono, but still due to their skills, they were known throughout the continent. Bratt, the greatest genius of Gerbera Kingdom and Judith the genius who came from themoners side and would someday seed I. They even received praises from Ian, who was stingy with his praises, so not having expectations was impossible. But what about Irene? There was no information. Even though he was of the same age as Bratt and Judith, Ian never mentioned the kid. Still, his skills were second to none. No, even now, he was considered to be stronger than the two. As such, when another provocative interview came out, the curiosity heightened, all the residents were talking about Irene. All the magazines in the Land of Proof were writing spective articles about him. But the next day. As soon as the article of Hinz, one of the trusted reporters, came out, people looked at Weekly Arena. Which was because unlike the other magazines, Weekly Arena featured truth and facts regarding Irene. ¡°No, Irene Pareira is¡­ he is said to be on the same level as Ilya Lindsay when he was a trainee?¡± ¡°Are you not looking at the article? It was said that in the final evaluation for the official position they were on the same level. At one time it was difficult to decide who was superior so they asked those two to take the test again, and Lindsay managed to win, so Pareira came second.¡± ¡°You believe this? Hu¡­¡± ¡°What, how can you not believe? It was none other than Bratt Lloyd who endorsed it.¡± ¡°A hidden secret¡­ what the hell was he doing so far, these are just rumors!¡± ¡°You idiot, didn¡¯t you see the article? It was mentioned in the end! It was said that he couldn¡¯te out because of family affairs!¡± ¡°Sorry, the moment I saw that article I was shocked¡­¡± A talentparable to Ilya Lindsay! The residents were shocked. A person who didn¡¯t get much attention in the Land of proof was actually someone who had great potential. They couldn¡¯t even think that. The eldest son of the Lloyd family, who is known to not speak much, was the one who directly disclosed the facts, who would not believe that? Of course, that didn¡¯t mean they all believed. ¡°Huh! Just because they were simr when they were young, doesn¡¯t mean that they don¡¯t have different skills in the present.¡± ¡°Right. And think about it. At that time, Ilya was in her early teens and Irene was in his mid teens. It doesn¡¯t make sense to be on the same level when they were 3 years apart.¡± ¡°That is true¡­ but doesn¡¯t he seem to have the skills to challenge the champion?¡± ¡°What¡­ we¡¯ll see. It depends on his skills.¡± Right. People were still on Ilya''s side who had proved her skills. So they were strictly criticizing Irene, who hadn¡¯t shown his all. Of course, such a view wasn¡¯t a problem. Next match. Another match. In the third match of Queen level which followed with Irene''s victory. ¡°The game is over! Irene Pareira wins!¡± ¡°Again, he won again!¡± ¡°Now he is at King Level! To rise to King level in 3 matches¡­¡± ¡°How could he not? Now everyone is waiting for the match with Ilya. I want to see it too.¡± ¡°Right¡­ it isn¡¯t like hecks the skills, and seeing now it seems like King level and higher ones are his opponents.¡± ¡°Right. If he can win past one higher level ones, we might see the fight for the championship.¡± ¡°Huh, this generation is really amazing. I and Ilya and as if they weren¡¯t enough now Irene Pareira¡­¡± It has been three weeks since those provocative interviews. In just three weeks, Irene Pareira had turned into a famous person who was recognized even by the westerners. And the help from Weekly Arena yed a huge role in this change. [Irene Pareira is the greatest talent I have ever taught. I can¡¯t even use the expression ¡®teaching¡¯.] An interview with John Drew. [Irene is a great swordsman of this generation who puts in effort and is talented.] An interview with Jet Frost, who was well known. And that wasn¡¯t the end. A famous sword which could only be held by a Sword Master of a future Sword Master. When it was known that the 10th Numbering Sword from Vulcanus was given to Irene, those who hated him could no longerin. Two months ahead of time. Perhaps, the battle with Ilya and Irene would happen sooner than expected. And it would be disappointing if Irene lost to someone before reaching there. The residents of Eisenmarkt were praying that wouldn¡¯t happen. And while this happened here. ¡°¡­¡± Irene wasn¡¯t swept away but stayed faithful to what he had to do. He woke up early in the morning when the darkness hadn¡¯t gone yet and began to meditate. The iron stakes in his heart were hard, but no longer clunky. When he met Ilya Lindsay, mes which had grown strong enough to heat the entire iron and Irene¡¯s will, which was stronger than the man¡¯s will, fell on it. Kang! Kang! The forged result wasn¡¯t inferior to calling it a sword. However, it wasn''t a satisfactory level. ¡®More delicately, and the de needs to be spread...¡¯ Not just to form a sword, but he wanted to make a famous sword. A sword which would be enough topete with Ilya Lindsay. Irene concentrated on that thought, and after eating a hearty meal he went to see John Drew. ¡°In this situation, it will be better to use the terrain¡­¡± ¡°Is that so? Wouldn¡¯t it be better to respond this way?¡± ¡°Then... Uhm.¡± John Drew¡¯s teaching changed from practical matches to teaching. The current Irene hadpletely established his own style which was unconventional yet sturdy. And now they were on the same level and sometimes he was dominating enough to shock John Drew. Of course, whenever John Drew managed to corner Irene, he would break through in an extraordinary way. And Irene would think of the match from the others point of view and devise means to stop them and shock them. ¡®No. It shouldn¡¯t be like this. How much money did I get¡­ I have nothing to teach now! I need to teach something for the money I got¡­¡¯ ¡°Swordsmanship teacher, why do you look gloomy? Would you want me to pay your more?¡± ¡°Ugh! No! It is fine! You don¡¯t need to pay me anymore!¡± ¡°Huh? Why so? I looked around yesterday and I found a pretty watch, so I took it to give you¡­¡± ¡°Uh! Ughhh!¡± ¡®¡­ why is she doing that?!¡¯ John Drew was weak for money, and Lulu constantly gave him money to encourage him. Seeing that, Irene was puzzled. He couldn¡¯t understand why John Drew reacted as such. Lulu was just appreciating his help. ¡®But it is true that he has his limits.¡¯ After discussing with John drew, Irene who was refining his swordsmanship nodded. He was getting stronger. Thanks to the influence of sorcery, and good teachers and the training in his mind, he gained power, and now he couldn¡¯t bepared to the time he set foot in Eisenmarkt. But still, he struggled against Master. It was clear that he would still lose against Jet Frost even now. But he wasn¡¯t disappointed with that truth. Irene, who had bathed, headed to the third arena, Land of Glory. ¡°Uh, huh?¡± ¡°Do we have an Irene Pareira match today? Or not? Why¡­¡± ¡°You idiot! Didn¡¯t you hear the rumor? These days, King level ones go to matches and stuff to see.¡± ¡°Ahh, is that so? Well they are ranked in one way, if they came to see in advance¡­¡± ¡°It would be strange if they didn¡¯t care. So don¡¯t act up and stay silent.¡± ¡°Should I ask for an autographter¡­¡± Seeing Irene Pareira appearing in the grandstand of the arena, the audience were excited. A familiar sight. He was already famous in the city and people would flock around if they saw him. ¡®This is nice. He doesn¡¯t have to talk now.¡¯ Although people were excited to see him, they respected the privacy of the swordsman. Irene felt grateful for it when he was shocked. Far away, he saw Bratt Lloyd sitting opposite him. ¡®He didn¡¯t seem interested in the diator these days, did he came to see the match?¡¯ Irene was working day and night to defeat Ilya Lindsay and Judith was burning with fighting spirit to reach Irene. But unlike those two, Bratt lost interest in the matchs about three weeks after arriving in the city. He was either drinking alcohol with Kuvar or concentrating on swords as a pastime. Actually, Irene didn¡¯t see that, just heard about it. As he moved into John Drew¡¯s mansion he hadn¡¯t seen much of Bratt around. If it wasn¡¯t for Lulu who went there and met with them, Irene wouldn¡¯t have even known. ¡®Well, it is nice. Even though we are in the same ce. I think it has been more than 10 days since I saw¡­¡¯ Irene, who tried to smile and wave at Bratt, gave up. He was concerned about the people who were watching him, and he quietly wanted to watch Bratt, whom he saw after a long time, react to the match. With that, he was looking at the other side, and then a familiar figure sitting next to Bratt. Judith. Irene¡¯s face brightened even more. It was because he hadn¡¯t seen her in a long time too. ¡°¡­?¡± However, something seemed strange about it. He couldn¡¯t quite say it. Bratt looked like a noble and Judith mumbled something to him with a gloomy face. In other words, there was little to no difference in Judith. However, Irene, who could sense emotions because of sorcery, felt it. Something, something was different¡­ ¡°Oh oh!¡± ¡°Start!¡± However, the idea didn¡¯tst long. It was because the match started. After thinking about doing his examination at ater time, he looked at the fight between rankers. ¡®I am sure that there is something to learn this time too.¡¯ As the other people guessed, Irene wasn¡¯t here to spy or look at their skills. The reason he was here was because of his longing to learn. What was the difference between the swordsmanship he had and the others? What could be added and what could be removed? What more should he develop? With such thought, Irene focused on the match. And his sharp eyes watched the diators move. Sword movement. Body movement. Furthermore, how the muscles worked, the slight movements and breathing¡­ It was the moment when he was analyzing the movement of the two rankers with extreme concentration. Irene Pareira¡¯s eyes saw something different begin to appear. ¡®¡­ oh?¡¯ Chapter 135: The Third Storm (3)

Chapter 135: The Third Storm (3)

Aura. It was a mysterious power that warriors including swordsmen could obtain through constant training. It was also a mysterious abilitypared to the mana that magicians used. A swordsman can use it to forcefully uproot a tree or shrge boulders. Of course, it wasn''t energy which could be seen with the naked eye. It was because it was extremely difficult to just bring out the Aura in the body, and even more difficult to concentrate and use it. However, ¡°¡­¡± Now, Irene¡¯s eyes could see Aura which shouldn¡¯t be seen. It wasn¡¯t like the case with Charlotte and Victor with the Aura Sword. Aura was usually wasted when it wasn¡¯t used by a Sword Master. Besides, the two diators didn¡¯t have the skills to do that. If so, then what? Was it the Aura in the body which had caught the eye of a sorcerer? Surprisingly, it was just that. The Aura in both the diators was filling their body like water in a bucket. Even the density of the Aura could be felt. It was subtle, but the Aura of the man holding the great sword was a little darker. While Irene thought that, the two diators looked at each other. The one with the great sword stood firmly and the one with a lighter sword moved around. Normal people couldn¡¯t see, but Irene noticed it. The fact that the man with the lighter sword was gradually narrowing the distance between them. Pahh! After a while, the man who was walking around suddenly shot out, but it wasn¡¯t an outright dash. Irene confirmed that he had already used a trick with the movement of his feet and shoulders. The man with the great sword, whose timing was taken away, took a slight hasty stance. Soon, the opponent¡¯s attack from above came in. Whoo! It wasn¡¯t an attack from above. Just before the blow, the sword changed its path like an eagle snatching its prey and aimed for the ankles. Flustered, the man with the great sword swung his sword and in an instant, five strikes were exchanged. Overall, the entire match was being led by the man with the lighter sword. Looking at the amount of Aura alone, the opposite results should have been obtained, but Irene understood why this happened. It was because the movement of Aura flowing through and inside both people could be clearly grasped. ¡°¡­!¡± The Aura in their bodies wasn¡¯t like water in a bucket, but it changed with each movement. Wheik! The light from arms, shoulder and then waist grew stronger with movement. Tat! Just as the strength of the legs was applied when distance was widened, the Aura in the lower body shone. It felt as if numerous muscles were dynamically, dexterously andplexly functioning to perform one movement, and Irene had felt something simr before. It was when he used to observe the movements of his ssmates in Krono. There was a difference in what Irene could see now and then. Then it was the body, and now it was the Aura which supported the body. Irene watched the fight between the two with so much concentration that he didn¡¯t know how much time had passed. ¡°The match is over! The winner is Donovan!¡± ¡°Ah! Donovan!¡± ¡°Hahaha! Look there! Told you Donovan would win!¡± ¡°No, that jerk, how could he lose to a little sword user¡­¡± ¡°Battle isn¡¯t based on size! If you think that, then do you think any female swordsmen would be down there?¡± ¡°Shut up! You got your money, just stay quiet!¡± ¡°No! Nope! I am going to eat beef tonight. Hahaha!¡± ¡°You bastard! You are really pulling my strings!¡± After 5 minutes, the result was out. As the flow of the battle when it started foreshadowed, the victory was for the man with the lighter sword. Irene, who sat down and organized his thoughts, nodded his head. Aura was stronger in the man with the great sword, but considering the smooth and appropriate way the Aura was handled, the one called Donovan was better. Swordsmanship was one thing, but Irene saw that the victory and defeat depended on the usage of Aura. And this was great news for Irene. It was because he found a way to close the huge gap between him and Ilya. ¡°Hmph.¡± Irene watched the body of Donovan who was being interviewed. And then saw the Aura inside him. This was different from the time he was in the match, but every time he spoke, the Aura moved. ¡®If I can use this as a reference when fighting¡­¡¯ Psychological warfare, then he could have an edge in fights! The swordsman called Donovan had used two tricks when he was circling around the opponent, and the movements were clearly figured out by Irene who learned it from John Drew. There was almost no difference in the motion of non-charging and real charging. However, the flow of the Aura waspletely different from that, andpared to when he went for a real strike, the Aura changed. ¡®If this can be understood and utilized well, it will be of great help!¡¯ Irene, who understood it, nodded once more and stood up. There were a few people who were huge fans, and asked Irene for autographs. He smiled and apologized as he quickly left the arena to organize his thoughts. Eyes which for once saw through the Aura. He wasn¡¯t sure if it was because he was a sorcerer or if this happened because his concentration had sharpened recently. He didn¡¯t think that the reason was important. What felt important was to master this newly awakened ability and use it without hindrance while using a sword. ¡®I need to go and practice.¡¯ As he left with that thought, he saw a familiar figure. The blue hair of Lloyd. It was Bratt Lloyd. Judith was moving alone. And Bratt, who looked at Irene, approached him. ¡°You came to the game too.¡± ¡°¡­ yes. I was curious to see if there was anything I could learn from watching other fights. And you?¡± ¡°Simr reason. Obviously, the King level is higher.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Irene agreed. The victorious Donovan, who won, was someone with a high level of skill and couldn¡¯t bepared to those below King level. As it was, he was nodding, Irene looked at the sketchbook in Bratt¡¯s left hand. Irene¡¯s eyes filled with curiosity. Feeling the gaze on the book, Bratt opened it and said, ¡°I wrote what I felt while watching the match.¡± ¡°¡­ this?¡± A paper full of blue lines like his hair. Irene wasn¡¯t sure what it was, but it was clear that this wasn¡¯t the final result. ¡®When I see Bratt like this, he too has a quirky side.¡¯ There was no way Bratt would do something meaningless. There was something Lulu and Kuvar had inmon with Bratt. All three of them including him, yet Bratt was the most mentallyposed one. He wasn¡¯t sure now, but Irene knew that in the future Bratt was going to show something great. And now, Irene realized it. He couldn¡¯t exin it clearly, but it felt like Bratt¡¯s mind was stable as he looked into his eyes. But the reason wasn¡¯t known. Just like before, his senses still couldn''t figure out the mood he felt when he saw Judith and Bratt. ¡®But, where did Judith go?¡¯ ¡°Weren''t you with Judith?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°I saw you two in the arena earlier.¡± Irene, who was curious, ended up asking the question, making Bratt go silent. But the silence didn¡¯tst for long. Bratt folded his sketchbook and said with the usual expression. ¡°She went to practice. We only met by chance.¡± ¡°Ah, really?¡± ¡°Right. Just like you and me now.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± Irene nodded. Strange, something, something felt strange. But he couldn¡¯t put his finger on it so he let Bratt move away and smiled. ¡°Let¡¯s meet another time. I need to go and practice soon.¡± ¡°I get it. Sooner orter, we¡¯ll meet again.¡± Irene disappeared after waving his hand. Bratt Lloyd stared at his back. And after a while, Judith who had been hiding, reappeared in front of Bratt. ¡°Why did you hide?¡± ¡°Uh, uh?¡± ¡°Did you hide because of Irene?¡± ¡°No? Uh? Irene was here? I didn¡¯t know, I was in the bathroom.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°¡­ what, what! Nothing¡­ Leave this. I am going to practice.¡± ¡°Are you going to lock yourself in the training centre again? Do you want to grab something to eat?¡± ¡°No thanks. That jerk Irene is working hard, I can¡¯t stand still like this. I am going!¡± Judith shouted in a higher voice and strode forward. Bratt looked at her as she left. Did she feel his gaze? Judith, who was walking away, turned her head back and said. ¡°¡­ next time too, if there are good ones ying, tell me. I want to see it.¡± ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s see it together.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She looked into Bratt¡¯s eyes and turned around. And this time, she didn¡¯t look back and disappeared into the crowd. The eldest son of the Lloyd family was alone. Holding his book in one hand, touching his chin like a noble. ¡°I still have a long way to go.¡± Three days passed. In the meantime, Irene didn¡¯t discuss anything with John Drew and continued training so that he could use the ¡®Aura seeing Eye¡¯ in practice. Fortunately it wasn¡¯t difficult. It was different from seeing it in a battle and wielding it alone, but it wasn¡¯t a problem considering that he had two months of time. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean he was taking it easy. Irene, who closed his eyes, remembered the match he saw three days ago. The usage of Aura demonstrated by the two people was grasped. ¡®It is simr to the way I use it, but there are differences too.¡¯ The basic parts were the same. Aura strength, muscles, joint movements and firmness. It was something Irene was doing too. However, when digging deeper into how the Aura was being handled for one movement, there were differences but not by much. In some aspects he was better and in others, the two of them were better. And if he could correct that one by one, he was bound to get stronger. ¡®Rather than that¡­ and it isn¡¯t just those two that I will watch and learn from.¡¯ Irene, who closed his eyes, then opened his eyes and looked at the calendar hanging in the corner of the room. February 13th. It was the day that Grayson, the 4th ranking diator with great skills in the King level, wille on stage. At the same time, it was also the day when champion Ilya Lindsay, the best in Land of Proof, would be on stage. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t miss that.¡± Irene, who mumbled it, quickly moved to wash himself and head to the Land of Proof. ¡®I am useless now, I am useless now¡­ I...¡¯ He could hear John Drew muttering that, but he couldn¡¯t afford to listen to it now. Thanks to the work of Hinz, he sat in the grandstand and quietly waited for the match. He looked at Ilya Lindsay¡¯s sword. Movements of Ilya, and then observed her Aura. There could be countless things which could be gained through that, but what Irene was looking forward to the most was, Aura Sword. If he could see the Aura when the Aura Sword¡­ ¡®Maybe¡­¡¯ Creepy. Just the thought made a chill run down his spine. Irene stroked his arms, calming himself. Of course, he couldn¡¯t calm down. It was the same no matter how many times he took a deep breath of closed and opened his eyes. In the end, he could escape the excitement which was rising and for ten minutes or so he looked at the stage. ¡°Woahhh!¡± ¡°Champion!!¡± ¡°Ilya Lindsay! Ilya Lindsay!¡± ¡°The best talent in the West!¡± ¡°The King of the Next generation!¡± ¡°Sword Master! Youngest Sword Master!¡± ¡°Champion! Champion! Champion!¡± Just like the first time he saw in Krono Swordsmanship school. No, Ilya Lindsay, who had a much colder expression than back then, appeared with the sword. And¡­ Woong! The silvery brilliant Aura Sword appeared in the Land of Proof. Chapter 136: The Ember of Life (1)

Chapter 136: The Ember of Life (1)

¡°¡­!¡± The moment he saw Ilya Lindsay''s Aura Sword, Irene Pareira who was already surprised couldn¡¯t help but be more shocked. The status of Sword Master, the dream of every swordsman? There was nothing like that, and he had already met Sword Masters several times, this wasn¡¯t a big deal to him. What surprised him was the series of steps which Ilya used when implementing the Aura Sword¡­ it was something he was familiar with. ¡®When I use the sh of the man in my dreams¡­ that is how I felt!¡¯ To be precise, it is simr to just before he used the sh. A state in which the Aura was brought out from the body and put into the de of the sword. In that state, after a few more steps, a brilliant silver light appeared; unfortunately, Irene couldn¡¯t grasp it right. The speed at which Ilya drew out the Aura was too fast, but it was also because of hisck of knowledge and experience with Aura. But it was still fine. This was just the beginning of the match and Ilya would keep the Aura Sword throughout the match. Of course, the match would end soon, but if he observed with the ¡®Aura seeing Eyes¡¯, even for a brief moment, he could gain¡­ It was then. Suddenly, Ilya pulled back her Aura Sword. Like a candle whose fire was shut out, the sword went back to normal. Irene was bewildered at it when he heard the voices around. ¡°It is true. She said she wouldn¡¯t use the Aura sword in the future.¡± ¡°Huh? The champion said that?¡± ¡°I am not sure¡­ I just heard it, and some reporter said that. It isn¡¯t that I doubt the champion is the youngest Sword Master, but in terms of swordsmanship alone, there are more talented people than her here.¡± ¡°Those words¡­¡± ¡°What¡­ the diators in the Land of Proof are good, or something like that was said¡­ but it must have hurt the pride of a champion.¡± ¡°Huh, someone said that? I had no idea.¡± ¡°Well, it is great either way. No matter how much is said, she is thinking of sealing her best weapon and fighting.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hearing the words of the two audience members, Irene¡¯s expression hardened. It wasn¡¯t because he couldn¡¯t see the Aura Sword. It was because he realized what Ilya must be going through. She was once again trying to prove herself. Her figure which couldn¡¯t acknowledge herself and wielded her sword for approval from others¡­ it still looked dangerous. At least, for Irene it was. ¡®Of course¡­ regardless¡­ Ilya will win the match.¡¯ Irene¡¯s gaze turned to the right. Grayson, ranked 4th, was staring at Ilya with a hard expression, as if offended. Not just his face, but his mind too was offended. He wascking. But that didn¡¯t mean he was lower than Ilya. Compared to the other people his Aura was great, but enough to take down Ilya. He was simr to the low level King level ones. ¡®How the hell did he get to 4th rank with that level of Aura?¡¯ A number of questions arose. Of course, they would soon be resolved. Irene looked at the stage and soon the match started. Pah! It was Ilya who moved first. This was like a concession as she sealed her Aura Sword, so she moved forward and swung her sword to the side. Grayson didn¡¯t panic and took a step back to avoid it. However, that was just the beginning of Ilya¡¯s attack. The tip of her sword moved like a snake and pierced the opponent¡¯s body at a strange angle, and Grayson had no choice but to face the sword. Kang! A clear metal shing sound rang out. With that, the start of a spectacr battle followed. Kang! Kaaang! Kwang! Sometimes light, sometimes fast and sometimes heavy. The sword of the champion constantly smashed the opponent. Grayson retreated back and forth to the attacks which flew in. ¡°Grayson! Good luck!¡± ¡°The champion is waiting! Are you going to keep running till the end?¡± Watching him block, the audience kept pouring outints. But Irene didn¡¯t care. His eyes, filled with shock, were looking at the moves of Grayson. ¡®So sophisticated!¡¯ As Irene felt, the Aura difference between Ilya and Grayson was toorge. It was like a difference of decades worth of experience, Grayson wouldn¡¯t win with his Aura even if he had 100 battles. Irene had a simr experience during the match with John Drew. Strategies will lead the fight, tactics will build an advantage. In both cases, John Drew was ahead of Irene. However, if the duel was serious, Irene wouldn¡¯t lose, but the difference in Aura was great. No matter how good the swordsmanship was, it was worthless if the opponent had thoughts ofbat and was experienced. But such a thing wouldn¡¯t make sense in the face of overwhelming power and difference in auras. No. Not entirely true. What Grayson was showing nowpletely shattered themon sense of Irene. Kang! Receives the sword attack from Ilya from the front and deflects the impact. With him, shifting his center of gravity to deflect the impact as much as possible and then back stepping for a position to receive the next attack. It wasn¡¯t just good swordsmanship, but excellent movement. And this was possible because of the perfect use of Aura which supported the movement. ¡®The moment he receives the sword, he strengthens the muscles and joints with Aura alone. And when he pulls it back, he saves the Aura and focuses on the foot¡­¡¯ Use of Aura only when necessary. Not just that. When an attack was difficult to block because of the concentration of Aura in the whole body it led to a mistake and what Grayson was doing now was bridging the gap. And it wasn¡¯t the first time seeing all of this. It was clear that it was a strategy that other swordsmen could also handle. However, the perfection in the use of Aura which Grayon showed was far beyond the level of those Irene and the other warriors in Land of Proof could handle. Kwang! ¡°The game is over! Winner, Campion Ilya Lindsay!¡± ¡°Woahh!¡± ¡°Champion! Champion! Champion!¡± ¡°The youngest Sword Master!¡± ¡°Ilya Lindsay!¡± Of course, that didn¡¯t mean that battle could stay long. Even when he used all the great swordsmanship and his Aura operation was close to divine¡­ despite the use and perfect execution of aura, it was Grayson who ran out of power. Amidst the cheers for the champion pouring down, the challenger stepped off the stage, and Irene looked at his back for a long time. A sense of regret bloomed in him. But a stronger emotion than that was his desire to grow. ¡®I need to head back soon.¡¯ Ilya Lindsay¡¯s Aura Sword. An Aura operation close to Grayson¡¯s movement. It was only for a brief moment, but that remained in his mind. To the extent that he wanted to see that again. Irene Pareira left the arena with a serious expression. In conclusion, Irene failed to achieve any vision, even though he devoted himself to training for two days. As said before, it was because hecked experience with Auras. And Ilya¡¯s Aura Sword which resonated inside her body wasn¡¯t easy to imitate. It was made of numerous processes that one wasn¡¯t aware of, it would have been a difficult skill one couldn¡¯t imitate. However, if one thought that Grayson¡¯s aura use was easy, then no. Unlike Ilya¡¯s Aura Sword, the way he handled the Aura was different but understandable. But being able to follow itpletely was a different matter. If there was a set swordsmanship movement, and how each body part, muscle and joint moved¡­ then it would have been easier to imitate. But not with Aura. It was impossible to master aplex movement. ¡°Kuvar. I have something bothering me¡­ can you help me?¡± ¡°Uh? Sure. I am the expert in such cases. Haha!¡± Irene had no intention of stopping. He couldn¡¯t ask Ilya because of the ¡®minor quarrel¡¯ to help him make an Aura Sword. If he did that, she would probably yell. But if it was Grayson whom he had no connection to, maybe with the help of someone who would talk¡­ that was Irene¡¯s idea. ¡®As reporter Hinz said, it isn¡¯t impossible. And Grayson is known to have a wonderful personality and is quite generous in helping people with swordsmanship¡­¡¯ In addition, Grayson is known to be fond of alcohol. That was why Irene went near Kuvar. For John Drew, who was addicted to money, Lulu the richest being was taken. For Grayson who loved alcohol, the greatest drunkard Kuvar was being taken. If he took hispanion, his chances of sess were better than going there alone. ¡°Fufu, don¡¯t worry. No one who likes alcohol will hate me.¡± ¡°I trust Kuvar.¡± ¡°Right. Trust me. That one called Grayson, was he hitting fifty this year?¡± ¡°Probably somewhere around that. Why?¡± ¡°I prepared a joke that people that age would like. Will you hear it? Okay now, do you know what happens when the sand cries?¡± ¡°¡­ what happens?¡± ¡°Dirt Dirt.¡± ¡°...¡± ¡°¡­¡± The two walked in silence for quite some time. About five minutester, Kuvar, who nced at him, said, ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°It is fine, but don¡¯t do this over there.¡± ¡°I know. Hmm, what kind of drink does that gentleman like to drink? I do have a lot¡­ oh, is that the house?¡± ¡°I think so.¡± Irene nodded his head. A moderately spacious mansion outside Eisenmarkt. Considering that he was top ranker in Land of Proof, this looked frugal. It wasmon for rankers to build pce-like houses with guards and gatekeepers. ¡®For such a person, I think Kuvar is a lot better than Lulu.¡¯ Money couldn¡¯t buy this man. It was the moment when they were about to knock. Irene¡¯s expression hardened. Seeing that, Kuvar asked. ¡°Irene? What are you¡­¡± Kwaang! ¡°I-Irene? You¡­!¡± Kuvar stuttered as he watched Irene smash the closed door. This wasn¡¯t Judith, but Irene which was why Kuvar was more flustered. He looked at the blonde young man with eyes hoping he would get some exnation. However Irene didn¡¯t exin. Feeling an ominous energy touching his skin, he ran into the mansion in an instant. ¡°W-wait! Let¡¯s go together!¡± Kuvar quickly followed him. It was clear that something big had happened, but he wasn¡¯t sure what, so he hurried. Likewise, with his stiff expression he began to feel the spirits around move at a very high speed. The ce where they entered was a space which looked like a training room which had its lights turned off. And at the centre¡­ Grayson sat cross-legged. ¡°¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t normal. One could tell at a nce. Blood was flowing from his closed eyes and corners of his lips. No, it had been quite some time since the blood flowed, Kuvar gulped as he looked at the face which went stiff and had some mark on it. ¡®Demonic energy¡­ is generating.¡¯ He didn¡¯t know what happened. There had to be some reason, but rather than knowing that, he was worried thinking about how to deal with such a situation. At least, he wanted this to be dealt with before the man turned into a demon. However, it waste. Perhaps, it heard Kuvar¡¯s thoughts, Grayson who had been closing his eyes the whole time, opened his eyes. ¡°¡­ why did youe here?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t remember inviting anyone.¡± A tone which could clearly show the anger. An ufortable and unpleasant sensation. Kuvar thought with a serious face, that it was toote. ¡®This is bad. A person as strong as Grayson turning to a demonic being¡­¡¯ There were stories about the strength of a demonic being, but how great was it that one had to sacrifice an equal cost for it and his aspiration. Finally, it was said that this thing is influenced by three things: how strong the human possessed is. And in Kuvar¡¯s eyes, Grayson had all three. Grayson must now be stronger than he was a day back. But that wasn¡¯t the problem. It was important to know what Irene¡¯s next act would be under the influence of magi. ¡®As I warned, if he gets swept away by the power of the man¡­¡¯ One will never know what can happen! Concerned with that, Kuvar looked at Irene. Having a strong person under the influence of magi in front of him, he wanted to check Irene¡¯s condition. However, ¡°I am fine, Kuvar.¡± Irene¡¯s appearance was different from what he expected. ¡°He isn¡¯t a full fledged demon yet.¡± Irene looked much calmer than he thought. With the help of his spirits, he looked at the young man¡¯s eyes. ¡°¡­!¡± An Aura of steel which belonged to the man seemed to be affected by magi. The energy seemed to be deeper and stronger than usual. However¡­ ¡®The steel will isn¡¯t out of control.¡¯ Kuvar gulped again. And he looked inside Irene a bit more. No, it wasn¡¯t even necessary. A huge fire that could be felt by a nce was seen. As a result, the energy of the man who was reborn as a perfect ¡®sword¡¯ was obeying Irene¡¯s will as if it had no intention of moving away from Irene¡¯s hand. Chapter 137: The Ember of Life (2)

Chapter 137: The Ember of Life (2)

In a pitch ck room. Looking at the young man shining alone in the training hall, Kuvar recalled the past. A long time ago, to the extent where one couldn¡¯t remember it, Irene at that time had achromatic colored feelings, all dyed in grey. From being a normal young kid, he seemed like a person whose slightest emotions were hidden. Because of the cold appearance Kuvar even mistook his age. However¡­. ¡®To think such a child would end up having such hot mes in his heart.¡¯ What the hell happened? Was it because of what happened in Alhad? Or was it because of the fighting spirit he felt when he met with I? If not that, then did it have something to do with the reunion he had with Ilya Lindsay? He couldn¡¯t figure it out. Maybe for some other reason. It didn¡¯t matter. The most important thing was that Irene wasn¡¯t being swayed by the will of the man, but was controlling his power by his own will. ¡°¡­¡± Did he feel that too? Irene, who was about to say something, stopped and looked at his own body. Slowly, very slowly he checked his new self. And he didn¡¯t stop at that, he closed his eyes. It was to look into his inner self, but Kuvar was turning anxious. It wasn¡¯t just those two people who were there, Grayson, turning into a demon was also there. ording to Irene, Grayson wasn¡¯t a demon yet, but in Kuvar¡¯s eyes he was nothing short of a demon. A powerful demon. Fortunately, Grayson with his blood-red eyes took no action. He was still cross-legged. ¡°Sigh.¡± A short but long time passed. Irene Pareira opened his eyes. Two mes rose in the pitch ck room. And it didn¡¯t stop there. A bright light which was shining in his eyes wrapped around Irene¡¯s body. At least that was what happened in Kuvar¡¯s eyes. Grayson felt it too. His closed mouth opened. ¡°I don¡¯t think you are thieves. And I don¡¯t like rude people.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I will ask again. How did youe to this ce? Speak up. If¡­¡± Wheil! A harsh energy emanated from Grayson¡¯s body as he spoke. It was Aura. However, it wasn¡¯t pure Aura, this time it was nasty as if mixed with impurities. Kuvar struggled to control his expression and opened his mouth to calm Grayson. No, he tried to speak. However, he ended up gulping. ¡°¡­ you don¡¯t understand what I am asking, I will have to sh your necks here.¡± Terrible wording. What was even more terrifying was the fact that the words were sincere. Kuvar was sweating at thepletely different personality this man had from the public figure he showed and Irene who was silent took a step forward. Grayson got put and looked at him. 1 second. 2 seconds. The two of them looked into each other''s eyes for about 5 seconds and then grabbed their swords at the same time. Path! Swosh! The great sword summoned from sorcery and the ck sword dyed in darkness. With those two pointed at each other, Irene opened his mouth. ¡°Let¡¯s make a bet.¡± ¡°Bet?¡± ¡°Yes. You must know that the people of Eisenmarkt love betting as much as they love matches.¡± ¡°¡­ I know.¡± Grayson nodded. He didn¡¯t remember it very well, but he did feel something about gambling. Looking at him, Irene continued. ¡°This isn¡¯t a stage, but let¡¯s have a match. The winner tells the loser what they want and the loser listens without saying anything. This is the bet, how is it?¡± ¡°Fine. I will tell you in advance. All I want is your life.¡± ¡°Alright. What I want, I¡¯ll tell you after I win.¡± Grayson¡¯s voice was eerie to listen to, but Irene didn¡¯t seem affected by it. Rather, he moved forward step by step, in a dignified way. Grayson, who was watching the scene, widened the distance between his feet, then stretched forward. Swosh! An attack aiming for the neck. Irene didn¡¯t respond right away. He was keeping his stance with the heavy sword. Rather, Grayson was the one who changed. As if he aimed for somewhere else from the beginning, his sword fell towards Irene''s feet. Irene pulled his right foot back and swung his sword sideways. The man with blood red eyes lowered his posture as if sinking into the ground and attacked Irene''s legs once more, then stretched out his sword to the sky. Then, the ever-changing swordsmanship unfolded. Swish! Swish! Wheik! Like a snake shaking its head, the sword was unpredictable! Irene wasn¡¯t shocked this time either. As he lowered his sword to hit the sword, Grayson stepped back. A splendid swordsmanship. Aim to the right but hit the left, aim at the bottom but hit at the top. Pretend to be one offensive but then rush back and take defense. A few days ago, Irene wouldn¡¯t have been able to deal with it despite the teaching from John Drew. However, it changed. ¡®I see it.¡¯ Wheik! Real from fake. They were so sophisticated that others wouldn¡¯t know, but Irene could tell. Irene who saw through the flow of Aura was able to receive the opponent¡¯s sword with a much rxed mind and Grayson felt stressed as his sword was being blocked. And that wasn¡¯t the end. Kwang! ¡°Kua!¡± Irene, who devoted himself to defense like a rock, took a big step and swung his sword twice. The sword moved from bottom to the top like a rising mountain and the sword striked from top to bottom like a heavy tidal wave. The sword felt like it was on fire, but Grayson was able to stop it only after using all his skills. ¡®How?!¡¯ Blinking his blood red eyes, Grayson clenched his teeth. He couldn¡¯t understand. There were too many young geniuses in the world! I, Ilya and then the guy in front of his eyes all had absurd Auras. It was nerve-racking. He devoted years to breaking past his limits but it was still him who was being pushed back. It was always him who was being pushed back. And that frustrated Grayson. That soon turned into anger. The burning anger burned his heart and it dyed it with darkness. At that moment, he realized that the voice he heard yesterday was present. ¡ª ept it. A will which longed for his own destruction, which flowed from the depth of darkness. However, even after knowing that, it felt so sweet that he had no choice but to ept it. An iprehensible feeling, when he listened, it tickled his nose and made his mouth water. It turned his mind hazy. Grayson thought in that hazy state. ept it? Refuse it? In the battle of swords like in the arena was happening in the training room, the conclusion he reached was to step on. Tat! Grayson widened the distance. He could have aimed for a counterattack because his opponent wasn¡¯t weak. Filled with jealousy, envy, frustration and self-doubt, he couldn¡¯t trust himself anymore. Closing his eyes, he lowered his chin. An ambiguous gesture which made it difficult to decipher if he nodded or not. However, the owner of the voice inside him let him strength with a smile. Before long, a gigantic aura which couldn¡¯t bepared to before flowed out of Grayson¡¯s body. Wooong! A shadow descended on Kuvar¡¯s face as he saw that. Even if he didn¡¯t know much about swords, he knew that this Grayson was different from the one a second back. The ck Aura which rose like a haze reminded him of the mes of hell. Even the blood red eyes got darker. Any more time and Kuvar wasn¡¯t sure what would happen. It was when Kuvar was getting worried. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Said Irene. And that single word calmed Kuvar¡¯s heart in an instant. He looked at Irene with shocked eyes. Then, he suddenly felt warm. Like a bonfire in front of a weakened traveler engulfed in darkness and cold, Irene¡¯s Aura was warm and lit the room. ¡°Bratt once said something like this.¡± In that situation, Irene was speaking normally. Like he was out for a pic on a spring day. The swordsman in front of him was turning one with a demon and the Aura was rising, but he didn¡¯t care. And now Kuvar too seemed to know. To him, who smiled btedly, Irene spoke with a trustworthy voice. ¡°Given enough time to prepare for the attack¡­ probably no one can defeat you unless one was a Sword Master.¡± Woong! Phat! At that moment, a great swordrger than Grayson formed. Irene didn¡¯t hit him, his goal was to win. Killing Grayson by hitting him in half wasn¡¯t what Irene wanted. In Irene¡¯s eyes, which were looking clearly at the entire picture of the room, the surprised face of the opponent was looked at. And there didn¡¯t seem to be a single problem. Grayson¡¯s ck sword was caught in the trajectory of the great sword which fell down. Kaang! Soon the sword split in half with a loud sound. Kuvar could hear it. Something terrifying screamed. Gulping, he asked. ¡°That sound just now, was it Grayson?¡± ¡°No.¡± Responding to Irene right away, he added something with a puzzled expression. ¡°However¡­ it seems certain that something unusual happened.¡± ¡®This is¡­¡¯ Grayson, who had lost his mind, opened his eyes as the ck sword broke. Vague memories came back. The way he changed. The change in his mind. After staring at the dark ceiling for a long time, he closed his eyes. ¡®I made an irreversible mistake.¡¯ The power borrowed from the devil had disappeared. Thanks to the young man from Krono. It wasn¡¯t exact, but the moment the fiery Aura touched him, he felt his body turn lighter. He felt d. However, that didn¡¯t mean that all that he had done till then was forgiven. Clenching his teeth, he thought. ¡®What I was giving in return for borrowing the power from the devil was¡­ my pride.¡¯ Yes. He had no talent for Aura, but he achieved excellent swordsmanship, his confidence, his pride¡­ It was a treasure that he had to protect for the rest of his life, but he was about to give it up. ¡®I threw away the meaning of life.¡¯ Tears flowed from Grayson¡¯s eyes. Actual tears and not the blood. He felt them running down his face and then on the floor until he felt lighter. Irene Pareira. He didn¡¯t even think of wiping away the tears and sat cross legged. Eventually, the two looked at each other. And after a while Grayson spoke. ¡°What do you want?¡± A voice which felt burnt out. It wasn¡¯t just the voice. As if life was sucked out of his body, he had lost the will to live. His mind was a mess. Kuvar, a spiritualist, knew that. This meant that the ¡®me¡¯, the most important of the five elements which made up life, had disappeared. ¡®When the me is extinguished the cycle of earth, metal, water and trees is cut off and life gets cut off. Unfortunately¡­ this is it for Grayson.¡¯ Kuvar¡¯s expression darkened. The man gave up on himself. ¡°Well.¡± But not Irene Pareira. Closer, more closer. He walked over and sat right in front of Grayson. And then looked at his opponent with shining eyes. ¡®What?¡¯ A look of embarrassment shed on the face of the swordsman. He tried to move his upper body back, but the energy emanating from Irene was too burdensome. And he couldn¡¯t move. Irene, reached out faster than him, and grabbed Grayson¡¯s hand. ¡°My request.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°As cool as you were till now, I wish for Mr. Grayson to continue the diator matches.¡± It was the moment Irene finished speaking. Kuvar could feel the energy from the young man¡¯s body enter Grayson. A hot energy removing what the remaining darkness that was left behind and pushing away the chill in his body. Seeing the emberse to life, the Orc spiritualist had no choice but to look at the scene in shock. Chapter 138: I Learned It By Myself (1)

Chapter 138: I Learned It By Myself (1)

Inside the empty training room. In the centre of it, two people were immersed in meditation. Grayson wanted to control the mystical Aura which Irene Pareira gave him and Irene Pareira wanted to observe and grasp the new changes which had taken ce in him. The orc, who took the role of protecting them, was alone in his own thoughts in the room. ¡®That me¡­ what was it?¡¯ He could only guess how that energy came about. It was probably the energy which was inside Irene¡¯s mind. The passion and beliefs of youth were usually revealed in the form of mes among the five spirits. In fact, in his hometown, there were many cases where excellent warriors or spirits would give their energy to children whocked the me. But what Irene showed was different. This wasn¡¯t just giving him me, but this was more like encouraging him to live. It was as if he gave a spark of hope to the shipwrecked person who gave up on everything. A thought popped into Kuvar''s head when he recalled that. The one who taught him astrology and animism. ¡®How will the teacher react when he meets Irene?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t imagine it. Neither Irene nor his teacher were ordinary people. Contemting their meeting, he sighed and then focused on the people. Irene would be fine, but Grayson was still in a dangerous state. He was more sensitive as he was given energy. ¡°¡­¡± In the meantime, Irene Pareia was realizing one by one what changed in him. First of all, the easiest one was the amount of Aura in him which increased. Was it because of the me in his heart which recently grew? In the process of transformation the stake had turned into a sword he could hold, and the stubborn man¡¯s will was controlled. Like a very thin piece of thread, the will of the man was reced with an Aura which spread out evenly in his body. But even more delightful than that was the part where his spark changed Grayson¡¯s heart. ¡®If I can use my current power well¡­ I might be able to get Ilya back.¡¯ Up until now, Irene focused on how to defeat Ilya Lindsay. Since conversation didn¡¯t seem to work with her, he was trying to use the sword to have a proper conversation with her, but he didn¡¯t have the confidence to defeat her yet, so he didn¡¯t have the time to think deeply about what he was. Because of that, Irene constantly concentrated all his attention on improving skills but on the other hand, he was worried about what would happen after convincing Ilya. Now, he felt like his worries were resolved. ¡®At least¡­ I think things are better than what I was worried about.¡¯ A faint smile appeared on Irene¡¯s face. Still, the problem was that he had no idea how this change happened. Until now, he worked hard to nurture the me in his heart and deal with the stubborn will of the man and now he had achieved results. But he didn¡¯t think that the results woulde so suddenly. At least like the school master said, the me wasplete only after he found a new path and a new sword. However, it wasn¡¯t the end. Irene still didn¡¯t know how far to travel. He felt more had to be done¡­ ¡®No, I shouldn¡¯t be worried about this now.¡¯ Irene shook his head. Right. Things haven''t beenpletely resolved yet as Ilya''s matter was still at hand. Thanks to the man¡¯s will, he was able to purify Grayson¡¯s magi, and thanks to the spark, he was able to make Grayson want to live. However, Ilya and Grayson were different. She was much, much stronger. ¡®Whatever it is, it is a fact that Ilya needs to be defeated by the sword.¡¯ If so, what he had to do hadn¡¯t changed. Irene, who had managed to get his mind around this, opened his eyes and got up. ¡°All done?¡± ¡°Yes, for now¡­ actually, I don¡¯t exactly know what my condition is. I figured out that I am stronger than before.¡± ¡°That is good.¡± ¡°I know. Ah, that sword¡­¡± ¡°Right. It is drenched in magi. He must have been influenced by it.¡± Kuvar picked up Grayson''s sword while wearing spirit gloves filled with anti-magi energy. Even though the sword was split in two with Irene¡¯s attack, the sword was still giving out unpleasant energy. The orc used his spirit powers to meticulously seal it, and then put it in his leather backpack with anti-magi energy. ¡°Suddenly, I¡¯s wordse to my mind.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Irene had the same thought. She said that these days there were more and more people who were using cursed objects. And that seemed real. Even if they weren¡¯t sure, this was the third time. The Alhad bandit, the twin swordsmen and now this. ¡®Something doesn¡¯t seem right.¡¯ Kuvar frowned again. From the moment the thought entered his mind and he said it out loud, his anxiety was growing and now he was speechless. This couldn¡¯t be ignored. He looked at Grayson, who just opened his eyes. Unlike before, the blood red eyes had disappeared. However, the bloodstains on his lips and specks of blood in eyes didn¡¯t vanish. But there was no reason to point it out. Kuvar asked. ¡°The sword you used...¡± ¡°I am sorry but I know nothing.¡± Grayson answered in a blunt voice, and a small groan. It wasn¡¯t because he was in pain. It was because he was aware of how he just answered it. Was that why? The next words were softer and the tone changed as well. ¡°¡­ it is hard to believe, but it is true. It was the day of the battle with the champion. I was tormented by the thought that it would be difficult to destroy the Aura Sword of the opponent, so I fell asleepte that day. And when I woke up in the morning, the sword was stuck in the middle of the room.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Of course, I was suspicious and wary, but the moment I saw the sword, the thoughts vanished. It was incredibly sharp, admirably hard¡­ the moment I gripped it, I thought that no one could take that sword away from me. So I started the game with the sword and after that¡­ you know the rest.¡± There was an ufortable silence. Neither Irene, Kuvar nor Grayson spoke. Grayson¡¯s face was darker in the dim room. And the eventful confrontation between Irene and Grayson hade to an end. A messy day passed and a new day dawned. In the meantime, Grayson thought and reflected deeply. As if it was a sort of confession for him, he confided in Irene and Kuvar about his situation, his frustration and sense of deprivation. Of course, he didn¡¯t think that his sins would wash away because of that. ¡°The ominous sword wasn¡¯t without influence, the demon whispered in my mind and then¡­ I am not making excuses. It all happened because my will was weak.¡± Grayson¡¯s story was just a courtesy to the man who saved him. He didn¡¯t want to take help and not give anything back in return. The middle-aged diator, who looked at the sword sealed by Kuvar, opened his mouth with a smile. ¡°When done with my work, I was nning on heading to the temple.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I will confess my sins and face the judgement and ask for forgiveness too and make sure that my heart has been washed away of all the evil¡­ after that, I will continue my life as a diator like you said.¡± The sorcerer and the spiritualist looked at his eyes, Grayson¡¯s heart was pure. Not a single grain of magi could be felt. However, they couldn¡¯t say no to the man because of doubts, so they both nodded their heads. Of course, the parting wasn¡¯t immediate. The ¡®work¡¯ Grayson had to do was more like Irene¡¯s work. ¡°Then, should we start?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Irene nodded his bright face and summoned his great sword while Grayson took a stance with a new long sword. Eventually, the two swung their swords at each other. Kang! Kaang! Kang! Was it because he let go of the frustration, burden and anger? Grayson¡¯s sword seemed more free and cheerful. Although itcked the powerpared to yesterday, it was difficult for Irene to grasp the ever-changing sword. And this was despite Irene observing the Aura. And that wasn¡¯t the only surprise. Grayson too felt shocked by Irene¡¯s swordsmanship. ¡®Is this the sword of someone in their early 20s?¡¯ Irene was slower than him andcked precision. And the changes werecking too. However, the swordsmanship which guards the centre with a wide de and upies the lead position was powerful enough to cover the shorings. And all this made Ireneg behind Grayson, but the factors mentioned above weren¡¯tcking much whenpared to Experts. What surprised him the most was the Aura. ¡°I was worried about the Aura operation so I looked carefully to see if it was insufficient, but you aren¡¯t bad? Rather, I am surprised to find you do this. It isn¡¯t easy for young people to learn this.¡± ¡°Thank you. However, Compared to Mr. Grayson I am far behind. Especially¡­ Aura movement? I can¡¯t exactly exin it.¡± Irene smiled. But that was true,pared to Grayson¡¯s smooth and quick Aura operation, his level was low. In particr when ites to concentrating Aura in one part of the body. There was a huge difference in that part and Grayson''s technique of focusing Aura on the needed part looked like a miracle. ¡®It is incredibly difficult.¡¯ It was like not just using the forearm muscles to win arm wrestling but to use the muscles in thighs along with forearms. And feeling all that was a difficult task, but Grayson did it naturally. He exined his feelings slowly and the middle-aged diator listened to it and answered it in a low voice. ¡°I know what you are curious about.¡± ¡°Thank god the meaning has been conveyed.¡± ¡°However, there is one thing I am curious about. Why is it difficult to exin?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You could have just asked me to tell you the second half of the 3 part Aura operation, and the know-how of concentration. I would have understood it right away, but why did you have to say all¡­¡± ¡°The 3 part?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Silence passed for a moment. Irene and Grayson both looked at each other. They looked at each other as if they were both thinking the right thing, but in the end Grayson, who couldn¡¯t stand the silence, opened his mouth. ¡°I am just asking.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You know, the basic concept of Aura¡­ that, three sets of Aura operation and the third set of the second half, you don¡¯t know that?¡± ¡°¡­ if you can exin the concept I will probably understand it¡­ I never learned that theory.¡± ¡°I thought you came from Krono¡­¡± ¡°Ah¡­ for personal reasons, I only learned physical and swordsmanship there, but¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°The Aura happenedter¡­¡± Irene paused for a moment. Irene didn¡¯t know about the Aura. He just kept using his sword in the sorcery world and now he uses it against his mates when training. However, he couldn¡¯t exin all that to Grayson. In the end, what he could say was decided. ¡°¡­ somehow it happened, it was just closer to practice.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That means¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°The current Aura operation isn¡¯t based on theory and experience¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But by feeling alone, you learned it¡­ right?¡± Irene stayed silent. However, this was enough to answer. And silence fell again. This time it was more ufortable. Grayson, who had been standing, pulled out his cigarette. And then he lit it and inhaled it deeply. ¡°Phew¡­¡± Bang! He swung the sword strongly. It was to prevent the smoke from reaching Irene, still it was full of emotions. To his heart which felt like sinking again, he mumbled. ¡®I always knew it, but life is so absurd.¡¯ Chapter 139: I Learned It By Myself (2)

Chapter 139: I Learned It By Myself (2)

On the day of the match between Ilya and Grayson. Irene wasn¡¯t the only one who was stimted by the two diators. Judith returned to her personal training centre with a stiff face as soon as the match was over and Bratt Lloyd raised his sword to aid her. A few days passed like that. Seeing her working hard and training so much, the blue haired man said. ¡°Look here.¡± ¡°Huk, huk¡­ what?¡± ¡°It is meal time.¡± ¡°¡­ really?¡± Judith looked up at Bratt¡¯s words. Suddenly the darkened sky came into her view. She nodded and walked to the bench in the corner. She was going to eat the bread and sausages she had prepared beforehand, but then heard a voice. ¡°Not that, why don¡¯t we go out and eat today?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± ¡°That''s a shame we don''t have time for that, bullshit.¡± ¡°What? You jerk¡­¡± Judith raised eyebrows. For her, who was already sensitive, Bratt''s words were unbearable. However Bratt continued to speak. ¡°Why are you making so much time?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°What are you gaining with the time you save when eating? Is it because you get to be strong or because you like to hurt yourself like a pervert addicted to pain? Thetter? Do you want to suffer a little more?¡± ¡°Why are you getting mad?¡± ¡°The one getting mad isn¡¯t me. Judith, I am only going to say this once, so listen.¡± Bratt Lloyd took a step closer to Judith. As he approached, he reached out towards her and then looked into her eyes and said, ¡°First, what you have been doing till now is meaningless training all day without concentrating on a single thing. Second, eat a proper meal, shake off your unnecessary emotions and focus on swordsmanship.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Which one? Decide quickly.¡± ¡°¡­ second one. Sorry.¡± Judith apologized. Seeing her mild reaction, Bratt sighed. He had been with Judith for nearly 7 years, so he knew her very well. Perhaps the negative emotions were boiling inside and were on the verge of bursting. Of course, Judith was still trying to move forward¡­ ¡®This time, it¡¯s a little different.¡¯ Ilya Lindsay. And Irene Pareira. Bratt actually sighed when he thought of the two names, but he managed to hold the sigh in. They were themselves. And he was himself. And Judith was Judith. Bratt knows that no matter how hard it gets, he will move up. However, a little help along the way¡­ He wondered if it would be okay to say a word. ¡®Right. It isn¡¯t like I have any particr thing I am selfish about.¡¯ Bratt nodded. The reason he found a pretty decent ce and a dessert shop to visit was so that Judith could rest. And if she could continue her efficient training through this, that was enough. ¡°What is it? You''re just standing dumbly.¡± Judith said that while looking at Bratt who was lost in thought. Bratt controlled his expression. ¡°Nothing. Let¡¯s wash up and then go eat. It is a good ce.¡± ¡°Are you paying?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Expensive one?¡± ¡°¡­ yes.¡± ¡°Oh, I look forward to it.¡± Judith seemed much brighter now. And the expressionless face of Bratt had a faint smile on it. Of course, that didn¡¯tst long. He smiled and then looked at another ce. And there stood Irene Pareira. ¡°¡­ when did youe?¡± ¡°Just now. Did something good happen?¡± ¡°¡­ I was just reminded of a funny incident.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Irene nodded his head. He didn¡¯t doubt what Bratt said. Bratt exhaled and Irene asked. ¡°Is Judith here too?¡± ¡°Yes. Why?¡± ¡°I wanted to have dinner together. I have something to say and something to ask.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Uh? Did you guys already eat?¡± ¡°¡­ No. Let''s have it together.¡± Bratt nodded and went into the building to wash himself. ¡°¡­¡± Irene felt that strange feel again. But it didn¡¯tst for long. Rather, it was because he was focused on what he wanted to say to them. After a while, the three trainees of Krono went into the ce. ¡°¡­¡± Irene¡¯s shocking words made the heavy air awkward. ¡®You never learned to operate Aura¡­ not at all?¡¯ ¡®Then what have you shown till now, all alone?¡¯ Silence. In the midst of that, Bratt thought about Irene¡¯s words. When he thought, it made sense. Since Irene was a pre-trainee, for five years after selection he was confined in another world. And he didn¡¯t have someone he could learn it from. Nevertheless, Bratt never once thought about it because Irene¡¯s swordsmanship and the Aura operation were natural. As if someone had taught him. Just those thoughts made goosebumps rise. ¡®This extent of self-learning without anyone teaching, and the Krono type Aura operation theory added¡­¡¯ There was nothing unique about the Krono style Aura. It was just putting in a few unique interpretations intomonly known first three sets and the second half three sets. And there was a high chance of Irene already learning that. However, there was a clear difference between building up a framework based on theory for many years and umting from experience, and then adding this and that without a system. Perhaps¡­ If Irene could learn the Krono theory now¡­ It was when Bratt¡¯s thoughts deepened. Gulp. ¡°Oh, it is a little hot inside, I will get some fresh air.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon so wait for me. Bratt, don''t eat mine.¡± Judith walked out after downing her ss. Irene looked at her back with aplicated expression. Bratt too had a simr expression on his face. He looked in the direction Judith had disappeared and then at Irene, before he got up. ¡°I will be back in just a moment.¡± ¡°Huh. I will wait here.¡± Bratt moved out before Irene could evenplete his sentence. ¡®Where did she go?¡¯ He came out and looked. However, Judith was nowhere to be seen. It was a short time, but it wasn¡¯t easy to find someone who had already mixed into the crowd. Damn it. Maybe it would have been easy for Bratt if he had a sorcerer¡¯s instincts. Thinking to himself, Bratt wandered around the street, whether he intended or not, people were looking at him and he thought. Is she fine? She probably isn¡¯t. So what should he do? How many times did he have to keep doing this and y the bad person to her? He didn¡¯t like this much. But it was true that there was no other way, so Bratt moved faster and prepared to be hated by her. 10 minutes passed? He saw Judith sitting on a bench in a dark ce, and he pushed back the thought of grabbing her. Bratt watched her hot tears run down to her knees and Judith spoke. ¡°Defeating Ilya, that was a lie.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It makes no sense, I know that too. It is ridiculous, Irene spoke all that, so he talks about nonsense so casually, so¡­ I didn¡¯t want to lose to him, so I said the same thing but I knew that it wouldn¡¯t work. Not just me, even Irene knows that as well. But¡­¡± Judith who spoke up to that point paused. Tears were still flowing. She exhaled and continued. ¡°Isn¡¯t that absurd? To win over a Master, doing it in 4 years is hard enough, but to do it in 4 months, even if I work 7 years from now and be a Sword Master at 25, I will be a genius Sword Master. And be on the same level as schoolmaster Ian¡­ it will be a great thing to hear. But it is nonsense. Honestly, this is ridiculous. All a waste.¡± ¡°But Irene, that bastard really challenged all that ridiculous stuff.¡± ¡°When I doubt it and don¡¯t believe it and pretend to work hard.¡± ¡°When I pretend to practice because I feel inferior and am unable to focus on training.¡± ¡°He is actually seriously thinking about defeating Ilya, looking for a way constantly, trying¡­¡± ¡°Before considering talent, I was no match because of my mindset. Euuu! Euuu! Gasp! Euuu! Fuck¡­¡± ¡°Calm down.¡± Judith¡¯s emotions grew stronger. Bratt walked over and reached tofort her. Her tears didn¡¯t stop despite him patting her back and the story wasn¡¯t over yet. ¡°You know what is even more pathetic?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Me¡­ when Irene talked about Aura operation, for a second I thought that I shouldn¡¯t tell him.¡± Bratt wasn¡¯t surprised. It was a possible thought. People tend to be like that, no matter how friendly they are, the mind would sometimes turn narrow when their pride gets trampled on. Even more so for strong people like Judith. So he could understand the pain she was going through. Although she had a dirty personality, lived a life constantly swearing and making people angry¡­ Judith Bratt knew she was a straight person. It means that she was not someone who could be defeated by dark feelings. ¡°¡­¡± A gloomy atmosphere sunk in. Patting her back, Bratt thought. What should I do? How to console her? He couldn¡¯t think of anything. Not a single word came to his mind, as if he was suddenly an idiot. His face grew anxious. At that time. Unexpected words came out of Judth¡¯s mouth. ¡°Teaching Irene, I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°¡­ you?¡± ¡°Uh. I will do it. Definitely.¡± She wiped her face with both hands. But it was no use as tears were still flowing. Still, she looked better than when he found her. At least for Bratt she looked better. ¡°If I carry on with this narrow heart, I don¡¯t think I will get much sess. So¡­ I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Do you understand? Uh? Uh? Answer me.¡± Judith raised her head, looked at him and then made a fist. The force she use wasn''t much, just a simple tuk-tuk on his body, and it wasn¡¯t painful, so Bratt nodded his head. ¡®I came here to be the bad person and cheer her on, but I am getting hit.¡¯ He looked at Judith who kept hitting him. Looking at the puffy eyes which are unsightly, his lips took a smile. ¡°Your face is ugly. Well it was normally like this.¡± ¡°You crazy bastard¡­¡± Puck! Puck! This time the force in her fist was stronger. And so strong that it was hard to pass off her punch as a joke. Still, Bratt didn¡¯t stop smiling. It was a strange thing, but¡­ It was much morefortable to be hit. ¡°If you don¡¯t follow it properly, you will be taken down by the Krono method. Put your mind to it.¡± Seeing Judith roaring at him, Irene was surprised. Because he assumed it would be Bratt who would teach him. ¡®What is he thinking?¡¯ He looked him in the eye, but couldn¡¯t figure it out. The mixed thoughts and emotions were tooplex to interpret. But there was one thing he was certain of. Right now, he had to do his best. If I get a littlezy¡­ I will be caught right away.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t about Ilya Lindsay. Nor was he conscious about Bratt and Judith. ¡°I will try my best.¡± ¡°Yes. You should be doing that.¡± And so, the 27th batch trainee Irene Pareira, started Aura operation of Krono type a littlete. 40 days have passed since then. Chapter 140: Unbreakable Sword (1)

Chapter 140: Unbreakable Sword (1)

The basic concept of Aura operation is divided into 6 categories. An umtion which builds up a mystical power inside. Reinforcement which exerts the power umted. The hardening which makes it bearable for the body. A flowering/ blooming of the sharpening of senses. Concentration which gathers the aura in one ce and seeks for a greater power. Finally, the manifestation of the power which radiates the power outside the body. Among them, the first 3 are the first set and the second three are the second set. And Irene Pareira had already learned all of this. Naturally. If he hadn¡¯t umted the aura in the first ce, he wouldn¡¯t have reached the level of Expert, and he wouldn¡¯t have been able to wield his sword like he did. And he wouldn¡¯t have created a body which was strong enough to withstand the aura. But did that mean that Judith¡¯s theoretical education was useless¡­? ¡®No.¡¯ Apart from the first set first point, ¡®the build up¡¯ which depended on each individual, The concept of reinforcement, hardening, and blooming were helpful. The wastage of power consumption was cut in half with the help of the exnation, which was previously being done by instinct and senses. However, even more important than that were the other two concepts, concentration, and manifestation. ¡®The shing of the sword by the man in the dream which I have used till now was based on these two concepts.¡¯ The aura of the body flowing through the sword. It didn¡¯t stop there, but it also held the aura firmly and did not let it scatter. Putting heart and soul into it and releasing the concentrated energy. That was manifestation. And it was the essence of the sh which Irene used. Of course, that wasn¡¯t the only thing that could be done with concentration and manifestation. Concentrating ¡®energy¡¯ on others was the most basic applied technique, and it used a simr principle to scatter energy, simr to Bratt¡¯s water-like shield. The spark-like energy which sprang up from Judith¡¯s sword and the haze which rose on Charlotte and Victor¡¯s swords were all simr concepts. But Irene didn¡¯t want any of the above. ¡°Sigh.¡± Standing in the center of John Drew¡¯s training room, he took a deep breath. Thanks to the power of sorcery, Irene was always able to maintain perfect concentration, and when he tried this, he could feel his senses bing sharper. Every cell in his body. The aura in the body. All of it was drawn out as if his hand could grasp it. The moment he was contemting that, Irene raised the aura. Wooong¡­. Not in a hurry, but not too slowly either, the energy which came to the great sword was concentrated evenly. The aura that filled the sword now was a lot more than what he used in the past shes. However, it still felt fine to control. The use of the Krono type aura operation eliminated the waste of power, and Irene¡¯s aura had increased a lot after the confrontation with Grayson. In other words, it could be said that Irenepleted the ¡®process¡¯ enough to challenge the status of a ¡®Master.¡¯ Wooong¡­! Of course, just because the amount of aura wasrge, it didn¡¯t mean that he knew the aura sword. Irene would have to concentrate the entire huge power onto his sword. And strengthen it enough to cut through anything. Conversely, he should also use the aura and harden his sword, so it does not cut. In the midst of such a situation, he would have to be sensitive and be stable enough to not lose bnce. While keeping all of this perfect, he would have to manifest the aura outside his body. But. Wong¡­ woong¡­. Woong! Despite having perfectly mastered the five steps, Irene couldn¡¯t get the final one done. He sighed. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± He knew that it wasn¡¯t an easy task. This waspletely different from the shes he did. The aura sword, which needed the person to pay attention to all six points at the same time and handle it carefully, was the most difficult one to do. However, Irene was frustrated was because of a different reason. ¡®Why do I feel like the sword is sucking in the aura each time I manifest it?¡¯ And it was. Irene was confident that he had enough skills to pull out an aura sword. But when asked if Irene could use it in a real situation, then it was a doubt, but Irene had reached a point where it was strange if he couldn¡¯t do it when he was practicing. Because there have been times when he almost seeded. However, each time he came close, the sorcery sword sucked in the aura. Like a hungry child craving for mother¡¯s milk. Each time he did, he felt as if not just the aura, but his mental strength was also slowing down and being absorbed. The fortunate thing was that the sword, which absorbed Irene¡¯s energy, was giving out a different atmosphere. The appearance was still the same. Old, clunky, and a de which didn¡¯t seem proper; it was the same blunt weapon. However, that didn¡¯t matter now. Woo! Wooo! ¡®Somehow¡­ I feel reassured.¡¯ A strange feeling Irene couldn¡¯t put into words. It wasn¡¯t a bad strange, rather a nice one. Irene, who thought for a while, shook his head and concentrated on his sorcery sword again. A few days ago, he was tempted to pick up and listen to another sword. But he didn¡¯t. His so-called sorcery instinct was turning him obsessed over this one sword. Of course, his judgment now could maybe lead him to bad results, but for now, Irene decided to put his worries aside. Because the time he had left was too short to doubt and be anxious. At that moment, the door of the training room opened, and two people entered. It was Judith who coached Irene for 40 days and Grayson. Judith, who came closer, asked. ¡°How is your condition?¡± ¡°Not bad.¡± ¡°Will this be enough? Your opponent is a former champion, you know.¡± ¡°I need to beat the current champion; I can¡¯t be getting scared of the former one.¡± ¡°That is true¡­, ugh, I don¡¯t know, you¡¯ll figure things out.¡± ¡°That is right. Mr. Pareira won¡¯t be pushed back. Of course, don¡¯t ck off with the opponent just ahead, but¡­¡± Judith and Grayson spoke with concern. They had no choice but to be worried. Ricardo Pinto, the former champion, suddenly appeared after a month¡¯s hiatus. It was because Irene could only get to challenging the current champion if he could defeat the former. ¡®Ricardo Pinto¡¯s skills are¡­well needless to say he¡¯s at the top level of Expert.¡¯ Grayson¡¯s expression hardened. Having the Sword Master Harrison Pinto as his father, Ricardo was a great man who couldn¡¯t be defeated by anyone except for Jet Frost five years back. And he must surely be stronger now. However, it was even more worrisome that the sword he inherited from his father was the rarest one in the world. ¡®The 1st Vulcanus Numbering Sword¡­ among the masterpieces of Vulcanus, this sword is known to be the mostplete.¡¯ Perhaps, that was why Ricardo Pinto was back. A sword which was good enough to be safe when handling aura sword attacks. And if his perfect swordsmanship was added to that, then Ricardo would have the chance of winning against a novice master. Perhaps, only Ilya Lindsay existed in his head. For the past 40 days, Irene Pareira had been focusing on training without a single match. ¡®Still, I have both a story and fame, so if I can win this match, I will be qualified to challenge the champion right away¡­¡¯ Could he win? Irene didn¡¯t think he was at a disadvantage. However, it was true that Ricardo Pinto¡¯s power was formidable and that victory wasn¡¯t guaranteed. Judith too looked at Irene with a stiff face. ¡°I will definitely win. don¡¯t worry.¡± To the two, Irene showed unwavering confidence. And it wasn¡¯t a simple bluff just to cheer them. Woong! Wooong! He swung his sword. A more sophisticated sword thanks to the smoother aura operation he learned. Grayson gulped while Judith looked at it strangely. Irene, who swung the sword, spoke with a faint smile. ¡°If it is the first numbering sword¡­ then he is the perfect match for us.¡± March 29th A good time when the long winter was just over and warmth was spreading, another big match was held in the Land of Proof. Ricardo Pinto, the strongest expert, who resigned from the position of champion five years back, appeared in the arena once again. His opponent was Irene Pareira, who wasn¡¯t ordinary. For a swordsman of 22 years, he was young. However, he defeated all the strong men of the west and was one gate away from challenging the champion. If Ricardo won this match, he would have a chance to pay back for the loss he suffered a long time ago. The onlookers predicted the win and loss of the match. ¡°Who will win?¡± ¡°Won¡¯t it be Ricardo? They say that no one can beat him among experts.¡± ¡°Right. Besides, the Vulcanus numbering sword¡­ maybe even a Sword Master could be defeated.¡± ¡°But the appearance which Irene Pareira has shown is great too, right? The fact that he came this far.¡± ¡°Hm, but¡­¡± ¡°Besides, if you look at the sword, the young man¡¯s sword is pretty great too; he said it was a sorcery sword or something?¡± In the midst of debating who was stronger, people expressed their various opinions. Of course, most people chose the Vulcanus numbering sword. No matter how great the sorcery sword was, it was difficult for it to lose with a sword made by the greatest cksmith in the world. ¡°Huh. Right. Why evenpare the swords.¡± Ricardo was well aware of the audience¡¯s reaction. He couldn¡¯t not know. He looked at the magazines and saw countless articles. And the media was quite open about the arena and the diators. However, for him, having his name on the same page as his opponent was unpleasant. With a wild smile, he waited for the match to start. ¡®I admit that he will be a genius who will go down in history.¡¯ Maybe in 10 years, or even 5 years, he might lose to this opponent. But not now. With the numbering sword, he inherited from his father, his confidence had skyrocketed. And then. ¡°Start!¡± Kang! Kang! Kakang! At the referee''s cry, he watched Irene Pareira wield his great sword¡­ He couldn¡¯t help feeling anger and ridicule at the same time. His opponent¡¯s intentions were so obvious. ¡®This child, right now he¡­¡¯ He wasn¡¯t aiming at Ricardo but at his sword to break it? Ricardo Pintoughed inside and stared at Irene Pareira. Chapter 141: Unbreakable Sword (2)

Chapter 141: Unbreakable Sword (2)

It wasn¡¯t like this now, but in the past, in the Land of Proof, diators would be wounded and often killed in matches. The games were done in a poor environment with no quality potions or priests on standby, and idents often happened. For that reason, some diators established the ¡®Weapon Break¡¯ rule to prevent that. It was to decide the victory and defeat without aiming for the life of the opponent but the sword. Recalling that, the former champion Ricardo Pinto smiled. His white teeth created the atmosphere of the fangs of a vicious beast. ¡®How dare he think of a weapon break, of MY weapon?¡¯ Naturally, the victory or defeat of Weapon Break wasn¡¯t determined by the sword alone. Even a legendary sword, when held by a viger, would be inferior to a wooden sword or a cheap sword in the hands of a Sword Master. However, if asked, ¡®Does the quality of the sword have an effect on the match?¡¯ then Ricardo would shake his head in affirmation. ¡®It will be because of this sword that I will be able to win against Ilya Lindsay.¡¯ The value of a famous sword is truly great. It allows one to withstand a Master, and makes people equal in a match, and allows one to constantly go against people of simr skill. Then the current situation? The opponentcked swordsmanship skillspared to Ricardo. With a sword too lower in quality than him, what on earth was the young man thinking by taking up this match? He couldn¡¯t figure it out. But¡­ ¡®I¡¯ll ept this!¡¯ Ricardo Pinto decided to ept the match. With a smile, he swung his sword. ¡°Teheh!¡± Swosh! Kwanng! The two swords shed violently. Most of the audience frowned at the deafening sound. However, that wasn¡¯t the end. Once, twice, and thrice¡­ the sound kepting. As if it didn¡¯t care about anything else. Even the other diators who were watching were shocked. They too, realized the flow of the current match. ¡°Crazy, is he that confident?¡± ¡°He must be crazy. Even though the fact that it is a sorcery sword, going against the Vulcanus sword is¡­¡± ¡°He wouldn¡¯t be able to win in a normal way, right? Then thinking about this¡­¡± Some thought it was stupid, and the others thought that this was a fine n. But they could do nothing. They all knew that Ricardo Pinto¡¯s swordsmanship skills were on the same level as a Master, so it was highly likely that Irene wouldn¡¯t even have a chance of winning in a head-to-head match. Of course, the fame of the Numbering Sword was even greater¡­ ¡®Sometimes, when cornered, people make bad judgments.¡¯ Right. In the end, Ricardo¡¯s victory was already decided in the beginning. Although the audience cheered for Irene for the sake of the match, the veteran swordsmen who knew the flow already decided. What could happen if Ricardo Pinto meets a Numbering Sword? How great would the synergy be? Maybe he¡­ could actually defeat a Sword Master. Because of that, the eyes of the diators were already looking forward to the next match. However, not everyone was like that. ¡°¡­¡± People who knew Irene before the others knew about him. People who knew better than anyone what kind of training Irene had been doing, what kind of talent, and what kind of mindset he had. Judith and Bratt hadpletely different ideas from the others. They watched the stage with stiff faces. Even if people around them criticized Irene for his foolishness, they couldn¡¯t think as such. Seeing these two, people murmured. The strong bond of Krono. It was a voice filled with sarcasm. However, Judith and Bratt weren¡¯t shaken, and the same was with Irene. And time went by¡­ About 10 minutes after the start of the match. The audience, including the veterans, felt something strange. Kwang! Swords collided. Kwang! Kang! Again and again. Kwaang! As much as the sound of hammering in a cksmith, the sound of metal colliding kept reaching their ears. If one was a child, the child would start crying, saying that its ears hurt. However, no oneined. Someone unconsciously mumbled. ¡°When, when is the sword going to break?¡± Talking to himself, but not just himself. It was the question which represented the thoughts of everyone watching. Wasn¡¯t the sword they were looking at now the one of the great Vulcanus Numbering Swords? The one in Ricardo¡¯s hand. Except for Jet Frost, no Expert could win over him. But this young man was holding out? Even if the sword was made with sorcery, it looked crude and unsightly. However¡­ And that wasn¡¯t all. One of the swordsmen who saw the haze-like light on Ricardo¡¯s sword eximed. ¡°Ricardo is being pushed!¡± It was unmistakably true. Through ¡®manifestation,¡¯ the aura in the body is extracted, and ¡®concentration¡¯ prevents the scattering of energy. The result was the light on Ricardo¡¯s sword; it was something most Experts couldn¡¯t even dare to do. However, this was an aura operation which was only morous on the surface and not suitable for usage. It was because the wastage was far greater. Nevertheless, using it meant Ricardo was being defensive. But something even shocking happened. Irene Pareira, who looked at Ricardo¡¯s sword, swung again instead of taking time or widening the distance. Kwanng! The loudest sound. Of course, it didn¡¯t end here. A roar spread. A roar rang out. And it kept ringing without stopping. Without even covering their ears, the people kept watching the match. No. It was a solo stage. Because only one person was taking the attention of the audience, Irene Pareira. And after a while. ck! ¡°¡­!¡± Apletely different sound than before was heard, and the match ended. The dignified appearance which was there in the beginning was nowhere to be seen, and Ricardo Pinot was standing in disbelief with a broken sword. After bowing to the man, Irene Pareira looked at something. There was no need for the referee to give out the end sign. There was no need for an interview. The audience, full of excitement, kept screaming one name over and over again. ¡°Irene Pareira!¡± ¡°Irene Pareira!¡± ¡°Irene Pareira!¡± The arena was in a frenzy. Of course, that was just the beginning. The really important match would be held next month. Ilya Lindsay vs. Irene Pareira! And people were screaming, anticipating the final battle which woulde. ¡°¡­¡± The current champion of the Land of Proof ignored Irene¡¯s gaze and quietly left the arena. A day after the match between Irene Pareira and Ricardo Pinto, the schedule for the championship match, which the audience were waiting for, was revealed. About two weekster, on 13th of April, it will be 4 months since Irene came to Eisenmarkt. As always, people were back to picking sides. Some said that Sword Master Ilya Lindsay would definitely win, while the others argued about the sorcery sword, which broke the numbering sword of Vulcanus. And there were those who objected. But there was one thing everyone agreed on. It was that Irene Pareira¡¯s sword could handle aura sword attacks. ¡°Maybe, something good might happen.¡± ¡°I know, right. If this was what happened with Ricardo Pinto? His Sword was great, but his swordsmanship wasn¡¯t bad either. Then wouldn¡¯t he have a chance to go against a real Sword Master?¡± ¡°What is certain is that he has much higher odds than the past matches. Even if I have to sell my fortune, I will get a ticket for that match.¡± ¡°Me too!¡± ¡°Me too!¡± It seems that all the residents would go to the match. In the hot atmosphere, Woong! Ilya Lindsay wielded her sword in her mansion. There was one person watching her, Emma Garcia, her escort knight. But her expression wasn¡¯t good. It was because the youngdy whom she had loved so much was in pain. ¡°Huk, huk, huk¡­¡± Was it because she had exhausted her stamina by training hard? No. herdy, Ilya Lindsay wasn¡¯t someone to be in pain because of training. And was she weak? She was thedy who was now the youngest Sword Master and the Champion of Land of Proof. However¡­in some ways, she was weaker than normal people. Compulsion and anxiety. As she recalled the emotions which gued Ilya Lindsay, Emma Garcia felt her heart break. ¡®She doesn¡¯t have to push herself like that¡­¡¯ The youngdy has been the same since she returned from Krono. Even though she worked harder than anyone else, she was never satisfied with it. In order to live up to the expectations of the arrogant people watching her every move, she moved her body and mind every day, and when an important day came up, it would turn more severe. After seeing herdy force herself like this, Emma Garcia could never ask her to take a break. ¡®There have been times when she was in more pain¡­¡¯ ¡°Huk, kuak, huakkk¡­¡± Ilya Lindsay swung her sword again. Her breathing was still ragged, and her body trembled. It was so bad that one wouldn¡¯t think of her as a Sword Master. However, as time passed, that appearance disappeared. Woong! ¡°Phew¡± Woong! ¡°Phew¡­¡± Ilya Lindsay trained again and again like she was sharpening herself. As the process repeated countless times, she felt she turned thin enough to break at a single touch, but she didn¡¯t mind. That was what it was meant to be¡­sharp. And it was okay if she could stab before it broke. Ilya nodded and continued her training. The guards watched her like that for a long time. 12th April. The long-awaited championship match was just one day away. Although it was fine to be nervous, Irene Pareira, who was focused on his sword, looked extremely calm. umtion, strength, hardening, flowering, concentration, and manifestation. After confirming all the concepts, he closed his eyes. It was to bring out the Aura Sword, which he had failed to do countless times, but a voice came from behind. ¡°Meditating again?¡± A feeling of familiarity. This was something which he had heard a lot when he was a prospective trainee; Irene opened his eyes. Irene, who turned his head, spoke with a subtle smile unlike the one he had during those times. Chapter 142: I’m going (1)

Chapter 142: I¡¯m going (1)

¡°Judith.¡± ¡°Right. It is Judith.¡± Judith answered in a confident voice. The tone was higher than usual, and the reaction was bigger too. Irene immediately realized the reason. Recently, she was more sensitive, and she smelled different. ¡°Did you drink?¡± ¡°Yes. I did. Not a lot, but this much?¡± Judith narrowed her eyes and then showed a gap between her thumb and forefinger. It was meant to show Irene that she barely drank anything, but Irene thought differently. With a grin, he approached and forced her fingers apart. ¡°I think you had this much.¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t drink that much. My mind and body are fine¡­look at this. I can move straight ahead.¡± Judith frowned as she walked ahead in a straight line. As Irene still had a suspicious look, she started to tumble back lightly. ¡°See, I am fine!¡± ¡°¡­ yes.¡± Irene just nodded his head. He knew that she wouldn¡¯t normally behave as such, but it wasn¡¯t something he had to worry about. He watched Judith move along constantly, and seeing how she didn¡¯t stop, he sat on the floor. And Judith also stopped moving. And approached Irene with a nonchnt face and sat next to him. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Irene stopped trying to understand her. Normally she had an unpredictable personality, and drunk Judith was even more troublesome to understand. ¡®If this is the case, should I take a break?¡¯ Irene thought as he sat. After the match against Ricardo Pinto, except for sleeping and eating, he devoted all the time to creating an Aura Sword. But the sorcery sword kept eating up Irene¡¯s aura. So, he thought that it would work if he used another sword, and he tried that, but that failed too. Maybe because it was a new sword, the result was much worse than the one with the sorcery sword And as the process kept happening, anxiety began to grow in Irene¡¯s mind. ¡®I need to get a sword which can withstand Aura Sword I already have an eye which can look at the opponent¡¯s strength.¡¯ ¡®Swordsmanship has improved greatly, and the total amount of aura I can use has increased. I feel like winning is possible.¡¯ ¡®But is this level fine?¡¯ ¡®Ilya hasn¡¯t shown her skills. And right now, I haven¡¯t even seen. her use the Sky Sword.¡¯ ¡®Can I win?¡¯ ¡®Me?¡¯ ¡®Really?¡¯ All kinds of thoughts tormented Irene. It was strange. When the gap was huge, he concentrated on training without a thought, but from the two weeks, it was bing tough to focus. Maybe it was because he was feeling burdened. As the time drew closer, he realized how important the match was, and the fear inside him grew. A desperate desire often brings in will, but it also instills fear. A desire for victory. And the fear of defeat. And Irene was struggling as he was leaning onto thetter; that was when Judith looked up and said. ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious.¡± ¡°¡­ how did you know?¡± ¡°Beats me. Did you think I wouldn¡¯t know? It¡¯s all over your face.¡± ¡°On my face?¡± Irene was confused. He was less expressive than others his age. He had a habit of holding back his expressions and emotions since he was a child, so no one but Lulu could know what was going on. ¡®How did she know?¡¯ ¡®Was I really showing it?¡¯ ¡®Am I that anxious? Me when I¡¯m at this level?¡¯ The stone thrown by Judith caused a ripple in his heart. Irene worked hard to choose a word to respond to her, but nothing came up. Judith, who was fed up, opened her mouth again. ¡°You are like a dog.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Really, you are really like a dog. Didn¡¯t it take you one year to be the second-ranking one in the school, and then didn¡¯t you learn my swordsmanship in an instant?... no shit, it was really ridiculous. You fucker, do you think that made sense? Uh? Tell me. Say something.¡± Judith spoke with her round eyes open and hitting Irene¡¯s upper arm with a smile. There was not much power she was using to hit Irene that it was hard to take it as a joke, as Irene was being pushed back with her force. Irene didn¡¯t say anything. He wasn¡¯t sure if he had to apologize or not, so he just epted it. Thanks to that, Judith was able to express her anger as much as she could, and then she seemed to have calmed down a little. A surprisingly quick change in mood and Irene was startled at her next words. ¡°Even then¡­ I can¡¯t hate you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Perhaps, it is the same for Ilya.¡± Right. Irene Pareira, whom Judith saw, was someone no one could hate. And it was the same with her. Brought up in a slum, she treated everyone around her live trash and saw them in a bad light. But Irene rescued her. That too in the mid-term when it was a peak time for getting their positions. It wasn¡¯t just for her. She heard from Lulu and Kuvar. Irene cared for Lulu, who was rejected because of the superstition and took the lead to save the merchants who were helpless and was now making a real effort to return Ilya back to herself. In short, Irene Pareira was a being who could think and act sincerely for the sake of others. ¡°Well¡­ I don''t know what Ilya¡¯s current state is. And we weren¡¯t exactly friendly either¡­ still, she will be the same as the old me. Negative thoughts all over the ce, and without time to spare, her vision is probably narrowed, and she doesn¡¯t listen to what others say. And she suffers in the process. So, even if you have to break her with the sword, try to make her listen to you through it.¡± ¡°But it''s fine, you know, if you don¡¯t win it.¡± ¡°Because it is you, it will be fine. Because you don''t just say words, you act sincerely to others.¡± ¡°Ilya will have no choice but to understand you. What was the reason why you climbed this high? Was it because you wanted to bully her or because you really cared about her!?¡± ¡°So¡­¡± Phat! Judith, who got up, pped Irene on his back. Seeing the man look at her with a puzzled expression, she smiled. ¡°Do your best. You have nothing to worry about.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ah, but try to win. Because she is worse off than you.¡± Judith, who said that, left the room while dusting her back. She could feel Irene¡¯s gaze on her, but she didn¡¯t turn back. And it felt nice. After closing the door, she took a deep breath. ¡°Haaaa! Haaa¡­.¡± Was it because the night was cool? She felt refreshed. But she knew that wasn¡¯t the reason. Judith mumbled quietly, remembering her old promise. ¡°I kept my word to repay you.¡± The day she had a narrow thought regarding Irene, she remembered what happened in the past. The day they passed as trainees, she promised to help Irene as much as she could. She said that. ¡®But instead of helping him, I was thinking of hiding the aura operation¡­¡¯ She felt ashamed. She couldn¡¯t shake off what she almost did, and she knew that this feeling would stay by her for the rest of her life. But not anymore. She taught Irene about aura and gave the best advice she could. She wasn¡¯t sure if it would be helpful, but at least she felt proud of doing something. After she managed to clear her heart¡¯s debt, she continued to think. That she could look at Irene in his eyes this time, and she could move ahead with her fighting spirit. ¡°Hahahaah!¡± ¡°Have you finally lost it? What are you doing in the middle of the night?¡± Judith smiled as the weight on her heart was lifted, but Bratt, who was walking on the other side, frowned at her act. But she didn¡¯t care. She felt good, and she wanted to feel this more. She quickly ran to him and wrapped her arms over his shoulder. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Come on, let¡¯s have another drink!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you want to watch the match tomorrow?¡± ¡°Judith might have a dark history, but never a hangover! I can drink more.¡± ¡°¡­ do whatever you want.¡± Bratt sighed for a moment and then put his arm around her shoulder. The trainees of Krono headed to their rooms. ¡°Phew.¡± At 1am, Irene, who finished his training earlier than usual,y down in bed to sleep. Although he failed to create the Aura sword until the very end, his expression was bright. All thanks to Judith¡¯s advice. Her words made him realize what really mattered. ¡®Winning or losing doesn¡¯t matter. What matters is to change Ilya¡¯s heart.¡¯ Four months back, he reunited with Ilya. Trying to break Ilya was only a means to awaken her from the wrong thoughts. ¡®But at some point, my thoughts changed.¡¯ It was good to show the will to win, and it was good to strive for it. But right now, there was something more important than that. Irene, who realized that, closed his eyes with a faint smile. ¡®Thank you, Judith.¡¯ Of course, he wasn¡¯t going to lose intentionally. Judith did say winning was the best. And that it was fine to lose too. And he will continue to fight until his sincerity reaches her. Fight with her until her narrow field of view widens and her mind is free to look back on herself. And as he thought, the scene changed. He fell asleep without realizing it. Looking at the man holding the sword, Irene thought. ¡®He ispletely old.¡¯ After realizing that the dream had changed, the man in the dream continued to grow old day by day. The wrinkles deepened, and hair turned white. That wasn¡¯t all. The eyes. Like the me hidden in ice, Irene felt the intense cold anger gradually dissolve, but he felt something else bloom in that. But Irene wasn¡¯t sure what it was. ¡®It feels different from before.¡¯ Did the dream change because of the me? Or did it change because the me in his heart grew stronger? Irene didn¡¯t know. The dream was as iprehensible as ever. It was then. The old man who was swinging the sword looked back at him. ¡°¡­!¡± Irene opened his mouth in shock. Again, he was shocked. Not just his consciousness, but his entire body formed. He looked at his own body and then at the old man. Eyes which were still unfamiliar. And unknown expression as ever. The man in the dream approached him slowly and slowly by heavy steps. The moment he slowly opened his mouth, trying to say something. Irene woke up from his dreams and opened his eyes. ¡°¡­¡± Thissted longer than usual. He had no choice but to be shocked. Today¡¯s man was different from usual. Not only was the man getting older and older, but he was trying tomunicate with Irene like the time he did in the world of sorcery. What was he trying to say? Irene didn¡¯t know. Irene pondered for a long time, unable to get out of bed. And then mumbled. ¡°I¡¯ll think about itter.¡± Yes. The old man in the dream didn¡¯t matter right now. Irene got up and opened the window. He felt the cool breeze of the morning and the warm sunlight at the same time. ¡°Nice.¡± He was in a good state, both physically and mentally. Smiling, he nodded to himself and prepared to head to the arena. Ilya Lindsay vs. Irene Pareira. The match everyone was looking forward to was about to start. Chapter 143: The Sword of Irene Pareira (1)

Chapter 143: The Sword of Irene Pareira (1)

Land of Proof, Champion Finale. On the day such a huge match was going to be fought, Eisenmarkt had a festive atmosphere from the day before. From children to adults, the debate continued over who would win, and the opinions on what the flow of the fight would be kepting in. Of course, that discussion didn¡¯t happen too much because Ilya Lindsay was the champion. The topic was if they could have the chance to see the Sword Master give her best, and the interest on who would win wasn¡¯t high. An Expert couldn''t beat a Master! It was a fact which everyone knew. Ilya Lindsay¡¯s skills were too good for an underdog to win. However, today one of the strongest contenders was the challenger. There was great tension in Eisenmarkt. ¡°Amazing! All the King Level diators came, didn¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Obviously! Who would want to miss this match? Look closely! Not just the diators, but even the nobles from the surrounding estates havee.¡± ¡°Uh? That person¡­ Is that Jet Frost?¡± ¡°I think you are right? No, not just Jet Frost!¡± ¡°All the masters of famous swordsmanship schools havee here. Joseph of Lation city and Carissa too!¡± Joseph and Carissa were the teachers of one of the best swordsmanship schools in Lation city, and were both people who had reached the level of Master. The fact that even people who never left their schools were here, magnified the excitement of the audience. A day that could potentially fall into the pages of history! Just being here at this moment was a rush of adrenaline to the audience. Of course, there was Hinz, the chief reporter of Weekly Arena, who was feeling the most emotional. He felt a burning sensation in his chest as he quietly murmured. ¡°The moment I have been waiting for has finallye¡­¡± He felt he had two failures in his life. As he thought, he recalled the first one. Who would care for amoner-born diator? But in the end, she had turned into a champion at the age of 20. It was unfortunate, but there was no need for him to feel bad as no one could have guessed that would happen. But the second was Ilya Lindsay, who took the champion title; there was no choice but to feel regret. Once was a mistake, but twice was a failure. He prided himself on being a better reporter than others, but back then, he too said that those two things wouldn¡¯t happen from the sidelines like everyone else! It was upsetting and sad! To the extent where it would even appear to haunt him in his dreams. Of course, not anymore. A third chance was given to his foolish self! And now that he caught it, he didn¡¯t want to miss it. He was going to witness a new flower blooming much closer than others. And he wasn¡¯t just watching, but he also participated this time. And now, at the moment close to the end, the Elf Hinz was having the most exhrating feeling. ¡®Perhaps Irene and Ilya Lindsay are feeling more than this.¡¯ Hinz thought as he gulped. Indeed, what were the thoughts running through the heads of the two people who would stand against each other in a while? Were they nervous? Were they excited? He didn¡¯t know. But what was clear was that they too must be having some new feelings. ¡°Huh! It is starting!¡± ¡°Look here, stay quiet, will you!¡± ¡°Quiet! Silence!¡± After a while, everyone went silent as they saw the refereee up to the stage. A shockingly weird atmospherepletely different from usual matches. Normally it would have been noisy, but today¡¯s protagonists made such a situation possible. The audience felt goosebumps on their skins because of the silence. Eventually, after all the verification procedures were done, Irene summoned his trademark sorcery sword. And he took a stance to indicate he was ready. So did Ilya Lindsay. She swung her sword a couple of times and then took her stance as well. The stadium had a dangerous air, and it was as if daggers would be shot out at any moment, even the audience was engulfed into it. People were already clenching their fists as if a sword was pointed at their throats. And¡­ ¡°Start!¡± With the referee¡¯s shout, the championship match began. Whoop! The start was as everyone had expected, with Ilya Lindsay charging ahead. Even the King-Level diators always had slow reactions to her movements. Of course, that wasn¡¯t the case with Irene Pareira. As if equipped with a solid shield, he shed at the opponent¡¯s attack with his great sword. Tang! With a collision, Ilya Lindsay retreated back as quickly as she charged. Of course, it didn¡¯t end there. The onught from the champion had just begun. Whoop! ng! Ilya¡¯s footsteps and the sh of swords kept reverberating as she moved forwards and backward. The interval of her movements was so short that it was like she was changing the range of her sword¡¯s attack. And that wasn¡¯t all. The champion was utilizing the stagepletely as she pressed the challenger from all directions, just leaving enough distance to run and then retreat and then move ahead again to use her sword. It was so fast that no one understood how she was able to do it. Her movement went beyondmon sense. It seemed like she would run straight ahead, but then she would stop and then use her core to change her direction and then use her body to increase the force before swinging her sword. The skill of changing the direction of the sword mid-air was very tough to use in practical matches, and this made the King level diators who were watching doubt their eyes. ¡®How is that possible?¡¯ ¡®What is she using to do that?¡¯ A technique that simply exceeded the abilities of others! Of course, it wasn¡¯t as if everyone in the arena was shocked by it. Among the swordsmen there, there were two people. Sword Master Joseph and Carissa Floyd were able to urately grasp the skill of the champion. ¡°She is also applying that footwork¡­¡± Joseph mumbled. Handling the feet was as important as handling the sword when in battle. For that reason, swordsmen would put considerable effort into their footwork. In order to move one step ahead, the strength in the leg was enhanced with aura. So they had to make sure that the bones and muscles of their body could withstand it. This is something normal people would never understand. However, swordsmen who had reached the stage of Master are the only ones who can try to use this, and it was called the ¡®Manifestation of footwork.¡¯ And that was what Ilya Lindsay was doing today. As if she wanted to shine, she was concentrating the aura in the sole of her foot to increase her speed. Sometimes she would use a lot of aura to stop herself and then would use a little aura to move as smooth as flowing water to counter her opponent¡¯s attack. As a result, she was disying something which went past human limits. And this wasn¡¯t an easy thing to do. This was something that most experts couldn¡¯t even imitate, and only those who have reached the end of an Expert could try. And Ilya was able to unfold and disy such a technique with ease. ¡®The Aura operation is so smooth that I can¡¯t believe she became a Sword Master justst year.¡¯ ¡®She isn¡¯t even 20 yet¡­¡¯ Both Carissa Floyd and Joseph looked stunned. They too were born with talent, which wasn¡¯tcking at allpared to geniuses, but the current champion seemed to be on another level. The young ones in the match seemed to be born with higher potential than them. However, their eyes weren¡¯t on Ilya Lindsay. A young man who wasn¡¯t being deceived by the frightening movements and was able to block all the attacks. Irene Pareira¡¯s skills were incredible. ¡°Is the new generation changing?¡± ¡°Uhm.¡± Hearing that, Joseph nodded. As she said, a new wind was blowing across the continent. Kakang! Kang! Kwang! Of course, even as these two masters were immersed in their emotions, the two diators below were fighting. Ilya attacked, and Irene defended. It was as if a cksmith was beating on the iron, but the audience weren¡¯t feeling bored at all. Because both the people on the stage were high level. However, just because they didn¡¯t feel bored, that didn¡¯t mean the flow of the match would continue like this. And then came the point. Keeng! A screeching sound. An attack which was sharp enough to humble everything they had seen so far. The most important thing was that the attack didn¡¯t go for Irene Pareira, but. It was aiming for the Sword of Irene Pareira! The attack from Ilya Lindsay, which everyone in Eisenmarkt knew as the sword which established itself as the best, was fired at Irene¡¯s great sword. Looking at the sword of Ilya which wanted to break the weapon of the opponent, the diators were tense. However, the challenger didn¡¯t panic. Kwaang! The loudest sh until now. Ilya Linday took a step back with an annoyed expression. It was a huge attack. All her attacks so far had been noticed by her opponent, so this was her way to move ahead in the match. Of course, she was expecting this to be sessful. However, it failed. Irene Pareira acted ordingly as if he knew this would happen and perfectly defended the sword. No, before that¡­ ¡®Even if the attack went straight through, I don¡¯t think the great sword would break.¡¯ What was the sword made of? What kind of heart and will went into making that sword so reliable? To her, who was in thought, Irene Pareira said. ¡°The Aura sword, you better show it to me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you keep taking your time¡­ your sword will break first.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Ilya Lindsay frowned. However, she couldn¡¯t object. Although the opponent was prepared, it was her who would benefit from using the aura sword. It was natural. The skill gap between the two was something no one could ignore. However, right now, the great sword of Irene was strong enough to ignore the difference. To the extent that even the sword in her hand, the sword her family gave her, wouldn¡¯t be able to handle. At that moment, a strong bright light shone on the sword of the champion who had finally decided. Woong! ¡°A-aura sword!¡± ¡°The champion is bringing out her sword again!¡± ¡°Yeah! This is how a match should be! This challenger isn¡¯t just anyone, so she can¡¯t rx!¡± ¡°Is this the real beginning?¡± Aura Sword A technique which was solely for the Sword Master, a utopia for swordsmen. The eyes of the audience were filled with joy and excitement. However, Irene¡¯s expression waspletely different as he looked at the sword. ¡®¡­ like Grayson.¡¯ Above everything else, the color was silver. However, it wasn¡¯t the light which he focused on. There was a shadow. A shadow so dark that he couldn¡¯t believe that Ilya Lindsay was the one that raised it. The light which was shining from the sword looked as if it was shining at the cost of burning herself, so Irene could hardly react positively. ¡®No wonder. Ilya¡¯s problem right now wasn¡¯t just a problem which solely concerned Ilya¡­¡¯ And such thoughts didn¡¯tst long. Seeing his friend re at him more ferociously than she ever could, Irene Pareira reaffirmed his will. The opponent in front of him right now was a talent who would leave her name in history. And that person who reached the Master level at an earlier age than anyone else came at him with a terrifying force. Chapter 144: The Sword of Irene Pareira (2)

Chapter 144: The Sword of Irene Pareira (2)

The Sky Sword. The swordsmanship of the Lindsay Family, which was famous for defeating the leader of the Demons, The Dragon King, 400 years ago. Indeed, it was one of the greatest swordsmanships among the countless swordsmanships on the continent, and the swordsmen who witnessed it alwayspared it to a butterfly with steel wings. A strength which didn¡¯t lose to even the great Demon Dragon King! Even in the midst of strong winds, the sword had the strength to go on its own path gracefully and steadfastly. Beautiful. It could be said that this was the word that best described the swordsmanship of the hero, Dion Lindsay. ?1? ¡®The Sky Sword is indeed good when dealing with someone stronger than them.¡¯ Sword Master Joseph thought of Joshua Lindsay, the current head of the Lindsay family. Now, the man was skilled and amazing, but 20 years ago, Joshua wasn''t that good. It was in the time when Joshua had just be a teen, and his opponent was someone who reached the Master level recently. And after that match, the swordsmanship of Joshua had left a strong impression on Joseph. It was by no means an easy task to show off one¡¯s own swordsmanship at the age of 13. Of course¡­ ¡°That isn¡¯t the only true value of Lindsay¡¯s swordsmanship.¡± Carissa Floyd, who was next to him, nodded at Joseph¡¯s words. The Sky Sword wasn¡¯t just effective on strong opponents. Rather, it was more terrifying when dealing with those weaker than the wielder. The two, who were familiar with it, focused on the stage. Kwang! Kwang! Kwaang! Unstoppable roars in session. While maintaining the tempo, the champion just kepting at the challenger offensively, and this only increased the destructiveness of her power. However, this was just the beginning. Ilya Lindsay, who caught her breath for a moment, used her sword faster than before. Bang! Bang! Kwang! Kwang! It was nothing like a butterfly. The wings of the butterfly were spread not for protection, but to corner the opponent, creating intense winds. And the wind quickly swept around the arena and soon turned into a storm which could dominate the sky. A storm of steel. Ilya''s sword was pouring out aggressively and mercilessly as if it wanted to kill the opponent and Irene''s form swayed to and fro. His will didn''t waver even when going against the champion who was a Master. He looked like a mountain, but his hard and heavy image was gradually breaking. Irene looked like he would be uprooted at any moment. Judith, who watched, involuntarily mumbled. ¡°Fuck, that looks tough¡­¡± She knew this wasn¡¯t going to be easy. But this looked like he didn¡¯t even have a chance. She knew it because she had watched Irene closely for the past two months. Irene was one crazy person. However, Ilya¡¯s skills were far superior to Irene¡¯s. Power, speed, and sophistication, she excelled in everything. And because of the use of the Aura Sword, she was as destructive as a swordsman could be. 5 minutes. Or perhaps sooner, Irene¡¯s defense would break. Judith¡¯splexion darkened. ¡°No.¡± At that time. Lulu, who was sitting on Kuvar¡¯s shoulder, spoke in a quiet voice. It was surprising. Lulu, who followed them to all the diator match, never expressed her opinion this clearly. Besides, wasn¡¯t Irene now in a bad situation? Did she say that out of regret? Or was she trying to express herself like a sorcerer would? Was what Judith thought, but it wasn¡¯t like that. It could be seen in the eyes of Lulu, and it was very clear. This matter was rted to her most precious friend, Irene Pareira, and she was able to look into the hearts of the swordsmen on the stage more clearly than anyone else. The challenger was strong. And even the champion knew that. Which was why Ilya Lindsay was impatient. Lulu, who realized that, told Judith. ¡°He is fine. You will realize it if you keep watching.¡± ¡°¡­ really?¡± ¡°Yeah. Just trust Irene and wait.¡± With that, Lulu went silent again. And focused on the match. Judith looked at Lulu for a second and then at Bratt. The man had drawn some pictures in the sketchbook he always carried with him, and his expression was serious. ¡®¡­ Damn it.¡¯ She didn¡¯t know. She didn¡¯t know what it was. And that fact made Judith feel ufortable again. It wasn¡¯t as if she was fighting, but she suddenly felt a great sense of exhaustion. Trying to ignore that feeling, she looked at the situation again. The situation was the same. The champion kept attacking, and the challenger kept defending. No matter how she looked at it, this was what she saw, but it was just a matter of time before she saw something different. Woong! Surrounding Ilya¡¯s sword was a silvery aura which grew in size. Then, a shout which was closer to a scream, was heard. ¡°Woah! It grew!¡± ¡°Isn''t that pure power?¡± ¡°Crazy¡­ this is crazy. This is really insane!¡± ¡°It will be difficult for the challenger to withstand that!¡± Everyone began to speak their thoughts. Since there were so many people, there should have been different words being said, but no. It was as if everyone had already epted the win of Ilya Lindsay. Even the diators of King level. And even Sword Master Joseph and Carissa Floyd had the same thoughts. However, there was a glimmer of doubt on their faces. ¡®It should have been fine to go with the flow, but¡­'' ¡®Why did she raise the tempo? She didn¡¯t have to.¡¯ Although she was in a position where she could be more rxed than anyone, Ilya was acting as if she was the one being chased. Contemting on what variable it might give rise to, the two Sword Masters intently looked at the match. And again, the offensive of Ilya began. Kwang! She struck the sword. Kwang! She hit it even harder! Kwang! Bang! Kwang! Even harder, as if she was just mming it till it was broken. Nevertheless, the opponent¡¯s sword showed no signs of breaking. Irene relentlessly maintained both his bnce and posture and followed his opponent¡¯s movements. Even if he was half a beatte, he would catch up. 10 minutes passed like this. The fire burning in Ilya Lindsay¡¯s heart was growing out of control. ¡®It can¡¯t go on like this!¡¯ The eyes and mouths of the rude people were burning her. Ilya¡¯s obsession with I Crescentia was burning her. The feeling of pressure which came from time to time and burned her. To ovee that feeling, she practiced day and night as she reduced her sleep, rest and even stopped spending time with her beloved people, but the loneliness had always constantly burdened her. It was eating up everything inside her. Fortunately, there were results. Indeed, the skill she developed by burning herself led Ilya into the world of Sword Masters, and that gave her confidence. It gave her strength to endure the me which was now reaching the nape of her throat and made her want to pursue I. However¡­ ¡®What is he doing?¡¯ Tung! As both swords collided, Ilya frowned at the dull sound she heard. Her strike¡¯s power didn¡¯te out properly. It was because Irene countered the timing at the moment the swords hit and scattered the attack. Of course, this was something which could happen only once every ten times, but she didn¡¯t like it. She raised her power even more. ¡®I need to finish this quickly somehow!¡¯ ¡®This should have ended long back. How dare an Expert try to fight me this long!¡¯ ¡®It is clear that something changed. I have to be faster, somehow, even faster¡­¡¯ Faster and faster. Stronger and stronger! Her body conformed with Ilya''s heart as they both elerated. The audience were now at a point where they were holding their breath. At that moment, it seemed like the moment of conclusion would soon approach, and everyone¡¯s attention was sucked into the stage. However, Irene, who was constantly receiving the attacks, didn¡¯t think so. He clenched his teeth as he looked at the destructive appearance of Ilya, who was losing her sophistication. ¡®I need to be patient.¡¯ Why was she staring at him with those eyes? Why was she having such a different face? Where did her former shining self go? And why was such a dangerous me the only thing he could see? Irene couldn¡¯t understand anything. What was certain is that if he lost, then Ilya would never change. If Ilya kept letting herself get burnt, then the darkness would enter her at some point. Irene didn¡¯t want his dear friend to go through that. And that was the force which was driving Irene to block the attacks of Ilya. Woong! Wooong! Irene¡¯s great sword gave out slight vibrations. No one felt it. Not even the champion or the challenger on the stage. However, as the time went on, the sound grewrger, and the ones who were sensitive felt it first. And Lulu said. ¡°Something ising.¡± ¡°What is?¡± ¡°Hm? What ising¡­¡± ¡°Shh.¡± As the cat looked down the stage with a serious expression, Judith, Bratt, and Kuvar, who were all in their own thoughts, looked down because of curiosity. However, as time went by, they too were clearly seeing the difference. Kwang! Ilya Lindsay¡¯s swordes in. Kwang! Irene blocks it. As he blocked it, he felt it. The darkness in her heart and the will of the man in his own dreams respond to Ilya. A heart which was enraged with demons and hated anything evil moved to take over Irene¡¯s body. However, Irene wasn¡¯t swayed. But he didn¡¯t reject the approach either. This man in his dreams had a much stronger and bigger will. At that moment, the mes inside Irene¡¯s heart began to rage inside. Kwang! Kwang! Kwakwang! And the me was being used on the iron stake. It was now clear enough to be called a sword, but it was impossible for Irene to be satisfied with that, so he used more of his mes. As the sword of Ilya Lindsay kepting for him, the crude steel was turning sharper. From an ordinary sword into a craftsman¡¯s sword. From the craftsman''s sword to a great sword that shined bright on the world. And this wasn¡¯t something that happened with a change of heart in an instant. Woong! ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°That light¡­¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± It was enough to fill the stadium. Golden light spread out from him. It wasn¡¯t an Aura Sword. A much more dazzling and bright light swept through the arena and got sucked up into his great sword. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± And silence. Heavy silence where even a small needle falling could be heard through the arena. Irene looked at the sword in his hand. Calling it an iron club because of its crude, old and dull appearance wouldn¡¯t have been wrong in the past. But not now. A sharp, stylishly ced de on a stylish golden handle. The challenger, who gulped at the sight of his own sword, looked ahead. The champion¡¯s face, with an even more bewildered expression, caught his eyes. ?1?There was no particr word specified, but I didn¡¯t want to change the entire sentence so I''ve used a word that makes the most sense considering the previous sentences. Chapter 145: The Sword of Irene Pareira (3)

Chapter 145: The Sword of Irene Pareira (3)

In the 3rd arena in the Land of Proof, golden light filled it entirely. Irene Pareira''s great sword was reborn right after that. Everyone who saw that had no choice but to have nk expressions on their faces. Some of them were normal audiences, and the others were King level diators, and even the Sword Masters like Joseph and Carissa were shocked. It was strange because this was a sight which not a single person in the arena had witnessed in their lives till then. ''What the hell¡­'' ''What happened?'' ''Did the golden light from a while back go into the sword?'' ''The shape of the sword changed.'' It wasn''t just the shape. The air around it hadpletely changed. The mysterious energy which caught every eye wasing from the sword of Irene Pareira. And people felt like they were possessed by something. Lulu, the cat sorcerer who saw it, recalled the past. ''I remember the first time we met.'' Her first meeting with Irene wasn''t impressive. At that time, Lulu was looking for an attractive person to be made into her disciple, and Irene seemed to be a person asmon as a pebble from hundreds of thousands in a valley. But then she talked to him. And little by little, got to know his heart. How he overcame the efforts of the man who was inside his heart. From then on, Irene was her best friend and most precious disciple. ''It''s like back then. When he asked me to teach him sorcery.'' Looking at her handsome disciple on stage, Lulu nodded. It was simr; 6 years ago, when he overcame the man of his dreams with a passionate heart for his family, and now. But there was one difference, at that time, Irene was trying to shake off the man in his dreams. But not now. Now he was trying to ovee the will of the man, but instead of shaking him off, he was learning to embrace it. And that stimted Lulu''s curiosity. ''Of course, the reason that the will of the man in his dreams exists is because Irene''s heart is that great¡­ and that is impossible for anyone else.'' Right. Water and oil never mix, so this too had to be something impossible. In the end, the will of the man is simr to the heart of Irene, but from what Lulu noticed, she couldn''t understand why this happened, so it grew her interest. Of course, she knew that such things couldn''t be answered right away. And finding the answer wasn''t important right now. Lulu shook off her thoughts and concentrated on the stage again. Taking her eyes away from Ilya Lindsay, she looked at Irene wielding the sword. Wheik! Lightly lowering the sword. It was a simple movement. And this sword was his sword. No, it wasn''t like a sword. It was another part of Irene''s body. At the strange yet familiar feeling, Irene smiled. And began to check his sword. Whong! A great unique swordsmanship that upied the space and was powerful but without being stuffy. And it didn''t end there. The steel de wasn''t too hard, but sometimes it embraced fire, sometimes water, and moved in a vtile manner. An outrageous Sword Dance. However, none of the people in the audience were dissatisfied with it. They couldn''t even think about anything else. All of a sudden, they were all looking at the swordsman Irene Pareira and not his golden sword. Even Ilya Lindsay was the same. Everything turned clear for her. The opponent in front of her was using the swordsmanship of Judith and Bratt Lloyd. But even more shocking was. "¡­!" The Sky Sword. The great Swordsmanship created by Dion Lindsay, the founder of the Lindsay family. The moment she saw it unfold naturally on Irene''s sword, she felt a radiating light fall on her. And that fact ignited the me in her heart. Feeling a burning pain in every corner of her body, the champion raised her sword. Her expression distorted as never before. "¡­" Irene, who felt the change in her energy, gave up on the sword dance and prepared to fight. It wasn''t Sky Sword. This time he had a firm posture and the Krono style swordsmanship. Naturally, the swordsmanship of Krono wasn''t meant to be heavy just because Irene had a great sword. Just as Ilya''s Sky sword was elegant but didn''t scatter in vain, Irene''s sword was heavy but not blunt. Rather, his sword was sharp. And Ilya Lindsay noticed that. And so, the champion was forced to use more of her power to crush him. Phat! Kwang! Rush and sh! After that, a fierce storm of des poured out! Each of them strong enough to crush rocks, Ilya''s attacks much stronger than before. However, just because it was strong didn''t mean it was powerful. The unique sophistication of the Sky Sword, which swims through the sky and sharply cuts the neck off, wasn''t the same. Therefore, Irene felt rxed. The challenger''s defense was getting stronger and was consuming more and more space from the champion. As time passed, the audience too realized the flow of the match had changed. Irene Pareira was the one pushing now. Ilya Lindsay, the current champion. Against the Sword Master, who had reached a great height, he finally gained an upper hand! And that itself was a huge shock to everyone; seeing the champion wielding the sword was widening the distance. And looked at the challenger with a burning gaze. "Pant, pant pant¡­" "Phew, phew¡­" Both of them were out of breath. However, it was Ilya Lindsay who was more distressed. She was breathing heavily, so it wouldn''t be strange if she just copsed. And even Ilya knew that this was her limit. But she couldn''t acknowledge it. The figure of Irene was more brilliant than ever, and the figure of herself falling was also being felt. It reminded her of the time with I and her brother, and what happened after that. In the moment of panic, she looked at the audience. The eyes of people and the voices of theirs. And the moment she felt that, Ilya knew that she should never give up on the match. ¡­ even if it ends up killing her. Phew! A more intense aura emanated from Ilya''s sword. A very different one from before. The de, which was smooth and sharp, turned rough, and the silver light looked murky. However, in terms of size, it had grownrger than before. To the extent where the eyes of Sword Masters twinkled. However, Irene appeared focused on the opponent and not the Aura Sword. Seeing his precious friend try to give her all, he thought. ''¡­ this had to happen.'' It looked painful. It must have been painful for her. As if there was no future, she was using all her powers, and her beautiful face was distorted. But thanks to that, the dark energy in the corner of her heart was out in the open. The reason the color of the aura turned cloudy was because of this. If only he could get rid of it¡­ Irene Pareira who thought that immersed himself in his sword like Ilya. "Phew." He had tried it tens of thousands of times and always failed. The current attempt was like a meaningless act of trying to add another stone on top of a mountain pile of stones expecting something to change. No. It wasn''t that. This could be thest stone toplete a stone tower. The moment he convinced himself of that, Irene''s concentration reached the peak. Wooong¡­. umting, strengthening, hardening, blooming, concentration and manifestation. The 6 elements which were the basics of the Aura operation. The moment he did all that, Irene was ready with his sword. He saw the figure of Ilya Lindsay ready to smash him with her murky-looking aura. He, too, didn''t back down and swung his sword. A diagonal cut from top right to bottom left. The moment when the strikes unfolded at the same time, the swords shed. The de of Irene Pareira was radiating gold light which flickered asionally. It was only for a moment, but it was¡­ a clear aura sword. The sword of pure will had shattered the sword of Ilya, which mercilessly wanted to cut down everything. sh! nk! A piece of the sword which was cut, fell to the floor. And the champion took a couple steps back as she coughed up blood, and eventually fell down, unable to stand. No, not now. The referee who was watching the match was bewildered, and then came to his sense btedly as he announced. ¡°W-Winner is, Irene! Irene Pareira!¡± And a beatter, cheers broke out. "Woah! Woooow!" ¡°Irene Pareira! Irene Pareira! It is Irene Pareira!¡± "New Champion!" "Champion!" "Champion!" "Irene Pareiraaa!" "Wow! Wooow!" Irene''s name was being called out without a break, screams, and sobbing of some people. Irene didn''t even look at the crowd which was cheering for him. The one he was looking at, was the one in front of him. Ilya Lindsay. Looking at his precious friend on the stage, he thought. ''¡­ she will be fine.'' Ilya''s eyes looked empty. She was trying to block him, but now she knew better than anyone where she was. However, Irene was confident. Thanks to embracing the will of the man, the evil emotions inside Ilya couldn''t be felt. If there was a problem, it was that all her energy was exhausted. Fortunately, it was something that could be fixed. To lift his friend up, he walked towards her. "¡­" Seeing Irene Pareira like that, Ilya Lindsay recalled the past. I Crescentia who came to her home with a dignified appearance and vanished after defeating her brother. Looking at I''s back, Ilya felt rage burn in her. But now that she thought about it¡­ That wasn''t the only emotion she felt. Seeing Irene shine brightly as he fought, she knew. It wasn''t the fire that drove her into pain, but the image of I, which shone brightly like the sun¡­ "Ilya." Ilya couldn''t think much. Irene was already in front of her and reached out to her. With the way she acted, she thought maybe they weren''t friends anymore. Because she knew that she was a bad friend for the past month or so. And from today, she was nothing more than a loser who was brought down in front of thousands of people. There was no way she could hold the hand of someone who was shining so brightly. Of course, that was just her opinion. Grab "¡­?" Irene took one step closer and took Ilya''s hand. And made sure that she stood up but held her hand tight in his. And it wasn''t just that. A warmth she had never felt before, gently caressing her body. "¡­!" Ilya, who got up, looked at her opponent. Irene''s face right in front of her. With a much brighter smile than before. And he said, not with intense heat like the sun, but with the warmth of a bonfire. "This is embarrassing to say right after a match, but I want to reconcile¡­" "¡­" Seeing a mischievous smile on his face, Ilya struggled to hold back her smile. At that time. The priest, who was mixed in the audience, muttered something with a cold expression. Chapter 146: The Sword of Irene Pareira (4)

Chapter 146: The Sword of Irene Pareira (4)

¡°A little unfortunate.¡± Although he said it was ''a little,'' there were a lot of emotions in the eyes of the priest. He had been in contact with her for the past 10 months, but it had been several years since the girl was indirectly affected by it. The time hade for such a long and painstaking harvest to bear fruits, but it failedpletely. ¡®It has be so clear that it doesn¡¯t exist within her.¡¯ It was strange. The priest turned his head from Ilya Lindsay. A young man with amazing skills, but he stood clumsily with a mischievous smile. Seeing that existence that had been the talk of Eisenmarkt for the past few months, he mumbled. ¡°This won¡¯t do.¡± If possible, he wanted to see greater bliss in his work, but to be honest, he wasn¡¯t sure if he could even try anymore. The end product just wasn¡¯tplete. And he couldn¡¯t help it, so he decided to focus on what he had to do now. The priest, who thought that shook his head in disappointment and stood up. ¡°Ah what!¡± ¡°Ah, you! You¡¯ll hit someone¡­¡± As there was a huge crowd that wanted to get closer to the swordsmen, the collision couldn''t be avoided. In fact, some people even said threatening words to the priest. But that was all. They looked at the priest''s face, who tried to look expressionless but was clearly angry, and then not caring, they turned to the stage and shouted. ¡°Irene Pareira!¡± ¡°Irene Pareia! New champion!¡± It wasn''t just the general audience. Veteran journalists who were publishing diator stories for years or more were the same. And so were the king-level diators. Even those who suffered a humiliating defeat by Irene Pareira, poured out their heartfelt congrattions. Even the ex-champion Ricardo Pinto did, and this was a natural thing for him. It was because the higher Irene went, the more his pride was restored. ¡®Thatst light was definitely an Aura Sword¡­ That young man can now be called a Sword Master.¡¯ Right. The champion was defeated by a Sword Master, not an Expert. The strange thing was that these young people were at a level that was unbelievable for their age. ¡®One is 22 and the other 19¡­¡¯ Phew. He sighed. But even more worrisome was how he would deal with his father. ¡®To pay for the broken sword, I have no choice but to train like hell and turn into a Master, if not¡­.¡¯ I might die. Ricardo Pinto nodded his head as he thought about Harrison Pinto, the Sword Master who would train him despite being over 70. Well, today was supposed to be an auspicious day as a new Sword Master was born. In the midst of theseplicated emotions, he sped his hands. And there was another one; Judith, who had been watching Irene train for the longest, felt asplex as Ricardo. ¡®I don¡¯t¡­ feel too good.¡¯ It was strange. Even when Irene was being cornered, she was clearly cheering for him. She kept screaming in her mind praying that Irene would hold on and create an opportunity to strike back. However, a golden light came out from the great sword, and then as it was sucked back, a new sword formed. With that, Irene changed into someone different and defeated Ilya Lindsay, and an unknown feeling tugged her heart. ¡­ she knew the truth. It wasn¡¯t the first time, but this was a feeling she felt each time she saw him recently. ¡°He won! He won! Irene won!¡± ¡°Hehe, to defeat a Sword Master for real¡­¡± ¡°What? Kuvar! Did you think Irene would lose? He told you that he would definitely win 4 months back! Didn¡¯t you believe him?¡± ¡°No, kuak!¡± ¡°You idiot! Sea fish! Sea anemone!¡± ¡°Euk, stop¡­¡± Lulu was attacking him with her paws, but Kuvar smiled, and they were all in a good mood. And seeing this, Judith couldn''t help but smile. The appearance of Irene during the match, who moved subtly as if he was one with the sword. The golden aura at the end which broke Ilya Lindsay¡¯s sword. After pondering for a long time, she turned her head at the thought which suddenly popped into her mind. And looked at Bratt. ¡°¡­¡± He was drawing something quickly, like a person possessed by something, without looking elsewhere. Judith¡¯s heart fluttered again. What was Bratt drawing? What did he feel that was making him so focused? Lulu jumped ahead and asked. ¡°Judith? What is it?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t look right? Are you sick?¡± ¡°¡­ No.¡± ¡°Then do you want to rest?¡± ¡°No. I was in my own thoughts for a while. My expressions aren¡¯t good, but I feel nice!¡± Judith smiled broadly. Or rather, she tried to do it, but it didn¡¯t work. So, she pulled on her face from both sides, trying to make a huge smile, and Bratt, who was done, closed his book and said. ¡°Stop it, it''s ugly.¡± Puck! Bratt, who was hit in his arm, groaned. He knew that he would be hit for that remark, but not this hard. As he was puzzled, Judith got up from her seat. A much brighter face but filled with heavy emotions. And she said cheerfully. ¡°Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go and get the party started!¡± ¡°Party!¡± ¡°Right! Irene is the champion now, so we can¡¯t just let this day slide. Mr. John Drew, can we take your ce?¡± ¡°Uh? Ah, yes.¡± John Drew, who was looking at the stage nkly, nodded his head. In terms of strength, he knew that he was inferior to king-level diators, but he was confident in his skills to analyze the movements and abilities of others. For him, this match was a realization. To the extent that he thought that it could be a new framework in his swordsmanship style, which hadn¡¯t progressed for a while. ¡®I was in the teaching position, but I learned a lot more.¡¯ Party? Of course, that had to be done. It didn¡¯t matter what the cost was. He was going to throw an eye-popping celebration! As he was in thought, something fell on hisp. nk! "Thank you, teacher! A special bonus! Let''s get this party-ready!" ¡°¡­¡± Seeing the ck cat give him endless gold and silver treasures, John Drew began to turn scared. Two days after the match. Eisenmarkt was overflowing with people talking about the match. One of the fastest people to be a Sword Master and the other who turned into a Sword Master during the match. Even though he was 22, he was still 3 years faster than the schoolmaster of Krono. How could the talks about the end of confrontation of such great swordsmen end in a day or two! The vigers literally talked about it from day to night. People who watched the match would drink and speak about It, and those who heard it wouldment over it and burst into admiration. However, not everyone had a positive review of it. A weekly magazine suggested that the match was absurd. [Irene Pareira, bing champion, is it justified?] [It doesn¡¯t make sense to allow magic swords in the arena.] [If the swords were swapped, the victory and defeat would change¡­ rematch.] The Land of Proof permits the swordsman to use the sword they possess, and they don''t disallow them to use their own swords. It was because they knew that the perfect sword for a swordsman is the one they find for themselves, and it was said that no swords with artifacts that enhance the performance could be used. Like it was forbidden to shoot sparks or use lightning from a sword, but there were no restrictions with durability or sharpness of swords. And that was why Irene¡¯s sorcery sword was allowed. However, a light shed during the match. And the sword changed, which changed the flow of the match from then, and that meant it undoubtedly would be questioned. Moreover, regardless of right and wrong, there were many people who agreed to the opinion of a ''rematch,'' and that stayed on the lips. The organizers were even thinking about the rematch seriously. However, that didn¡¯t happen. It was because Ilya Lindsay, who never got involved with the media, expressed her thoughts on a match for the first time. [The match was fair. Victory and defeat had nothing to do with a sword¡¯s performance, and I ept the defeat.] At that, people couldn¡¯t bring up the issue anymore. In that way, Irene Pareira was safely crowned as the new champion of Land of Proof, and Eisenmarkt was back to its peaceful atmosphere. Swik! ¡°She declined all interviews.¡± ¡°Eik!¡± Not every ce was peaceful. Was it because she was vocal for the first time? Reporters thought that they could get additional interviews with her and tried to enter the mansion of the former champion Ilya Lindsay. And with that, her escort Emma Garcia refused them several times, and when they kepting back, she exuded tremendous energy to scare them off. Despite that, some people kept going back, which was tiring for her. ¡®Those who visited more than 3 times, I should break one of them.¡¯ Or maybe she should be harsher? If the reporters knew what she was thinking, they would nevere again, but someone came. However, now, she couldn¡¯t show the cold and vicious face. A person she couldn¡¯t treat rudely. The girl¡¯s friend and the one who defeated her¡­ so Emma wasn¡¯t sure how to treat him. At the appearance of Irene Pareira, Emma Garcia said. ¡°¡­ what did youe here for?¡± ¡°I am here to see Ilya Lindsay.¡± ¡°Not allowed.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to tell her I¡¯m here?¡± ¡°I would. But mydy told me in advance. I don¡¯t want to see anyone for a week. Including Mr. Irene Pareira.¡± ¡°Then, I guess there is nothing I can do.¡± Irene nodded his head. He understood it. He knew that the darkness in her heart had disappeared, but that wouldn¡¯t make her happy right away. She was probably having a lot of thoughts and worries. And needed some time alone. Of course, as he came all the way here, he couldn¡¯t just leave her without doing anything. Irene pulled something out, and Emma who saw it, asked. ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°A gift and a letter.¡± ¡°¡­¡± She looked at the letter. It was quite thick. A day, or maybe more, was devoted to writing it. ¡®¡­ I guess he really is a friend.¡¯ Her eyes softened, and Emma Garcia took the letter. ¡°I will pass it on.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°And you said there is a gift?¡± ¡°Ah. A Half lie.¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°But the other half is the truth.¡± Emma frowned again. She wanted to tell Irene to not y around. However, Irene smiled and said, ¡°If she is curious about the gift. Ask her toe to John Drew¡¯s mansion.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I will give it to her in person. Please tell her that I want to talk to her face to face.¡± Chapter 147: The Sword of Irene Pareira (5)

Chapter 147: The Sword of Irene Pareira (5)

¡°¡­¡± Hearing those words, Emma Garcia stared at the man in front of her. He was a truly strange person. He has been that way since the first time he visited the mansion too. Looking for the girl with whom he didn¡¯t have any deep connection, he used the expression ¡®friend¡¯. However, even more absurd was that after meeting her, they talked openly about him aiming for her master¡¯s position as the champion. ¡®I never know what he is thinking.¡¯ Even Ilya Lindsay¡¯s reaction was unpredictable. Watching Irene set his foot into the arena and gradually ascend higher, she began to turn extremely stressed. And when the championship match was scheduled, she even lost her sleep due to anxiety. But after losing the match, she was¡­ ¡®Much, much better than I thought she would be.¡¯ It was as if she had let go of something she had been holding on to for a long time. It went without saying that it was all thanks to the young man in front of Emma. ¡°¡­ Alright. I will ry that to her.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Emma Garcia spoke bluntly while Irene still smiled. And after that, he turned around seemingly without regrets, and she kept looking at his back. ¡­an old ssmate of Krono Swordsmanship School. What kind of rtionship did this young man have with herdy? Thinking about it, she shook her head. That wasn¡¯t important. There was a letter which she had to deliver now. A message from Irene Pareira to herdy. Emma Garcia nced at the letter and then moved. And it was when she was about to step inside the mansion. ¡°Miss¡­?¡± ¡°Did someonee?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ah! Yes. That¡­¡± ¡°A letter? Is it for me?¡± ¡°¡­ Yes. It is. Irene Pareira was here saying he wanted to meet you, but I sent him back as you ordered.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Shall I call him back?¡± ¡°No. I told you. I want to be alone for a while.¡± With that said, Ilya quickly approached her. And then pulled the letter into her hands. Emma Garcia nced at her. Ilya looked at Emma and asked. ¡°What?¡± ¡°By any chance¡­¡± ¡°By any chance what?¡± ¡°¡­ nothing.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It is nothing. I must have misunderstood something.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Emma said with a blunt expression. Ilya, who looked at her for a second, turned away and said. ¡°Don¡¯te into my room until I call for you.¡± ¡°Yes, mydy.¡± Emma Garcia bowed her head. However, unlike her usual calm self, she seemed distracted. ''No, by any chance, was mydy waiting for Irene Pareira toe for her?'' Ilya was a youngdy who hardly moved to any ce other than her room and the training hall. Considering the situation where she was near the front door of the mansion, it was as if she was waiting to open the door. However, that didn¡¯t matter. The face she saw just now. Ilya had a cold expression as always, but¡­ ¡®She looked much softer than before.¡¯ As she strolled through the yard, Emma Garcia looked at her hands. The letter wasn¡¯t too thick. She wasn¡¯t sure if that letter could change the heart of her youngdy, but¡­ ¡®Can¡¯t I look forward to it?¡¯ She had been in this ce for 10 months with herdy. And for the first time, even Emma Garcia had a bright expression instead of a blunt cold one. ¡®She will be fine, right?¡¯ Irene Pareira, returning from Ilya Lindsay''s mansion, thought as he entered his room. Although much older than his Krono ssmates, his writing skills weren¡¯t that good. It was natural. Because he never did anything other than eat and swing his sword. It was clear how poor his writing skills were. So, he tried to put down sincere words when he wrote it. What kind of thoughts he had, with what kind of heart he had acted, and what actions of his he didn¡¯t want to be misunderstood, and what kind of future he wanted¡­ He wrote them all down without adding or taking off any matter. As a result, the content was huge, however, he felt that everything needed to be written without concealing anything to convey his intentions to her. ¡®I might see her in a few days.¡¯ He wasn¡¯t worried. The expression on her face after the match. It was stiff, but it was different from the Ilya before the match. She surely smiled after the match and then tried to control her expression. Irene slowly stretched out his hand. Woong! The sorcery great sword appeared. Looking at the sword, which was now sleek and nice unlike before, Irene mumbled. ¡°Was it because of the dream?¡± Maybe it was. He didn''t have time to think about it during the match with Ilya, but when everything was done, and he returned to John Drew''s mansion, his thoughts about the dream began. He was curious what the man was trying to say, even when he partied that night while talking and drinking, he just couldn¡¯t shake off the thought ¡®I want to go to bed early¡¯ the whole time. However¡­ ¡®The dream was the same as usual.¡¯ Tch, Irene lost interest. And without even changing his clothes, hey t on the bed. For now, he was going to sleep. He hadn¡¯t taken a simple nap ever since he was 15. And this nap wasn''t an escape. Irene closed his eyes, seeking an answer. It didn¡¯t matter if he was going to see his past self. Or maybe it could be something about sorcery too. Maybe both. It didn¡¯t matter, he just wanted to know something. Mumbling, he yearned for the man in his dreams. As he closed his eyes, his feelings were so strong that he thought, ''is it possible to even fall asleep in this state?'' Well, ¡°¡­!¡± As soon as he thought that, the scenery changed. A familiar sky, A familiar yard. A familiar wall. A ce he had experienced exhaustingly in his dreams and in the world of sorcery. And standing in the center¡­ a man who was now old. Seeing the man approach him, Irene ended up taking two steps back. It was because the energy radiating from the man was too intense. ¡®What is this?¡¯ Irene was puzzled. He remembered it. Just before going to fight Ilya Lindsay, the old man was definitely trying to say something to him. But what was this change in attitude? A terrifying energy from him as if he wanted to fight? Swoosh! ¡°Ah!¡± When Irene was in that thought, a great sword appeared in front of Irene¡¯s eyes. It wasn¡¯t the sword he had been using before. The old, crude sword was held in the old man¡¯s hand, and the brilliantly shining gold sword was what was in front of him. Irene looked at his sword and then the sword of the old man with a confused face and then nodded. And then muttered understanding. ¡°A swordsman usually does this¡­¡± Hold. Irene, who picked up the sword, focused. The process of aura creation, strengthening, hardening, blooming, concentration, and manifestation all happened in an instant as a golden aura erupted. Much smaller than what Ilya showed him, but this was surely an Aura sword. ¡°Good.¡± And let¡¯s see. After talking with swords for a while, he thought that the old man would open his mouth. Thinking that, he took the battle stance, and the old man began to approach him slowly. Wooong! A grey, white aura rose. An aura size that couldn''t even bepared with Irene! Irene¡¯s eyes widened as if they were going to tear. Kwaang! ¡°Kuak!¡± A great shock! It was the feeling of his palm about to tear. No, it actually tore. In spite of the calluses which made his hand hard, this hurt Irene, and blood dripped from his mouth. Irene felt his mind going nk. The old man stepped back and took a firmer stance, and then moved forward. And then used the sword again. Kwaang! Kwang! Kwaaaannggg! ¡°Kuak¡­!¡± Continued to attack. There was no psychological warfare here. No shy movements. Horizontal sh, vertical sh. Honest attacks which were faithful to the basics, yet Irene was unable to block them. ¡®It can¡¯t go on like this!¡¯ Heavy attack and another heavy attack. In a battle between the swordsmen of great swords, one was being pushed back constantly. And this meant that his ce was being snatched away. And if he didn¡¯t have enough ce to move around, then his range of movement and attack would be narrowed. Deciding to break through by attacking rather than defending, Irene used all the techniques he had learned till then. His eyes looked at the aura. However, no matter what method he used, he couldn¡¯t stop the man from getting close to him. A wall of steel which was rushing in emotionlessly! A wall thick enough that no one could stop it, a wall that could swallow everything around. Deep in Irene¡¯s heart, mes began to rise. Wheik! Come to think about it, so many situations have kindled sparks within his heart. It was the same when he was chasing after Ilya to stop her. And the same when he listened to Kuvar¡¯s advice. The same when he met I and when he shared swords with Judith and Bratt, whom he hadn''t met for years. Numerous moments had ignited the mes in Irene¡¯s heart. However, there were two things that were the most important reasons for the me to continue burning. No, maybe both these reasons were from the same thought. His heart for his family. And his heart for Ilya. Because both of them were the most important to him. Wheik! A fierce me could be seen in Irene¡¯s eyes. Irene hadn¡¯t clearly understood what was happening. The old man in front of him was pressuring him too much for that. However, just by trying vaguely to understand his reasons for holding the sword, the mes in his heart that were divided, united and took the shape of a giant sword. Irene finally raised his sword. And the moment he plunged into the old man¡¯s offensive streak with an unshakable heart; sh-! The man¡¯s sword, which seemed impossible to be broken by anything, was split in half. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Silence continued. Both people looked at each other. Although they had never talked to each other before, Irene felt some kind of affinity with the old man. Perhaps because now, the cold anger in the old man couldn¡¯t be felt? However, ¡°I¡¯m cheering for you.¡± He never expected the old man to give him such warm words. ¡°¡­!¡± Irene was confused. Cheering? What the hell was he cheering for? No, before that, what kind of rtionship did he and the old man have for him to train Irene this long? As he was thinking that, something amazing happened. The old man, who seemed to have lived his whole life with a hard expression, showed a faint smile. ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± Irene Pareira barely managed to open his mouth, and approached the old man. However, the man smiled and turned away as he walked. Despite the old man leisurely walking, Irene couldn''t catch up to him, and the old man kept walking. In the end, the mysterious old man hadpletely disappeared. The young blonde man just stared at the ce the old man had disappeared. Woong¡­. And he didn¡¯t notice. That the broken sword of the old man, was now turning into fine particles and entering his own sword. And after a while. ¡°¡­!¡± Lulu, who was sitting right in front of Irene, was the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes. And Irene, who had ten cats sitting around him, raised his body up in shock. ¡°Ack!¡± Meow! Meow! Eow! Meowy! Kwakwang! Cats scattered all around him and moved around, throwing down the things in the room. Lulu, who was between them, asked with worried eyes. ¡°Irene, are you alright?¡± Chapter 148: New Companion (1)

Chapter 148: New Companion (1)

¡°¡­ wait, wait.¡± Irene Pareira, who raised his upper body and sat on the bed, shook his head. And then looked around the room. Stuff scattered here and there as if a storm had passed. And cats, cats, and more cats moving around staring at him. ¡®I didn¡¯t wake up even when so many of them entered my room?¡¯ He wasn¡¯t the type of person who would be sound asleep because of the dream. Irene, who had a thought, asked, trembling. Hoping he was wrong, he asked Lulu. ¡°How long was I asleep¡­¡± ¡°You slept for three full days.¡± ¡°3 days?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Just 3 days¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Phew¡­¡± Irene sighed. This dream wasn¡¯t something he had everyday, this was much more special. So, from the moment he woke up, he was worried. He wondered if he got sucked into the world of sorcery again, just like it happened 5 years back. And he thought he would stay there longer. However, no. It was just 3 days, wasn¡¯t this much better than sleeping for a year? Lulu too, had the same thoughts. "I was worried! I felt a great sorcery power awaken, so I thought you entered the sorcery world again!¡± ¡°You did?¡± "Yes. The feeling of power was different but very intense¡­ I really thought that my heart was going to fail." Meow! Meow! The ck cat spoke, and the other cats made sounds. Irene looked at them with a look of ¡®What are they?¡¯ and Lulu realized she had forgotten something and pped her paws. ¡°Ah, these are my friends, since it has been 4 months, I have a lot more.¡± ¡°Friends?¡± "Yes! I was worried, so I came here, and they followed¡­ Now they need to go. Guys, it is fine now! You can go! I¡¯ll bring you something deliciouster!¡± Meow! Meow! The cats nodded as if they understood and jumped out the window. Startled, Irene looked through the window. His room was on the second floor, and fortunately, no disaster urred. The cats, protected by Lulu, were able tond on the ground very safely. And they disappeared. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So, nothing happened? Did the dream change this time too?¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± With a serious expression, Irene exined his dream to Lulu. There wasn¡¯t too much to say. Three days passed in reality, but in the dream, he was just fighting against the old man. However¡­ ¡®A feeling which is difficult to put into words.¡¯ Especially thest one. The old man who left behind the words that he supports Irene. The walk which looked like he would nevere back. And the reality he woke up to. Everyone was worried, including Kuvar, who turned pale, and four more days passed since the special dream. Irene hadn¡¯t dreamed of the old man again. It was quite frustrating, but there was nothing he could do. How could he go after the man who had only appeared in his dreams? He had no idea. But just in case, he asked Bratt who was knowledgeable, but Bratt didn¡¯t know either. ¡®In the beginning, I wasn¡¯t sure if he was a man from the past or not¡­¡¯ In the end, all Irene could do was put the doubts about the man in the back of his head and focus on the sword. Woong! First and foremost, the Aura Sword. The 6 things he had to do to make the best and strongest aura. Irene did everything in his power to make his own aura. Of course, on the day of the match and even in his dreams, he was able to seed with ease, but Aura Swords weren¡¯t always the same. How much faster could he bring out the aura? How stable is the aura he can bring out? How much stronger does it have to be to retain its shape? From what he heard, even Sword Masters have a difference in skillsparable to heaven and earth when ites to aura. And just because he reached the level of Master, it was foolish to depend on the ¡®Aura Sword¡¯ alone. Of course, the Aura Sword was great. A legendary kind of weapon which could cut through any kind of defense. However, no matter how excellent a weapon was, if the one holding the Aura Sword is a 7-year-old kid, the power was bound to be halved. ¡®In the end, nothing has actually changed.¡¯ Swordsmanship is important, footwork is important. Psychological warfare and defense and everything, including the tricks he learned from John Drew, were important; the basic concept of aura operation was equally important. In other words, it was correct to use the Aura sword together with everything else until the Aura Sword is further developed. Irene came to that conclusion and trained harder as if he still had a championship match. Kuvar and John Drew would watch it with stiff faces, and Judith continued her intense training with an angry expression. And Bratt would watch Judith silently. And like the past, another day passed by. ¡°Sir John Drew. A guest hase.¡± ¡°Huh? Guest?¡± ¡°Yes. However, the guest isn''t for Sir John Drew¡­ but a guest of Mr. Irene Pareira. Miss Ilya Lindsay is here.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± A week after Irene visited Ilya''s mansion. She finally came. ¡°Have you been well?¡± ¡°Yes. You?¡± ¡°¡­. So so.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The meeting between the two strongest swordsmen in the Land of Proof was awkward. Both Irene and Ilya were awkward. Without making proper eye contact, without speaking anything, the two walked endlessly through the huge garden of John Drew¡¯s again and again. 5 minutes passed. Irene thought that this wasn¡¯t how it was supposed to be. He was the one who started the quarrel and asked for reconciliation. And Ilya took a step ahead and came to find him. Then, isn''t it only right for him to take the lead? But unlike when he went to her mansion, he couldn¡¯t think of any words. ¡®Should I ask her to try and get along with me?¡¯ ¡®Should I ask her¡­What all happened?¡¯ ¡®Maybe about her brother¡­ a little bit?¡¯ ¡®What am I supposed to ask her?¡¯ His head felt like it would explode because of theplicated thoughts. Fortunately, Ilya spoke first. ¡°¡­ gift.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°If she is curious about the gift, tell her I¡¯ll give it to her directly.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Right. He said that. The situation was so awkward that he forgot about it. But that didn¡¯t mean that the gift wasn¡¯t ready. He kept the gift in the sorcery space so he could take it out whenever Ilya came to visit him. The problem was that he wasn¡¯t sure if she would like it. It was his intention to use the gift as a means to get her toe and meet him, but now that she was here, his heart was trembling. ¡®It is fine. Since I wasn¡¯t sure, I have prepared several things.¡¯ Irene nodded and took a deep breath. Ilya looked at him with curious eyes. The look on her face made Irene feel even more burdened. Gulping, he brought out the gifts. Seeing that, Ilya''s eyes lit up. The first gift had something engraved on it, the same as the bracelet. ¡°Adonis.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Honestly¡­ I didn¡¯t know what you liked¡­ the one I gave you in the past didn¡¯t seem to fit the same anymore, so I, I guess I thought you liked it back then, so giving this as a new gift seemed better.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ah, giving the same thing might be wrong, so I prepared other things too.¡± Irene hurriedly spoke gibberish about the gifts. He talked about a blue sapphire ne and thought it would suit her well, and said sorry if it looked too huge. And then about a teddy bear, and said that the music in it which would calm her mind. A few more things came up, and Ilya, who couldn¡¯t hold back herughter, ended upughing. It was because Irene was still Irene. ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter what gift you give.¡¯ Whether she liked it or not. How precious or expensive it was. None of that was important. For her, the person who gave it was Irene Pareira. The most important thing was that he brought them because he thought about her, and worried for her, and supported her, and that was all she needed to know. ¡°Uh¡­ do you not like it?¡± ¡°No. I like them.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. I like them all. Give them here.¡± Ilya Lindsay sat down on a bench holding the gifts which could be filled inside a huge basket. And looking at each one, she put them into the magic bag she had brought with her. Irene, who watched it, sighed in relief and sat next to her. And a short time passed. Ilya, who was sitting, looked ahead and asked. ¡°I, what should I do?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what to do now.¡± A calm voice. Like the usual Ilya Lindsay. But Irene knew. How empty she must be feeling. Her story continued. ¡°When I first heard about you, I was angry and annoyed, and I didn''t want to admit the truth¡­ so, I didn''t want to lose, so I trained harder, harder and more harder, wielding my sword¡­ How meaningless that looks now. How empty it left me as I listened to other people and not myself, and acted ording to what others said¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± "But, in the end, I knew what I was doing; I just never thought clearly about it. I could¡­ do nothing." It was ironic. To make herself a better person, one needed to realize the past, which was wrong. And thankfully, she resolved that because of her friend Irene. However, as soon as she realized the mistakes she had made, Ilya lost her will to move forward. Even if it was in the wrong direction, a milestone is a milestone. Now that itpletely disappeared, Ilya¡¯s mind was unstable and was no different from a boat drifting in the sea with no direction. ¡°You said that I used to shine.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t remember anymore. I don¡¯t remember that time.¡± ¡°What¡­ should I do? In the future, how should I live?¡± Ilya continued to speak. Unlike the start, now her voice was trembling. ording to the intense emotions she wanted to convey. Her expression was the same as ever, but Irene knew. Ilya was blocking the wave of emotions because she was scared that she wouldn¡¯t be able to stop crying. And Irene felt fortunate. Because he had no idea what to do if she cried. ¡°I was the same.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I told you in your roomst time. It was a lot of work for me to get here.¡± ¡°¡­ was it?¡± ¡°Yes. It was. I don¡¯t mind telling you again.¡± Irene looked at Ilya and then looked back at the garden. And he slowly spoke about his story. Thanks to Ian, he thought about someone else for the first time. Thanks to Lulu, he was able to hold the sword with confidence for the first time. Thanks to the advice from Kuvar, he was able to find a new journey and courage without sumbing to difficulties. And before all that, there were those precious memories with Judith, Bratt, and Ilya. "I am probably just like you. I still don''t know which way I should go, so I am lost too, in a sense. And it might take longer to find my way.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Still, I can move ahead steadfastly because there are people who believe in me¡­ and I think it might be the same for you.¡± Saying that, Irene looked at Ilya. Ilya too, looked at him. His deep blue eyes shining, which held his sincerity within. ¡°Because you believed me in the past, I was able toe this far.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And now, it is my turn to believe in you. So¡­¡± You too, no¡­both of us together. We can do well. The moment Ilya heard those words, the emotions she was holding back had burst out. Tears began to flow down her eyes, without any noise. Looking at that, Irene gently grabbed her hand. Chapter 149: New Companion (2)

Chapter 149: New Companion (2)

Falling tears which got rid of heavy emotions. Ilya and Irene talked about this and that and finally made a decision. Instead of returning to her family, Ilya was going to continue her training with her precious friend. A journey to find her new self, to find her sword, and to find what she truly wants. And knowing that Irene would be there with her throughout the journey, she felt much more at ease. It felt as if she had met a rescue boat. However, there was a problem; it was that Irene was with others. Judith, Bratt Lloyd, an orc called Kuvar, and the cat sorcerer Lulu. Actually, thest two were fine. Since they were kind people, there was a high chance that if Ilya exined what happened, they would immediately wee her. ¡®But Bratt and Judith¡­ with them, it is a bit difficult.¡¯ Irene had a stiff expression. Although they were friends, they weren¡¯t that acquainted with Ilya. To be honest, they were in a bad rtionship. Of course, with Judith, Ilya had resolved her feelings when leaving the school, but it had been 6 years since then. Moreover, despite the fact that they met several times at Eisenmarkt, they pretended to not know each other. Ilya had avoided making any conversation. In other words¡­ they have be less close than the beginning. ¡°Will it be fine?¡± Ilya asked. It couldn¡¯t be seen as she was holding back her expression, but Irene knew that she was feeling nervous. He looked into her eyes and smiled. ¡°There won¡¯t be a problem. Because they are good people. If there are some misunderstandings¡­ then we will clear them like swordsmen and resolve it, alright?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°It is fine. Because I am with you. What can they say if you want to apologize and be with them?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°It will be fine. Don¡¯t worry.¡± Irene answered with a more confident expression than usual, and Ilya nodded. Finally, after a long conversation, they headed inside. Perhaps, the others had left the room deliberately, so when they entered, it was just Judith and Bratt. However, then came an unexpected situation. ¡°Nope.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Think about it from our perspective. If we ignored you all this time and then suddenly wanted to be with you, how would you react?¡± Instead of Judith, who would normally object, Bratt had a colder reaction. Irene was speechless at the unexpected response, and Ilya felt nervous at that. However, Judith was the most perplexed one. ¡®This bastard! Why is he this doing this now?¡¯ From the moment Irene went out to meet Ilya, the two of them had expected something like this to happen. Bratt was the kind who didn¡¯t care about it, but now since he didn¡¯t like it, he said he didn''t ept it right away. But to say ¡®No!¡¯ right at the beginning. So, Judith opened her mouth. ¡°You, you¡­¡± ¡°Ilya Lindsay¡± However, Judith¡¯s words were cut by Bratt. Normally she would speak again, but from Bratt''s expression, she knew that he was serious. Instead of yelling at him, she folded her arms to watch what would happen, and Irene, who was with Ilya, also waited for Bratt''s next words. ¡°You, why do you want to join us?¡± ¡°I, I¡­¡± ¡°Well, I can roughly guess it. To get encouraged and move forward with the help of someone you trust. To grow. Something like that.¡± ¡°Righ¡­¡± ¡°Then let me ask you something. Who all do you think you can ¡®trust¡¯?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± ¡°Perhaps Irene Pareira, probably, just him alone. Judith and I are certainly not it for sure.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Am I wrong?¡± Bratt Lloyd kept interrupting her. But Ilya wasn¡¯t in a position to be angry. Because what he was saying was true. ¡°You can¡¯t say I¡¯m wrong. Well, this was expected. If you had wanted to build a rtionship of trust with us, then you wouldn¡¯t have called and talked to Irene alone. You would have confided to us all your secrets and shared everything, your reasoning, and the intention to ignore us till now. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If that is difficult, then you just have to make a separate party with Irene instead of joining us.¡± Cold words. A deadly silence in the room. Irene and Ilya, as well as Judith. Bratt¡¯s attitude, which was much harsher than expected, made them sympathize with Ilya, but they couldn¡¯t even move. In the end, the only person who could unravel the current mood of Bratt Lloyd spoke for the first time. Perhaps, he too knew that, so he sighed and said. ¡°Phew¡­ of course, that won''t happen knowing Irene''s nature. He will want to be with both Ilya and us¡­ right?" ¡°¡­¡± Irene, who received Bratt¡¯s gaze, hesitated and then nodded. And then he turned to the right. Bratt muttering quietly, looked at Ilya. As if she had nothing to say, Ilya lowered her gaze and bowed her head. In the end, they went back to where they started. As Judith, Irene and Ilya were thinking about how to solve this, Bratt, who looked at the three with a serious expression, looked at their faces. And then spoke softly as if he decided something. ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll make some way. If you can¡¯t take the first step, then we will.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°It means that we will tell you our secrets which we find difficult to tell others and only to those who are close to us. So that you can speak about your story to us.¡± ¡®This bastard, he was going for this since the beginning.¡¯ Judith, who understood it, nodded. From the beginning, Bratt was going to ept Ilya. However, it was hard for him to act as if nothing had happened, so his intention was to close the distance between them before starting their journey. But why ¡®us¡¯ and not ¡®me¡¯? A thought popped into Judith''s mind. Usually, when one brings up a story, it will be about themselves and not the entire group. And the question was resolved. ¡°I don¡¯t usually tell this to anyone¡­ Judith believed in Santa until 14.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°After bing an official trainee, she refrained from cursing and always used soft words from her mouth for several months to receive a present from Santa. Of course, the moment she found out that Santa doesn¡¯t exist, she immediately began to swear out loud¡­¡± ¡°Yah! You crazy jerk! If you want to speak! Then tell your own secrets! Why are you talking about other people''s secrets! You fucker¡­¡± Thud! Judith got up from the chair by force and grabbed Bratt by his cor. And she didn''t just grab; she lifted him up. With his feet in the air, Bratt was still smiling. Irene and Ilya, who saw that, burst intoughter. Santa us. A famous superstition that there is an old man who gives gifts to children all around the world on December 25th. However, since it is so famous, kids learned the truth about it when they were young, and when they learned that Judith believed that till she was 14, they couldn¡¯t help butugh. Of course, for Judith, it wasn''t funny. Her face was red and flustered! She lowered Bratt and shouted. ¡°You speak about yourself from now on! I will really kill if you overdo this!¡± ¡°Fine. Don¡¯t worry!¡± ¡°Irene too!¡± ¡°.. me too?¡± ¡°Right! Did you think this will end with you listening to us?¡± "No, but¡­." ¡°Ah of course! You too Ilya!¡± ¡°Uh-yes.¡± ¡°Everyone is talking to you, so do you think you can stay silent like you did before, and keep your head down!?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If that''s the case, then Sword Master or not, you will lose here.¡± ¡°¡­ I will tell.¡± Feeling Judith¡¯s terrifying energy, Ilya nodded. It felt like the time when she talked with Judith at the end when she left the school, and there were times when Judith gave out this energy. The energy of a wild beast which stimted the fear in the opponent. It was funny because of Santa us, but not anymore. And it was the same with Irene. ¡°Hmm. Then let¡¯s start with me.¡± Only Bratt Lloyd responded calmly. Judith''s eyes were saying, ''Let''s see what you say!'', but Bratt ignored her eyes and spoke longer than they expected. Memories shared in the Krono Swordsmanship school when they joined, when their younger selves were prospective trainees. And what happened after that, the experiences he had when he decided to drop out of the school and leave swordsmanship. He spoke frankly and candidly about his entire life. He showed himself to others as he was, with nothing to hide. ¡°¡­ this time, I will go.¡± Next was Judith. Before Bratt''s story, she was so excited she wanted to smash everything. But not now. And now she was doing her best to unravel her stories, her bad days, and she looked at Irene. Irene, who smiled, once again told his story to his three schoolmates who heard it again. And when the three of them were done. ¡°¡­¡± Tears welled up in Ilya Lindsay¡¯s eyes again. For 6 years after leaving the school, Ilya had been walking in dark and narrow paths. The eerie eyes and disgusting words of the public around her, and her darker imagination of things, and the fear which grew from it which made her lock up everything inside her for 24 hours a day. But not now. In a world of hers that was broken and dark, uncertainty and vagueness were resonating more with the warmth of the light. And the three of them in front of her, had the most reassuring faces to help her through it. ¡°I¡­¡± And so began the story of Ilya Lindsay. The three of them listened to her with serious faces as she slowly spoke, broken and stranded sentences because of the feeling of being blessed. 6 years from the time of being prospective trainees of Krono. Finally, the four were reborn as friends. ¡°Hehe, can we join in now?¡± ¡°Hello! Nice to meet you! I am the best cat sorcerer on the continent! Call me Lulu! I made the teddy bear you got! Hehe!¡± When all four were done, they came. The Orc Kuvar and cat sorcerer Lulu appeared with bright faces. Even though it was their first time meeting, they two treated Ilya without any awkwardness. And she too, was fine. ¡°They are normally like this?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Ilya asked Irene. Rather than Ilya joining, they now needed to know where they had to go next. Kuvar and Lulu had no purpose, but the other four, including Irene, did. This wasn¡¯t a simple trip, but a path to grow as swordsmen. And that was the purpose of this party, so the next ce they had to visit was important. It was then, Kuvar spoke his mind. ¡°How about going to see my teacher?¡± ¡°Kuvar¡¯s teacher?¡± ¡°Yes. If it is my teacher, then¡­¡± After a moment¡¯s silence, he spoke in a serious voice. ¡°Irene, your dream¡­ maybe we can know something about the mysterious man.¡± Chapter 150: New Companion (3)

Chapter 150: New Companion (3)

Irene had a mysterious dream. A dream in which a mysterious man practiced with his sword all day long. It was a secret only he knew, but now everyone in his party knew. However, no one knew the identity of the man. It was because the clues that were there were too few. ¡®But, can we even find out the man¡¯s identity?¡¯ And Kuvar¡¯s teacher? How? ¡°What about it? Would he know about the dream and the old man just by looking at Irene? And you said that this was all a scam in the first ce? And if he can actually tell who the man in his dreams are, then why haven¡¯t you told us about it sooner?¡± Judith asked so many questions at once. And not a single person in the party stopped her, including Bratt. Because everyone had the same thoughts running through their heads. Of course, Irene was well aware that not all fortune tellers in the world were like Kuvar. Even a cat sorcerer was strange at first, but it wasn¡¯t strange anymore, and having another fortune-teller who could possibly help him didn¡¯t seem bad. ¡®¡­e to think of it, the first note I received from Kuvar was pretty unusual.¡¯ However, he was curious as to why Kuvar was silent about his Master until now. Irene looked at the Orc, hoping for an answer, and after a moment''s hesitation, Kuvar spoke. ¡°To be honest¡­ I didn¡¯t have the courage to see my teacher till now.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°The ce where my teacher is¡­is the most prosperous ce even in the realm of orcs, and I don¡¯t have a good reputation there¡­ no, that expression isn¡¯t quite right. Anyway, I am quite reluctant to go there.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It is a bit cowardly, but I just couldn¡¯t go there alone.¡± Kuvar continued to speak with a bitter expression on his face. Considering the usual way he spoke, Kuvar must have been nervous. However, he was still trying to speak and be honest to all of them. ¡®I didn¡¯t travel around the continent because I wanted to live my life wandering.¡¯ But no one knew. Up until now, Kuvar had always guided them with the brightest face. They never saw anxiety, worry, or sadness on his face. Irene even felt a bit envious of Kuvar, who leisurely roamed around the continent detached from everything. But it was all just a misunderstanding. Kuvar just kept his feelings all inside, hidden. He, too, was in a bad situation, just like each of them. ¡°¡­¡± Irene felt sorry. But he also felt grateful. Seeing Kuvar speak his story, the conviction that he was getting closer to Kuvar began to dawn on his mind. And that made the positive energy rise in Irene. Of course, he didn¡¯t fullyprehend the situation of Kuvar. Kuvar spoke many many stories until now, but he never brought up the most important one. This time, Judith took the lead. With a puzzled expression, she asked. ¡°So, that person¡­. No, he¡¯s an orc, right?" ¡°Yeah, he¡¯s an Orc.¡± "Yeah, who is that Orc? A bad one? Is he strong? Who is that jerk that you are so scared of?¡± Judith seemed a little annoyed. Going to see a fortune teller isn¡¯t bad. Although it was for fun, everything Kuvar said was something she enjoyed listening to. Kuvar gave confidence to those who were losing hope, gave directions, and gave them strength to rise above their beliefs about themselves. In that way, meeting Kuvar¡¯s teacher would be beneficial to everyone, and not just Irene. ''Maybe Ilya too; she is also the same.¡¯ But the information Kuvar gave about his Master was too abstract. And the current Judith wanted help with her swordsmanship skills more than anything else. As said before, she wanted to go to the tomb of the ¡®Blood Demon'' where the blood flows. Or she had to ask for help from Ricardo Pinto and visit his father, Harrison Pinto, for help in swordsmanship. Or go back to Lation again in hopes of destroying the barrier of sword master by beating the swordsmen there. Whenpared to that, Kuvar¡¯s idea about finding his teacher wasn''t great. However, after listening to Kuvar¡¯s words, Judith¡¯s attitude changed. ¡°Not a bad idea. Rather, it is a very good one¡­ no, this isn¡¯t my story to tell.¡± ¡°Ah, this guy, why are you being so frustrating toda¡­¡± ¡°But I can answer the next question. My Master is strong, very strong. Maybe¡­ stronger than all of youbined.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± A shocking statement. Stronger than the four people here? The geniuses who achieved the highest score in the Krono with their talents, the toppers of the Golden Age. And that one person was stronger than the fourbined? Everyone was speechless. However, when Kuvar said that, the four had no choice but to nod their heads. It wasn¡¯t just about agreeing to it anymore. Judith jumped up from her chair and said. ¡°Fine! Let¡¯s go there!¡± ¡°Are you sure? Well, honestly, I said this out of hope that you guys would help me, but are you sure¡­¡± ¡°Are we sure? Of course, we are! Where in the world will we get a chance topete with a strong person who will ept us, unlike in Lation city? Let¡¯s go! Let¡¯s go there!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kuvar turned his gaze away from Judith and looked at the others. Contrary to his usual rxed eyes, his current eyes held sadness. Irene, who looked at him, smiled and said. ¡°Let¡¯s go there.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t sound bad.¡± ¡°¡­ if everyone agrees, then I like it too.¡± ¡°Oh, are we going to an orc n? I¡¯ve never been there! I¡¯m so excited! Didn¡¯t you mention that there are a lot of Taiho fruits there? Good! Nice!¡± Everyone, even Lulu, was excited and epted Kuvar¡¯s request. The Orc was silent for a moment, gulped, and held back his emotions which told him to apologize to them again. And it didn¡¯t end there. Having settled his emotions, he confided his situation to the party in more detail, and the four people of Krono and the cat Lulu nodded their heads. Aplex but happy smile settled upon Kuvar¡¯s face. And thus, the next destination was decided. Thergest orc city located in the northwest part of the continent, Durkali. A new look of anticipation dawned on their eyes. After Ilya joined the party, the next destination was decided at Kuvar¡¯s request. The party took some time to sort out their things in Eisenmarkt. ¡°Eh? What are you saying? What is there to organize? Did you make any acquaintances here?¡± ¡°Ah, you ignorant jerk. We have been here for 4 months, and you are the weird one to not have made any friends.¡± ¡°Hehe, I have some drinking buddies with Bratt. So, I guess I¡¯ll have to say goodbye to them onest time.¡± "Maybe because I was only in the training ce; if not, I could have also¡­¡± ¡°Yeah sure, keep thinking that.¡± Bratt and Kuvar went drinking with the locals. ¡°Thank you. I can¡¯t even imagine what it would have been like if we hadn¡¯t met.¡± ¡°Thank you. Thank you very much. Thanks to you, I was able to have the best moments of being a journalist!¡± "I''ll visit you next time. And then show you the moreplete version of the John Drew style swordsmanship. Ah, by the way¡­ can you talk to Lulu? Next time we meet, tell her to stop throwing money at me; it is a burden¡­" Irene left Eisenmarkt after having some good words with Grayson, Hinz, and John Drew. Of course, so did Ilya Lindsay. ¡°Thank you, Emma.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Unlike Irene, Bratt, and Kuvar, she didn¡¯t have other people to say goodbyes to. But that didn¡¯t mean that she didn¡¯t hold people precious to her. Till now, the closest one was, The one who cared for her, worried for her with the sincerest heart, her escort Emma. It waste, it was veryte to recognize it¡­ and she felt bad and sorry for that, but she said thank you. ¡°How could I be such an idiot?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I was so obsessed with the words of idiots that had nothing to do with me but never listened to those who were next to me, taking care of me better than anyone¡­¡± ¡°No, mydy.¡± Emma Garcia shook her head. But her eyes were already wet with tears. She was grateful for the words Ilya had said to her; seeing the face of Ilya more peaceful than it had been in the past few years, she couldn¡¯t ovee the joy swelling inside her. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll try to be safe. Don¡¯t worry too much. Tell my parents that I am sorry and that I said thank you. Tell them¡­I am more courageous now¡­ and I will be back as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Who would worry for a Sword Master? Rather, I should be the one taking care of myself. If the Lord feels that I failed my duties as a knight, I will be deprived of my knighthood.¡± ¡°Uh? Really?¡± ¡°I¡¯m joking!¡± ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°But he is surely going to be annoyed.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Even then, it is fine.¡± Emma Garcia joked a few times. And she slowly and gently held Ilya Lindsay in her arms as she hugged her. It was a rude act for an escort to do. But Ilya didn¡¯t refuse. She just quietly stood there, as she felt the warmth of the other person. ¡°With good people, and greater friends¡­e back as a better knight and swordsman. I believe in you.¡± ¡°¡­ I will.¡± With those words, Ilya Lindsay left her mansion where she was staying for almost a year, and her escort watched her leave as she stood there for a long time. She was sad, but she was even more happier. After seeing that Ilya left, she prayed for a long time, that the future of her youngdy would be full of blessings. 4 dayster, the people reunited. Finishing all their goodbyes, they walked out of the town. All the people rted to the diator matches begged them not to leave, but not a single person stopped them. Meow! Meaoow! Meow! ¡°Bye! Live a long and healthy life!¡± Wheik! Wheik! Lulu threw salmons to the cats, which came to see her off. Finally, Irene Pareira and his party left the Land of Proofpletely. Looking at the four of them advancing ahead, Kuvar felt his heart turn light. ¡®Is there another party in the world where the members were so young but so strong?¡¯ Two of the four had reached the Master level, which every swordsman hoped they would be their entire lives, and the other two were at a level where they could beat any Expert. And their average age was 20, a party that could possibly shock the entire continent. ¡®But it isn¡¯t just swordsmanship that they¡¯re good at.¡¯ Kuvar remembered the past 4 months. Bratt Llyod, who never lost hisposure in any situation, was soft yet firm. Judith, as passionate as a me, could turn even the most painful, exhausting situation into her driving force. Ilya Lindsay, who had beenpletely lost in a bad situation, finally found her ce and was moving in the right direction. Andstly¡­. ''No matter how difficult and bad the situation is, he never avoids it and confronts it head-on and ovees it¡­ that was Irene Pareira.¡¯ Kuvar smiled at the thought. Thinking about it now, it felt weird. Watching these powerful young people grow up this close, he learned a lot. If it weren¡¯t for these young ones, he would have still been living a weird life. Unable to ever have the courage to go back to his home. ¡°Kuvar!¡± ¡°Hm? What is it?¡± Judith turned around and called him. When Kuvar asked, she smiled and said. ¡°This trip, in a way, we are fulfilling your request. Right?¡± ¡°Uh, is that really it? It isn¡¯t exactly a request but a favor¡­¡± "Well, whatever it is. Since this has beenmissioned, we will guide you to Durkali.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°That means Kuvar can rest and take time off.¡± ¡°¡­ huhu, can I really do that?¡± Kuvar said, a bit surprised. Of course, till now, he did all the chores, but it was because it was natural for a guide to do that. But when he heard that these kids would take part in that too, emotions were rising in his heart. But that didn¡¯tst long. Exactly a dayter. ¡®¡­ wouldn¡¯t it be better if I just do it?¡¯ Watching the party make aplete mess of things, Kuvar had no choice but to think that it was better for him to just do the tasks. Chapter 151: What are they? (1)

Chapter 151: What are they? (1)

¡°Let me drive the carriage.¡± It was Bratt Lloyd who volunteered to drive the carriage when the four of them decided to divide the tasks Kuvar usually did. He thought he was the most stable one because he usually sat next to Kuvar, who was their normal coachman, and because he often rode on horses as a child. And he was pretty much right. Jump! Jump! ¡°Ugh! Ugh!¡± ¡°You! Do it right!¡± ¡°It is my first time driving a carriage. Wait until I get used to it.¡± Although the ride was worse than Kuvar¡¯s, Bratt wasn¡¯t that bad. Judith, who kept grumbling, didn¡¯t say anything after an hour. But what mattered was Bratt''s sense of direction. ¡°What? Wasn¡¯t a vige supposed toe during lunch?¡± ¡°The map must be wrong.¡± ¡°The map is wrong? You took the wrong direction!¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t as easy as you think. Since the road isn¡¯t a straight one, it is inevitable for some errors to happen, especially when we take so many turns¡­¡± ¡°Dog shit! You bastard! We have to sit through another two hours of journey because of you!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seeing Judith and Bratt fight, Kuvar stopped hisughing. This much was fine. For the first time in his life, he was inside the carriage, and he thought Bratt would be fine if he looked at the map asionally. However, after entering the vige, his thoughts changed little by little. ¡°It''s 32 silver for a room.¡± ¡°Alright. Here¡­¡± ¡°Ah! Wait! 32 silvers is too expensive for this ce!¡± Was it because they were all nobles? Lulu, Bratt, and Ilya''s sense of money was ridiculous! Watching them just nod their heads to any price the opposite person said, Kuvar felt something rise within him. It wasn''t a matter of wealth orck of it. It was uneptable from his point of view to pay three times the price for anything. ¡°You don¡¯t get it; this isn¡¯t some big city super luxurious stay. Does it make sense to pay 32 silvers for this room? What is this?¡± ¡°Hehe, Miss, you can¡¯t talk to an adult like¡­¡± ¡°What? Adult? Did I say something rude? You bastard! You tried to smooth talk us into¡­¡± However, the bigger problem was Judith, who actually had a sense of money. And when she was angry, she was the kind to raise her voice. If it wasn¡¯t for Irene, who intervened ratherte, a fight would have broken out, and as this happened several times, Kuvar was beginning to get worried. However, there was something even more terrible that made all the above ones seem fine. The cooking skills of Ilya Lindsay. ¡°Yah! Shit! What shit did you do with the expensive meat!¡± ¡°Shit? Why are you talking like that?¡± Did she feel bad that the others had tasks and she didn¡¯t? So, when they knew that they wouldn¡¯t reach a vige for the day and were ready to make tents in the evening, Ilya proposed that she would help cook dinner. And all of them gave her permission to do so despite being concerned at first, and it was because they were just going to grill meat and not cook something difficult. However, after a short period of time, the sight of the finished food was truly terrifying. They had bought the best quality meat, but no one knew what the disgusting thing on the te was. Bratt, holding the fork and knife, sighed and muttered. ¡°A goblin¡¯s ass from theherworld.¡± ¡°What¡­!¡± "Right, Bratt! No, I can understand if this was burned. But what the hell did you do to this meat? Please exin the cooking process to me.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything weird. Just washed the meat normally, oiled the pan, and lit the fire¡­" ¡°Have you lost it? Why would you wash clean butchered meat in water? And how much oil did you use?¡± ¡°This much¡­?¡± ¡°Ah, that is the same as not putting any! You just put the meat on a hot pan!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ilya looked at Judith as the words which kepting from her mouth and looked around. The majestic power of the Champion of the Land of Proof was nowhere to be seen. Even Irene, her most reliable ally, stabbed the meat a couple times. And when the knife didn¡¯t go in well, he unconsciously used the Aura Sword with the knife. Woong! ck! ck! ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± "Ah, since you are a Sword Master, you must have deliberately cooked this meat to be this tough.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Half the meat, which was cut, fell to the floor. Ilya entered the carriage with a gloomy expression, and Kuvar, who had observed everything from the start, said this once they all came in. ¡°I will do what I usually do. If I need help, I will ask you from time to time.¡± ¡°You will?¡± ¡°That would be great.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Okay!¡± All four members of the party immediately answered at the same time, and peace returned to their party again. Ilya, the precious child of a high-status family, was once again able to spend her timefortably. Of course, she wasn¡¯t taking advantage of that. Woong! ¡°¡­ just like I have shown you, using the aura in this way gives you much more versatility.¡± ¡°Hm, that I see. But I think it will take some time to master it¡­¡± ¡°Ah, In my case, it feels like pushing water away, and if you do it this way, it gets more¡­" ¡°Ah, right. It is definitely easier than before.¡± ¡°Ilya? Is this the way?¡± ¡°Hm, simr.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Judith, who was the same as always, and Bratt, who led the talk about swords. Unlike Irene, who took time to adapt, Ilya Lindsay boasted her knowledge about swordsmanship and Aura operation from the start. Irene helped them and shared the know-how of using the ''Aura seeing eye,'' and Bratt learned it all like a sponge sucking up water. ¡°¡­¡± Watching that, Judith felt her heart tug. This was a good thing. Two Sword Masters giving them their knowledge. Even Bratt was starting to grow now. Despite not being used to it, Ilya would asionally throw in some surprising ideas that made even Judith feel proud. But that was the problem. ¡®Damn it. The fire inside her was rising in her again. Hiding that feeling, she did her best. Not just in swordsmanship, but also in actual matches and tried to keep up with the two¡­ no, three geniuses. Thanks to that, she felt that her skills which were stagnant for a while, were gradually improving. ¡°Ahh, now I know for sure. This is how it feels.¡± "That method is quite useful, right? It was helpful." ¡°Thank you, Bratt.¡± The gap wasn¡¯t closed. ¡®Don¡¯t worry. Don¡¯t worry about it. I just have to do what I have to.¡¯ ¡®No, you have to be more wary of it. Be more obsessive and act more.¡¯ ¡®You think you can catch up with them with your power? Right.¡¯ Constant conflicting concerns. The pressure she felt kept piling up. Breaking through it all, Judith tried to go through each day as if nothing had happened. But sometimes, it wasn''t easy to put up with the rising heat and anger. ¡°Oh, such a precious drink in this small town!¡± ¡°I know. Surely¡­ hmm. I haven¡¯t had a proper drink after Ilya joined us.¡± ¡°Ah right! Should we hold a wee party? With this delicious alcohol?¡± ¡®Those crazy drunkards!¡¯ Seeing Kuvar and Bratt talk, Judith felt a surge of anger. It was strange. She knew what those two were like, and despite the fact that she too would have a drink or so once in a while¡­ Seeing them so rxed made her feel horrible. But she didn¡¯t say it. She would have yelled in the past, but now Judith was more mature. Above all, she knew that there were people who would happily take her anger for her well-being. Kuvar, who was a real adult, wouldn''t show any difort, and Irene was an incredible guy with talent, and looking at him¡­ There was no way she could take her anger out on that stupidly good guy. And she would definitely never say anything to Lulu. And Bratt¡­ ¡®No, don¡¯t even think about it.¡¯ Judith shook her head and looked away. The curious expression on Ilya¡¯s face as she looked at the alcohol caught her eyes. ¡®Right, she is the annoying one.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t as if she hated her or disliked her. However,pared to the rest, she had little affection for Ilya. She was the perfect target to relieve herself from the anger. But she wasn¡¯t aiming for anything serious. ¡®¡­ still, a light joke would be fine.¡¯ Judith smiled and said. ¡°Ilya.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± ¡°Have you ever had a drink?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Really? Then have a sip now.¡± "Uh¡­ is that fine? This seems to be a strong one; I don''t know if I can¡­" Ilya waved her hand while talking. Smiling, Judith said. ¡°Scared?¡± ¡°¡­¡± One word. A word no noble would want to listen to. And the meaning was very clearly conveyed. ¡®Calm down.¡¯ Ilya Lindsay closed her eyes. And calmed her mind. She knew that Judith always acted like this. No,pared to the past when Judith was always annoying and mean, she was cute now. ¡°Scared?¡± ¡°¡­ fine. You will drink too, right?¡± However, at Judith''s provocation, which happened again, Ilya brought up a task for her too. Ilya opened her eyes and said. ¡°Should we make a bet?¡± ¡°What? A bet?¡± ¡°Right. We drink at the same time. Until one side loses consciousness. wouldn¡¯t that be fun?¡± ¡°Haa, you reall¡­¡± ¡°Ugh, Ilya¡­¡± ¡°Judith, Ilya. Are you really doing that?¡± "Oh-oh! I have seen things like this before! Alcohol fight! Go on!!" ¡°Hehe, hehehe!¡± While Lulu and Kuvar watched, Irene and Bratt tried to stop the two. Judith had always been a weak drinker, then what about Ilya, who was having her first drink today? Of course, any sane person would try to stop them. And the guys didn''t try to stop them for that reason alone; they were worried for the two girls, so they felt the bet had to be stopped. ¡°¡­ scared?¡± But the moment Ilya said that. Bang! ¡°Fine! This bet, I ept it. Should we get a separate table?¡± ¡°Okay! Bring the sses here please!¡± ¡°Uh, Uh¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Judith and Ilya decided things by themselves, not giving Bratt and Irene a chance to stop them. A 40-year-old whiskey bottle and on the rock sses filled with ice. And then Judith said. ¡°I don¡¯t need ice. Ah, do you need it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± ¡°haha, look at you acting so brave! Alright, get me shot sses!¡± The shopkeepers removed the ice from the sses and brought out shot sses. And poured the strongest whiskey. And the two stared at the other. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± A breathtaking moment. Feeling the air turn heavier, Judith raised her ss. Ilya, too did the same and looked at her opponent''s ss. She moved her hand, wanting to shake off some alcohol in her ss on purpose. But that didn¡¯t happen. Before long, the two proud women drank alcohol without a toast. And that was thest scene which Judith remembered that day. Chapter 152: What are they? (2)

Chapter 152: What are they? (2)

¡°¡­!¡± An unfamiliar ceiling. That was the first thought Judith had when she woke up. Her head was feeling woozy, and she pondered for a while why she was lying on an unfamiliar bed in an unfamiliar room and staring at the unfamiliar ceiling. And one minuteter, she had a bewildered expression. After abruptly regaining her consciousness, she raised her upper body up and mumbled. ¡°Fu¡­ck¡­¡± She remembered what happened yesterday. Well, not everything. She remembered Ilya Lindsay having a drink with her, and she remembered that she was fine until she had her first drink, and after that, everything was blurry as if water had spilled on a painting. However, that was enough for Judith to curse. Because it probably meant that she might have lost her bet. ¡®No, maybe I just don¡¯t remember. I got drunk first and then became excited and drank more¡­ then lost my memory?¡¯ Judith frowned as she thought, thinking about yesterday''s memories, and sighed when nothing popped up. Right, nothing bad must have happened. It was the moment when she was thinking about it. Click¡­ ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The sound of the door opening could be heard. And the ck cat entered the room where Judith was. Lulu tried to put the ss of water down on the table, but when Lulu¡¯s eyes met Judith''s, she quickly avoided it. And that reaction made Judith feel anxious. As she continued to stare at Lulu, she decided to ask. ¡°Lulu.¡± ¡°Uh? Yes?¡± "By any chance, yesterday, did I do something? I was super drunk, so did I say something strange?" ¡°Huh? No? I don¡¯t know. You and Ilya took separate tables.¡± ¡°Someone must have helped me and brought me here. I couldn¡¯t havee here by myself.¡± ¡°Ah! Yes, Bratt brought you here. You were drunk and sleepy, nothing happened.¡± Lulu said nothing happened. However, she continued to avoid Judith¡¯s gaze, and that made her anxiety rise even more. Judith jumped up from her bed and walked towards Lulu. Seeing the huge shadow approach her, Lulu trembled. However, the eyes of Judith were too bitter for Lulu to use sorcery. ¡°Lulu.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Say it.¡± ¡°Hm? What are you talking about? I only told you the truth.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t harm you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I mean it. It is really fine, and it is something that happened yesterday. Just tell the truth. If I said something weird or not, or whether I did something strange and who all heard it. Without skipping past a single thing.¡± ¡°¡­ Bratt, Irene, and Kuvar were talking to each other, so they didn¡¯t hear what Judith said most of the time. Except for thest one, where you spoke up. It was so loud that everyone in the ce heard it.¡± ¡°¡­ that so?¡± ¡°¡­ should I continue.¡± ¡°Yes. Continue.¡± Judith said with a bright smile. Seeing that, Lulu decided to say everything which she heard and saw. ¡°¡­ which is why, were you too drunk yesterday that you can¡¯t even remember that?¡± ?1? ¡°That¡¯s what I said. How many more times do I have to tell you?¡± ¡°Then the bet is a draw, can I consider it to be as such?¡± ¡°¡­ fine.¡± ¡°Okay, got it.¡± Feeling a little relieved, Judith got up from her seat and left Ilya¡¯s room. ¡°You sure you don¡¯t remember anything?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Fine. I¡¯m going.¡± ck! ¡°Phew.¡± This time, seeing Judith leave for real, Ilya sighed. The truth was, Ilya remembered exactly what had happened yesterday. Although she was drunk, she didn''t lose her mind, and maybe she was better at drinkingpared to Judith. She quietly recalled yesterday¡¯s conversation. ¡®¡­ what?¡¯ ¡®No, I am right. Even in the carriage, you always look at Irene, and you naturally sit next to him all the time, and when you cook, you let him have it first.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ ¡®Spill it. Aren''t you interested in him?¡¯ ¡®It isn¡¯t like that.¡¯ ¡®What isn''t like that? I have eyes to¡­¡¯ ¡®I am just closer to him than you two so, I don¡¯t feel like that about him.¡¯ ¡®Ha! Lies and lie¡­¡¯ ¡®¡­but if we are on that matter, you¡¯re the same.¡¯ ¡®Uh?¡¯ ¡®You are the same. You talk to Bratt Lloyd the most and sit next to him so naturally, and Bratt¡­'' ¡®What bullshit are you saying?¡¯ ¡®Am I wrong? Or¡­¡¯ ¡®Hey! Move! Have more! What nonsense are you spewing¡­¡¯ Judith¡¯s question had stayed in her heart. Ilya, who had been pondering for a while, had a subtle expression. And her slightly bowed face changed again and again. However, once she lifted her face, she was back to her usual self. ¡°¡­ I need to bathe.¡± Mumbling, Ilya Lindsay headed to the washroom. Cooling her slightly warm skin with cold water, she continued to think about the sword as she always did. It had been quite some time since they left Eisenmarkt. Maybe it was because they were heading to the north, and they were close to June, the weather was cool. But no matter how cold the wind was, that didn¡¯t cool off the sweat on the four young swordsmen. Close-up battles and discussions were always held after their lunch and dinner. Through that, the four were gaining so much more than their time in Eisenmarkt. ¡°¡­¡± But Ilya Lindsay¡¯s heart was empty. After leaving Krono, she followed I for 5 to 6 years. Even if it was an action done because she was indirectly bothered by the words and eyes of others, when the goal she pursued for so long was lost, she felt empty. Perhaps, maybe because of that, she was able to naturally join in with the others during the discussions about the sword. In the past, Ilya, who concentrated on her sword, would never give her knowledge and experience to others. She didn¡¯t even like interacting with others. But not now, and the reason¡­ ¡®Maybe it is because I have lost my greed for the swordpared to before.¡¯ Maybe the sword wasn¡¯t such a precious or desperate thing for her to hold on to as she thought it was. And that was why she was able tofortably share her ideas and knowledge with others without hesitation. No, she still wasn¡¯t sure about it. Despite everything, refining swordsmanship was something she thought about the entire day. ¡®What kind of state am I in now?¡¯ ¡®I feel morefortable than before. But I don¡¯t know if this is a good thing.¡¯ ¡®I feel envious of Irene. And of Bratt and Judith. I envy those who are actively trying to move ahead.¡¯ ¡®Can I be like them? Will I find what I am looking for once this journey ends?¡¯ ¡®What if I can¡¯t? What should I do then?¡¯ Countless thoughts ran through her mind. Ilya walked and walked through the wastnds of the north, not knowing where she was walking. Her eyes had no focus. Phat! A ck cat appeared in front of her. She was shocked at first, but her face was still expressionless, and when Ilya was about to say something, Lulu spoke first. ¡°If your thoughts are tooplicated, then just don¡¯t try thinking about anything.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I mean, it will keep happening again and again, right? Like a snake going round to bite its own tail, nothing will get resolved. In that case, just pour out your feelings into the open. If you do that, you will feel morefortable and when you feelfortable, start filling the empty spots inside.¡± An advice she heard several times from her father and others. Fortunately, unlike in the past, where she lived with her eyes and ears closed, Ilya now had a clear vision. After thinking, she said, ¡°I¡¯ve never done it before.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Calming my head. Even if I say that it''s calm, the thoughts and worries are still there.¡± ¡°Things like that happen. Humans aren¡¯t cats.¡± ¡°Are cats good at emptying their minds?¡± ¡°Yes. If we want, we can do it for 24 hours a day. Would you like me to teach you?¡± Lulu, flew a little away andnded on a t rock, and then sat on it. And then she stared into the endless horizon. With a face that had no thought or worry. And the image seemed like she wouldn¡¯t have a problem staying like that forever, and then the ck cat said. ¡°Ilya,e sit next to me and follow me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ilya nced around. All of a sudden, the groups who were away looked at them. Their gazes were burdensome, but nevertheless, as Lulu asked, Ilya approached her and then sat looking nkly. ¡°¡­¡± But the troubles still followed. However, it was better than before. Maybe, if she stayed longer, she thought that she wouldn¡¯t feel the burdening thoughts in her mind. At that moment, Bratt Lloyd, who was watching them silently, came over and sat next to her. And then he began to look at the sight ahead with the same nk eyes. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± And it wasn¡¯t just him. Kuvar and Irene Pareira came over next and then sat down and did the same. All staring into the endless horizon with nk faces. Judith, who found that puzzling, said. ¡°What are you all doing? All doing some mind thing?¡± ¡°Judith.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°This crazy bastard, just because I left you alone for a while¡­¡± Judith took huge strides to p Bratt on his head. However, she didn¡¯t. Ahead of her was the ce everyone was looking at. The majestic beauty of the endless horizon washed away her thoughts. ¡°¡­¡± In the end, even Judith sat next to Bratt and looked ahead. And like that, the party of Irene Pareira, rxed as if their busy schedule around them had disappeared like a lie, and took a rxing break for a long time. About two hourster, that peaceful time was broken. Clip! Clop! Mumble. The sound of horses, a wagon, and people talking. As they got closer, Kuvar turned his head. Hmm, he thought and then got up as the others were breaking out of their daze. ¡°How about we join? If the destination and direction are simr, we can try.¡± ¡°Join?¡± ¡°Right. Since our carriage broke.¡± As Kuvar said, right now, Irene''s party was travelling on foot. It was because Bratt, who was driving the carriage, didn¡¯t check the road properly, as he was in his own thoughts and went over a rock. The carriage overturned, but thanks to his swift actions, no one was hurt. But it still was an unfortunate ident. But they didn¡¯t care if they were in a carriage or if they were walking. ¡°I think to find ourselves, we need to ce ourselves in new situations and gain experience.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ilya nodded at Kuvar¡¯s words. Honestly, his words were quite daunting. But they could understand it. And as this was better than being locked inside a mansion¡¯s training hall, she thought that it would be good if she could bump into new people. Surely it might not turn out to be what she wanted, but what was there to lose? Thanks to the two hours of peace, her heart was calmer than before. ¡°Okay, it''s decided; then shall we go see?¡± The Orc, who obtained the consent of everyone, took the lead. Unlike in the past, now there were four people and Lulu helping him out, but some things were better when left to Kuvar. After a while, Kuvar, after getting permission, came back. ¡°Fortunately, though not in the same direction, they are a mission group of merchants and mercenaries who are going to a nearby orc tribe.¡± ¡°They don¡¯t find this bothersome?¡± ¡°I told them that an orc fortune teller is requesting this of them, so they didn¡¯t refuse.¡± ¡°I see.¡± As Irene nodded, two people approached them. The people that came forward looked like the ones in charge of the chores and not high-ranking people, but still, they thought to be respectful since they epted them into the group. ¡°Nice to meet you, I am Kenzal, and this is Fredric." ¡°Hello. Like I told you before, I am Kuvar, a wandering fortune teller.¡± ¡°I am Irene.¡± ¡°Bratt.¡± ¡°¡­ I am Ilya. Nice to meet you.¡± ¡°I am a cat sorcerer, Lulu, nice to meet you!¡± ¡°Huh! I-I see!¡± Judith and Bratt spoke naturally, while Ilya seemed awkward. But that wasn''t an obstacle that stopped them from joining. They moved together to the spot that the caravan had stopped. ¡°¡­¡± After a while, the entire party went there. Fredric, the youngest, thought with a frown. ¡®Ilya, Irene, Bratt, and Judith¡­ I think I¡¯ve heard these names somewhere¡­¡¯ ?1?There is a sudden shift in perspective to Ilya''s, and now it''s Judith who is questioning Ilya. Chapter 153: What are they? (3)

Chapter 153: What are they? (3)

Born and raised in the northwest part of the continent, Fredric was a top-tier employee, but he was always more interested in the matters of the other regions. Although he was now in a position of carrying the luggage to a corner vige, his goal was to one day make a name for himself and build a tform that would ultimately dominate the entire continent. To be a good trader, one is supposed to be sensitive to information, and the most important information was about people. He had heard countless times from people that what he was doing was nothing but nonsense, but even then, Fredric found it hard to stop hearing the gossip from other ces. And like that. ¡°Ah!¡± He soon realized it. Irene, Bratt, Judith, and Ilya. Where he had heard the names of the four people from. ¡°Wh-what is it?¡± Staring at his assistant, who made a weird sound, his higher-up employer Kenzal frowned. This kid often had strange thoughts and made a lot of mistakes, so he couldn¡¯t let his guard down. However, unlike the usual where he would be fearful, Fredric was still looking surprised. And as if wanting to tell something important, he whispered. ¡°Mr. Kenzal.¡± ¡°What is it? Don¡¯t be this weird. Just back off and do your job!¡± ¡°It is because this is important. Do you know those people over there?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. How would I even know?¡± ¡°Those people are amazing swordsmen.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear about the golden batch of Krono who were active in the Land of Prooftely?¡± ¡°I think I heard something about it¡­ why? Are they those ones?¡± ¡°Yes! They have the same names. Even Sword Master Ilya Lindsay!¡± Fredric hadn¡¯t heard of the information that Irene had also reached Sword Master. However, what he knew now was enough. With a face full of excitement, he tried to give out the stories he heard about the Krono trainees, Irene Pareira and Ilya Lindsay. However, that wasn¡¯t possible. Kenzal pped him on the forehead and said. p! ¡°Ack! Why¡­¡± ¡°Stop with the bullshit and do your job right.¡± ¡°No, it isn¡¯t bullshit¡­ they have the same name!¡± ¡°This jerk! What if they have the same name? If I change my name to Julius right now, will I be him, huh? Should I then act as themander of the Holy Kingdom?¡± ¡°But, they seem to be the right age¡­.¡± ¡°Then tell me. Why did such great peoplee all this way to this remote part of the continent, and better yet, why are theying with us? Huh? Those people are probably in the arena fighting battles there.¡± ¡°That¡­¡± Fredric was speechless at that. He had nothing to object to. Seeing him hesitate, Kenzal sighed. ¡°Ugh, think about it. Huh? It is because they didn¡¯t want to reveal their names. Hmm, seeing that guy¡¯s face, he looks like a noble¡­ phew, let¡¯s leave it at that.¡± Kenzal clicked his tongue and walked ahead. Looking at his back, Fredric pouted. ¡®Can¡¯t he just say that? Why did he have to hit me on my head?¡¯ Besides, he could have been right! The young employee didn¡¯t like this. But Kenzal''s words were indeed more persuasive; however, he didn''t want to ept that easy exnation, especially because his boss always kept scolding him. He nced back. A strange atmosphere that was hard to find in such remote ces. Besides, the party had with them, an Orc fortune teller and a strange talking cat; not having secrets was weird. ¡®I will unfold the secrets they are hiding!¡¯ Fredric, who was determined, clenched his fist. Thus, his investigation began. ¡®¡­ very ambiguous.¡¯ 3 days since Irene¡¯s party joined them. In the meantime, Fredric would move around them, run several errands and pick up stories from here and there. He wondered if he could know the truth about the other party if he heard them talking. ¡®They must be great swordsmen, so they must have amazing stories to tell. In particr, Bratt Lloyd and Ilya Lindsay are high ranking nobles, so maybe they will talk about the continent¡¯s situation or maybe other diplomatic stuff.¡¯ However, it wasn¡¯t anything like that. Fredric recalled the conversation he overheard over the past 3 days, one after another. ¡°Many people say that the King of fermented fruit drinks is Wine. Well, to some extent, I will admit to that. If God had gifted grapes to mankind, then the devil gifted us the method to make Wine. But I think beer has had a bigger impact on people, and in general, it is more happy¡­¡± ¡°Uhm, isn¡¯t it better to just drink what you want to? Ah, by the way, it was said that the fermented liquors are made from rice in the eastern part of the continent. There are two kinds, I think, makgeolli and refined rice wine, but the taste¡­¡± Bratt Lloyd and the Orc kept talking about alcohol. ¡°Ilya, what is it? Is your head allplicated again?¡± ¡°Ah, yes, a little¡­¡± ¡°I told you! In that case, it is better to just empty your mind. You can even do it while walking.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. Here, follow me...¡± ¡°meow...¡± He wasn¡¯t sure what was going on, but Ilya Lindsay was talking to a cat and then fell into a dazed state. ¡°Hey, hey.¡± ¡°¡­ what?¡± ¡°I am bored; say something. Something fun.¡± ¡°¡­ do you know how sand cries? Dirt dirt.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­ uh, so, when sand cries, it turns moist, and the moist one is dirty¡­¡± ¡°Kuvar told you that?¡± ¡°Yes¡­.¡± ¡°Just stay silent then. You¡¯d be better if you drink alcohol.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± Irene and Judith were walking around joking. Conversations that made no sense were what they were, and hardly anything rted to swords was being said! However, it was hard to dispel the doubts, the stories they talked about when they gathered for meals. ¡°It is about mixing the strides with expressions, and if we can use it well, we can change the direction in the air, right?¡± ¡°Theoretically, it is possible. Like if you want to attack and then defend, sure¡­¡± ¡°Umm, in an urgent situation¡­ or it could be used to deliberately trap the opponent.¡± ¡°Come to think of it, Kuvar, Orc warriors use spirits when they fight, don¡¯t they?¡± ¡°Yes. Just the way I use it, there are cases where the spirits themselves are fused in the attack, or the magic of the five spirits are fused into something like an Aura operation.¡± ¡°Then the¡­ Magic of Five Spirits? Do you use it as well?¡± ¡°I also use the magic of spirits. We use both. Why? Are you interested?¡± ¡°Yes. I want to see how it flows.¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t know, can you please exin clearly after we see it.¡± ¡®¡­ seeing things like that makes me feel that they are great swordsmen.¡¯ Fredric didn¡¯t know much about swords. However, the degree of difference between what was fake and what was real could be distinguished by him. It was because he had met several mercenaries before. Judging by that, it was obvious that these people were up to something. However¡­ ¡®Considering the appearance of the other times, the sense of difference is too great.¡¯ ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Fredric watched the four swordsmen. With eyes like that of a detective. Of course, Kenzal wasn¡¯t letting Fredric watch them like that. p! ¡°Ah! Why again! ¡°Don¡¯t stay still and go prepare the meal.¡± ¡°You should know how to do that; why always use violence on¡­¡± ¡°Right, violence shouldn''t be used; if that is the case, work before I ask you to. Move fast!¡± With that, Kenzal gave him work. Fredric was dissatisfied with it, but it was true that he had to work, so he went to prepare the meal. After a while, the merchants and mercenaries of the group who finished their dinner spoke with a smile. ¡°Phew, that was a good meal!¡± ¡°It was delicious because it doesn¡¯t feel like eating roadside food.¡± ¡°The weather is nice, so this is good. The decision to go north during summer was good.¡± ¡°I hope we can get there withouting across thieves.¡± ¡°Look here, shouldn¡¯t you be thinking about defending everything if that happens?¡± ¡°It is because I¡¯d prefer IF there is no problem at all. Do you know what would happen if there were thieves? It will just be one fight after another!¡± ¡°Hm, that so? Well, the sky is bright, so we might as well fight¡­¡± Two of the mercenaries got up from their ce and took out each other''s weapons, and went to the dining area. Usually, they would talk until the dark sky, and they would eat, chat a little and then go to sleep right after the sky turned dark, but today, they had time to sit and camp. ¡°Hm, should we rx too?¡± ¡°Sounds good. No one has shown up for ten days, so I guess we are on the safe side.¡± ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t even see a single ant, let alone thieves or monsters.¡± It wasn¡¯t just those two. After eating, almost all of the mercenaries took their ces and took out their weapons. And with rising energy, they fought amongst themselves as training. Judith, who watched that, mumbled. ¡°Can we do that?¡± ¡°Well, it will be fine since the mercenarymander will tolerate it. Since the sky is still bright, my vision won''t have a problem, and there are also people other who want to train so.¡± ¡°Is that so? Then¡­¡± It was the moment when she was about to say, let us do that too. Irene jumped up. And Ilya Lindsay followed after him. Without saying another word, Judith shook her head as she looked at the two people. ¡®Aren''t they a perfect couple?¡¯ Of course, she didn¡¯t say those words out loud. It was because she was sure that Ilya would attack her if she said that when she was not drunk. Saying that, Judith looked at Bratt the same way. ¡°Once they are done, should we go?¡± ¡°Right. Let¡¯s see them fight first,¡± Said Bratt, and Judith nodded. A battle between two swordsmen who were Sword Masters. Of course, one couldn¡¯t still use the Aura sword properly, but that didn¡¯t mean that he was any less. Judith was looking forward to the fight with bright eyes, and Bratt next to her waited for it to start with calm eyes. ¡°What.¡± ¡°The young nobles are fighting against each other?¡± ¡°Should we take a look?¡± ¡°We should. I wonder how strong they are.¡± It wasn¡¯t just Judith and Bratt. Some mercenaries and merchants showed interest in the battle of the two as well. The people didn¡¯t mingle as they all knew they would go their separate ways soon, but since they had been together for 3 days, it was inevitable for them to be curious. And as usual, Irene and Ilya didn¡¯t care about it. In the eyes of the others, they saw that the two were too focused with each other and drew their swords. No, to be precise, Irene summoned his sword. And while the people of the group were still stunned, Ilya¡¯s body moved. Phat! Most of them were unaware that she had appeared at Irene¡¯s side in an instant. Not just the merchants, but even the mercenaries were shocked when they saw Ilya''s figure next to Irene. This was by no means a simple act. Whether it was a run or a leap or a jump, the movement was too smooth to see yetplex to do. A waving of an arm, and the bending of the knee; They were the things a swordsman would notice in the opponent and act ordingly. However, Ilya''s movement gave no such clues to the opponent, and her operation of Aura was amazing. Therefore, the mercenaries could only find Ilya once she halted her movement at Irene¡¯s side to swing the sword. Kwaang! Of course, Irene didn¡¯t care. He had numerous experiences umted through the battles in Eisenmarkt as well as the Aura Seeing Eye. His defensive skills werepleted through that. He neatly blocked the first attack of Ilya and took a step forward, and Ilya backed away like a wild beast startled by fire. However, after a while, she moved again. Even faster than before. Irene''s eyes, which couldn¡¯t fail him, were wide open again to see her movements. Kwang! Kwang! Kwang! Ilya¡¯s sword fell at each breath she took, pouring out in all directions. A storm of steel des. It fell down and then rose and then came from the side, and then suddenly it was on the other side, the sword seemed to being from all directions. Truly a splendid sword trajectory. It felt like one was dealing with three to four swordsmen at the same time. ¡°Hmph!¡± Woong! Irene, who was constantly being pushed back until then, threw a powerful sh at Ilya. A timely attack aimed at Ilya, who paused to take a breath in before attacking again, and he struck with a force powerful enough to blow her away. Of course, the opponent dodged it easily. However, thanks to that, Irene was able to catch his breath. And unlike before, the silver-haired swordsman stepped back for real this time. And the blonde swordsman just looked at her eyes. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The surroundings went quiet. In the beginning, many people were sparing with each other, but now the only people fighting were Irene and Ilya, and everyone else was just looking at them dumbly. The mercenaries who felt the sharp energy still being released, thought. ¡®What are they?¡¯ Chapter 154: Clash (1)

Chapter 154: sh (1)

¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Silence all around. The merchants who were watching the fight, as well as the mercenaries who were training, all stopped and looked at one ce alone. It was towards Irene and Ilya. They couldn¡¯t easily turn their eyes away after what they had just seen. It was only for a short time that the two were shing their swords, but that brief moment was enough for the onlookers to see their true selves. The mercenaries realized that the two were at least Experts. ¡®Aren¡¯t they stronger than any of the Experts that I have seen till now?!¡¯ ¡®And aren¡¯t they too young! They don¡¯t even look like they are past their mid-20s¡­¡¯ ¡®What was that?¡¯ The mercenaries who couldn¡¯t keep their mouth closed from the shock, couldn¡¯t even understand the ¡®real skills¡¯ of Irene and Ilya. Irene, who was staring at Ilya, said. ¡°Did you intentionallye in for the first fake sh?¡± ¡°Right. Because the second attack was going to be a real one.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Those who were heard that were wondering what they were talking about. The silver-haired woman¡¯s attack was so fast that no one could even see. However, the blonde young man called an attack a ¡®fake¡¯ one, and the girl agreed. It was iprehensible for them to understand the attacks, considering the speed that was condensed into each of them. And furthermore, what the mercenaries didn¡¯t know was that the battle between the two swordsmen was actually one between Masters. ¡®She used the fact that she knew I could see the aura being moved in her body during the first charge, and then deliberately faked it to distract me.¡¯ No beginner could read their opponent. Because they would be too busy doing their own things. However, as one gains more skills, they be rxed, and it bes essential to understand the opponent¡¯s intentions to react to their movements. Irene learned that from John Drew and reached a level where he could infer the next movement of his opponent from the motion of their muscles, eyes, and feet. However, right now, Ilya was using the Aura operation as psychological warfare. And she said, ¡°I may not be able to see it like you do, but my father said he could understand the aura of his opponent with sensory awakening.¡± ¡°Sensory awakening?¡± ¡°Something like that. In fact, I heard that all high-level Sword Masters have very keen senses, and they enjoy such kind of battles.¡± ¡°I will have to be more careful in the future.¡± ¡®What are they saying?¡¯ ¡®What was that?¡¯ The mercenaries who heard the two swordsmen¡¯s conversation looked frustrated as they couldn¡¯t understand anything that was being said. Looking at them, it was clear that they were of a higher level than them. Each and every wording from their mouth could possibly be a thing to learn. However, they couldn¡¯t even understand half of it; it wasn¡¯t unreasonable to feel this upset. Of course, it didn¡¯t bother Ilya and Irene. The two, who looked at each other for a moment, resumed fighting. Kang! Kang! ¡°Phew.¡± Irene held his breath and focused while blocking Ilya¡¯s attacks which had be faster than before. He thought that fighting her would be easier since he knew the other person¡¯s technique, but he was wrong. The speed at which his opponent was using Aura was faster than his eyes could see and judge. Two things were needed for him to ovee this. First, battle experience to familiarize himself with such fights, and the second was a keen sense of understanding of Aura to grasp the movement of his opponent¡¯s Aura without relying on his eyes. Both were impossible for the current Irene, but he smiled. It was because it gave him immense pleasure to know that there was a lot more to learn even after being a Master. Kwang! ¡°Ack!¡± Irene almost lost the spar as he was a little too close to being stabbed. Still, seeing the happy expression on his face, Ilya feltplicated emotions rise in her. ¡®He is different from the old days.¡¯ Irene wasn¡¯t like this in school. She always thought that Irene, walking ahead without being bothered by others¡¯ gaze was great then, but not once had she thought that he was passionate regarding the sword. Therefore, his current appearance, with his eyes showing how happy he was to know that there was something new for him to learn, came as a shock to her. ¡®What about me then?¡¯ After being defeated in Land of Proof, it was a question she asked herself countless times now. However, she hadn¡¯t found the answer yet. The person who liked the sword had disappeared, leaving her body to wander aimlessly without purpose. The anxiety within her rose again. Despite these thoughts in her head, Ilya¡¯s attacks poured out fiercely; however, Irene wasn¡¯t one who would miss the gap. ng! ¡°Uh¡­¡± A groan escaped from Ilya. It was definitely her who attacked, and it wasn¡¯t like the timing was off. She had used the sword at the expected and correct angle. However, the moment she came in contact with the opponent¡¯s sword, a blunt sound came from it. Just like hitting an iron statue. Feeling the tingling pain on her palms, made Ilya take a step back, and Irene prepared for a counterattack as he moved ahead boldly. And then it started. Kang! Kang! Kakang! Fortunately, their exchanges were unlike before, and she didn¡¯t feel the dullness from each hit, but her hands still felt numb, so Ilya had no choice but to stay in a defensive position for some time. During the championship match, she mostly held the upper hand, so this was quite embarrassing for her. Of course, that didn¡¯tst for long. Feeling that the senses in hand had recovered, Ilya pushed Irene back with an appropriate counterattack, then pointed her sword and said. ¡°Let¡¯s end this now.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°In the middle, how did you do that?¡± ¡°Ah, I hardened my entire body with aura.¡± ¡°Your entire body?¡± ¡°Huh. It¡¯s thought of the image of me being a giant made of steel. It is not possible to do it while moving, but I just tried it once.¡± Irene hadn¡¯t thought exactly of a steel giant, but rather the image of the man in his dreams who disappeared. A man who was tougher and stronger than anyone Irene had ever seen. Just because the man had a ming heart, that didn¡¯t mean he had to reject the steel will of the man. So, he thought of applying it if possible since he was able to control the mes. ¡°Intriguing. Should we talk more about it?¡± ¡°Fine.¡± The two sat down and talked about it as if the bloody battle they just had was nothing. Aura operation, hardening, dream? Most mercenaries couldn¡¯t even understand what was being talked about right in front of them, and they felt bad about it. They wanted to see more of that fight, rather than listening to something they would never understand! Seeing something was better! While everyone was thinking that, Judith, who watched the battle between Irene and Ilya, pulled out her sword. And said, ¡°Bratt stand up.¡± ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Yes, you.¡± After being called by Judith, Bratt stood up a bit surprised. After leaving Land of Proof, Judith had spent most of her time practicing alone. Even when training, she would mostly choose Ilya over the others. Compared to Irene and Bratt, who were always with her, Judith wanted to be the ¡¯best in the continent¡¯, and it felt natural for her to have eyes on the Sword Master. Bratt also had to sort out his personal thoughts, so he didn¡¯t bother asking her to spar either. But when she suddenly called for him, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder why? It was even more puzzling when he looked at her eyes. ¡®It doesn¡¯t feel like she called me because I was the only one here.¡¯ It was as if she was waiting for something. After a moment, Bratt shook his thoughts. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s go and hang out, it¡¯s been a while.¡± Hearing those words, people on the ground looked at them. Until the fight with Irene and Ilya, the people were like, ¡¯Who the hell are they?¡¯, but now everyone knew. The fact that they were the famous trainees of the golden batch of Krono Swordsmanship school. It was because of Fredric¡¯s diligent chatter. ¡®Is this going to be as great as the previous one again?¡¯ ¡®I heard they are a bitggingpared to those two, but they must be experts.¡¯ ¡®They are known to be top at the¡­¡¯ The level of the two was known to be the top of Experts. It was shocking when considering their age; however, they were strong, and anyone would ept that. Once again, people were filled with excitement; they gulped and looked at the two. Bratt nced at the background. However, Judith was looking at Bratt. Feeling her act strange, he cleared his throat and said. ¡°Let¡¯s start right away.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Tang! With that, Judith took the lead, and the first attack fell, simr to the battle between Irene and Ilya. The mercenaries who saw the sh were shocked. Unlike the previous one, where they just stood and looked nkly, this time, they were trying their best to focus on the fight and learn something. However, such thoughts disappeared without a trace when the fight started. Even the battle between Judith and Bratt was too high for them to grasp. ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Woah¡­¡± Judith¡¯s burst of intense yet colorful me-like strikes, which were explosive, and Bratt¡¯s gentle defense skills that flowed like. Grasping or analyzing was impossible; they couldn¡¯t even see their movement properly. All they could do was open their mouths and look ahead nkly. However, something unexpected happened. While continuing to fight, Judith suddenly withdrew her sword. ¡°What?¡± ¡°¡­ enough.¡± Judith turned around with an even stranger look than before and looked uneasy for some reason. Seeing her like that, Bratt, Irene, and Ilya exchanged nces. Judith always had an unpredictable behavior, but right now, they couldn¡¯t even fathom why she was doing this. ¡°E-excuse me! I¡¯m sorry, Miss Ilya Lindsay¡­ right? I know this is rude, I am sorry. However, if I don¡¯t say this, I will regret itter¡­¡± ¡°Mr. Irene Pareira! Please¡­¡± ¡°Mr. Bratt Lloyd!¡± However, no one approached Judith for a while because of the heavy atmosphere around her. As soon as the match was done, the mercenaries approached the three people. Judith felt a bit burdened by it, but the three of them were fine. In the past, maybe it would have been a different situation, but now they weren¡¯t just nobles who wouldn¡¯t talk with normal people. In the end, they epted the questions that the mercenaries asked, and then night came. ¡°Bratt, wake up.¡± And when most of them were asleep. Judith, who waspletely silent after the match, woke up Bratt. ¡°¡­¡± Bratt meekly followed her to a ce away from the group. A mercenary who saw that, threw a subtle nce at them. But Bratt knew. That Judith didn¡¯t call him because of some special rtionship between a man and woman. After a while, she looked at him and said, ¡°Why did you hide your skills?¡± ¡°¡­ what?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think about saying rubbish. You are hiding it, your real skill!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Bratt Lloyd was stunned at the words Judith said. But the words didn¡¯t go on. It was the moment when he realized it and was about to give an excuse. Judith ended up being a step faster than him. ¡°It is a different thing if it was Irene or Ilya, but I know you. I am the one who has seen you the longest and closest. A few days ago¡­ no, you achieved some things even in Eisenmarkt, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I have been curious about it. Why is this bastard even hiding his skills? To surprise me at ater time? To surprise Ilya or Irene during the training matches? No, you weren¡¯t that kind of person. I know you and you would never do such things. After thinking for a while and by eliminating the wrong answers, I figured it out. You¡­¡± ¡°Judith¡­¡± ¡°Think of me as an idiot.¡± Phew, Judith who said that let out a hot breath. But it didn¡¯t end there. Taking a breath, Judith quickly poured out her thoughts without giving Bratt time to speak. ¡°Am I a joke?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Are you feeling sympathy for me? Uh? You are so worried for me that you stay low-key? You think I wouldn¡¯t bother chasing after you, and now you make me look like a foolish bastard? Uh?¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t that¡­¡± Brat was about to speak, but then paused. Judith¡¯s eyes were different from usual. It was hard to look into her eyes. It was even harder because those eyes were looking right at him. So, the words didn¡¯te out. He shook his head to clear his mind and think of the right words to say to her. But there was no room to make excuses. Suddenly, there was a loud noise from far. ck! ck! The hoofs of dozens of horses. Though it wasn¡¯t clear, there were voices and anguage which seemed different from their own. Perhaps it was thenguage of Orcs and not thenguage of humans. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Wake up! Everyone wake up!¡± A nightmare-like feeling washed over the entire group, and soon everyone was up. The mercenaries stood up, rubbing their eyes, and took out their weapons, and the magicians used light magic to see around them clearly. Kuvar summoned fire spirits to see around. And then the appearance of the Orcs was revealed. A band of thieves. One on a prettyrge scale. ¡°What is¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Anxiety appeared on the faces of the merchants. Although their group had swordsmen, the atmosphere the thieves were giving out was rather terrifying. The mercenarymander and the merchants immediately began to talk to negotiate with them. Meanwhile, an Orc appeared from the bandits who had nowpletely surrounded the people. He had a tremendously huge appearance and was as if two people had been put together, and spoke in a low eerie voice in themonnguage of the continent. ¡°Kill them all.¡± Chapter 155: Clash (2)

Chapter 155: sh (2)

¡®Ugh¡­ this is bad!¡¯ The manager of the group, who got up and saw the situation, went stiff. This wasn''t a good situation. He could say so because of the number of times he had been on such missions in which he had met quite a lot of bandits and thieves. The ones surrounding them and grinning at them, however, were no ordinary thieves. If bandits were normally those who coveted riches through violence and intimidation, then these orcs seemed to be interested in just violence rather than the treasures they possessed. Reflected by the light magic, the glow in the eyes of orcs was creepy. ¡°Kill them all.¡± The manager''s worries reached an extreme when the Orc, which looked like the leader of the orc bandits, opened his mouth. An immediate order for execution without negotiations! And the Orc spoke in the continent''s officialnguage. Its intention was obvious. The Orc was aiming to make the humans fall into fear and confusion. Of course, the merchant group would fall into chaos. However, the manager of the merchant group moved forward and spoke in a loud voice. ¡°Everyone halt!¡± An unfamiliar and shrill voice. The orcs that were closing in stopped. The voice of the manager held the charisma of a leader who had umted years of experience through leading multiple mission groups across the northern parts of the continent. But there was no guarantee that the orcs would stand still for long. And urgently, the man spoke. ¡°We are the Mark mission group under the protection of Count Nubes! The moment we lose one of us, I vow to avenge their loss by mobilizing the forces of the Count!¡± This was the truth. Count Nubes wasn''t a belligerent person, but he was the loyal kind, and he wasn''t one who would ignore losing people under his wing. And the number of troops under hismand was high. The person in charge of this hoped that Count Nubes''s name would work well, and that the threat would be understood. This fight had to be avoided at all costs. No matter how many strong people there were, even including Ilya Lindsay, it was obvious that the damage would be extremely high if a fight took ce. ¡°skxorhdwk aksgdl tkfkdgowntpdy.¡± ?1? After a while, the bandit chief said something. Anguage that nobles and the higher members in the mission group wouldn''t understand. However, the experienced manager of the mission group knew. ¡®Kill that bastard.¡¯ It was the moment he was about to step back in fear of losing his life. One of the orcs in the front row showed a sneaky smile. As he saw the axe dee flying in, the manager screamed inside his head, and the mercenaries held their breath. At that moment, a silver-haired woman appeared and deflected the axe de in an instant with her sword. ng! Ilya Lindsay shed the weapon away with a simple movement. Some orcs were bewildered about how what they saw had happened, and a sigh of relief escaped from the merchants. Even though the manager was shocked, he tried to pretend to be calm. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Please step back.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. I will.¡± The manager listened to her right away. He knew instantly that this wasn''t his ce to be arrogant. The mercenaries who also knew that, immediately moved and formed a defense line. And then came the stillness. The mercenaries, the bandits, everyone stayed still for a while. However, the grim eerie atmosphere was still present. Especially the dangerous look on the face of the bandits. With eyes full of interest and curiosity, the orc chief looked at Ilya, Irene, Bratt, and Judith. When Ilya turned nervous at the sight of the Orc urately finding the strong ones, the orc chief lifted his finger. ¡°Come here.¡± ¡°Spdspd.¡± The Orc which threw the axe de stood in front of the chief. It was a polite expression different from the fishy smile he had a moment back. And then, the chief of the orc bandits mmed his fist into his head. Pung! Six pieces scattered in all directions. At thepletely unexpected situation, the people of the group became even more scared, and the orc chiefughed. And then the rest of the bandits alsoughed. Hahahah! Hahah! Uahhaha! Hehe, uhaha! Huhuhu¡­ And the eerie feeling spread. The sound of the creepyughter and the gleaming eyes of the chief. After a while, he stoppedughing and then spoke in the officialnguage. ¡°You have good skills. I will give you a chance.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°A one-on-one match. If you beat the guy I sent, we will leave quietly.¡± Snap! The orc chief didn''t bother to say, ¡®if you didn''t win¡¯. He snapped his fingers, and an Orc came down from a horse and moved forwards. The Orc had a solid and heavy figure, as if its whole body was filled with muscles. And he was holding a club that had iron thorns around it. Ilya felt it. ¡®These are no ordinary bandits.¡¯ She knew it the moment she saw them. The new Orc that appeared in front of her wasn''t much behind an Expert. Considering the strength of an Orc warrior, which is known to be stronger than a human, she thought that the Orc would be like the elite warriors in the Land of Proof. But she didn''t think that she would lose. Even now, although she wasn''t sure of her goal, she was still a Sword Master. What she was more concerned about was¡­ ¡°Move.¡± Hearing that, Ilya felt troubled. Judith approached her and then stood in front of her. And then she looked at the chief of the bandits. ¡°I will deal with that asshole.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°How about it, you Orc bastard? Fine?¡± ¡°Kuak! do what you want.¡± At the provocative request from Judith, the orc chief nodded happily, and the merchants were now worried. They knew that Judith was a swordsman with great skills, but she was still inferior to Ilya Lindsay, the Sword Master. In addition, the air around the Orc which came forward to fight was unusual. ¡°Haha¡­¡± Wheik! And the surrounding energy grew stronger. It wasn''t sure if this Orc knew humannguage, but he surely understood the circumstances. However, it was clear that the Orc was angry at the merchants for some reason. The merchants felt their mouths go fry. ¡°Can we do it right away?¡± It wasn''t sure if Judith knew what the merchants were feeling or not, but she looked calm. Her eyes felt calm, and then she looked at the orc chief. The opponent ahead didn''t seem to care. As the orc warriors snorted at Judith''s carefree attitude, the chief said something. ¡°wnrdufk.¡± Shortly then, the iron club fell on Judith. Wooong! People watched the scene unfold, unable to scream. They didn''t even have time to open their mouths. It was because, despite the gigantic size, the club was ridiculously fast. Neither Kanzel nor Fredric or any veteran mercenary imagined Judith''s tragic death to be this quick. But they didn''t know. She, who had a calm yet grim expression on her face, moved. Whoop! Shhh! Judith, who seemed to have disappeared with a splendid footwork, appeared behind the orc warrior. And at the same time, the sword cleanly cut through the opponent''s neck. And that wasn''t the end. sh! sh! sh! Judith''s shes came faster, faster, and faster. And it continued to cut the body of the Orc. As the body seemed to be hard and made of stone-like muscles, she continued to attack. Swish! Judith finally retrieved the sword and wiped the blood on the sword, and looked at the orc chief. Leaving behind the crumbling figure of the orc warrior, she said. ¡°Get lost.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The bandits and the merchants who looked on dumbly as they were shocked. It was because Judith''s skills were far superior to what they had expected. They had seen her fight against Bratt, but because of theck of proper end, they couldn''t understand her skills. In the end, the idea that only Irene and Ilya could tackle this situation faded from their minds. In such a situation, Judith showed an overwhelming power, and from the standpoint of the merchant group, this was amazing. Step! Wooh! But the fight wasn''t done. The orc chief got down from his horse and swung his fist again. And a fountain of blood spewed out of the neck of the horse that had now lost its head and fell down. The blood of the horse covered his body. No, the blood was already on his body when he killed his own subordinate, and now the new blood sttered on him in a weird way. ¡°It is a forbidden spell. Be vignt.¡± Blood magic which was supposed to have been dead. It was a technique that had great effects and could enhance the physical ability of the caster. Of course, the effect was enormous. However, witchcraft like this, that had a price was the same as a contract with the devil. In return for the power came a bizarre appearance. Kuvar exined it, and Bratt nodded. And soon turned towards Irene and said. ¡°There is no way you are going to hesitate in this situation, right?¡± There was concern in Bratt''s eyes. He knew the character of Irene Pareira better than anyone else. At times, the man was incredibly strong with his will, but when he had to ¡®kill¡¯ someone like in this situation, he would turn weaker than even an average person. ¡°¡­ it is fine.¡± Fortunately, Irene''s voice didn''t tremble. He thought of one person as he immediately grabbed his summoned sword. ¡®I Crescentia¡¯ Her confident eyes as she struck and killed Charlotte and Victory, who were drowning in the darkness. Irene would probably keep thinking about what he would do, and would think of it even after this situation was over. But there was one thing he was certain of. ¡®Now isn''t the time to hesitate.¡¯ Phew, Irene let out a hot breath. His determination was evident on his face. A look of relief appeared on Kuvar''s and Bratt''s faces as they witnessed that. Lulu quickly approached and stroked Irene''s hair. Wooong! Meanwhile, the energy from the bandit chief was turning more and more ferocious. From the body of the headless Orc. From the Orc which was shed by Judith. And from the dead body of the horse too. The blood floated high and then moved onto the chief''s body and formed tattoos all over. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The four rushed forward along with Kuvar and Lulu. Everyone felt extremely nervous at what they were seeing. If this was an orc warrior just using aura, then maybe they wouldn''t have been this nervous. However, it was impossible to predict the enemy''s power because of the unconventional and unpredictable usage of the power. It was then. Whoosh! A huge hammer flew in and struck the head of the bandit chief. Kakwakwang! The chief who was hit ended up making a huge hole in the ground. And the entire area where he was hit became covered in dust, and the orcs, along with the other merchants, were all terrified at what happened. And after a while, once the dust settled, an Orc appeared. Looking at the axe, which was made of metal from the handle to the de, Irene and his party could guess who it was. A member of the continent''s 10 strongest people. The former chieftain of the huge tribe called Durkali. A warrior better than any and even better than a spiritualist. And finally¡­ ¡®Kuvar''s father.¡¯ Orc Karakum. Everyone in that ce held their breath at the sight of him, whose wavy grey hair was fluttering in an extremely daunting way. ?1?This is what the author wrote in the raws, and there is no made-up oguage. Just a bunch of gibberish. Chapter 156: Clash (3)

Chapter 156: sh (3)

Who were the top 10 swordsmen on the continent? Since ancient times this question has been used as a way to ask Which 10 beings are the strongest powers on the continent? Actually, there wasn¡¯t much difference in the question. A sorcerer whose strength is hard to see objectively and a magician who takes a lot of time to use their abilities weren¡¯t capable of being called the word ¡®strongest¡¯. However, after the name of the Warchief of Durkali, Orc Karakum spread across the continent, and the question changed. Someone who rose to the level of Master with an axe and not a sword. And the support of the amazing spirits. He was a warrior, not a swordsman. And was strong enough to be one of the ten. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± At the appearance of such a great existence, the merchants said nothing. It wasn''t just them; the bandits, who hadn''t lostposure even when losing two of their men, were now looking frightened. At that moment, the chief of Orc bandits, who had been lying on the floor, got up and rushed in. ¡°Ackkkkk!¡± Bang! Bang! Thanks to the blood arts, his legs had grown more than 1.5 times the normal size and made a thumping sound. He tore off his crushed arm and then picked up his weapon, which was on his back. Arge sword even bigger than its own gigantic body. However, Karakum wasn¡¯t flustered at that sight. He, who was watching the opponent, raised his axe. Wooong! A near-ck grey aura formed all over it. In the meantime, the chief of the bandits who closed the distance swung his great sword horizontally. A relentless attack by using the entire waistbined with inertia! However, none of the attacks reached Karakum. Ahhhh! And as if a stone from a catapult was thrown, The chief of the orc bandits was utterly miserable as he was thrown to the ground. And with him, a huge crater was created in the middle of thend. As if he had been hit with a club instead of an axe, his body was smashed along with the greatsword. Seeing their chief in the form of a trampled worm, the band of orcs began to flee in all directions. ¡°eorhdghkddlek!¡± ¡°dmdkdkdkdkdkdk!¡± Grab! Wheik! Karakum, who recovered the axe while walking to it without a care, shook off the blood off it. However, throughout the movement, he looked at someone other than the orcs. It was none other than Kuvar, the orc fortune-teller. Seeing the father he had met for the first time in 17 years, his son, who was now a middle-aged man, greeted him in oguage, ¡°It¡¯s been a while, dad.¡± ¡°¡­ go.¡± Karakum showed no sign of tenderness. Just like the coldness of the axe he was holding, he added. ¡°This is thest mercy I can show you as a father. Leave and never set foot in thisnd again.¡± Sincere words. Although his eldest son left the tribe 17 years back, leaving behind just one letter, he had never forgotten him. He was filled with resentment and suffering, but the feelings of sadness and longing were greater. However, after much deliberation, he came to this conclusion¡­ ¡®Thanks to Kuvar¡¯s choice, the worst situations have been resolved smoothly.¡¯ And for it to remain like that. Kuvar should nevere back. His long-lost son, whom he still loved, was right in front of him, but he couldn''t show it. He had to be colder and stronger to drive him out. Thinking that, Karakum¡¯s face turned stiff again. And it was the moment he was going to threaten his son again. ¡°I can¡¯t do that.¡± Kuvar spoke faster. His voice trembled as there were too many emotions running within him, but his eyes didn¡¯t waver. He took a deep breath and continued. ¡°I still don¡¯t know if I made the right choice at that time or not. Whenever I heard Durkali was fine, I thought I did well, but I also felt bad thinking maybe there was a better option. I had conflicting thoughts without an end. And then I realized it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Before I decided what was right or wrong, my heart had regretted the choice I made.¡± ¡°Kuva¡­¡± ¡°I want to talk with dad and Tarakan.¡± Kuvar interrupted his father again. The anger in his father¡¯s eyes grew. But he knew. The emotions hidden inside were moreplex. Kuvar caught his breath and then looked straight at his father. ¡°I will not run away because it is burdensome, or even if I¡¯m scared. Even if it iste, I will act greedy this time. I will find a way so that not my dad, or my younger brother, or me or anyone in the tribe would get hurt. No, I want to find out together.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And that is why I came to you, dad.¡± ¡°¡­ with such a weak body, can you even do what you said?¡± Wheik! The energy around Karakum grew. This wasn¡¯t his best. But all he was trying to do was to pressure his son, who had learned nothing in fighting. As expected, Kuvar looked like he couldn¡¯t handle it and started to back away. It was no use enduring it. Even as he struggled to stand still, blood was already flowing down his lips, and Karakum showed no signs of reducing the energy. At that moment, a human stood in front of Kuvar. Wheik! The human swordsman used his energy to offset the energy from Karakum. There was blood all over the swordsman¡¯s body as if he had juste from ying the bandits. The pale face seemed like he was a bit shocked with what had happened. However, the eyes of the human¡­ the eyes were strong. And seeing this, in themonnguage of the continent, Karakum spoke. ¡°This is a matter of the tribe, a matter between blood and blood. This isn¡¯t for someone else to intervene.¡± ¡°This is a matter of my teacher as well as a matter of my friend. It isn¡¯t somebody else¡¯s business.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Karakum looked at his son. Kuvar smiled, looking at his father, who wanted an exnation. ¡°Even if you look at me with those eyes, I can do nothing.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°In order for the coward to be even a little courageous, he decided to get the help of his friend, even if it was a little brazen.¡± ¡°Phew, phew, phew¡­¡± A cut, a sh, and a cut again. And just like that, six lives were cut down. Irene Pareira, who remembered this, lowered his head and became nauseous. And soon, he puked. He remembered the conversation he had with Bratt. ¡®Irene! Chase them! They need to be killed!¡¯ ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®In order to not bear the burden of killing them, if you let them leave for your mind¡¯sfort, many more people will suffer!¡¯ ¡®It is your duty as a Krono trainee to spill blood for the good and weak and bear the weight of your actions. Now don¡¯t think about it and start moving!¡¯ And he was right. However, just because it was right, that didn''t mean it was easy to do. Irene closed his eyes tightly in the middle of the ins filled with screams and shes of weapons. To not let his heart shake. Rather, it was right to say that his heart was heavy. The weight of every life he took seemed to weigh on his shoulders. Even though they were evil, it was still a life. ¡°Phew, phew.¡± Irene quickly cleared his breath. He was fine. He had prepared himself for this moment for a long time. And that was probably why the speed of his recovery was faster than expected. Feeling his heart calm down, Irene made a new resolve. To be stronger and sturdier. Instead of running away from this weight, he would be a person who could bear it and move ahead. After thinking that, he felt like he was at ease. He finally opened his eyes and looked ahead. ¡°wnrjfk!¡± ¡°gks shaeh tkffuenkkfk!¡± ¡°Rmdkdkdkdkdk-!¡± Some orc soldiers who cameter were now dealing with the remaining bandits. Perhaps a unit let by Karakum. In the middle, he could see the mercenaries, as well as Bratt, Ilya, and Judith, all safe. It looked like it would be aplete victory for them. But he knew that this wasn¡¯t the end. Realizing that he had no time to waste around, Irene quickly returned to where he saw Karakum and Kuvar. It wasn¡¯t a family reunion like he thought. A vicious chill went down the spine of the young Noble. Irene sensed that and immediately moved to block Kuvar from it, and then boldly responded to Karakum¡¯s words. ¡°This is a matter of my teacher as well as a matter of my friend. It isn¡¯t somebody else¡¯s business.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°In order for the coward to be even a little courageous, he decided to get the help of his friend, even if it was a little brazen.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°He is a son who came to us for help trying to be courageous. Don¡¯t be so cold-hearted, why not have a conversation first?¡± A human swordsman was standing in front of him saying stuff he wasn¡¯t supposed to. Listen to his son? After hearing the human swordsman¡¯s words, Karakum looked at the opponent¡¯s sword. He was shocked. He wasn¡¯t sure what the weapon was made of, but he felt great energy from it. To the extent that he even thought that it was much greater than the energy from his axe, which was made by drawing out the powers of all five spirits. ¡®¡­ in particr, the metal and me elements can be strongly felt.¡¯ It was natural to see that, since most weapons were metals made with fire, but this sword seemed to be the epitome of it. And the sword wasn¡¯t the only great thing. The sword was surely great, but the skill of the swordsman didn¡¯t seem to be bad either. A sword that doesn''t go well with the person wielding it was nothing less than poison in their hands. And seeing how this guy waspletely fine holding that amazing sword, the skills of this swordsman were sure to be great as well. Even if the energying from the guy was just fine, but it was still growing. He had to be a master. Karakum, who thought that, mumbled to himself. ¡®I guess my son has someone strong to back him up now.¡¯ It was a little, but his lips rose. However, the young man couldn¡¯t be his opponent. The status of Master was great, but he was still stronger than the young man; he was after all, one of the strongest people on the continent. Besides, the human swordsman seemed to becking experience. His pale face was proof of that. A typical appearance of a person unfamiliar with ughter. Wheik! Intense energy rose from Karakum. Irene took a step back. The pressure was pushing him. It was an energy that could overwhelm everyone. Maintaining that energy output, Karakum said. ¡°Are you ready to bear the burden for your friend?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I asked you if you have the confidence to handle me, the strongest Orc warrior.¡± Wheik! Dududud¡­. It wasn¡¯t just the aura that was pressuring Irene now. The ground around Karakum started to tremble, as if a hundred bison were running on the ins. The vibration didn¡¯t stop there, and it continued to spread to the ce where Irene was. His body, which was too smallpared to Karakum, trembled. But just like before, Irene''s heart wasn''t going to waver. And he said. ¡°It isn¡¯t a question of whether I can handle it or not.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t a question of can or cannot. I have to. For the sake of my teacher and friend, Kuvar.¡± Wooong! Irene Pareira drew out his Aura sword. Just like the time when he met the Sword Master Ilya Lindsay. Seeing him ready with his eyes set and heart strong, Karakum¡¯s eyes widened. Chapter 157: Clash (4)

Chapter 157: sh (4)

¡®An odd guy.¡¯ Karakum, the greatest orc warrior, seemed interested as he looked at Irene Pareira. A really strange guy. A great sword which he had never seen before, and although he seemed like a novice, his swordsmanship skills have reached the level of Master. However, since he was one of the best, Karakum thought that the young man wouldn¡¯t even be able to hold a candle to him. But what about now? The pale and weak appearance of Irene was nowhere to be found, and the momentum of a ''real Sword Master'', who was unleashing the energy, was like a heated iron pressing on to him. A truly unpredictable opponent. Karakum, who was a little intrigued, stretched out his left hand. Wheik! Kick! The hammer that was thrown at the orc chief earlier flew back to his hand. And seeing that, Irene was startled. He had heard about this from Bratt. Not even a magician or sorcerer could move objects like that, let alone a warrior. However, he was told that people with a high-level Aura operation could do it. It was because, in order to externally manifest the Aura and have the power to attract objects, a great deal of concentration of Aura was needed. ¡®No, this isn¡¯t aura, but I think he¡¯s using spirits?¡¯ It was so fast that he couldn¡¯t properly understand it. However, it was clear that the skills of the opponent were great. Karakum was definitely a difficult opponent for Irene¡¯s current self. But this was a situation where he had to stand up for himself. In that tense atmosphere, when Irene exhaled briefly. Karakum threw the hammer in his hand fiercely. Wheeing! The weapon of iron flew at a frightening speed! As he watched the projectile flying through the air, Irene lowered his center of gravity. Holding the handle with one hand and then the t side of the de with another, he used his sword as a shield. He wasn¡¯t running or dodging. Seeing the young swordsman¡¯s attitude of receiving the hammer head-on, Karakumughed inside. ¡®He must have done it on purpose, but it¡¯s over now.¡¯ He didn¡¯t know how good the young man was. However, that didn¡¯t matter. No matter how strong he was, there was no way he could stop the hammer. And if he didn¡¯t avoid it, the young boy would be hurt for sure. He thought of the oue. And even thought of going for a follow-up attack once the human¡¯s posture would copse. ng! It was then that a strange thing happened. The hammer, which collided with the sword, flew high into the sky, and Irene was pushed back. A long line was drawn on the ground as he got pushed back from the impact, and his face showed that he was in pain. But that was all. Seeing the opponent who managed to safely block the attack without any damage, Karakum was surprised. ¡®How is he using our tribe¡¯s skills?¡¯ The Durkali tribe''s skill, the Magic of Five Spirits, was created by merging spirits and Aura. Among them, what the human swordsman showed was a defense technique of using the spirit of metal. It wasn¡¯t as if humans didn¡¯t have simr techniques. The same effect can be seen in the hardening concept of Aura operation. However. ¡®It wasn¡¯t just that. Obviously, he was using the energy of spirits properly.¡¯ However, it wasn¡¯t the feeling of the man learning it. It was as if the energy was already within his body and mind for a long time, and like it had revealed itself. As he thought that, Karakum told himself that it was even more absurd. For a brief moment, his mind was filled with a thousand thoughts, and his expression went stiff. The former chief of Durkali, who came close to the opponent, shed his axe. ¡°Uhhhh!¡± Kwaang! The mighty power which crushed the chief of the bandits was now directed at Irene Pareira. Despite using the defensive techniques that he learned from Bratt, he could feel that his palms were about to tear any moment. But Irene didn¡¯t copse. The decisive battle in the Land of Proof came to his mind as he endured. ¡®An opportunity wille if you preserve.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just the fight with Ilya Linsay. In Krono, the sorcery world, and everything else that happened in his life after he started seeing the dreams, not a single thing broke his will. Irene, who had be an adult from a boy, knew that his sword contained something heavier than before. But of course, he also knew that not everything could be aplished with willpower alone. A few sorcerers could do absurd miracles, but Irene was more of a swordsman than a sorcerer. He wasn¡¯t brazen enough to wish for miracles either. The reason why Irene was growing wasn¡¯t because of luck or sorcery but because of constantly solidifying his skills and the experience he had umted. And that was why he would shine like the brightest jewel. Lwang! Kwang! Kwakwang! ¡®Shoking!¡¯ Swing, swing, swing again. Karakum, who relentlessly aimed at Irene like chopping down a tree with his axe, was surprised. Looking at the opponent who didn¡¯t copse despite the obvious hard attacks, unknowingly, he felt joy fill in his chest. The first time he saw the human, he didn¡¯t feel anything special. However, it didn¡¯t matter. Feeling the effort, the will, and heat contained in each move he did, Karakum tried to pressure Irene in more diverse ways. A smile began to bloom on his face little by little as he confronted the talented young man. What if he did this? If he attacked that way, would the human be able to stop it? As time passed, the heart of Karakum, as well as his axe¡¯s movements, changed little by little. The energy was still terrifying, but there was no longer displeasure in his eyes. As if a teacher teaching a disciple, Irene wasying down the groundwork for a higher position and making the offensive turn gentle. But the situation wouldn¡¯tst forever. ¡®It¡¯s a shame.¡¯ Ironically, it was Karakum and not Irene who didn¡¯t want the fight to end. When was thest time he had such a fun fight with anyone other than his other son Tarakan? He couldn¡¯t remember. For such a long time, he maintained a high position. Although he wasn''t the chief anymore, he was still considered a leader. And a great warrior representing the entire orcs. It was a heavy burden for him. ¡®But it is a burden I must carry.¡¯ Aware of his duty, Karakum opened his eyes. Irene, startled by the change in mood, stepped back. An act that went against the flow and was different from the swordsmanship Irene was performing till now. Seeing that, Karakum nodded. The human had rough edges which weren¡¯t fully polished yet, but the child¡¯s senses were sharp. And he thought to himself. ¡®Sometimes, you cannot handle everything with your hands.¡¯ And quietly backed up. After that thought, Karakum rushed at Irene at a terrifying speed. And swung his huge axe, which had the power to tear down a mountain. The target wasn¡¯t Irene Pareira, but the sword he was holding. It was the moment the axe came in contact with the golden sword. Kaaang! ¡°Hm?¡± An unexpected sight happened. Karakum looked puzzled at the sight of the great sword flying in the sky. It was the right decision. If Irene had held onto it stubbornly, his hands would have been torn apart. But he didn¡¯t expect Irene topletely release the sword like he did now. And that wasn¡¯t the end. Even though he was empty-handed, he posed as if he was holding a sword. And even swung it. When Karakum narrowed his eyes at the absurd appearance, a shocking thing happened. In Irene¡¯s hand, which had nothing, the great sword which was in the sky appeared suddenly. ¡°¡­!¡± For the first time since this fight broke out, Karakum had be impatient for the first time and drew his axe. Normally he would receive the Sword Master¡¯s Aura sword with proper footing. Kwang! However, it was impossible to block now, when his posture was broken, and he was already leaning to the right after his heavy strike. ¡°Kuak!¡± Karakum managed to maintain his bnce as he widened his stride. However, that wasn¡¯t the end. His senses which would widely tell him of everything around, were now telling him that the menacing being in front of him wasn¡¯t the only thing threatening him anymore. Tang! A swordsman with red hair and an intense force like a burning me. Shhh! Another one that had a gentle watery movement. Woong! And finally, the silver-haired woman who had reached the level of Master just like the human he was dealing with! A total of four high-level swordsmen were pressuring Karakum from all sides. The honorable warrior of Durkali, who was staring at them intently, let out a shout to split the earth and sky. Wahhhhh! kwaaang! Karakum, who recovered his posture at a fast pace, stomped hard. And a circr wave spread around him. The t ground below cracked like a cookie and then rose high, aiming for the four Krono swordsmen. ¡°Kuak!¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Tch¡­¡± ¡°¡­!¡± A trick they hadn¡¯t imagined was even possible. The four were shocked at the majestic sight, and it was like a scene from a story. But that wasn¡¯t it. Shhh¡­ Tremble. Cold sweat rose just looking at it. Lava with smoke sizzling out, flowed from the cracked ground. Shhhh Crack! Shhhh¡­. The hammer which was deflected away by Irene was back in Karakum¡¯s hands. And merged with the axe in his hand. And now, a newly reborn form of a huge double-edged axe with a sharper de than before appeared. It was as if Karakum himself had taken the form of the weapon; the four people gulped as they looked at the overbearing shape. To them, Karakum, the great warrior said. ¡°I¡¯ll admit it. You are excellent warriors who aren¡¯tcking and have even made me draw out my strength.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Since you aren''t orcs but humans, I don¡¯t know your ages, but I think you are young. Kuvar, do you know how old they are?¡± ¡°¡­ the average is 20, dad.¡± ¡°Younger than what I expected. No, it would be appropriate to say a lot younger. Huu¡­¡± Karakum sighed. Sadness, regret, joy, sorrow, and otherplex emotions were flowed out with that sigh. With a strong voice, he brushed off the emotions and said. ¡°Go.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I won''t say once more. Go back with Kuvar.¡± Woong! Thud! Another thump on the ground by Karakum, and the cracks grewrger. The boilingva, which was bing more in quantity because of the wider gaps, seemed to be ready to be used at any time. Bratt Lloyd and Ilya Lindsay stood their ground. Even Irene Pareira, and Judith who were full of energy, didn''t step back, but the truth was that they couldn¡¯t move ahead either. They had no other choice. But not everyone was like that. Woong! ¡°¡­?¡± A ck cat made its appearance from behind the four and approached Karakum, floating leisurely like what was happening didn¡¯t matter at all. The Cat Sorcerer Lulu,nded on the ground where theva didn¡¯t touch. She wasn¡¯t showing it, but her heart wasn¡¯t calm. Lulu, who opened her eyes, pointed to Karakum and said. ¡°You.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I am offended.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Karakum was speechless. It was absurd for a flying cat to talk; even more absurd was that the cat was scolding him. The strange thing was, this wasn¡¯t funny or interesting. He frowned as he looked at the cat to try and understand the situation, and Lulu took it up as a challenge. The ck cat floated to the sky with angry eyes. Lulu''s body, which rotated smoothly three times, began to emit a dazzling light that was hard to look at. Chapter 158: Clash (5)

Chapter 158: sh (5)

Cat sorcerer Lulu. When she stopped her long wandering and settled with the character of Irene Pareira, she truly thought that there was nothing more she could wish for. Whileughing and talking with Irene and eating and traveling with Irene, Lulu felt happiness andfort, which she had never felt before, and hoped that it would continue for a long time. However, she realized something when they met with I Crescentia in Derinku. That she would have to work much harder than currently to make sure that the happinesssts for a long time. ¡®It is good to enjoy your present happiness, but you will have to work a little more for the sake of this precious rtionship.¡¯ What I said was true. Lulu really couldn¡¯t do anything when Charlotte and Victor were blocking Irene¡¯s path. Even though she valued Irene more than anyone else, she was frozen in ce and desperately waited for that disaster-like woman to quietly deal with the situation for them. And she also knew that she could never guarantee that such a thing would never happen again. And from that day. Sorcerer Lulu didn¡¯t just ept the happiness around her but also decided to develop her strength to protect those around her as well as their happiness. And now. An enemy as strong as I Crescentia, or even more powerful than her, was facing them now, and the hard work she did for several months was paying off. Paah! Light shone from the body of Lulu, which was rotating in the air. The light was bright enough to blind the eyes of everyone present. Everyone, including Karakum, turned their heads away. Meanwhile, changes began to happen in the ck cat¡¯s body. Her chubby arms and legs stretched out, and her fluffy hair disappeared. Long and ebony-like hair grew out, and a ck robe wrapped around her smooth, newly bloomed body. It was the sorcerer''s battle attire. And that wasn¡¯t the end. Crack... The sound of something growing. A pair of horns and wings came from the body. Lulu, who finished transforming, looked at her own body. And in a startled voice. ¡°Uh! I transformed into a human! I didn¡¯t think this could actually happen!¡± It was true that she had been training with this transformation in mind. And she was well aware of how hard she practiced all this while, but she knew that she could never defeat an enemy like I. However, that wasn¡¯t a problem for her. She didn¡¯t have to be strong. As long as Irene wasn¡¯t in a crisis, she thought that it was okay to lose all her current strength. That meant she was ready to ''sacrifice'' the power which could normally be exerted in exchange for a more powerful ability. ¡®To be activated only when Irene is in dangerous situations.¡¯ And there was nothing suitable for that than form transformation! That was the thought Lulu had in mind when she was reading a fairy tale in Eisenmarkt. However, she didn¡¯t expect that the appearance after the transformation would be like this. She was now into a human girl, and there were horns on her head. And the wings were something else. Regarding feathers, there weren''t many. Luluined in her mind that the wings looked simr to a bat. ¡°I would have liked fluffy wings.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The four of them who were watching the scene, and Bratt especially, had a stiff expression. ¡®Dragon?¡¯ A mystical existence that appeared only in legends and was supposed to exist 400 years ago. Since it had a massive castle-like body, it is often said to know how to transform into humans, and Lulu¡¯s appearance now was simr to that. But of course, Lulu couldn¡¯t be a dragon. She probably saw this somewhere in a book she read. But even so, this was a sight enough to shock people. ¡°¡­¡± It was the same with Karakum. He thought that the cat was strange, but after talking to him, the cat suddenly turned into a weird being. He couldn¡¯t even predict just how much power was inside this being. It was because despite being an excellent warrior and animist, he was ignorant to sorcery. And just one look at the sorcerer, and he felt his head pounding and sensed the weird air around the cat. ¡®Sorcerers are known to be unpredictable¡­ but this one definitely takes the lead.¡¯ But he didn¡¯t think that he was going to lose. Karakum was strong. With the exception of the three strongest in the world, Ian, Khun, and Julius, he was confident that he wouldn''t lose to another. However, there was always something troubling when the fight was against a sorcerer who was considered to be unpredictable. It was when he was thinking about that. ¡°Yap!¡± The sorcerer, who was looking at her body, stretched out her hand in the air. And it was something Irene saw and often did, but soon something different appeared. A long staff. Lulu smiled contentedly at her staff which wasrge and splendid. ¡°Wow, so pretty!¡± ¡°¡­¡± A voice so innocent that it was hard to believe that she was in the middle of a tense battle. In response to such a reaction, all of Irene''s party were nk-faced and even Karakum, who was raising his energy, stopped for a second. It was then. Another ''Yap!'' sound, Lulu pointed at Karakum this time with her staff, and arge fireball shot out from the chrysoberyl stone embedded on the head of the staff. It wasparable to the movements of the swordsmen who had risen to the level of Master, and had a speed that couldn¡¯t be ignored. However, there was no way Karakum could try to avoid it. ¡°Ah, I missed it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The fireball flew upwards. The four people sighed, and even Karakum had a faint smile on his face, thinking that he had be nervous for no reason. Of course, regardless of the reaction, the fireball was still flying. Wooo! Passed over the head of the orc warrior Karakum. Passing the heads of the orcs of the Durkali tribe. The fireball flew farther than that and fell to the ground. Everyone gathered and looked at the ce the fireball fell. And after a while. Kwaaaang! A tremendous roar and a light that blinded their eyes and deafened their ears. Wheik! ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°Uuuhh!¡± A strong aftershock followed too. A strong wind apanied by a heat that was enough to rip the skin off the people present there. There were orcs which were closer to it, who couldn¡¯t stand the heat and fell to the floor. But the aftermath didn¡¯t reach the ce where Karakum stood. However, the scene which revealed itself after the dust died down, made everyone go still. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± A crater so huge one couldn¡¯t guess. And the person who created that bloody scene was mumbling with a gloomy expression. ¡°I can¡¯t do it. It¡¯s so difficult.¡± Everyone stayed silent at the words of Lulu, which sounded serious. It might be due to the fact that it was a power she had never used before, but more than that, it was because the power didn¡¯t suit Lulu. At the most, she used her abilities through transformation, but she wasn¡¯t used to the feeling of controlling the enormous power. Besides, she felt overexcited then, and now she was suddenly tired. Maybe it was because she had a time limit to her transformation. Most transformations Lulu encountered in the stories were like that. Something like a beautiful woman who turns into her original form at 12 in the night. But still, there was no problem. She smiled as she looked at Irene. ¡®The reason I did that was so they wouldn¡¯t get hurt.¡¯ That was all. It didn¡¯t matter if she defeated the man or not. She didn¡¯t care whether the fight was won or lost, as long as Irene was safe without being hurt. And she knew that there was no way she could even handle the opponent who was great at attacking. Lulu raised the staff once again, yap! And eximed that. ¡®Not with the intention of hurting the ones I don¡¯t like, but with the will to protect the ones I love.¡¯ Woong! A white light began to shine from Lulu''s staff after she finished thinking. A much more refreshing feeling of power than the one she felt before. And then the light flew to the sky and split into four stalks. Onto Bratt, Ilya, Judith, and Irene. Pahh! ¡°¡­!¡± The light which touched Judith¡¯s body turned into red energy like a me and wrapped around her body. ¡°Hm?¡± The light turned blue and did the same for Bratt. He was shocked at the surge of strength, which was simr to a flowing river. Ilya had the same reaction. The silver energy which surrounded her turned her much lighter. The blessing of the wind. And finally, Irene Pareira. Surrounded by a golden energy just like his from his great sword, he took the stance looking at Karakum. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± So did the other three. With unparalleled powerpared to before. The young geniuses raised their swords together against the strongest orc warrior, with the support of their friend, who was more reassuring than anyone else. Looking at the four, Karakum let out a lowugh. ¡°Haha¡­¡± He felt like the throbbing headache he had would stay even if this situation was cleared. However, it was fortunate that the people brought by his son were to his liking. Karakum made eye contact with all four swordsmen one by one. He could see that the children in front of him were more passionate than any warrior in his tribe, and looking at the humans with clear eyes, he drew out the most energy he could. His eyes were now zing with me, and the air around Karakum turned hotter. It was a situation in which it seemed like the fight would resume once again at the slightest trigger. The Durkali orcs gulped and watched the tense situation, unsure of what would happen. However, it wasn¡¯t Karakum or the humans who put an end to the fight. It was Kuvar. Step! Step! Kuvar approached Karakum slowly with a firm figure. Blood dripped from his mouth. The energy from the strongest warrior was something that Kuvar couldn¡¯t endure with his body. For him, who wasn¡¯t a warrior, the energy was excruciatingly painful. However, Kuvar didn¡¯t stop. He didn¡¯t groan in pain, nor did he grimace. Standing in front of Karakum, he knelt down with a serious expression. And then he hit his head hard on the floor and bowed. ¡°Durkali¡¯s spiritualist Kuvar¡­. No, the immoral child who sees his father after 17 years begs for forgiveness.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Karakum, who looked at his son, then raised his head. And looked at the 4 swordsmen. And the unpredictable sorcerer. And then at the warriors of Durkali who surrounded them, and finally he looked down at Kuvar. His expression still cold. Shhh¡­ However, the energy radiating out of him vanished suddenly. And turning away, Karakum said. ¡°¡­ let¡¯s talk at the castle.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kuvar didn¡¯t answer. The wandering orc sobbed for a long time without even thinking about wiping the tears which were flowing down his face. Lulu, who watched that, jumped and flew towards Irene and then hugged him. Shhh- The cat sorcerer turned back to her normal form. Holding Lulu in his arms, Irene thought. ¡®The figure which Lulu just showed us¡­ was it an influence of the fairy tale books?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t figure it out. More importantly, he just wanted to hug Lulu, who did everything she could just for himself. Chapter 159: The Warchief’s Treasure (1)

Chapter 159: The Warchief¡¯s Treasure (1)

The battle with Karakum, the best warrior of the orcs, was over. It wasn¡¯t just the decisive battle that came to an end. They also dealt with the bandits who threatened the merchants. The warriors of Durkali, who judged that there was no room for correction for the bandits, ughtered all of them and then burned the bodies. The smell of burning flesh and blood ovepped and gave off a disgusting smell. And Irene watched that silently. ¡°¡­¡± His first kill. It wasn¡¯t a human, but he felt that it was no different since he killed a lifeform that could think and act. But he had no regrets. There could have been a better option, but there was no time to think about it. If it was something that mattered a lot, then he should have thought about a better decision ahead of time, rather than when he was in that situation. But for the situation to not turn worse, especially since all the people he cared about were there, he used his sword. ¡®He wasn¡¯t a Master, but he was definitely strong. It was dangerous.¡¯ Irene thought of the bandit chief and lowered his head and looked at the ck cat in his arms. ¡®Is Lulu really just a cat?¡¯ He knew that Lulu put a lot of effort into growing her power, and that inspired her transformation process. However, he didn¡¯t expect that the appearance would be anything resembling a ¡®Dragon¡¯. He thought that the transformation would be a bigger cat, or maybe aplete human. Of course, he knew that Lulu¡¯s transformation could have been influenced by the fairy tales that she enjoyed reading, but¡­ ¡®Maybe it has something to do with Lulu¡¯s past.¡¯ He felt like that thought couldn¡¯t bepletely ruled out. It wasn¡¯t as if Lulu chose to not speak about her past. The problem was she couldn¡¯t remember her past; the adorable sorcerer had no memory of her past, and the parts she did remember were just a bunch of sparsely disappearing parts of different memories that made no sense. There were too many things that had seemed to have disappeared from her mind, and some of the parts which she could recollect were foggy. As he continued to ponder about it, Lulu, who was sleeping, slowly opened her eyes. And said, ¡°Irene¡­¡± ¡°Yes, Lulu?¡± ¡°Did I do well? Did I do better thanst time?¡± ¡°Last time?¡± ¡°When we met that nasty wench, I.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± I Crescentia. It wasn¡¯t a good meeting, but she was a person who gave Irene a good stimtion. So, Irene didn''t have a bad impression of her. However, for Lulu, who only saw happiness till then with Irene, that wasn¡¯t the case. Seeing Lulu, who had those events in her heart all this time, made Irene happy and sad at the same time. ¡°Yes. You did a great job. It was very helpful, thank you.¡± ¡°Hehe¡­ ah, but I¡¯m so sleepy. This was so difficult, to transform¡­¡± ¡°It is fine. Sleep more.¡± ¡°I have nothing to fight again right? Then I will sleep a little more. I may not wake up for a few days, so don¡¯t worry too much.¡± ¡°It is fine. Get some sleep.¡± Lulu nodded, and climbed onto Irene''s shoulder, and then slipped into his backpack. While Irene was still smiling, feeling the warmth he felt on his back, Bratt Lloyd came over. ¡°We should get some sleep too. A soldier under Karakum came and told us that we will be leaving early tomorrow.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Irene looked up at the sky. It was dark, but since they were in the month of June, so morning woulde quickly. With that thought, going to bed now was better. And he asked. ¡°How are the merchants?¡± ¡°Well, no one was injured, and it was said that some troops from Durkali would be attached to them as escorts till they reach their destination.¡± ¡°That is nice.¡± ¡°Right, nothing to worry about on that side. Rather¡­¡± We should be the ones worried. Irene nodded, hearing those words. What he said was right. They were at peace now, but just a moment ago, they were aiming their weapons at Durkali''s strongest warrior, Karakum. And countless orcs had seen that. And that wasn¡¯t the end. The reason why Irene and his party came here. The fact that they set foot here being Kuvar¡¯s escorts was worrisome. ¡®Because Kuvar is the crown prince of Durkali in human terms.¡¯ Of course, not anymore. Right now, Durkali was being ruled by Karakum¡¯s second son, Tarakan, after their father, Karakum stepped down. In the past, there was a division of supporters for Kuvar as well supporters for Tarakan, but not now. ¡®I heard that Kuvar left Durkali 17 years back¡­¡¯ However, just because the power was stabilized, didn¡¯t mean that there was a reason to wee the former crown prince. That was the way human kingdoms worked. When the king changed, even those who weren¡¯t a threat were killed for the sole reason that they still had the right to seed the throne. Perhaps, when he arrived at Durkali, more orcs would look for a chance to assassinate him. And Kuvar knew that very well. Then why did hee back to that ce? ¡®¡­ even with all that, it must be because he wanted to see his family.¡¯ In Irene¡¯s mind, as he thought of Kuvar, the image of his own family in the Hale Kingdom came to mind. His father, step-mother, and Kirill, and even his own mother, who was no longer in this world. Irene recalled their faces as he fell asleep and woke up a few hourster. This time, the man didn¡¯t appear in his dreams. ¡®¡­ If I meet Kuvar¡¯s teacher, this problem might get resolved.¡¯ In the midst of that, the orcs and Irene prepared to move. A few dayster, Irene and his party arrived at the Durkali tribe. The scale wasn''t any less than therge cities in the human territories, and words would fail to describe it. And that wasn¡¯t the end. There were five castles surrounding the tribe, which were also inside the domain of Durkali, and were made just for the guests, so that nothing could be used as an excuse to intervene in the politics of the tribe. Fortunately, since Ilya Lindsay and Bratt Lloyd were high-ranking nobles, no one crossed a line with them. The influence of Adan Kingdom, one of the five Western kingdoms, and the Gerbera Kingdom where Bratt and Illya were from were much stronger than the Hale Kingdom. Not to mention, Judith was amoner. ¡°Must be nice being a noble.¡± Of course, although she said that, the position she was now in wasn¡¯t someone anyone could ignore. As she was an official trainee who passed from Krono, the best swordsmanship school on the continent. However, considering Durkali¡¯s way and especially Tarakan, Irene and Judith werecking in terms of being powerful noble. ¡®The important thing was¡­ Tarakan.¡¯ The chief of the Durkali tribe. A being who reached the status of Master at the age of 30, and ording to Kuvar, this orc was supposed to be friendly and gentle. However, Irene¡¯s party didn¡¯t believe that. It was because of what Bratt said. ¡°It is rumored that he is the roughest among the crude orcs. We need to be cautious.¡± To be honest, they trusted Bratt¡¯s words over Kuvar¡¯s. Didn¡¯t Karakum want to fight against them? If they considered how he acted, then it was inevitable to trust Bratt¡¯s words. Therefore,te at night on the day when they arrived in Durkali, the four of them, who received a call from Tarakan, had no choice but to put on a tense expression. And what they worried about didn''t even happen. ¡°Haha, nice to meet you, I am Tarakan.¡± He had a huge height, even bigger than Kuvar. However, his impression was just like his older brother, warm. Even the atmosphere in the room wasn¡¯t heavy. They expected a lot of subordinates to surround them, but there was just Tarakan in the room. ¡®Weren''t we called in for an audience?¡¯ From the four people¡¯s perspective, the space was small and modest. A moderately luxurious table, sses for the people, ten bottles of alcohol, and a few snacks. ¡¯Ten bottles of liquour ¡­¡¯ Judith¡¯s expression darkened. What the hell was someone thinking leaving so many bottles out in the open like that? Does he n on drinking all that? As she was thinking about such things, Tarakan, with a smile on his face, said, ¡°No need to worry. If you think it is a hard to drink, then I won¡¯t rmend it.¡± ¡°Huh? Yes? Ye¡­¡± ¡°I am sorry about this. I didn¡¯t want to burden such nice benefactors, so I chose this ce on purpose, but the atmosphere of trying to force someone to drink something they don¡¯t want¡­¡± Irene¡¯s party nced at each other. The attitude of Tarakan was polite despite being nervous. And he was so polite that they thought, ¡®is it a pretense?¡¯ However, it wasn¡¯t that. Tarakan, who looked around, stood up and bowed. And with a serious expression, he said. ¡°I express my gratitude for bringing my brother back.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I am speaking as the younger brother of the Orc Kuvar, not chief Tarakan, so there is no need to be flustered.¡± After a while, Tarakan raised his head, and there was some water in his eyes. With a little bit of emotion, he spoke the story of his father, his older brother, and himself. Before Tarakan was born, Kuvar was already in the position of Crown Prince. Kuvar was born to the second wife, as the first wife couldn¡¯t bear a kid for a long time. However, 10 years after Kuvar¡¯s birth, the child of the first wife was born. And that was the beginning of the confusion. Between the ones who supported Kuvar, who was already considered to be the crown prince, and the ones who supported Tarakan for the sake of loyalty and tradition within the tribe. As time went on, the conflict between the two sides grew stronger and stronger, and even Karakum was torn between them. And that was why Kuvar left the tribe to be a wanderer. ¡°It was a pity.¡± Kuvar, who had no greed, disliked quarrels. For him, the position of chief, which caused fights with his younger brother, was not important, and so because Tarakan showed talent in fighting, Kuvar chose fortune telling, which had nothing to do with ruling. However, as the fight continued, Kuvar had no choice but to make the drastic decision to leave the tribe, and Durkali quickly regained stability. Tarakan¡¯s faction rejoiced and thought it was fortunate, and even some from Kuvar¡¯s faction were happy that the fight didn¡¯t escte to civil war. As the others were satisfied, it was Karakum, Tarakan, and Kuvar who were left alone to endure the sorrow. ¡°But my brother came back to me yesterday and said this.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t regret my choice back then. Because that was the best thing for me and everyone in the tribe at that time. However¡­¡± After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Tarakan continued. ¡°Now, after I have umted so much experience, I realized that I shouldn¡¯t be running around anymore. My father, myself and my younger brother¡­. I know that all three of us love and care for each other, and it wasn¡¯t right of me to run away just because I was afraid of the circumstances around me. He said that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And the reason those thoughts came to him was because of you all.¡± Although he was not here, that really was the reason for Kuvar toe back. Bratt Lloyd, who didn''t give up despite setbacks and went back to Krono swordsmanship school. Judith, who constantly suffers, but gets up each time and moves ahead. Irene, who doesn''t mind shing without losing hope no matter how difficult the situation is, and Ilya Lindsay, who overcame her painful past with faith. And Tarakan, who heard that story of the four people in front of him, could think of them as his family¡¯s benefactors. ¡°Well¡­ things will be moreplicated than before. There will be a lot of people who create a ruckus. But it is fine. It is more enjoyable to know that he is trying to find a better way knowing that the time spent apart was done because he was scared.¡± After finishing the speech of sincere gratitude, Tarakan drank alcohol. When Judith looked at him. ¡°In that sense, I want to give something to such nice peo¡­¡± A bright face appeared on Judith''s face, which was darker than others previously. She was all about the world being bad and dark, but even she could feel that Tarakan¡¯s gift wouldn¡¯t bemon. Well, this was thergest orc tribe they are talking about, after all. A gift from their chief, there was no way it would be ordinary. As if to prove that, the orc spoke with a confident expression. His gaze fixed on Bratt Lloyd and Judith. ¡°I found something that suits you two.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Then, should we go and take a look? And, you can definitely look forward to it. I know that you are great people, but I hope you know about the treasure house of Durkali which is well-known in the continent.¡± Tarakan jumped up in his seat. Despite having 10 bottles all by himself, he seemed fine. And Bratt, who drank the rest, also seemed fine. Of the four, Bratt and Judith had indescribable anticipation on their faces. ¡°Me too, give me too¡­¡± Lulu, put her head out of Irene¡¯s backpack and said. Tarakan grinned happily. ¡°Of course. You can all choose whatever you like.¡± Chapter 160: The Warchief’s Treasure (2)

Chapter 160: The Warchief¡¯s Treasure (2)

When asked which nation possesses the most precious treasure on the continent, which kingdom do people think of first? Most would think of the Holy Kingdom Avilius or the Runtel Kingdom in the eastern part of the continent. The former boasts the longest history, so it must have ancient relics, and thetter was the country that possesses the most developed magic, so all kinds of extraordinary things would be in it. However, the general consensus was that the treasure house of the Durkali tribe, which represented the entirety of the orc species, would also be great. ¡®Obviously it has to be here. It is hard to find items with the power of spirits anywhere else on the continent.¡¯ Following Tarakan, Bratt Lloyd thought. It wasn¡¯t a popr ability in the human world, but spirits did exist. As they said, even if the whole world isn¡¯t made up of 5 elements, the source of the power was definitely real. Of course, it wasn¡¯t a systematically developed science like magic, and it wasn¡¯t an ability that most people use, so it¡¯s not something that is used for the sake of finding items either¡­ ¡®The chief did say but there is no way he can give us all something we want.¡¯ Bratt nced at Judith. As if her emotions were still hurt, she hadn''t looked at him since then. Feeling bad, he thought to himself. ¡®I need to clear the misunderstanding, but I hope that this will help me a little¡­¡¯ After walking a few minutes, they suddenly saw a door to a warehouse. A clunky stone gate which wasn¡¯t fancy. However, Tarakan ced his hand on the stone, which had a palm print, and a light shone, and the appearance of the door changed into something magnificent that everyone could admire. But there was no way they would keep watching it. As soon as the door appeared, Tarakan rushed inside while the others followed him. The door opened and then closed as soon as everyone entered, not giving entry to anyone else. Numerous objects appeared before them, and most of them were weapons. A battle axe radiating with amazing energy. A hammer so huge that it would be difficult for even three men to lift it. And there were rows of weapons that were terrifying to even look at. An armor ced in the corner of the room had a stylish appearance that caught the eyes of everyone in the party. However, the moment they saw the pair of swords that were ced in the middle of the room, Judith and Bratt lost any interest in looking at the other treasures. ¡°The five spirits spoken among the orcs, also called the five elements, originally came from two great ones. One side has a warm energy like the sunlight, and the other side has a cold energy like the shade. There is a legend which spread among us that all kinds of things in the worlde from opposites, sometimes usually depending on these two qualities¡­. Even if that isn¡¯t the truth, it is certain to some extent that this always conflicting energy exists. The warm side is called ¡®Plus¡¯ or ¡®Yang¡¯ and the cold side is called ¡®Minus¡¯ or ¡®Yin¡¯.¡± 1 ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That is why these swords are called Yin-Yang swords. Well¡­ we just call them blue sword and red sword most of the time. Probably because it is easier to say.¡± ¡°Can we¡­ touch it?¡± Judith asked. Even though she didn¡¯t speak much, the tremor in her voice was evident. She had never felt so captivated by a sword until now. And when she saw it, it was as if she had found a long-lost piece of herself. Tarakan nodded, and Judith carefully took the red-handled sword in her hand. Wheik! Right then, the sound of something burning could be heard, and the de of the sword turned red. Not as dark and terrifying as blood, but bright and hot like mes. Tarakan, looking at Judith, said. ¡°I knew that it would be right for you. Many orc warriors including me, and my father have tried to hold the red sword in order to be the master of it¡­ and there has never been such a nice response from it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Would you like to feel it as well?¡± Seeing Tarakan looking at him, Bratt picked up the blue-handled sword. And then he heard something flowing violently, the refreshing energy which spread throughout his body. Looking at the de of the sword, which suddenly turned blue, Bratt couldn''te to his senses, but the chief smiled. ¡°From now on, it is yours.¡± ¡°This is so precious, how can we¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take it! Thank you!¡± Judith answered in a shrieking voice. Bratt looked puzzled at her action. Seeing her eyes which were burning hotter than ever, he couldn¡¯t say anything. Watching that, Tarakan smiled and said. ¡°I have no intention of taking it back, don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°It is fine. It¡¯s because you do not know. In other people¡¯s hands it will be a pearl hanging on a pig¡¯s neck¡­ on the contrary, I get to finally see it being used, so I consider it a good thing.¡± 2 It was clear that this sword was something worth even more than a Vulcanus Numbering Sword. ¡°Actually, I am surprised too. Brother did say that it would be a good fit for you two, but I thought it wouldn¡¯t work.¡± Again, at the brief mumble from Tarakan, Bratt and Judith looked confused. Tarakan was one thing, but it was then they realized just how deeply Kuvar thought for them. ¡®Things need to go well over here¡­¡¯ ¡®It is fine since he has a good rtionship with Tarakan, right? Karakum too seemed to be cold on the outside, but I guess he isn¡¯t like that on the inside.¡¯ Recalling Kuvar, who went with his father, the two of them stood there looking at their swords. That didn¡¯t go on for long, because Lulu, who was sitting on Irene¡¯s shoulder, urged Tarakan in a cute voice. ¡°I want something like that too!¡± Until recently, she was unable to even open her eyes because of the toll the transformation magic took on her. However, when Judith and Bratt received their gifts, Lulu was back to her dazzling self. ¡°Quickly! Quickly!¡± Tarakan nodded, bursting intoughter looking at the cat. ¡°Everyone else should get things too. I might not be able to pick things perfecty like I did with these two, but whatever it is, feel free to look around and choose.¡± ¡°Can I pick two?¡± ¡°That is a no.¡± Lulu looked at Tarakan, who seemed serious, and bowed her head. But soon, as if it was nothing, she went all over the ce. ¡°This is too heavy; this is too sharp! Any other weapons? Ah! This is pretty!¡± ¡°¡­ should we look for something as well?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°If there is something that might fit me, let me know.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll look around too.¡± The four of them decided and dispersed in all directions; now, it was time to look for something for Irene and Ilya. However, Irene didn''t seem to have any expectations regarding the treasure. For him, who didn¡¯t have much desire for other stuff, the only thing which mattered was his weapon, and he already had a great sword. ¡®Then an armor?¡¯ With that thought in mind, he looked around but didn¡¯t find anything particrly good. The leather armor he was wearing was made by Vulcanus, and the quality was good, but the reason the armor here didn''t seem appealing was because the size was bigger than his. It was difficult to find a suitable item; unlike a sword, all the other equipment around was orc-sized. In the end, Irene wandered here and there meaninglessly with lowered expectations. But after a while. A ne, which he came across, caught his attention. ¡°¡­¡± It didn¡¯t look spectacr. Although it was polished and touched by a craftsman, it looked no different from a round stone. To be called a ne was too sophisticated for this. However, for some reason, it kept grabbing his attention. ¡®Should I call this a sorcerer¡¯s instinct?¡¯ Irene was embarrassed to even refer to himself as a sorcerer. However, since he had a strong feeling in his mind about the ¡®ne¡¯, he felt that it meant that there must be something more to it than just its appearance. Moreover, it wasn¡¯t just him. Lulu too, who was looking for her own treasure, stared at the ne and then said. ¡°Irene, I think you should choose that.¡± ¡°Do you know something?¡± ¡°No. just a feeling. I think it will be good for you.¡± Irene¡¯s interest in the item intensified at those words from a full-fledged sorcerer. Irene looked at Tarakan, as if asking if he knew something about it, but the orc opened his mouth with a frown. ¡°I don¡¯t remember it exactly, but¡­ it is an item which was said to be owned by a warrior who was an excellent spiritualist and fortune teller for a long time, so long ago that it doesn¡¯t even exist in current history records. That¡¯s probably it.¡± ¡°Anything special like the Yin-Yang swords?¡± ¡°Nothing special that I can think of¡­ I think I heard that the energy of the 5 spirits was buried in it in the past, but not anymore. It has been too long, honestly. I wouldn¡¯t really rmend it, but¡­¡± He looked at Lulu and then continued. ¡°I can¡¯t ignore the sorcerer who confronted my father head-on, so if you want to, please go ahead.¡± ¡°hehe, uhehe.¡± Lulu, who took Tarakan¡¯s words as apliment, moved in the air and then picked up the ne and hung it around Irene¡¯s neck. It was nothing special to look at; it wasn''t even beautiful, and there was nothing unique about it. It was unbelievably in to be considered a treasure from the treasure room of the Durkali tribe. However, the moment he put it around his neck, Irene felt something reassuring. ¡°Can I y with it sometime?¡± ¡°This?¡± ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t know, but if I am in my transformed state, I think I might understand something about it.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Hm, I am curious too, cat warrior.¡± ¡°I am Lulu!¡± ¡°Ah, sorry. Lulu, if you find out about it, could you let me in on the secret?¡± ¡°Of course, when I find out, I¡¯ll tell you the second! The first will be Irene.¡± ¡°haha, I got it.¡± Tarakan nodded happily, and Lulu moved around in excitement and then went back to finding her own item. 30 minutester. Tarakan confirmed that the other two had picked up the items they wanted, and closed the door of the treasury. ¡°It was nice to meet you and talk with you like this. I want to talk a lot more, but I hope you understand that I have to leave.¡± It was natural. After 17 years, his brother was back. The four of them were grateful to the fact that he had stayed with them till now. Irene and his party deeply cherished the favor Tarakan had shown them, and followed a servant to their assigned rooms. And after a brief talk, they all went to their own rooms. Of course, they didn¡¯t sleep right away. Especially for Ilya. ¡®What sword suits¡­ me?¡¯ Irene Pareira¡¯s gold great sword. Bratt Lloyd¡¯s blue sword and Judith¡¯s red sword. All three of them found a sword that suited them, but she didn''t. She picked up a dagger in the treasury. Unlike the three of them, the present Ilya couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that she was wasting time without a correct direction for her life to move towards. ¡®Lulu advised me to stay empty minded at such times, but¡­¡¯ It wasn¡¯t as easy as it looked. In the end, Ilya, who had been contemting for a long time, fell asleep at dawn, and had a dream of a mysterious fortune teller, the teacher of Kuvar. The orc in her dream calmly listened to all her worries with a smile and deep wrinkles on his face. And then came up with a solution. Ilya woke up with a cool feeling, as if the stuffiness inside her chest was melting, and smiled bitterly. ¡®I can¡¯t even remember what that conversation was.¡¯ Of course, that was the case with most dreams; even the sweetest of dreams cannot be remembered. However, her expectation of Kuvar¡¯s teacher was renewed in her mind. Despite not being the one to believe in such things, Ilya needed a ce to rely on. However, ¡°¡­ they said that teacher passed away a year ago.¡± At those words which came from Kuvar, who came to meet the party in the morning, Ilya couldn''t help but feel even greater emptiness. Plus and Minus are interchangeable with Positive and Negative, respectively.?Pearl hanging on a pig¡¯s neck ¨C means to make a valuable thing useless by giving it to a person who cannot use it properly or cannot understand its true value.? Chapter 161: War of Nerves (1)

Chapter 161: War of Nerves (1)

¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Those who heard Kuvar¡¯s words couldn¡¯t open their mouths. It was the same with Irene Pareira. In fact, it was him who had wanted to meet Kuvar''s teacher, Gurgar, more than anyone else in here. It was because this was a golden opportunity to find out about the man in his dreams, as he couldn¡¯t get a single clue until now. However, that was nothingpared to the regret that Kuvar was feeling. ¡®I have been wandering outside for 17 years because of my decision, and I finally managed to find some courage ande back only to hear my teacher has passed¡­¡¯ If something bad happened to his family members when he was imprisoned in the world of sorcery for 5 years, how would he have felt? It was something no one would want to imagine. Irene wasn¡¯t sure what expression to make in front of Kuvar. However, Kuvar had a determined attitude. ¡°¡­ I, I knew that something like this could happen, because he was someone who was even older than my father, who is now over seventy.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But fortunately, the teacher, unlike me who is a quack, was a real brave fortune teller. Knowing that I woulde back around this time, he left a letter with a riddle behind.¡± ¡°A riddle? What is it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know since I haven¡¯t solved it yet, but once I know the answer, I will be able to know what my teacher has arranged for me. Maybe¡­¡± Irene Pareira, it has something to do with you. Kuvar said that, and Irene felt horrible as he looked back on himself, since he felt d in the midst of Kuvar¡¯s sadness. Seeing no one talk, the feeling weighed down on Irene even deeper. Did he notice the weird atmosphere? ¡°Haha, there is no need to be so weird. If it wasn¡¯t for you, I would have still been wandering around the continent without even thinking abouting here for another 10 years.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°But what? I am thankful for you guys. Well, the situation turned out like this, so please wait a bit more. Even if the teacher is no longer able to do the task, didn¡¯t you n on escorting me here and then take me back slowly?¡± Irene and the others nodded. Kuvar smiled and stood up. ¡°Anyway, now that I have said that, I¡¯ll have to go back. I haven¡¯t slept since I was back here.¡± ¡°Have a good rest, Kuvar.¡± ¡°Ah right! Speaking of it, when you are dealing with high-ranking warriors in the city¡­ you might want to be a bit more cautious.¡± ¡°¡­ yes.¡± Seeing Kuvar say that with a serious expression unlike before, Bratt answered in a low voice. Kuvar nodded at this and left the room with a smile. With the click sound of the door closing, silence fell again, and Lulu was also in thoughts. ¡®¡­ we definitely need to be careful.¡¯ Thinking on Kuvar¡¯s words, Bratt thought. The Orc warriors of Durkali, Karakum and the chief Tarakan. The fact that they were on Kuvar¡¯s side is a huge plus. And it was right to think that half of theplications were solved with just that. However, the other half was still unresolved; it was the side of Tarakan¡¯s faction. ¡®From their point of view, we are no different from uninvited guests who came to ruin their peaceful lives.¡¯ In addition, their races were different, and although briefly, they had aimed their swords at Karakum. In many ways, it was quite a messy situation. To make matters worse, there was a story that even the chief of the tribe, Tarakan, couldn¡¯t ignore the authority of ¡®Master Khalifa¡¯, the former chief''s brother-inw who was a royal member as well as the leader of Tarakan¡¯s faction. ¡®No matter how good Tarakan thinks of Kuvar¡­ Master Khalifa may not have the same thoughts.¡¯ As he was familiar with politics, Bratt knew what was happening. Considering that, it was understandable to some extent that Kuvar was more concerned with this than over the death of his teacher. ¡°Well¡­ we can just stay quiet and not wander around.¡± ¡°Right. I mean, we don¡¯t have to go anywhere except for our rooms and the hall, right?¡± ¡°It is something we can do¡­ Well, if we avoid them when we are outside, no problem will ur. Both hands are need to make a sound after all.¡± As Bratt and Irene talked, Ilya with Lulu nodded their heads. Judith didn¡¯t take part in it, but she knew what was happening, so she agreed. To practice alone until Kuvar solves his master, Gurgar¡¯s riddle. The four swordsmen decided together and put Lulu back to sleep and then got up to head down to the training hall. And then, each of them took a spot they werefortable with and started to swing their swords. No matter how harsh the gazes on them were, it was impossible for them to not practice. ¡®We are just practicing quietly, and we have no intention of starting a fight.¡¯ Wheik! Performing a ssic sh, Bratt nodded. No problem could happen. He didn¡¯t even use the sword he received in the fear that it might provoke the orcs. Even despite wanting to use the sword so bad! ¡®I wish our feelings could get conveyed to them even by a little¡­¡¯ Did his thoughts get conveyed? For a week after that, no orc warriors looked at Bratt Lloyd. They weren¡¯t polite, but at least they weren¡¯t ring at them like they wanted to fight anymore. Considering the aggressive tendencies of the orcs, this was good. However, his expression as he was wielding the sword wasn¡¯t good. ¡°wjgmlemfdms eksdur dprtmxmfkdlqslek.¡± ¡°wkrrkrk tlzutj djWjf tn djqdl skQmsakfdmf gkrh dlTtmqslek.¡± The orcs didn¡¯t touch him, Ilya Lindsay or Irene. But it was a different matter with Judith. asionally, they would purposely go to her side and mumble something in thenguage of orcs. Looking at them, Bratt sharpened his teeth so hard that his mrs might break. Basically, the orcs were proud of themselves. Their strength and huge physique were superior to most other races, and because of their pride, they were always confident in front of monsters and other races. In fact, they made numerous achievements even during the period of the great chaos, which happened 400 years ago and the one 150 years ago. At that time, the families of the heroes who smashed the demon¡¯s neck gained the status of nobles in human society, and their future bloodline descendants profited thanks to them. And even if it was the descendant of a hero or a bloodline of a warrior, no one could be treated carelessly. Ilya Lindsay had Dion Lindsay, who beheaded the famous Demon Dragon King, and Lloyd had a venerable family that had produced many heroes. Irene Pareira¡¯s familycked the reputation, but the fact that he was a Sword Master made Irene someone that the orcs couldn¡¯t touch. Yes. Only Judith had a background that was right for the orcs to act out at. ¡°skdirgks dlsrks wnwpdpd Rho gksp.¡± ¡°rmfjrp akfdldi emerlfhsms wjstkdml vltwnfeh dkslfkau? Rmfjs rjt clrhsms skQmwl dksgsp.¡± Not an open fight. However, they would pass by so close to her that anyone would be concerned, and then they would purposely speak in oguage. Bratt could understand some of what they were saying. It was because the first thing he learned after getting close to Kuvar was swearing in the oguage. ¡®Not a bloodline of a warrior¡­ and to cursing someone because they are of lowly origin, so they look down on her as a weak human being? That Judith?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t weird. It was annoying to see those orcs who wouldn¡¯t even have a chance against her act all mighty. Worse was, Judith, too knew that they were swearing at her. Wong! Woong! Still, Judith didn¡¯t respond. She seemed to be a silent mind, only focused on sharpening her sword with honest effort. However, that only made Bratt turn more impatient. Because there was no guarantee just how long she could endure it. ¡®If this is the situation, I feel bad for Irene, but I think it will be better for us to leave quickly, I don¡¯t care about the riddle¡­¡¯ This was the right decision for the sake of Kuvar too. If they stayed here more, then their existence in itself was like poison to Kuvar. It was Bratt¡¯s deduction that it was the current chief¡¯s faction who wanted that to test their nerves. ¡®Damn it!¡¯ While he thought about it, another group of orc warriors approached Judith. After uttering something, they passed by with an eerieugh. Fortunately, Judith didn¡¯t even frown at what they said or acted. Like not hearing the barks of dogs, she just looked ahead at the task she was doing. Bratt watched the scene and sighed. But¡­ It didn¡¯t end there. Step step. Wiping the sweat with her sleeve, Judith walked towards Bratt. It was the first time since they arrived at Durkali. Neither the situation nor the atmosphere was good enough to solve the misunderstanding, so the rtionship between them was still cold. This made Bratt feel insecure. What? Why was sheing for him? The question was soon resolved. Judith, who came so close to him, put her lips near his ear. And looking at the orcs who spoke to her, she¡­ ¡°Stupid, fucktwit, idiot, dog shit¡­¡± Words, not even a sentence. They were words that even nonhumans would have heard at least once in their lives, and anyone in the hall could tell where they were being directed to. Even among the orcs, some knew thenguage of the continent, so there was no way they couldn¡¯t understand Judith¡¯s swear words. The orc warrior who noticed that, went close and said. One of them spoke in the humannguage and asked them. ¡°What did you just say?¡± ¡°Mental, ass, idiot, stupd.¡± ¡°You really¡­ Are you cursing me¡­¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t,¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say that to you, so why are you getting so worked up? I am speaking to this man with a dumb expression next to me.¡± ¡°Are you expecting me¡­¡± ¡°I said I wasn¡¯t, what now?¡± Judith asked with an expressionless face. The orc warrior tried to say something, but he couldn¡¯t and then gulped. No one could say anything in that situation. It was obvious that she was saying that to them, and it was simr to what they did to the red-haired woman. They both provoked each other with childish tactics, so it was impossible to ask one person to take responsibility for it. ¡°¡­ I think I mistook something. I will go now.¡± In the end, all the Orc could do was step back. Bratt, who watched that confrontation, sighed. ¡®I don¡¯t know if this is a good thing or not.¡¯ Should he say that he was d that this ended, or should he ask Judith to be more patient? After contemting, Bratt decided to think about the former. In fact, considering Judith¡¯s personality, the fact that she endured this much was great. If it wasn¡¯t for Kuvar, she would have caused a riot a long time ago. But he knew. Once she decided to hold the sword and go against them. Then Judith would turn into her personality, which would cut down everything in front of her regardless of what happened afterward. ¡°Ugh, those muscle idiots.¡± ¡°¡­ are you talking to us?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What? Don¡¯t talk nons¡­¡± ¡°End the bullshit, and let¡¯s deal with this head-to-head.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why? Don¡¯t want to or are you scared?¡± Judith¡¯s shocking remarks were so abrupt that neither Bratt nor the orc warriors could speak. Seeing them like that, she wiggled her fingers. And said one more thing. ¡°Neatly with no strings attached, let¡¯s just solve each other''s problems, how about that?¡± Chapter 162: War of Nerves (2)

Chapter 162: War of Nerves (2)

¡°¡­Ha!¡± The orc warriors burst outughing at the words of the red-haired girl. They were subordinates of Gunt, the third son of Master Khalifa, and were displeased with Kuvar''s return. It was because theirmon sense couldn¡¯t understand that the reason he returned to this ce after 17 years was because of his ¡®love for family¡¯. Therefore, the orc warriors thought that Kuvar had other ns because he returned, and the humans in front of their eyes were thorns on their side. And it was even more annoying as they were humans and not orcs. But that didn¡¯t mean that they could directly threaten the humans. They were the humans staying in the castle under the orders of great orc warrior Karakum and their Chief Tarakan. Officially, the humans were the guests of the tribe, and they had to smile at them. ¡®But if the other sidees out first like this¡­ it is a different story.¡¯ The orc warrior exchanged nces. A bald one in them smirked and asked Judith. ¡°Are you sure you won''t regret those words?¡± ¡°Regret for what? Since we all seem to be umting some stress, we just need to have a fight and cool down cleanly, isn¡¯t it? That is what I want to do.¡± ¡°haha, you are more daring than you look.¡± ¡°You are boring for your size. You talk about bloodlines and shit behind my back, like a weakling.¡± ¡°What? You¡­¡± ¡°Enough.¡± Grab! Interrupting the bald Orc, Judith lowered her sword onto the ground. Then, after pointing her palms to the sky, she asked him toe. ¡°Stop yapping your mouth ande on. We fight with fists and not swords, okay?¡± ¡°Fists?¡± ¡°Yes. To de-stress fists are better than swords.¡± ¡°Haa¡­.¡± ¡°Why? Not confident? Are you the same guy who talked aboutmoners being trash and bloodlines?¡± Hearing thosest words, the bald Orc didn''t respond. Leaving the weapon to his colleague, he walked towards her. A terrifying energy came out from his eyes which were filled with anger. Seeing that, Judith smiled brightly, and the bald Orc went straight for her. Puch! A fist powerful enough to split the air. An attack so strong that an ordinary human¡¯s head would explode on impact. The bald Orc had no worries as he decided to attack without holding anything back. It was more important for the Orc to trample the woman in front of him who was as small as a mouse. However, his wish didn¡¯te true. Just before his fist reached her face, Judith lowered herself and went for the arms of the Orc. ¡®What?¡¯ The bald Orc, who lost the chance to hit her, was bewildered at what happened. Judith, someone with a small stature, leaned close and clung onto the Orc''s arm. The Orc, who felt her presence a bitte, turned his gaze, but it was already toote. The red-haired woman, used the arm as a swing and hit his abdomen. Kick! ¡°Kuah. Uh¡­¡± Thud! The bald Orc, who lost his bnce in one hit, copsed forward. Judith shrugged her shoulders and looked at the opponent. With one light movement, the orc warrior flew several meters back. Thud! From the start to the end, the fightsted for around 1 second. Still expressionless, Judith looked at the other orcs and asked. ¡°Anyone elseing?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I feel much better than before, but my stress isn¡¯t fully gone. I hope the next battle will be more refreshing¡­¡± ¡®This one was hiding her skills!¡¯ The orcs who confirmed that the hard way stood there bewildered. They had heard about it; that the humans who came along with Kuvar were amazing. It was said that the silver-haired was a descendant of the Lindsay family, so they didn¡¯t even dream of messing with her, and the others were all of noble blood, so they couldn''t act rudely towards them either. However, the skills of the red-haired woman they saw until now weren¡¯t that impressive. So, they looked down on her. Like the orcs who couldn¡¯t inherit the blood of heroes weren¡¯t great, thismoner seemed to have a limit too, and also looked like the worst and poorest of the four humans¡­ or so they thought. And that was all their own delusion. ¡°What? No one else?¡± The red-haired woman tilted her head. She had an innocent expression on her face as if she was really curious. However, the energy emanating from her body was terrifying. The orcs, who had now clearly grasped the actual level of their opponent, were sweating, and no one was able to step ahead. However, Judith''s following words made it impossible for them to stand still. ¡°This is disappointing. Had I known that the orc warriors were all this timid, there was no way I would havee to Durkali.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°You wench, what did you¡­¡± ¡°Stop.¡± The warriors who seemed to rush at the insult, stopped at once. It was because of themand of a giant Orc who suddenly appeared. The new Orc that appeared was a span taller than others and thicker too. The Orc, who felt intimidating to even look at, opened his mouth and looked at Judith. ¡°Gunt is what I am called, themander of the Red Axe debat team.¡± Gunt. A name she knew. It was one of the names of the Orcs Kuvar had advised them to be careful with, and the third son of Master Khalifa, who was the most powerful entity of the chief¡¯s faction. In human society, this one could be said to be a noble among nobles. However, Judith wasn¡¯t bothered by the background of the Orc. ¡°Right, Gunt, as you already know, I am Judith.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Gunt¡¯s eyebrows rose at that. Along with aura, a threatening energy rose, and his eyes were looking at Judith. The air around turned heavy right away. But Gunt didn¡¯t drag it out more. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, he said. ¡°I have two things to say.¡± ¡°Oh, I wonder what. Even if there are more, I will listen to all of it, so please feel free to tell them all.¡± ¡°First. I don¡¯t understand what you are thinking when you are fighting knowing that it will cause a problem. And as a result, Mr. Kuvar¡¯s position will fall.¡± ¡°Not at all. Ask them. We put aside all the political stuff and decided to fight.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t act like you don¡¯t know. If you were a person withmon-sense you would know what repercussions your actions would have. Even so, if you did this, you should be held ountable, right?¡± ¡°We can talk about thatter, what is the second one?¡± ¡°Second. You insulted all of the orcs. As an honorable warrior of Durkali, it is something which cannot be overlooked by me. You will be held ountable for your frivolous remarks, so I hope you face it and don¡¯t run away.¡± Woong! As soon as he said that, a strong energy rose from Gunt¡¯s body. A vicious and terrifying energy that made other orcs step back. Gunt seemed to be a high-ranking orc, not inferior to any hero who subjugated demons in the past. ¡°Hmm.¡± But Judith didn¡¯t move. Rather, she was stroking her chin with a rxed face, thinking deeply. At that, Gunt seemed surprised. However, that wasn¡¯t the end. As if she was done sorting her thoughts, she nodded her head and then shared her thoughts. ¡°Stop with the bullshit.¡± ¡°¡­ what did you say?¡± ¡°Bullshit. Why? You don¡¯t think so?¡± ¡°What the hell. Why do you keep provoking¡­¡± ¡°Ah, shut up. First of all, listen to me as I listened to your bullshit very patiently. So, your objectionse at the end, got it?¡± Judith waved her hand. Gunt¡¯s anger soared even higher, but he couldn¡¯t say anything. She nodded and then cleared her throat to convey her thoughts. ¡°First. If you n on taking action, then take care of your subordinates first. Even though I knew they were speaking bullshit behind my back, I endured it for a week. Orcs with even an ounce ofmon sense won¡¯t use the name of Kuvar so easily, so you should be the one to apologize first.¡± ¡°Second. You said I insulted all the orcs? Right. But I had to. Because Lindsay and Lloyd have a nice background, you people don¡¯t even have the courage to speak out in front of them, and then you speak behind my back, bastards who talk and squeal about the pride of a warrior and honor of warrior, behind one''s back are great? Besides, that was done with the intention of thinking that I wouldn¡¯t be able to speak against it and that you people don¡¯t have to be scared of my lineage. Wasn¡¯t that out of line from your side?¡± ¡°¡­ I admit that they werecking, but you insulted all the orcs¡­¡± ¡°Is it because you are those assholes¡¯mander? You sound like an asshole too. You and them, are you descendants of the ancient heroes? The Descendants of the Demon yers?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The warriors who are the descendants of such warriors, didn¡¯t you all ever think that if you acted so foolishly then your actions would reflect on the entire orcs?¡± ¡®What is with her?¡¯ Seeing the stream of words flowing from Judith¡¯s mouth, Bratt was dumbfounded. Normally, she wasn¡¯t someone who was good at talking. There were a lot of instances where she raised her fists, even with Bratt, because she couldn¡¯t get out what she wanted to say. But not now. Did she prepare for this? Or was it because the orcs were just stupid making Judith look that great? ¡®Or both?¡¯ He couldn''t figure it out. But that didn¡¯t matter. Because no one could stop Judith now. She continued. ¡°Worried for Kuvar? Right, I am worried. Like you said, I am very worried. I waited for a week. If I was acting like myself, I wouldn¡¯t have let the situation pass even for half a day, and would have broken all your heads. But I can¡¯t, because I had to think about Kuvar. But I have something to say now.¡± ¡°You bastards, the honor of a warrior doesn¡¯t depend on their bloodline or their ancestors.¡± ¡°It depends on what you think and how you act.¡± ¡°If you want to be treated with respect, act straight. Don¡¯t speak behind people¡¯s backs or gossip like now, and as soon as you face something difficult you bring in your ancestors, don¡¯t do that and smear dirt across your ancestors faces.¡± ¡°Ah, right. I will tell you this since you might not know. Do you know why I feel bad for Kuvar? Hees back to his home after 17 years only to see the ce filled with bastards like you, just thinking about this brings tears to my eyes.¡± ¡°Do you get it? Then end this bullshit and get lost. Go do some self-reflection and think about what a real warrior is, and thene to your senses. Uh? Go do that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± At Judith''s words which were like a waterfall, the orc warriors stood nk-faced. In particr, Gunt was shocked. His eyes were filled with anger which was ready toe out any moment. In fact, he was contemting whether or not he should deal with the woman right away. However, at that moment, the three other swordsmen in the hall joined her. ¡°¡­¡± Gunt had no choice but to postpone the thought. Woong! The silver-haired woman approached him like a storm. The blonde who was giving out the feeling of the weight of steel. And the blue-haired man who walked with a rage colder than anyone else. Seeing their eyes, Gunt took a step back and decided not to act. At that moment, an orc ran into the hall. And delivered a piece of news that was shocking. ¡°Kuvar¡¯s teacher¡­¡± ¡°Is back to life?¡± ¡°No, he didn¡¯te back to life¡­ Well, it is pretty much the same. I am sorry, it is hard for me to exin properly¡­ hard¡­.¡± The messenger was wiping his sweat as he was speaking through gasps. Gunt, who was watching it with a heavy expression, spoke in a low voice. ¡°Guide me.¡± ¡°Yes, yes! The, the humans too¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± After exchanging nces, the four of them nodded. The human swordsmen and the orc warriors followed the messenger with curiosity. Chapter 163: Gurgar the Fortune Teller (1)

Chapter 163: Gurgar the Fortune Teller (1)

¡°Phew, it was higher than I thought. Who do warriors always have to give other people such a hard time, even from the grave ¡­ are you guys fine?¡± ¡°Fine.¡± ¡°This much should be enough.¡± ¡°I am sorry that I made you take care of a lot of things, still, it was the teacher''s will, so I hope you don¡¯t let it bother you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that! Why would we even think¡­¡± ¡°Right! Besides, Mr. Gurgar was always so considerate of us. It is a blessing and honor to be able to do this for him.¡± ¡°I think so too.¡± ¡°Haha¡­ thanks, for saying that.¡± Hearing those words, Kuvar smiled. He and six orcs had climbed up a small mountain outside the forts. Because that was the ce where the tomb of Kuvar''s teacher, Gurgar, was ced. If it was just to pay respects, Kuvar would not have brought so many people with him, but now they were there to do something different. That was, to hold a traditional ritual, a rite performed for ancestors in ancient tribes. Kuvar didn¡¯t do it voluntarily. At first, he didn¡¯t even know that such a ritual existed. Nevertheless, he and the orcs were carrying the altar with the sacrifices, the food, and other misceneous items on their backs as they climbed up¡­ all because of Gurgar''s will. ¡°Ah, you want to leave a will, you should just write it down normally, why bother making it a riddle and disturbing people¡­¡± Kuvar, who was climbing the mountain, silently mumbled. They finally reached the summit, and after a short rest, they would prepare for the sacrificial rite. ¡°Phew, rest!¡± ¡°Mr. Kuvar will you also join?¡± ¡°As a disciple, I cannot trust my master¡¯s sacrifice to you alone. And since I¡¯ve been ustomed to this kind of things in my wandering life, you don¡¯t need to worry.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Uh-huh!¡± Despite the orcs trying to stop him, Kuvar was already arranging the items and food that had been prepared. Despite not being used to it, he was working, it was awkward, but there were other things that mattered to him. Actually, he didn''t quite understand a lot. It was because Kuvar always had the impression that the ritual done after death was meaningless. ¡®I am not sure what kind of help doing this would be for the teacher.¡¯ However, as time passed, that thought changed. Because he realized that these rites and rituals weren¡¯t for the dead, but for the living. ¡°¡­ I should havee sooner.¡± Kuvar regretted it slightly and continued to ce the things. Thanks to everyone¡¯s efforts, the preparations were done on time. Eventually, in a solemn atmosphere, the ritual for Gurgar, the deceased teacher of Kuvar, was held. Spark! Incense was lit with the spirit of me. Ssh! Liquor was poured into three different bowls. Bow. After that, Kuvar bowed twice, and then the rest of the orcs bowed. After that, the ritual went on smoothly, and Kuvar sighed as he was done with all the procedures. His eyes turned moist as well. ¡°¡­ everyone did well. Please eat.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The six orcs who were in front of the ritual food, calmly raised their tableware. There was a lot of stuff, but it was not luxurious. This was what Gurgar liked when he was alive. Despite being the best fortune teller in Durkali, he maintained a frugal life. Kuvar grumbled. ¡°You should have ate better things when you were alive. There isn¡¯t much for us to eat now.¡± ¡°Hahaha.¡± The orcs smiled little, and that was it. They continued to have their meal in that heavy atmosphere. And the food wasn''t the only thing, there was alcohol too. Fortunately, that went well with Kuvar¡¯s taste. He was detached from his teacher, but when it came to alcohol, his teacher was the same as others. ¡®This one isn¡¯t very expensive, but¡­¡¯ Kuvar stared at the drink intently and shook his head. Despite it being the same drink he had with his teacher, his teacher was nowhere to be seen. He only saw his own face as he looked at the liquor in the ss. With a bitterugh, he poured the contents of the ss down his throat and looked down. It was terrifying. It was because Gurgar, who looked 20 years older than the image in his mind, was looking at him with a smile. ¡°Uh, Uh¡­!¡± ¡°Huhu, I am out of breath. And, you look like me; you¡¯ve be old boy." ¡°No, what is th¡­¡± Not just Kuvar. The other orcs also looked at Gurgar in shock. To be precise, it was something with the appearance of Gurgar. Everyone thought that this grayish-looking figure wasn''t real. ¡®Soul?¡¯ ¡°Right, soul. It is good to be here after so long. Disciple, pour me some to drink.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Kuvar, who was still dazed, hurriedly poured a drink, and Gurgar actually drank it. His torso was moving a little, and the other objects behind could be seen, as if he was a ghost, but he could pick up the ss. Gurgar, who shook his ss after drinking, said. ¡°Did you bring a lot of alcohol?¡± ¡°¡­ around ten bottles.¡± ¡°T-that isn¡¯t enough.¡± ¡°Then I will go bring more.¡± When he saw the orcs jumping up from their seats, he smiled and said. ¡°Okay. On the way¡­ I would like you to call the human friends too.¡± Both Irene¡¯s and Gunt¡¯s groups went to the top of the mountain at a high speed without saying a word. In their hearts, they wanted to jump to the top of the mountain in one leap. Fortunately, the mountain wasn''t that high, so they reached there quickly. The orcs and humans were able to arrive at Gurgar''s site in no time. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± And witnessed them drinking alcohol. ¡°Oww, they are here hmm? There are also people I didn¡¯t call here?¡± ¡°I know. Gunt, what are you here for?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Seeing Kuvar and Gurgar say that out loud, Gunt kept his mouth shut, not knowing what to say. The man wasn¡¯t alive. However, dead people couldn¡¯t be seen. It was understandable to some extent that the messenger didn¡¯t exin properly. And his expression hardened. Kuvar¡¯s return wasn¡¯t a desirable situation, but now that orc managed to bring back his teacher? Gunt¡¯s head throbbed. At that moment, as if looking into his mind, Gurgar smiled. ¡°Hey, Gunt.¡± ¡°¡­ Yes, Mr. Gurgar.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t be staying for long. I don¡¯t have the ability for it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I am here to chat with my disciple whom I haven¡¯t seen in a long time, drink some alcohol and thank the nobles who helped my disciple be courageous¡­ and everything will be back to normal once that is done, so don¡¯t make that shitty face.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So are you. Straighten your faces, it won¡¯t be long.¡± Gurgar turned his gaze away from Gunt. The most powerful man in the army of Durkali, Master Khalifa, had also arrived at Gunt¡¯s side. 1 And it wasn¡¯t just him. Other Orcs appeared on the other side, and they included the Great Spirit Warrior, Gorha, and his aides, a force that supported Kuvar 17 years ago. Although inferior to Khalifa, he had high authority. As the seats were filled with such high-ranking orcs, the air turned heavy. ¡®¡­ not a single person here is ordinary.¡¯ Irene Pareira, who looked at the orcs, went stiff. True to the reputation, the next greatest warrior after Karakum, Khalifa¡¯s presence was immense. His body looked so hard that not a single needle would go through his skin. Gorha, known as the Great Spirit Warrior, didn¡¯t look simple either. In the human world, he was underrated as a spiritualist, but he seemed stronger than Experts. ¡®I never expected to see Kuvar¡¯s teacher in such a chaotic situation¡­¡¯ No, he didn¡¯t think that he could ever see him. Even though he was the best fortune teller of orcs with amazing abilities, Irene couldn¡¯t imagine that someone who died would appear. However, this was a good thing. If it was an orc who was this great could help him, then maybe his dreams could be interpreted. Maybe the identity of the man in his dreams could be found out! Of course, that was only his wish. Nothing was certain yet. Besides, what was important was how to make a request to Gurgar in such a suffocating situation. However, that part was solved easily. Gurgar slowly got up and then stood right in the center, looking at each orc that came. And then he looked up at the sky as he muttered. ¡°I was locked up all my life.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°When I was young, I lived in the world withmon sense and because I was a bit thick-headed, I was trapped in the rules of the tribe. I thought I would be rtively free when I joined it, but I wasn¡¯t. I got trapped in the suffocation of political matches, and I sent away my one disciple and lived a lonely life. And then I died.¡± Aint. It was unheard of for the dead toin. Gurgar, who said his words out loud, seemed as if the man had kept his feelings within him, and as a result, Khalifa''s face, which was like an iron mask, and Gorha''s face turned subtle. They couldn¡¯t look at Gurgar, who was looking at them, in the eyes, and all they had was a bitter expression. Gurgar looked at them for a long time. From the mouth of a person who had nothing to fear, words fell. ¡°Everyone who wasn¡¯t invited, leave this ce.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I know it''s against the rules to look into the future of people other than the Durkali, but I am dead. And I don¡¯t want to bind myself with thews of this world any longer.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Let me make this clear. Today¡¯s work will not do any harm to the tribe. No, on the contrary, it will be a great blessing to Durkali and the entire orc species, so I hope you put aside the unnecessary worries and leave.¡± Gurgar finished his words and waved his hand. And then a tent appeared. As he went inside said. ¡°You there, young man.¡± ¡°¡­ me?¡± ¡°Yes. The blue haired one. Come in.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Sensing the strange charisma in the voice that was calling him, Bratt Lloyd followed Gurgar into the tent. Despite the tent being made with a seemingly thin cloth, not a single voice could be heard from inside. As if the tent was cut off from the world. Khalifa, who watched that, sighed. ¡°Let¡¯s head back." ¡°¡­ us as well.¡± Gorha did the same. The two groups, who arrived at the same time, left at the same time too. All that was left on the mountain were Kuvar and hispanions; Bratt, Judith, Ilya, and Irene. ¡°¡­what are they talking about inside?¡± ¡°Well.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The three young people looked at the tent with curious expressions. Looking at them, Kuvar had a strange smile on his face. At the same time. Gurgar, with Bratt Lloyd in front of him. ¡°Now, I will foretell the most important part for you.¡± ¡°¡­ what is it?¡± Bratt asked nervously. He did not believe in divination, but now he had changed his mind. It was natural. He wasn''t some narrow-minded idiot who wouldn¡¯t listen to the words of a man who returned from the dead. ¡®If I was young, I wouldn¡¯t have listened, but¡­¡¯ Not anymore. He listened and waited for Gurgar to speak, and then he heard one word. ¡°Love.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Bratt Lloyd pondered for a moment, and then nodded as he answered. ¡°You are right.¡± By the most powerful man, it excludes Kuvar¡¯s father, who has retired. So technically, he is the second powerful, as exinedter on.? Chapter 164: Gurgar the Fortune Teller (2)

Chapter 164: Gurgar the Fortune Teller (2)

¡°Uh, he is out.¡± ¡°Bratt.¡± Bratt Lloyd walked out of Gurgar¡¯s tent. Irene and his party, who were waiting for him, gathered at the same time. And obviously, this also included Judith. Out of the entire group, she had always been the one who was the most superstitious, so she couldn¡¯t help it now. It was because the charisma disyed by the orc fortune teller Gurgar exceeded her expectations. ¡®Not because he came back from the dead, but because he was strong enough to drive away a master with just his words!¡¯ That was something even a sorcerer wouldn¡¯t be able to do. Judith¡¯s heart swelled at the thought of meeting Gurgar. To the extent that she was feeling regretful for noting here sooner. But even with those feelings, she couldn¡¯t speak to Bratt. Nearly 10 days had passed, and they hadn¡¯t solved the issue between themselves. ¡°How was it, Bratt?¡± Fortunately, Ilya asked the question. And everyone focused on Bratt as he responded with a serious expression. ¡°It was great.¡± ¡°Really? Super great?¡± ¡°Different from Kuvar?¡± ¡°Different. Definitely different.¡± ¡°No, you guys. No matter how great, you can say that in front of me¡­¡± ¡°However, Kuvar¡¯s a quack.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Not listening to Kuvar, Irene and Ilya asked a few more questions. It was all about divination, but Bratt shook his head and said. ¡°I¡¯m not supposed to tell anyone else the contents of the conversation. The efficacy would be lost.¡± ¡®What bullshit is that?¡¯ Judith frowned. This was her first time hearing this stuff. And even more ridiculous was that Bratt was the one saying it. How could a guy, who never believed in this stuffe out of that tent with such an attitude? On the other hand, her anticipation grew even greater. If this is right, then Gurgar is really amazing. ¡°Judith,e in.¡± ¡°Oh! Ah, yes.¡± She had been called. Judith eximed as she solely moved. It was the moment when she walked into the tent feeling a bit embarrassed for some reason to greet Gurgar. ¡°Interested in love?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I asked if you were interested in love.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Judith was at a loss for words. The reason she walked to Durkali was to face brave warriors and to find out the direction of her growth. Of course, for her, the growth meant growth in wielding the sword. Gurgar didn¡¯t seem to know that either. Despiteing back from the dead, it didn¡¯t seem like Gurgar was the best fortune teller on the continent after all. ¡®No, he must have gotten stronger after dying.¡¯ Thinking like that, she thought that maybe the old orc was making fun of her. Just beforeing here, something annoying had happened, so Judith wasn¡¯t in her right mind. ¡°Please don¡¯t joke around, do it right.¡± ¡°Judith, what do you mean? I am being sincere right now.¡± ¡°No, now¡­ ha, fine. What I am looking for is some advice on swords. How can I be stronger, how can I turn into a Sword Master or even stronger? Please tell me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t n on saying it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Judith¡¯s expression changed. Her skin was turning as red as her hair in anger and a soft sound of something grinding in her mouth. She was on the verge of exploding. It was the moment when she, who tried to calm herself, was about to say something. Gurgar, who was smiling, said. ¡°Well, you have no intention of listening to what I say, right?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just me. Up until now, many experts with better skills than you have given you advice, but you probably never listened to them. You have no intention of changing your mind. How can I give swordsmanship advice to such a stubborn person? Besides, I am not a swordsman.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Am I wrong?¡± Judith, desperate to say something, went silent with a look of difort. She hated admitting it, but Gurgar was right. So far, she had received advice from many people and had ignored all of it. It wasn¡¯t just swordsmanship. When talking about forms and battles with Bratt and Irene, she consulted them for advice here and there, but Judith stubbornly didn¡¯t change any aspect of her sword training. She strongly objected to the swords of Jet Frost, the 101^st^ swordsman, and the reason why she left the school and came out to travel was because she wanted to prove to Ian that he was wrong. Of course, that wasn¡¯t easy. ¡®Damn it, how!¡¯ Judith was furious. She knew she was stubborn. She tried her best to change her thinking and ept other people''s opinions, but it wasn''t that easy for her. Maybe it was her birth, or the area she grew up in; Judith just couldn''t change. However, when Gurgar confirmed that fact to her, it felt as if she was being told, ''This is your limit.'' But¡­ ¡°Stubbornness isn¡¯t bad.¡± Gurgar¡¯s next words, however, were positive. To that, she replied with a confused voice. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I said it isn¡¯t bad. First of all, you are special. Everyone likes to win and hates to lose, but after doing that several times, people tend to be satisfied at a certain level. It¡¯s painful. No matter how much you hit or konock, if you challenge a wall that can¡¯t be prated, then it would be your body and mind that starts to tear. People around you will discourage you. They will ask you to calm down and find another way, or maybe ask you to go back a little¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But you can¡¯t do that, right?¡± ¡°¡­ yes.¡± Judith nodded slowly. Gurgar smiled. ¡°You are the one who understands yourself the best and thinks the most for yourself. If you know yourself better than anyone else, if you do not give up your stubbornness even after listening to some great advice¡­ there must be some kind of reason for that insistence.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Go your way. Set foot into Judith¡¯s way, a path which only Judith could walk, a level which only Judith would reach¡­ what do you think? I think I am pretty good?¡± Ah, of course, you shouldn¡¯t be narrow-minded. Gurgar added that and reached for the table. He was drinking tea from somewhere that she had no idea where it came from. Could ghosts feel heat? Was what she thought, but then it disappeared. Judith didn¡¯t close her eyes, pondering over and over at the words. How long had it passed? She, who calmed her anger a lot, bowed her head to Gurgar. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°huhu, did that help?¡± ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t know yet¡­ thank you though. I haven¡¯t been able to figure it out in thest few months, but now I feel like I¡¯m getting the hang of it.¡± The red-haired woman bowed once more. Gurgar smiled. So did Judith. As if the burden on her heart had lifted a little, she looked at the fortune teller with a faint smile, and tried to leave. But the session wasn¡¯t done. The voice came. ¡°So, you don¡¯t need love advice? Really?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Think carefully. I am the best on the continent. Before I died, there were human guests who came to see me from the south too. Oh, and the elves from the east also came. All of them brought thousands of gold, but I only spoke to those whom I liked.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And that great person is asking about your love life¡­ so?¡± Are you, are you really not interested in dating? Asked Gurgar seriously. He seemed to know something. Judith, who was silent, held the door. And then little time passed. ¡°¡­¡± Eventually, the red-haired went back to Gurgar. And the fortune-teller smiled, and he said. ¡°Thank god. This is actually my speciality.¡± It had been quite some time since Irene¡¯s party came here. Meanwhile, after Bratt and Judith were done, Ilya went inside. Irene, ended up having thest turn and waited with thumping hands. In a little while, he might find out about the secret of his dreams. Even if the entire thing couldn¡¯t be figured out, he could get a clue! It was normal for him to focus so much on the tent. And he noticed how the atmosphere between the two friends who came out was strange. ¡®What is this?¡¯ He felt it a few times in Eisenmarkt. Without a word, they sat quietly¡­ Why was it weird as he kept looking at the two? Irene spoke to Kuvar, who was thinking. However, he didn¡¯t get any satisfactory answer. ¡°If you look like that, you will live the rest of your life just like that.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Ah, it is your turn. Go in.¡± ¡°Uh? Ah¡­¡± Kuvar was pushing him away. Irene wanted to talk more about what he had just said, but as Ilya hade out of the tent, he had no choice but to go in. He asked. ¡°Are you fine?¡± ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know. I think I need a little more time.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°Still, it isn¡¯t like I haven¡¯t gained anything.¡± ¡°Ah, this¡­¡± ¡°When I have frustrating times, I was asked to open up.¡± Seeing the paper in Ilya¡¯s hand, Irene nodded his head. In the past, he received something simr from Kuvar. It was a small fortune slip, with advice written on it. ¡®It¡¯s not a calm face¡­¡¯ Irene looked at Ilya¡¯s expression. Bratt and Judith, apart from the strange air around them, it was obvious that they had gained something. But not Ilya. She still had that dark look, like she was trapped in darkness. He looked at Ilya with a frustrated heart. ¡®Hm?¡¯ However, he noticed something strange. Not just darkness. She didn¡¯t have a bright expression, but Ilya¡¯s eyes seemed different from before. And it was weird. As soon as he sensed that it was simr to what he felt from Bratt and Judith, Irene realized that he had been staring at Ilya for too long. ¡°S-sorry.¡± ¡°For what?¡± ¡°I was staring at you for too long.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Uh, then I¡¯ll go in.¡± Ilya stared at Irene, who walked in waving his hand. The young blonde didn''t realize, but she, too was staring at him for a long time. With an ambiguous expression, Irene entered the tent. Gurgar looked at him with a serious look. Clear and deep eyes. Just as he thought that this was how Ian would look at him, the fortune teller opened his mouth. ¡°Say it out loud for me. I can interpret your dreams.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Actually, it is a past life. The man in the dream you are so curious about is form a long time ago.¡± Irene¡¯s heart began to beat faster. It was different from when he heard it from Lulu. Unlike then, there was confidence in Gurgar¡¯s voice. And the orc said he could interpret it. With his burning heart, he opened his mouth to say something. However, the fortune teller was faster. He raised his hand and stopped Irene as he said. ¡°You can¡¯t look into a past life easily. You need to prepare, and you have to collect necessary material through Kuvar¡­¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°But don¡¯t be too disappointed. And to make sure that you won¡¯t get bored while waiting for the right time, I have prepared a present for you. No, it isn¡¯t just a present for you, but for all four of you.¡± ¡°A present?¡± Irene asked with wide eyes. For a fortune teller, giving past life advice was one thing, and giving them presents was another thing. As he was wondering whether Gurgar looked into his heart just like a sorcerer, Gurgar spoke. ¡°I will say it again. Thank you for bringing my disciple whom I didn¡¯t meet even before my death. I mean it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°A present for that. Ah, I might have to consult with Tarakan for this¡­ could you go out and wait for a bit?¡± With that, Gurgar closed his eyes. Irene didn¡¯t say anything. He wasn''t aware till then; the body of the orc was more blurred than before. Apparently, the time he had in the world was limited. Irene, who was too lost in thought till then, came out of the tent right away. And then, Karakum and Tarakan were present. As if they knew everything, they entered the tent. Judith, Bratt, and Ilya came to ask Irene. ¡°Present? What is it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t kn¡­¡± The four were thinking about what their present would be. However, they couldn¡¯t think of anything. Being such a mysterious orc, there were so many which came to mind. And their doubts were quickly resolved. ¡°Then, see youter. My disciple, next time bring more alcohol than food.¡± Wheik! Gurgar disappeared into the air, and Kuvar stood silently. Tarakan stepped forward on the old orc''s behalf. And spoke in a low voice. ¡°The present for you is¡­ the method of aura operation that has been passed down to high ranking warriors of Durkali.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Tarakan nodded as he looked at the faces of the four people who seemed too shocked. "Right. The Five Spirits Divine technique." Chapter 165: Judith’s Way (1)

Chapter 165: Judith¡¯s Way (1)

Ancient warriors who explored martial arts and fighting techniques had gone through a lot of errors in order to be stronger. Sometimes through long training, sometimes sharing their knowledge to others, and sometimes by fighting fearful and terrible demons. And through all these practices for centuries, the concept of 6 step Aura operation was created. The concept of umtion, reinforcement, hardening, blooming, concentration, and manifestation was passed from the old warriors to the current swordsmen, and each step had its own characteristics and history behind it. Of course, while the humans made these developments, the Orcs weren¡¯t just ying around. Although they yed a rtively small part in establishing the framework of Aura operation, they seeded in creating a unique aura operation of their own, a ¡®Spiritual one¡¯. Like humans, the orcs too inherited knowledge from older warriors of each tribe, and today, the umtion of all these techniques resulted in the Five Spirits Divine technique. ¡®The Five Spirit Divine Technique. That too, from the warriors of Durkali!¡¯ After hearing that, Irene gulped. He didn¡¯t know the full details. All he knew about spirits was what Kuvar would asionally tell him. And his first time hearing about this method was during this journey. However, it was clear that this was a great opportunity. It was because this method was what made Karakum into one of the top ten warriors on the continent. ¡®Of course, not everyone could use this Aura operation¡­¡¯ He heard that from Kuvar. This technique dealt with Aura, but it heavily involved spirits. Which was why people who didn''t have the talent for spirits couldn¡¯t even try it. Just look at Tarakan right now; despite being a chief, he didn''t have any spirit energy in his Aura. However, Irene was certain. About one particr thing, that among the five spirits, he could at least handle ¡®metal¡¯. ¡®Because I managed to deal with the iron stakes of the man in the dream.¡¯ A deep confidence filled his heart. Irene wasn¡¯t the only one who felt confident. As soon as Judith heard the word ''Five Spirits Divine technique,'' she looked at Tarakan. ¡®I need to learn it!¡¯ Water, earth, wood, metal. She didn¡¯t know about any of those, and wasn¡¯t even interested in them. But, it was different with the fire element. From the moment she witnessed the sword dance of Ian, Judith had been working hard to capture the essence of the dance and replicate it by using the fire element. Fire was the ideal she pursued. Of course, there were differences in it, but she was drawn to the words said by the chief. However, in the midst of all this, a thought popped into Bratt¡¯s head. ¡®Will this be tolerated by the high-ranking warriors of Durkali?¡¯ If the chief and Karakum had absolute power, then this wouldn¡¯t be a problem. Their words would have been thew. However, from what he had seen so far, the high-ranking warriors in the Durkali were like nobles in the human kingdom. Looking at Master Khalifa and Gorha, it was clear to Bratt. No, not even them, just looking at Gunt and his men, it was evident. From their point of view, would they be happy if humans were taking away their most precious treasure? At that moment, Master Khalifa appeared there. Bratt thought that they must have gone down the mountain, but it wasn¡¯t the case. Khalifa wasn¡¯t alone. Behind him was Gunt and three other orcs as well, and everyone had heard what Tarakan had said, and their expressions weren¡¯t good. Everyone looked at Master Khalifa. And after a moment of hesitating, the huge Orc spoke. ¡°Chief, I am against it.¡± ¡°Why is that, Khalifa?¡± ¡°I also have something to ask of you as well, why did you make such a decision alone? This is a bad decision. The essence of Aura and spirit operation, which the great warriors of Durkali tribe have devoted their lives to craft for hundreds of years, how can you pass them down to humans that we just met?¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t just passing it down. Didn¡¯t the old warriors tell us? Stagnant water will rot. If the old warriors of the tribe had not passed on their knowledge, would Durkali have enjoyed such a prosperous time? No. You know that too. Not just that, it wasn¡¯t just the orcs, the humans and even the elves have shared their knowledge with us. They gave us something equal to the Five Spirits Divine Technique.¡± The conversation between Tarakan and Khalifa was in thenguage of orcs. So, except for Kuvar, no one understood it. However, it was clear that Khalifa didn¡¯t like it. Judith¡¯s expression began to change. Not because she didn¡¯t understand. But because this didn¡¯t seem to be working out. Judith was unsure of whether she could speak or not, but she knew that she would cause trouble for Tarakan if she said anything, so she stayed silent. However, when Gunt suddenly intervened and spoke in the officialnguage of the continent, it spoiled her mood. ¡°Chief! Those people were all warriors who proved themselves. But not these people!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The two Sword Masters and the child of the Lloyd family are descendants of the old heroes, and are maybe entitled to this¡­ but not that red haired woman. Neither does she have family, nor did she prove anything. Moreover, she didn¡¯t hesitate to insult the orcs.¡± ¡°That scum¡­¡± Judith cursed under her breath. And Bratt, who was next to her, heard it clearly. And it perhaps had even reached the ears of Khalifa; however, Bratt didn''t stop Judith. It was because he knew that the moment he did that, Gunt would speak even more. However, nothing changed. Hearing his third son¡¯s words, Khalifa nodded and said. ¡°I agree with Gunt. Aside from right and wrong, isn¡¯t it true that that human swordsman hasn¡¯t proven herself as a warrior?¡± ¡°This was a request from Gurgar. These four will have a huge impact on the future of Durkali, and will make it prosperous.¡± ¡°I will consider it too. How about putting together all that had happened and then made a decision at the grand meeting? I think it is right to listen to the spirits and other warriors, and Gorha too.¡± Was this all Gunt¡¯s influence? Kuvar and the four stayed silent as Khalifa talked in thenguage of the continent, and Karakum closed his eyes. It was because he didn¡¯t want to intervene after getting down from the position of chief. Tarakan took a deep breath and nodded. ¡°We will hold the meeting.¡± After a while, the chief went down the mountain and called for the grand meeting. As it was a gathering of the elite, the discussion was held, and the conclusion was reached sooner than expected. It was because Gorha, who was known to be against Khalifa, agreed with him this time. They allowed Irene and Ilya were allowed to learn it. Although Bratt Lloyd was somewhatcking in standards, they respected the words of Gurgar and allowed it. However, Judith, who they thought was unqualified, would only learn it after proving her worth. She would have to go through the ordeal of a warrior. In order to prove that she was an excellent warrior, she had to fight three high-ranking warriors in a row. Everyone who heard it was worried for Judith, but she just smiled and said. ¡°Mr. Gurgar told me that it is a present for us. Then I need to do it¡­¡± That ordeal wasn''t something that she couldn¡¯t ovee. Everyone who heard her, nodded their heads. A week after Gurgar¡¯s resurrection. In a huge area simr to the one in the Land of Proof, the ¡®Trial of a Warrior¡¯ was being held to see Judith¡¯s qualifications. The entire scene was simr to the battles that happened in the Land of Proof. Countless orcs filled the seats to watch the battle between the orcs and the female human. The difference was that, here, all the spectators present were supporting the orcs. ¡°I want to see how strong that human is.¡± ¡°Judith? Never heard that name. Besides, isn¡¯t she too young?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter how young or old a human is. The battle will be against the three kids of the Great Khalifa. No one else other than a Master can win against them.¡± ¡°Even a human Master won¡¯t be able to.¡± ¡°Because basically an orc¡¯s body is superior, and facing three of them in session would be tough for any Master.¡± Unlike the wandering orcs who were friendly to humans in order to survive, the orcs in the northwestpletely looked down on humans. For them, who had high physical strength, humans were like dwarfs. However, if one asks if the orcs felt superior to the humans, then the answer would be NO. It was because of the history of the world. 400 and 150 years ago. The orc warriors had fought off multiple demon underlings and tore bodies without respite, and tales of their achievements had spread around the continent. However, it was the humans who yed the decisive role in ending that chaos. Dion Lindsay, the first head of the Lindsay family, cut off the head of Demon Dragon King. The Commander of the White Knights of Avilius, the Holy Kingdom, sent three of the Seven Great Demons back to Devildom. Even the strongest Orc couldn''t do that. No matter how strong Karakum was, he fell short in front of Ian, Khun, and Julius Hul. 1 And that gave a sense of inferiority to the orcs. Superiority and inferiority. These two emotions, which were impossible to mix, existed within the orcs at the same time. And this was expressed in the tribe by looking down on human warriors. ¡°Gunt! End this yourself without involving your brothers!¡± ¡°Mr. Gunt! Smash her!¡± ¡°Gunt, Pahun, Garam! Whoever it is, don¡¯t turn back!¡± ¡°Get lost, human!¡± ¡°Woah!!¡± Not a single orc seemed to be rooting for Judith. However, that wasn¡¯t exactly the case. Kuvar, who was sitting next to Tarakan, longed for Judith to win. However, he was extremely regretful because of the negative turn of events. It was because the warriors Judith would face were great. ¡®Master Khalifa¡¯s three sons¡­ they are the best among the Orc Experts.¡¯ In particr, Garam, the eldest, was known to be able to surpass a Master. And to beat them in a row, no matter how strong Judith was, this was going to be extremely hard for her. Even more disadvantageous was that she was going against the huge orcs with her tiny body. Unlike humans, orcs were taught to fight from a young age. Kuvar, who was going crazy, closed his eyes and thought of his teacher. And unlike the other orcs, he prayed for the red-haired human to win and stay unhurt. ¡°Huh!¡± Gunt, who was the first of the three warriors, stepped onto the stage. His eyes, ring at Judith. He knew that she was a tough opponent. However, fighting was the orcs'' way of life. Besides, the human wasn¡¯t a match when considering their physiques. Gunt, who already predicted his victory, smiled and said. ¡°From now, I will show you what a real warrior is.¡± Judith didn¡¯t bother answering or even responding. She simply raised her fists without saying a word, ready to strike. Seeing that, Guntughed. It was not a bad posture. But thanks to the difference in size, it didn¡¯t feel intimidating at all. Licking his lips, he took his stance, and soon, the announcement to start the fight came. Immediately, Gunt, who took a low stance, decided to go for a lower hit to crush Judith. Shouts and cheers erupted from everywhere. But they subsided in an instant. sh! Judith, who pretended to step back, quickly took a step ahead and kicked. Gunt staggered back. Thanks to his thick neck and jawbones, he didn''t take serious damage. However, Judith didn''t miss the chance. She rushed in and went for a series of punches at Gunt, who was still in a daze. And she didn¡¯t stop there. Judith went from behind and wrapped her arms around the opponent''s neck, and strangled him. That was the end. Gunt resisted for a moment, but then fell to the ground like a puppet with its strings broken. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Silence. In the silence, Judith whispered in Gunt¡¯s ear. ¡°Who exactly was a real warrior in here, you bastard?¡± I¡¯m assuming that Julius Hul is themander of the White Knights of the Avilius Kingdom? Chapter 166: Judith’s Way (2)

Chapter 166: Judith¡¯s Way (2)

The first ordeal was over. Gunt, one of the proud warriors of Durkali, was defeated in an instant, unable to even counterattack, and was carried out on a stretcher like a broken doll. Considering the enthusiasm he showed at the start, his exit was too shabby. The orcs, who saw the unexpected results, looked at the stage with stiff expressions on their faces. Of course, there were those who weren¡¯t like that as well. ¡°Just like that, Judith! Smash the next one too!¡± ¡°Bratt, your voice is too loud¡­¡± Bratt Lloyd cheered in excitement, unlike his usual calm appearance. Seeing him like that, Irene was bewildered. Ilya too, looked at Bratt with wide eyes. However, they didn''t stop him because this was fun. ¡®No matter what we do, we are looked at in a bad light.¡¯ After all, among the orcs present here, almost none of them respected them from the moment they set foot in here. And the appearance of Judith with her right fist raised high, pissed off all the orcs. To be honest, it was disgusting to look at. The eyes of the orcs who saw that were stinging. However, the atmosphere changed the moment the second opponent appeared. ¡°Garam is up!¡± ¡°What? Isn¡¯t it supposed to be Pahan next?¡± ¡°Maybe they are nning to just end it this time?¡± ¡°Quiet! Let it start right away!¡± Spectators were roaring. Bratt felt it too. The excitement. Which meant that the orcs had high expectations from this fight. And so did he. He mumbled as he looked at the orc warrior, who was a bit taller than Gunt. ¡°He isn¡¯t that strong.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Irene agreed. It wasn¡¯t because they knew the eldest son of Master Khalifa personally or anything like that. It was because he could see the aura of the opponents, an ability which he managed to awaken. Of course, the aura within the body isn¡¯t the only criterion for determining the strength of a warrior¡­ ¡®But I don¡¯t think it will be an easy fight like before.¡¯ Does she feel that, though? Judith bit her lips, and looked at Garam nervously. There was a rather careful look in her eyes. And it was the same with Garam. Unlike the youngest, this orc seemed calm. Seeing that, Judith¡¯s face hardened even more. ¡°tlwkr!¡± And after a while, the second match began with the cry of a judge. And Garam moved immediately. Unlike Gunt, this orc adopted a high stance, so the incredible long reach he obtained from such a stance was used to pressure the opponents. Judith turned a little to the left, not trying to give any chance. Swing Swing However, there wasn¡¯t any effective response. It seemed like the orc had met countless opponents who moved back after they realized that normal attacks weren¡¯t going to work, so Garam immediately blocked Judith¡¯s escape path in an instant. And then therge orc moved forward. The advance was terrifying and heavy, like a stone mountain rushing in. At that time, Judith¡¯s movements changed. Phat! A shy, dazzling movement that usually made an opponent¡¯s eyes go wide! Most of the orcs watching, missed the movement of Judith, who shot forward in an instant. Bratt, who was watching it, was also shocked. However, Garam seemed calm. He stretched out his long thick leg. Puak! ¡°Euk!¡± Shhh! A front kick aimed to hit an opponent¡¯s torso with the sole of the foot. It was a technique usually done to keep the opponent in check, but because of the height difference, it was like hitting the ground itself. Judith seemed a bit taken aback at the quick counterattack. The impact was high considering the fact that she was using both her arms to block it. Stride. Meanwhile, Garam moved. Judith grinded her teeth, feeling the pressure on her again, and moved her body to get away from the disadvantageous position. But, Puck! Puck! Puch! ¡°Kuak¡­¡¯ She didn¡¯t manage to achieve her purpose, with the opponent¡¯s kicksing in. Garam¡¯s indiscriminate attacks kepting in! A great cheer came from the orcs. ¡°Woahhh!¡± ¡°Step on her!¡± ¡°Smash her down!¡± Loud voices from the thick vocal cords of orcs. Not just the party involved, but even the audience felt their blood boiling. But not Garam. His cool eyes watched the moves of the opponent very calmly. ¡®Never underestimate the opponent.¡¯ This was what Garam kept thinking as he set foot on the stage. He should never do it. The moment he does, the result of his negligence would be what had happened to Gunt. The human surely had great skills. ¡®But that doesn¡¯t mean I need to overestimate the opponent.¡¯ Puck! Garam let out a shallow breath and kicked again. Seeing his opponent contort in pain, he nodded. His current opponent was definitely strong. The total aura in her body was also amazing, and she knew how to move her body properly. The human was so good that it was hard to believe that she was actually a human. But the human wasn¡¯t stronger than him. That was the truth. ¡®This gap is enough.¡¯ The gap in their abilities was enough, and the gap in physique was clearly superior. epting these facts, he could calmly lead the battle on his own terms. Puck! Like this. Puak! Like this. Puck! Like this! There was no need to take risks. Even a simple and effective kick could overpower his opponent and make her feel powerless. Desperate at the fact that there was nothing more she could do, her body and mind would break. And that thought was enough for him to prepare for the end. At that, Garam licked his lips. ¡®This is ending sooner than expected.¡¯ He expected that it would take some more time to win. If the stage was narrower, maybe it would have been different. But since the stage was wide, he knew the opponent wouldst longer. However, like a musclehead, despite being hit by multiple kicks, the human woman fighting him didn¡¯t try to move away, but rather, wanted to break through the kicks and reach him. No, it wasn¡¯t even a breakthrough. It seemed like the human just intended to close the gap and hit Garam. ¡®Stupid.¡¯ A smile crept up Garam¡¯s face. A warrior who lost his cool was nothing less than a boar. If so, Garam¡¯s job was to dispatch the opponent quickly and efficiently. He once again went for a kick at his opponent¡¯s stomach. Thung! ¡°Uhm?¡± ¡°UHU!¡± At that time, somethingpletely different happened. Judith, who was hit, was stable. As if she was a heavy rock, she was pushed back by just a single step, and she managed to push away Garam¡¯s leg. As soon as he saw the human do that, Garam was shocked. For the first time since the fight began, Judith¡¯s fist touched Garam. ¡®Fuck.¡¯ Judith thought to herself. She was very angry. It wasn''t because of how unfavorable this situation was. From the time she fought Gunt, or even before, she was so angry that she wasn¡¯t able to keep her calm. ¡®Warriors my ass, everything they do is like fucking sheep.¡¯ The only orcs Judith had a problem with were the orcs who came to the training hall along with Gunt. She didn¡¯t even know who the one standing in front of her was. However, she didn¡¯t need a reason. Since when did she start to be this angry? Puck! ¡°Kuak¡­¡± With these disgusting kicks, Judith was the kind of person who could keep going at the same opponent for days together. Of course, she wasn¡¯t a warrior. What kind of person was she then? She didn¡¯t know. But she knew roughly that she was not something made of positive, wonderful, and great things. Things like faith, belief, pride¡­, were things that were far from who she was. Even when she saw Irene and Bratt, who were her close friends now, she felt inferior, jealous, angry, and then ashamed of herself for feeling that¡­ Judith herself knew she didn¡¯t have a proper character. Puck! Puck! Puahk! ¡®Fuck, it hurts bad!¡¯ She thought, enduring the throbbing pain, and then she thought about other things. She thought and thought about Bratt¡¯s graceful and rxed form and the strength which came from Irene¡¯s kindness, the talent which Ilya was born with, and the other wonderful and enviable things which she wanted to have. However, the final conclusion she reached was that she couldn¡¯t be like them. Puck! A person who was greedy, stingy, and ungrateful. If someone else other than her had been around such friends, they would have died, they wouldn¡¯t be able to hold their sword because of the unfairness, and their whole body would burn because of the inferiority they felt. A person who never stops being jealous. That was her now. It was Judith herself who thought that. It was Judith¡¯s mind which wouldn¡¯t change no matter how hard or harsh she tried. And it was a fact that she was finally ready to admit. Woong! Push! ¡°Ugh!¡± Judith raised her arms to block Garam¡¯s kick. An Aura hot likeva in an active volcano, erupted within her. As soon as the power concentrated in her core, she continued to dash. Garam was bewildered by it. Of course, he knew from the start that this wouldn¡¯t be an easy match. He used the palm of his hand to block her. But his hand was mmed down by Judith. She entered the opponent¡¯s arm length and swung her right fist. Puck! ng! ¡°Kuak!¡± ¡°Kuah¡­!¡± At the same time, Garam¡¯s knee kick hit Judith¡¯s face. She hurriedly ced her left hand to block, but the damage because of that was even greater. A fist to her knee, and a kick to her stomach and her face. However, Judith wasn¡¯t afraid of the pain anymore and ran again. In fact, she wasn¡¯t scared at all. Push! Puck! Puck! She bounced back because of the front kick from the orc, and moved again. This was followed by an exchange of blows to the face and stomach. Just like before, Judith, who suffered a loss, was pushed back farther away. It hurt. It hurt really bad. But she just rubbed her throbbing chin, and spat out blood. She was jealous again. Of the overwhelming physique of her opponent, and that heated her mind. A me of desire and jealousy engulfed her body. The situation she was in was enough for a normal human to give up. But not her. Judith, who had lived her entire life as such, was a person who knew better than anyone on how to endure those mes. She used inferiority as her nourishment. Jealousy, desire, and self-doubt as her driving forces. As she was engulfed in mes, she smiled. And then went for Garam again. ¡°¡­¡± Karakum, a warrior, or rather, a spirit warrior, watched the situation unfold. Suddenly, he broke the handle of the chair without realizing it. ¡®To use the Five Spirits Divine Technique which hasn¡¯t even been taught yet!¡¯ Karakum remembered the battle on ins. This was the second Aura of Spirit that he had witnessed from the group after Irene Pareira disyed his Aura of Steel. Chapter 167: Judith’s Way (3)

Chapter 167: Judith¡¯s Way (3)

The fire spirit was stronger than other spirits. It had the potential to be more powerful than anything else if it could be properly handled. However, that was only when it could be handled well. Fire is difficult to control and easy to inflict injuries, not just on others but also on the wielder. Nevertheless, Judith was able to use the fire spirit. It was clearly visible in Karakum¡¯s eyes that a hot and intense energy wasing from each of her steps and fist. The problem was that the person wasn¡¯t handling the fire spirit properly. ¡®It isn¡¯t about using the spirit. But about controlling it.¡¯ The tremendous mes. A hot aura spread throughout the arena, none of the audience knowing what kind of emotion or action, caused it to surface. The energy wasn¡¯t just pouring out onto Garam, but it was also burning Judith as well. But she wasn¡¯t falling. And maybe she wouldn¡¯t until she crumbles into ash. Even though it was a situation that would have ended up in a disaster multiple for an ordinary person, she was enduring it. As if she was used to it. Karakum was flustered as he shook his head. This was a different surprise from the time Irene showed him the aura of steel. ¡°Hmm.¡± Gorha too, let out a low groan at it. He was so blunt that his eyes didn¡¯t change, but there was no need to exin about the human who was clearly wielding the mes. Karakum turned to the stage. The human with burning hair jumped forward again. This time, Garam¡¯s kick didn¡¯t hit her. Kick! Swosh! However, despite her closing in, that didn¡¯t stop Garam from attacking. It was impossible for him to have an upper ground like he did before from their current distance, but he had other moves to use in closebat as well. The elbow hit Judith¡¯s temple, and then he repeated it once more. Of course, Judith too attacked this time. An Aura of me concentrated on her fist as it nted itself right into the abdomen of Garam. Punch! Punch! Punch! ¡°Kuak¡­¡± For the first time, Garam groaned. Still, it wasn¡¯t a bad situation. He had failed to calcte the damage a human could do, but even now, this close-range exchange of attacks was advantageous for him. His aura, strength, and physique were all superior. If he could endure this and defend his face, the only area the opponent can hit would be the torso. On the other hand, he could attack anywhere, including the face of the human. But what he hadn''t taken into consideration was the pain being inflicted on him, which he thought was annoying, but if he could use that irritation as a driving force, he would win. With his body raging hot, Garam reached out to Judith. And the opponent avoided it as expected. Bump! And with his open palm, he grabbed the back of Judith¡¯s head and then gave her three kicks in session. Kick! Kick! Kick! A series of strong and blunt attacks sounded out as if a stone was being broken with a chisel. The leg of Garam moved rhythmically along with the sound of hitting. But it was a mistake. Judith, who grasped the rhythm of her opponent, strongly kicked her opponent¡¯s foot the moment itnded back on the ground. Kick! ¡°Kuak¡­!¡± Finally, the bruised body of Judith was released. Her face was aplete mess. There were gashes all over her face, and it was swollen as well. Her face, which was now red, reminded people of a devil. Looking at the current damage umted on her body, it was clear that the current match made her suffer a lot more than the previous one. But Judith didn¡¯t stop. All sorts of negative emotions, including anger, burned her and supported her at the same time. A human who was turning into a fire demon went for the orc warrior. ¡®This insane bitch!¡¯ Garam couldn¡¯t move. He knew it in his head. That it was impossible to win the match by just using his legs to keep the human from reaching him, but now he had also hurt one leg, but he still felt that there was no disadvantage even if the human in front of him could use fire at close range. The fact that his opponent took damage from her own fire meant that he would eventually win. However, even though he knew this, his body didn¡¯t follow his thoughts. His body was refusing to confront Judith head-on. As if frightened by the fire chasing after him, Garam¡¯s expression turned ugly. He shuffled the toe he wounded and retreated back. Judith relentlessly pursued Garam as he made weak attempts to retreat and create more space between them. Then, Judith firmly used her knee to hit her opponent in his inner thigh. Kick! ¡°¡­!¡± As Judith hit him on his thigh, it was like the sound of a dagger being pushed into flesh. The sound of a muscle tearing. And that sight meant that Garam¡¯s movements would slow down. However, he was still calm. He was swinging his fist and elbows at the same time, but they weren¡¯t as strong as before. Judith, who had avoided the attack very easily because of his reduced speed, moved again and kicked. The same as before. Kick! ¡°Kuak!¡± In this fight, the loudest groan came from Garam¡¯s mouth. However, his voice was drowned out by the audience¡¯s cheers, making it so that nobody heard him. Surprisingly, the orcs gathered were now cheering for Judith and not Garam. ¡°Human! Human!¡± ¡°Judith! Judith!¡± ¡°Follow him! Kill him!¡± ¡°Judith! Judith!¡± The orcs, which were several times prouder of their own race than humans, and also as the warriors of Durkali, who were more proud than other orcs, were supporting a human. They knew. Who the real warrior in the current ordeal was. Who the one fighting with the most passionate heart was. It didn¡¯t matter anymore if that was a human or an orc. It didn¡¯t matter. At least for this moment, the red-haired woman was a greater warrior than the high-ranking warriors of their tribe. ¡°Huh, spit!¡± But Judith didn¡¯t care. She couldn¡¯t hear them. All her senses were concentrated on Garam. And it would continue like that until he fell. Until she knocks him down. Breaks him down and stops her senses from concentrating on just one orc. Grinding her teeth, and spitting out the blood, she moved. A feeling of fear shed on Garam¡¯s face. ¡®Go away!¡¯ He shouted in his mind as he waved his right hand, trying to reach Judith. His posture was a mess and because of that, so was his breathing. He seemed like he had no power. And the precision of his movements was reduced. Tik! The hand touched Judith¡¯s ear. After it failed, she mmed her fist towards the head of the orc. And the orc¡¯s head lifted up because of the force of the attack, and he let out a groan. Garam, who was hit so hard that his entire body had toppled upwards, fell weakly to the ground. And that was the end. Seeing Judith finish her second ordeal, the orcs chanted her name. ¡°Judith!¡± ¡°Judith! Judith!¡± ¡°Judith! Judith!¡± Bang! Bang! Bang! Orcs stomped their feet and cheered for her. The sound was like the echo of an earthquake. Judith, who realized that toote, was a bit shocked and then grinned as she raised her fist high. It was simr to when she won the first ordeal, but the reaction from the orcs waspletely different. The orcs'' voices resounded louder. ¡°Pahan! Pahan!¡± ¡°Pahan! Pahan!¡± ¡°Pahan! Come out! Pahan!¡± The eyes of orcs, which cheered for Judith, now turned to the other side. For the third ordeal to start, and the voices calling for the second son of Khalifa to appear on stage. Swallowing his fear, he looked at the red-haired human. Looking at his brother, Garam, who was passed out, he felt devastated. And the thigh of the leg she hit wasn''t just swollen but torn. It wouldn¡¯t be strange if there were a few cracks in the bones. Nevertheless, Pahan couldn¡¯t calm his trembling heart. The scene of his brother¡¯s defeat was pictured in his mind, and his body turned cold and stiff, unable to move. ¡°Pahan! Pahan!¡± ¡°Pahan! Pahan!¡± ¡°Pahan! Pahan!¡± But the orcs who were watching didn¡¯t care. It didn¡¯t matter who won. All they wanted was to witness another intense fight that could be better than the one they saw and quench their thirst for violence. That was enough. And such expectations only burdened Pahan. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean that he could avoid it. The moment when Pahan gulped and was about to walk to the stage. Grab! Someone grabbed his shoulder. Pahan turned his head and stiffened as he looked at the one who grabbed him. The one holding his shoulder moved ahead, not paying attention to him. And went up the stage. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The orcs who saw him also went stiff and stopped stomping their feet. The shouts for Pahan died down. The one who had gone up was Master Khalifa. The great warrior, the second strongest in Durkali, walked towards the red-haired woman. Seeing the huge shadow fall on her, she swore. ¡°Fuck.¡± ¡°No. This is too much¡­¡± ¡°Stop.¡± Irene Pareira stood up. He was ready to call out his great sword and run in there at any moment. But Bratt stopped him. He spoke to Irene, who was bewildered. ¡°When you said that you would fight Ilya, we felt the same way. But we didn¡¯t stop you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you can understand that, don¡¯t stop Judith now. If you want to go, then do it after the ordeal is done.¡± Bratt, who spoke it calmly, sat down. Irene, who saw that, quietly sat in his seat. Contrary to the blunt expression, there was a stream of blood running down the corner of Bratt¡¯s lip. Ilya looked at Bratt and then at Judith with serious eyes. Lulu, who was staring at the stage, was ready to transform at any moment. Either way, Master Khalifa didn¡¯t stop walking. Judith¡¯s body trembled. Her body felt heavy, like a boulder, or like a giant tree that grew in size and couldn¡¯t move. Even though this orc was shorter than Garam and Gunt, the power oozing out of him was stronger. The fire in her body stopped for a moment. But that was it. A new resurgence of jealousy and inferiority, and the resulting anger and fighting spirit gave a new stimulus to Judith. As she zed herself up again. And said. ¡°Come on.¡± A shabby look. Unlike when she first appeared on the stage, she now had a swollen face and was bleeding all over; she didn''t seem stable enough to call herself Master Khalifa''s opponent. Karakum knew it. So did Tarakan. Even Gorha knew it. The fact that the red-haired human still had the fire around her, and that it wouldn¡¯t go out until she died. And it was obvious. Master Khalifa, the second strongest of the Durkali tribe, also knew that. ¡°Lost.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°We lost. You passed all three ordeals.¡± ¡°¡­¡± With that, Master Khalifa left the ce. Pahan followed him with a bewildered expression, and the voices of orcs resounded again. ¡°Judith! Judith!¡± ¡°Judith! Judith!¡± ¡°Judith! Judith!¡± In a ce more exclusive than anywhere else, the proud orcs were cheering for someone other than their tribe¡¯s orcs. They had never even thought about something like this ever happening. However¡­ ¡°Not bad.¡± Judith grinned and slumped to the floor. Bratt Lloyd immediately jumped onto the stage with swift movements and supported her. ¡°¡­¡± And Irene Pareira looked at Judith with serious eyes. The fire in her eyes was making his own eyes hotter. Chapter 168: Five Spirits Divine Technique (1)

Chapter 168: Five Spirits Divine Technique (1)

A Quiet room. Master Khalifa closed his eyes in the dark space where not a single light was lit. Sitting cross-legged, his posture was erect, and both soles of his feet were facing the sky. Many humans knew that this posture was a training method used by the people in the Holy Kingdom, but they were wrong. It actually belonged to the orcs. The spirits used to immerse themselves while the orcs would meditate, and it was like a passageway that exposed the body to all five forms of spirits and energy in the air. At Master Khalifa¡¯s current level, doing this action had no purpose. He only took the position as it wasfortable to him. In his mind, the image of the red-haired human came to mind. ¡®The battle of warriors.¡¯ A fight that could have never been seen in today¡¯s world. It couldn¡¯t be seen even a few decades ago. After the Great War of 150 years ago, the demons disappeared, but the demonic beings were still left behind. To protect the tribe from those beings, the orcs had to constantly risk their lives, and the orcs who survived were called warriors. There was no need for a different test to be a high-ranking warrior like now. Every battle they survived was a test in the past. And now the demons were gone, and the seeds they sowed were gone. These days, the only danger left on the continent were thieves, bandits and monsters. The Orcs today could never be like the ¡®real warriors¡¯ of the past. ¡®No, that is just an excuse.¡¯ Is there nothing to see and learn? But it wasn¡¯t just that. The continent was peaceful and very wide. A lot of swordsmen were present on the continent, and they would go out and see new things in the world. That was the case with young Ian and I, who came to visit the Durkali tribe a few years ago. The four humans who were here now, too, must have grown up rapidly because they experienced numerous things in the world. Khalifa knew that living within the tribe was simr to stagnant water, or turning into a frog inside a well, and living off the glory of their ancestors¡­ was wrong, but it didn¡¯t feel like it was anyone else¡¯s fault. No, it was their own fault. ¡®I need to reeducate my sons.¡¯ Khalifa got up. Garam, Pahan and Gunt, and even himself. All of us need to change our mindsets. It was necessary to put aside the affairs of the tribe for a while and start bing aware of their duty as warriors. And the training for that should start right away. However, not today. He remembered the red-haired human and headed to the mountain behind the fortress. It was much steeperpared to the mountain where Gurgar wasid to rest. However, the energy of spirits gathered at Gurgar¡¯s burial site was denser. It took a long time to organize his thoughts, but he moved quickly. For him, who was one of the strongest Masters, the mountain¡¯s condition and the path weren¡¯t that bothersome. Khalifa arrived at his destination in an instant, only to be shocked. It was because there were a lot more orcs present there than he thought. ¡°Uh, you are here?¡± ¡°It has been a while.¡± ¡°You saw your sons being defeated. Are you feeling a little sore?¡± ¡°¡­¡± These words came from the elder warriors of Durkali. Seeing the old orcs who were a lot older than him trying to say stuff like this just to spite him, he burst intoughter. ¡®Well, they probably couldn¡¯t help it.¡¯ A week after the ordeal. Irene and his party finally climbed up the sacred mountain of the Durkali tribe to learn the Five Spirit Divine Technique. It was originally nned for them to learn the technique and leave, but the schedule was postponed as Judith couldn¡¯t even move properly after the fight. And thanks to the climb after the fight, Judith¡¯s body wasn¡¯t still in the best condition. ¡°Ugh, so tough!¡± Nevertheless, Judith climbed up the steep mountain without any support. Some might call her foolish, but this kind of poison was the foundation for her entire being. The rest of the group, who knew her better than anyone, spoke to her only when they reached the destination. ¡°Great job.¡± ¡°Good work.¡± ¡°Great job, what? Rather¡­¡± Judith¡¯ eyes moved back and forth. It was because she saw more orcs. It was natural to see Karakum, Tarakan and Kuvar, since they were the ones with them since the beginning. But why was Master Khalifa here? And that wasn¡¯t all. There were some other orcs with wrinkles she had never seen that were among those who were present. Despite being from different races, she felt like these ones were old. And not all of them were looking at her. But most of them. ¡°Don¡¯t be flustered Judith. It¡¯s because your fights were impressive.¡± ¡°My fights?¡± ¡°Right. After being stimted by your fiery battle which we hadn¡¯t seen in a long time, they said they wanted to see the ¡®Five Spirits Technique¡¯ being performed. And as you can see, they are the elders of the tribe. They too can be called as beings who have mastered the Five Spirits Divine Technique, so we couldn¡¯t refuse their presence here.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why? Is it burdensome?¡± Kuvar, who approached her, asked in a low voice. Judith said nothing for a moment and looked at the eyes of the orcs who were looking at her. Old and weak, some were ill, and some couldn''t even stand properly. But she felt it. How hard the determination was in their eyes was. And it wasn¡¯t just them. Great Warrior Karakum, who was known to be the idol for orcs. His son, Tarakan, who reached a simr status of a master at a young age. Gorha, the warrior who showed no interest despite meeting her several times, and Master Khalifa, who didn''t like her. All the giant trees that formed the foundation of the tribe, were looking at her in anticipation. At that moment, Judith¡¯s chest was ming, burning. ¡®They are looking at me.¡¯ Right. Everyone was looking at her. In the human world, when these people were recognized, her entire party was recognized. But here, no one was looking at Irene or Bratt or Ilya, and they were all just looking at her. That fact gave Judith a great excitement. This was a different kind of fire which she felt when she fought with Gunt and Garam. Phew, she exhaled and walked towards Gorha. And with a proud expression, she extended her hand into the jar he held. Shhh! Durkali¡¯s Five Spirit ritual. A procedure to figure out which of the spirits suited the user the best. It was a very simple method in which all the user had to do was to bring out the energy of the spirit inside the jar and throw it into the ground after the user took control of it. Over the past week, she had heard countless exnations about it. Any ordinary person would have been overwhelmed by expectations of the numerous giants of the orcmunity, but that wasn¡¯t the case for Judith. She had a warm heart. And with an even hotter chest, she grabbed the energy inside the jar and threw it to the ground. And, Puahhh! ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Oh¡­!¡± ¡°Hm¡­!¡± The elders eximed as they saw the burning fire. Some of the orcs present there, who couldn¡¯t even do that, went wide-eyed and stayed shocked. It was done, but what they didn¡¯t know was that the affinity that Judith had with fire had crossed every limit that they knew about. The fire that she threw didn¡¯t stop there, but it seemed like it was going to spread further into the sky and the sides of the mountain. But when Gorha snapped his fingers, a barrier of water formed and extinguished the fire. His expression was no different from the elders. Judith, who noticed that, asked Kuvar. ¡°Is everything fine?¡± ¡°¡­ I am not sure myself¡­ but it is probably okay. Looking at the size of the fire that you pulled¡­it wasn¡¯t small, or evencking. Rather it is more of a problem because it was too huge.¡± ¡°But I have the talent to use the technique, right?¡± ¡°Of course. Without talent the energy wouldn¡¯t even be formed in the jar. However¡­ the fire was too huge. I have no idea what kind of training you need to handle the fire properly¡­¡± ¡°Huh, is that right?¡± Judith turned carefree at Kuvar¡¯s words. But it wasn¡¯t like she was indifferent, but rather because she was trying very hard to suppress the smile which was forming on her lips. ¡®Cute.¡¯ Only Bratt Lloyd understood Judith¡¯s real emotions. But he didn¡¯t show his expression on his face, and luckily no one was looking at him. Most of the orcs were still talking to each other without taking their eyes off Judith. ¡°dlrj gotjrgoqhkdi qufrj djqtsmsep gkdtkd dktlefkrhdy?¡± ¡°rmfoeh akrtkd dkaneh dksgownaus tjdnsglkrlsgkslek.¡± ¡°dlqsdeoh wkf qnxkremflqsek¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Master Khalifa was the same. He didn¡¯t talk like the others, but he was the one who was the most shocked at the fire which Judith controlled. He seemed to have the same thought of Kuvar. He, too, had no idea on how to teach her to control it. ¡®At this level, it isn¡¯t just about teaching them the technique, but they need skills to assist them in handling the spirits as well¡­¡¯ ¡°Hm?¡± It was when Khalifa was in his own thoughts. Gorha¡¯s eyes changed. Unlike the other orcs, his eyes saw another side to Judith¡¯s power. And it was the same with Karakum. But they were doubtful, and they looked around. ¡°¡­¡± And not just that. There weren¡¯t many, but some other orcs were facing in the same direction as Gorha and Karakum. Seeing that all these Orcs had the same doubt inmon, he thought of one word. ¡®Spiritualist.¡¯ Normally Spiritualists don¡¯t utilize the spirits for the sake of battle, but rather use them as a basis of energy to fight. Seeing their gaze, which could capture even the smallest detail, Khalifa also turned his head to the same ce they were looking at. Irene Pareira. A monster who reached the level of Master at 20. However, he was a human who was never even thought of, and he didn¡¯t have an innate talent for spirits, so no one paid much attention to his current position. ¡°Irene Pareira.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s your turn next. Are you ready?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Gorha called for him. Khalifa knew what was happening. Although Gorha was trying to hide it, the voice he spoke in was giving out a lot of emotions. The simr way he looked at Judith. No, maybe¡­. It was when they were all in thoughts. His movement was a little slower than Judith. But it carried more weight, and the blonde swordsman who moved forward put his hand in the jar. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t as fast as Judith. As if he had run into something, his movement stuttered and then stopped. And after that, he closed his eyes, as if he was thinking about something. Fortunately, it didn¡¯tst long. Irene, who nodded his head briefly, maybe because the worries in his heart were resolved, finally opened his eyes. For a brief moment, Khalifa felt as if something hard and hot stood ahead of him. And he didn¡¯t look at the human for long. Wheik! Wheiik¡­ Unlike Judith¡¯s, the fire that was thrown this time was gentle and calm. Swoosh¡­! And a huge iron stake slowly rose above that fire. After receiving the heat of that gentle fire, the stake soon formed the shape of a sword, glowing red inpetition to the setting sun. No, it wasn¡¯t even sunset. Looking at the great sword, which was scattering a blinding light in all directions, Khalifa and the other orcs gulped. Chapter 169: Five Spirits Divine Technique (2)

Chapter 169: Five Spirits Divine Technique (2)

The Five Spirits ceremony was primarily for those who had never been in contact with the spirits. Only those who knew of the spirits would do it. And this was for them to know what theyck and to understand what they were good at. Naturally, if the outsiders who have never even heard about spirits participated, the results would often be shabby. It would usually be a very small puddle of water, or a fist-size me that disappears right away, or a metal as small as a pebble¡­ However, Irene¡¯s spirit awakening wasn¡¯t like that, Metal and mes. It wasn¡¯t unusual for two spirits to appear at the same time, but it was the size of the spirits that was huge. A huge stake of iron that could pierce the sky, and a fire that was so strong that it was unbelievable that Irene had no prior connection with spirits. However, what was more remarkable was that the two spirits were separate. ¡®The mes shaped the metal; From a form which would have been crude, to a sword which was a weapon¡­¡¯ Fire-and-metal. Watching the amazing sight with their eyes, the talent shown by Irene, which indicated that he was able to control both fire and metal, made even Gorha be stunned. And it wasn¡¯t just him. Kuvar, Karakum and the others were stunned beyond belief as well. No, everyone present there was dumbfounded at what they saw. ¡°¡­ hmm.¡± That was the first thing that Gorha said after witnessing the sight before him. He was the most outstanding person of the Durkali tribe in handling spirits, and he was the one who always led the ceremony. But even he couldn¡¯t make up his mind and speak. And what came out from Gorha¡¯s mouth after some time, wasn¡¯t an exnation, but rather a question. ¡°You, did you learn about spirits?¡± ¡°¡­ I did hear about them from Mr. Kuvar.¡± ¡°Kuvar. Did you teach the human about spirits?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t. Whatever I told him was only for the purpose of understanding, and I just gave advice by using the five spirits topare, but this¡­ this is unexpected.¡± Kuvar nodded his head as he said that. He knew that Irene was special. It was a miracle that couldn¡¯t be seen in normal humans. Kuvar knew that ever since he saw the mes burning inside his heart because of a few kind words, and Irene¡¯s will to save a human who had lost her way in Eisenmarkt. However, Karakum and Khalifa, who had mastered the technique, never dreamed that Irene could be like this. Karakum, who heard Kuvar, said. ¡°¡­ I think the transmission of the technique should be done for both spirits.¡± At that, everyone nodded their heads. A person who had known nothing about using spirit arts or spirit techniques had the ability to handle two spirits. It was as if Irene had built up a rtionship with the spirits and learned them in apletely different way. In other words, it meant that the orcs could also obtain new knowledge about the spirits through their exchanges with the young man. The orcs who understood that, now thought that it was fortunate that the human called Judith overcame the ordeal. Otherwise, they wouldn¡¯t havee here, and the Orcs wouldn¡¯t have seen this absurd sight. ¡®Gurgar was indeed right. The growth of these humans will be a great help to the tribe¡­¡¯ Master Khalifa thought in secret. Some orcs looked at him and smiled as if they knew what he was thinking. But that was only for the orcs. Judith had no interest in such things. Complex emotions swelled in her mind. Her gaze that was hot like a volcano, turned to Irene, who was bewildered. ¡®That crazy bastard.¡¯ It was shocking. How does he keep showing unexpected things each time? Judith¡¯s heart wasn¡¯t big enough to celebrate her friend¡¯s achievement. To be honest, she felt quite offended. Just likest time, feelings of inferiority, jealousy, and envy all rose. However, unlike in the past, she didn''t stop herself from feeling these emotions. She closed her eyes and poured out all the negative emotions she felt into a hot cauldron in her heart. And they melted them in the terrifying fire that was burning in her heart. Bubble¡­ And thus, Judith¡¯s heart was reborn with a single emotion called ¡®fighting spirit¡¯. Finally, she was able to look at her friend in confidence. Looking at Irene, with fiery eyes, she said. ¡°But mine was bigger.¡± ¡°Huh¡± ¡°The size of the me. I don¡¯t care about the other things. I will never lose when ites to the me. After learning the Five Spirit Divine Technique, I will show you how to use a sword which is hot enough to burn you.¡± ¡°¡­ okay.¡± Irene smiled and took Judith''s hand, which was ready for a handshake. Seeing that, the orcs smiled. It was so nice to see warriors who werepeting among themselves, helping each other. However, it was none other than Bratt Lloyd who was even happier. ¡®I am proud of you.¡¯ He knew Judith better than anyone. And he even knew what a horrible personality she had. But aside from her personality,tely, she''s been too depressed. After meeting Irene and Ilya, her expression had always been darker. Even though he knew that better than the others, he couldn¡¯t find a way to help her. So Bratt was constantly feeling bad. However, after the fight with orcs, Judith changed. Although the feelings were still there, it seemed like she managed to ovee the poison that was eating away at her body in her own unique way. ¡®I am really d.¡¯ A simr expression appeared on Bratt''s face. He thought that Judith was cute, but it was something the others that were present there wouldn¡¯t understand. And he didn¡¯t keep that face for long. Because Bratt was a person who was cool and level headed. However, this time the timing waste. A harsh word came out of Ilya Lindsay¡¯s mouth, who stared at Bratt. ¡°****¡± 1 ¡°Gasp!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Ilya?¡± All of Irene¡¯s party turned their heads towards Ilya. Lulu even dropped the ball of yarn in her hand. The rolled yarn just kept moving on the ground, untangling itself as it rolled. They had no choice but to be shocked. In the first ce, Ilya wasn¡¯t the kind of person to talk a lot, and Ilya had never talked bad about other people before. It was natural for someone to be shocked when someone who had never used such harsh words said that. Irene asked. ¡°W-what happened?¡± ¡°Did something happen?¡± Even Judith looked at Ilya, clearly shocked. After a moment, she stepped forward and said. ¡°¡­ I want to take the test.¡± Only Bratt didn¡¯t question Ilya. And after that, the testing of the two started without another question. Wheik! Wheik! ¡°Uhm, indeed most of the young ones seem to be getting fire.¡± Wheik! Ssh Rumble¡­ ¡°Oh oh¡­ it¡¯s water. That is a huge amount too¡­.¡± After Ilya came Bratt. Ilya got fire and Bratt got water. Although less in quantity than Judith and Irene, Gorha was still shocked at the amount of water that could be considered to be amazing within the tribe. Finally, Lulu put her hand into the jar, but nothing happened. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it is because you are a cat or a sorcerer. But I don¡¯t think that there is talent¡­¡± ¡°It is fine. I am just a sorcerer and that is fine.¡± Lulu responded bravely. In a way, all the members of the party she was in with except her, learned what spirits they could use, and that was more than what they had expected. The elder orcs returned, their satisfied faces clearly disying that they had seen a great sight and that they were happy. And Tarakan, along with Khalifa, left for their respective jobs. Kuvar, too, went to his teacher''s grave. So, the Orcs who were left were Gorha and Karakum. After quite some time, when everyone had left, Karakum spoke to Irene. ¡°Irene Pareira.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Follow me.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Gorha, I will teach this one.¡± ¡°I understand. I wouldn¡¯t say anything, you are the best when ites to metal¡­ I will take charge of these humans.¡± After a long pause, Gorha looked at Judith. Like a magician who found his next interesting test subject, his eyes were dripping with interest, which felt a little burdensome to Judith. Of course, she wasn¡¯t scared. ¡°Please make me stronger than Irene.¡± ¡°Haha. I can¡¯t say for sure, but when ites to spirit skills, I am the best teacher out there.¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡± Judith seemed to smile, which made Gorha flustered. Bratt shut his mouth, not saying anything, and Ilya concentrated on Gorha¡¯s words. To Irene, who was watching them, Karakum said. ¡°How you hold metal and me¡­ I heard things from Kuvar.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°He said that you were born with a huge block of metal that was iprehensibly strong. And to shape and control it you went on a journey to find a me to ignite it.¡± ¡°That¡¯s about right.¡± ¡°It is amazing¡­ how you can reach such a state only by using your mind, without the help of a teacher to show you the technique.¡± They were sincere words. It was understandable to some extent that the spirits were naturally strong. Even among orcs, such things could appear. Not to the extent of how amazing Judith¡¯s fire was, but some of the best talents of the entire Orc species had as much as Bratt¡¯s talent. However, without systematic training and teaching, and only with the power of the mind¡­ they had never seen a case where the energy that wascking was raised so much in just a year. ¡®To refine the metal in his heart by himself with the mes that he built.¡¯ Even thinking about it was absurd for Karakum. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean he had no intention of denying teaching the kid just because he didn''t go through it. Rather, it was something to be grateful for; teaching him would definitely broaden his perspective. Therefore, the next words which Karakum spoke weren¡¯t that of a teacher. ¡°Take care of metal in your own way.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Isn''t there a way you were doing it till now? Since you ruled the metal with me, the crude metal must have taken the shape of a sword, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Irene nodded, and Karakum continued. ¡°Usually, when we practice the Five Spirits Divine Technique, we follow coexistence. Just as wateres out of metal, a tree grows out of water, fire eats the tree, ashes are born from the fire and metal clumps together again from the dirt and that is how one spirit energizes another.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°But it is different for you. It is like raising a me to control the strong aura metal, but it is not win-win, but it is rather a fight for supremacy over another. And it is not a verymon case, so I must be careful about the approach. If possible, I would like to examine how you have been handling it, and give you appropriate advice. To be honest, I want to expand my awareness. Do you get it?¡± ¡°¡­ I kind of get it.¡± ¡°Then do it. Like you did before.¡± After speaking, Karakum slumped. He looked so blunt that Irene thought he would be like that for an entire lifetime until he started. Irene, who watched him for a moment, sat cross-legged. And then immersed himself into meditation. Woong! Wheik! It had been a long time since hest trained, but nothing felt awkward for him. As Irene began to concentrate, arge sword appeared in his mind, and a me wrapped around it. Irene''s will continued to strike the sword, which was heated. Thud! Thud! Thud! In an instant, Irene had a stable flow. But he felt like something was missing, and he soon realized why. It was because he had witnessed Judith¡¯s me. Irene, who thought that, remembered the huge, strong hot me. ''I need a stronger me.¡¯ As he saw Judith¡¯s me, it was like a huge building, while his was just a me on the floor. Irene¡¯s mes were separate and moved chaotically. ¡®If I can make them into one, or at least find one main me. I will be able to harness more me than I can currently¡­¡¯ To create a sharper sword, a greater me was required. To create a greater me, one needed a me with a main point. If so, what are the sparks in his heart? Which of the sparks in your heart deserved to be the main piece? Was it the family he loved when he learned sorcery? The spirit of change he realized In Alhad mountains? Was it the fighting spirit that blossomed after meeting I? If not, was it the friendship he had with Ilya? The question made Irene shake his head. Watching him like that, Karakum silently studied him. And then, two hours passed. An orc warrior came to their ce. ¡°This is Mr. Gurgar¡¯s message now¡­ it said the preparations to check the past life areplete.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The news came earlier than expected. Everyone turned their heads towards Irene Pareira. Probably a cuss word. It wasn¡¯t us who censored it.? Chapter 170: Confirm the Past Life (1)

Chapter 170: Confirm the Past Life (1)

Step step! After hearing the news from the orc, Irene Pareira came down from the mountain at a fast pace and, without dy, headed to the garden where Gurgar¡¯s tomb was located. In his mind, he just wanted to run all the way there with all his might, but rather than that, he was inclined to think that he needed to calm hisplicated mind. What were his feelings right now? Curiosity? Fear? Or even Longing? He didn''t know. It wasn''t something that he could describe in one word. Phew, he paused for a moment to catch his breath before moving on. ¡°¡­¡± There were many people behind him. First of all, Lulu, and then Judith, Bratt Lloyd, and Ilya Lindsay. They were the people who understood Irene¡¯s heart the most, and were deeply interested in Irene¡¯s past life, if not, maybe even more than Irene too. However, Karakum was different. He didn¡¯t know about Irene Pareira. There was no prior rtionship he had with Irene. He nned to teach the Five Spirit Divine technique to Irene, but except for that, all he did was cross swords with Irene once. He didn¡¯t even know much about Irene in his present life, so was there any reason for him to know about the previous life? Curious about it, Gorha asked Karakum why he was following the young human? After thinking for a moment, Karakum opened his mouth. ¡°It¡¯s a feeling you know? The feeling an old man feels when we see talented and young ones.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Gorha nodded. As we get older, the number of walls and inhibitions around people increases, and as they ovee them, it is always exhausting. Right now, Karkaum was still active, but nevertheless, there were times when he wanted to act reckless and impulsive, like when he was a young person. And that was the reason Karakum was going with Irene. And thinking that, he said. ¡°Even though it was a surprisingly fast growth¡­ I don¡¯t see the end. I just can¡¯t take my eyes off him. If I did, I don¡¯t think I would be able to watch the beautiful flower bloom.¡± ¡°¡­ are you saying that he will grow in here even further?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. But it will be fun to watch.¡± Karakum smiled. ¡°Aren''t you here for the same reason?¡± ¡°¡­ yes.¡± Gorha couldn¡¯t refute and nodded. The conversation ended there. The two old orcs and Irene climbed the mountain. It took quite a while, but since everyone was feeling anxious, the destination quickly revealed itself in an instant. Unlike the first time, Gurgar was dressed very neatly. ¡°Hey, you came.¡± ¡°¡­ can you really drink?¡± ¡°It is fine, fine. Since I am a spirit I can''t even get drunk.¡± ¡°Why drink when you can¡¯t get drunk?¡± ¡°Why do you think so? It is for the taste.¡± ¡°Please do not joke with me Master Gurgar.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°There is no reason for someone to drink. You drink alcohol because you want to.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Judith was speechless, and Kuvar rolled his eyes. ¡°Teacher, stop it now. Everyone is here.¡± ¡°Huhu, I get it. The Chief and Gorha. I am sorry, but only Irene and hispanions cane in.¡± ¡°I am no longer the chief.¡± ¡°Ah, sorry. It has been a while since I left the world, so my memories are hazy.¡± He bowed politely. Karakum and Gorha, who were greeted, quickly stayed back and followed the instructions of Gurgar, and Irene, with the rest of hispanions, entered the tent. ¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡°¡­!¡± An amazing sight unfolded in front of their eyes. The tent they entered wasn¡¯t some small space. It was as if it was a portal to another world, and apletely differentndscape greeted the group as they went in. A big city. It had a bit of an unsophisticated feelpared to today''s world, but it was definitely an urban city. Everyone couldn''t keep their mouths shut at the vivid sight, and even the faces of people entering and leaving a castle gate could be seen. ¡°Huhu, stop worrying about it and calm down. It is absurd that I appeared as a spirit after I died, right? What could be more surprising than that?¡± Gurgar watched everyone¡¯s reaction, and guided Irene and the others to their seats. There were five chairs; their upper part was reclined; it was a piece of furniture that was somewhat a cross between a chair and a bed. On the far right was a small basket. Lulu, who sensed that it was her ce, moved and sat inside the basket. Starting with her, Irene, Ilya, Judith, Bratt, and Kuvar began to sit in their reclined chairs. Gurgar, who saw that everyone was seated, spoke. ¡°After a while, we will meet the man who has been messing with our Irene Pareira for a long time. As everyone must have realized now, his true identity is Irene''s past life, and he had been wielding a sword for decades for an unknown reason. He did that till his death.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Well¡­I already know why. But I cannot exin it right now. And instead of doing that, I chose this cumbersome way because I thought that this man¡¯s life and his experiences will be helpful to you. Of course, it is for the others too, and the others are here because you are Irene¡¯s precious friends. Irene...¡± ¡°Do you feel ufortable or burdened by the fact that the people here will know about your past life?¡± ¡°No¡­nothing like that.¡± ¡°Then now I will ask you people. Just as much as showing ourselves to others is hard, looking in depth into others is also quite burdensome. No matter what Irene Pareira¡¯s past life is, are you confident that you will continue to hold the rtionship with Irene Pareira the same way as now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I will.¡± ¡°Of course!¡¯ ¡°Yes. Teacher!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± At the end of Ilya Lindsay¡¯s answer, silence fell. Gurgar nodded with a happy face and spoke to those who were looking at him. ¡°Good. Then I think everything is ready. Let¡¯s start.¡± ¡°By the way, what do we do now? All we are doing is sitt¡­.¡± Snap! ¡°¡­ing down.¡± Judith was unable to speak till the end as her body dropped back onto the headrest, as if she had fainted. And it wasn¡¯t just her. Bratt, Kuvar, Lulu, Ilya and even Irene too. Everyone fell into a deep sleep. A deep and dark, but not a sweet sleep. And¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ All of a sudden, they were in the dreams of the man. ¡°Uhm¡­¡± A blinding headache. Unknowingly, my expression distorted at the pain I was feeling in my skull, which felt like someone was hitting it with a hammer. One of the knights approached me and asked as I groaned. ¡°Are you alright?¡± ¡°¡­ yes.¡± They weren¡¯t just empty words. I was really okay. The pain I felt earlier was suddenly no more, and my vision became clear. What was that? That pain¡­ ¡°¡­ that is fortunate. Even if you weren¡¯t alright, we will still have to go through this.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The knight who received my gaze bowed his head as if saying he was sorry. I understood him. This situation was very ufortable and burdensome to be in. I nodded and looked away from him. As I walked into a wider room, the figures of those who filled the room entered my field of vision. They were all my loyal servants. They were my knights who were more reliable than any other. They were my most capable servants. Although not my family, they were all precious beings who yed a huge role in my life. And now, all of them were uniting and calling for me to resign. ¡°¡­¡± This wasn¡¯t the result I was hoping for. However, it wasn¡¯t as if I couldn¡¯t understand their decision. At least seeing the guilt in their eyes wasforting. Of course, I didn¡¯t think that they would change their decision just because they were feeling guilty. I pondered for a long time, asking myself whether I should shout, cry or hang myself or if there was a better way¡­ ¡°¡­ please leave.¡± In the end, I had no choice but to nod my head at their words. ¡°Phew.¡± ¡°¡­¡± No one followed me as I left the room with a deep sigh. I thought it was rather fortunate, and then I smiled. I was grateful that no one backstabbed me, but the anger still pounded on my chest. There was something inside that kept eating away at me. Most of my emotions were bottled up, but some still found their way out of the closed bottle. Regardless of that, I left the residence. The street was quiet, but it wasn¡¯t like there were no people, and some of them even recognized me. No, they couldn¡¯t call me Lord. I was no longer a Lord. Gradually, vigers flocked to me and began to swear at me. ¡°You crazy bastard!¡± ¡°You want to fight the devil? Go there and just hand yourself to them!¡± ¡°You are just being used by the devil! You must be a demon!¡± ¡°Die! Just die!¡± ¡°You! What are you all talking about! Our Lord isn¡¯t like that!¡± ¡°Are you still spouting that bullshit? Rumors said that this bastard was gathering troops to go into the devil¡¯s territory, and the rumors even spread to the other estates too, still you¡¯re¡­¡± ¡°There is no way that¡¯s true! They are all rumors, stop with that!¡± ¡°Rumors my ass! He needs to die! Either that or we throw him out!¡± ¡°It is clear that he intends to fill his own stomach and that he would not even hesitate to sell us all the devil including himself!¡± Evilness, anger, and profanities were pouring on me with each step I took. I deserved it, so I epted it. I was able to bear the sound of them telling me I would sell myself to the devil and even that I would give away the people to the devils. I passed through the vige with the poison within me growing little by little and finally reached the estate gates. And there. Kik! A middle-aged man with shaking hands ced an axe on my neck, and asked me with teary eyes. ¡°Please say it, my Lord! What they are saying, is it true? That you tried to gather the troops and enter the devil¡¯s territory?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If it isn¡¯t, just let me know! Even now, it isn¡¯t toote. I will go gather the people who spread the false rumors and sh their throats. If there is a reason, tell me. Despite me being a dirty hunter, I still have the purest ears. But¡­.¡± If the rumors spreading were true, then give up the thoughts that you have of living. The hunter didn¡¯t have to finish his words, and all the vigers looked at me. ¡°¡­¡± I had no intention of telling the truth. Already to my knights, vassals, and servants. I¡¯ve been through it 3 painful times. It didn¡¯t matter if people understood or not. It was a fact that I could no longer stay in my own estate. But I couldn¡¯t speak out. If I did, then the hunter¡¯s axe woulde for my throat, and I would turn into a mockery of the devil. I didn¡¯t want that. I forced myself to breathe and cleared my blurred vision due to the tears running down my eyes, and I spoke to convince one other person. ¡°Two months ago, a devil with a clown mask came to me.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°And then said. Either my wife or son, that it would spare only one of them.¡± The air around turned heavy at my words. Of course, the story must have gone out, because there was no one who didn¡¯t know of the devil in the clown mask. I too, thought that I was dreaming of the appearance of this great devil which was strong and dangerous enough to subdue everything in the nation. However, it was real, and the proposal wasn¡¯t a dream or a lie. So, I continued to speak. ¡°Just looking at that monster made my breath go still, but still, I had to speak. It was because I couldn¡¯t choose. Who could make a decision about leaving their beloved wife or son? I questioned why I should listen to his ridiculing offer, and he wasn''t offended, thankfully. He took out a crystal ball and showed me something.¡± ¡°¡­ what do you mean?¡± ¡°A horde of monsters rushing towards the province.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And¡­ he said. If I ept his offer... If I decide to choose either my wife or son, he promised to block the invasion of the demons and demonic monsters for 50 years. Now, let¡¯s ask this question.¡± Who should I have chosen? My wife or my only son? The moment I said that, the air around me turned heavy. No one dared to speak. The hunter, and the angry people, who were all enraged, now held their breath. Looking at them, I smiled. I could still remember what happened at that time. No matter what I chose, my life would be a living hell. I remembered the devil¡¯s eyes looking down at me from the mask, and my wife, who couldn''t handle me being indecisive, put a knife through her chest to help me, and that made the devil in the clown maskugh¡­ But that wasn¡¯t the end. After taking a pause, I confided the story to the residents. ¡°The devil said that what my wife did was a suicide and that it was not my choice¡­. So, I had to choose again.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And like that I lost both my wife and son that night. And¡­ the estate was guaranteed safety for 50 years.¡± I closed my eyes as I said that. Right. In exchange for making a terrible choice that I didn''t want to think about, my estate was granted safety. The cost of escaping from being destroyed by the demons, and 50 years of peace was sacrificing my family¡­ It was sad, and I couldn¡¯t bear it. The fact that the hordes of demonic monsters were running to trample the estate were because of the words of the clown devil. If only I knew that. That the beginning and the end of that hell was all for the sake of that monster¡¯s entertainment. ¡°Haa, haha¡­ haaa¡­¡± My heart ached, and I forced myself to breathe, knowing I was losing my control. Even then, the suffering continued. There was a change of the emotions I felt; from sadness to hate, and from hate to vengeance. At first, his vassals were angry and were suffering along with me, but they couldn¡¯t continue till the end. They were worried I would go against the demon, blinded by my rage and revenge. Eventually, they drove me out of my home. Perhaps, the same was true for his people. Unlike me, who had lost everything, they still had a lot to lose. I pushed away from the hunter¡¯s axe and said. ¡°I have and never will ask for anyone¡¯s help. It must be scary for all of you. Unlike me, who has lost everything, at least I have granted you safety. You don¡¯t have to take any more risks. However¡­¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t stand in my way.¡± That was the end. With those words, I left the estate, and the people didn¡¯t follow me. A quiet and bitter farewell, but this time I was relieved that no one was chasing after me. However, it wasn¡¯t like no one came for me. A clown popped out of the shadows. -Woah, so bad! Those people are so rude. Don¡¯t you think so? -Knowing well why you did it. In times of famine, you provided grain, and you worked day and night to solve the problems of the people, and that was for every single person too¡­ to betray such a devoted person. They are such bad people. -So, by the way. There is a new offer. Make a contract with me? How is it? Okay? You want to kill them. Just bully those bad people. If they lose their wife and kids, they will understand what you went through, right? -As you know, the only things I said I would stop are the demons and demonic monsters. If you make a contract with me and turn into a demon, you can ughter them all. You can do whatever you want to! How is that? Doesn¡¯t it sound good? Okay? Is it not okay¡­? As I walked along, I quietly closed my eyes. I remembered the servants who greeted me with warm smiles. The faces of my sincere vassals, the scenes of my reliable knights training, and the appearance of my butler who bowed his head. And now, all of those faces seemed disgusting to me. Everything was disgusting. However, the voice of the devil inside my ear was even more disgusting. -No? Well, I can''t help it. I live at the southern mountain range''s edge, soe visit me whenever you want. See you next time. The devil¡¯s voice faded away. But I wasn¡¯t sure if he had left. Maybe he was looking at me from somewhere and was smirking. No, he was certainly sneering while looking down on me. I opened my eyes and vowed to go in that direction. Right. I am not a swordsman nor a Lord. All I am, was alone. Inevitably, I will develop my strength and visit the southern mountain range. And I had to do it before the burning fire in my heart went out. ¡­ And like that, 3 years passed. Chapter 171: Confirm the Past Life (2)

Chapter 171: Confirm the Past Life (2)

1. There was no such thing as a specific ce you need, to livefortably. And to not hesitate to ask what you don¡¯t know. They were the vige chief¡¯s words. He nodded his head in a manner that was neither cold nor warm. Considering the treatment I have been receiving over the past 3 years, this was more than enough. No one treated me warmly, the man who was the target of the clown. ¡°¡­ those who live in such remote areas won¡¯t mind me.¡± A few kids would look at me from a distance. But I wouldn''t care. Upon entering an abandoned house, I unpacked and picked up my sword. Three years ago, this would have been overwhelming to bear, but not now. Wheik! Wheik! Swing, swing, and swing again. I would keep swinging until I could release a stronger attack; Until I could y the demons of the south. Until then, I won''t leave this ce. With burning resolve, the swinging of the sword continued. 2. A month passed. Nothing changed, I continued to swing my sword, and the town was peaceful. The only change was the disappearance of the kids who would stick their heads over the wall. Maybe I was sad that my swordsmanship skill didn¡¯t change, but at least I didn¡¯t degrade. Another day passed. 3. Two months have passed. I still wield my sword. There was nothing that changed enough for me to go out. Thanks to the money I gave to the chief while moving in, the necessities for my life were being provided to me. All I had to do was swing my sword. Swik! A diagonal sh. Wheik! A Vertical sh. It was embarrassing to even call it swordsmanship; it was just a simple repetitive action. I couldn¡¯t help it. The rumors about me had already spread. Most swordsmen didn¡¯t want to anger the clown demon and refused to teach me swordsmanship. But it was fine. Actually, it wasn¡¯t. But it didn¡¯t matter. I have now be a body that cannot live without wielding or swinging the sword. Breathing out the hot pain in my body, I swung the sword again. Wheik! And with that, the illusion of the people who drove me out of my estate shattered. 4. Six months have passed. I still swing the sword, and the townspeople no longer care about me. Except for the man who was watching me a few days ago. It didn¡¯t matter. Rather, I felt that I was fortunate. As I watched the twilight approaching, I applied a lot of strength to my hand that was holding the great sword. After a while, many people appeared from the darkness. They all wore clown masks. They started pointing their fingers at me. Filthy bastards who were ordered by the devil! If I make a fuss, then everyone will be in danger! My sword¡­ I couldn¡¯t let the devil know. I am sorry. Just leave me alone. Did they think I am the Lord anymore? I swung my sword at the ones which kepting up. Their heads were split, and limbs were torn off, but they said nothing. The eyes behind the masks were disgusting. I was exhausted and constantly moved my sword without failing, and then morning came. ¡°Pant, pant pant¡­¡± I didn¡¯t know. Whether this the work of the clown devil, or someone else? Either way, it was clear that I was slowly going crazy. Nevertheless, Iughed. I was able tough after a long time. My anger towards the people of my province who abandoned me. Towards the swordsmen who turned me away. And my hatred for the devil and the world. A new fuel helped me. Whik! Wheik! Wheik! I swung my sword until I copsed from exhaustion. Without realizing the passage of time, I continued. 5. Years have passed. I don¡¯t know exactly how much time has passed. I couldn¡¯t figure it out even if I tried. There was something more important than that. My swordsmanship had changed. Although it was the same as before, just vertical cuts, diagonal cuts, and horizontal cuts. The illusions that didn¡¯t fall even after being hit three to four times before, now disappeared at once. Satisfied, I kept swinging my sword. Swish! I cut off the head of the vassal who threw me away. sh! The head of the woman who pointed her fingers at me. The body of the hunter who didn¡¯t listen to me, and the waist of the swordsman who didn¡¯t want to teach me. I cut them all. I never thought that I¡¯d be able to catch the clown. And I knew that from the beginning. Such a thing would be impossible. I couldn¡¯t do something which even the heroes of the continent couldn¡¯t. Yet, Iughed and smiled. Yet another clown went down with a sh of my sword. And my gaze went for the face. Who was it this time? Was it the old man who pointed at me for thinking about my family? Or the knight who looked at me with a cold expression? As the figure came forward, the mask broke. And as I saw the face that came with it. I dropped the sword for the first time since I came to the vige. And I couldn¡¯t move for a long time. -surprised? I was surprised. Ugh, you don¡¯t have to look at me this way. Another me was standing in front of me, ridiculing me. Listening to theughter-filled voice, there was one thing I could do. Crack! My other self¡¯s head shattered at the attack. 6. Time passed. No, years passed. I don¡¯t even know how many. A while after using the sword, I wasn¡¯t in the mood to count the years. I just fought the endless stream of clowns that came after me, as well as the apparition of myself, both of which kept increasing. It was overwhelming just to deal with them. So, I just swung my sword every day. Wong! Woong! Woong! Five to six clowns shattered at once, and ten more illusions fell with two shes. Yet, there was no end. The clowns just continued to appear. Their appearances were no longer separated, with a distinction between day and night. They appeared whenever there was twilight and shadows. Wherever there was darkness, the illusions bloomed, and they started ridiculing me. Not being allowed to rest and feeling the unbearable anger, I swung my sword without a break. It was then. ¡°Isn¡¯t that hard?¡± A clear voice rang out from between the countless clowns. My gaze reflexively turned to the sound. A youthful face with pure eyes. It was a child who was looking at me with an innocent face and a flower in his hand, a face that had no mask. ¡°For you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The child didn¡¯t stay for long. A woman ran in a hurry and grabbed the child. As if she was afraid to make contact with me, she looked to the ground and bowed her head before disappearing. And the door to her house shut tight as soon as they entered it, and I was back to being alone. But strangely, I didn¡¯t feel alone even after they left. ¡°¡­¡± I stared at the side where the child disappeared to, and then lowered my sight to look at the flower she left. The fresh scent was there, and the eyes of the child appeared in my mind. Something felt familiar. I thought about it for a long time, about when in the past I felt simr emotions? And when nothing came to mind, I picked up the sword again. It was the first time such a thing had happened. I didn¡¯t like it, but I was holding a sword. It was a look that didn''t suit me, a crazed man living with a sword for more than 10 years. Of course, contrary to my thoughts, my body moved. And soon, I took the pose that was ready to face the illusions. ¡°¡­¡± However, they no longer came. ¡­ and after a long time, I devoted myself to the sword with a sane mind. 7. Years have passed. It was much longer than the time it took to leave the estate and enter this vige. I swung my sword incessantly in the years, which seemed like maybe even 10 or 20 years. But I wasn¡¯t lonely. The number of times the illusions came dropped, but they still sometimes came out at twilight and continued to mock me. The clown mask, which constantly gave me drive no matter how bad it was, even if he was broken or cut, didn¡¯t give me inspiration anymore. Right. The reason I wasn¡¯t lonely wasn¡¯t because of the illusions. It wasn¡¯t because of the coldness of the world which was pouring down on me. And it wasn¡¯t because of the hatred I had for the world. I removed my gaze away from the clown and closed my eyes. One by one, I remembered what I had forgotten. Wong! The expressions of my parents who died of illness when I was young. Woong! The warm face of my wife, who cared for me with love. Woong! My lovely son, who was born 2 years after our marriage, and the pure eyes he had. My mind, which was filled with negative emotions, gradually regained its ce as I recalled the gazes simr to the child who gave me a flower. ¡°Phew,¡± I opened my eyes. And the situation stayed. Countless illusions and countless humans who corroded my life were speaking from their masks. But it was fine. I took a deep breath and exhaled. As I breathed the cold air, I felt my heart and head clear. I moved slowly and steadily into the darkness, which was ridiculing me. Fucking bastards. Why use the faces of people who did nothing wrong? I heard the sound of my old self, who had his eyes over me. But I passed by without cutting him. An odd guy. Was it our fault his wife and son died? Although I was indecisive, I wanted to save at least one of them. Another voice of mine was heard. The whole time, I passed without swinging my sword. An iparable number of illusions stood in my way. Eyes of clowns stained in anger and hatred. I ignored all of it and kept a steady pace. With each step, I felt the poison in my body fly away. I gained freedom from my old obsession. -¡­ And as I traveled through the darkness, thest ce I reached at the end was an ugly ce where human bones and flesh were spread around like carpet. Someone was standing in the middle. This time it was the clown. And this time, I just didn¡¯t want to pass by it. My voice, which had been silent for a long time, reached its ear. ¡°It is not the south, but I came.¡± How¡­! The voice of the clown devil was flustered and angry. Iughed bitterly. Behind the mask, I could see that the expression was distorted. When I let go of the malice and obsession I had against this world, neither the mask nor the darkness around could work on me. The clown was something I didn¡¯t want to see. I shed the clown devil¡¯s body as I swung my sword like lightning. And at that moment, like a crystal formed after decades, it erupted into a silver-grey ray of light. Woong! Kuaaack! A deafening scream. The clown¡¯s counterattack copsed, and his body, which was supposed to be as hard as iron, was damaged. Behind the half-broken mask, the terrible-looking face of the clown distorted even more. It had eyes simr to the hatred I had for this world. But the devil didn¡¯t attack. Rather, in fear, it went further into darkness and kept its distance. I nodded and stepped forward with the beam of light refined like the steel in my hand, ready to stop it. No, it was something that I was trying to do. ¡°¡­¡± But I couldn''t. I thought I was good. That my sword was brilliant, strong, and wless, and my heart was strong and free from long wanderings. A strong sense of confidence filled my heart as if I could ovee even the greatest devil out there. However, my body, the body which had to deal with the devil, couldn''t keep up. My gaze turned to the de of the sword. Seeing my face with deep wrinkles, I knelt down in regret. Grab! Relying on the sword, I stared at the darkness where the clown disappeared. Not out of hate. It wasn¡¯t because I was sad for the world. It was because of the something that corrected me, who was stupid and engulfed in hatred, hoping to cause enormous damage to the world and the clown. ¡®Mine wasn¡¯t a sword forged out of hatred and anger¡­¡¯ But rather, it was pure will contained in the flower that the child gave me. The regret that I realized it sote was filling me. ¡°Huhu, hic, hic¡­.¡± I felt like life was running out. It was hard to breathe and hard to think. And I was sad. Although my body was insignificant, I wanted to convey what I had learned to someone. So that, people who be like me wouldn¡¯t walk down the wrong path. Knowing that I couldn¡¯t, I prayed that my wish would reach someone. ¡®Even if it is in vain¡­¡¯ It didn¡¯t matter if it was ryed as thest screams of a dying old man. If somehow my present heart and mind could be conveyed to someone. If only I could¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡°¡­¡± Irene opened his eyes. Not just him. Everyone seemed to have woken up, and were just looking somewhere nkly. Judith had her head bowed down and was crying. Lulu, Bratt Lloyd, Ilya Lindsay, and Kuvar were just sitting there absently. Irene, looking at his precious friends, got up and walked out of the tent. Gorha, still hadn¡¯t left his seat outside the tent, and Karakum looked at him. And jumped up. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Irene and Karakum looked at each other without saying a word. Seeing that, Gorha was bewildered. Irene Pareira, who had been looking at his opponent for a long time, said ¡°I would like a match.¡± Chapter 172: Make up the Will (1)

Chapter 172: Make up the Will (1)

Irene Pareira, Karakum, and Gorha came down the mountain where the tomb of Gurgar was present. If it was a fight between ordinary people, then the location didn¡¯t matter, but this was a fight between Masters. Anyway, there were a lot of vacant ces at the bottom of the mountain, and it was the optimal ce for a match, especially since there were no people looking. However, in that brief moment, Karakum could clearly see that something had changed in the young man. ¡®It seems as if the flower bloomed in an instant.¡¯ Looking at Irene Pareira, who stepped forward, Karakum recalled the days when he wandered in human society. Was it because the territory of humans wasrger than that of the orc tribes? There were so many great people on the continent, that it would be hard to count with just hands. It wasn¡¯t just about being a Master of swordsmanship. Aside from the huge external strength that they possess, they also have a naturally built-up dignity that was formed after years of carrying heavy burdens and responsibilities. Or the people who endured the harshness of the world by sticking to their own beliefs and will. He felt the will and atmosphere that only such people could have in this young man. ¡®Even if his swordsmanship level had risen, it wouldn¡¯t be surprising anymore¡­¡¯ But, he still didn¡¯t know what kind of person Irene Pareira was. This was why Karakum epted Irene¡¯s challenge. There was always something more that an old warrior like himself could learn. And if that wasn¡¯t enough, he could have a conversation with Irene, not using words, but their swords. Karakum, who was thinking about that till then, looked at Gorha, who was walking behind, and asked. ¡°Why are you following us?¡± ¡°Is there a reason I shouldn¡¯t?¡± ¡°Well, nothing like that.¡± ¡°I want to see. How beautiful the flower that bloomed is.¡± ¡°¡­ that is a rather disgusting expression to use between three men.¡± ¡°Haha. Then I guess I will just watch quietly.¡± And as they chatted, they reached the foot of the mountain. Irene Pareira, who looked up at the blue sky for a moment, turned to Karakum. Karakum nodded and spread his arms towards the ground. Jjkkk Crack! Crack! The sound of sharp friction was heard from the ground, which started rising upwards, forming cracks all over. Moments after the dust rose and then settled, Karakum stretched out his hand and grabbed an object that came flying towards him. A double-edged axe; It wasn¡¯t split into two as a hammer and a one-handed axe. Irene realized that his opponent was going to be serious right from the start, and summoned the great sword with a serious expression. Swosh! Grab! He held the sword which he wielded every day, but it felt different from usual. Did the sword change again? No¡­what changed was himself. He was able to feel it more thanks to his heightened senses now, especially after he witnessed his previous life. He realized that his current sword wasn¡¯t the sword of the man in the dreams, but rather a sword formed from the remnants of the old man''s will, which still existed within Irene. ¡®Maybe, just maybe¡­my rtionship with him doesn¡¯t end here.¡¯ ¡°¡­ Hum.¡± Irene Pareira, who looked at his sword, raised his aura. As the golden light rose on his sword, a wonderful feeling arose, and even Gorha admired it. Of course, Karakum didn¡¯t have that kind of sentiment. Woong! Like Irene, he too, raised his aura. And when the ck axe de was added with aura, it gave off a crude feel. And Karakum said. ¡°Come.¡± ¡°I will not back down.¡± Phat! Irene nodded and ran towards him. There was no change to that attack, and no deception. It was an honest and straightforward charge. However, nobody could ignore the power he held. If gauging his skill was ambiguous, then understanding the power behind the attack would have been even more difficult. But it wasn¡¯t like that for Karakum. Rather, Karakum was at a level where no one other than the strongest in the entire continent couldpete with him. He took a step ahead and swung his axe at Irene¡¯s sword. Kwaang! An unbelievable sound came following the sh of the human and an orc. Gorha frowned at the sound of the metal resounding around him. However, this was just the start. The two swung their weapons wildly, like a battle between those who were hungry for a fight. In particr, Irene was more aggressive. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! A continuous attack that kept swinging back around after every exchange. As if trying to crush down the wall called Karakum, the mercilessness in Irene¡¯s sword could be felt. But the warrior of Durkali didn¡¯t feel any threat. Although the difference in skill was huge, he was now focused on defense without an intention to counterattack. Even if Irene¡¯s sword skills soared a lot, Karakum would still not be embarrassed from someone from the younger generation. No, it was more likely that it would be Irene who would get embarrassed. Unlike him, who kept revealing hisplete power and skills, Karkaum hadn¡¯t even shown anything except for remaining in the defensive. Drrr! The spirit of earth had the best bnce among the five spirits. If one could use the aura of the earth spirit, it would be fine to take on the sharp attacks, and no matter how heavy an attack was, the damage would always be reduced. Of course, that was only if there was enoughnd to use; if not, and thend was insufficient, it would put pressure on the body of the Earth spirit user, and cause the body to handle half the damage, and this could cause muscles to be hurt or even torn, but there was no reason for Karakum to worry about this since he was facing an opponent who was weaker than him. But still, it would be easier and less risky to use the aura of water. Karakum, thinking this, used more energy. Swosh! The energy of the roots of the trees grew, and the roots in the ground began to give out water. The aura, which spread out, as if it was in the ground, added more stability to this. Operating the aura in this way would make Karakum lose his mobility, but this was perfect for standing his ground. And as unsurprising as it was, Irene, who was attacking, seemed frustrated. And Karakum said. ¡°For an exciting term like match¡­ this is nothing.¡± Kwang! As soon as he said that, Karakum swung his axe. It was a strong attack that seemed as if it could tear down the sky and earth! And it was all thanks to the stability that thend gave him. With a stable center,rge movements that required a lot of bnce, could be performed in an instant. Irene took ten steps back as he was hit by Karakum¡¯s attack. Blood flowed out of his mouth. ¡°Sorry. But please continue.¡± ¡°Good!¡± Karakum nodded and sprinted towards Irene, and he finally began to take the lead in the fight. Of course, taking the lead wasn¡¯t as easy as just hitting the opponent. Karakum, too had to put in consistent effort into this match as well as his actions. Despite his blunt tone, Karakum liked Irene. The dignified appearance he had, theck of skills, and the sincerity he showed indicated that he wanted to learn, he watched this young man for days since he hade here, and each character he showed was worthy of him being a role model. Controlling his output, Karakum used the energy of the Five Spirits Divine Technique, moderately. He stimted the battle flow so that it exactly matched the purpose of the match, considering that it was possible to experience the fusion of spirits along with aura in actual matches. Woong! An Aura of water, that softer than Bratt Lloyd¡¯s, harassed Irene¡¯s sword. Thud! A metal aura which was as hard as Irene¡¯s but more refined, attacked Irene¡¯s whole body. And thest one was the fire aura. Karakum, who was hot and ferocious like Judith, pressured his opponent harshly. Although it wasn¡¯t like metal, Karakum knew that the fire aura was something Irene could confidently handle. However, the opponent had a weird reaction from what he expected. Bang! The axe and the sword collided. The sparks which burst out along with the red and gold aura felt intimidating. Bang! The second attack poured in. This time, Irene didn¡¯t back down. Karakum¡¯s eyes widened as he saw Irene stepping forward for the confrontation instead of receiving the attacks and defending himself like he thought the human would. There was a spark inside Irene¡¯s eyes. A spark that was bigger than the one before. Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! After that, and even after the next exchange, Irene didn¡¯t back down. The axe and the great swordpeted against each other without moving back even an inch, and at the same time, the size of embers that were burning increased. After about a minute had passed, Karakum pulled back his axe and looked at the young man. Hisplexion that looked tired and pale due to the rapid decline in physical strength, was what first caught his eyes. However, what stood out even more than that was the golden me flowing through the sword in a menacing shape. Wheik! Looking at Irene Pareira, who had awakened the aura of me, following the aura of metal, Karakum asked. ¡°The match won¡¯t end here. I can¡¯t stop now and stand aside because I am too curious.¡± ¡°Pant, pant¡­ what?¡± The young blonde man was breathing heavily. However, he didn¡¯t withdraw the sword. Seeing Irene looking at the me he lit proudly, Karakum tried to calm down his expression. He couldn¡¯t lose his calm in such a situation. And he said, ¡°I understand that you have gained something from your past life¡¯s memories. I know that through something, the shattered hearts in your heart were united into one.¡± "Huh, Phew¡­ right. Right. As the great warrior said, we were able to unite the mes which had been spinning around without a center." ¡°Right. Congrattions. At the age of just over 20, you have a strong conviction to make the mes your own. That is an achievement which is iparably faster than people of even the Durkali tribe.¡± ¡°You are exaggerating.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be so humble¡­ing back to the point. I don¡¯t know about your past life. I don¡¯t even want to know¡­or so I thought, but now I am curious.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But I even know that asking it is rude. And in fact, there is something I am more curious about than that.¡± ¡°That¡­¡± ¡°Your will, your belief. Can you tell me what it is?¡± Wheik! Asking that question, Karakum¡¯s eyes shone. He didn¡¯t have the same enthusiasm and ambition when he was young. He was too old for that. The age of his mind didn¡¯t match his body. However, seeing the young genius bloom, sparks rose in his heart, and even warmed up his heart. Karakum stared at Irene with interest and curiosity. Facing those gazes, the young man with his sword pointed to the ground remained silent. And then thought about the path of the man in his dream, or rather, the man who was his past self. Losing his family. Losing the trust of everyone he loved. The hatred and anger which grew out of sadness and loneliness to sustain his life, and the strength he gained to persevere through countless illusions. However, this person, who was stronger than Irene, had broken through his own limits through a more beautiful will rather than the negative thoughts that gued him. The image he showed had enough power to unite the sparks, which were stagnant and separated in Irene¡¯s heart. ¡°I.¡± Beyond the love for family. Beyond the friendship between close friends. He wanted to reach out to people who were wider than those around him and make sure these people were happier. After saying that, Irene¡¯s eyes zed with mes darker than Karakum. Upon hearing that, Karakum frowned. ¡°¡­ that is great. Your aspirations are¡­ it is much bigger than simply saying that I will be the strongest.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It sounds like something which no one can easily put into words, as if walking down the path of a hero. Did you understand that and then speak those words?¡± The aura around them turned heavy. Neither Karakum, Irene, nor Gorha spoke. It felt like gravity, which was several times stronger, was weighing them down. Irene who was sweating at the aura from the great warriors. Didn¡¯t back down from his will. And didn¡¯t even hide it. Raising his sword again, he raised the aura and then said. ¡°It is embarrassing to say.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If my words mean that I will walk down the path of a hero, then I will dly walk that path.¡± Wheikl! In front of the zing golden me, Irene Pareira made a vow. Chapter 173: Make up the Will (2)

Chapter 173: Make up the Will (2)

¡°¡­¡± A sword with a golden handle and a golden me flowing through it. Seeing the energy of Irene Pareira, whose color was too wild and ecstatic to be considered an aura, the great warrior Karakum remembered the first time he met Irene. ¡®He is such an unpredictable guy.¡¯ He really was. Despite the fact that Irene wasn¡¯t using the Aura Sword right, he recognized that Irene was a Master. It was such an unusual sword. How much time had he devoted to the sword to train and get used to it? However, the metal energy of Irene seemed weak, like it was not on par with his skills. Despite only attacking a few bandits, hisplexion had turned pale, and when he looked at Karakum, he was gasping for breath because of the shock from killing someone, the sight he saw then, and Irene now was so different that it was absurd, and Karakum couldn¡¯t evenugh. But what really shocked him was what happened next. ¡®It isn¡¯t whether I can or can¡¯t handle it.¡¯ ¡®It is a matter of whether I will or will not.¡¯ ¡®Of course I have to. For the sake of my friend and teacher, Kuvar.¡¯ In front of Irene was the strongest orc, and someone who was also one of the top ten strongest of the continent. And still, Irene drew his sword. It wasn¡¯t that he was confident in his skills. Literally, Irene was just ready to take a step forward for the sake of his friend. ¡®A will of steel which cannot be shaken by any pressure¡­¡¯ When it came to harming someone, he was as fragile as a sheltered child. But when he was protecting someone, he showed his strong figure like a hero in legends. It was natural for anyone to pay attention to such a man. And now, once again, Irene Pareira had changed. He wasn¡¯t a full hero. But seeing the human swordsman in the form of a ¡®young hero¡¯ itself, made Karakum smile. ¡®Amazing.¡¯ This was fun. A lot more fun than the time Karakum had spent improving his skills. Despite having a peaceful time, the continent was still in chaos. Instead of an all-out war between nations, small-scale conflicts erupted, and instead of the devils appearing, more sinister viins began to pop up. And that was the case with the group of bandits he encounteredst month. Those half evil filthy beings were overflowing everywhere, but most of them were busy satisfying their own self-interest. That was the current world. Meanwhile¡­ A man appeared, dering that he would raise his sword for the sake of others. A human appeared who said that he would work hard for the happiness of more people. He wore his emotions proudly on his face while speaking of his aspirations which seemed stupid, and other times silly and shy. His eyes seemed brighter than the sun which warmed the meadows in the morning. ¡°¡­ I want to ask you something.¡± However, it wasn¡¯t just a sloppy wish. Karakum, who had been silent until then, opened his mouth. ¡°I will admit the guts you have for daring to walk the path of a hero.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°But I am curious. Are you a vessel that is big enough to uphold the term ¡®hero¡¯? You should know how burdensome the role of a hero is. I wonder if you thought of all those things properly beforeing up with that word.¡± ¡°¡­¡± "There is an old saying. First, prepare your body and mind properly and then take care of your family. After that, rule the country and then finally bring peace to the world.¡± Irene nodded his head. Although he wasn¡¯t really knowledgeable, he was familiar with the words Karakum was saying. Because this was a famous saying which came out of a lot of people¡¯s mouths. He stayed silent and waited for the other person to continue. ¡°Of course, I do not intend to put you through a test or anything, but I think the answer I am waiting for is, if you know how difficult the path of a hero is. It isn¡¯t just a job which ends after just understanding oneself, but a job where you have to bear the burden of countless people on your own shoulders.¡± Karakum¡¯s words continued. About how much weight is ced on the words, actions, and choices of a hero. About how hard it would be to keep his own conviction in a situation where what was right and wrong was unclear. About how bitter the unavoidable mistakes they make along the way will be and the criticism that they would attract. And about the strength of the heart, a hero needs to have. Irene didn¡¯t think any point made by Karakum was wrong. Like Karakum said, Irene had never been responsible for anyone other than himself in his entire life. On the other hand, Karakum had been the chief of his tribe, and had carried an immense burden. ¡®A hero was a title which cannot be used simply because of a person¡¯s strength or his good character¡­¡¯ When Karakum pointed out the parts which Irene hadn¡¯t thought deeply, his anguish returned. Karakum looked at him and nodded. He didn¡¯t mean to offend Irene. Rather, he hoped that he could contain the current fire in his heart. However, to be a real hero, he would have to think more deeply and work even harder than now. Watching the clouds move, he looked at Irene and said. ¡°Think about it as much as you can, and grasp your condition. Maybe you are being swept away by the great stimulus you received when you saw your past life¡­ I wonder if your heart is true enough to pursue a will that even I, a great warrior, and a chief of the tribe, never even dared to even embrace¡­ think about it a lot.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Phew, after giving the long advice, Karakum exhaled. And it was the moment when he was about to put away his double-edged axe. Irene, who had listened to his words quietly till then, took a fighting stance. A more intense golden Aura Sword bloomed. Karakum frowned at it, and asked. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°The swordsmen I have met so far are all like this.¡± Irene, who thought about them, smiled. Lance Peterson and Ian at the school. Bratt and Judith, with whom he reunited after a long time. They were indeed like that; More like swordsmen than anything else, they conveyed their intentions and emotions through swords rather than words. And at this moment, Irene Pareira also had a heart worthy of being called a swordsman. ¡°Swordsmen should speak with swords.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t just being swept away by the memories of the past life. I would consider the past life I saw as a decoration or thest piece of the puzzle I was building over time, and I think I would have taken this path in the future even if this hadn¡¯t happened as well.¡± ¡°You¡­¡± ¡°I will show you the proof. Please stay with me a little more.¡± Wheik! An unbelievably strong sword. A fire that engulfed it warmly. Karakumughed as he looked at the approaching human, boasting a strong yet zing will. It was different from usual. This wasn¡¯t just a provocation from a young man who was drunk in his own power. ¡°Come on, I¡¯ll beat you for real this time!¡± Karakum felt a little bit of anger. But the joy and pleasure he felt were much greater than that. With those feelings in his heart, Karakum raised his axe again. And he went for Irene even fiercer than before. Bang! Bang! Bang! A retired chief and a young swordsman who wanted to be a hero. Watching them duel, Gorha smiled happily. The next day. Waking up early, Irene headed to the training hall after taking a shower. He grimaced. It was because of the battle with Karakum, which had turned intense. Despite being treated afterwards, his whole body was still throbbing. Still, he couldn¡¯t help it. He agreed with what Karkaum was saying, but he couldn¡¯t stay still at the thought that Karakum thought that he was being swept away by the memories of the past. The heart he had for his family and the heart for his friends. If not for these two things, his present will and belief, which united the sparks in his heart and turned it into a me, all his sparks would''ve been extinguished. And Irene never doubted it. ¡®But I need to take Mr. Karakum¡¯s advice seriously.¡¯ There was no need to worry about the demons like in the past. Once the opponent was defeated, it would be clear if the path he had taken was wrong or right. But with situations where right and wrong was unclear ¡­ for example, with situations where a human-to-human conflict arises. If he had to make a choice, would he be able to make the best decision? If the damage was going to happen no matter which side he chose, was he ready to carry the weight and resentment and guilt that would ultimately rise with the choice he took? And for someone who had never been hurt by such situations¡­ Was he even prepared to walk up that thorny path? ¡®Not yet¡­ I guess.¡¯ Suddenly, he remembered what had happened at the Alhad mountains. The ufortable bnce that was created by an entanglement of multiple interests. Irene couldn¡¯t find a clear answer to it in the end. Perhaps, there was no objective answer. The only answer was what he thought of. In order to find an answer to such ufortable situations without wavering, it required a much stronger subjectivity and vision than before. And that required experience, knowledge, and effort. ¡®Perhaps, I had been doing this for a long time.¡¯ Was it because of her thoughts about beliefs? The name of the ck Knightsmander I Crescentia, who made a stronger impression on his mind than anyone else, came to his mind. Unlike Irene, she was pursuing the path of the King, but it was the same. Even she found it too hard to find the correct answer in numerous situations. Even the fact that each of these choices were incredibly heavy. It wasn¡¯t just I. Chief Tarakan. School Master Ian. In addition, he thought of people who had a higher position, who looked after huge bodies of people, about how heavy it must have been to carry that burden. Realizing this, he was able to realize howfortable and easy his life had been until now. ¡°¡­ can I do well?¡± It was good to know what his sword was being lifted for. But the pressure it gave was greater than he had imagined. Was it because it was the first time that something like a dream was born within him? The fear of not being able to achieve it and the pressure fromparison with others grew even greater. Irene looked down at the ground with a depressed look. ¡°Can I do well? What do you mean?¡± Bratt Lloyd asked while approaching him. Irene, who looked at him, said. ¡°Bratt.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Can you help me with my concerns?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Huh? What?¡± ¡°Nothing. I was justing to ask you for some advice.¡± ¡°Uh? Really?¡± Irene asked in surprise. Bratt Lloyd, who he thought he knew, was a strong person and a true noble. In the past, there was a feeling that he was difficult to approach because of the arrogance he had, but now he was humorous andfortable for one to speak to. But, it wasn¡¯t like he had no concerns¡­ ''Not someone else, but he came to me for advice?¡¯ Not Kuvar? It was weird. But Bratt¡¯s story was dyed. ¡°Since you brought it up first, you talk.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Irene nodded his head and confided his thoughts in Bratt, Karakum¡¯s words, and the troubles it caused in his mind. Surprisingly, Bratt didn¡¯tugh at his dream. Rather, he thought that it suited Irene more than anyone else. Even if Irene didn¡¯t see the memories of the previous life, he knew that Irene would have gone after this at some point. The eldest son of the Lloyd family sincerely supported his friend. And that made him angry. I, Tarakan, and Ian. The others who had a great responsibility on their shoulders. Seeing Irene turn depressed byparing himself to them, Bratt shook his head. ¡°You really are a no-nonsense kind of guy.¡± ¡°Uh? Who?¡± ¡°I am talking about you.¡± ¡°Why¡­¡± "Look at those you speak of. What am I supposed to do when everyone you mentioned were Sword Masters or someone even greater than that? It feels as if you are saying I am behind them? Do you mean to say that since I am no Sword Master, I won¡¯t ever be a hero?¡± "No, I didn''t mean it like that¡­" ¡°Shut up. Stay quiet.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Bratt silenced Irene with harsh words, and shook his head. He was annoyed. He was himself, but Judith,¡­how much had she suffered because of Irene? It was absurd to see Irene with such a gloomy expression on the subject that there was someone better than him. But at the same time, he understood. Unless an individual was a God, no matter how good a human was, they would have no choice but topare themselves to others. It is inevitable. Looking into one''s shorings and feeling impatient was part of being human. ¡®Rather, it is strange that he had hardly shown such signs until now.¡® Thanking that, he felt d. Irene looked better now than at the school. At that time, he was a doll with no emotions, but now he felt like a true friend. ¡®Besides, I am an expert in this field.¡¯ Bratt nodded his head. He was sure. As a swordsman, he was upset because of Irene and Ilya, so he had a lot of things he could say to his friend. ¡°Irene.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Remember when you were in school? When I went back to my family with a shitty expression on my face?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ the time you got hit by Judith?¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°Anyway¡­ I¡¯ll tell you about that time.¡± Bratt Lloyd stared into the air, as if reminiscing about the past. Seeing that, Irene took a listening posture. Chapter 174: Bratt Lloyd (1)

Chapter 174: Bratt Lloyd (1)

The eldest son of the Lloyd family, Bratt Lloyd. As a high-ranking noble of Gerbera Kingdom, he was born with brilliant potential which suited his blood. And as expected, Bratt showed talent in various fields even at a young age, and among them was his swordsmanship, which was different from his peers in the kingdom. Even the Krono Swordsmanship school, which the gifted people of the continent struggled to enter, was like a rite of passage for him. The moment he arrived at the main gate, Bratt took a step, and vowed that he would be at the top by the time he exited. ¡°And then I met you guys.¡± It was shocking. The Lindsay family¡¯s name was known. However, he didn¡¯t expect that it would be that much. Stamina, power, and skill. Ilya Lindsay wasn''t someone he could evenpare with. Even more absurd was Judith; amoner who was never taught swordsmanship was ahead of him. Of course, Bratt was Bratt. And after the midterm, he was reborn as a new person after he talked with Ian. The genius of the Lloyd family, who let go of his intolerance, took another leap and established himself as the center of the trainees. His confidence rose again. This time, he thought he could surpass Judith and even Ilya; he believed that he could rise to the top. ¡°What a shitty illusion it was.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Looking at Bratt, who kept cursing, Irene couldn¡¯t utter a single word. Even Irene at that time, who was less aware than he was presently, could guess that Bratt¡¯s heart was shaken after the final evaluation. There was a sense of inferiority and emptiness from his defeat, and endless self-depreciation. Perhaps ten times the amount of what Irene was feeling now had gued Bratt¡¯s heart then. So, he was curious. How did Bratt ovee the pain? Was it because of Judith¡¯s words? Did Judith¡¯s punches and taunts cause him to return back to swordsmanship? Was that really the reason? And the answer to that question came right away. ¡°No, not because of Judith. Well, it isn¡¯t exactly a no. Judith did y a minor role. Even after returning back to the school, I received quite a lot of help from her. But it was my father¡¯s advice that made mee to my senses.¡± The day he returned to his family with a sense of defeat and emptiness. Bratt Lloyd told his father everything. Although he didn¡¯t tell anyone about the things which happened in the final evaluation, Dous Lloyd was the only one who could peer into Bratt¡¯s mind. He listened to his son with a calm face. All the joy he felt, and the deprivation and frustration which followed. After that, the words which came out of his father''s mouth weren''t rebuke. But rather, it was a simple question. ¡®What is the reason you are learning the sword¡­to be the best swordsman or to be a good Lord?¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ Bratt couldn¡¯t respond to his father¡¯s words right away. But his intention was clear. He didn¡¯t have to be the best in swordsmanship. Even if he didn¡¯t cling to it, he would surely be a good Lord, so he didn¡¯t have to torment himself with these useless emotions. That was what he meant. But he couldn¡¯t just ept it and move on. To just pass on like that, he felt envious of hisrades who could trample on others and move. Conversely, the image of him who fell down, being trampled on by others, made himself feel miserable. Bratt¡¯s father asked another question. ¡®You are the proud son of Dous Lloyd.¡¯ ¡®Gerard Lloyd¡¯s cool older brother.¡¯ ¡®A close friend to several children, including the son of Fred''s family.¡¯ ¡®And you are also a person who will be the great Lord of the Lloyd family in the future.¡¯ ¡®I ask again. You are someone¡¯s son, an older brother, a friend, as well as the future Lord, Bratt Lloyd. Do you value yourself as a swordsman more than all of the things that this father has said?¡¯ ¡¯¡­ no.¡¯ ¡®Then think again. The things you thought were more important than swordsmanship. You are a smart kid, so you¡¯ll understand right away.¡¯ With those words, Dous Lloyd left his son''s room, and Bratt, who was alone, pondered his father''s words. No, it didn¡¯t take long for him to think about the answer. And the answer came out right away. ¡°Right. Swordsmanship is important, but¡­peting with others wasn¡¯t essential.¡± Right. Although there were other good sons, there wouldn¡¯t be another ''best son.'' There could be another good older brother, but no other ''best older brother.'' Because the position of an older brother wasn¡¯t a ce topete with anyone in the first ce. The same was true regarding the status of a friend and bing the next Lord. Although it was possible to be better than his former self, there was no need topare with others. It would have been meaningless. As he thought about this, his thoughts on swordsmanship began to change. ¡®Swordsmanship is really important, but there are many more important things in the world.¡¯ ¡®And not all things need us topete with others. They only need us topete with ourselves.¡¯ ¡®Then maybe it¡¯s the same with swordsmanship. Rather than suffering from being behind others, focus onpeting with yourself.¡¯ ¡®Continuously challenge one''s limits.¡¯ ¡®Maybe that alone is meaningful enough.¡¯ ¡°Of course, that doesn¡¯t mean thatpeting with others ispletely meaningless.¡± Bratt, who was staring into the air, spoke as he turned his gaze to Irene. ¡°With that said, I still want to get ahead of Judith. I was unbearably envious of Ilya winning the youngest Sword Master title, and I was also thinking of practicing swords without an end in order to follow you, who keeps growing stronger without ever hitting the limit.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I will lose my focus because of that.¡± Competition leads to defeat, and defeat leads to inferiority. Such feelings of inferiority lead to emptiness and self-deprecation. It was a pain that everyone experienced. Having met many monsters at a young age, Bratt understood their emotions better than anyone else. But he was fine now. Even when he got shaken, he regained his ce quickly. Because he realized what was really important. ¡°Heroes don¡¯t have ranks. There is no such thing as the best hero or second rank hero. Being honest and having a good will is what is really important.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So, stop making uselessparisons and walk your own path. It doesn¡¯t matter if you do well or not. It is a path which is worthwhile if you can work hard and walk steadily.¡± Get that? Bratt Lloyd smiled. His blue eyes were deep and calm like ake. Irene looked at his friend''s eyes with his sorcerer sense. Bratt¡¯s body was supported by thergest heart that he had ever seen. ¡®It is true. Bratt¡­ from that day till now, he has been living his life in the same way.¡¯ Actually, it wasn¡¯t anything special. Jet Frost said something simr. If you worry too much aboutpeting with others andparing yourself with others, you will lose yourself. What really matters, in the end, is you. And Bratt¡¯s words resonated more deeply than Jet Frost¡¯s words. Heroes have no rank. A meaningful path is one that is walked steadily. Feeling those two sentences engraved into his heart, Irene expressed his gratitude to his friend. Well, he tried to. However, Bratt was faster. With a strange smile, he turned his head and looked at the sky. ¡°Of course¡­ there are those who don¡¯t get to talk or act on all this stuff.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°A person with apletely different goal from us. It would feel rewarding to just walk on the path you aimed for¡­ unlike us, a person whose dream will surface only after trampling on others.¡± ¡°Are you talking about Judith?¡± ¡°Is there anyone else besides her? You saw it too. She said everything she had to say in front of Mr. Jet Frost.¡± Bratt pulled something out of his pocket. It was wine. 1 He pulled out the cork and sipped from the bottle, and he made even that look elegant. But it was a strange sight. Of course, Bratt didn¡¯t care what Irene thought. He emptied half the bottle in an instant and opened his lips. ¡°Judith and I are onpletely different paths. That person¡­ is aiming to be the best swordsman on the continent, so she is walking on a path where it feels like she has nothing if she doesn¡¯t get the first ce.¡± ¡°¡­ right.¡± Irene nodded his head. Bratt was right. The path she walked was different from his. Judith¡¯s path was thorny and full of despair, with no sense of worth or reward until she reached the goal. A difficult journey that most of the great people who left their names in history couldn¡¯t achieve. Irene actually knew a few people who had failed and fallen out of that race. Charlotte and Victory failed, and Grayson went through a great crisis. In the case of John Drew, who changed the direction of his efforts towards establishing his own swordsmanship, it was producing positive results, but there were probably far more people who felt frustrated. ''So, I am more concerned. I wonder if the same will happen to Judith.¡¯ A concern he hadn¡¯t told anyone. However, Bratt¡¯s thoughts were different from what Irene thought. ¡°But Judith will be fine.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Although her actions feel pitiful, stupid and stubborn and she is like more of a nuisance which makes people annoyed.¡± ¡°Umm¡­¡± ¡°But there is no one I know who works harder than her with such heart. And she shines so brightly." And Bratt was right. Talent may sometimes be insufficient to know who the best in the continent was. However, with her tenacity and the poison that drove her, she wouldn¡¯t be pushed by anyone. There could be no one who worked harder than her, except for the man in Irene¡¯s dream. As he was thinking, Bratt¡¯s voice was weird and strange. ¡°It will be painful and bitter. It will burn so much that it would sometimes feel like she would die. But she won¡¯t give up.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°No matter how painful it is, she will run forwards without giving up; the way she clings stronger than anyone else is because she can¡¯t detach herself from thepetition. Always doing her best¡­ I think that is cool. And pretty, and beautiful.¡± Irene frowned slightly. The atmosphere was eerie. Irene didn¡¯t feel like he was simply praising a friend and blessing the future of that friend. There was an excessive emotion in Bratt¡¯s voice, to the point that even Irene felt strange. Irene looked at Bratt. Bratt looked at Irene. Although it was burdensome for the two men to stare at each other for a long time, they didn¡¯t avert their gaze. And momentster, Bratt said it out loud. ¡°I,¡­I like Judith.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Irene was taken aback. Looking at him like that, Bratt Lloyd smiled and said. ¡°So, can you give me some advice on how to reconcile after a fight?¡± Don¡¯t ask how. We have no idea.? Chapter 175: Bratt Lloyd (2)

Chapter 175: Bratt Lloyd (2)

¡°Phew.¡± After his consultation with Irene was done, Bratt Lloyd nodded with a stiff expression and left. It didn¡¯t look like he had anyints. However, the whole time he talked with Irene, he was sweating. Although Irene was giving him advice to reconcile, it was no different from dating advice. As Karakum said, for him, who was overwhelmed by just protecting others, love is a process of delicately exchanging emotions with the opposite sex¡­ it was uncharted territory. So, the advice he gave was basically useless. Irene had just passed on what Ian had told him. In a way, it was Ian¡¯s advice and not his. ¡®I don¡¯t know if I can give the same advice in different circumstances.¡¯ "¡­ still, Bratt is a lot smarter than me, so he will do fine." Maybe he will do things in his own way. Of course, even if he did, Irene wasn¡¯t sure if the matter could be resolved. Because Judith was a very difficult person to deal with. ¡®¡­ love.¡¯ Irene remembered the words Bratt said as he walked into the training hall. He didn¡¯t feel it. For most of his life, he was pathetic, and his interpersonal rtionships skills were so poor that making one friend was a proud thing for him. Would he ever be able to love someone? Conversely, will someone who likes him ever appear? At that thought, heughed. He summoned the great sword. ¡®For now, let¡¯s focus on the Five Spirits Divine Technique.¡¯ In order to rectify and sharpen the newly awakened aura of fire, Irene raised his convictions. The aura he manifested was clumsy and crudepared to those of hispanions, but the me in his heart was stronger and bigger than anyone else. While Irene waspleting his beliefs through the memories of his previous life and refined his aura of fire, Judith, too, was looking back on herself, remembering Irene¡¯s past life. She didn¡¯t have good intentions like Irene. And to be honest, she thought that the previous life of Irene was a stupid one. If it were her, she would have chosen to go for revenge on those who ignored her and dealt with that clown as soon as she could. So, by what aspect of the man did Judith''s mind get influenced by? ¡®Effort.¡¯ Right. 35 years of hard work fueled by his terrifying tenacity. That was what impressed her the most. ¡®He wasn¡¯t unsatisfied just because he slept a little less than others, and he still swung the sword a few times more than others.¡¯ Obviously, Judith was a hard worker. And to the extent where others didn¡¯t like it. Even her schoolmates in Krono, who stood united for the sake of the sword, couldn''t stand nor understand Judith and her hard work. Even Keira Finn would tell her to take it easy. So what? If she was ever satisfied with what she did and didn¡¯t practice, then¡­ Irene, Ilya, and Bratt, would she ever be able to keep up with them? Or I Crescentia, who was ever stronger than her friends, would she be able to catch up with her? What about Ian, Khun, and Julius Hul, who were like stars in the sky? ¡®Unreasonable. I will never be able to catch up with them at my current level. However¡­.¡¯ If only she could work like the man who Irene was in his past life. No, if she could embrace even half the poison and the fire burning inside of her, there was a chance. The me the man showed was intense and terrifying. Even though at the end, i.e., thest day, he gave up and turned into a different being¡­ ¡®I don¡¯tpletely understand it, but my current aim is to be what that guy was in the past.¡¯ Jump! Judith, who was sitting in the chair, contemted for a while before she stood up and headed to the training hall. It didn¡¯t matter if it was night. Now that all her thoughts were organized, she could practice diligently. The hot mes were rising inside of her. ¡®It¡¯s not enough. It has to burn more.¡¯ No matter how hot it was, it still wasn¡¯t enough for her. She didn¡¯t care even if the me burned her entire body and mind. She knew that she would persevere. Rather, even the suffering she had to go through from the mes would be used as a new driving force. Judith, who currently seemed as if she was the incarnation of fire, paused and caught her breath. It was the moment when she was about to move the sword she held with utmost concentration. ¡°Judith.¡± ¡°¡­¡± A familiar voice. Judith didn¡¯t look back. She swung her sword downwards. However, contrary to her thoughts, the motion her sword went through wasn¡¯t smooth. And that was because she was pulled out of her concentration. Judith, knowing that, took another breath and swung her sword again. Woong! But she wasn¡¯t satisfied. It was natural for her to feel that way. The ripples caused in theke by the stone that was thrown kept spreading. 1 It took a while for her to calm down. If it was someone else, she could have calmed down immediately, but it was not the case with this person. She looked back. The person that was the closest to her, but was also more annoying than anyone else. Bratt Lloyd. As always, it was the moment she was about to swear at him for appearing here and disturbing her that he spoke, ¡°It has been long since we sparred.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Judith frowned. Although she was back to normal after the battles because of the treatment from the tribe, she was still injured. The ces she was hit by Garam still throbbed sometimes. But Judith didn¡¯t refuse him. That was her personality, and if not for that, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to ovee the warrior¡¯s ordeal. And then she took her stance. ¡®It is better to sh with swords than words.¡¯ With that thought, it was the moment when she had decided to attack first, that Bratt spoke, ¡°What you saidst time¡­that I was hiding my skills. You were right; I was hiding it.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°But it didn¡¯t hide it on purpose.¡± ¡°What nonse¡­¡± She was going to say nonsense. But she couldn¡¯t. Bratt Lloyd moved like a ghost and swung his sword fiercely against her. Kang! ¡°Kuak¡­¡± He kepting hard. It wasn¡¯t like a sword flowing like water, but rather like a ferocious and unforgiving waterfall. Putting in more strength into his attacks, the blue-haired one said. ¡°I will show it to you, my sword.¡± ¡°¡­ okay, do whatever you want!¡± ng! Judith, who pushed her opponent away by force, went straight for Bratt. His eyes turned hot. No, it wasn¡¯t just his eyes. As Judith approached him, Bratt felt the pressure of a fireballing at him. And it wasn''t just that; for some reason, Judith''s sword was shining like a me. Kang! Kang! Sparks bounced off each time they shed. The aura mixed with it created a great deal of fear. A fear which an individual can never feel in his normal life. Judith¡¯s momentum constantly stimted this fear. This wasn¡¯t just swordsmanship. Her movements. Her gaze. And her breathing. Indeed, the energy of the mes in each of her actions seemed hot and terribly fierce and kept bothering her opponent, Bratt. There was clear annoyance etched on his face. ¡®Good.¡¯ Judith smiled. This was the same feeling she felt in her match with Garam. The me had destructive power, but the greatest strength of the fire was the fear it caused. 2 The fire which was threatening and caused even greater pain than anything else, and it constantly stimted fear in the opponent. It weakened the opponent and broke down their will. Furthermore, it restricted their movements and ultimately made it impossible for them to even move their sword. Rather than simply pressuring an enemy with force¡­ she chose overwhelming violence! Judith, who found her path, swung her sword with a ferociousugh. Swing, swing, swing. She seemed as innocent as a child with a new toy in her hand. The sword, and the me she had created on the sword were so hot and wild, that it felt like it could cover the whole world. ¡­. It was after around 10 minutes that her attack pattern continued like this when she felt something unusual happening. ¡®What?¡¯ It was strange. Clearly, Bratt Lloyd was being pushed back. But she could feel that he was just focused on defense and being in a state of inferiority in the battle. His expressionless face and the sweat dripping down from his forehead proved it. However, Judith wasn¡¯t at ease. For some reason, her chest felt tight, and her body felt heavy. It was as if she was wearing a drenched rag all over her body. A moisture that the mes couldn''t blow away, seemed to seep into her body. ¡®This bastard, he used something.¡¯ Judith clenched her teeth. She had been through something like this before. An aura operation, which restricted the movement by scattering the aura like it imitated a swamp. She remembered him saying this, after which she called him out for being weird. However, the current method was not that. It wasn¡¯t moisture. Nor was it swampy. At some point, Bratt Lloyd¡¯s aura had scattered all around and had begun to change like pure blue water. Kwaaahh! There was no real sound. But Judith had heard it. The sound of waves crashing on rocks could be heard from all directions. From the left, right, and even from behind as well, Judith swung her ming sword to clear the waves that wereing from behind. But it was in vain. The current counterattack from Judith may have worked against Bratt''s attack in the past, but now when he carefully nned the attack since the beginning of the fight, just swinging her sword at the technique didn¡¯t bring in any results. It was as if a dam had burst at the same time from all three sides. As she realized something, Judith made an angry impression. In the end, the path left was only the one in front of her. All she could do now, was to break through from the side Bratt Lloyd was standing in, which was open. Judith clenched her teeth and gave strength to her feet as she moved ahead. Or rather, it was at the moment she tried to do that. Puah! The waves of aura that wereing from the three sides vanished. It was like the energy had lost momentum and had copsed. However, that wasn¡¯t what caught Judith¡¯s eyes. Bratt Lloyd staggered for a second and coughed up a lot of blood. Judith, who saw that, threw away her sword and quickly ran to support him before he copsed. Making Bratt''s heady on herp, she said. ¡°What is this!¡± ¡°Did you see? My sword¡­¡± ¡°No, fuck that, what is this now? Why are you coughing up blood all of a sudden!¡± Judith¡¯s concerned face made Brattugh. Recently, whenever he approached her, she had a nk face, but now, it had changed. Seeing that she was worried for him, Bratt thought. ¡®Not bad.¡¯ It was true that it was unreasonable for him to use that technique. An Aura operation which slowly and secretly spread around, and then pressed on the opponent like an iing wave from all sides as soon as it was ready. If he seeded, then it would be strong, but it was difficult with his current skills. It was for this reason that he had to hide his achievement from Judith. Because he didn¡¯t think that he needed to show it until he perfected it. ¡®Because it would have been cooler to show her when it waspleted¡­¡¯ However, after hearing Irene¡¯s words, Bratt¡¯s thoughts changed. Whether it wasplete or not didn¡¯t matter. If it looked nice now or if it looked coolerter, it was a discussion that could be had at ater time. When Bratt asked what the most important thing for resolving conflicts and reconciliation was, Irene¡¯s answer to it was to ¡®convey one¡¯s true feelings¡¯. That was why Bratt forced himself to use it. It was because he thought that showing his sword was the best way to convey his sincerity. ¡®Irene told me about a letter, but¡­ in the end, swordsmen speak with swords. And writing a letter is pretty embarrassing.¡¯ If he even tried to write a letter conveying his feelings, he was sure Judith would look at him as if he was a madman. Thinking about it, he preferred it to have gone this way. ¡°Crazy bastard, why are youughing? Exin what happened! Just what happened now?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ don¡¯t shake my body. It hurts.¡± ¡°Then exin it already!¡± ¡°Okay, okay.¡± Hearing Judith¡¯s urging, Bratt slowly exined it. There were a couple coughs in between. And each time he coughed, there was more blood, and the concern on Judith¡¯s face grew. Seeing that, Bratt thought. ¡®It was good that I overdid it.¡¯ He was hurting, but it wasn¡¯t that serious. However, he intentionally bit his mouth, thinking that if more blood came, it would be more effective. And thinking about the advice Irene gave, he wanted to use a little trickery. This was Bratt¡¯s way. But Judith didn¡¯t know that. Had she known, instead of supporting him, she would have thrown fists and kicks at him, but now, her hands were full of delicateness. And it was cute to see. Which was why Bratt spoke the truth. ¡°Judith.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I like...¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Judith¡¯s face, which had been nk for a moment, then turned into beet red. The stone here refers to the voice that she heard, and theke is her mind; the ripples are her thoughts.?For the spirit of fire, I have interchangeably used me as well as fire because, at certain times, me fits the situation more than fire does. I have been doing this for a few chapters but this chapter there were multiple instances, even in the same sentence, so i didn''t want you guys getting confused.? Chapter 176: Bratt Lloyd (3)

Chapter 176: Bratt Lloyd (3)

By poll results we''re changing the name from Irene to Airn. This is the correct trantion. Happy Holidays! - NM Trantions Staff Bratt Lloyd. A person who was her best friend and, at the same time, the most annoying guy she had ever met. When Judith heard the exnation for ¡®Why did you fall and bleed?¡¯ , her biggest emotion was confusion. ¡®You should have just told me!¡¯ Why did he have to show it to her when he knew that it would hurt him? Of course, rather than just speaking, this was better to clear up the misunderstanding, but Judith thought that if it was hurting him, then she would have listened to his words. It was a bit annoying though. She thought that it was because of her behavior that the situation with Bratt Lloyd had turned out like this. She didn¡¯t like how she was feeling bad for this. However, all her doubts disappeared as she heard the next words which came out of Bratt¡¯s mouth. ¡°I like you¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Judith¡¯s mind went nk. She didn¡¯t quite understand it. Like? Whom? No way, her? She had to ept it that way, because it was just the two of them around, herself and Bratt. ¡®No, no. He might be talking about someone else.¡¯ Judith gulped and thought. In her case, at times when her training didn¡¯t go well, she would often mumble about useless things. There were times when she would curse, pour out her thoughts and sometimes say what she wanted others to say to her. This was probably the same. And as other simr thoughts denying Bratt¡¯s words came to her mind. ¡°I like you, Judith.¡± ¡°Ackkk!¡± Thud! Thud! ¡°Uh, ack¡­¡± ¡°Ah! Oh! Sorry¡­. No, ack¡­!¡± Judith had suddenly got up, which made Bratt''s head fall to the ground. And as his head banged the floor, he groaned. Judith, who watched him, felt restless as she knew that she had overreacted and had hurt him. She even thought about running away, but she didn¡¯t want to because she knew that he was hurting. And¡­ It wasn¡¯t like she didn¡¯t want to hear more from Bratt. ¡®No, what the hell is running through this bastard''s head?¡¯ She didn¡¯t understand it. Judith herself never thought of her to be attractive. No, it wasn¡¯t just that. She knew her personality, her skills in pickpocketing and swords, all of which she learned as a child. And despite not being ugly, she wasn¡¯t exactly the pretty type like Ilya. There was no reason for Bratt, a young lord, to like her. ¡®This bastard, is he trying to pull my leg?¡¯ Rather, him teasing her seemed likely. In a very angry voice, she asked. ¡°Yah, do you really like me? Give me a reason.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you like me, then shouldn¡¯t you have a reason for it? B-by any chance, if this is a joke, say it out loud. If you won¡¯t, I will definitely hurt yo¡­" ¡°It¡¯s not a joke.¡± ¡°Then what is this!¡± Judith looked at Bratt. The silent air with neither side speaking anything. Bratt didn¡¯t like this. It was partly because he thought that he couldn¡¯t remember what he wanted to say, and even more so was because of his disappointment when he learned that she couldn¡¯t believe this. However, Bratt¡¯s next words were enough to dispel the confusion in Judith. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± ¡°Ah, why? You bastard, if you can''t think of any¡­¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t that.¡± ¡°Then what¡­¡± ¡°It is because I didn¡¯t think I would have to talk about it.¡± He raised his upper body up. And as their gazes leveled, Judith''s eyes met Bratt. A slightly cheeky, yet sensual look. A young lord, who was definitely handsome, was looking at her with serious eyes, And said, ¡°I am a nner in everything, but today¡¯s confession wasn¡¯t in my n. I just suddenly thought you were pretty¡­.¡± ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°¡­ without even realizing the words came out. So, I need some time to sort things out.¡± ¡°No, are you real¡­.¡¯ ¡°So, wait a little more. I will say it carefully so that you won¡¯t think of it as a joke, but rather sincerely from my heart.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Judith¡¯s face grew even redder. No, she knew for sure. There was no need to wait for Bratt to speak. Even though she wasn¡¯t a sorcerer and couldn¡¯t look into other people¡¯s eyes¡­ there was no way that she couldn¡¯t recognize the emotion that was oozing out of his eyes. This was no joke. Bratt was sincere. That caused a huge stir in Judith¡¯s heart. ¡°¡­ I, I will hear from youter then!¡± Unable to bear it, she walked away from the hall at a terrifying speed. ¡°¡­ hmm.¡± Bratt stood up, watching her even after she left. It was a mess. As he told Judith earlier, he had no intention of confessing to Judith today. It had been a long time since they even had a proper conversation, so he just wanted to reconcile today. But when he came back to his senses, he realized what he said and that Judith had left. However¡­ ¡®It wasn¡¯t all bad.¡¯ Bratt decided to consider today¡¯s work in a positive way. The best oue for his confession was obviously her eptance. So, what was the worst oue? Refusal. The word ¡®sorry¡¯ing out from a smiling face out of consideration. And that was something Bratt had to avoid. And today, that refusal didn¡¯te, so the confession wasn¡¯t a failure. ¡®To be flustered that much, it means that even Judith was aware of this.¡¯ ¡°¡­ very good.¡± An unexpected confession. And an unnned development. But it wasn¡¯t bad. Feeling that, he smiled and walked back to his room. From today, he thought of being more proactive. And Bratt Lloyd, who was full of thoughts about Judith, couldn¡¯t even feel the pain in his body. Four months passed since Airn, and his party arrived in Durkali. The seasons changed, and the cold breeze of early autumn blew. Of course, it wasn''t just the seasons that changed. Most of Airn''s party had also achieved considerable results. And the one with the most bnce was Bratt Lloyd. Of the five spirits, he showed an immense talent for the aura of water, but had an amazing affinity with other spirits too. Wood from water, fire from wood, earth from the fire, and metal from the earth. And finally, the process of producing water from metal and back to its original state. In other words, it only took a month to achieve the circle of five spirits, which was remarkable even for orcs. Of course, the main spirit was there. By continuing the flow of five spirits, Bratt strengthened his inner body, and brought out the energy of water, and achieved a stable bnce. He concentrated onbining his swordsmanship along with the auras simultaneously as well. Seeing that, Gorha nodded in admiration. ¡°He is stable, and can handle things without me being here.¡± However, the expression on Judith¡¯s face was different. Unlike Bratt, who cared about all five spirits evenly, she only focused on the fire spirit. ¡°It is fine. Even if the five spirits don¡¯t coexist within me, my way is enough to make fire.¡± ¡°However, if you do not ept the energy of the other spirits, the bnce will be disturbed, and the unbnced power of fire will burn your bod¡­¡± "That is fine; I can handle it. And besides, I can¡¯t even feel the other spirits at all.¡± It was true. Unlike the fire spirits, which she had been familiar with since birth, Judith couldn¡¯t feel the other four. It was like there was no connection with the other spirits. In the end, there were two paths Judith could take. The first one was to not learn the Five Spirits Divine technique at all because her innate bnce might be disturbed. And the other path would mean concentrating on the fire spirit alone. Her choice was thetter, and at least so far, it had been showing good results. ¡®It is weird. Absurd, but it is actually happening in front of my eyes, so I can¡¯t even¡­¡¯ Looking at the unusual human woman, Gorha shook his head. Of course, it wasn¡¯t just Judith who was absurd. Although not as extreme as her, Airn Pareira was also special enough. Fortunately, he followed Gorha¡¯s instructions. ¡°Isn¡¯t this a win-win?¡± ¡°Yes. Unlike normal people, your energy flows in the reverse direction, not the forward direction.¡± Most of those who learned the Five Spirits Divine technique practiced it following the principle of coexistence. The principle of generating and encouraging other spirits. An example of coexistence was something like a tree that could only grow by absorbing water or a me rising from a burning tree. However, in the case of Airn, it was the opposite. He used a reverse flow, which created a new energy to constrain and control the strong energy of the Five Divine Spirit Technique. ¡°It has to be like that. Because I used the fire to tame and polish the iron stake into the smooth sword¡­¡± ¡°Hm? Iron stake? Sword?¡± ¡°Ah-no.¡± ¡°¡­ I see something. I am not going to dig deep, but¡­ it is something like a sixth sense which tells me that it feels right even if I don¡¯t know exactly. And you are right. It takes fire to refine a rough metal. Of course, it doesn¡¯t end there. It is fine now, but if the energy of the fire grows more, then you will need to use water and control that fire.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± And thus, his training went smoothly. It wasn¡¯t as good as Bratt, but Airn was also good at handling spirits. Of course, no matter how hard he devoted himself to cultivating water, wood, and earth, he couldn''t handle them like he did with metal and fire, which he had been tempering for years. For him to control the other three, he would need some kind of realization. But there was no doubt that with the current groundwork, he could move forward if and when he received that realization. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± However, Unlike the other three, who had remarkable achievements, Ilya Lindsay didn¡¯t have much growth. Actually, it wasn¡¯t that strange. The Five Spirits Divine technique was created by orcs for orcs. It was natural for most humans to find it difficult. Just because they were called a genius didn¡¯t mean that they could handle the spirits. However, seeing the three of her friends show outstanding abilities, it was inevitable for her to not feel disappointed. ¡°So it¡¯s like that?¡± ¡°Yes? What?¡± ¡°We aren''t going to stay in Durkali. And you think Ilya is bing worried, right?¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Airn scratched the back of his neck after hearing Bratt¡¯s words. Although it wasn¡¯t explicitly mentioned, the reason they were traveling around was to grow as swordsmen. More specifically, it was to achieve something worthy of being recognized as a graduate of Krono Swordsmanship School, and thereby breaking away from the status of a trainee of Krono. ¡®Except the fact that Ilya was no longer a trainee.¡¯ In that sense, all three aplished their purpose. Airn felt that he could end his long wandering because of the experiences he umted through travel and the memories of his past life. Now there was an unquenchable burning conviction in his heart. Judith, too, had ovee her feelings of inferiority and humiliation to some extent. Sure the way it was done was pretty bizarre, but she had matured a lot more since she left the school. And Bratt¡­ ¡®¡­ Bratt, doesn¡¯t seem tock anything.¡¯ At least that was what Airn thought. He felt like Bratt was someone who didn¡¯t have to leave the school and search for experiences to be called a true graduate. But that wasn¡¯t the point now. Thinking for a moment, Airn looked at Bratt and said. ¡°I would be lying if I said I wasn¡¯t worried for Ilya, but that isn¡¯t all.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Yes. There is more for me to learn here. And even if that wasn¡¯t the case¡­ I have no intention of heading back to school right now. Because¡­¡± Before going to school, there was someone he had to meet. Bratt Lloyd was puzzled hearing Airn¡¯s words. Chapter 177: Towards their Own Path (1)

Chapter 177: Towards their Own Path (1)

Batt Lloyd looked puzzled. He couldn¡¯t say he knew everything about Airn Pareira, but he did know what kind of a personality he possessed. Apart from being good-natured, he wasn¡¯t an extrovert, so he probably hadn¡¯t dated many people in his life. So, he wondered who the person he wanted to meet was. ¡®It is amazing that there is a lot more to learn here even now.¡¯ Of course, if they continued their training with the help of Tarakan, Khalifa, and Karakum, the best warriors of Durkali, they would gain a lot, but Krono was a better ce for them. In the same way that Ian had given them enlightenment with his sword dance in the past, if they went back to Krono now, they were sure that Ian could give them additional advice after hearing of each of the achievements concerning their travels. And Bratt was looking forward to that moment. But, were there more important things than that? This question was soon resolved. ¡°Hm, I see.¡± To feel, hear and see. That was what they had been up totely. And Airn thought about it seriously, and further came to understand clearly what direction it was important to take. And his current choice resulted from that. After hearing the full story, Bratt had no choice but to nod. Of course, the conversations didn¡¯t end there. Looking at Airn, who was looking at him intensely, Bratt shared his story. "Well, you might know, but my goal is to be a good Lord. From the first day, I entered the Swordsmanship school till now." What kind of Lord is a good Lord? What kind of image was truly noble? What more did he need to work on? Bratt let out his thoughts which he had kept in his heart without hesitation, and Airn, who listened, gave his opinions even if hecked the right knowledge. And the topics they discussed were not limited to each other¡¯s goals and dreams. Stories from the trip, memories from when they were prospective trainees, Ilya¡¯s story, Judith¡¯s story, and the stories of others who were precious to them¡­ And aside from these things, there were a lot of other talks as well. They had wandered around for about a year together, but this was the first time the two were having such a long conversation. And the reason was. ¡®Is this a goodbye?¡¯ As he was about to get that thought out, Bratt paused for a moment as he thought about it. It didn¡¯t seem right to say that. After thinking for a while, Bratt looked at Airn and said. ¡°Then¡­ it¡¯s goodbye for a while.¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± Airn nodded his head. Even if they part their ways now, they would meet again. The two, who hade to be inseparable from each other, continued to talk a little more. Five days after the long conversation between the two men. Judith and Bratt Lloyd were gearing up to leave Durkali. There weren¡¯t many people who came to see them. Airn, Ilya Lindsay, Lulu and Kuvar along with Karakum, Tarakan and even Gurgar as well. ¡°Are you sure that you are dead? Isn¡¯t it more like you are alive?¡± ¡°Huhu. I feel sad when you say that¡­ because of those words, my time in the world has been shortened by three days!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t joke about such things. Now I will feel bad.¡± Judith frowned. But that was all. Unlike the others who will stay in Durkali for a longer period, today would be thest time for Judith and Bratt to see Gurgar. She reached out her hand, and Gurgar too reached out his hand. No one knew what he did, but despite being a spirit, his hand could be touched. And she said, ¡°Thank you. And stay well.¡± ¡°If possible, let¡¯s meet again.¡± Till the very end, Gurgar continued to speak in a confusing manner. Judith, who looked at him, smiled and then approached Lulu. And sheforted the regret of parting with an expression that was deeper than a handshake or hug. Tuk! Tuk! Tuk! Judith¡¯s hands and Lulu¡¯s paw and tail were busily touching each other. Everyoneughed as they looked at this pair showing off their gorgeous handshake. It was quite pleasing to see how smoothly the hands were connected. But Bratt went and spoiled it. ¡°Cute.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± At some point, Bratt was unable to hide his feelings for Judith, and no one thought badly of him. Rather, everyone in here supported them sincerely. However, when he would asionally spit out such words, they felt like their stomach was bloated. Even Judith felt the same. At first, she was reluctant to say anything to Bratt, who was uttering those words, but after a month or two, she developed a tolerance to it. In the past, Bratt used to be someone who never spoke affectionate words; he would always think of gags or other simr stuff to tease her. Judith frowned more than when she looked at Gurgar, and then looked at Ilya. The silver-haired swordsman caught her gaze and took a step forward before saying to Bratt. ¡°****¡± 1 It was hard to believe that the prodigy of the Lindsay family was abusive. But no one was surprised anymore. Because everyone there knew that Ilya had been taking lessons on such matters from Judith over the past months. And this wasn¡¯t the first time either. For a month or so, Judith had Ilya curse Bratt on her behalf. Of course, Ilya had a very difficult time, but after a short period of time, she began to enjoy cursing Bratt. ¡®How did she change like that?¡¯ Airn was curious, but he had no way of knowing. What the hell happened between the two girls? He didn¡¯t think it was bad. On the contrary, Ilya, who couldn¡¯t get closer to Judith, was now closer to her because of these lessons. ¡°What did you think about that?¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Thoughtful, Judith approached him. Airn smiled and stretched out his hand; she too smiled and stretched out her hand and lightly sped it. However, their eyes weren''t light. After a moment¡¯s pause, Judith said. ¡°Don¡¯t turnzy and keep practicing hard. The next time I see you, I will surely defeat you.¡± ¡°And to make sure that doesn¡¯t happen, I need to meet you sooner.¡± ¡°¡­ right. So do well and stay healthy.¡± ¡°So cool.¡± "Shut up, Bratt. You have nothing else to say?¡± ¡°Not exactly. Well, it won¡¯t be that long before we see each other.¡± Hearing Bratt''s words, Airn and the party, nodded their heads at the same time. That was right. They had be much closer than before and were presently better people fundamentally whenpared to their past selves. The physical distance between them didn¡¯t matter. They could meet each other whenever they wanted. Even then, they couldn¡¯t help but feel a little upset at breaking away¡­ ¡°Then, I will go. Kuvar, let¡¯s meetter.¡± ¡°Thank you for the many lessons. Karakum, Tarakan and Gurgar. And Kuvar, next time, bring some family whiskey.¡± ¡°Sounds good. I¡¯ll save some for you.¡± ¡°Okay then¡­¡± Bratt Lloyd had a stylish goodbye like the nobles. Judith, who was next to him, did it a bit awkwardly, but her practice had still paid off. Everyone, including Airn, watched them as they left for a long time. ¡°Bye! Judith! Bratt!¡± The goodbye took a longer time because of Lulu, who shouted bye every 10 seconds, unable to let go of them. And the two disappeared after a while, and the empty space they left could already be felt. ¡°¡­ they are gone.¡± However, there was no time to feel regret. Karakum turned and left, and soon, the rest of the orcs followed him. Ilya held Lulu, who was still looking at Judith and Bratt, and with Airn, she returned to Durkali. In that way, the farewell, which was in a way, even more regrettable than the one 6 years ago, was over. [Bratt Lloyd story] A time when Airn Pareira hadn¡¯t arrived back at Krono and was still stuck in the sorcery world. Ahmed, a senior of their school, came to Bratt Lloyd, who was practicing swordsmanship. ¡°You are a hard worker.¡± ¡°Ah, senior. Would you like to spar with me?¡± Seeing the young one asking for a spar with a confident face, Ahmed burst intoughter. And it wasn¡¯t a derogatoryugh, but rather, he knew very well. What an incredible talent the kid in front of him had. And not just that, the kid had patience as well as wit. ''I Crescentia and Ilya Lindsay are surely great, but his one isn¡¯t much behind them.¡¯ Maybe he would one day grow up to be a swordsman who would go down in history. But of course, Ahmed didn¡¯t say these thoughts out loud. He was a person who knew how unpredictable the world was, so he couldn¡¯t say that out. It was better to cherish thesepliments and praises and give them to Judith or Lance Peterson. After organizing his thoughts, he said. ¡°No, let¡¯s sparter. There is something more important than that.¡± ¡°More important¡­¡± ¡°The school master has called for you.¡± ¡°¡­ I see. I will go right away.¡± Bratt Lloyd nodded. As he headed to the shower room, his face was stered with the expression ¡®My time hase!¡¯. ¡®Oh yeah! Graduation exam! I am the first! Did you see, Bratt? This sister is first! Hahaha!¡¯ He remembered the provocation of Judith yesterday. She had been making fun of him all day, saying that school master Ian had told her to ¡®go and experience the world¡¯. At first nce, it might sound like a trivial statement, but in fact, it was thest gateway to graduation. After traveling around the wide world, finding and making up for their shorings by themselves, they could return to Krono and receive the approval from Ian and be official graduates. Of course, it was still important how early orte they would graduate, but¡­ ¡®Still, it makes me angry when I hear things like that from her.¡¯ And that anger was even more amplified if Judith was his opponent. Bratt went and washed himself up and moved to the headmaster¡¯s room, His mind was already full of thoughts about the journey. Where should he go to achieve his growth? Whom should he meet? Wouldn¡¯t it be better to go with Judith if possible? However, those questions disappeared as soon as he heard Ian. ¡°Congrattions on your graduation.¡± ¡°¡­is there no exam?¡± ¡°What exam?¡± ¡°To experience the world¡­¡± ¡°That is something that only those whock something need to do. I think you are qualified to pass. There is no exam or test. From now on, Bratt Lloyd isn¡¯t a trainee but a graduate of Krono Swordsmanship school.¡± Saying that, Ian looked at Keira Finn, who had brought out a metal card. A symbol engraved with a sophisticated pattern of magic which was different from the trainees one. And above it was written ¡®Bratt Lloyd¡¯ in a stylish manner. ¡°Reach out your hand. I need your blood for the inscription into it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Bratt Lloyd stood still for a moment. The school master and deputy looked at him with smiles on their faces. They understood it. He was now 19 years old. Graduating from Krono before reaching 20 was an honor not many had received. And most unexpected was that Bratt himself had never even thought of it, and he was now probably filled with various emotions. They both gave Bratt plenty of time to think. However, after a while, the words which came out weren¡¯t what they expected. ¡°I am sorry, but can we postpone the receiving of the graduation card until ater time?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Later¡­ I will take it after I return with Judith from her adventure and pass her exam. No, I will take mine along with hers.¡± ¡°Hm..¡± Ian and Keira looked at each other. It was quite confusing. No one in history had rejected their graduation cards. Strictly speaking, it was postponement and not rejection. Who would dare push away the recognition the graduation card of the Krono Swordsmanship School would give them? ¡®However¡­.¡¯ ¡®I think I know.¡¯ The two smiled. Bratt wasn''t sure yet. Why did he make that choice? What was he feeling when he decided to go on a trip together? But it was clearly visible for the two people who umted years of experience. And Ian said, ¡°You have changed a lot. You are a very different person from when you first became a trainee here. Of course, I mean these words as a good thing.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Fine. The awarding of cards has been postponed till ater date. Stay by Judith¡¯s side and help her.¡± ¡°Well, you still need to find answers. Think about what you will do next.¡± Well, it was more like nagging, but¡­ Seeing Bratt Lloyd all nk and thoughtless, Ian and Keira Finn smiled. It was a secret which Judith didn''t know, but only the three of them knew. That is a swear word.? Chapter 178: Towards their Own Path (2)

Chapter 178: Towards their Own Path (2)

¡°Ah, such nice weather! The sky is clear, and the wind is refreshing¡­¡± Inside the carriage leaving Durkali, Judith mumbled, looking out the window. However, it wasn¡¯t really because the weather was really nice. The autumn sky that did not have even a single cloud was painted blue, and strictly speaking, the wind wasn''t that refreshing. But rather, the wind was a bit cold because they were still in the northern part of the continent. However¡­ ¡®If I don¡¯t say something like this, I feel like I could die from the awkwardness.¡¯ Judith, who was looking at the scenery outside, nced away. Bratt Lloyd¡¯s face, looking outside, just like herself, caught her eye. Right. They split away from Airn¡¯s party, a party in which they had moved for one year together, and now they were back to the two of them, just like in the beginning. And thanks to Tarakan¡¯s consideration, the coachman of their carriage would apany them until they reached the end of the orc''snd, but that orc didn¡¯t exactly feel like a member of the party as he barely spoke to them. In other words, it also meant that he would have to spend three months with this guy alone. ''¡­ in the past, it wasn''t like this.'' Phew, she sighed softly so Bratt wouldn¡¯t hear it. It was all because of Bratt. If only that stupid guy hadn¡¯t said that to her¡­. Then, then she wouldn¡¯t have to look outside all the time so awkwardly! As usual, they could have discussed swordsmanship or talked about what happened and joked about other things and pass the time that way. But now, she couldn''t. No, it wasn¡¯t impossible or anything¡­ but it was just hard to look into his eyes. In Durkali, she practiced alone, and whenever she met Bratt, the others would be there. As a result, even if Bratt conveyed his feelings boldly, she was able to take itfortably. And she even used Ilya to pour out her curses at Bratt. ¡®Maybe going separately is better?¡¯ She thought that for a moment, but then Judith shook her head. She didn¡¯t want that. She wanted to return to the school with Bratt by her side. And it wasn¡¯t like she hated him or something. ¡­ if she had to choose one, this felt good. Still, she couldn¡¯t make a proper decision and was hesitating like this because she had never once thought about ¡®love¡¯ in her 19 years of life. ¡®Ah, my head hurts.¡¯ Judith looked away from the window and closed her eyes. It was difficult. Envy, hatred, and annoyance were feelings that she was never confused about. However, the feeling of liking someone. Going one step further, the feeling of being liked by someone was burdensome to her. No, to be more precise¡­. It was when she was thinking about the concept of ¡®love¡¯, a word appeared in her mind, which turned her hot inside right away. Touch ¡°Eukk!¡± A high-pitched scream from Judith. It was because she felt a warmth from her side. And the culprit was Bratt Lloyd! The man who was sitting opposite her, was now sitting beside her all of a sudden. Judith opened her eyes and screamed. ¡°W-what! Why are you sitting next to me without asking me?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do this?¡± ¡°No! no, that is not it. It isn¡¯t that you can¡¯t, why sit next to me when the carriage is this huge?¡± ¡°I wonder why?¡± Bratt asked the same question with a calm expression. But unlike her, his voice was calm. Judith couldn¡¯t think of anything else to say, so she looked away, and Bratt, who had a grin on his face, answered. ¡°It is cold.¡± ¡°¡­ what?¡± ¡°I said it is cold. Maybe because we are in the north, it¡¯s only October, but it is still cold. So, I sat next to you¡­ was the answer different from what you were expecting?¡± ¡°¡­ what? I honestly didn¡¯t even think anything.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Then close the windows and move to the other side.¡± ¡°Sorry. I came because I wanted to be next to you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I gave you an honest answer, can I stay now?¡± ¡°¡­. Whatever.¡± Judith, who was looking at Bratt¡¯s face, quickly turned her head away. In the past, she would have pushed him away right away, but these days, she felt like he was just being annoying. Of course, she knew that Bratt¡¯s actions and words weren¡¯t to make fun of her. He was trying to express his feelings without holding back and also trying to not pressure her. In short, he was creating a way where she would have a hard time refusing him. This¡­ ¡°Annoying bastard.¡± Thank you. ¡°You piss people off.¡± Thank you. 1 For genuinely liking her, who had an unrelenting personality, who didn¡¯t even deserve to have such nice friends¡­ and this¡­it felt nice. And these feelings soon overcame the feelings of annoyance and gradually became bigger than them. The more they traveled from the Durkalinds, the closer they got to Krono. And it was then. On that snowy winter day, Judith spoke about her sincere heart. ¡°I don¡¯t not like you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°To be honest, I like you too. However¡­ your heart, I am not sure; I am a little scared.¡± To ept your heart. A small and barely audible voice, but Bratt heard it clearly. Gulping, he looked at Judith. Her words continued. ¡°I don¡¯t know if I, who has been doing dirty things from the start of my life, can have a rtionship with someone.¡± "I only know about swords; I don''t even know if I can have a rtionship.¡± ¡°Maybe, just maybe¡­ because of that, if I do end up being with you¡­ if we go ahead and our rtionship turns sour¡­ I don¡¯t know if we can even see each other. Therefore¡­. I think I need more time.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I am sorry. That is a very selfish answer.¡± Speaking, Judith exhaled softly. It was frustrating and annoying too. She felt like she was going crazy and felt pathetic because she couldn''t even give a proper answer to someone who had been honest to her. She closed her eyes, and bowed her head. She was afraid to hear what Bratt would say. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t want their rtionship to grow. When she saw Ilya and felt depressed, apletely different sense of frustration came up through her chest, and she felt inferior to Ilya. However, it didn¡¯t happen for long. Grab. ¡°Uh?¡± Judith opened her eyes in shock. Bratt¡¯s hand was grabbing hers. It wasn¡¯t very warm. But it felt firm. She looked at the blue-haired man who smiled. ¡°I am d. This wasn¡¯t a refusal.¡± ¡°¡­ Uh?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s see. So¡­ this could be a grace period.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Is that not what you meant? I took it that way. Did you n to reject me then?¡± Judith shook her head. She shook it so strong that the wind created from that motion could be heard. Watching that, Bratt¡¯s smile deepened. ¡°More than friends, less than lovers. Should we settle for that now?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Tell me if you don¡¯t want to. No, even if you hate this, I don¡¯t think I can concede more than this.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to answer. If you let go, it falls through.¡± Bratt Lloyd walked forward and confidently dered that. His hand holding Judith''s. And Judith didn¡¯t let go of the hand. No, as if trying to give warmth to the hand holding hers, she held onto his hands more strongly. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± For such a long time, the two swordsmen silently walked in the winter snow. And after a while. An uninvited guest intervened. ¡°Ugh, just spit it out.¡± ¡°Such young people you are! Starting right from the morning? If you stick this close, the others will feel shy.¡± ¡°I know, right. It breaks my heart too¡­ so maybe you guys can do this, put down your luggage and leave quietly.¡± Bandits were standing in front of the two with knives. Seeing that, Judith thought it was absurd. And it was the moment when she was about to raise her fist to scold them. Puck! Puck! Kick! ¡°Should we go?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The existence of the individual who was more than a friend, and less than a lover, stunned the bandits with a calm face. Judith looked at Bratt with an annoyed face as he said. ¡°Take my hand again. Because it¡¯s cold.¡± The sun changed. At the end of January, the two swordsmen had arrived at Alcantra, about a fortnightter than expected, and looked at the gate of Krono. They hade back after a year and a half. It wasn¡¯t just that they hade back. But it was the fact that both of them came back with a great sense of aplishment to be proud of. In particr, Judith¡¯s heart was pounding away as if it was going to explode. ¡®When seeing me, what will school master Ian say?¡¯ Asking her to go on this journey wasn¡¯t actually advice regarding swordsmanship. Ian had wanted Judith to experience the continent and rx. And the endless me burning inside her because of her inferiority didn¡¯t torment her now. ¡®No need.¡¯ However, instead of following the instructions of the school master, Judith pushed herself even harder. Even Gorha said that her me was so hot that it would burn her one day. But she didn¡¯t think that it was the wrong way. ¡®It is fine. I can endure it. And I will do that.¡¯ No matter how shitty it became. No matter how sad or annoyed she was. If she tried to hold onto it with a na?ve heart, it would just torment her more. And she epted that now. And because of that, she knew that she would survive. And using that as a driving force, she decided that she would rise to a level where no one in the continent could follow her. ¡°Should we head in?¡± ¡°¡­ yes.¡± Judith looked at Bratt and nodded. She was a little nervous, but her expectations were taking over her. However. ¡°¡­?¡± As Judith entered, a familiar sound was heard. ¡°This¡­¡± She wasn¡¯t the only one feeling it. Bratt did as well. He frowned slightly at the sound his ears were picking up. The sound of swords shing. However, it wasn''t the feel of metal colliding; it was much more violent and intense than that¡­ it was full-on shing. ¡®¡­Aura Sword! A fight between two Masters!¡¯ ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Judith said urgently. Bratt nodded. If it was a battle between Masters, then it didn¡¯t matter who it was between; it was worth watching. The two moved quickly. Not surprisingly, everyone, including the trainees and other teachers, gathered in the hall to watch the two swordsmen fight. And Bratt with Judith had no choice but to watch the battle between the two swordsmen in admiration. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Judith thought. How many great fights have they seen so far? Hundreds of seniors had battled in the school, and there was also that battle between Airn and Ilya in the Land of Proof. Even in Durkali, they experienced the greatness of Karakum. Tarakan and Khalifa weren''tcking either. But the battle that was unfolding in front of their eyes was different. It was so huge and majestic that it overpowered the emotions of the spectators. It was the same even for Bratt Lloyd. Swosh! Swosh! Like lightning passing by. Bang! Bang! Babang! Sometimes their actions caused a big shock. No, sometimes it was so shocking that nothing could be expressed. Everyone in there, including Judith and Bratt, watched the fight. When they came to their senses, they saw the swords of the fighters. ¡°Should we stop now? If we did more, I don¡¯t think there would be a result today.¡± ¡°No. I am bound to win.¡± ¡°haha, then should we continue a little more?¡± ¡°Shut up. Next time Ie, it will be a perfect execution, so wait for me.¡± ¡°Well, I need to practice a little harder too.¡± ¡°Shit. And what have you been up to till now?" ¡°I can¡¯t beat you with words.¡± ¡°Soon, there wille a day when no sword can defeat me. Enough. It has been long, and I need to go on a date with Keira.¡± ¡°I feel bad for being single¡­¡± The attitude of the swordsmen was gentle. However, the opponent was weird. He was a little like Judith when he spoke with profanities here and there. Of course, the only thing that was simr was the way they spoke. Because the appearance of the old man with iron-like muscles was nothing like her. But that didn¡¯t matter. He realized through the conversation with Ian and the skills he showed. Bratt, knowing the person¡¯s identity, shouted without realizing it. ¡°Khun!¡± One of the three strongest people on the continent, a monster, who had ceased the break he was taking, and visited Krono. ¡°Hm?¡± The gaze of the old man, which was passing through the crowd, suddenly fixed on Bratt. It was natural; when someone''s name is called, there will only be a few who wouldn¡¯t turn in that direction. Khun narrowed his eyes and moved to the person who arrogantly called out his name. However, the direction he moved to wasn¡¯t towards Bratt. ¡°¡­¡± He released a sharp energy like a beast. And his prating gaze, which was even sharper than the energy that he released. And both of these fell on Judith and not Bratt Lloyd. The expression of the surrounding swordsmen and even Bratt hardened in an instant. But Judith didn¡¯t give in. Wheik! She added the energy of the fire from the Five Spirits Divine Technique to her extremely hot heart. And what wascking in her could be filled with me. Even though her legs were shaking, she opened her eyes wide, and Khun watched her for a long time. After a while. The words which came out of his mouth astonished everyone. ¡°You, be my disciple.¡± Judith is the one saying thank you in her mind. Not Bratt.? Chapter 179: Towards their Own Path (3)

Chapter 179: Towards their Own Path (3)

When the four of them, including Irene, were concentrating on spirits, Lulu, the cat sorcerer, wasn''t just ying around. ¡®It seems that this is something that can help Irene.¡¯ Lulu thought as she looked at the ne he picked from Durkali¡¯s treasure room. She had no talent either for control or for affinity for the spirits. But she could feel something. And she thought that if she could make good use of the ancient relics that didn¡¯t even exist in records, then she would be able to give a lot of strength to Irene in the future. Even she had a feeling that something was about to happen. She nodded and turned. Pah! Whoo¡­! With bright eyes, and elongated limbs, and horns and wings growing on her head and back. Lulu, who seeded in transforming more easily than before, was satisfied. ¡°Great! Indeed, I feel like I have much more strength in my transformed state!¡± The sorcerer, who looked at her human-like appearance, immediately shook her head. And she stared at the ne Irene had lent her. Nothing was known about the identity of the ne; she really didn¡¯t know what it was. But it was fine. Originally, Lulu was proud to be one of the top ten sorcerers on the continent. Comparing fighting skills alone may not be right, but if a cat could learn to speak humannguage, then how strong did the cat¡¯s aspiration have to be? And now that the power of her mind had be stronger due to the effect of the transformation, she was sure that the information about the ne would just flow into her normally, like it was the case with other things. ¡°Was what I thought¡­¡± However, no. A week passed, and then a month, and even after Judith and Bratt left Durkali. Lulu still failed to uncover the secret behind the ne. It was unfortunate, but there was nothing she could do. Lulu, in her transformed state, had gained the power of intuition where she could see through the essence of things by just looking at it, but this ne wasn¡¯t giving her any information. But the ck cat didn¡¯t give up. Clenching her front paws tightly, she moved with ambitious eyes. Then, she went to Gorha, who wasn¡¯t very friendly, and asked. ¡°Tell me more about spirits.¡± ¡°¡­ Hmm?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to tell me directly. I am just curious about the concept and knowledge about spirits. Can¡¯t you introduce me to a spirit which can speak well?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give you this instead¡­.¡± ¡°I-I am not someone you can buy with mone¡­¡± Rumble! ¡°¡­¡± Snap! ¡°I know someone who is good.¡± Gorha grabbed Lulu''s front paws and nodded happily, and Lulu had the opportunity to learn about the Five spirits, which the Durkali tribe was so proud of, as well as other knowledge which had its roots in subjects far more important. The five spirits, earth, metal, water, wood, and fire. Theories about existed even before that; along with things like the four principles, the three virtues, Yin and Yang, all of this existed from the beginning. Lulu learned the way the orcs looked at the world step by step, and in two months, she was as good as the orcs who wandered the continent. Those were the individuals who were acquainted with the spirits that they knew the most. And they were even better than Kuvar, considering that Kuvar was more about theory than actual practice. ¡°It is a good thing that you didn¡¯t learn from me.¡± ¡°Hahah! Am I a spirit warrior now?¡± ¡°No, you aren''t. If you were one, then wouldn''t anyone who can handle spirits be a spirit warrior?" ¡°Right.¡± Lulu nodded gently and focused on the ne. It was only a tiny bit, but it seemed almost obvious. The fact that the power contained inside it was something greater than the basic five spirits. And now she was getting the hang of it. So even if Kuvar didn¡¯t stop talking and messed up her concentration, she didn¡¯t mind that he bothered her since he was giving her valuable information. ¡°Where is Irene? Still with my father and Tarakan?¡± ¡°Well, yes. It has been that way since the start.¡± ¡°Hmm. Right.¡± Kuvar nodded. Due to the fact that he was learning divination from Gurgar, he visited the castle inside at least once a week. Both family and Irene were important to Kuvar, but currently, it was more important for Kuvar to build memories with his teacher, who could disappear anytime. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean he wasn¡¯t interested in Irene now. Kuvar mumbled, thinking about the mental training he started two months back. ¡°It definitely won''t be easy.¡± Currently, Irene wasn¡¯t practicing the Five Spirits Divine Technique. And he wasn¡¯t sharpening his swordsmanship either. But rather, he was focusing on the past. With numerous incidents, situations, and problems in the Durkali tribe, he was spending time contemting how he would have solved them. In other words, it was a more active and in-depth continuation of the worries which gued him at the Alhad mountains. ¡®Well, since he can get advice from both his father and Tarakan, he was sure that Irene was in good hands.¡¯ Whichever option was chosen, what would be the judgement a leader should make when facing a difficult situation? Of course, there was no right answer. Even if they were great beings in history, they aren¡¯t always praised by the future generations. If one praises a person as an iron-blooded ruler, then others would use him of being cold-blooded, and those considered as sages will be called hypocrites. However¡­ ¡®The role of a chief is to lead the group while enduring the pressure and burden thates with it.¡¯ In that sense, he thought that there was no good teacher like his father and Tarakan for Irene. Although the path Irene chose wasn¡¯t that of a king, it was no different since Irene would constantly face burdensome choices. And experience numerous events that will probably go down in history. By referring to the opinions of old and young leaders, he could build his own beliefs as well as standards and opinions. To help him make the best decision when faced with difficult situations. A mind training worthy for a hero. ¡®In some ways, it is much more difficult than training the body. Especially since it is Irene.¡¯ Closing his eyes for a moment, Kuvar remembered Irene Pareira. A person who had the potential to be better than anyone he had met. Not only did he have a good heart, but he also wanted other people to feel his kindness. Right. Even though he knew how impossible it was, Irene was dreaming of a world where everyone was happy. But reality is often cruel. In a world full of countless misfortunes and hardships which cannot distinguish the good and bad, or the right and wrong, it could be said that the current world was difficult for a hero to walk in,pared to the past world, where exterminating the demons and the devils was the priority. It wasn¡¯t like Irene was overusing his body. It wasn¡¯t like he was swinging his sword hard enough to make his heart explode. But this wasn¡¯t going to be easy. And despite knowing that, Irene didn¡¯t want to run away without trying to give his best. Although proud of that idea, Kuvar couldn¡¯t help but worry about him. ¡®I hope he doesn¡¯t carry a burden so heavy that he can¡¯t handle¡­¡¯ It was time when he thought more¡­ Suddenly, he heard the sound of the door opening. Kuvar and Lulu turned their heads. And a familiar figure was standing there. Irene Pareira. A young aspiring hero who still approached people with kind eyes, which was no different from the past. No, that wasn¡¯t it. Kuvar thought. Could he add the word ¡®aspirant¡¯ to the name of the young man in front of him? ¡°Lulu.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lulu flew to Irene, who called her. Her big eyes were looking into his eyes and his heart as well as his beliefs. Even if Kuvar wasn¡¯t a sorcerer, he knew what Lulu was doing. ¡°Remember it? What I said to me; ¡®Next time we meet, I¡¯ll ask the same thing to Irene Pareira and not the steel within you.¡¯ If I wanted to turn down her offer even then, she said I would have to work a lot harder.¡± ¡°Yes. I remember.¡± ¡°How does it look to you now?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Will I be able to stand proudly in front of that person?¡± ¡°Even if I don¡¯t tell you, it seems like you already know the answer.¡± Lulu didn¡¯t answer. Nor did Kuvar. Seeing the young hero who had changed drastically in a few days, and in a slightly trembling voice, he said. ¡°I have decided. My next destination.¡± ¡®What am I doing now?¡¯ While Irene Pareira was being taught by Karakum and Tarakan. Ilya Lindsay was continuing her own training. It wasn¡¯t like she was moving with certainty. It was because her mind was soplicated that she couldn¡¯te to her senses. The Five Spirits Divine technique, which everyone else showed great achievements, was sluggish for her, and the swordsmanship which had grown untilst year, was stagnant now. As a result, she was unable to find her own way. It was around the time when Ilya opened the note which Gurgar handed her, that her heart grew beyond what she could handle. A short sentence was written in the paper. ¡®Go back to the beginning.¡¯ It was just some abstract sentence. But Ilya understood it. The beginning wasn¡¯t limited. Even if she sunk into the past, concentrated on the present, or moved into the future, there would still be a certain thing constantly in her mind. ¡®I Crescentia.¡¯ Ilya, who remembered the name after a long time, crumpled Gurgar¡¯s note. She didn¡¯t want to ept it. It wasn¡¯t because she didn¡¯t want to listen to others'' words. Now, she was struggling to walk her own path, away from the gaze of others. ¡®I don¡¯t need to be obsessed with I anymore.¡¯ Ilya nodded her head. Right. That was true. How deeply the obsessivepulsiveness and the anxiety caused by that useless obsession had wounded her. And how painfully it had burned her. Knowing that, she wasn¡¯t going to follow behind I. It was a stupid thing. Thinking till there, Ilya burst intoughter. Thinking back, it was silly. Even though she promised not to wander anymore and walk in her own path without being shaken, she was still the same as in the past. Swayed by the words of others and dependent on the advice of others. No matter how great the fortune-telling was, it was something she should refrain from doing, changing her thoughts based on others'' words. Organizing her thoughts like that, her heart turned lighter. And Ilya smiled, closing her eyes. And when she opened her eyes at the cool breeze which hit her. ¡°¡­¡± Irene Pareira, who had a different atmosphere, spoke with a radiant look. ¡°I am going to see I Crescentia.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I am a little afraid to go alone, but¡­ could youe along with me? An absurd thing to say. She knew it the moment she saw it. The strong energy around Irene. It was so strong that he could probably stand proudly in front of I now. He was shining so bright that others would be nothing in front of him. But strangely, this didn¡¯t feel bad to Ilya. Unlike I, who approached like the sun and burned away her brother''s confidence in an instant, this light from Irene was¡­ warm. And thanks to that. Ilya came to realize that she had been making up excuses till now. ¡®¡­ I was avoiding it.¡¯ She wasn¡¯t getting away from obsessing. She just didn¡¯t have the confidence to face I. Fearing that she would copse from fear once again, she ended up running away. And finally, Ilya realized it. Suddenly, she clenched her teeth. She hade to her senses now. Gurgar¡¯s note was crumpled, but it was still fine. Ilya Lindsay smiled and spoke to her dear friend, Irene. ¡°dly.¡± Chapter 180: Towards their Own Path (4)

Chapter 180: Towards their Own Path (4)

Before Airn, Ilya and Lulu departed from Durkali, a modest party was held. To be honest, the word ¡®modest¡¯ didn¡¯t seem appropriate for it. Even the word ¡®party¡¯ didn¡¯t seem appropriate. Only six people participated, but it was still great. ¡®It is natural for Kuvar toe, but I didn''t think Tarakan, Karakum, and Gurgar woulde too¡­'' When Judith and Bratt left, they thought it was a little strange because these three didn¡¯t join. But that didn¡¯t mean they were feeling ufortable. Gurgar was a very good-natured spirit, and Tarakan, along with Karakum, had gotten close to them over the past two months. Ilya was a shy person, so they thought things might be awkward¡­ Thud! ¡°In the end, farewell calls for alcohol!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Are you going to drink all of that?¡± Looking at the huge bottles of alcohol open on the table, the others were shocked. ¡°It is unfortunate that Bratt isn¡¯t here, but we can drink a bottle. Ah, you should all drink too! Wait a minute¡­¡± Even the three orcs and Gurgar were drinking that strong alcohol, which was being poured into their sses continuously. ¡°Hm, this is good. It¡¯s spicy, and a cherry vor fills the mouth.¡± ¡°Ugh, And I really like how this smells. Father, should I get another bottle?¡± ¡°Obviously! And if something like this is there, take it out more often!¡± ¡°Even the chief isn¡¯t rich enough to drink this every day.¡± ¡°Kuvar, give a bottle to this teacher. I used to hold back because of my health, but now that I am dead, this is fine.¡± ¡°¡­ a joke like that is difficult to ept.¡± ¡°What! After hearing that, I want to drink too!¡± The orcs kept having fun and drinking. In response to that, the cat jumped into the air and transformed, and Kuvar, who noticed it, poured her a ss. Shockingly, Lulu drank three sses in a row. ¡°Ah, everything is turning.¡± Swosh! And it didn''tst long. She was back to her cat form and fell into the arms of Airn and fell asleep. "Me too¡­ I am done¡­" "Huhuh, is that all? Thest time I saw you, I thought you could handle your drinks; you look weaker than I thought¡­" ¡°****¡± ¡°?¡± The next drunk person was Ilya. Unlike Judith, she could handle a certain amount of alcohol, but even then, she couldn¡¯t go against the monstrous orcs. ¡°Goodbye.¡± Ilya headed to her room with a gentle greeting as if she had never cussed. Fortunately, there was no staggering. Airn, who looked at his friends, took a sip with a smile. And looked at Kuvar with slightly drunk eyes. ¡®If I hadn¡¯t met Kuvar, what would my days have been like?¡¯ He didn¡¯t want to dwell too much into it. To him, Kuvar was more than just a teacher. It was Kuvar who told him to nurture the mes in his heart, and it was Kuvar who gave Airn the right advice to ignite the embers in his heart. Even the memories of his past, which were testing him, were solved because ofing to Durkali, so it was safe to say that this quack fortune-teller was an amazing gain for Airn. As he remembered the journey with him, Airn felt blessed. He felt like he should somehow express his gratitude to him when he wasn¡¯t drunk. However, it wasn¡¯t possible. Kuvar, who was also staring at Airn in the same way, said. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°When I first approached you, I had no idea. I was using you. The loneliness which I had umted while wandering for 20 years, your aura which was a little more unusual than others. And the little pride in me which wanted to lead a young man.¡± ¡°Using me? Not at all. As Kuvar said. If it wasn¡¯t for Kuvar, I¡¯d be wandering too, not having any idea what my path was.¡± ¡°No, not at all. Even if I might have helped, it was just me saying some words which anyone could have said. My advice wasn¡¯t anything special. Being able to handle the words I said and using them to be better is what is truly great.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Being helped andforted¡­ funny that the whole time it was me and not you.¡± Closing his eyes for a moment, Kuvar recalled the past. The first time he felt the greatness in Airn was at Alhad mountain. He knew Airn was a good person, and that he wasn¡¯t trying to keep his goodness to himself, but was rather thinking of spreading it to the world. The eyes of Airn that Kuvar saw then, were asking questions that would¡¯ve been ridiculed by many and were searching for the best path to move forward. And it didn¡¯t end there. As time passed, Airn turned stronger, and his passion turned hotter and hotter. The young man didn¡¯t give up even when he met I, and carried out his will without feeling burdened even in the Land of Proof. He was a person who had a more honest heart than anyone else, and held the courage to put his thoughts into action¡­ and, in the end, made miracles happen. He didn''t run away, nor did he turn away because things were hard. ¡°The person that ended my wandering of 17 years and ended my pitiful escape¡­ it was all because of you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Even before you saw into your past or established your beliefs¡­ you were already a hero to me.¡± Phew, speaking, Kuvar exhaled. And the smell of alcohol touched Airn''s nose. However, Airn didn¡¯t mind. And with clear eyes, Kuvar adjusted his posture and bowed to Airn. ¡°N-No¡­¡± Airn was bewildered and looked at Kuvar, not knowing what to do. And that wasn¡¯t the end. ¡°Thank you. Thank you very much.¡± Gurgar followed his disciple and bowed. "Thank you for bringing my brother back." Tarakan, Durkali¡¯s chief, followed him. And finally, even Karakum, who had been drinking throughout the farewell party, bowed. And in the most polite way, he said. ¡°Thank you, young hero.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°For allowing me to lighten the burden of a lifetime, for bringing back my son, and¡­ thank you for allowing me to meet him again.¡± As he bowed, tears were dripping down his face. They weren¡¯t the tears of a former chief or a great warrior, but those of a father. Airn, who felt overwhelmed by it, also shed tears. Bowing his face to the orcs, he said. ¡°To be a hero not just for Kuvar but to be a hero for everyone else ¡­ I will do my best.¡± The next day, Airn and his party had an early lunch and left Durkali. Lulu and Ilya had a bit of a hangover, but it was fine. Because one of the orcs helped them on their journey. ¡°This is as far as I cane.¡± But the service wasn¡¯t provided forever. The orc dropped off their things at a city, and took the carriage back to Durkali, and now they were back to just the three of them. But only for a while. ¡°Oh my, it is so nice to meet you! It is an honor to see you people here!¡± They soon hired a new driver. They had no choice but to do so. Until now, everything was done by Kuvar for them. In other words, it meant that Airn, Ilya, and Lulu could not continue their journey by themselves since he had left. ¡®I¡¯m speaking to all of you, don¡¯t try to do things on your own and just hire someone. It would be for the best for you all if you did that.¡¯ Airn, Ilya, and Lulu all nodded their heads. No matter how much they wanted, it was unreasonable for those three to do the tasks. As a result, the number of people turned to four again. And Airn, with his party, continued their journey with a great coach. However, they didn¡¯t know. The words which spread through, about the appearance of the young people walking around, and the generous tips that they gave to their employees, and how it would make them look. And how many bad people were in the world waiting to target such good-natured people. ¡®This is amazing.¡¯ Johnson, the coachman of the party and leader of the bandits, drove the carriage with a smile. He never thought that strangers who didn¡¯t know much about the world and that were this young would have so much amazing money to spend, and would appear in a northwestern city where there was nothing to see. And to think those people would be his target. However, all that luck fell on him, and now there was just one final step remaining. While they prepared to set up camp near the hideout, it would bepleted when his men arrived at the appointed time. And since he was a merciful bandit, he would leave some money to the young people to return back to their homes. ¡®I think it¡¯s better to just deal with them after what happens, but they are too young¡­¡¯ Even the cold-blooded Johnson was not ruthless enough to hurt such young children. This time, he nned to give them a ¡®world is scary¡¯ lesson. However, it was Johnson who didn¡¯t know the world well. And he understood this because of the incident which happened in the evening. Kick! Shhhh! ¡°Airn, is there enough firewood?¡± ¡°¡­ A noble woman was gathering firewood to make a fire. However, the process was strange. Instead of picking up fallen branches on the floor like a normal person, she turned to a tree that wouldn¡¯t fall even when stuck with an axe and cut it for fire. And the shock didn¡¯t end there. ¡°It can¡¯t be that thick. The raw trees won¡¯t burn well¡­so throw it in.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± Wheik! Crackle! ¡°Would it be better if you cut it thinly?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Johnson¡¯s eyes went wide as he saw the tree being shredded into 32 pieces of firewood as itnded on the ground. And right after, Lulu, the cat sorcerer, who was sleeping back next to Airn, said Yap! And fireballs were thrown. Wheik! ¡°See that! Now I know how to use spirits!¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t spirits, but sorcery.¡± ¡°Ugh. I want to learn about spirits too.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you didn¡¯t want to use them?¡± ¡°Yes. But as I studied them, they were interesting. But I can¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®What? Am I dreaming now?¡¯ Johnson, the leader of bandits, was shocked. Young people who can cut down huge trees and the young man who cut down the huge log into pieces instantly. And the most bizarre thing was the cat which could make mes from its paws and could speak humannguage! What the hell? Who were they? The confusion and absurdity of the things he was seeing were overloading his mind. He couldn¡¯t tell if this was real or not. And then, something changed. ¡°Hehe, what? A luxury carriage on this quiet road¡­¡± ¡°Oh, nobles maybe? The air is ssy¡­ it will be a lot of money.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t thinking of taking away the money and giving it to the poor, right?¡± ¡®¡­ No! not them!¡¯ Johnson was back to his senses. Don¡¯t do it. Trying to steal from these weird people, it will ruin everything. Even the minimum would be death, and the maximum would be¡­ well, he didn''t know. The monstrous ck cat which could curse people. Throwing away the cooking ingredients, Johnson went and stood in front of the men. And drawing his sword, he said. ¡°Get away from here! You fuckers!¡± ¡°?¡± ¡°?¡± The bandits were shocked. They had no choice but to do so. Their leader, who was bringing their prey to them, was now saying this. It was natural that they couldn''t understand it. And one thought Johnson was joking. Hehe, with a meanugh, he said. ¡°Ehh, brother. Great acting¡­¡± Puck! "Acting my ass! Go away!" ¡°B-brother!?¡± Puck! "Brother, you say, since when was I your brother! Stop with the bullshit!" ¡°No, wait. Wh¡­¡± Puck! Swosh! Swoosh! ¡°Kuak¡­¡± ¡°Is this enough? Or do you want to get on my bad side?¡± Johnson threatened them with his sword. It was only then, did the bandits actually look at him. Blood drenched eyes, and a ghost-like face. Realizing that their leader was being sincere, they slowly disappeared. ¡°Move faster!¡± And disappeared quickly. ¡°Gasp, gasp, gasp¡­¡± Johnson took a deep breath. What happened just now wasn¡¯t really tiring, but it looked like he was going to die. In fact, he felt like his heart would burst. And if he hadn¡¯t done what he had done, then perhaps his employers woulde over to see what happened. No, it was already happening. ¡®Damn it!¡¯ After exchanging nces, the blonde and silver-haired swordsmen approached. But they both had nk expressions on their faces. Seeing the two walking towards him at the same time, Johnson felt like he was being pushed by a wall. And his breathing turned rapid. Maybe, maybe he will die? And then, as he heard what they said, he realized that it was a misunderstanding. ¡°Thank you, Mr. Johnson.¡± ¡°Really. You are just a coachman, but you work so hard and are brave even in front of bandits too¡­ I¡¯ve never seen such a person.¡± Airn and Ilya seemed moved. In particr, Ilya¡¯s feelings were intense. For her, who was conscious of being ridiculed all her life, it had been a long time since she saw such pure and courageous kindness. At least that was what Ilya thought. ¡°Thank you, Johnson.¡± ¡°¡­¡± And as he saw the ck cat giving out gold stuff from the air, Johnson couldn''te to his senses. But those feelings were short-lived. He looked at the three gold mice in his hands, and he spoke in a loud voice. ¡°I, Johnson, will continue to serve my employers with all my heart!¡± Chapter 181: Ancient Dungeon (1)

Chapter 181: Ancient Dungeon (1)

Johnson, a former leader of a band of bandits and a now faithful coachman, recalled the past. He was in the middle of drinking, and one of his subordinates said something. In Eisenmarkt, a city famous for its diators, there would be battles between Sword Masters, and surprisingly, some of them turned out to be of the age of 19 and 22. So, he thought it was bullshit. He wasn¡¯t even an Expert, let alone a Master, but he knew how great being a Master meant. Even if he searched the entire continent, there would be only 100 of them. A great title that even the most respected beings in the kingdom couldn¡¯t help but want to touch. And someone reaching that state? At 19? ''I''m not even a kid; why are you making me hear such nonsense!¡¯ ¡®But, brother, it is real. One of them is the famous Ilya Lindsay, and the other¡­'' ¡®It must be exaggerated! Don¡¯t you know that neighboring kingdoms bluff? Think about it!¡¯ At the time, he had pped one of his subordinates on their heads and told them to not talk more about it. However, it was wrong of him to do that; he now thought that he should¡¯ve worked harder then, and that he should¡¯ve found out more information about the two young geniuses from his subordinate. About what they liked or hated, their personality, etc. Why, because the people right now¡­ Bang! Kwang! Kwaang! It was because he was now the coachman for the young Sword Masters from the Land of Proof he had heard about from his subordinates. ¡®How can they use an Aura Sword at such a young age? Does this even make any sense?¡¯ Johnson felt confused. Even when they first split the woods, he didn¡¯t think it was so absurd. He never thought that he could ever cross paths with some promising youngsters who studied at great ces like Krono or other ces like that. However, he learnedter that they weren¡¯t just some swordsmen. ¡°Mr. Johnson, just in case¡­ if we find a ce where there are few people, we will spar with each other.¡± ¡°Huh? Yes! Please do.¡± ¡°Yes. You might be shocked, so I¡¯m telling you in advance¡­¡± The shocking sight that followed, was something Johnson could never forget. ¡®What I¡¯ve seen so far isn¡¯t swordsmanship!¡¯ No, before that, he thought about something else. The fact that he had tried to steal from such monsters! And at that thought, sweat poured down his face. It felt like the sweat was falling till his waist. But it was fine. His intentions back then weren¡¯t revealed. If he worked hard as their coachman and did everything well, if he can get these monsters to the Holy Kingdom without doing anything wrong, everything will be fine. Always smile, be humble and act sincerely. It was Johnson¡¯s present moto. ¡°Yap!¡± Wheik! Kwaang! ¡°Ah! I couldn¡¯t control my power again.¡± ¡°¡­¡± "The direction is off too. But it''s fine; I can do it better next time.¡± The unidentified creature, which returned to the form of a cat, spoke after shooting out the fireball of tremendous power. And this was the creature that Johnson was scared of the most. Normally, the two humans were polite. They didn¡¯t disregard him for being the coachman and always spoke politely. If it wasn¡¯t for their monstrous swordsmanship, they would be harmless like spikeless cacti. However, the existence which he didn¡¯t know of, was the cat or whatever it was, was unpredictable. ¡°No! A cat can¡¯t eat these things!¡± ¡°But it is edible if you transform and eat it.¡± ¡°But transforming is hard!¡± ¡°But the more you do it, the more your skills will improve, and it will feel rewarding as well.¡± ¡°Next time, I want you to make a cat-only dish!¡± With mood swings for the creature happening so many times during the meals, Johnson didn¡¯t have any idea on how to deal with it. Fortunately, though, that Lulu, the monster-like creature, would be nice to him at times, raising his ie! He already had 12 golden mice in his pocket. Of course, until this job was done, he couldn¡¯t use them. ¡°I finished washing and prepared the bed.¡± ¡°Thank you as always.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Thanks!¡± ¡°It was nothing. This is just my job. Then I will look around ande back.¡± With his head bowed, Johnson stepped forward for a walk and lookout. Of course, considering their skills, it was useless for him to do this. However, he deliberately did it. ¡®Every time I am away, they seem to be talking about some secret, so I need to be away to make sure they don¡¯t feel offended.¡¯ He only listened once. He couldn¡¯t properly listen to the name, but the three were on their way to meet someone in the Holy Kingdom. And the expressions on their faces at that time made it clear that they were impressed by the person they were talking about. For the first time since they started this journey, they had such stiff faces. ¡®Who are they going to meet? And people who are Sword Masters make those kinds of faces?¡¯ If the three of them worked together, not just the demonic beasts, but they could even defeat real demons too. Thinking that, Johnson shook his head. This wasn¡¯t the time for him to think about that. Being quick-witted, he decided not to get involved in their business. ¡°Uh, so cold. Should I head back now?¡± Just because he didn¡¯t want to intervene didn¡¯t mean he had to stay out all night. It had been around 30-40 minutes, so he thought he coulde back. With a small chuckle, he turned and then went silent. ¡®No, my opponents are Sword Masters and a Cat¡­. Right? Anyway, what is that cat?¡¯ Since they all had powerful senses. He walked to the camp only to see an unexpected sight. The two Sword Masters were sitting side by side holding hands. ¡°I will say this again, you don¡¯t need to worry so much. When you were a child, it must have been a huge deal, but it won¡¯t be like that now. And when we meet, you won¡¯t feel like anything more than expected.¡± ¡°¡­ you think so?¡± It was like a normal conversation, and the atmosphere wasn''t too serious. Seeing the two of them in their own world, not realizing that he was back, he tried to go back when the cat got up. ¡°Johnson, you''re back.¡± ¡°Ah, you¡¯re back?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Uh? Ah! Yes!¡± Johnson announced his return. Lulu nodded and fell asleep again, and Airn Pareira greeted him with a smile. But not Ilya. ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll walk around for a while.¡± She got up with an expressionless face and disappeared. Airn was shocked at that reaction, and Lulu got up again. And asked. ¡°What now?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°Are you not going to rest?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Watching those two talk, Johnson sighed. ¡®The woman will have a hard time.¡¯ He had an eye for such things. But of course, he had no intention of being involved. So, hey in his bed. The year passed as they travelled, and then another month passed. The chilly wind of early February blew past Airn Pareira and the others. And it wasn¡¯t just the time which changed, but the location they were at changed as well. Thanks to Johnson¡¯s dedication, they arrived in the middle of the continent ahead of schedule. Lulu was very pleased and took out treasures from her space. ¡°Great job! Keep working hard!¡± ¡°Thank you! Thank you!¡± After receiving a gold statue in the shape of a fish being eaten by a cat, Johnson bowed his head. He was no longer scared of the cat. In fact, he even thought that the cat was very lovely. Maybe it is just an entric personality? But it didn¡¯t matter. Even if it was entric, the cat never harmed anyone, and even if the cat was angry, she never did anything bad. All it took was slightly touching her chin, and she would cool down immediately. Rather, the silver-haired woman, Ilya Lindsay, was the tricky one. Johnson felt a chill run down his spine each time he made eye-contact with her. And he knew. Who the silver-haired woman was conscious of. He knew about the reason for them heading to the Holy Kingdom. Of course, he never said it out loud. He just quietly did his job. ¡°Give us a sd and chicken, some pork and beef, and onerge thorny fish sd. Please make it fast!¡± After the food was announced by the employee, the two humans and the cat went to the table. With a smile as she camest, Lulu said. ¡°I hope the fish here is delicious.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± He felt a few nces at them from the people in the building, but Johnson never cared. Since this had happened so many times. They would wait, and then they would eat their food without saying anything. And fortunately, there were no quarrels. There would be some times where some noisy talks would break out, and sometimes it would be because they couldn¡¯t understand Lulu. But other than that, each group inside that ce focused on their own tables. A middle-aged mercenary who took a sip of his beer spoke slightly excitedly. ¡°I know I am saying this again, but that dungeon is amazing. Perhaps it is the greatest discovery in nearly a hundred years? At least it has to be from the time of Dragon King, and maybe even before that.¡± ¡°Ahhh, no way. Weren¡¯t all the dungeons that were found, already explored 50 years back?¡± ¡°What, a dungeon story?¡± Lulu''s ears pricked up, and she looked at the table in excitement. There was a time when she was interested in dungeons, and ancient ruins but not now. It was because they were all stuff she heard while traveling with Kuvar. Above all, it was because of the same question the man here asked. Numerous dungeons had been explored since 150 years ago, when the Devil came back from the Demon World. Explorations were carried out by each nation to take possession of the artifacts containing the power of heroes or relics with holy power, so now, the dungeons that were left unknown were very few to none. Ilya and Johnson, too knew that, so they had the same attitude as Lulu. But not Airn. Seeing him stare at the drunken mercenary with unusual eyes, Lulu asked. ¡°What is it, Airn?¡± ¡°Just, a feeling¡­¡± ¡°Feeling?¡± "Yes. I thought he was going to say something important." ¡°Ah? Then should we listen?¡± Lulu, who heard Airn''s words, turned her head towards the mercenary, and so did Ilya. Johnson was perplexed. How could the attitude change so much because of a ¡®feeling¡¯? He didn''t know of the sorcerers and stuff, so he wasn¡¯t sure. And the story went on. About the fact that the city-state Calven, who had grasped the size of the dungeon, was restraining the other nations froming, was now on the verge of conflict with three nations. And finally, the information that, to either mediate or take the chance of entering the dungeon¡­ the Holy Kingdom dispatched their knight. "Probably the ck Knightmander, I Crescentia, wille." ¡°Wah! Airn! You got it right! You have be a great sorcerer!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lulu praised Airn with a voice of admiration, and Ilya fell into her own thoughts. Johnson stayed silent. He knew these people were iprehensible, and strange things kept happening. But Airn didn¡¯t seem to have a cheerful face. With a moderate smile, he thought. ¡®Was I too conscious of I?¡¯ He didn¡¯t know. It was true that the purpose of the journey was to go to I, and it would be better to find out here than going to the Holy Kingdom and finding out then in vain¡­ But something felt odd. He thought that there must be something deeper to their rtionship with her. ¡°¡­¡± However, no matter how much he thought, nothing came to his mind. Shaking his head, Airn got up. And approached the middle-aged man who was excitedly saying the story. ¡°Excuse me, can I ask something?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Is there a way to participate in the dungeon exploration you just mentioned, as a mercenary?¡± And that drew the attention of everyone around. Chapter 182: Ancient Dungeon (2)

Chapter 182: Ancient Dungeon (2)

All the guests sitting in the inn turned their gaze towards Airn Pareira. It wasn¡¯t because he asked a strange question. A dungeon that was supposed to have been created in ancient times, was qualitatively different from the hideout of a magician! Isn¡¯t that an exciting story to listen to? Be it a mercenary or a magician, one could definitely be interested in it, and it was natural that with a little more courage, they could ask to join. However, people¡¯s reactions were weird. And Johnson knew why. ¡®Still, it won¡¯t be a big deal.¡¯ When he first started working as a coachman, he was trembling in fear as if he saw a death reaper, but now he knew. The young man wasn¡¯t the kind to start arguing with others. He was just a bit slow. ¡®It would be better if he could just show off at least half of his skills.¡¯ That was unavoidable. There were too many things that had happened to Airn, so he decided to follow Kirill¡¯s advice. Fortunately, the people of this inn didn¡¯t ridicule him. He just looked at the mercenary with a nk face. However, Airn wasn¡¯t the only one interested in dungeon exploration. A sharp-eyed man who was drinking in the corner alone, also came ahead. As a result, there was tension in the eyes of the guests. Some even pushed their chairs closer to the tables. Overall, the air around had changed ever since Airn talked. In the midst, the man also asked the same question. ¡°I am assuming that the Calven side is also looking for people. Right?¡± ¡°¡­ you are right. That is the case. Compared to other nations, they arecking in people and other resources.¡± ¡°Right. So, we aren¡¯t toote then?¡± ¡°That, I am not sure. If even a person like me knew about it, then doesn¡¯t it mean this information has been going on for a while? If you are aiming for something, I suggest moving quickly.¡± ¡°Thanks for the advice.¡± The sharp-eyed man who nodded, put two coins on the table and disappeared. And the middle-aged mercenary who confirmed that the man had disappeared out of the inn, sighed and said. ¡°Two silvers aren¡¯t enough. But I don¡¯t want to see that face for any longer.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ah, if you are also interested in the exploration, go to Calven. Like I said, they are looking for mercenaries. However, given the scale of the dungeon, it can''t allow people with average skills to enter. Of course, I didn''t mean that about you, don¡¯t get me wrong.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t think that either.¡± Airn smiled at the words. Even with his soft appearance, the middle-aged man thought that this man in front of him was unique. ¡®When I saw him, I thought of him as a kid who didn¡¯t know about the world, but now that I look closer, he doesn¡¯t seem like that¡­¡¯ Did he have the skills to back up the confidence with which he came up to them and opened his mouth? The mercenary smiled and took a sip of his drink again. Of course, he was the only one who had that reaction; the others didn''t even care about Airn. Rather, he picked up the information of the person who left the inn just now. ¡°Was that man Vern?¡± ¡°Right. I hear he recently subjugated the Demon den of Karlun by himself.¡± ¡°Then is that enough to participate in the exploration?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. But ording to what I know, it is a dungeon being attacked with at least three kingdoms, and it¡¯ll be four if the Holy Kingdomes¡­ can a single mercenary fit in?¡± ¡°Still, it might be worth a try.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Some chattered and nced at him. The air around the ce was different from when Vern was there, and even Airn understood it. But there was no need to worry. And returning to his seat, he said. ¡°There is no need to go to the Holy Kingdom.¡± ¡°So, Calven?¡± ¡°Yes. The things we have heard may not entirely be right, but once we get there, we will surely get the right information. If that is true, then I want to be a part of this exploration.¡± ¡°Okay! I like it! An ancient dungeon, I am looking forward to it!¡± Lulu changed her stance on the matter right away and added the word ¡®ancient¡¯ to it. But it was understandable enough. Unlike the recent ones, the ancient dungeons must have been there for hundreds of years¡­. It was like a sorcery box with unknown contents. ¡®Perhaps¡­¡¯ Airn, who recalled the existence of his previous life, then shook his head. For now, getting to Calven and joining the dungeon exploration was a priority. Having gathered his thoughts, he looked ahead and said. ¡°Johnson, thank you so much.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ yes. Then I will leave from here.¡± Johnson nodded. Calven wasn''t far from here, and unlike the northern parts, the roads were well maintained. So, they wouldn¡¯t need his guidance anymore. So, after performing his tasks for the 3 monsters, he was set free without being discovered as being the leader of the bandits. The next morning, Johnson looked at the piles of gold in his pocket and thought. ¡°¡­ I need to live a good life from now.¡± However, a stained character couldn¡¯t be cleansed right away. Still, the reason Johnson wanted to walk the path of reformation was because of his financial situation¡­ ¡®There are too many monsters in this world.¡¯ It was because, at this point, he realized that there were countless powerful people who hid their identities. He quietly closed his eyes and remembered thest trip. A young man in his 20s using a golden aura with a kind face. A female swordsman who can chop wood but would look stunning if she wore a party dress. And a monster cat. ¡®Ahh. No. This is a world where we have no choice but to live kindly.¡¯ And to be a person not afraid of cats roaming on the streets. Johnson nodded and then headed out to embark on a new journey to be a new person. ¡°No! I don¡¯t like it!¡± ¡°Vice-captain, if you say it another time, it will be the 1,000th time.¡± ¡°What the hell is this dog-like situation! Ack! Garbage! You rat bastards!¡± The lieutenant who was watching the Vice-captain Amira Shelton of the 1st Knights troops of Calven, shook his head. It wasn¡¯t a nice sight to see someone continuously throwing curses with their mouth like that. The profanity this woman was using was enough to make people in the back-alleys frown. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean the lieutenant couldn¡¯t understand his Vice Captain¡¯s feelings. He, too, was annoyed by the treatment of Pnque and Rabat. 1 ¡®It is an abandonednd, and the dungeon is in the ounds, but it still looks like it was snatched away¡­¡¯ The ce where the dungeon was discovered was a wastnd between Pnque, Rabat, and Calven, and it was and full of monsters like goblins. However, since the ce where the monsters gathered was near the Calven in terms of distance, the kingdom had no choice but to send subjugation squads periodically to clear them. And then, the dungeon was discovered during one of these subjugations. Of course, the kingdoms of Pnque and Rabat, who realized itte, couldn''t stand still. The two kingdoms fueled by great greed imed their rights to the dungeon as well, since officially, the dungeon wasn¡¯t in and owned by any of the three kingdoms. Of course, Calven went rampant saying that was nonsense, but when it turned out that the dungeon was bigger than expected, the nation backed down a little. It was because they, who were just a city-state, didn¡¯t have the strength for arge-scale attack while simultaneously keeping the two kingdoms in check. ¡®In the process, even the Holy Kingdom people intervened, saying that it might be an ancient temple and was worth being looked at.'' The participation of the Holy Kingdom wasn¡¯t bad. As those who advocated for the glory of God, they could prevent Pnque and Rabat from taking away the entire contents of the dungeon. Even so, it was essential to adjust the powers to a certain extent. If this small state can¡¯t even bring a Sword Master or a battle magician like the other two kingdoms¡­ They wanted to stand and survive as the best talent in the exploration. "But, where are these mercenaries, and what are they up to?" Kwang! Bang! Kwang! Shhhh! The vice-captain Amira Shelton pounded on the table. And the wooden table cracked at a lot of ces. Actually, when she first recruited the mercenaries, she didn¡¯t think that she would be this concerned. Because she thought she could hire Charlotte and Victor, who were a duo working in the central part of the continent. And if that didn¡¯t work, she nned on bringing in Jet Frost, the 101st swordsman, or Harrison or Ricardo. But all was in vain. Charlotte and Victor, who could be usually seen and heard about everywhere, couldn¡¯t be found anywhere now, and Jet Frost and Pinto were too busy practicing. And all the other useful mercenaries had other things to do. The only one left was Vern, who subjugated the demon den of Karlun, but that alone wouldn¡¯t be enough. If possible, she wanted to hire a top-level expert who was close to a Sword Master¡­ It was when she was thinking about it, that a report came in. Amira Shelton, who saw the content, looked somewhat rxed, and then cleared her throat. ¡°Ah Ah, how is it? My voice?¡± ¡°It is fine; you might want to tie your hair though, it is a mess.¡± ¡°Ah, really? I will tie it up. Is this fine? Is it nice to see now?¡± ¡°Wonderful! The appearance of Miss Shelton is bound to appeal to any mercenary.¡± The lieutenant¡¯s words were sincere. Her face, which was tensed, was now rxed, and the mouth which constantly poured out vulgarities had now turned pure. Her hair that was usually scattered all around as if it was hit by lightning, was now bound into a ponytail. Looking at that sight, the Vice-Captain wasn¡¯t inferior to any knight representing Calven. ¡°Great! Let¡¯s go.!¡± Excited, Amira made her way to the training grounds outside. In her head, she was already thinking about the mercenaries she would soon meet, ¡®Will this one be nice? Will they maybe be an expert? Or will I be disappointed?¡¯ Even then, the three mercenaries who she would meet soon probably wouldn¡¯t be too bad. Since the idiots who pounce on the word ¡®Ancient dungeon¡¯ had already been filtered out. ¡®But what if they ask for a stake in the dungeon instead of money? No, let¡¯s not think about it right now. Let¡¯s just check if they are talented.¡¯ That was the right idea. These days manpower is scarce, thinking about the pay is something that should be consideredter. First, she had to secure talented people. Amira Shelton prayed and prayed again, hoping that those outside would be great enough people, that their names would be known everywhere. However, the moment she saw the ones in her sight¡­ Torn! Her reasoning was cut off. ¡°Yah!¡± 2 ¡°Yes! Vice-captain. To start, the blonde swordsman on the left has a silver medal from Alcantra¡­¡± ¡°Yah, no need. Just get lost.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± The vice-captain was furious. The knight who was introducing the mercenaries walked back. Amira didn¡¯t care about him. Having lost her smile, she drew her sword. ¡°Come on, show me your skills.¡± There was clear irritation in her voice. She had no choice but to feel that way. She wanted a strong person so that her state wouldn¡¯t be embarrassed. But who were those in front of her? It was just two kids, perhaps just 20 years old, staring at her. ¡®No, damn it! Wasn¡¯t it said that there were three in the first ce? Can¡¯t these bastards at least get the number of the people, right?'' She checked to see if she could find another person, but couldn¡¯t find one. Even after rubbing her eyes, she only saw the blonde man and silver woman, along with a cat scratching its stomach. ¡°Let¡¯s do this quickly.¡± Amira said. Slightly annoyed. She knew it wasn¡¯t their fault. If something was wrong, then it was because of her own subordinates. However, she wasn¡¯t able to hold back her annoyance in her current state. ¡°Understood.¡± Perhaps, the silver-haired woman understood it; she took a step forward and drew her sword. The blonde one stepped back and took the cat with him. In an instant, a one-on-one fight was ready. Amira, who saw that, shook her head, and tried to say. ¡®Well, even if it is one or two, it will be the same. Let¡¯s just end this quickly.¡¯ Let¡¯s finish it. She just wanted to finish it quickly and look for that idiot subordinate who got the number of people wrong. Thinking so, she swung her sword. Swosh! A strike which flew in at a frightening speed! Of course, she had no intention of hurting anyone. It was just to knock them out. However, Amira couldn¡¯t achieve her purpose. Whoop! ¡°Uh?¡± Kwaang! ¡°kjuak!¡± A neat defense. And a fast follow-up. Amira Shelton had to let go of her sword. And the sword which left her hand flew far away, and as it fell on the floor, it rotated with a whirring sound. And the fight was done just like that. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Silence fell. The silver-haired swordsman and the blond hair swordsman and her subordinates. They were all silently looking at her. Even the ck cat looked at Amira Shelton without purring. Having endured that, she began to move somewhere quietly with a red face. Unable to handle the embarrassment, running was her only option. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What. What happened?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡°Now, wai-wait a minute! Our vice-captain is a bit finicky¡­sorry! So sorry!¡± A knight who identified the two people desperately tried to keep them there. Of course, there was no reason for Airn or his party to leave. They had all their own reasons to participate. It felt weird to be treated like this. After they waited a few minutes like that, someone else appeared after the vice-captain. A man who introduced himself as the lieutenant, held an envelope decorated with cute petals. ¡°I want to open it.¡± Lulu moved from Airn¡¯s arm and opened it. Inside was a greeting. [Congrattions! You have be an official member of the Calven¡¯s dungeon exploration team!] ¡°¡­ sorry. Our vice-captain is like that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Could you forgive her rudeness?¡± It wasn¡¯t really something that was particrly rude, but the three of them nodded at the same time. Pnque and Rabat are the 2 kingdoms apart from Calven and the Holy Kingdom.?"Yah" is ng for "Hey" or "You." You can see that Judith often uses it? Chapter 183: Flustering (1)

Chapter 183: Flustering (1)

Pnque and Rabat were kingdoms that were well known in the central continent. It didn¡¯t boast its great national power like the Gerbera Kingdom, butpared to the city-state of Calven, it could be said that they were strong. Besides, there were outstanding people who they could boast about. ¡®Sword Master Sevion Brooks and Perry Martinez of Rabat.¡¯ Right. These two were the reason why Amira Shelton wished for more power. Not to mention, Sevion Brooks. Wasn¡¯t he a Sword master? No one would be able to take him on easily. He was at a state where every knight of the continent dreamed of being at. However, if asked if Perry Martinez was decentpared to the other, that wasn¡¯t it either. Rather, in the field of dungeon exploration, it was always the existence of a high-ranking magician that was superior to Sword Master. ¡®In terms ofbat power, I know that that person possesses skillsparable to the three lords of Rel Kingdom¡­¡¯ That also meant that, despite being a magician, his skills could stand up to a master. It wasn¡¯t as if that person was the best magician in the middle east for nothing. Amira Shelton, who thought till there, sighed. She was happy though. Unlike in the past, there were a handful of people in Calven, including her, who didn¡¯tck power. Although the two young swordsmen weren''t in their 20s yet, both of them were 2 Sword Masters. Perhaps the moment they saw their skills, Pnque, Rabat, and even Avilius would be surprised. But apart from that, she was still concerned. ¡®Ilya Lindsay¡­ she must have participated in the dungeon exploration because of I Crescentia?¡¯ The feud between I and the Lindsays was famous. It wasn¡¯t like one party did something wrong, but the ending was bad. It was also an open secret that Ilya was obsessed with I. Of course, Ilya Lindsay said she wouldn¡¯t bring personal feelings into work, and she said that she was here as a mercenary and not as a member of the Lindsay family¡­ Still, she couldn¡¯t let her worries go. ¡®Huhu, I shouldn¡¯t worry too much. Let¡¯s just leave this to the old man, and I can focus on the exploration alone. And I will handle those Pnque and Rabat bastards.¡¯ Fortunately, Gregory Griffin, the captain of the 1st Knights, said that he would take care of theplicated affairs. Due to his old age and physical condition, he was on the verge of retirement, so he couldn¡¯t actively participate in the field, but his diplomatic and political abilities were much superior to others. So, she wouldn¡¯t have to worry about what will happen. Mumbling in a low voice, Amira Shelton sighed again and then picked up a needle and cloth. And started to cross-stitch. ¡®Well, there is nothing I can do other than this to organize myplicated mind.¡¯ From an early age, she loved cross-stitching. The fun of reaching the desired results by umting one stitch at a time gave her a different pleasure. Of course, this was secret from her subordinates. The vice-captain had to be dignified and strong, so this was a secret. And she didn¡¯t want to get caught doing this. So, she locked the door. But the cat sorcerer jumped out of thin air. Brong! ¡°Amira, what is that?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I know that! Cross-stitch? It is cross-stitch, right?¡± ¡°I want to do it too, but my hands are like this¡­¡± Said Lulu as she looked at her front paws. Looking at that, Amira Shelton spoke in a low voice. ¡°Lulu, you can¡¯te in here at any time you like.¡± ¡°Uh? Why so?¡± ¡°I am a person who prefers privacy. Outside, I am a cool and dignified vice-captain, but on my own, I enjoy my personal hobbies, which I don''t want others to know about, and wearfortable clothes¡­ and this is natural for anyone.¡± ¡°But I am a cat, so it should be fine, right?¡± Lulu asked innocently. At that, Amira Shelton hesitated. Regardless of her words, she was a cat person. However, she was so busy in her life and work that she couldn¡¯t adopt a pet. And now she was in her mid-30s, and was single too. ¡®But if a talking cat which can do its own taskses...¡¯ It would be alright, right? With that thought, Amira had been spending her time with Lulu a lot. And this sorcerer cat seemed to like her. ¡°Amira, can I stay? I like Amira because she resembles my friend a little. So, I want to be with you.¡± ¡°¡­ do we resemble each other a lot?¡± ¡°Not a lot, a little? Only when you are angry.¡± ¡°Is that person also a swordsman? How old?¡± ¡°Yes, a swordsman! And younger than Amira. Maybe 20 now? Or maybe not reached 20 yet? But fights incredibly well!" ¡°Oh¡­¡± Amira Shelton folded her arms as she looked at Lulu, boasting of her friend. A young swordsman that this sorcerer cat kept on praising, she couldn¡¯t help but want to covet that person. So, she asked. ¡°Could you introduce me to that person?¡± ¡°Huh? Why?¡± ¡°Nothing. If that person is a swordsman, I can talk about swords with them, and I am curious since you said we look alike, and it is always good to know more people.¡± ¡°Okay! I¡¯ll introduce youter.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Huh. But that person is stronger than Amira.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Amira bowed her head. Lulu waved her tail, watching her. Ten days after joining the Calven¡¯s dungeon exploration. Airn Pareira and his party moved to Rabat with Amira Shelton and the others. Nothing was particrly troublesome. There was a separate ce assigned, to meet and get introduced with each otherter, and so, it was informed that the swordsmen could rx until then. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean they were free to do everything. Ilya was being Ilya, and Lulu was being Lulu. And Airn too, was preparing himself to meet I. Sitting under a tree in the corner of the hall, he slipped into meditation. ¡°Phew¡­¡± Airn had his legs crossed and was breathing deep slowly. It was a posture suitable for absorbing the energy of the spirits in nature around him, but currently, Airn wasn''t aiming to do that. Before meeting I, he wanted to reflect on his own self. Whileing from the northwestern part, he had been in trouble. What was the reason for him to meet I? Was it because of what she said? Or because he felt a fighting spirit for the first time as he faced against her? That wasn¡¯t wrong. At that time, I came as a huge shock to Airn. I, who had pierced his immaturity, had made him annoyed and even envious. However, when asked if such a heart was the core of his me, then Airn would shake his head resolutely. That was not what had shaped him. It was his good intentions towards the world, and not his fighting spirit, that allowed him to create his own sword, free from the anger of his young self and the man in his dreams. ¡®Let¡¯s just think about it. The thing I realized at the end of my previous life.¡¯ ¡®At the end, I was left with regret.¡¯ ¡®Let''s digest it in my own way and keep moving.¡¯ ¡®With the advice of Karakum and the honing of the teachings of Tarakan, let¡¯s establish my will.¡¯ Wheik! A fire burned in his heart. The intense heat covered the steel left behind by the man and made it sharper and sharper. And Airn held onto it. It was different from the past when he couldn¡¯t confidently answer I¡¯s questions as he was too busy being dragged around the man¡¯s will. But now, he had fully made his sword. Only then did he realize. The reason he stood in front of her wasn¡¯t to defeat her. It was to graduate from his past self. ¡®I too, is someone who can be called a teacher.¡¯ Airn nodded. Once his thoughts were organized, his mind was at ease. As a result, his unstable breathing was back to normal now. He opened his eyes. And saw a man in his 50s sitting in the same posture as he was. Airn asked. ¡°How long do you n to watch?¡± ¡°Did you realize?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I was trying to hide my presence.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Since when did you know?¡± A dry voice with no emotions. However, Airn could see that the man was surprised. The problem was that he didn¡¯t want anyone to interfere with him right now. ¡®How should I put it?¡¯ He knew that the other person would speak more if he spoke his mind. Thinking so, Airn decided to lie. ¡°For almost 20 minutes.¡± ¡°You have good senses. I thought you wouldn¡¯t know until you opened your eyes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Did he have to pretend like he didn¡¯t know? He thought for a while, but then decided he didn¡¯t have to. He could roughly guess the identity of the opponent. He heard it all from Amira Shelton, that there was someone better than her in the other kingdoms. If so, then this person had to have a better position and influence than she did. But before all those things, he also looked like a swordsman, just like Airn. ¡®This person must know that it is rude for a swordsman to stare at another swordsman¡¯s training and still¡­¡¯ Airn, who was finished thinking, tried to say in a gentle tone to not go against manners. The middle-aged man who was sitting like Airn stood up. Still, the man had the same blunt face. However, he had a very slight smile. And said, ¡°Sorry to disturb you. It is hard to control my pounding heart each time I see a talented young man.¡± ¡°¡­ thank you.¡± "Don''t worry about this old man and keep doing it. Bye." Saying that, the man left. Airn, who watched that, took a deep breath and closed his eyes. However, he couldn¡¯t concentrate. It was because he knew that the middle-aged man who left woulde back soon. ¡°¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t like he was sitting next to him now, but he was definitely observing Airn from afar. Maybe he didn¡¯t know that Airn noticed him. Another sigh came from Airn''s mouth. But it was fine. At least this wasn''t as embarrassing as being stared at from ahead. In fact, he thought of not caring and doing his thing, but then thought it would be worse if he was immersed and then something brought him back, so Airn decided to just sit there. And in less than a moment. Woong! Another intruder. Unlike the middle-aged man, a strong force came. It was different from the swordsman, but Airn could feel that this person was strong too. Who was this new one? There was no need to be so worried. The voice of the two middle-aged men gave Airn the answer. ¡°Perry. Don''t bully the young man; get out of here.¡± "What do you mean? I am just observing; on the contrary, you were the one who yelled and disturbed him!" ¡°That young man is sensitive enough to know I was there despite me hiding my presence. If you wear those magic stuff and go, of course, he would lose his concentration!¡± ¡°Ah, is that so? Then I was wrong. I had no intention of doing that.¡± ¡°¡­ it is fine.¡± Airn nodded his head with eyes still closed. Of course, because he said it was okay didn¡¯t mean they could keep talking. However, magician Perry Martinez wasn¡¯t as serious as Sword Master Sevion Brooks. ¡°Definitely looks like an extraordinary young man. To keep hisposure and continue meditating even after hearing my name. impressive.¡± "Don''t be silly. Why does a magician have his eye on a swordsman?" ¡°It can''t happen? Unlike the magic tools and research, it is better for a battle magician to have a well-developed mind and body. It is only natural for us to crave for someone with a strong body and excellent concentration. Do you, by any chance, want to ept the young man as your disciple?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ok, my, you nailed it! But you can''t take him as a disciple; the way you teach is so abstract and vague for young people, it won¡¯t fit well with them.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to concern yourself with that. That will be a matter between the young man and me. And with the talent that young man has, he would surely understand my teachings. Maybe he will rise to the level of Master faster than me.¡± ¡°I don''t get it; why are you using expressions like ¡®between the two of us¡¯? When did we get so close?¡± ¡°I apologize, but my training is over. I will head inside.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Airn got up and politely greeted them. He disappeared into the tent in such a way that his pace wasn''t slow or fast, and the other two just stared at him. Of course, it didn¡¯tst forever. Perry spoke first. ¡°He ran away because you made him feel flustered.¡± ¡°¡­ he left because you were making so much noise.¡± ¡°Well, keep saying that. But I am curious. He doesn¡¯t seem like a young one from my kingdom.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not one of ours either.¡± ¡°Then it has to be from Calven¡¯s side¡­ I need to check it out.¡± ¡®I need to do it in the room from tomorrow.¡¯ I can only use the training hall when practicing. Listening to the conversation of the two middle-aged men, that was the decision Airn made. Chapter 184: Flustering (2)

Chapter 184: Flustering (2)

PnqueSevion Brooks, the best knight in Pnque, came out to the training hall in the evening and drew his sword. It was the day he hade to Rabat, and had a lot of other work to do, so he thought about skipping the training for a day, but couldn¡¯t. It was because of that unusual young man he met in the afternoon. ¡®It was the first time I¡¯ve seen such a young man looking so deeply into himself.¡¯ Meditation itself was nothing special. There were swordsmen who only focused on training their bodies and refining their skills in the past, but things had changed since the priests and pdins of the Holy Kingdoms interacted with the orcs. And there were many people who took the same posture and sat there simply without knowing what to do too. However, this young man wasn¡¯t like that. With a stable breathing and an upright posture. In that state, he concentrated on his inner self for two hours. This was something that couldn''t be done with just concentration alone. No, the word concentration would becking. ¡®Sigh¡­ that feeling was great.¡¯ It deserved much praise to do that without being disturbed. It wasn¡¯t just that. The young man also left a certain amount of leeway in his mind to guard himself. And the proof of that was clear since the young man caught him approaching 20 minutes back, and that was unbelievable considering the youthful appearance. ¡®What was I like at that age?¡¯ Thinking that, Sevion Brooks smiled. There was nothing to say. Both of them had messed up. The younger him couldn¡¯t even bepared to this young man who sharpened his senses without losing concentration on his meditation. And as he thought about it like that, he really liked it. He could do this only when he had reached the level of an expert during histe 20s. That meant that the young man he met in the afternoon was already an Expert. Truly one of the few genius talents in the continent. ¡®I can¡¯t help it. It won''t be a moral act, but during the dungeon exploration, I should coax him intoing along with me.¡¯ Listening to what Perry Martinez said, he understood that the young one wasn''t from Rabat, so it was definite that he must be from Calven. They could be secretly trying to nurture the young man, but it seemed like the young man was trying to gain experience through this exploration where strong people gather. And Sevion didn¡¯t want to leave it at that. No matter how much he thought about it, he felt that it was a pity. Leaving such a talented young man in a ce like Calven, where there were only three experts, wasn¡¯t just damaging to the talented kid but also to the entire continent. ¡®He is a vessel that can be a master.¡¯ Hm. Sevion Brooks mumbled to himself and burst intoughter. It seemed as if he had beenughing too muchtely, but he was right. His skills were good, but he could be best suited to be the teacher of the young one. He thought that since he had raised 4 experts, he could be more confident. ¡°Brooks, may Ie in? We have investigated what you asked.¡± ¡°Uhm! Come in.¡± At the same time, the ordered work was done. It was him who asked his men to find out the personal details of the young blonde man in the Calven. After giving permission, Sevion Brooks took the package handed to him by his subordinate and opened it. Alone again, he set aside his weapon and looked through the document to find the name. However, he had to stop turning the pages before he could find what he wanted, because he saw a familiar name. ¡°¡­ Ilya Lindsay.¡± This was because an unexpected person was on Calven¡¯s side. ¡®How did this happen?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t believe it. Or understand it. Why was the Sword Master of the West, the youngest Sword Master who shook the continent here? Of course, his concerns didn¡¯tst long. It was because he remembered who was in charge of the Holy Kingdom troops. ¡°I Crescentia.¡± It has already been 10 years, but the incident shocked the continent. When he thought of the bad rtionship between her and Lindsay''s family, the puzzle fit. Why did Ilya appear? ¡®My head hurts.¡¯ Sevion Brooks frowned. Perhaps it was Ilya Lindsay¡¯s own decision to join Calven. Because the Lindsay family''s head, Joshua Lindsay, wouldn''t have allowed his daughter to do anything like this, which couldplicate matters politically. But the important thing was that this already happened, and that now Sevion would have to thoroughly calcte how this would affect things on his side. ¡°This¡­ I guess bing a Master doesn¡¯t mean that one can¡¯t be immature. She is too young.¡± Even though it was a matter which could potentially be a diplomatic problem, this child was putting her emotions first. Did the defeat in the Land of Proof affect her mind? He thought that that might be the case. Even he was too shocked when he heard about Ilya Lindsay¡¯s defeat, so he could understand how shocked Ilya Lindsay must have been. ¡®Instead ofing out here on a whim, if it was me, I would have felt that my training was not sufficient and would¡¯ve started a closed training session¡­ wait!¡¯ Sevion, who thought till there, frowned. It was because the thoughts about I and Ilya had stopped, and he began to think of something else. To be precise, he thought about the defeat of Ilya Lindsay in the Land of Proof. Recalling the rumors about the age of the winner, his appearance, his attitude, and everything else, he rummaged through the documents again. And his hand stopped on one specific page andughed out loud. Airn Pareira. Sevion Brooks, who btedly realized the identity of the blonde young man, closed his eyes, recalling what had actually happened before. ¡®¡­ this is crazy!¡¯ He shook his head violently. He saw it now. He had considered the young man as someone below him. When he removed that kind of objective thinking, the figure of Airn Pareira, which was even greater than his original judgment, was drawn as clearly as a picture in his mind. A sense ofposure that never broke. His breathing, which was so controlled that it was borderline creepy for a person that age. His footsteps, his bnce, and his deep eyes. It was a level that an Expert couldn¡¯t have. ¡°¡­ so weird.¡± Sevion Brooks, the best knight of Pnque, quietly opened his eyes and mumbled softly. It was embarrassing. And a little bad too. It wasn¡¯t intentional, but it was because he couldn¡¯t shake off the feeling that he was deceived. However, there were other emotions that were stronger than that. ¡®I am embarrassed!¡¯ Yes. Now, his face was dyed red to the point of being uncontroble. The fact that he couldn¡¯t grasp the skills of his opponent even though he was a Master brought him much shame. Even now, he didn¡¯t know the real skill of the young man. ¡®Is he really a Sword Master?¡¯ ¡®Maybe it is true. Haven¡¯t I seen it with my own eyes?¡¯ ¡®If so, then to what extent has he trained? Has he already reached the legendary status of God Sword Master?¡¯ 1 ¡®Or does he have more skills than that?¡¯ Sevion Brooks, who thought for a moment, closed his eyes. What about the political variables due to Ilya¡¯s participation? He forgot about it. Prior to being a high-ranking noble in Pnque, he was an undisputed knight and a swordsman. Airn Pareira Ilya Lindsay. His expression, anticipating the prowess of the sword genius swordsmen, was extremely serious. ¡°Damn it, what is this?¡± Rabat¡¯s proud battle magician, Perry Martinez, was grimacing all day after hearing the news which came in the middle of the night. It was because of Calven, who thought that they didn¡¯t have to inform him about the two Sword Masters they had with them. Each of them was a prodigy, and one of them was Ilya Lindsay, a child of the Lindsay family, and the youngest Sword Master ever. Although she was young and might have been less than 20, the child had the same influence as him on the continent. ¡®Maybe the Lindsay family and Adan kingdom is trying to get a share in the dungeon!¡¯ Perry really thought so. He was convinced that the feud between Lindsay and I was just an excuse, and that this was the real purpose. ¡®Huhu, I may be mistaken as well. Ilya Lindsay¡¯s participation could just be her personal choice, and her rights are limited. She and Airn Pareira will just participate as mercenaries to the end, and will return after receiving the pre-arranged amount. And of course, Calven bastards would pay them.¡¯ ¡®However¡­¡¯ ¡®No. unless those Calven bastards are scared enough to be swayed by one family, this theory works well.¡¯ Of course, there was nothing he could do now about it. There wasn¡¯t much time left until the exploration, but it was mainly because of Gregory Griffin, the Captain of the Calven knights, with whom he didn''t have a good rtionship with. Considering his age, it wouldn¡¯t seem strange for Gregory to retire, but his eloquence was better than Perry Martinez himself. ¡°Ahh. Nothing ever goes the way we think it will.¡± In the end, all Rabat could do was keep their eyes on Calven, and demand more shares from the dungeon, since they had only two strong people with them. Fortunately, in terms of magic strength, Rabat was uniquepared to the other three nations, especially when it came to dungeon exploration. ¡®There is nothing more important than magic in dungeon exploration.¡¯ Unlike a swordsman who can show off his strength with one sword, a magician had to prepare a lot. The cumbersome process of bringing in tools one after another. Conversely, once the cumbersome work was done, the efficiency of the magic a magician could do, could be doubled or even tripled. In fact, it would be a more suitable power for the environment of the dungeon. ¡®Right. It¡¯s not bad.¡¯ Perry Martinez nodded. For this dungeon, he invited dungeon experts from the east, and numerous exploration tools were made. So, things were looking good for him. After struggling tofort himself by telling himself things like this, he took a deep breath and turned. The night air was cold, and he was thinking about going for a walk. But before he had decided. Woong! ¡°¡­¡± A powerful wave of magic could be felt from a distance that was neither too far nor too close! The moment he felt it, Perry Martinez used his magic with all his might and went towards the power. Swosh! Swooh! His form kept flickering. The sight of him moving almost 20m in an instant at a time was extraordinary to see. Even the high-level magicians of the east wouldn¡¯t be on par with him. The irony of the situation, however, was that even the great Perry Martinez could feel a power that was even greater than his, close to him. ¡®Who could it be?¡¯ ¡®A person from Pnque? Did Sevion bring in a magician?¡¯ ¡®But how? A magician who can handle such a huge amount of magi¡­¡¯ ¡®Would it be a person from the 3 great families of the Runtel Kingdom, maybe?¡¯ Numerous questions popped up and disappeared constantly. In the meantime, Perry continued to use magic to move towards the source of the magic he felt earlier. His mouth was busy casting spells, but he didn¡¯t stop because he was too curious to know who the person who could wield so much magic was. In this way, he could arrive at that ce without dy and wanted to confirm who it was as soon as possible. The problem was. The one he saw as he reached the source with was an existence beyond his imagination. ¡°¡­ A Dragon?¡± ¡°Huh? Me?¡± Hearing the voice of the middle-aged man, Lulu turned her head. Lulu was now a girl dressed as a battle magician with cute horns and wings. She tilted her head as she looked at Perry and said. ¡°I am not a Dragon, but a cat.¡± This seems to be the next level after Sword Master. The levels we know currently are Expert, Sword Master, and now God Sword Master.? Chapter 185: Flustering (3)

Chapter 185: Flustering (3)

Dragons are amazing. Not just their physical abilities. Of course, they have a huge body and have great physical strength along with it. However, the reason dragons were called truly amazing beings was because they were known to have ¡®magical abilities¡¯ that far surpassed that of a normal great magician. Humans can handle only so much magic in their bodies. Humans knew that it was useless topare oneself to a dragon because, of the many different varieties of magic dragons used, they knew that most of these could not be imitated. Also, the magic dragons use is so quick and efficient that humans cannot keep up with them. And this was the popr opinion people had about the dragons from the legends. Of course, all human magicians didn¡¯t believe in the existence of dragons. There were no records of dragons 150 years ago or even 400 years ago, which was long before the Devils appeared. At best, the Devil ¡®Demon Dragon King¡¯ was a form of a dragon that people knew about, and no one actually knew if a dragon could transform into a human either. Therefore, it was actually absurd for the brilliant battle magician Perry Martinez to have uttered the word ¡®dragon¡¯ from his mouth. He was the most skeptical one about such things, and would never say such things even as a joke. But¡­ ¡®If anyone sees her wielding so much magic, they too would be in a situation where they couldn¡¯t help but think of the dragons!¡¯ That was the first thing Perry Martinez thought about when he saw Lulu. And what was more absurd? The being in front of him was dressed like a battle magician, and also had horns on her head and wings on her back, both of which were known to be dragon characteristics, and the magic power in her was something which even a great magician of the central region couldn¡¯t dream of handling. What else could it be? A cat? ¡°¡­ what does that mean?¡± "Huh, what?" ¡°About being a cat, I asked what you meant by it.¡± Perry Martinez asked the question with a stiff face. He spoke politely because although this girl looked like someone who was young, it was impossible to know how old she really was. No, it wasn¡¯t an existence he could treat rudely even if he knew its age. ¡®She does give out a yful feeling, but if she gets serious, I don¡¯t know what she will do.¡¯ He even had those kinds of thoughts. But the horned girl said again. ¡°I am a cat. Did you not hear me?¡± ¡°¡­ that isn¡¯t a joke but the truth?¡± ¡°Yes. It is not a joke; it is real. Why don''t you trust a cat''s words?" ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ah! Right! I am Lulu. Nice to meet you!¡± ¡°¡­ Perry Martinez.¡± ¡°I love that my human form can give handshakes!¡± Seeing Lulu reaching out with a smile, Perry Martinez shook hands with Lulu. Of course, his doubts about the girl were still unresolved. He frowned, and as if he encountered an unknown monster, asked questions by being extremely cautious. And then he asked straightforwardly. About why it wasn¡¯t a dragon but a cat. ¡°This! Magicians are really suspicious people towards others!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Even then, it is fine. These days I only go with swordsmen, so magicians are pretty fun to talk to. I¡¯ll hang out with you for a while!¡± Lulu was a bit annoyed with Perry¡¯s question. However, those feelings didn¡¯tst long. After calming herself, she pointed her thumbs to herself as if telling the man to take a look at her, and then spun three times. And then she was wrapped around in a brilliant light. And changed into the form of a cat, and now anyone who saw her would acknowledge that she was a cat. ¡°See this?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°From now on, I hope that you won¡¯t doubt people so much and trust them faster. If you go through life always being doubtful like that, it bes tiring.¡± ¡°¡­. I see. It was sorcery. I only thought of it now.¡± Perry Martinez mumbled as he looked at the ck cat staring at him. He heard of it. There was a sorcerer who was attached to Irene Pareira, the one who defeated Ilya Lindsay, the youngest Sword Master, and surprisingly it wasn''t a human sorcerer but a cat. It was impressive seeing the cat float in the air and speak casually. Of course, he never thought that a cat could turn into a human. He had never even heard about the transformation, nor had it thought that it could be done with sorcery or magic. In fact, with the logic andmon sense of a magician, this made no sense at all. However, there was a miracle word that could exin all of it, and it was ¡®sorcery.'' And sorcerers were crazy people whom Perry couldn¡¯t understand with the logic in his brain. ¡°Hmm.¡± However, finding out that Lulu was a cat sorcerer and not a dragon didn¡¯t stop his interest in her. This cat used magic power. He wasn¡¯t sure if this cat reced sorcery with magic power or if she acquired the talents of a magician through sorcery, but the important thing was that Lulu could be of great help for Calven! And he knew that he wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep through the night without uncovering what power she actually used... Thinking that, Perry asked. ¡°Lulu.¡± ¡°Yes Perry¡­ Perry, right? It has been long, so I forgot.¡± ¡°It is fine. But I have a request¡­¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°Can you show me that form from earlier?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°The power that you use for your transformation is very simr to the use of magic. I wonder if it is possible for you to use magic in that state¡­¡± ¡°Ahh, okay.¡± ¡°Can you show me then? If you show me, I will serve you a special fish dish that you might like.¡¯ ¡°Okay!¡± Lulu nodded with innocent eyes. Another miracle happened as the cat rotated three times. In an instant, she was back to the girl with horns and wings. Seeing that, Perry went stiff again. It was clear. Lulu, in her transformed state, gave out an air that was simr to that of a great magician. And because he walked the path of magic, Perry knew. ¡®Definitely not below me, and maybe¡­¡¯ Maybe even greater than the three great families of the Runtel Kingdom, which was famous for magic! To him, who was confused, Lulu said. ¡°Okay! This is something I have been practicing for a few days; I''ll show you something special." Woong! An unusual atmosphere set upon them. Along with slight vibrations, there was a movement in the surroundings that could be felt by a great magician. And Perry Martinez¡¯s face turned more serious. An anticipation that couldn''t be hidden was clearly visible in the eyes of the old magician. Magic power was raging around. And it was spreading. And it brought about a new change. A brilliant light burst out like a shining star in the night sky. And Lulu¡¯s face, looking at herpleted magic, was full of pride. And she said, ¡°Phew! That was hard! But it wasplete! A picture I drew by using lights from sorcery.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Irene is on the left, and Ilya is on the right. In the center is me in the form of a cat! Ah, Irene and Ilya are my friends, and they both talk a lot with me¡­¡± The sorcerer cat was now suddenly bragging about Irene and Ilya. Perry Martinez, who was watching her, looked at the painting. It was bizarre, as if a kid drew it with a tree branch. The result was so insignificant, that it was hard to believe that it required so much magic power, but it was cute. ¡®Was she kidding? Or was she serious this time too?¡¯ He really couldn¡¯t figure it out. ¡°¡­ you have good friends.¡± He thought, barely saying that. He really wanted to know more about this strange sorcerer. Ten days passed since Irene arrived at Rabat with his party, and a banquet was held to relieve the tension before the exploration of the dungeon. Although the personnel of the Holy Kingdom hadn''t arrived, the events proceeded as nned. And the intention of their unwillingness to not wait for the opponent was also implied through these actions. Of course, there was no way Rabat and Pnque were able to keep the Holy Kingdom in check, and they also looked at Calven with kind eyes. Unlike in the past, now Calven had enormous power on their side. ¡®You look unbothered, Irene Pareira.¡¯ Sevion Brooks, the best knight in Pnque, observed Irene in the banquet hall. He didn''t do anything childish, like releasing his energy. However, any normal swordsman would be a bit weirded out if someone kept staring at them. But Irene didn¡¯t waver. Still, in his own way, he maintained his own pace. ¡®A feeling that was better than Ilya Lindsay, which the entire West boasts about.¡¯ Although he met a lot of swordsmen and magicians that night, his interest didn¡¯t leave the young man. On the other hand, Perry Martinez wasn¡¯t looking at Irene, but it was on Lulu, who was in a gorgeous dress. ¡®An iprehensible one!¡¯ Normally all sorcerers were like that, but Lulu was a level higher. The fact that she gave out the feel of using magical power when she transformed, and that she could also handle huge amounts of magical power, as well as the efficiency at which she controlled the magical power around her. All of it was hard for his mind to ept. ¡®¡­ and the magic.¡¯ Parry thought of what had happened the day before. The fireball that Lulu had shown for the first time was also strange magic! The magic which hadpletely changed thendscape was terrifying¡­thinking about it, he gulped even now. ¡®You never know what kind of abilities will bloom in such an individual, so I will keep an eye on her.¡¯ Just like that, Irene and Lulu were being watched by the best. However, there was someone else who was under even greater pressure than the two of them; it was Ilya Lindsay. Except for Sevion Brooks and Perry Martinez, everyone looked at Ilya with distaste. ¡°¡­¡± Irene looked at her eyes which were trying to hide her emotions. He knew it too. The public opinion of Ilya in this ce was bad. The nobles of Rabat and Pnque thought that she was here for fulfilling a greedy goal. Like entering the dungeon with the name of her family on her back, or being rude by not paying attention to others and trying to settle her private matter with I in such a situation. In the end, she decided that people looked at her for one of the two reasons. ¡®It is too much.¡¯ Strictly speaking, it was true she participated in this ce for personal reasons. However, Ilya already spoke about it. Risking her name and honor wasn¡¯t something that she would do, and she didn¡¯t want any rewards from the dungeon, and she even said several times that she wouldn¡¯t cause trouble by working with I. Even so, Irene didn''t like how the nobles were pouring out unkind nces and were gossiping about her when she hadn''t even done anything wrong. ¡®But, it will be fine.¡¯ He wasn¡¯t too overly concerned with it. Although Ilya was currently going through a time of wandering alone, she was a strong person. If she wasn¡¯t strong, then he wouldn¡¯t havee all this way to face I. And Ilya''s expression wasn''t too serious either. As usual, it was quiet. After seeing that, Irene turned to Lulu. And when their eyes met, they nodded their heads and smiled. ¡°****¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± A clear and sweet voice. However, it was hard to believe that such a word hade out of that mouth. The attention of everyone was focused on one ce. Sevion Brooks, Perry Martinez, Irene Pareira, and Lulu looked at Ilya Lindsay. However, her expression was still gloomy. The silver-haired swordsman, who took a small pause, opened her noble mouth once again. ¡°***¡± Tak! Lulu dropped the magic wand she was holding. Chapter 186: What Happened (1)

Chapter 186: What Happened (1)

Ilya Lindsay had lived her life in the eyes of others. The background of the Lindsay family, their talent for swords, and her beauty that had bloomed, which made her look so pretty in the eyes of the people who saw her. At first, she thought that this was life, but only after her heartbreak because of her brother, Carl, did shee to realize the truth. ¡®In the end, he couldn¡¯t recover.¡¯ ¡®I thought he was a genius who would support the continent in the future.¡¯ ¡®Ilya Lindsay? She does have great talent, but it is not enough¡­¡¯ ¡®She seems to have a soft heart.¡¯ Their friendly gazes could no longer be seen. After losing her brother, the only thing Ilya¡¯s ears could hear were the arrogant remarks against her family and herself. And that was why her lively expression had disappeared. The reason she tried to hide her feelings and show a respectful appearance as everything happened to her was to not give a gap to the public who were waiting for that chance to pounce on her like hyenas. To Ilya, who was in such a state, Judith, whom she had met after a long time, said something. A soft swear word. ¡®Are you an idiot?¡¯ ¡®What?¡¯ ¡®I am asking if you are an idiot. Why would you care about them? Isn¡¯t it frustrating? How long are you going to live by listening to what they say?¡¯ ¡®But¡­¡¯ ¡®No, listen to me. Are those people who keep talking even the ones who matter to you at all? Even if you be the best swordsman in the continent, or even the best swordsman in the universe, and destroy mountains or part seas, words from people like these will always be there against you. Don¡¯t you think so too?¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ She couldn¡¯t say no. And that was why Judith taught Ilya swear words. If they were going to bite at her regardless of whatever she did, then she didn¡¯t have to try and look good. Instead, Judith told her to use those swear words. Until her heart felt light. ¡®Though she didn¡¯t mean it like this¡­¡¯ Watching the atmosphere that seemed almost frozen at the banquet, Ilya remembered what happened that time. Thanks to Judith¡¯s special training, her mouth became a lot rougher than before. But the cursing she did right now, wasn¡¯t intentional. Perhaps to a friend like Bratt or Judith, she could unload her feelings to her heart¡¯s content. That was what she thought, but¡­ No. The situation now was disconcerting and awkward. People''s expressions seemed to be burdensome at the words she had said unconsciously. It felt like hot steam was going around her body. But, why was she feeling a strange sense of pleasure? ¡®¡­ it doesn¡¯t feel bad.¡¯ And that was why, Ilya cursed out again. ¡°****¡± Flinch. The same response came again. It wasn¡¯t very openly disyed, but it was noticeable enough. The people who kept judging her couldn''t hold back their shocked expressions, and some of them coughed without knowing what to do. Normally in such a situation, she would have been pushed under the unbearable pressure that she felt from these countless gazes. But not now. Ilya looked at Airn and Lulu with a bright smile and spoke in a clear voice. ¡°Airn, would you like to sit down?¡± ¡°Huh? Uh¡­¡± ¡°Lulu, pick up the wand. It was painstakingly crafted, don¡¯t drop it like that.¡± ¡°Yes, yes¡­.¡± It wasn¡¯t just the nobles of Rabat and Pnque who were shocked. Even those on her side, the people from Calven, and even Airn and Lulu, were shocked. Amira Shelton was feeling restless as she didn¡¯t know how to deal with this situation and themander justughed. Of course, It wasn¡¯t like he had no ideas on why Ilya said that. Although it was small, Gregory Griffin, themander of the Calven Knights, seemed to let out a smile. ¡®It is true that it is difficult, but the burden she must be feeling is probably greater than what we can even imagine.¡¯ It was obvious why Ilya was cursing. Right now, she could hear the words the people were saying. Perhaps even the countries of Rabat and Pnque wouldn¡¯t deny what their nobles had done. What will happen now? Will they start arguing? It wouldn¡¯t be wrong to assume that, but in case this led to a fight, then it was clear who the one having the upper hand would be. Will Ilya Lindsay follow up on the words of the people who had talked against her and try to do something more? It would indeed be troublesome, but it wouldn¡¯t be that bad. Unless those nobles would pretend to act like they didn¡¯t know they had just disrespected a Sword Master who was also thedy of the Lindsay family, they wouldn¡¯t take this matter further. Rather, if they would manage the situation well and relieve Ilya Lindsay¡¯s mood even a little bit, they might be able to forge a good rtionship with Lindsay''s family. ''However, a woman who is known to be calm and mature to say such harsh words¡­ I don''t understand.'' After finishing these thoughts, themander of Calvenughed. But no one even noticed him. Everyone was looking at Ilya Lindsay. With a casual expression, the silver-haired girl was concentrating on her conversation with the blonde man, Airn Pareira, who was sitting next to her. After a while, Perry Martinez, who looked as if he was confused by what he heard, walked towards Ilya. Even in the midst of so muchplexity, his eyes were intensely fixed on her. And the proud daughter of the Lindsay Family wouldn¡¯t back out either. She turned her gaze and met the man''s eyes, and although she had the same expression as before, it was a lot colder. Themander, who noticed that, smiled. And said while looking to his side. ¡°Amira, rx.¡± ¡°Huh? Yes! No, that¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I already tell you? Don¡¯t think too much about it. Have something to eat and pretend nothing happened.¡± ¡°T-that¡­ yes. Alright.¡± Having calmed Amira Shelton, he quickly walked towards Ilya. However, he also knew that it wasn¡¯t good for Calven to enter and make a huge mistake. What kind of words should he say to get rid of that annoying magician? It was when Gregory Griffin was thinking. In the center of the banquet hall, a strange thing happened. Woong! A vibrating sound that drew everyone''s attention. With that, an empty space was slit vertically. Then, as if a dark tent had been cut by a sword in the middle of noon, a brilliant gold light leaked out. And everyone¡¯s eyes widened at the sight. It was the same with Airn Pareira and Lulu. However, their reaction was a bit different from the others, and it was because they had experienced this once before. And before long, as they had expected, the golden portal expanded, and people began toe out of it. Step! A constant clear sound of iron boots hitting the marble echoed in session. It was the sound made by fully armed knights ready to wage war. The ck cloak and the symbol near the chest said it all. The fact that the soldiers in front of them were the members of the ck Knights of the Holy Kingdom Avilus. At that moment, the nobles who let go of their worries, sighed in relief. Of course, their interest didn¡¯t fade right away. They wanted to see the soldiers of Avilius, who were known to be the most powerful Knight Order in the continent. And also because of theirmander, who would soon show up. A person who had risen from a mercenary to a knight, and then finally, amander, I Crescentia. Anticipating her appearance, everyone in the banquet hall stopped whatever they were doing and stared at the golden light. Woong! Woong! Meanwhile, the ck Knights continued to appear. Five, ten, fifteen, twenty. Even though it was quite arge ce, the area felt full as the ck Knights kept pouring in... And it seemed like they were formidable people since they made the people in the banquet feel suffocated. However, the person who came out soon broke the cramped air in the banquet hall. A girl with dark makeup and a ck dress which didn¡¯t seem right for her age. The people who saw it were puzzled, and then heard her speak. ¡°Huh? I must have made a mistake. I was going to make the portal outside the banquet hall.¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t the mistake have happened because of your stingy desire of saving the gold? From now on, use the gold properly.¡± ¡°If you can save it, then it should be saved!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t speak.¡± A knight who had gray hair followed the girl. Seeing this face, the faces of the people of the three kingdoms who were present there went stiff. Unlike the girl, this person was known. Like I, he was recognized for his skills and rose to the rank of vicemander. ¡®Greg Phoebe¡­. A Master was it?¡¯ Perry Martinez narrowed his eyes and looked at the person who was one of the 100, as well as the other strong people who were present along with him. He couldn¡¯t help it. The power of the Holy Kingdom seemed to be a bit too much to be considered as just a coborator for the dungeon loot. So, it was natural for him to measure their strength. Of course. Wong! Spa! Such a meaninglessparison of power was proved pointless as soon as thatst person came out. The third rank in the three strongest people of the Holy Kingdom. ck Knights Commander I Crescentia. As her gaze passed through the crowd, most of the people in the banquet hall turned their heads away from it, unable to look into her eyes. Wheik! What kind of atmosphere did the strong exhibit? Each one would obviously be different, but it could be divided into two broad categories. The first one were the ones who didn¡¯t seem ordinary to others despite not knowing their true level, and the second were the ones who exuded so much pressure that people couldn¡¯t even look at them. I was obviously thetter. People with weak energy couldn¡¯t even look at her, as if they were in front of brilliant light. ¡°¡­¡± Of course, not everyone was like that. Among them was Sevion Brooks, the best knight in Pnque, who devoted his entire life to sword. ¡®I am trembling.¡¯ His heart was pounding. The heat around his body was telling him that he was excited. He was burning up as if he had approached the sun. I was a person who couldn¡¯t be approached by normal people, but for those who wanted to be strong, she could set their hearts on fire. ¡®I want to fight against it.¡¯ Step! Sevion Brooks took a step ahead, trying to hide his emotions. He knew that the girl in front of him was much younger than him, yet he couldn¡¯t stop feeling the pressure that she exuded. He also knew that this girl was more influential and stronger than him. But such things did not matter between two swordsmen. At least now, he thought so, and to carry out those thoughts, he tried to walk towards themander of the ck Knights. However¡­ ¡°¡­¡± I Crescentia didn¡¯t even look at Sevion Brooks. And the same was true for her steps. The woman passed the top knight of Pnque as if she couldn''t see him. And naturally, people looked at where she headed. And once again, they ended up holding their breath. ¡°A lot¡­ you have changed a lot since west met.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Spill it. All this while¡­ what just happened?¡± I was looking at that one person with a gaze as hot as the sun. And looking at her in the eyes, Airn Pareira got up from his seat. Chapter 187: What Happened (2)

Chapter 187: What Happened (2)

Who was the strongest person on the continent? The answer to that hadn¡¯t changed for a long time. Krono¡¯s headmaster, Ian, his rival Khun and themander of the White Knights of Holy Kingdom, Julius Hul, had been holding that spot for 30 years. If so, then who had the greatest talent on the continent? This was a question that had been recently debated multiple times. It was because the honor of being the youngest Sword Master, a feat which people thought could never be broken, was passed from I Crescentia to Ilya Lindsay. The swordsmen of the five kingdoms, who were famous for their swordsmanship skills, as well as the people of the western part of the continent, said that Lindsay Family¡¯s daughter had the greatest talent in the present generation. Of course, that wasn¡¯t everyone¡¯s opinion. It was because there were too many achievements that I had umted so far, for the public to change their opinion as soon as someone a little bit more talented came up. Their argument was that it made no sense topare someone who came from an orphan setting and received instructions only after ater point in life, to a child from a prestigious family who was taught swordsmanship from a young age. And this only made I seem even stronger. Besides,test year. The pdin who was revered by everyone on the continent, Julius Hul, once again ignited the debate. ¡®I is a person with an amazing form. This expression isn¡¯t even appropriate for someone who reached the level of Master at the age of 20, but the growth she is showing now proves her how amazing she is.¡¯ That meant that I¡¯s full talent hadn¡¯t bloomed yet. After that remark from one of the strongest people on the continent, the debate about I vs. Ilya turned into amon topic everywhere on the continent. And when the ck Knights Commander I appeared. As she was walking to the corner of the hall, ignoring Sevion Brooks, the great knight of Pnque, everyone thought that she was moving towards Ilya Lindsay. However, that wasn¡¯t it. It was to the young blonde who slowly stood up. The ck-haired swordsman looked at the young man with a burning gaze. Feeling the subtle changes of the flow in energy between the two, the entire crowd gulped. ¡®How¡­¡¯ ¡®It wasn¡¯t Ilya Lindsay but Airn Pareira?¡¯ ¡®Do they know each other? What did she mean changed a lot¡­¡¯ ¡®What happened?¡¯ Airn Pareira. As one of the best swordsmen produced by the Land of Proof, he was one of the hottest figures on the continent recently. Bing a Sword Master at the age of 22 meant that he was faster than Ian, the school master of Krono. However, no matter how great that was, his presence wasckingpared to the previous two figures that were shaking up the continent currently. He reached the status of Sword Master only after the two women did, and in the championship match against Ilya Lindsay, there was also an issue of him using an artifact ss weapon as well as sorcery to win. Compared to I, who gave out an intense heat, and Ilya, who had a very cold atmosphere around her, he had a blurred image, and people underestimated Airn. But now. Wheik! The momentum of I, which was already hot, added even more heat to the situation. ¡°¡­¡± The moment when this blonde young man who wasn¡¯t considered as much, was able to face her head on. That was when everyone became aware. Airn Pareira, that guy¡­ him defeating Ilya Lindsay, it was no fluke, but rather it waspletely with his own skills. ¡°Aren''t you going to tell me?¡± Under the already heavy atmosphere, I pressured Airn once more as if considering him her opponent. The gaze with which she looked at him. Airn felt as if he was bound to an iron skewer. But. ¡®I am good enough to be able to stand against it.¡¯ He certainly was. At least,pared to when he met I in Derinku city, when he was too weak to face her. At that time, he was shaken by every word and every action of hers. ¡®I won¡¯t fall now.¡¯ He wouldn¡¯t copse. This was different from his desire to win. The irritated eyes of his opponent were warming his heart and turning his blood intova, but Airn now consciously suppressed his fighting spirit. It was an inseparable feeling for a swordsman, but now there was something else to show, unlike before. And that was the trust in himself. The belief he had in his own path. His confidence towards his own sword and the will and the conviction which arose from it. The mes of Airn Pareira, which bloomed as a result of the days he spent wandering, spread like an explosion around the iron sword which he hadpleted with the help of both his present and past lives. Wheik! A ray of light shed in Airn¡¯s eyes. And with that, the air around him seemed to have undergone a drastic change. And the few people who noticed it became shocked. Only a few experts, especially those who were at the peak of the Experts stage, recognized what the young blonde was doing. And because of that, they could get a glimpse of one side of him. And the one who was facing the pressure that Airn was giving out was obviously the one closest to him. I Crescentia was able to taste her opponent¡¯s will intensely. And itpletely surprised her. She couldn¡¯t believe that this was from the same childlike person she had met a year and a half ago. This wasn¡¯t a person who was being swept away by the flow, but rather someone who had a strong and huge heart. A heart that only those who wanted to lead could have. ¡°¡­¡± Wheik! I, who was ring at Airn, increased her pressure yet again. Airn¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. Rather, the reaction to the change in pressure came a little further away from him. Gregory Griffin, who was indirectly exposed to the pressure I was giving out, coughed violently. And Amira Shelton, who supported him from his side, didn¡¯t seem that great either. I, who looked at them, politely said. ¡°Sir Gregory Griffin, themander of Calven Knights, I sincerely apologize for the rudeness I have shown.¡± ¡°Cough, cough. Phew¡­ phew, next time, please let us know beforehand. We need time to step back, right?¡± ¡°I will apologize for the mistake I made again, so please relieve your anger if possible.¡± ¡°Huhu, don¡¯t worry. It was nice to be able to feel the power of the famous ck Knights Commander.¡± After I showed her respect, she turned her body. And at the end of her path this time, was Sevion Brooks, who had a stiff face. ¡°Likewise, forgive my rudeness. There was a person I didn¡¯t expect to see here, so I was rude to have not noticed my surroundings.¡± ¡°¡­ it is fine.¡± ¡°I also apologize to the Court Magician of Rabat. An idiot from my group missed the coordinates of the portal, and we ended uping here like this." ¡°No, it is fine¡­¡± Perry Martinez stuttered. He had met I once before. She was someone who had just been appointed as the vicemander and was far from being graceful then. It was because the way she spoke then was still like that of a mercenary. In contrast, her image as the Commander of ck Knight¡­ was wless. However, that wasn¡¯t the reason he backed off. ¡®¡­ in the time we hadn¡¯t seen each other, she changed this much?¡¯ It was now as intense as a ferocious force that couldn''t be hidden. In that atmosphere of I, who seemed like she was in the middle of the battlefield, Perry felt his hands dripping from sweat. ¡°This is embarrassing, but since we moved right after the mission, the knights are in a difficult state. If the organizers of the banquet are fine, I wonder if we could head back and rest first¡­.¡± ¡°¡­ we didn¡¯t realize your schedule was so tight. Take the distinguished guests of the Holy Kingdom to their residence.¡± ¡°Yes, Lord.¡± Perry Martinez paused, and then nodded, and a servant who was standing a bit far away came over to serve the ck Knights. Not just I, but even the knights were giving out an unusual atmosphere. ¡°Ehhh, noooo¡­ I was expecting a food party, though!¡± The presence of a foreign girl among them flustered the servants too. Fortunately, there was someone to take care of her. ¡°¡­ you can just have it in your room, just ask, and you will get whatever you want, so don''t embarrass us all and stop acting like this." ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°Even so, please hold back.¡± ¡°No. a kid can¡¯t be that patient.¡± ¡°You are just¡­¡± Vicemander Georg Phoebe took charge of the stubborn Anya, and the other ck Knights silently followed the servants to their rooms one by one. However, I didn¡¯t leave the hall till the very end. Her gaze was on Airn Pareira, who was also looking at her. ¡°¡­¡± The me in his heart was slightly lighter than before. However, I, who hadn''t lost the heat, was sending out burning gazes and whispered quietly. A voice so small that only an elf with sharp ears could hear. However, from the shape of her lips, Airn could confirm what she said. ¡®I¡¯ll keep an eye on you.¡¯ I¡¯s interest in him hadn¡¯t been extinguished yet. After confirming that, Airn nodded and mouthed. ¡®How much ever you want.¡¯ It was a silent conversation. After a brief exchange, I turned away. Everyone in the hall looked at her leaving till the very end. And in ce of her, who left, the attention turned to the vicemander and the unknown girl in the ck dress. But it wasn¡¯t like that for one person. As much as Ilya Lindsay was looking forward to this moment, she had no choice but to look in the direction that I walked. ¡°¡­¡± Not a single word Just a brief nce. The woman Ilya had chased after her whole life, vanished without showing any sympathy, ridicule, or anger. Ilya couldn¡¯t even figure out what kind of emotions she should pour out on her when she got the chance to face her. The silver-haired swordsman, who thought that with her hardened heart, endured the pain she felt and looked back into her emotions which even she couldprehend. Jump. It was then. A little being who was watching it till then, jumped up from the chair. And without anyone stopping, strode to the center of the hall. It was a stride, so no one could stop her. ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Who? Is sheing for Anya?¡± But thanks to that, the point of attention in the hall changed. When the girl arrived at her destination, not just the nobles, but even Georg and Anya were looking at her. ¡°You.¡± It was Lulu with a magic wand pointed at Anya. ¡°Me?¡± ¡°Right, you Anya!¡± "You know me? But Anya doesn''t know you." ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t you know about me? Are you stupid?¡± Anya, the sorcerer girl, tilted her head at that. There was no way she could forget someone, and she would definitely never forget someone who looked so cute. So, she took a step closer and looked at the girl with the horns and wings intently. And 3 seconds after. ¡°Ah!¡± "Now, do you know?" ¡°Ahhhhhhh! I wanted to see you!¡± She tried to hug Lulu with a surprised expression. But couldn¡¯t Swish. Lulu quickly moved with a cold expression. She spoke to Anya, who was looking at her with a dumbfounded face. "You, along with I, bullied Airn and me." ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°I thought you were going to be friends with me. So why did you do that?¡± ¡°Uh? Th, that was themander''s orders¡­¡± Anya wasn¡¯t sure how to answer those questions. Lulu took her somewhere, and Anya held onto her hand, leaving Georg alone in the hall. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Excuse me, shall I guide you?¡± After a moment of a gloomy expression on his face, he nodded to the servant. The back view of the vicemander leaving the banquet hall felt lonely. Chapter 188: What Happened (3)

Chapter 188: What Happened (3)

The sorcery girl, Anya Marta, had no friends. Probably because she had been only following I since she awakened sorcery from a young age. And she had never really hoped for a friend. The only people she could meet were the ck knights and the priests of the Holy Kingdom, and neither of them were fun. At least Georg couldmunicate with Anya, but the rtionship between them was always too ambiguous to call him a friend. For her, the existence of Lulu, whom she met half a year ago, was special. ¡®Cute!¡¯ Fluffy, round, and warm. And most importantly, cute! Moreover, despite being a cat, she could speak to humans and was as good as Anya when it came to sorcery. Lulu was someone Anya couldn¡¯t help but treat with love. ¡®Nice! Now I can spend more time with her!¡¯ Lulu, who used to be a cat, appeared in a surprising form this time. She approached Anya in the form of a human and not a cat. And for Anya, who had no friends the same age, she couldn''t help but smile. Of course, the pleasant feeling disappeared when Lulu got angry. "Why did you do that? Why did you bully Airn and me when we were friends?" ¡°Uh¡­ no! Anya never bullied¡­¡± ¡°You and I bullied Airn! He said he didn''t want to go, but you people tried to drag him away by force and beat him in the stomach and knocked him out! Don''t you remember it?" She remembered some and didn¡¯t remember some. In fact, she actually couldn¡¯t remember hermander hitting Airn¡¯s stomach. She only remembered the fact that they asked Airn to join them. ''But that isn''t bullying, right?'' For Anya, I was the best and the coolest person she had ever met. She never asked Anya to shut up, and for that reason, Anya knew that she wouldter rise to the throne. She was able to be next to such a great person, so why would she resort to bullying? Although she thought that, Anya wasn¡¯t confident in exining her thoughts to Lulu. ¡°Sorry. I won''t do that in the future.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± "Captain, no, I''ll tell themander not to do that. y with Anya again! Let''s be friends!" ¡°Ah! I am still mad!¡± ¡°What should I do? How do I make Lulu not angry?¡± ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know that either! For now, my anger won¡¯t die down. Think carefully till the next time we meet!¡± With that, Lulu turned into a cat and disappeared into the darkness. In the midst of her dismay, Anya was able to sense a relief in the words of Lulu after she said ''till the next time we meet'' and went to Georg''s room, racking her mind for ways on how to make Lulu feel better. And decided to ask an adult for advice. And then shepletely ignored the proposals Georg had put forth to her and began to n in her own way. A present to Lulu in her human version? ¡°Lulu can wear clothes now, so a dress will make her very happy! I wish she would wear a white dress and y with Anya!¡± ¡°¡­ then why bother asking me?¡± ¡°Georg only spoke nonsense! Really useless stuff!¡± Anya shouted while waving a red g which she took out from the air. Next to her, was a pile of sorcery clothes obtained by breaking the golden piggy bank. Of course, she could summon a cute dress right away. Anya¡¯s golden pig was an all-purpose piggy bank that could grant any wish at the right price. However, hoping for a finished product wasn¡¯t very efficient. But her decision, for now, was to summon materials and tools, and make them herself as doing that would make the product be much better than summoning them using coins. ¡°I need to make it pretty. I need to make a pretty dress.¡± Anya Marta, started making clothes with her small busy hands. It was a cute appearance, but Georg, looking at her like that, had no choice but to feel sad. The girl who spent only 2 gold coins for her own birthday was using 100 gold coins to relieve the cat¡¯s anger. ¡®¡­ let¡¯s think about something else.¡¯ Georg immediately headed to bed. Laying back with his back to Anya, he thought about Airn Pareira. ¡®¡­ what an unbelievable guy.¡¯ He had heard rumors. That he had reached Master status. He remembered being shocked at that. Although he had great willpower to withstand the force of his captain, and raised his sword against her, he felt that Airn¡¯s growth was too fast. However, the appearance he showed today was even greater than what he had imagined. Georg, with his eyes closed, envisioned Airn Pareira in his head back when he faced his captain. ¡°¡­ truly an unbelievable guy.¡± "Ah! Be quiet, will you! You are disturbing me!" ¡°Can¡¯t you go to your own room, and do it?¡± ¡°No. So stay quiet.¡± ¡°¡­ fine.¡± Georg sighed and continued to think. As he travelled with I and the sorcerer, he naturally had an eye to understand people. But even he couldn¡¯t figure out Airn. What was clear was the fact that the total number of people who had made I have such a reaction after meeting her was less than five. ¡®Julius Hul, Quincy Myers¡­ I didn¡¯t see it, but Ian did too.¡¯ As soon as I saw him, she went to her room and fell into meditation. This kid was the first among the young ones. Georg muttered softly as he thought of I, who seemed happier, unlike ever before. ¡°This dungeon exploration will be more fun than I thought.¡± ¡°Georg! Ah! Don¡¯t make it hard for me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Georg pulled the nket over his head. Ignoring him, Anya moved her hands. At that time, Airn Pareira, who was out of the hall, was also meditating like I. The meeting was only for a brief moment, but the impact she left on him wasn''t small. Victory, joy and longing, along with so many other thoughts, rushed through his head. ¡®But for now, it would be right to feel purely happy.¡¯ He remembered the first time he met her. Airn felt a deep sense of defeat in the face of that woman, who didn¡¯t see him but only his past self. In a way, the emotions he felt at that time made Airn who he was today. Unlike before, Airn decided to honestly praise himself for handling I¡¯s gaze with his confident self. Of course, just because he faced her gaze didn¡¯t mean that everything was over. Rather, it could be said that it was the real beginning. Airn Pareira, who thought till there, got up and looked around. After confirming that no one was around, he summoned his great sword and wielded it. Wheik! Wheeik! ¡®Ick the ability and strength to achieve my goal currently.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t to be active during the exploration. It wasn¡¯t even to rise to a higher level than I. Airn¡¯s pursuit of greater strength was to fully realize the will and belief he had established when he was in Durkali. Even now, he often thought about it. If his abilities were like when he was in Alhad, what would the oue be? If he had been weaker than Grayson in Eisenmarkt, would he have been able to travel with Ilya and Lulu like now? No. ¡®¡­ it is obviously important to have a strong will, a belief and a goal.¡¯ However, if youck the strength to achieve it, no matter how good your intentions are, it will inevitably be futile. Airn Pareira, who realized it, swung his sword stronger. Woong! He grew stronger and more passionate as he affirmed with the strong will he had in his previous life. Wheik! Along with his will, the strength of his body also developed. He constantly trained himself so that his body wouldn¡¯t fail to hold the spirit of his heart. To be diligent. He worked constantly. The young man with a heart as hot as me sharpened his sword. He finally stopped training when the long darkness of the winter night receded, and the brilliant sun appeared. ¡®¡­ Ilya.¡¯ Airn, who looked at the bright sky, suddenly remembered Ilya. He knew. How much courage it took for her to get to this point and meet I. He knew very well how painful it would be when the person, because of whom they suffered so much, didn¡¯t even spare a reaction towards them. If I had reacted the same as in the past, Ilya would have taken a hit to her pride. ¡®But there is nothing I can do for her.¡¯ He could encourage her by walking next to her or holding her hand when she was having a hard time. But in the end, Ilya had to forge her own path and take her own steps. ¡°¡­¡± Airn, who was thinking about his friend, looked up to the sky and swung his sword. Just like yesterday, just as always. However, in his eyes which kept moving, there was much greater trust in his friend rather than concern. Two weeks passed since the Holy Kingdom, Avilius¡¯ knights came over. The preparations for the dungeon proceeded smoothly. However, that was only when it was looked at from an external point of view, but in reality, there were constant checks on the other nations between the members. But that too came to an end. I Crescentia, who was in charge of the ck Knights, was positioned as the leader of the expeditionmanding all the forces, including those of Rabat, Pnque and Calven. Of course, no one felt bad about it. It was because they knew that Avilius was strong. That I was strong. Of course, it was said that leading the exploration and the distribution of the rewards of the dungeon would be done separately. However, instead of Georg, who was in charge of diplomatic affairs on the front line, it was I who met the heads of two nations. ¡°Thank you for the consideration.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± No one said anything after that. ¡°Phew.¡± And Airn didn¡¯t care about the political stuff. Swosh! To make his ideals into reality. Swish! In order to not let his dreams stay dreams. Swish! In order for him to catch up with his strong convictions, Airn¡¯s body continued to grow. And as each day passed, it was evolving. So, exactly 24 hours before departure. ¡°Phew.¡± Airn remembered his distant past. He quietly nodded, remembering the awakening he had gone through before the midterm test when he was a prospective trainee of Krono. ¡°Great.¡± Chapter 189: Dungeon Trials (1)

Chapter 189: Dungeon Trials (1)

The dungeon in the wastnd between Rabat, Pnque and Calven had two entrances, but it showed a strange feature where the passage wouldn¡¯t open unless attacked from both sides at the same time. Of course, breaking in was a way to enter it, but in ancient dungeons, each action could lead to another variable, so it wasn¡¯t a weed opinion. ¡®Isn¡¯t it likely to be a magical barrier?¡¯ Perry Martinez, themander of exploration team 1, thought. There were usually 3 types of ancient dungeons. A Hero¡¯s tomb. A God¡¯s Remains. And magical barriers which were created by an unknown phenomenon. Among them, the characteristics which often ur in finding a dungeon were the magical barrier type. Neither a Hero''s tomb nor a God''s remains type of dungeon would feel like this. That was the reason why Rabat, which had superior magical power, was confident in this exploration. ¡®¡­Avilius has no say in this.¡¯ Recalling the 2nd exploration team, which consisted mostly of personnel from the Holy Kingdom, Perry Martinez frowned. Where does their right to impensatione from? Surely, they were here to check on the dungeon. In that sense, it was inevitable for Rabat to dislike the Holy Kingdom, which took over one entrance. However, Perry was quick to dispel those thoughts from his mind. And that was because he remembered the battle between Sevion Brooks and I Crescentia, which took ce four days ago. Recalling the power of the ck Knightmander, he changed his mind. ¡®¡­ let¡¯s admit it. Competing with the Holy Kingdom is unreasonable.¡¯ Right. If he was in the team that consisted of the ck Knights led by I, then he wouldn¡¯t even have a chance to go out. Rather than chasing after the Holy Kingdom, it would be better to show a more remarkable performance than the other two participants, i.e. Pnque and Calven. ¡°Phew, Phew¡­.¡± ¡°Amira, calm down. What would someone feel and do when the Vicemander itself looks this nervous?¡± Perry Martinez¡¯s gaze wandered from ce to ce. There would be no problem for Rabat toe up better than Calven¡¯s people, who had swords but heavilycked experience, and theirmander Gregory Griffin, who was old now, wouldn¡¯t be of help. Sevion Brooks was pretty good. Normally, he would be a picky man, but because of the shock from the battle with I, he seemed silent. The one-sided defeat he suffered for the first time since he had be a Master must have created a wound in his heart. If so, then who should he be concerned about? ¡®Airn Pareira and Lulu.¡¯ The old magician shifted his attention to the blonde young man and the cat on his shoulder. The two of them couldn¡¯t be looked down on. That was especially the case with Airn Pareira. The unpredictable cat was, of course, a possibility, but the young Sword Master was definitely more dangerous. The fact that he didn''t step back from I¡¯s pressure showed that he was strong. It was unbelievable considering his age, but Perry thought that this guy might even be stronger than Sevion Brooks. ¡®I hope this goes the way I think it will.¡¯ Perry, who looked at the two, took a deep breath. If things went as nned, amazing results could be achieved. As he was thinking about it, a re went off on the other side. He nodded and looked back at the 1st exploration team. ¡°Let¡¯s begin.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± With a loud answer, the magicians of Rabat demonstrated their abilities. The entrance to the dungeon, which came in contact with the magic, opened with a loud grinding sound. Bung! Perry Martinez sent out a beam of light to confirm it. However, as if a pebble had been dropped into the deep sea, the inside of the dungeon showed no signs of illuminating. "Well, this is expected; let''s go in." Perry Martinez, who spoke to Sevion Brooks, took the lead. Armed with robes enchanted with protection magic and a staff made of northern gyro wood, an indescribable aura of magnificence emanated from the old magician¡¯s body. Seeing the strong, broad back of the man, the exploration members were amazed. ¡®The best magician of Rabat is with us!¡¯ ¡®Perry Martinez, the best magician in the east, is guiding us!'' ''Even though it is an ancient dungeon, there will be nothing dangerous! We can believe Perry Martinez!'' Feeling the gaze of magicians on him, even Perry Martinez felt confident. Right. He is the most outstanding battle magician in the central part of the continent and has extensive knowledge about dungeons. With the exception of the three people in the Runtel Kingdom, he wasn¡¯t acking person. There was no way he could be defeated by the knights of Pnque or the young mercenaries of Calven! With that thought, he went in. ¡­ suddenly, feeling strange, he looked back. ¡°¡­¡± No, there was nothing there. No one was there. Within a few seconds of him standing there, falling into his thoughts, the entire party disappeared as if they vanished into thin air. He didn¡¯t feel any change in the magic flow or anything. Something outside his ability had happened. Perry Martinez realized what it meant and burst intoughter ¡°Huhuhu¡­¡± ¡®So, it must have been an ancient temple, not a magical barrier.¡¯ He recalled the knowledge he had gained through the old books he had read. A solitary ordeales which did not differentiate between a magician, sorcerer or anyone else. The path an individual had to take in such a situation, which urred so suddenly that it couldn¡¯t be exined, was truly a ¡®God-given ordeal¡¯. This meant that one had to walk on his own path confidently without being swept away by doubts of uneasiness and suspicions that constantly bombarded them as they walked alone in the dark. Perry Martinez thought about it and clicked his tongue. Not because he was in trouble. A magician like him wouldn¡¯t kneel in the face of such an ordeal. His mind, which he believed was stronger than anyone else¡¯s, set a direction and made his way through the darkness without a single doubt. However, that didn¡¯t mean that he didn¡¯t feel bad. This expedition turned out to be one inside an ancient temple rather than a dungeon with barriers around like he thought it would be, which meant the number of things a magician could do came down drastically. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean they didn¡¯t have a task at all, butpared to the pdins and priests of the Holy Kingdom, they were now suddenly inferior. And the damage they could take would berger than Pnque and Calven. Some things shed through Perry''s mind, who was feeling troubled. There was a wall to ovee. However, there were things that existed higher in the world which haven''t been reached yet. ¡®¡­ if it were the Lords of Runtel, would they be able to find a way through God¡¯s ordeal?¡¯ The suspicion approached him like a gentle mist. Shaking his head, he moved forward with growing difort. ¡®¡­ a divine ordeal?¡¯ Seeing what unfolded before his eyes, Sevion thought of it right away. There was chaos all around him where many people kept dying. He, too, was dressed in blood-soaked clothes, holding a sword that was dyed in red. Fortunately, he immediately realized it was an illusion and not reality. ¡®If I had made a mistake, I would have been caught up in the past. I need to get my mind straight.¡¯ Taking a moment to relieve himself of the visions he saw, the Sword Master moved ahead. The scenes he saw were from the civil war that had ended 30 years ago. Neither he nor his home country could repeat the same mistakes again. With a strong heart, he swung his sword without hesitation. The enemies who were approaching him fell apart like insignificant illusions and disappeared. After oveing dozens of trials like that. Sevion finally found a shining dot in the distance. ¡®It¡¯s quite a tricky situation.¡¯ A very deep illusion that even he, a Sword Master, found himself lost in for a moment. He knew that most of the people on the expedition¡¯s team 1, who were not as skilled as he was, would have a very hard time through this. Of course, the worst wouldn¡¯t happen. The merciful God would punish only those who truly deserve it. However, it was necessary to reduce the loss of power as much as possible, when considering it from his perspective, to sessfully attack this dungeon. ¡®Perry, I¡¯ll ask him when he arrives.¡¯ He had walked faster than he thought. He didn¡¯t think anyone else could have gone through this ordeal faster than him. He couldn¡¯t be sure about I, but Sevion thought that he had a stronger hold over his mind than the other participants of the expedition. He couldn¡¯t help but be shocked. ¡°Ah, someone is here.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The light seemed like the one that the cat sorcerer usually yed with. But Lulu wasn¡¯t the only one who had arrived. Even the genius of Lindsay''s family, Ilya Lindsay, had arrived and was looking at him with a calm face. ¡°¡­ many havee.¡± Perry Martinez, who had arrived a stepter, couldn¡¯t help but be shocked. His eyes looked at Ilya Lindsay with an unbelievable feeling. Wasn¡¯t this woman suffering in the banquet hall? Yet she managed to ovee the ordeal so quickly? Better than him and Sevion Brooks too? There were things he wanted to ask her. However, both the old men kept silent, and time passed. ¡°Phew, is it over? "Mr Martinez!" ¡°Brooks, you came first.¡± A few more joined themter. Most of them belonged to Rabat and Pnque. Of course, from Calven''s side, Amira Shelton and Gregory Griffin, too, hade. But after two hours had passed since thest person hade, and even after an hourter than that which was kept as a waiting period, no one else showed up, and so they made a decision. ¡°I think it will be pointless to wait any longer.¡± ¡°Then do we move to find the altar?¡± ¡°Maybe¡­ but even if we do find it, I can¡¯t guarantee that it can be used.¡± Perry Martinez said with a frown. Since it was an ordeal from the merciful God, everyone else who was still wandering in the dark, wouldn''t be greatly wounded. Perhaps if the altar was found inside, then perhaps some offerings and a simple prayer would be enough for them to return. However, the problem was whether the recovered expedition members would still be conscious or not. ¡®We have no choice but to move on¡­¡¯ The old magician turned his head. And then looked at the cat ying with a me and Ilya Lindsay, who was meditating. Not liking them being that rxed, he asked. ¡°Does the cat sorcerer or thedy of Lindsay family have any opinions?¡± He wasn¡¯t asking for a solution. But he didn¡¯t want them to feel like they were being ignored for being there as mercenaries. Although it was a little burdening for Perry, he wanted to check with the opinions of the Sword Master and the powerful sorcerer. And the answer came back right away. Ilya Lindsay opened her eyes and stared intently at Perry, and she said. ¡°Trust.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°She meant that we have to wait with trust.¡± ¡°What is¡­¡± ¡°I think the point of this ordeal was to have faith and trust to move forward from all kinds of doubts, anxiety and mistrust.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And it is my opinion that you not only need to have faith in yourself but also in others.¡± ¡°¡­Miss Lindsay seems to be trusting herrade who hasn''t arrived yet.¡± Perry Martinez said it. Most of the things he predicted, happened in the ordeal, but Airn Pareira, who was a Master, hadn¡¯t appeared yet. It was shocking, but notpletely unbelievable. There was now that said that just because the level of the sword of a person was high, the heart of that person would be strong as well. Even strong people are sometimes weak when ites to matters of the heart. So, he honestly didn¡¯t expect anyone else to arrive. Those who didn¡¯t pass the ordeal yet, were those whocked self-discipline, and Rabat¡¯s court magician sincerely thought so. ¡°He¡¯s here.¡± The eyes of Lulu and Ilya turned to a specific spot at the same time. With that, Sevion Brooks and Perry Martinez and even the others looked in that direction. And all the people of the 3 kingdoms opened their mouths wide. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± A fire that was warm and soft like firewood in a firece, holding a sword wrapped in bright light. Being a beacon for those who fell behind, a being walked in the lead, with a gentle smile. Airn Pareira, walking with a holy and noble air, smiled at Ilya and Lulu and then at Perry. ¡°Sorry. We arrived a littleter than expected,¡± ¡°¡­¡± Airn Pareira, who returned 100% of his party¡¯s trust, stood ahead of the old magician with a dignified figure like a hero. Chapter 190: Dungeon Trials (2)

Chapter 190: Dungeon Trials (2)

¡°Yes, at first¡­ I didn''t think it was an illusion. I didn''t even think about suspecting it; I was just being swept away by the sight ahead of me¡­." The knight standing in front of Gregory Griffin, the leader of Calven knights, eagerly exined what had happened. He was a person who would have been imprisoned in the trial since he had made a mistake, but came back with Airn Pareira. ¡°I see, I get it.¡± The knightmander, who heard the whole story, asked the other person the same question. A bitterness bloomed in his heart. Among the three kingdoms, the number of people was the smallest in Calven, and yet the number of people who would have been lost was the most in Calven. As he realized the weak power of Calven, his expression hardened. However, more intense than those feelings, was the surprise that Airn Pareira gave him. ¡®Your presence is strong enough to intervene in the trials of Gods.¡¯ All of Calven¡¯s knights told him the same thing. When they were feeling frustrated and were filled with anxiety and anguish in the darkness, they saw a spark in the distance. A spark that gave out a very warm and reassuring light. Thanks to that, those who were on the verge of losing hope were able to escape the trials of God. Airn¡¯s golden aura sword acted like a lighthouse for them. ¡®¡­ not a lighthouse but also a bonfire.¡¯ Gregory Griffin looked at the young man¡¯s great sword. A mysterious light that made him feelfortable the moment he saw it. He could feel an energy that he had never felt in a Sword Master¡¯s aura. In the case of Amira Shelton, who was watching it closely, even her face was showing it. ¡°Woah! Woah!¡± The way she reacted was like a young child. Shaking his head, themander approached her. ¡°You idiot! Think about your age and rank.¡± ¡°Ah? Ah! Yes¡­.¡± Amira, who felt ashamed, stepped back. With a stiff face now, she tried to show off her dignity, but still, her face was red. Gregory clicked his tongue and looked at Perry Martinez. ¡®He looks ufortable.¡¯ The ce which they assumed to be a magician barrier dungeon turned out to be an ancient temple. And if that wasn¡¯t enough, a young man less than half the old man¡¯s age had saved a lot of people. Thanks to that, the center of the exploration was Airn Pareira now. From a magician¡¯s point of view, his self-esteem could be hurt. ¡®But the previous trial isn¡¯t everything.¡¯ Thought Gregory Griffin. It was known that ¡®God¡¯s Grace¡¯ that could be obtained from ancient temples, granted powers and abilities which normal humans couldn¡¯t even start to imagine. However, the reason why there wasn''t much information on it was because obtaining it was known to be very difficult. In such a situation, it wasn¡¯t right for themander of the exploration to have such a distorted expression. Thinking that, Gregory approached Perry. ¡°Lord Martinez.¡± ¡°¡­ yes?¡± ¡°Calven¡¯s side will soon be done regrouping. When themand is given by the Expedition Commander, we will follow it.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Perry¡¯s expression softened at the words of Calven¡¯smander, who treated him like themander of the expedition even after the events that had urred. After thinking for a while, he said. ¡°Our magicians will use detection magic and proceed first. Sevion, you pick a few knights and ask for an escor¡­¡± The chaotic atmosphere was cleared up. Perry opened his mouth after confirming that those who hade out were in their right senses and themotion rted to Airn¡¯s entry had calmed down. ¡°Let¡¯s head this way.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°We trust Mr. Martinez.¡± Under his guidance, the exploration members began to go out again. Darkness followed them as they walked down the long corridors. In a dungeon, there are usually guardians who guard the dungeon. Sometimes, monsters affected by the magical power might appear, and sometimes, in dungeons like a Hero¡¯s Tomb, beings even more mysterious, birthed from their very tombs, would appear. It was the same for the Ancient temple. 1 This type of dungeon is usually guarded by holy creatures in order to prevent wrongdoers and unqualified ones from taking the power within the dungeon. However, even the great guardians of the Gods couldn¡¯t push away the current expedition under Perry¡¯smand. Kwaang! Kwan! Beams of magical power bloomed in the air along with spells that were cast with magic tools. The grey spheres shot at the guardians with the magician¡¯s gestures and knocked down the golems made of unidentified minerals. ¡°Hap!¡± Shhh! Sevion Brooks skillfully took advantage of the gap the bombardments of the magicians caused, and destroyed the core of the golems swiftly. And this was all thanks to the detection magic of the magicians. He would aim for the red dot marked on the golem¡¯s body and, along with the other knights who were also focused on the cores, kept attacking the golem to prevent it from reconstructing. Following this strategy, their fifth battle in the dungeon ended smoothly. Although it was a fight with an absolutely formidable opponent, no one was seriously injured even though defeating each one took a considerable amount of time. Even if it was called a Dungeon Attack, they were in a situation where no one could refuse since they were cruising through the dungeon rather easily. However, the current atmosphere of the exploration couldn¡¯t be called good. ¡°Tch.¡± ¡°Tch? Did you just say that to me?¡± ¡°No. Don¡¯t mind it.¡± "I will mind it; you definitely intended to say that to me. Did you not?¡± ¡°Ha, then stop holding us back and move ahead.¡± ¡°You bastard¡­.¡± The teammates were explicitly pointing out mistakes that could have been overlooked, and were getting angry at things that should have been apologized for. ¡°No. with my skills, I will only cause trouble to the exploration team.¡± ¡°If I had been trapped in the ordeal, I wouldn''t have been a burden¡­¡± ¡°I will make a mistake for sure. I am certain that I will make a mistake. I don¡¯t think I have any luck today¡­¡± People kept getting discouraged by the smallest things, and were losing self-confidence. In the midst of the ever-growing anxiety, the others, too, were beginning to feel fear. Perry Martinez, who was watching this, had a firm expression. The guardian protecting the temple wasn¡¯t important now. Their troubles weren¡¯t done, and the exploration had to move forward. ¡°What do we do?¡± ¡°Is there a way, Lord Martinez?¡± Realizing the seriousness of the situation, Sevion Brooks and Gregory visited themander. However, even the three experienced people couldn¡¯te up with a proper solution. ¡®It is a lot worse than I thought.¡¯ Perry Martinez stroked his beard as he watched the expedition team rest. Not everyone on the exploration were going through trials. Most of the people who were showing such abnormal symptoms were the people who fell out and couldn¡¯t actuallyplete the first ordeal, and apart from them, the others were looking good. The problem was that since they were all in one group, the anxiety, and suspicions of the affected members, continued to corrode the healthy minds as well. If someone around was constantly expressing dissatisfaction, the person closest to them would also get a whiff of it and be affected by it. And when it wasn¡¯t a one-time event, but rather, the person next to them constantly repeated it, then what would happen to the exposed one? Perhaps even a normal person would have no choice but to gradually be dominated by the negative emotions they kept hearing. Such was the current situation of the exploration. The amount of burdening feelings that harmed the party would just keep increasing over time. And those who remain will have to bear the increased burden, and those who couldn¡¯t withstand it, would copse one after another. ¡®Maybeter¡­ Sevion and I, and the three Calven mercenaries will have to carry them all on our backs. To prevent that from happening, those who might be a bad influence need to be thrown away quickly.¡¯ The problem was that he couldn¡¯t just leave people so coldly. Perry Martinez took a deep breath and brought up an old story. "This reminds me of the one-eyed man and the 99 blind men." Sevion Brooks and Gregory Griffin nodded their heads at the same time. They knew the story. Instead of killing the 100 people captured during the war, they made 99 people blind and one person one-eyed. When the captured soldiers were released in that state, the enemy nation had no choice but to consume considerable resources and mental energy to take care of the blind men who had now be something equivalent to burdens for the nation. It was said that an ancient tyrant, who heard of this method from the Devil, enjoyed using it repeatedly on his enemies. It was ironic indeed. The terrible ways of the Devil and the trials of the merciful God were so simr. ¡®God, why are we being put through such a trial?¡¯ They couldn¡¯t just abandon the ones who had failed the first trial. But they couldn''t hold onto them either. The anxiety will spread around like a contagious disease, and even the strong faith would perish. It was then. Airn Pareira, the blonde young man, who had been quietly guarding the ce until then, summoned his great sword. And he brought out the golden aura from the sword. ¡°Ohh¡­¡± The faces of the expedition members brightened considerably. Perry Martinez looked at Airn¡¯s aura, feeling unhappy and unsatisfied, and thought that it was unfortunate. He didn¡¯t know what it was or how he did it, but the young man¡¯s energy certainly had the power to relieve the bad mood in people. However, it wasn¡¯t for that purpose that Airn brought out the Aura Sword. He turned to Perry Martinez. "The story of the one-eyed man and 99 blind men¡­I know it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I also know the identity of the Devil which instigated the ancient tyrant.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± Sevion Brooks asked, but Airn didn¡¯t give him an answer. Closing his eyes, he continued to concentrate. He thought it was weird. No matter how hard this trial was, this method was too cruel. This energy, which dragged people down to the bottom of the well without any mercy, didn''t seem right to be called as a God''s Remains type of dungeon. Airn realized. How was it possible to hide such a disgusting, evil energy so well? Airn Pareira, who finally understood the identity of the opponent, clenched his teeth. ¡®This person has been hiding behind a mask all his life, so this is natural.¡¯ Wooong! Airn¡¯s sword gave out even more intense light. The appearance too changed. The Aura Sword, which was in the form of a smooth de, vibrated like a me and began to burn the space around it. Chik! It started cutting through the darkness. The shadows that were filled with lies, deceit, and hypocrisy were torn apart, and a new space appeared. Everyone realized it as they saw that. That the entire dungeon they had been walking through until then, was nothing more than an illusion. That everything they firmly believed to be the Trials of Gods, was nothing more than a Demon¡¯s prank. ¡®No, please don¡¯t be a demon!¡¯ Perry Martinez gulped. On a stage made of human bones and flesh, someone in colorful clothes came into view. What caught their eyes even more than the dwarf''s body was the cracked mask of a clown on its face. And the moment their eyes met, he could feel it. That there was no such thing as a Demon which couldn¡¯t cause fear. It was the moment when he, who felt a chill run down his spine, and was about to warn the exploration team. Swoosh! The clown¡¯s hand moved. The 15 members of the expedition party who weren¡¯t in good condition were pushed onto the stage. The people who realized their situationte, tried to scream, but the vines which sprouted out, imprisoned thempletely. Seeing them like that, the clown Devil who was holding his stomach began tough and looked at the rest of the people. ¡°Hehe, huhu, huahaha! Come on! Apud!¡± p! p! p! The apuse of the Devil resounded in the huge cavity. None of the exploration members were crazy enough to p hands when their colleagues were kidnapped. Eyes mixed with anger and fear poured in. The clown''sughter, which had been in delight, ceased. As if time had stopped, he looked down at the people below the stage, and then snapped his finger. And with a rattling sound, one of the prisoner''s heads was cut. ¡°Now, p!¡± p! p! p! p! The Clown Devil, who demanded apuse again, was filled with anger. And that angered the people of the expedition party too. However, no one ran. Rather, fearful of what the clown''s follow-up action would be, some even pped their hands. Lulu transformed into her human sorcerer form and looked at her friend with a worried expression. ¡®What should I do? What should I do?¡¯ Lulu understood Airn better than anyone. So, she knew just how difficult this situation was for him. It was a moment where damage was inevitable, no matter which side he chose. It was a moment where no matter what decision he made, the scars from it were inevitable. It would be Airn who would suffer more from this side whenpared to the Devil, who seemed strong and terrifying. For Airn, who was stronger than anyone, but also had a good heart too, there couldn¡¯t have been a more difficult situation than this. It was at the moment she had thought till there. Pang! Themander of the exploration, Perry Martinez. Sevion Brooks, the best knight of Pnque. Even the clown devil grunted its teeth against Airn Pareira, who came at it with a devastating speed. This was different from the Subjugation battle of the South in the past, where he was engulfed in anger because of being influenced by his past. Now, however, Airn had tears flowing from his eyes as he wielded the sword, as he bore the weight of his choice entirely by his own will. Here the ''Ancient temple'' seems to refer to the God''s Remains, and the Author himself has used it interchangeably. It was a bit confusing for me but was cleared up by the end of the chapter. If it is revealed in the future that it was not so, it will be corrected.? Chapter 191: Confronting the Past (1)

Chapter 191: Confronting the Past (1)

About two years ago, in the southern cave of the Gairn territory. There, Airn Pareira put on a terrific performance. At that time, instead of falling for the demon¡¯s taunts after it had kidnapped the main members of the subjugation team, Airn Pareira immediatelyunched an attack to sh the demon and managed to finish the subjugation without any damage. And today was the same. No one even thought of moving. Some even pped their hands at the threatening words of the Devil and its terrifying intimidation.1 Even Sevion Brooks and Perry Martinez had stiff bodies and hands, despite them being among the only ones who could actually fight the devil. If that was the case, did Airn Pareiraunch himself towards the enemy now, with the same thoughts he had during the southern subjugation? No. Tears welled up in his eyes as he went for the clown. ¡®This is the best option!¡¯ Two years ago, Airn Pereira really had no idea. A hostage¡¯s life? He didn¡¯t care that much for them. Wouldn''t it do more damage if the demon got away because they were trying to save the hostages? No, he didn¡¯t even think about that either. In the past, he was just swept away by the will of the man, and he moved like a puppet on a string and just swung his sword. His sword in the past was indeed sharp, but it had no value for life, and so, it was infinitely light.2 But not now. Now he knew. That his actions would put countless lives at risk. And he also knew the fact that this seemingly reckless act of his, could leave scars not just on the people present here, but also on their families and friends as well. The fact that their anger and hatred, if they lost their loved ones, would be directed towards him. But it was fine. No, it wasn¡¯t really fine. However, unlike before, he now had the strength to fully endure it without turning his back on it, and the determination to take responsibility. That was the current Airn Pareira. ¡®I am sorry.¡¯ A happy ending without any damage. However, Airn couldn¡¯t let himself be deluded by ignoring what reality was. That was what the devil would want. If they followed the words of the devil, then one way or another, everyone would be trapped by it. But that didn¡¯t mean that charging at the Devil was a good idea with hostages out there either. It was a choice where neither option was the right one. So Airn made a decision based on his own thoughts and ideals and then moved. There was no hesitation, no fear, and no running away from painful choices. The sword of a hero who was able to bear that burden, spit out a golden aura that fell on the clown. Kwaang! ¡°Ahh?¡± The devil, who was hit by the sword, flew away. However, it wasn¡¯t cut. As Airn shed with his sword, he felt as if a solid and heavy mountain was hit. And unsurprisingly, the clown appeared unaffected. Even though there was a mask on it, it was clear that the devil was flustered. But not caring about that, Airn rushed in again. Kwang! Kwang! Bang! A consecutive attack that targeted the clown with 3 hits in a row! The clown blocked it with his bare hands. It wasn''t easy this time, however. The first attack broke the left hand, the second the right hand. The third time, he crossed his arms, and it was evident that the clown¡¯s body was horribly damaged. Still, the clown didn¡¯t counterattack. Spreading out his wrecked hands and shattered palms, the Devil spoke calmly. ¡°Hey, hey! Wait a second! Have we ever met before?¡± Swish! ¡°Euk!¡± Swish! ¡°Uhk-! We haven¡¯t? Did I see it wrong then? Why do you seem so familiar? Ah, wait¡­¡± Puck! Kwang! After dealing so much damage to the clown¡¯s torso, Airn went for the head with a full swing. But this time, too, the clown wasn¡¯t cut. However, there was a sound of shing. It was the moment when Airn, who had a stiff face, was about to go for the opponent again. Woong! ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°The more I see¡­¡± A thick darkness bloomed from behind the devil and washed through it. As a result, the body of the clown, which was damaged, healed instantly. Except for the cracks in the mask, the body of the clown was fully healed. But there was something more important than that. The moment he saw the ck clouds forming over the heads of the hostages, Airn moved towards them despite knowing that he would be toote to save them. No matter how much he grew stronger, he couldn¡¯t stop the clown¡¯s attack as it was too far away. Pung! ¡°Uh?¡± However, the clown couldn¡¯t achieve its purpose. ¡°Airn! Don¡¯t worry about them! And fight it to your heart''s content!¡± Lulu had her arms outstretched while holding out a cute wand, and her power was tightly wrapped around the captured members, protecting them. Lulu seemed a bit shocked and pale, but the blue shield protected the hostages without being shaken by the attack of the clown. It was at the time when the clown, who was startled by the appearance of the blue shield, was about to speak. Wooong! Gulp! All eyes were focused on one ce. A size which couldn¡¯t bepared to before. And a brightness which couldn¡¯t bepared either. An Aura Sword, which was bigger than Sevion Brook''s, who had been a Master for 10 years, bloomed like a me. It seemed as if it was a messenger of God who came down with a legendary holy sword. However, the clown devil who was facing him had a different idea. ¡°This¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t a legend or a myth. It wasn¡¯t from a servant of God either. It had nothing to do with the help of God. He had been watching for a long time, so he knew. ¡®His power¡­¡¯ That man¡¯s sword. It was created by pouring an amount of time and effort that was impossible for a human to do. That sword was conceived from an unbelievable existence, who had stood by his firm beliefs in spite of the malice which was poured out against him. And it was at that moment that the clown felt fear for the first time after living for thousands of years¡­ Woong! The clown¡¯s thoughts didn¡¯t continue further. The golden aura from the sword had grown to the extent that it covered the entire body of the man in front of him. Golden energy wasing out of the young man¡¯s eyes. ¡°Huhu.¡± Why? At that moment, he burst intoughter without knowing why, and the sword of the young hero shed at him at a terrifying speed. sh! The moment he felt it pierce, the clown devil thought. ¡®I finally found it!¡¯ Airn Pareira summoned the great sword. And it didn¡¯t stop there. He pulled out his Aura Sword and rushed towards the devil. Right. It was definitely a Devil. Sevion Brooks, who saw the devil in the form of a clown, appearing ahead, felt all kinds of thoughts shing through his mind. ¡®It makes¡­ no sense.¡¯ The first thing he felt was despair. He had thought that he would be used to such things by now. Although he couldn¡¯t say it out loud, Sevion Brooks had always hoped that some Devils had remained in the current world. That was because of the achievements of the Demon yers, which had now be legends, were already a thing of the past! He didn¡¯t think that it would be impossible for him to defeat a devil, because he knew about himself. No matter what anyone said, he was a Master. And he knew that he had excellent skills which couldn¡¯t be beaten by a Demon. ¡®But now I know. How absurd it was.¡¯ Sevion Brooks looked at some of the knights. They were the people who had followed the instructions of the clown and had pped. However, he had no intention of scolding them. Right now, even he felt himself being crushed by the darkness of the clown and felt his body freeze. So, it was even more surprising. The fact that the young Sword Master, who he thought was below him, was standing alone in front of that Devil. Kwang! Kang! Kwang! ¡®Amazing!¡¯ And he didn¡¯t mean the greatness of his swordsmanship. Although the strong yet smooth flow was impressive, his swordsmanship wascking. And he wasn¡¯t talking about the greatness of his Aura. Considering his age, the young man was incredibly strong, but that didn¡¯t mean that he wouldn¡¯t be pushed behind by the devil. But what surprised Sevion Brooks the most, wasn¡¯t how Airn looked like or how he fought. And rather, it was something one couldn¡¯t look into, but when standing in front of the Devil, this young man looked splendid. ¡®The Heart and will!¡¯ He knew that everyone else present here, including himself and Perry Martinez, could stand in front of the clown-like that. Was it because the people were being held hostage? That could, of course, be a reason for them. But not for him. Because he knew that it would take sacrifices to subdue a devil. Right. It was because Sevion was too scared to use any one of these excuses for not moving. What he had was the instinctive fear at the thought of approaching the darkness that the clown emitted. It had to be the same for the young man. The young man was also probably afraid, and felt tormented and hated his own self just like Sevion did. Nevertheless, he was still moving forward. And he didn¡¯t even hesitate to rush at the evil being. How many worries, experiences, and other thoughts must he have gone through, in order to build such a mind and will to make that possible? ¡®Unlike me, who kept checking on my juniors and was jealous¡­ the fundamentals and roots itself must be different for that child.¡¯ Kwang! Kang! Tung! The battle between Airn and the devil continued. In the meantime, Sevion Brooks''s thoughts didn''t cease. His fear of the devil, along with his admiration for Airn, his self-doubt, and other negative thoughts. Embarrassingly, while the young man faced the devil alone, Sevion Brooks was unable to even move ahead. He was relieved, however. When the blonde Sword Master defeated the clown with his Aura Sword, the top knight of Pnque breathed a sigh of relief. He prayed to God thanking Him, because he didn¡¯t have to go out to fight the devil. And then, he heard the footsteps behind him. Startled, he turned his head. ¡°It isn¡¯t over yet.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Even in the dark, Ilya Lindsay¡¯s silver hair shone. It looked like she wasn¡¯t bothered by the darkness. Still stiff because of the fear, Sevion raised his surprised eyes. ¡®Airn is eptable, but even Ilya as well?¡¯ How this woman overcame the evil energy that was spreading all around them, he couldn¡¯t understand. Ilya was unaware of his thoughts. She only spoke with a calm face. ¡°It isn¡¯t over yet. We must work together and help¡­.¡± ¡°Found it! Found it! I found you, you fucking bastard!¡± Woop! It was before Ilya''s words were finished. A strong explosion. Everyone''s eyes, including Airn¡¯s, focused on the spot. In their eyes, they saw the image of the clown, with blood dripping behind the mask. ¡°wnrdlsek, wnrdlsek, wnrduqjflsek, Wlwrh, Tlqrh, wltdlrlrh, rkfdkqjflrh, wkfrmswkfrms, wkfrmswkfrms Tlqdjtj, rm snrneh dkfdkqhwl ahtgkrp, wnrdlsek¡­¡­.¡± Anguage humans couldn¡¯t understand. But the meaning was clearly conveyed. All the people there felt a chill run down their spine. The weak ones passed out, and even Gregory Griffin slumped to the floor. But not Airn Pareira. And Ilya Lindsay too. A silver aura erupted from her sword as she stood next to her friend. ¡°¡­ damn it!¡± ¡°Phew.¡± Sevion got upte, and Perry stood next to him. Behind them, Lulu was struggling to protect the expedition members from the darkness. And then, Three Sword Masters and one battle magician, looked at the clown with sharp eyes. No, it wasn¡¯t just them. Ilya Lindsay, who felt a strange energy from Airn¡¯s gaze, turned around. ¡°¡­¡± How could she have not noticed it till then? She couldn¡¯t figure it out. However, one thing was clear. Woong¡­ The aura was colored like a red marble. Kiiing¡­.! The fact that Anya Marta¡¯s sorcery once more was being used. ¡°I used up everything I umted over the past 3 years¡­¡± ¡°Yah! Stay quiet!¡± ¡°?¡± Hearing Anya¡¯s voice, the clown turned his head. Its expression couldn¡¯t be read. Although the mask was cracked, it still hid the expression on the face of the demon. But Airn knew. The fact that this guy who had never lost hisposure had lost it for the first time. ¡°Go.¡± I Crescentia¡¯s voice resounded. Immediately after, the red sphere hanging from the tip of the Vulcanus Numbering Sword shot out. It was so fast that only masters could see it, and even the clown couldn¡¯t avoid it. Puak! Again, the clown, who had been attacked and was bowing his head, raised it, and muttered. ¡°You crazy¡­¡± Kwaaang! Fireworks, bones, and flesh scattered around. The words demon and devil have been interchangeably used for now, but I believe that the word demon indicates a lesser form of the devil that¡¯s not as powerful as an actual devil. For, e.g., The one at the Gairn estate subjugation was a demon, and the Clown Devil is an actual Devil indicated by its strength and infamy.?Just clearing it up, by infinitely light, it is talking about the burdens that he was otherwise ignorant about and how he didn''t think about his actions having consequences.? Chapter 192: Confronting the Past (2)

Chapter 192: Confronting the Past (2)

Tuk! Tutuk! The dust which rose because of the attack, prated through the darkness. They could see unpleasant pieces of something falling from the sky through their restricted field of vision. It was the flesh of the Devil, a horrific remnant that drove people into panic just by touching it. Fortunately, no one was directly exposed, nor was anyone caught in the aftermath. Lulu, who transformed, was guarding the exploration members, but all the destructive power was concentrated on the Devil. It was a miracle created by I Crescentia¡¯s amazing swordsmanship coupled with Anya¡¯s sorcery which had used up 3 years of her savings. ¡®¡­ it rendered me speechless.¡¯ Sevion Brooks and Perry Martinez had the same thought. They had seen too many things in thest 5 minutes. The young man who had performed better than them, both of whom were known to be strong people on the continent, and the Devil, which was still intact despite being hit by the Golden Aura. It was beyond their imaginations. And it had a strengthpletely on a different level whenpared to a demon¡¯s. 1 However, a swordsman smashed apart such a powerful creature to pieces in just one blow. And her identity was I Crescentia, themander of the ck Knights. ¡®She isn¡¯t even 30 yet¡­¡¯ ¡®To use such strong swordsmanship!¡¯ Ha, Sevion Books closed his eyes. The scene he saw was vividly stored in his mind now. However, even his own eyes couldn¡¯t see I¡¯s sword. He couldn¡¯t even understand what had happened. Everyone there felt a simr sense of confusion. No, not all of them. Airn Pareira. His eyes, which hadn¡¯t yet been drained of the golden light, continued to pursue the sword of I Crescentia. ¡®Amazing.¡¯ The Devil, and it wasn¡¯t just a demon but an actual Devil, and that too a Great Devil. The clown, was a powerful existence that appeared long before even the Demon Dragon King, who was known to be the most powerful devil. Even in front of such a being, Airn still turned his head away. He had no choice but to look at the sword of I, her body, as well as her aura. Just like the dozens or hundreds of muscles that work together to move the human body. The red sphere created by the greatest genius on the continent was also created by numerous auras. No, it was more than that. The working of I¡¯s aura had aplex and esoteric process which even Airn, who had the eye to see aura, couldn''t understand right away. Even¡­ ¡®I think what I see with my own eyes isn¡¯t everything there is to it.¡¯ Airn closed his eyes, remembering I''s sword. He didn''t just think about it; he recalled it slowly as if time had slowed down. Still, there were parts that he didn''t understand. He couldn''t observe nor understand it. Was it something his current self couldn¡¯t understand? If not¡­ was it a power thatbined the aura with something other than just aura and the spirits? Airn, who thought till then, opened his eyes. It was the moment when his eyes that was filled with inspiration, turned towards I. ¡°How did you get to the devil first?¡± ¡°¡­¡± "Say it. All the ck Knights, including the priests and me¡­. No one has reached the Devil¡¯s source so quickly.¡± Theplexion of I, who asked this, wasn¡¯t great. It was mainly because she had drained most of her power. No matter how gifted she was, she couldn¡¯t hold back in the face of the devil. And taking a break now would be the right thing. But she couldn''t do that properly either. Because of the young man in front of her. In front of the monster who had grown and changed so drastically in just one and a half years, I had been feeling a sense of exhration after a long time. ¡®It is odd.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just the strength of his swordsmanship. The growth of this man was shocking to her, but that alone couldn¡¯t break herposure. No matter how fast Airn¡¯s growth was, he was just following the path I had already crossed. If she found out how he had be so much better in such a small amount of time, then maybe she could move forward at a faster rate as well. And there was also something else. She would be able to understand this ticklish feeling she felt each time she saw Airn. What was this weird atmosphere of the guy who kept attracting her attention? Was he trying to say something? ¡®¡­ this is important.¡¯ Perhaps as important as the subjugation of the Devil, which had happened 150 years ago. Was it because of such thoughts? I¡¯s tone and voice were higher and more rushed than usual. It was the same in the banquet hall as well. Even though that wasn¡¯t I¡¯s intention, it felt like she was interrogating him. Knowing that, she pressed Airn more. ¡°¡­¡± Airn just calmly organized his thoughts. Unlike I, he could vaguely understand the current situation. Just as she could feel something from Airn, he too could feel something from I. His intuition, which was more reliable to him than any other evidence, was telling him that. The problem was that he couldn¡¯t give a short answer to I¡¯s question. ¡®Where do I even start exining?¡¯ Should he start from the man in his dreams? Or the story of the clown devil who was entangled with his past life? Would that work? Or would he have to say more? No, before that, shouldn¡¯t they solve this dungeon first? It was okay for the strong ones, including him and I, but themander of Calven knights and the others were hurt¡­. ¡°¡­¡± It was at that moment when his train of thoughts were broken. Airn¡¯s head turned. Not too far from him, I''s gaze turned to Ilya, Lulu, Anya, Georg, Sevion, and Perry. It wasn¡¯t over. The blood that was spread on the floor. The blood came together and created a puddle which eventually changed into a human form and then into a clown in the blink of an eye. No, there was only one difference from before. The cracked mask on the clown was broken now, revealing a bit of its face. ¡°Euk, ah, ah¡­.¡± ¡°Ah aha ahahah¡­.¡± ¡°Uh, that? The¡­¡± "Everyone, be alert!" I eximed, and Lulu again cast sorcery to block the magic. The rotten angry face of the devil was exposed. In its eyes, there was a swirl of anger and hate that would be hard to find even in the abyss. And he raised one arm. After realizing that what the clown had in his hand was a half of its mask, Airn and I rushed forward at once, but they couldn¡¯t reach him. Crack! The mask broke, and darkness fell upon them. A ck darkness that couldn¡¯t bepared to the one that was present when they had first entered the dungeon. And they were all inside it. ¡°¡­¡± Airn felt something inside him escape. ¡°¡­¡± It was all dark. Even if he opened his eyes, it was no different than moving with his eyes closed.. And it wasn¡¯t just the eyes that the darkness affected, but even his hearing and smell were taken away by the darkness around. And this made his stomach churn. And not long after that, he got up, gaining his senses back. ¡°I remember now. I was chasing him.¡± Right. He hade all the way here to destroy that clown devil. Not out of anger and hatred but out of hope and happiness. Instead of pointing a finger at him and ming him, he followed after the girl who had given him the wild flowers. ¡°No one can stop me now.¡± And he unconsciously opened his mouth and said those words. As he let those words out, he felt his will turn stronger. Full of confidence, he raised his old iron sword and walked forward. The darkness which disturbed and engulfed his senses was still around, but now, he had the strength to ovee it. He would no longer be hurt by the pouring hatred around him. And he would no longer grieve over the heartbreaking betrayal he had faced. It wasn¡¯t that he wasn¡¯t upset anymore. He just realized that there was something more important than revenge. What he had to keep. What he had to protect. As long as such things existed, he would pursue the clown forever and ever, unbroken and unstoppable. ¡°Forever.¡± ¡®Right. Do your best while wandering.¡¯ Looking at the man¡¯s face, the clown grinned. For a period of a thousand years, the clown had thought about how he could beat that man? And how he could protect himself from that terribly painful silver-grey sword? Fortunately, there was a way he could defeat the man. And that was by weakening the man¡¯s sword. And to weaken a man¡¯s sword, he had to first weaken a man¡¯s heart. That was the only way to victory. ¡®A man can¡¯t stand being med, hated, ridiculed, or deceived.¡¯ Just one of these were needed to break a man like a marite doll. But not this man. No matter how painful it was, no matter how unfair it was, he didn¡¯t give up on training. And in the end, he found the devil and struck him with the old sword. The clown, who felt the throbbing wound from that time, mumbled with augh. ¡°All I need to do is make sure you see nothing.¡± Right. That was the only answer. He just had to erase the flower which was handed to the man from the world. He just had to erase the girl who awakened his will to protect. And even the mother of the girl. Along with the vige and the estate he belonged to too. And even the knights and the vigers. He had to show the man a futile world, where there was nothing left for him to protect. That would be the only way to break down the iron will of the man. ¡°Fine. This is fine. Umm, really good, actually.¡± Despite being in pain, the clown was able to rx. He was in bad shape thanks to that lightning-fast attack of the man, but it was fine. A barrier was created by sacrificing half of the mask. And unlike before when he was careless, this time he made sure no one could find him. Good, good, good, very good. The clown, who was in joy, looked at the man who was still wandering. Still holding up as hard as steel. But nothingsts forever. No matter how great the sword is, that too would rust with time. The devil shook his head and sang a song he made. And then he stopped, and it was not because of the man who was walking in all directions in the darkness. Step¡­ ¡°¡­¡± He thought it was an illusion. Isn¡¯t it? How could he have expected that a young man who seemed to hold the same will of the man, a vessel of the man at best, would break the barrier and reach him? It was a crucial mistake. But he wasn¡¯t a vessel. And he wasn¡¯t a puppet either. It was clear at that moment, a short moment of agony that the young man went through, that this young man had conceived the man¡¯s own will. He straightened his sword. Did it have any importance when the sword he was wielding wasn¡¯t something he achieved on his own? You didn¡¯t necessarily have to be alone to stand strong. ¡°Euk¡­.¡± The clown¡¯s expression was distorted horribly. And unlike before, he didn¡¯t have a mask to cover it. And there was nothing to block the light leaking out of the darkness. And then another one appeared. Airn opened his mouth. ¡°Karen Winker.¡± 2 The name he called, wasn¡¯t the devil¡¯s. Because, at the ce where Airn¡¯s gaze was turned to, the man from his dreams was standing. While wandering around a bleak world with nothing around, a brilliant light bloomed, and it would have been strange if he didn¡¯t notice it. He asked. ¡°How do you know my name?¡± ¡°Just, I knew it the moment I saw you.¡± ¡°You are an interesting young man.¡± ¡°Is that apliment?¡± ¡°It is.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Airn bowed his head. The man pondered for a moment and asked again. ¡°You seem to know a lot, so I will ask one more question. For a long, long time¡­ I have been wandering around the world, but I haven¡¯t been able to see anything. The vige I lived in, the city I visited, the city I went to and¡­ my estate, where I was born and raised, Kascodo.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Can you exin what happened?¡± Airn closed his eyes. He didn¡¯t think that the clown would attack him. The clown wouldn¡¯t risk it. Because he knew that the man¡¯s will wasn¡¯t broken yet. A cowardly and cunning man such as him would never move when he was in a disadvantageous situation such as this. Thanks to that, Airn was able to choose what he wanted to say, and looking into the man''s eyes, he said. "Your estate is no longer in the world. It disappeared hundreds of years ago. Your family, your people, and your descendants¡­ probably aren''t alive now." ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But, there are still those who need to be protected.¡± Wheik! Airn opened his heart. And everything he had seen, heard, and felt till then were transferred to the man in an instant. In a brief moment, the man, who was the past life, was able to understand what Airn, the present life, was trying to say. ¡°I see. I am dead.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But it is fine. Because such a wonderful young man has the same will as I did.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I want to rest a little. Look after things for me.¡± And those were hisst words. He lowered the sword to the ground and closed his eyes. A faint smile on his face as if he had finally put down the heavy burden. A light wind. The man¡¯s body, which had transformed into fine particles, didn¡¯t fly away randomly, but they entered the sword of Airn. They filled in the void that the sword had, and made it sharper and stronger. Wooong! Airn examined his sword. After confirming that not just the handle, but that the entire de was now dyed in gold, he raised his aura with all his might. This chapter might¡¯ve been confusing to many, especially concerning the old man, since the change was very abrupt. So, what I¡¯ve understood from it was that, there was always a part of the old man¡¯s soul chasing the clown. What we see here is not the physical body of the old man but rather a form of spirit. I¡¯m convinced that this is so since the old man goes into Airn¡¯s sword after he decides to rest and also because, he could live for so long. He also says, "I am dead" which tells me that, that exact moment is when that part of the old man''s soul realized that his real body had already passed on from this world. Alternatively, the old man''s soul probably could''ve resided in Airn (which I see a strong possibility for as well) the entire time. It would exin the sentence ''Airn felt something inside him escape.'' It might''ve been an indicator of the transition from the soul being dormant inside his body before, and after it woke up, it was attributed to Airn''s sorcery sword changing. This sentence leads me to believe that what I thought thest chapter and included in the editor''s notes were indeed correct. Devils are stronger than demons are. And while demons have been found on the continent even now, it is very hard toe across a devil.?192 chapters of ''old man'' and now, we get Karen. This author and his love for naming male characters with female names is mindblowing.? Chapter 193: Confronting the Past (3)

Chapter 193: Confronting the Past (3)

Creating an Aura Sword was an extremely difficult task. It wasn¡¯t something that normal swordsmen or experts could do. Even Sword Masters, who were envied by everyone, had to work very hard to properly bring out an aura sword. It was natural. It couldn¡¯t have been easy to understand the concept of Aura operation and use it at the same time. Even after the championship battle against Ilya, Airn had a hard time using the Aura Sword. ¡®But now¡­¡¯ It was easy. Of course, the current level of Airn wasn¡¯t one where Aura Swords were still difficult. However, if asked whether creating and maintaining an aura sword wasn¡¯t burdensome, Airn would have shaken his head before. But not now. It was much morefortable despite paying attention to all 6 steps of Aura operation. It was natural and felt effortless. Why? The answer was out right away. ¡®The sword wasn¡¯t a tool¡­¡¯ It was a part of his own body. And with that thought in mind, Airn swung his sword. Wheik! Wheik! It really was it. When a person walks, or scratches their chin with their hands in thought, they never think ¡®how¡¯ they do that. And that was because it was a natural task, something that was instinctive. And the current sword of Airn was just like that. Instinctive. And the same applied for his swordsmanship. Wielding his sword in a trance, he recited the name of his past life. ¡°Karen Winker.¡± Woong! As if answering the call, the sword rang out. Airn smiled. He seemed to know why it happened. ¡®The bond is very strong.¡¯ Although his past life had been with him for almost 10 years, it was only recently that Airn truly understood his past life. Conversely, his self in the previous life was also wandering in the dark without realizing his present self. But not anymore. The man who had wielded his sword alone in the past, finally reached the present. His past life, free from the Devil¡¯s tricks, finally had his heart set free. And he had acknowledged Airn. ¡®I, am I on a higher level now?¡¯ He didn¡¯t know the answer. But one thing was certain. At least right now, the being staring at him with a firm expression, did not have theplete confidence to beat him. Thinking that, Airn took his stance. ¡°We can start.¡± ¡°¡­ right.¡± The Devil mumbled. The clown¡¯s expression was still ufortable. Unlike when the man from the past came, the Devil was trying his best to maintain hisposure. In fact, after some seconds, his eyes, which were trembling, seemed to calm down. Maybe like that? The voice, which was filled with anxiety and nervousness earlier, found stability. The clown, with both palms outstretched, suggested. ¡°Why not call it a draw?¡± ¡°¡­ what nonsense is that?¡± "Look! Look look look look look! Listen till the end! You are taking this situation in the wrong way. This is something which wouldn''t hurt either of us, so just a bit more, open your mind and listen, huh? With a generous attitude, you can listen to me for a bit, right?¡± "Generous, huh¡­." ¡°6 to 4.¡± The clown said, making 6 and 4 with his fingers. ¡°These are the odds I predict, for both of us, if we fight. I will even bet my name ''Gacy,'' so it makes whatever I say, the unmistakable truth! Of course, the 6 is me. Uhuh! It really is!¡± When Airn took a step ahead, the clown jumped back. It was an exaggerated movement, but Airn didn¡¯t know if this was the clown¡¯s personality, or whether he was making fun of Airn. He, who hadn¡¯t rxed his posture yet, kept staring at the opponent. The clown, who grinned for a second, pped himself on the cheek. p! ¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯tugh at you. I have a disease which makes it hard for me to hold back fromughing.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Can you understand?¡± ¡°Tell me everything properly.¡± ¡°Yes, yes! Jumping straight to the main topic! I like it too, uh, where was I? Right! I said that if we fight with each other, I have a 6 out of 10 chance of winning and you a 4 out of 10. That is the truth. Even though I am like this because of that surprise attack, and even though my mask has shattered, this body is still strong. Hum! Hum hum!¡± The clown, who now looked muscr, spoke again. ¡°Byparison, you are much weaker than that damned Karen Winker. Oh oh! Don¡¯t get me wrong! I am not saying you are bad! All I meant was that you are weakpared to that absurdly terrifying man. Don¡¯t get me wrong!¡± Airn¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change at the words of the clown. But that didn¡¯t mean that he thought the other person was wrong. As the clown had said, Airn was a lot weaker than his past self. Of course, Karen Winker hadn¡¯t disappeared. He was fully absorbed in the sword and still had a significant presence. However, Airn himself dealt with his past, and it was a fact that he knew howcking he was. And what the clown said was right. ¡°How is that? Huh? Let¡¯s call this a draw! I¡¯ll promise with my true name! If you let me go like this, I will spare your friends and the others who are trapped in the barrier right away! Ah no! Don¡¯t misunderstand! I¡¯ll release them in their best state, without a single hair on them being touched! I just hate the risk of the 40% that you currently have.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Think about it! It isn¡¯t a bad offer! You are very young, aren¡¯t you? I don¡¯t think you are even 30 yet, so you can grow a lot stronger than I am now. Right? Isn¡¯t that right? Thenter, when you get older, and you get stronger, then you cane and catch me with your other friends. It would be a nice thing, don¡¯t you think? Huh? Huh? Huh?¡± The rate at which the clown talked, kept gradually elerating. Airn sighed at the sight of the clown, who sometimes seemed sane, sometimes acted like a devil, and sometimes spouted gibberish. He didn¡¯t want to hear anything more. The whispers of the devil, who had lived only to deceive humans for thousands of years, made all the five senses of a human worse with their sweet words. But there were no lies in the devil¡¯s words. Airn, who had the sixth sense, was discerning between the truth and lies of the clown¡¯s words. So, he knew. But because it wasn¡¯t a lie. Airn knew better than anyone how dangerous it would be to ept a proposal from the devil. ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°That you aren¡¯t lying. But I also know that it isn''t the full truth. I know why you are wasting time." ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Do you think the more you waste time, the more advantage you will have?¡± The clown, who was speaking non-stop till then, went silent. That was the right answer. It was true that he was devastated by I. It was true that Airn was a threat, and it was also true that he didn¡¯t want to take that 40% risk. But there was one thing he didn¡¯t say. The dark barrier that was created by sacrificing the mask. The despair, anger, hatred, and fear of the exploration members who were suffering inside the dark barrier kept giving him strength. And with that, he continued to increase his odds. That was why he nned to gain time and finish the man then and there. He had no intention of doing anything like what he had done a thousand years ago, and leave behind a scourge that would eventuallye and destroy him. ¡®But how did he know?¡¯ The clown was confused. The young human in front of him was very tricky. That sharp gaze of his, which seemed like it was looking into the clown¡¯s deepest self, made him extremely irritated and annoyed. Right now, he wanted to pull out those eyes, chew them and spit them and then finally crush them with his feet. But why was the young man with such keen senses just ying along then? Just why? Kiiiiii! ¡°¡­!¡± The thoughts of the clown halted. His head turned with a frightened expression, and a red wound immediately appeared on his eyes. There was a fierce me that was burning the darkness. And that wasn¡¯t the end. Kwang! ¡°No!¡± A silver light broke through the darkness as well. And the bright light, like the moonlit night, made his face sting. Closing his eyes, he staggered a couple of steps back. However, the light didn¡¯t disappear, so he ended up opening his eyes to look at the newly emerged people. I Crescentia and Ilya Lindsay. Looking at their confident selves standing there, the clown finally realized. Just as he believed in his barrier, this young man believed that hisrades would break the barrier by themselves. Evil groans came from the clown. ¡°Eikkk¡­.¡± ¡°How did you get here?¡± Either way, I asked. She looked at Ilya. And while frowning, as if it was hard to believe what she had seen, she asked again. "I will ask again. How were you able to ovee the darkness that even Georg, the deputymander, couldn''t pierce and stand here?¡± Wheik! Sparks shed in her eyes. She couldn¡¯t understand, Airn was one thing, but Ilya¡­? I had never expected much from her. The past was long forgotten, and the present woman didn¡¯t seem that interesting to her. And as I looked, this woman seemed to be as much of a nuisance as Airn was. ¡®But I can¡¯t help but ask.¡¯ I nced at Airn and then at Ilya. In a short period, which was less than a month, what made her grow like this? What in the world had brought this child all the way here? And the answer came out right away. ¡°It''s funny.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It is natural for you, but not for me? What kind of dog shit logic is that?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I was puzzled. It was shocking hearing a noble woman spew curses out loud like this. Even more absurd was the fact that Airn, who was watching them, burst intoughter. ¡°Haha, hahaha¡­¡± ¡°Why are youughing?¡± ¡°Nothing, sorry. But she is right. I, your question is wrong.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°How did you get here? She got here because Ilya is a friend who has the right to stand here.¡± Saying that, Airn looked at Ilya, and Ilya looked at Airn. The two smiled at the trust that they had developed. I, who watched it, had a strange feeling. It was a feeling that was hard to describe in words, it was like you know something, but you didn¡¯t know it at the same time. After giving up thinking about it, she shook her head and said. ¡°I will ask you questionster. The priority¡­¡± ¡°Yes, for now¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s put an end to that disgusting thing.¡± I moved ahead. Even though she was exhausted, the sense of intimidation that was rising from her sword was enough to remind one of the regality of a king. Ilya Lindsay took her stance. Her sword aura, seemed as if it was the moonlight that brightly colored the night sky, removing the darkness. ¡°Phew.¡± Before long, Airn took a light breath and then raised his sword. Holding the sword that was forged with the convictions of his past life. And with the mes of his present life erected upright. Aiming at the clown with his golden aura, he said. ¡°Here Ie.¡± ¡°¡­ uh, uh, uhaha.¡± Facing the energy of three swordsmen, the clown broke intoughter. He had no choice but to do so. It was insane. These people weren¡¯t ordinary people. They were heroes of the era who were standing tall and threatening the demons. The clown slowly closed his eyes and thought of their brilliant future. ¡®They¡¯ll probably be stronger¡­much more stronger.¡¯ A strength that couldn''t bepared to their current selves. A radiant appearance that cannot bepared with their present selves. The future they had was one where they would be loved and respected by many people, and one where they would live for a long time. The clown was sure of it. ¡­ and to take that away was the greatest joy for the Devil. Puck! ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°What!¡± The clown raised his right hand and thrust it into his face. The three looked at him with bewildered eyes. But the clown didn''t care. With an unpleasant sound, the other half of the mask was torn off. The devilughed and cried as the mask that was pulled out hade out with blood, flesh, and even some bone attached to it. The moment Airn realized that the face the clown made was an expression of joy. Crack! An explosion urred. No sound could be heard. No, maybe they could have heard it, but now they couldn¡¯t hear it because it was too loud. There was a warm sensation in both of Airn¡¯s ears. As he touched his ears and looked at his fingers, he saw that the reason he couldn¡¯t hear the explosion was because his eardrums had burst and that there was blood flowing from his ears. Fortunately, apart from that, his condition was fine enough. And Ilya, who was next to him, had a simr appearance. However, not everyone was like that. ¡°Why?¡± Airn asked, and his gaze fell to I Crescentia, who had fallen to the ground. The moment the demon self-destructed, she moved faster than anyone else, and her body took the shock for both of them. ¡°Why, what th¡­¡± Ilya asked in a trembling voice. Her confused eyes were deeply buried in the unfinished sentence. I, who barely got up, looked at the two people. With a smirk, she said. ¡°I don¡¯t care anymore, you bastards.¡± Returning to her mercenary way of speaking, she soon fell down again and lost consciousness. Chapter 194: Think I Know (1)

Chapter 194: Think I Know (1)

Nothing that was in front of her could be seen. There was no vision, no noise, no smell, and no other senses that she could feel. It seemed like the impact was much bigger than what she had expected. Well, at least they had taken care of that bad guy, who was just as terrible as the Greater Devils, which were recorded in the history books of the Holy Kingdom. ¡®I might have died if it wasn¡¯t for the breastte I was given.¡¯ Right. Even in such a serious situation where she couldn¡¯t even feel pain, I Crescentia didn¡¯t think she was dead. It couldn¡¯t happen. She couldn¡¯t die until she had established her own kingdom. ¡®Not like this. It is too unfortunate for my precious life to end here like this.'' But in the back of her mind, she also had another thought¡­that it was good for it to be like this. She was someone who had been running all her life for nearly 30 years without taking a break. She decided to enjoy the rest which hade to her in a long time, to the maximum, and emptied all her other thoughts. The effort in her mind to close her eyes and the thought that was telling her to smile, all vanished. In the space of nothingness, where she couldn¡¯t feel anything, I existed quietly, blowing away all her anxiety and worries. However, such a rxing experience didn''tst for long. At the unfamiliar scenery which suddenly came to her mind, I made a strange expression. ¡®A polemp?¡¯ After seeing herself floating like a ghost, she looked ahead. She saw the face of herself, when she was young, along with her friends who were no longer there with her. In the ruins of a slum where everything was copsing, the 10-year-old I was proudly yelling. ¡®Great! I got a job from Grandpa Jack! And he told me that I could work at Uncle Luke¡¯s forge. My earnings will be much better in the future.¡¯ ¡®Then can I eat two meals a day from now?¡¯ ¡®Sure. I¡¯ll make sure you get three meals too.¡¯ ¡®Woah! I is the best!¡¯ ¡®I love you, sister! I¡¯ll definitely help you when I grow up!¡¯ Five kids spoke to her happily. She felt a faint scent of nostalgia as she watched the long-forgotten past, but I didn¡¯t smile. She simply looked at the past with an expressionless face. And after a while, the scene changed. Now she had more than ten kids surrounding her. All their eyes were filled with tears. But 13 years old I didn¡¯t cry. With a determined expression on her face, she said. ¡®Wait one year. I wille back stronger in no time. Here, use this sparingly; you will be able to survive in the meantime.¡¯ ¡®Can¡¯t you not go?¡¯ ¡®No. I will be back soon.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ She turned around. In the hands of I, who had a determined expression on her face, was a letter of rmendation to Krono that was given to her by an unknown swordsman. She didn¡¯t want to leave either. She also wanted to be with her friends and siblings. But things weren¡¯t looking good. The civil war continued, and the work that kids could do had gradually diminished. The kids couldn¡¯t even beg anymore. In such a deste atmosphere, the only thing they could get were a couple of kicks to the stomach. She could manage to earn a little, but it was no longer possible to take care of everything by herself. And that was the reason I decided that she had to go to Krono. ¡®I don¡¯t even need to be a formal trainee. I just have toe back stronger.¡¯ In the chaos the Macan Kingdom was going through, there was nothing children could do. But if she became apetent swordsman, then that was apletely different story. She could earn enough to feed them all. I looked around the abandoned house onest time. She could see the faces of the kids still crying. ¡®It will be fine. They have enough money tost a year.¡¯ She gave them all the money she had saved, but didn¡¯t feel like it was wasted. At 13 years old, I was forced to step away from a ce she didn¡¯t want to. Time passed again. I didn¡¯t seem much different. She was just 14 and was returning to her hometown. Unlike before, her face was full of confidence. Her surprising talent had helped I cross the threshold of the Sword Expert level. With that level of skill, she thought that she could take responsibility for not just ten, but even twenty or thirty more kids. However, there was no one in the abandoned house when she returned there after a year. ¡®¡­¡¯ Her mind went nk for a moment. Bad thoughts shed through her mind, and her thoughts started tormenting her. Of course, she didn¡¯t let herself be swayed. She made up her mind in an instant, and she went around to inquire about them and was able to find some news. And again, her face went stiff as she heard about the children. ¡®¡­¡¯ Some were dead, some were alive. However, there was no news of where most of the living ones were. A kid who would never steal was now a member of the Thieves Guild. Someone who never hit others and would always be the one beaten, was now hitting others and extorting money. She couldn¡¯t find the innocence even in the youngest ones. I, who was contemting for a long time, eventually gave up on meeting them and headed west. And then, she reached out to themon people whom she had met in Krono. Her ssmates who had been eliminated due to theirck of talent. ¡®I will be a mercenary.¡¯ She didn¡¯t think her old friends were all that bad. If they had started out in a better ce, they wouldn¡¯t have turned out so crooked. Right. A life of hardship that was too difficult to bear had pushed them into the abyss. And so, to change that, she just had to make a better world. She had to be the one who punished the greedy and who had to get rid of the scumbags. If she could create a livable world, then the same thing wouldn¡¯t happen again. The mercenaries she would create would be for this purpose. ¡®Nice.¡¯ ¡®I, of course, since you have your skills, we should do it together.¡¯ ¡®Haha, I am already looking forward to it? Won¡¯t we be super famous?¡¯ Most of them joined. And most of them were good people with strong beliefs. Though it was upsetting to think about it, the truth was that, they were far more capable than her old friends, and the 14-year-old I¡¯s heart was filled with anticipation. Together with them, she wanted to make the world a better ce. It wasn¡¯t until 10 years had passed did she realize that it was just an illusion. ¡®I¡¯m not going.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ ¡®What am I going to do in a ce where there are no rights and life is just full of duties? Honor? I don¡¯t need anything like that. I like the way it is now.¡¯ ¡®Me too.¡¯ ¡®Same here.¡¯ ¡®Captain, congrattions on your achievement. But we n on staying as mercenaries. It seems unreasonable for us to be members of the Knights, and moreover, it¡¯s not just any Knights, but that of the Holy Kingdom.¡¯ ¡®Well, if the captain leaves, it won¡¯t be as good as before, but we have already made enough to live a lifetime.¡¯ At the age of 24, I had be a Sword Master, something that only a 100 people had achieved in their era. However, she wasn¡¯t disappointed at their response. Maybe it was because she didn¡¯t expect much from them at that point. In the same way as before, I nodded her head. ¡®Eat well and live well.¡¯ She knew that things had changed at some point. The amount of money that came as the reward was more important than the nature of the request. And along with that, as time passed, they were bing more sensitive about the safety of their own lives than their initial goal. For those who had lived for many years as mercenaries, I¡¯s beliefs and intentions were bound to be something that was rather distant. But it was okay. I, who left the mercenaries on that day, thought. ¡®I knew it would turn out like this.¡¯ But she still didn¡¯t resent her childhood friends. She didn¡¯t resent her colleagues, whom she had been with for the past 10 years, for settling with what they had. They were all too young, and she had already realized it. There weren¡¯t many people in the world who had great ideals, and there were even fewer people who could keep up with them. It didn''t matter, though. Woong, seeing the intense light of the red aura on her sword, she vowed. ¡®I just need to do my best.¡¯ There was no need to depend on others. Because she had the power to change the world on her own. There was no need to convince others. It was enough for her to walk this path on her own. What she needed wasn''t the trust and persuasion of her colleagues, but rather, she needed to give orders and instructions as a king. ¡®Let¡¯s go together, captain.¡¯ ¡®Me too, Anya too!¡¯ ¡®Hm?¡¯ ¡®Why? We can¡¯t tag along?¡¯ ¡®Sure. Do whatever you want.¡¯ ¡®No, I will keep following the captain¡­ why are you acting so cold¡­¡¯ ¡®But I like the cold captain too! Hurray!¡¯ And these thoughts were the reason why she wasn¡¯t happy when Georg came with her. And also why she didn''tugh at Anya¡¯s words. Sure, they were with her now, but nobody knew what would happenter. And there was nothing more tiring than focusing on an individual who never knew when they would get tired of others. It was for that reason that, the 24-year-old I was able to move without hesitation. At that moment, a terrible darkness spread inside where she was, and an unpleasant voice resounded in her head. ¡®What will happen in the end after you run so hard?¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ ¡®No? I admit it, you are amazing. To create a country where everyone is respected, and without any civil wars or tyranny and and devoid of unreasonable persecution! Even I, who is already dead, cannot help but admire the fact that you have the skills to achieve it.¡¯ I looked at the clown demon with an expressionless face. With her eyes which didn¡¯t feel anything. But with eyes that seemed to be even colder than hers, the clown who became a corpse, continued to speak. ¡®But, after doing that, what is left for you? Loneliness? Or maybe you think you can rest? Huh! My friend, I assure you. There will be no left by your side at the end. Ahh, right. And there will be dozens of carriages which will have their wheels broken while following you, because of course, they wouldn¡¯t have any choice but to do so, isn¡¯t that right?¡¯1 I didn¡¯t deny it. It was the same with her childhood friends and the mercenaries she was with. She only nodded on the outside, but no one had sympathized with her ideals. But it wasmon for people to fall behind, saying that it was an impossible goal and that they wouldn¡¯t even be able to witness it. Perhaps, the ck Knights, too, would be like that after a point. And maybe, Georg and Anya were the same too. When she came to her senses, the thought that she might have to walk that arduous road alone came to her mind. However, I didn¡¯t suffer under that thought for long. She smiled and raised her aura. And then, he sword cut the clown. ¡®Kreuk¡­¡¯ I thought as she looked at the Devil¡¯s corpse. ¡®I have no time for leisure.¡¯ She was fine with herself. No matter how strong the devil¡¯s curse was, she wasn¡¯t weak enough to sumb to it. But the others would be different. Recalling thest words of the clown, she turned impatient. ¡®Maybe more than half of them were dyed in that darkness¡­¡¯ ¡®You need to get up quickly.¡¯ She had toe to her senses and recover her body soon. She would have to get rid of the darkness, which must have increased, and walk out of this dungeon. Without her own power as themander, even the ck knights wouldn¡¯t be able to manage. I concentrated and forced herself to wake up. Meanwhile, another thought came to her mind. She knew that she was the only one who could rescue the exploration members¡­ ¡®So why did I even rush forward to protect the others then?¡¯ She shouldn¡¯t have let it happen. Rather, she felt that she needed to have done the opposite. Even if the other two were used as shields, she needs to preserve her stamina. She had to do that¡­ ¡°¡­!¡± Her vision was back to normal. I Crescentia looked to her left and right and tried to stand. But it wasn''t possible. She frowned and tried to move her upper body again. Anya and Georg stopped her. ¡°No, captain! Rest more!¡± ¡°You cannot move now. Captain, please lie down a little longer.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°What is it! Stay still, captain!¡± ¡°I need to get up¡­ if I don¡¯t, the devil¡¯s curse will affect the others¡­¡± ¡°I know what you are thinking. But it is fine, calm down¡­ take a look around.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± ¡°The situation isn¡¯t as bad as you fear.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± I frowned. She was already frowning. She wasn¡¯t aware of the things that were happening around her. After grasping her own condition, she sighed. ¡®Well, I cannot do anything right now anyways.¡¯ It was then, Geog said it was right to focus on rest. But she had no intention of staying still. Knowing her condition was just as important as understanding the state of the exploration team. Her sense of responsibility as a King awakened her senses. Her sensitive eyes quickly scanned the people around the dungeon. ¡°¡­¡± Surprisingly, things were much better than expected. Some were controlling their mind through meditation. And some were wielding their sword to escape from their anguish. And it was the same with a lot more. Everyone was devoted to one thing or another; their faces weren''t as dark as I thought. And not just the face. The dungeon itself wasn¡¯t dark. It was thanks to the light. A strong, but not blinding light¡­ a golden light which warmed them all. I Crescentia thought as she felt a faint aura emanating from Airn''s body. ¡®¡­ I think I know.¡¯ The reason she threw herself in front of them. Realizing it, she closed her eyes again. Georg and Anya nodded their heads once they looked at their sleeping captain. ¡®Dozens of carriages which will have their wheels broken while following you¡¯- This probably means that, although I will achieve her goals in the end, almost everyone who she cared about would either abandon her, die, or would be broken as a result.? Chapter 195: Think I Know (2)

Chapter 195: Think I Know (2)

The Devils were a terrifying group of beings. They harbor endless malice towards humans and also possess a terrifying power that surpasses that of a Sword Master. Unlike monsters, they were highly intelligent and cunning, so they weren¡¯t that easy to denounce even after being killed. The Posthumous Curse. An ugly, disgusting ability possessed by all the high demons and Devils which destroy the minds of countless people and gnaw at their bodies even after the death of the devil or demon that cast the curse. That was the reason why the exploration team couldn¡¯t get out of the dungeon. The barrier left behind even after the clown¡¯s death surrounded themyer byyer, constantly emitting out the disgusting magi.1 Negative emotions, iparable to the mere doubts, anxiety, and the delusions that struck at the beginning, floated in the air all around them. ¡®It is wide, thick, and awful.'' I Crescentia, who swung her hand to disperse the magic trying to affect her, frowned. No matter how badly she was injured, she was still themander of the ck Knights of Avilius. If the strong magi irritated even her, it was normal for the ordinary members to go crazy, since this had enough power to lead to their minds being corrupted in an instant. However, that didn¡¯t happen. Lying on the makeshift bed, she gave strength to her body. It was painful enough to groan, but she endured it. Anya, who was sitting next to her, put her hands on her waist and said. ¡°Captain! I told you not to overdo it!¡± ¡°Right. I¡¯ll only do it till this extent.¡± ¡°Ugh, so stubborn!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you know that already? I am stubborn by nature.¡± After giving her a short reply, I finally stood up. With her widened field of vision, she looked at the scenery of the dungeon. ¡°What? Amira? I knew you were good, but this much?¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t say it out loud¡­¡± ¡°Why? When you have so many skills, isn¡¯t it right to brag about it? Umm, but I think the reason you don¡¯t want to tell people is because your cross-stitching skills are better than your swordsmanship¡­¡± ¡°Yah! It isn¡¯t like that! This, this is, part of mental¡­¡± Amira Shelton, who was devoted to cross-stitching, and Gregory Griffin, who made fun of her. ¡°Wow! Do it again! Again!¡± ¡°No, it consumes too much physical stamina to continue¡­¡± ¡°Then how about I give this to you? Show me how you do that once again.¡± ¡°Hmm, but if you are this tired with just this, you should just throw away the title of the best magician in the central continent." Lulu, the cat, who gave him an amount of gold he couldn¡¯t refuse, and Perry Martinez, who was defeated by her actions, showing off his magic. In addition, the others who were spread out were resisting the curse in their own way. Whether it¡¯s ying silly jokes, swinging swords, or doing simple hobbies, it didn¡¯t matter. It was about doing their best and making sure they weren¡¯t sinking into the abyss. Of course, that was absurd. The direction was indeed correct, but the curse of the devil wasn¡¯t enough to be stopped by such a thing. It was at a level that the current exploration team wouldn¡¯t be able to escape. However, an existence which transformed the impossible into something possible, stood in the center of everyone, holding his sword. ¡®¡­ Airn Pareira.¡¯ The young Sword Master who kept spreading out the golden energy. I¡¯s expression turned serious as she looked at him. In fact, there was nothing strange about it. And by then, she had also realized something else. Why she threw herself at the devil. It was because she trusted him. It was because she had an intuition that he could be a leader for everyone in such a situation, and that he had the ability to protect everyone from the devil¡¯s curse. Unsurprisingly, Airn was exerting his influence in such a way that even she nodded her head. ¡®The Aura. And the spread of his will¡­. It¡¯s amazing. The fact that he is doing both at the same time.¡¯ I closed her eyes. And remembered Airn from the past. He certainly wasn¡¯t like this. The guy she met just one and a half years ago was wandering here and there, swept away by some unknown will, without even having a proper direction. Right. And it was no surprise that he became a Master. She knew that he had the talent for swordsmanship, and because of that, she even tried to recruit him. However, not only was he freed from the never-ending iron block that was in his heart, but he also had grown to cultivate a deep and profound meaning to exert his will on others that were even beyond himself¡­ she never imagined that such a growth would unfold in such a short time. ¡°¡­¡± After finishing her recollection, I looked at Airn again. It wasn¡¯t just Airn she watched. She suddenly looked at the cat, which sat weirdly next to Airn, and Ilya Lindsay, who was muttering something next to him. Come to think of it, these people too caught her eye. Was it because their ability was better than what she had expected? It wasn¡¯t like there was no reason. But I¡¯s focus was on the other side. The two humans and the cat. Instead of separating them and their individual abilities from each other, she put the three together and tried to grasp them. And she felt several things. That they had strong trust in each other. And there that there was an immense positive energy from that belief. Theplex and surprising changes which have been initiated and spread by that which cannot be grasped. The greatest talent of this era was constantly watching them. She tried to dig in, analyze and understand all three of them. This habit was the biggest advantage that I had. The master of Krono, the White Knightsmander, and other such powerful people had quite a lot of things stolen by her. ¡°¡­¡± However, it was a little different this time. Time passed. And I¡¯s sharp eyes lost their strength little by little. But it wasn¡¯t because she hadn¡¯t achieved what she wanted. It wasn¡¯t because of the pain in her injuries. And it was because of the past which came to her. A time when she had a hard time living each day without a grand dream or even a sword. A time roaming in the slums with her old friends, most of whose existence right now was unknown. It seemed quite enjoyable to see them running somewhere together rather than alone. ¡­ the memories of that time were enjoyable, and perhaps she was thinking about this because the three of them in front of her were smiling when this thought came to her. The ck-haired swordsman who had reached the end of her 20s stared at Airn and the others. ¡°Georg! Georg!¡± ¡°Why!¡± ¡°Stop the captain!¡± ¡°Can I even stop her? And how long will you call her captain? She is themander now.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about all that! Captain is captain!¡± Georg shook his head, looking at Anya. Of course, he knew. The current condition of themander was among the worst in the exploration team. Most of it could be resolved right away with the help of a priest, but proper treatment would be needed to make sure that her body wasn¡¯t exposed to the magi that was constantly surrounding them. ¡®Because she is themander, she is still holding on to her life, but if it was someone else, they surely wouldn¡¯t have survived.'' Georg, who had thought that far, nced at I. The problem was even in such a serious situation, this stubborn woman didn¡¯t seem to rest. She didn¡¯t force herself to get up and swing her sword. She would just sit upright and watch the team, especially Airn and others. However, that too was a concerning action. Even when the others were sleeping, trying to rest, I kept trying to stay awake. So, he could understand Anya¡¯s worries to some extent. But¡­ ¡®At a time like this, themander shouldn¡¯t interfere.¡¯ Georg recalled the past. It was the same with I in the past. After spending a few days as if possessed by something, she would coop up in her room. Or quietly disappear somewhere. As a few more days passed, she would show incredible growth. Maybe even now, it was the same. He couldn¡¯t even imagine what she was thinking, what she actually sees and gets inspired by, but Georg trusted I. Even if I didn¡¯t believe in herself, Georg did. She will ovee this. A wound that even a priest¡¯s holy magic wouldn¡¯t work on? It didn¡¯t matter. She would be able to ovee it. She would rise up and be rewarded too, and break down the barrier restricting herself, like a miracle. She was as fierce as the devils, which had made a mark on the history, and even a curse of such a being wouldn¡¯t stop I. Georg Phoebe nodded and looked at her. Seeing her staring at Airn, he smiled. I asked. ¡°Why are youughing?¡± ¡°Just because.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t having a dirty thought, right?¡± ¡°What are you saying? I was just thinking about themander.¡± ¡°You mean dirty thoughts about me?¡± ¡°No, that is uneptable even as a joke¡­¡± ¡°Are you saying that sex with me won¡¯t be nice? You must have greater ambitions.¡± ¡°¡­ you seem all recovered to me.¡± Georg Phoebe said with a serious expression. They weren''t empty words. Although she looked wounded, her voice, at least, felt fine. Perhaps because of her mood, even her face seemed better. She seemed to recover much faster than he had expected. ¡®And something¡­¡¯ Just a little, but he thought her eyes were turning warmer. Of course, he knew that I wasn¡¯t a cold person. Due to the influence of her mercenary days, she would often throw jokes at her subordinates. However, it was only for the sake of building a warm air. It would always feel like there was a line, a line which he had felt was hard to cross over, despite being 10 years with her¡­ ¡°Yes, pretty good.¡± ¡°Ah, I am d then. I really am.¡± Hearing those words, Georg showed a sincere smile. Things weren¡¯t bad. There was no shortage of food, and Anya could make up for it with her piggy bank, with gold which she had earned again, from her hard chores. Airn was, of course, Airn, but Amira Shelton¡¯s cross-stitching was amazing. In the corner of the dungeon, there were piles of colorful work. ¡®A little more like this¡­ no, not even a little? Anyway, if you persevere, themander with recover her body, then we will be able to escape.'' A faint smile appeared on Georg¡¯s lips. There was a lot of trust in I, even in his eyes which always seemednguid. Again, even if themander didn¡¯t trust others, he trusted her. However, from her mouth, a surprising thing came out. ¡°¡­ Are you nning on leaving the escape to someone else?¡± ¡°Right. It is a bit overwhelming in my current state. I need help.¡± Georg was bewildered. Anya Marta, and the other ck Knights, who were working on their own cross-stitching, also showed simr reactions. They had no choice but to do so. It was because the person who asked for help was someone who didn¡¯t trust anyone. She never trusted anyone because she believed that she was the best. She was the kind of person who would take the lead in everything without including anyone else. ¡®That Commander is¡­¡¯ ¡®Leaving the escape to someone else?¡¯ ¡®How?¡¯ ¡®Is there anyone other than themander who can break the barrier?¡¯ Doubts rose in the eyes of the ck Knights. It wasn¡¯t just them. It was the same with the other exploration members. If even the second most powerful pdin, Georg, couldn''t, then who the hell could break past the curse of the clown? Sevion Brooks? Perry Martinez? Airn Pareira? Ilya Lindsay? They didn''t think it was possible for any of them. They surely were a strong force, but they didn¡¯t think that any of these people were powerful enough to do this. ¡°It is fine even if they are devoid of holy power too. It isn¡¯t something which can be taught to others carelessly in the first ce anyway..¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But it won¡¯t be a problem as long as they do it along with me.¡± Did she have the same thought too? I got up and whispered softly. Phew, she exhaled and drew her sword. Woong! A movement that couldn¡¯t be done unless one was in their normal state. But the strong felt it. That there was something special inside I¡¯s sword. And then they remembered. Although she was the youngest Sword Master, she hade from a humble background, and that was also the reason why she was able to receive the title of Count in Avilius. Woong! ¡°Even before God¡¯s grace was with me, my sword was able to cut through the darkness.¡± I Crescentia swung her sword as she looked at Airn and then at Ilya. The gaze of the two who looked at the woman who was in a firm posture wasn¡¯t too bad. And some even smiled. After resting for a while, she looked at the rest of the strong men at once and continued. ¡°My swordsmanship, let me know if you want it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The swordsmanship of I, which embraced the source of destroying evil. Hot mes shed in the eyes of the swordsmen who heard the unexpected proposal. More about magi will be exined in the next chapter? Chapter 196: Sword of Heart (1)

Chapter 196: Sword of Heart (1)

What was the most effective power against the demons and Devils? The answer to that is fixed, and of course, it was holy power. Unlike the Devils, who had endless malice towards humans, God bestowed infinite grace on all creatures of the continent. The pdins of the Holy Kingdom of Avilius, boasted their thousand-year history as they were the ones who destroyed most of the evil. But does that mean that those without holy power were vulnerable to the demons and Devils? No. Rather, in history, there were people who had performed even better than the pdins. That was the case of Dion Lindsay, who subjugated the Demon Dragon King 400 years back, as well as Jacob, the very first owner of the Krono Swordsmanship. Even though they couldn¡¯t handle the holy power, they cut down the demons without it. And people of theter generations didn''t hesitate to call them ''heroes,'' and their swordsmanship was called the ¡®Hero''s Sword,'' expressing their great respect for these people. And¡­ ¡®I is also known to have been born with a Hero¡¯s Sword.¡¯ Gulp. Sevion Brooks gulped. It was a famous story. An anecdote that told the story of the leader of the White Knights, who saw I¡¯s swordsmanship during her mercenary times, and how he strongly rmended her along with the high-ranking priest of the Kingdom who was always suspicious of people, and how they unanimously agreed to her recruitment. It wasn''t simply because she possessed an overwhelming talent for swords, but because she was born with the energy to subdue Demonic Magic. And¡­ ¡®Is she going to teach that swordsmanship to us?¡¯ No, before that. Was it even possible to teach it? Sevion Brooks had no choice but to think it over. The Hero''s Sword couldn''t be taught to anyone. He knew that much. If that was possible, then the entire world would be filled with heroes, and the devils would have been exterminatedpletely long ago. A good result for a test can be achieved with hard work, but heroes weren¡¯t like that. Heroes had to be born. That was what the top knight of Fnque thought. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t just his thoughts. The other swordsmen and knights, too, were in doubt. Even if it was the words of the ck Knightsmander who shook the entire continent, they weren¡¯t sure if they would be able to acquire the power of a hero. But¡­ ¡®Even if I don¡¯t have any intention of aiming for the Hero¡¯s Sword or their energy which is fatal to the Devil¡­¡¯ ¡®Wouldn¡¯t learning the sword from I be a huge opportunity?¡¯ Right. It was for that very reason that the swordsmen couldn¡¯t refuse I¡¯s words. A sword which was like poison for demons and Devils? Sure, that was good. But more than that, the fact that they could learn swordsmanship directly from I aroused their desire to grow. It was the same for Sevion Brooks. No, it was more urate to say that he was the most desperate. Because he hadpeted with I and knew how great her skills were. ¡®I will learn the Hero¡¯s Sword and take down this devil¡¯s curse¡­¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t expect such results. But¡­¡¯ ¡®If only I can learn that sword. If only I could learn swordsmanship from the strongest swordsman of the future!¡¯ The eyes of the swordsmen zed as if there were mes in their eyes. The atmosphere of the dungeon, which was rather faint, was now filled with vitality. It wasn¡¯t like there was no anxiety. It was because I was concerned that only a few strongest among them could learn it. ¡°It seems like there are many who want it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t allow everyone to learn it.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°It would be better to keep the possibility wide open. I would be d if anyone could obtain my vision and lift this disgusting dark barrier¡­¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Before she could even finish speaking. Amira Shelton, the vice-captain of the Calven troops, who had a nk expression on her face, bowed. She had skills that couldn''t bepared to anyone in her small nation, but she knew. That if she decided to broaden her horizon to the neighboring countries, the world would be full of people who were more talented her. That there were countless people in the world who reached a level, she could never touch. And this was the same. Airn Pareira, Ilya Lindsay. The two geniuses who were more than 10 years younger than her, but nevertheless, they were the ones who had saved the exploration team from crisis. ¡®I cannotpare myself with them.¡¯ That''s natural. It was so natural that she didn''t even try to do anything about it. However, it was because she was like that, that this current opportunity made her more desperate. ¡°We will do our best!¡± Amira Shelton once again bowed to I, and Gregory smiled as he looked at it. It was just the beginning. The knights of the three kingdoms, who had been watching till then, began to show their respect. ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°We will do our best!¡± ¡°.. I too will do my best. Please teach us.¡± Even Sevion Brooks, the Sword Master of Fnque, bowed his head. At that, Perry Martinez was shocked. ¡®That proud Sevion is bowing his head.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯t understand the prestige I made, but it was still strange. However, there was another person he was interested in. Perry turned his gaze from his own rival, and even Sevion looked at that person. A young swordsman who was standing and facing the evil of her past. Ilya Lindsay. ¡®What choice will you make?¡¯ Will she reject the teachings of I to protect her self-esteem? Or will she bow her head to her rival? Everyone''s attention was focused, including Perry Martinez. And Airn, along with Lulu, looked at Ilya. Compared to her amazing swordsmanship, she was vulnerable to public pressure, so he couldn¡¯t help but worry. But¡­ ¡°Thanks. Then, I will learn,¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Ilya spoke with a calm face. At her reaction, Georg, Anya, and the others too were dumbfounded. For a moment, even I''s face went stiff. However, she wasn¡¯t angry. She just smiled and nodded. ¡°Do whatever pleases you.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°Airn, what about you?¡± This time, everyone looked at Airn. Their eyes werepletely different from when they looked at Ilya, full of anticipation. Even I was the same. She was looking at him with even sharper eyes than the time when they met in the banquet hall were looking at Airn. Of course, it wasn¡¯t to discourage him. Airn held up the sword, which was stuck to the ground, and now, as he picked it up, everyone saw that it had a perfect golden color. Airn said. ¡°I will do my best to break the curse.¡± A week since the exploration team members stayed in the dungeon. Usually, when a long time is spent in a ce filled with curses, it would twist the body and mind, and it would be agony, but now, the atmosphere was very bright. Especially for the swordsmen. Looking at them, Perry Martinez mumbled. ¡°I envy you all.¡± It was sincere. For the sake of a higher level, the swordsmen had entered into the fires of hell without hesitation. For them, the teachings of I were an even greater gift than the rewards this dungeon could give them. Of course, those tendencies weren¡¯t much different from a magician. Perhaps, if one of the three Lords of Runtel Kingdom had been the one giving sses, even the magicians of Rabat, including himself, would do the same. In that sense, the reactions of the ck Knights and Georg were surprising. ¡®Since you have holy power, you feel like there is no need to covet the Hero¡¯s Sword? But¡­¡¯ ¡°Hm.¡± While examining the ck Knights, his eyes met with Geog making Perry turn away his head. Georg, too slightly, turned his head. Basic lectures on Devils were being given. ¡®An introductory course?¡¯ Everyone had misconceptions. I wasn¡¯t a person who didn¡¯t want to give her swordsmanship to others. In a way, the woman didn¡¯t want people to just directly take her sword. It was simr to her case. When she was a mercenary, even when she wasn¡¯t the best, she would think of practicing and following the Hero''s Sword. And the result? ¡®It was a failure. How do I follow it?¡¯ She had understood the basics. Materialized the power and even seeded in looking at others and learning from them as well. A year and a half ago, it was for that reason that she found that Airn had an iron stake in his heart. But to refine it into a sword and, furthermore,plete it to the level of a full sword? Georg, who thought till there, shook his head. ¡®Still¡­ maybe one, or maybe two of them.¡¯ Airn and I. Georg, who watched them for a moment, still couldn¡¯t understand it. ¡®But, instead of teaching the Hero¡¯s Sword, I think it would be faster for themander to just recover and take us out.¡¯ What was theirmander thinking? Did she really think these people could master the Hero¡¯s Sword so quickly? Or was it to change the atmosphere of the dungeon? If so, then it was a sess. A much brighter atmosphere than before, which is quite good, was moving around the swordsmen. In an instant, it felt like the darkness was fading away. However, this behavior was different from the usual I. So, Georg had no choice but to feel confused. ¡®Maybe, she realized something¡­¡¯ And like that, Georg was immersed in his thoughts, and I¡¯s exnation continued. ¡°First of all, what kind of existence is the Devil? No, let¡¯s turn to a more specific question. What kind of energy is the Magi which the demons and Devils use?¡± It wasn¡¯t a difficult question. It was simply evil. At the source of its power was the desire to destroy, kill, trample, and terrify people¡­ In fact, everything close to darkness was the essence of Magi, which made humans suffer. Which was why many people couldn''t even kill demons; it was because they developed fear and thus became unable to use their skills. However, there was also an opposite energy that could swallow up that terrifying energy, and that was the holy power. ¡°On the contrary, the holy power consisted of endless love for man. A strong belief in God shines brilliantly in itself, and it is the opposite of demons.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And human will, too, can be used as the grace of God.¡± Woong! An unknown energy flowed from I¡¯s body as she turned back. It wasn¡¯t an aura. It was much deeper than that. It was me. There was no warmth or gentleness to it like Airn¡¯s, just her standing there gave them a sense of reassurance that they could be protected from everything. People looked at I¡¯s back with their mouths wide open. Wheik¡­. ¡°Ugh, gasp¡­ this, this is the realization of my inner ¡®Will to protect¡¯ with my energy, and is something that was created to defeat my desires and the destruction of the devils.¡± ¡°That means¡­¡± ¡°Think of it as an external form of the invisible power of the mind." ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Just like training the body to increase the muscles and training the aura and externally expressing the Aura sword¡­¡± Wheik! ¡°¡­ so like this, the power of mind¡­ and among them, the Will to protect the worldes out, which is contrary to the will of the Devil, phew¡­¡± Whiek! ¡°And that means you can train, refine and lead it into the realm of swordsmanship.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Everyone was speechless. It wasn¡¯t because they didn¡¯t understand I¡¯s words. And neither were they underestimating anything. Didn¡¯t they feel the reality when they entered the dungeon? Those whocked strength were left behind, and those who had faith were the only ones who broke through. How do they materialize it? Furthermore, like the Aura Sword, it had to be given a form and then developed into swordsmanship. Is that really possible? Before that, was this really a ce where it was possible to be learned and taught? It was then. Pung! ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The sound of air shing. People around were like, ''No way?''. Exactly what they thought was happening. Airn Pareira carefully looked at his newly awakened power. ¡®No, it wasn¡¯t a new awakening,¡¯ The sword of Heart? He was already using it. When receiving the final evaluation in Krono, when shing the demon in south subjugation, when trying to control the iron stake and when pulling out the Aura Sword against Ilya Lindsay, confirming the past and believing in the mes, he achieved it. He was always wielding the sword by using his heart. Whether it was through the will of the man or his own. The moment he heard of her theory, he knew he could do it. And the moment when a rather abstract concept concretely entered into his head¡­ Whoop! A third power spread throughout his body. And as he tried to push it into the sword, the Golden Aura Sword shone even more brilliantly. Wheik! Looking at his temporary teacher, Airn Pareira, who had achieved the Hero¡¯s sword, asked. ¡°Is this the Hero¡¯s sword?¡± ¡°Right. But¡­¡± I, who was shocked, said. ¡°I prefer calling it the Sword of the Heart.¡± Chapter 197: Sword of Heart (2)

Chapter 197: Sword of Heart (2)

Before he killed the clown, when he first encountered Karen Winker, his former life. Feeling that power of his, entering the sword, Airn realized that Karen Winker was also a little different from before. No bones or muscles had changed. It wasn¡¯t that his aura grew rapidly, nor was it because his knowledge about aura operation increased. He felt the memories of his past life, sporadically, but then again, Airn knew that he was far less powerfulpared to his past life in terms of the sword. Still, he was confident, and he felt it. The mighty, ugly demon who lived for several years was in front of me, and wasn¡¯t afraid of it then. And as he faced the demon then, it felt like something stronger than Aura was enveloping his sword. And now. ¡°¡­¡± The moment he heard the overview of the ¡®Hero''s sword¡¯ or the Sword of Heart, from I Crescentia, Airn was convinced that the power he had felt at that time while facing the clown was the ¡®true energy¡¯ which came from the good intentions of him and his past self. Woong! Airn swung his sword. It was a bit awkward. It was as if he had never practiced the sword in his entire life. To add a bit more exaggeration, it was such a crude movement that it seemed like his body didn¡¯t move. It was natural. It was like a person who never moved was suddenly holding the sword. And it was the same as someone who felt Aura for the first time in their lives and couldn¡¯t operate it. The current Airn, who was wielding the Sword of Heart,cked elegance. But no one said anything, and no oneughed. And those who had risen to the level of Expert, especially those on the level of Master, werepletely shocked. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­ shit, crazy.¡± Learning the Hero¡¯s Sword. This guy listened to the concept and just learned it. After seeing him conquer the first ordeal in the dungeon, Sevion Brooks had the idea in his head that the young man had good intentions for the world. And he was convinced that if anyone could learn the Hero¡¯s Sword, it would be this young man. However, awakening it, the moment he heard the theory ¡­ Woon Woong! Wooong! While the people couldn¡¯t hide their startled expressions, Airn kept swinging his sword. It was difficult. It required unimaginable concentration to tune the sword of the mind while simultaneously using his aura and getting his body to move. Perhaps, theck of technical skills was the problem. There must be some tips and know-hows to avoid wasting his mental power like this. Thinking that, Airn stopped. And looked at I. ¡°Let¡¯s move to the next one.¡± ¡°N-next? What next!¡± Startle. Airn looked back in surprise and saw the Vice-Commander of Calven, Amira Shelton, who had a very flustered face. And it was not just her. The other exploration members, who were too shocked by his words, looked at Airn. Eyes filled with jealousy, frustration, and a little bit of anger. ¡®¡­ did I make a mistake?¡¯ He was a bit disappointed. He thought what he did was right. It reminded him of the time when he was interacting with the past self where he would observe the man in the dreams and learn from Lulu and hone himself. These people who were looking at him didn¡¯t go through that. The concept I was speaking about waspletely alien to them. Scratching his head, he went back. And waited for I¡¯s next words. However, something strange happened. ¡°Airn,e out.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It would be better to separate you.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Airn looked around. Once again, he could feel the sharp gaze of the people on him. As if saying, ''We turned into bottom feeders because of you.'' And among them was Ilya Lindsay. Fortunately, there was another person who could teach the basics. ¡°Then I will exin the basic concept.¡± Georg Phoebe. The Vice-Commander of the ck Knights, equipped with the skills of a Sword Master, came forward. So, no oneined. But. Wooong¡­. ¡°¡­ I can¡¯t handle this smoothly enough to use it in real life. The mind is the fuel for this sword, so converting it into real energy requires a lot more effort and talent.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± "And not only to maintain it, but to incorporate it into swordsmanship¡­ we need more talent. Unfortunately, Icked talent and effort. Most likely, it is both." Those who heard Georg¡¯s words remained silent. They had no choice but to do so. A being who had be a Sword Master before reaching 40 said that he himselfcked talent. And said that he hadn¡¯t put enough effort. If so, what were they? They who had barely reached experts? It was a nasty emotion, but they said nothing. Thinking about it, it was quite natural. If the Hero¡¯s Sword was easy enough for anyone to learn, it wouldn¡¯t be called a Hero¡¯s Sword any longer. Holding back their emotions, they listened. ¡°First, we have to cultivate the heart which goes against the Magi of the Devil¡­ let¡¯s start by thinking strongly about the ''Will to protect.''" ¡°Wow, Georg speaks so well.¡± ¡°Yeah, he is doing good.¡± Anya and Lulu looked at the swordsmen as if it wasn¡¯t their job. Airn and I, too, looked at them and turned their attention away. The ck Knightsmander, with a sly smile, asked Airn. ¡°Then, should we start?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Great. However, don¡¯t think it will be easy just because you achieved the Sword of Heart.¡± ¡°¡­¡± "To tune the body, mind, and the Aura sword at the same time, and create a usable swordsmanship¡­ It wasn''t easy for me either.¡± ¡°I understand it.¡± Airn nodded his head. Right. He knew it. It wasn¡¯t just the mind. Raising the body¡¯s condition and handling the Aura. There was nothing easy about getting it. However, that didn¡¯t make him want to give up. Rather, Airn had bigger aspirations than I. ¡®The Five Spirits!¡¯ If only he could add all the spirits which he learned from Karakum¡­ ¡®I will have more choices to protect the world.¡¯ Woong! There was a tremble in Airn¡¯s heart. It wasn¡¯t an intentional awakening of the Hero''s Sword, but it was from the good intentions he had towards the world. I, who recognized it, burst outughing. However, she didn¡¯t envy him like the others. ¡®Because I have gained enough.¡¯ ¡°Good. Let¡¯s start.¡± With those words, I began special training. The lecture she and Georg were saying made the entire dungeon noisy. And in between. ¡°¡­¡± The silver-haired swordsman, who kept all of the words of Georg in her mind. And as she looked at her friends and enemies with her eyes, her heart trembled a little. Three weeks had passed. It was long enough to make people go crazy, but the situation was still fine. Anya''s ming errands were turning into magic gold coins, and that brought in emergency food and small necessities. And the fact that they still had ess to this brought peace to mind. Apart from that, there was a gloomy existence among the group. Sir Sevion Brooks. He sat leaning against amon stone wall and watched two swordsmen diligently practicing. Right. He and everyone else had given up on learning I¡¯s swordsmanship. ¡®It doesn''t make sense to learn or teach something like that.¡¯ The desire to protect something materializes energy? It was easy to say, but the delicacy it required to make it happen was beyond his imagination. Just as an Expert sword couldn¡¯t imitate a Master¡¯s Aura, it was a huge wall that seemed to be insurmountable for him. Even so, it was a bummer for Sevion Brooks. He, who turned the resentment and anger he felt during the civil war into the peace and stability they had today, seeded in materializing the Sword Of Heart, with the help of I and Georg. But that was it. The moment he put the Sword of Heart into the Aura Sword, he couldn¡¯t even move a single step. ¡®¡­ it isn¡¯t an easy thing for me to do.¡¯ And that was the reason Sevion gave up on it. Naturally, those whocked talent too gave up along with him. Except for Amira Shelton, who still wielded her sword, and the two swordsmen under the direct guidance of I, who were both true Masters. Surprisingly, Ilya¡¯s achievements were faster than Airn''s. ¡®How is she doing it so easily?¡¯ Ilya¡¯s achievements were too quick. It was important to have the will to protect the world and manifest the energy into the real world. And just like that, it was important to handle the sword as well. And Ilya showed overwhelming talent in that area. Roughly speaking, her growth was twice than that of Airn. Of course¡­ "You idiot. Can''t you do that one thing, right?" ¡°Ugh¡­ if I can¡¯t, I¡¯ll do it until I do it right.¡± The most surprising thing was I, who was teaching them. Since she didn¡¯t hide anything, anyone in the dungeon could listen to her. So, she knew. How difficult it was to exin swordsmanship to others. ¡°Haha.¡± Sevion Brooksughed. He was thinking about the past. He couldn¡¯t even understand the concept of the sword she was talking about, and he had thought of breaking past I. Truly, it was like a puppy attacking the enemy, not knowing fear. ¡®Let¡¯s not worry about it.¡¯ Sevion Brooks closed his eyes. And to get rid of the creeping feeling of inferiority, he calmed his mind through meditation. It was a different world. However, in the heart of the old man, there was an obsession with the sword of I. It was an ordinary emotion that caused no problems to his emotional state, but it was a dangerous emotion with a possibility of turning into a dark emotion. However, there was no way it would turn bad. Wong! Woong! ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°That sound¡­¡± ¡°What? What is happening?¡± The members who were concentrating on their tasks, stood up in surprise. And turned their heads towards the source of the sound. At that moment, the sound reverberated again. And it gradually got bigger. ng! Chang! Hit! Hit! Kwang! The sound of hitting and knocking. And the sound of something cracking. And the faces of the ck Knights turned brighter. It was because they immediately realized who was breaking the darkness. It was the same with I. Although her injury didn¡¯t heal, she got up and her posture upright, waiting for the barrier to break. Airn and Ilya, who were being instructed on what to do, and Lulu, who approached them, had a serious face. And the darkness eventually fell. Kwang! A harsh sound. And a brilliant light poured in through it. It was no normal light. It was holy power with the highest amount blessed by God. However, that wasn¡¯t what caught Airn¡¯s eyes. A white armor with no dust on it. The moment he saw the old pdin with a white beard, Airn felt something inside him. ¡°¡­¡± Ilya was the same. But they didn¡¯t think too much about it. Ten pdins approached from a few steps behind. And she realized instinctively. Not all of them belonged there; it had been a long time since she became a Master, so she knew. ¡¯11 Sword Masters? No matter how strong Avilius is, how can so many Masters ¡­¡¯ Ilya was confused, and so was Airn. However, after a while, more emotions rose. ¡°I Crescentia, I guess you are alive.¡± ¡°Sorry for the unruly appearance,mander.¡± And the identity of the man was discovered. More importantly, none of the 11 Masters paid attention to anything else around them. All of them, as if they didn¡¯t care about anyone other than I, looked at her with intense eyes. Wheik! And it reminded him of something he had forgotten for a while. Why was he here? Airn, who remembered it, grabbed the sword again. Chapter 198: It’s too much for you (1)

Chapter 198: It¡¯s too much for you (1)

The curse of the clown Devil was over. No matter how high a devil was, it couldn¡¯t withstand the reinforcements of the Holy Kingdom of Avilius. Under the guidance of Julius Hul, the strongest pdin on the continent, the barrier shattered, and the magi was purifiedpletely. In addition, various measures, such as collecting information and understanding the situation, were carried out in an instant. Thus, the conclusion was reached. A Dungeon exploration, 127 people in total, 1 dead, no injuries. However, the problem was that no reward was obtained. As a result of that, Perry Martinez sighed. ¡®I thought it was a gamble with a high win rate¡­¡¯ Right, Dungeon explorations were a gamble. There are many cases where only a lot of undead monsters were guarding the core of the dungeon, or on the other hand, cases where artifacts were barely discovered. However, this was a dungeon that was created within thest 100 years or so. And for magic barrier type dungeons, even ancient dungeons which were rtively young were known to have a lot of loot. And their result was horrible. This was a dungeon in which they had spent such a lot of money as well as time and effort for attacking the Devil, and the only thing they found was a curse! What was even annoying was that Perry couldn¡¯t even get the honor of killing the devil. ¡®I can¡¯t help¡­¡¯ Devils are born in Devildom. No exceptions. Even the ones which appeared in the past were the ones who crossed over through the dimensional gap created by the chaos of the continent. That was why the Holy Kingdom prevented wars between nations. Only by reducing the chaos, would the risk of opening gaps between the dimensions reduce, and only then would the devils never appear. For the same reason, it was necessary to thoroughly hide the news that a devil appeared after 150 years. In the end, the Rabat kingdom was unable to obtain any honor or materials. ¡°Sigh.¡± Perry sighed again. Fortunately, Julius Hul promised constion money. Of course, it wasn¡¯t sure how much that would be. It would be good If it was a lot, but if it was less, then nothing could be done. Who would dare speak against the Holy Kingdom? The greatest power on the continent. ¡®Furthermore¡­¡¯ The old magician slowly closed his eyes. And remembered the moment of his rescue. The strongest pdin appeared with a white halo around his back. Truly amazing. Because even Perry, who had prided himself, was stiff. But that wasn¡¯t what shocked him. Because everyone knew Julius Hul. Rather, he looked closer at the people standing behind him. Because he knew some people. ¡®¡­ I definitely thought he was dead.¡¯ Among them, Perry Martinez shook his head, remembering the old man who exuded a snarky air. Mumbling quietly, he wrote a letter to the king of Rabat. It had been a week since they escaped from the dungeon. Fortunately, nothing happened. There were some people whose hearts were falling apart, but the high-ranking priests dispatched from the capital of the Holy Kingdom, had tremendous holy power. Afterpleting the purification of the mind and the healing of the body in an instant, they immediately began to investigate the Devil¡¯s den, and the exploration was able to escape from it. ¡®Everyone seemed dissatisfied.¡¯ Airn Pareira nodded, thinking about the request, which was close to a threat from the Holy Kingdom. He understood enough. Those who would have spent a lot of resources on the dungeon exploration were in a situation where they didn¡¯t get any honor, so it was natural for them to feel unfair. Of course, Airn didn¡¯t care. It wasn¡¯t because he wanted to get anything that he fought the devil and raised his sword. ¡®Even I gained a lot.¡¯ First, he defeated the Devil, the enemy of his previous life. Peace on the continent was also peaceful right now, but right now, he felt at ease because the personal revenge was done. He had achieved growth. Through the strengthening of the bond with the man in his previous life, his sorcery sword was more powerful, and through the teachings of I Crescentia, heid a higher foundation. ¡®In retrospect, it means that I have obtained a muchrger amount than what the dungeon could give me.¡¯ After contemting, Airn opened his eyes. He saw the figure of Ilya Lindsay diligently practicing the sword. It was neither shy nor sharp. Yet, it looked different to him as a swordsman and sorcerer. The ¡®Hero¡¯s Sword.¡¯ No, watching her attune the Hero¡¯s Sword into her body, Airn too swung his sword. Woong! Wooong! Just like he thought about itst time, making the Sword of Heart was difficult. It was as if a person who hadn¡¯t moved their entire lives was being asked to do a difficult movement. Just like how a swordsman who had barely felt Aura didn¡¯t think about its operation, Airn continued to train step by step in order to be familiar with the Hero¡¯s sword. Wong! Pour your heart into the sword. Whoong! And achieve harmony among the two. Woong! Add an aura to it and add the energy of the five spirits. As a hot fire was added to the metal, Airn¡¯s sword gradually smoothed and sharpened. However, as time passed, his expression darkened. The tip of the sword began to shake little by little, and his breathing and posture started giving out cracks and gaps. He knew why. Airn, who held the sword, sat down and looked at his heart. ¡®I, I came here to see I.¡¯ Right. The reason he came here was to meet I. He still remembered what she said in Derinku. ¡®A kid with a piece of steel which he can¡¯t handle.¡¯ Right, And he was enraged at those words. The moment hepleted the sword through his previous life, I¡¯s face popped into his mind to the extent that he wanted to show his growth to her. Airn had strong feelings for her. Unlike before, he wasn¡¯t being swayed by the Iron stake in his heart. He proudly showed the sword. Unlike before, he didn¡¯t hesitate in front of her. He fully spoke what he meant. Seeing I¡¯s surprised face, he thought it was refreshing and was able to gain confidence through it. Until he entered the dungeon. ¡®¡­ it didn¡¯tst long.¡¯ Airn closed his eyes. What happened within the dungeon clearly came to his mind. The energy of the swordsmanship which took down the clown. The strong figure, who, alone, prevented the clown from destroying everything. Even with fatal injuries that no ordinary person could handle, she taught everyone else the Sword of Heart. ¡°¡­¡± He knew these emotions of his were meaningless. Didn¡¯t Bratt tell him? Heroes have no ranks. Whether strong or weak, just walking on that path was worth it. ¡­ he didn¡¯t know. Right now, he wasn¡¯t sure. Recalling the gazes of pdins falling on I, Airn opened his eyes. And then saw a familiar figure standing in front of him. ¡°Mr. Georg.¡± ¡°It has been a while, Airn." ¡°¡­¡± ¡°No, is it strange to say it¡¯s been a while? But it is our first greeting after the reunion¡­ I don¡¯t think it is wrong.¡± Georg Phoebe politely extended his hand. Airn, who contemted for a moment, reached out. After exchanging a strong handshake, he asked if he could sit, and Airn nodded. Ilya stopped practicing with her sword and looked at them. Georg opened his mouth as a minute passed. ¡°Can I ask you a favor?¡± ¡°¡­ what kind of favor?¡± "I want to ask you about what happened during the year and a half after our meeting.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I know it could be a rude question. But I couldn¡¯t stand it anymore because of my curiosity.¡± He was being sincere. When they met at the banquet hall, he knew Airn had grown strong, and that his heart was stronger. Even hismander changed after she had seen him, and that was another reason for his curiosity to bloom. ¡°Themander changed.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°A very small amount only, but it is definite that she changed. Maybe¡­ maybe because of Airn Pareira. But I don¡¯t know if I am sure about it.¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what influence you had on ourmander.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ourmander is a consistent person. And she always has been, even from the time we first met.¡± Georg recalled the past. Even ten years ago, when he met her, and now when she was amander of ck Knights, she still used her mercenary way of speaking. And so did he. Like a person who wasplete from the beginning, I never wavered and didn¡¯t change. And now, she has changed. Her confident expression and attitude were still there. However, something strange was added between it. Georg could feel it. I didn¡¯t look at him, but for the past 10 years, he didn¡¯t look away from I for even a moment. So, he felt a little annoyed. A bit bittersweet too. He didn¡¯t like that it was neither him nor Anya who brought on the change. But¡­ ¡®I can¡¯t deny that she is opening up her heart slowly because of him.¡¯ And that was why Georg came here. Georg obviously knew that he was inferior to hismander. He didn¡¯t have the skills or the eyes of I. He couldn''t feel what I felt from Airn right away, so he had to listen about it directly from Airn to understand. If he didn¡¯t do it, he thought he didn¡¯t have the right to follow hismander. ¡°¡­ it is the reason I came to find you.¡± Georg frankly spoke. Airn watched him and then looked up at the sky. There was nothing to be done. They didn¡¯t share a good rtionship, but most of the ufortable feelings between them had disappeared. He could see just how big of a heart this man had for I, so he decided to speak. But before that, he had something to ask. He looked at the man with his sorcery eyes and said. ¡°I will tell you.¡± ¡°Than¡­¡± ¡°If you tell me what you are hiding first.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°About I, about the Devil¡­ you are hiding something, right?¡± A gleam in Airn¡¯s eyes. An intuition stronger than ever, his sharp sixth sense, looked inside Georg. The vicemander of ck Knights began to sweat at those words. ¡­ he knew that he shouldn¡¯t say it. But he couldn¡¯t help but say it. It was as if this young man knew everything from the beginning. It seemed that he asked the question only to confirm. Finally, with a sigh, Georg Phoebe opened his mouth. ¡°It is very likely that the clown is alive¡­ ording to the Holy Kingdom.¡± ck! The door to the conference room opened. There was little anger on the faces of some of the pdins sitting there. It was a gathering ce for the big people. To enter such a ce without prior permission was impossible. And a door opened to such a room, and 2 young people entered with a flying cat. Among these three individuals, the blonde-haired man said. ¡°I heard that the clown isn¡¯t dead.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°In addition, I heard that not a few devils and demons are hidden all over the continent, and the subjugation team will be formed to exterminate them?¡± ¡°So?¡± ¡°I will say it outright. Please put us in the subjugation squad.¡± ¡°Why?¡± It wasn¡¯t a friendly voice. It was natural. This young man came in without permission and was making demands. Airn continued to look at the bald man who asked him that question. ¡®He is strong.¡¯ The status of a swordsman couldn¡¯t be judged by their aura. However, it was one of the indicators, so Airn was able to grasp the strength of the swordsmen here. Surprisingly, this old man had a better aura than Julius Hul. ¡®Who is he?¡¯ An appearance that seemed higher than those in the room. However, it was not formidable enough to rival Karakum. The man got up and said. ¡°Come out.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You seem to be confident in your skills, soe out and show me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You have at least that much courage, right?¡± A cold gaze. Airn, who received it, nodded. ¡°I do.¡± Chapter 199: It’s too much for you (2)

Chapter 199: It¡¯s too much for you (2)

A group of people left the room and headed to the training hall. The bald old man who made the proposal was at the forefront, followed by Airn and his party, and finally, Julius, along with I, followed. It was weird. After Airn had decisivelye into this part of the world, he knew that such things were obviously going to happen. ¡®A Proof of skills¡­¡¯ He remembered the old days when he had disyed his skills to receive his mercenary badge. And also the time he went to Partizan, andpeted against Jet Frost and more. And the many diator battles he did in Eisenmarkt. Other than that, there were a lot more things. Where people came onto him thinking he was weak. Probably because of his meek-looking appearance and maybe his young appearance too yed a part. ¡®These people are different.¡¯ However, the people of the Holy Kingdom seemed different. The people behind didn¡¯t seem to have much expectations from him. However, they were holding back their emotions. No matter what they had heard, they were going to check the skills of Airn before speaking anything. And so, the bald man kept walking. It didn¡¯t feel like the man was trying to break the courage of a young man. Rather, Airn felt that he had the attitude to seriously judge the ability of a person and respond ordingly. Airn thought that the man ahead was formidable. ¡®Who Is he?¡¯ ¡°That old man, do you know him?¡± ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know.¡± Lulu and Ilya had the same question. Despite the old man not pulling out his sword, all these people knew that he was strong. A feeling that he was a talented person like Ilya Lindsay¡¯s father. Someone in the continent''s strongest 10! For a moment, they thought that he was the Red Knights Commander, Rigoberto rk, but then shook their heads. From what Ilya knew, the Red Knight¡¯smander wasn¡¯t bald. In the first ce, she didn¡¯t have much information on the Sword Masters. ¡®Son, the power of the Holy Kingdom is far greater than most people think.¡¯ She suddenly remembered the conversation her father had with her brother. It was when she was very young, yet she remembered it vividly. As the Holy Kingdom¡¯s intervention in the continent grew stronger, several peopleined. Her brother, Carl Lindsay, too said that he didn¡¯t understand it. Even if Avilius was the most powerful nation, he didn¡¯t think they could possess that much power. Just looking at the number of Sword Masters right now, however, the average number of Masters in the entire western region was 5. And Avilius had 10 now. Of course, other powerful priests were also great, but it was true that they wereckingpared to the knights of the five kingdoms. ¡®But my father didn¡¯t think so.¡¯ An invisible power. Ilya gulped, remembering her father, Joshua Lindsay¡¯s words. So, it was true. The power of the Holy Kingdom was far beyond what one could imagine. Even I didn¡¯t seem to stand out anymore. ¡°Are you doing it here?¡± Asked the bald man pointing to the middle of the hall. Not a single person could be seen in the ce. Looking at the eyes of the man, which were neither hot nor cold, Airn asked. ¡°Before we start, can I know your name?¡± The bald man looked back. It seemed like he was asking Julius Hul¡¯s consent. The White Knightsmander thought for a moment and then nodded. ¡°It¡¯s Quincy Myers¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I am telling you this because you don¡¯t seem to have a loose mouth, so don¡¯t divulge this anywhere.¡± ¡°¡­ yes.¡± Airn nodded with an expression that was still stiff. So was Ilya Lindsay. Lulu, who was looking at the shining bald head, asked. ¡°Is it someone you know?¡± ¡°¡­mander of the Red Knights.¡± ¡°Really? So what?¡± ¡°I heard he passed away 10 years ago¡­ now I know.¡± Ilya Lindsay nodded her head. Now she understood. The ten Sword Masters who appeared back then. Howe they all look so old? They were all pdins of the previous generations who were known to have turned their backs on the world. She looked at them with serious eyes and then looked at Airn. ¡®Stay strong, Airn.¡¯ Of course, Airn didn¡¯t feel those feelings from his friend. He couldn¡¯t even hear the cheers of Lulu. He waspletely focused. Not only Quincy Myers, the formermander of Red Knights, but even all the members of the Holy Kingdom present there who were watching him were amazed. ¡®Amazing.¡¯ Nothing else but that could be said. As his skills improved, his eyes improved, and his eyes for seeing aura became more sophisticated. In the past, he could only see the full amount of Aura, but when his concentration was maxed like now, he could feel the entire flow of it. And it wasn¡¯t smooth at all. Nor was it soft. Even so, he could feel the force of a tsunami around the man. At that moment, Airn Pareira realized. It meant that his skills were far below the standards of the subjugation squad that the Holy Kingdom seeked. ¡°Don¡¯t give up right away.¡± Quincy Myers drew his sword. It was a great sword like Airn¡¯s. A force that was as heavy as his body. And that alone made sweat run down his forehead. Right, and Airn summoned his great sword. ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°That¡­¡± The sword was shining in gold from handle to de. Perhaps it was because of the unusualness, but the pdins seemed shocked. However, Airn didn¡¯t pay any attention to them. He wasn¡¯t even looking at his opponent, Quincy Myers. I Crescentia. Still, radiating like a sun. Seeing her stand proudly without being pushed aside, even as she stood among the strong pdins, Airn realized that he was mistaken. ¡°You¡­¡± Wooong! It was the moment when Quincy Myers frowned. The Aura Sword suddenly erupted from Airn¡¯s sword. The golden aura. Seeing that dazzling light, the formermander of Red Knights, who was angry at the kid for not looking at him, went quiet. There was no need for words. Although he was somebody that worshiped God, he had also given a fair amount of time for the sword. And to feel the warmth from the sword, Quincy Myers took a firm pause. ¡°Phew.¡± Looking at him with deep eyes, Airn caught his breath. Even if the skills which were difficult to deal with in practice, it could still be demonstrated if he was given sufficient time. Recalling the first battle with 101st swordsman, Jet Frost, he concentrated. Body. Aura. The heart of his previous self. His current mindset. And the steel and sparks which resulted from it. And another me that would make the current me even hotter. Airn Pareira, who remembered it, raised his sword. Woong ¡°Hm.¡± ¡°That is great.¡± ¡° Wasn¡¯t he less than 25 years old? He is surely¡­¡± ¡°He has the right to be confident.¡± The moment the aura sword rose, all the 10 Masters there nodded their heads. Most of the people who were there, were currently retired and were on the journey to spread the will of God to the people. However, some knights were a little different. Leaving the social world and quietly practicing the sword or wandering around destroying evil. They were supposed to be officially dead, so they now went on to lead a second life. This was the only thing that could bring them together. The call of the Devil. That was the reason why the 10 Sword Masters of Holy King''s ''Purification squad'' had appeared here, and that was the reason why they weren''t extremely shocked with Airn. It was because the years and experiences they had umted over the years had calmed them. But that didn¡¯t mean they were indifferent. For a young boy of 23, his body was surely well-trained. Even more impressive than his body was his aura, which made one feel warm. Smiles appeared on their faces. It was because they realized that the young man didn¡¯t apply for the subjugation for honor or self-interest, but had really spoken out his mind before. ¡®If he grows steadily like this, he will be a great help to the continent.¡¯ ¡®Amazing. It makes me want to pull him into our Kingdom.¡¯ ¡®If such a child could be active as a Sword of God and support I, then we would be able to return to God¡¯s arms with peace of mind.¡¯ They all felt happy. Smiles came on their faces and even their eyes. Of course, they didn¡¯t lose focus on the match. They watched Airn with their eyes open wide, eagerly anticipating the attack. But it wasn¡¯t done yet. Airn¡¯s sword, equipped with enough time, was far greater than they thought. Whoop! ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± A strong energy along with the sound of an explosion. A mysterious power that ordinary people couldn''t see with naked eyes was entering the golden aura. Recognizing that it was the Hero''s Sword, one of the Masters looked at I. And she said, ¡°I did tell them that I taught them.¡± ¡°¡­ but wasn¡¯t that only for 3 weeks?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± Chiing! The man asking the question turned his head and looked at Airn, and his eyes widened. It wasn¡¯t just the ''Hero''s Sword.'' Some of them were using their heads too much to understand something else, which came from Aura Sword and Hero''s Sword. At that time, Julius Hul, themander of White Knights who was silent till then, spoke. ¡°The Five Spirits Divine Technique.¡± ¡°That? Ah¡­¡± ¡°What you are thinking is right. It is the energy of spirits¡­ and among them, the metal and fire are prominent. And the metal has beenpletely controlled.¡± ¡°¡­¡± After saying that, Julius Hul kept silent. His eyes, as he watched the blonde man, were tinged with surprise like everyone else. But that wasn¡¯t all. Things weren¡¯t done yet. The members of the Purification Team, Quincy Myers and Julius Hul. Airn Pareira, who erased all of the distractions from his mind, opened his eyes. And gazed at I, who still had a confident expression. Through the training of his previous life, he had built a will of steel. Through the journey of his present life, he had embraced the me. His will to protect the world along with his goodwill. That was the source that made Airn move forward. But¡­ ''The path of the hero, won''t be epted by all humans'' Wheik! Another me bloomed in Airn¡¯s heart. No, it wasn¡¯tpletely new. A small ember that had existed from the beginning that had eaten his heart, now cleared and gradually grew in size. You didn¡¯t need topare yourself to others to walk the path of a hero. That was right. Anyone could walk the path of a hero, and anyone could move for the sake of the world. Competing with the others was unnecessary in walking down the right path. But Airn wasn¡¯t just a hero. Right. Unlike before, he genuinely liked and loved his sword and his full will to advance to a higher level¡­ He was truly a ''real swordsman.'' Wheik! And that swordsman¡¯s heart was speaking. That he didn¡¯t want to be behind. He wanted to stand in the same position. He wanted to participate in the subjugation that I joined. And it wasn¡¯t just that. One day, he wanted to achieve a level that would surprise even her and win after they had a proper fight. The will topete with a swordsman. A heart that was as hot as a hero¡¯s beliefs, breathed new vitality into Airn¡¯s sword. Whoop! There was an explosion. And Quincy frowned. The heat rushing out was unbearable. However, he didn¡¯t close his eyes. To him, the sword held by the young man in front of him was so beautiful. A finished metal. A finished me. No, seeing Airn wrapped around the mes from the sword, the former Red Knightsmander paused for a moment. A situation in which an attack is likely to start even with the slightest trigger. And he said with a calm face, ¡°I lost.¡± Chapter 200: It’s too much for you (3)

Chapter 200: It¡¯s too much for you (3)

¡°¡­?¡± Airn looked flustered at the words of Quincy Myers, the formermander of Red Knights. Of course, he prepared a blow that the old man couldn''t ignore. He drew out 200% of his power because of his preparation. But this could never actually happen in an actual battle. However, was it to the level where the opponent had to admit defeat? No. ¡®¡­ in terms of swordsmanship alone, he feels stronger than even Karakum¡¯ Since he went against Karakum, he knew it. It wasn¡¯t just the aura of the bald man, which was great. He had an aura that was perfectly operating because of the years of experience and a spirit which shone like the stars in the sky, and a body trained through the passage of time. In addition to that was the unprecedented addition of Holy power, which was protecting his body. ¡®And such a person dered surrender?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t understand it. As if he had read the confusion on Airn, Quincy Myers put down his sword and said. ¡°I was afraid of getting injured.¡± ¡°¡­ What do you mean?¡± ¡°I will be injured.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Your attack. I won¡¯t be able to handle it. But¡­ I¡¯ll be honest. You are much stronger than I thought. No matter how much I focus on my defense, I will be hurt regardless. And if I block it, I could win, but¡­¡± Quincy Myers continued. ¡°If I get injured while trying to save my self-esteem, wouldn¡¯t that be a hindrance to carrying out God''s orders?¡± ¡°¡­ right. Alright.¡± Airn nodded his head. He felt a bit embarrassed. While he was swept away by personal greed, and never thought about the future, Quincy Myers prioritized the subjugation of the Devil and the peace of the continent. However, he didn¡¯t regret it. That was because he had finally realized. That you didn¡¯t have to follow just one path. That you can walk the path of a hero and at the same time walk the path of a swordsman. Rather, the thought that such greed would lead him to a higher ce was firmly established at this moment. Of course, Quincy Myers wasn¡¯t interested in his thoughts. Looking back, he looked at the others and Julius Hul and said. ¡°What do you think? If this is the level, isn¡¯t he better than what we thought?¡± ¡°Better?¡± ¡°23 was it? What is this¡­ what was I doing at that age?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even remember. It was 100 years back.¡± ¡°Even though I am old. I was not as good as him at that time. I remember that.¡± "I am sorry to say, but we are growing too old¡­¡± ¡°No, what is with kids these days.¡± In an instant, it turned noisy. It was a good friendly feeling. The appearance of the dignified pdin was not how Airn had thought it would be. Of course, they didn¡¯t intervene. Airn, Ilya, and Lulu kept quiet, and waited for them to stop their talks. However, there were those who didn¡¯t stop. A person who was recognized by people as someone who was 100 years older. However, the ck Knightsmander I Crescentia intervened. ¡°Isn¡¯t that too early toe to a decision?¡± ¡°Hmm? That¡­¡± ¡°Airn Pareira isn¡¯t the only one who found it.¡± I looked somewhere. And the Purification team, too, looked there. And a forgotten person caught their eyes. Ilya Lindsay. The ck Knightsmander pointed at her, who was standing quietly. ¡°If Airn is qualified, then Ilya Lindsay should be qualified too,¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That is my opinion.¡± Whisper. Everyone¡¯s attention was focused on her. Airn felt as if a strong wind had passed by him. The eyes of the pdins were so deep and fierce. It was an unexpected rmendation from I. And also an unexpected change of atmosphere. Despite this, Ilya¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. ¡°¡­¡± No, it wasn¡¯t that. Her face didn¡¯t change outside. However, Airn and Lulu, who had known her for a long time, understood. Her current expression meant that many emotions were swirling inside. ¡°Wait.¡± Ilya turned back. And then disappeared faster than usual. The expression on her face remained unbroken. But some with keen eyes could see her emotions. ¡°What? What is this?¡± ¡°Did we do something wrong?¡± ¡°Maybe because we stared too much¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I get that. Sh-she is, th¡­¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, right.¡± The Purification team was noisy again. However, this time they quickly came to a conclusion. It was thanks to the recollection of the entanglement of the I and Lindsay family. In a way, it was one bad rtionship. And if she received the approval of I, who was like her enemy, then what new emotions would bloom? ¡°Complicated, it isplicated.¡± ¡°Tell me about it.¡± Pdins were shaking their heads. Airn and Lulu didn¡¯t like that. They looked at Ilya''s back which slowly disappeared. He was a sorcerer, and he could look into people¡¯s hearts, but he wasn¡¯t able to read everything. Recently, Ilya had changed so much that he couldn¡¯t properly understand her. ¡®¡­ a solid appearance as if she is someone else.¡¯ The dignified atmosphere she gives off¡­as if her anxieties and worries were blown away. Showing a proud attitude under the gossips of nobles and pouring out her curses with an innocent face. With that, Airn and Lulu thought. Worrying about Ilya wasn¡¯t right. Without realizing they shook their heads. ¡­ only they knew. The reason Ilya looked okay but wasn¡¯t really okay. Like the look on her face before she left, it was because she was having a hard time blocking the waves of emotions inside her. ¡°Coming back to the point.¡± Airn Pareira¡¯s thoughts were cut off. The chaotic atmosphere caused by the chattering of old men was cleared in an instant. Everyone¡¯s attention was focused on Julius Hul¡¯s words. Airn gulped and looked at the 80-year-old man. After a while, a low voice came out. ¡°Participation in the subjugation isn¡¯t permitted. The reason isck of skill.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The future possibilities are plenty. However, the subjugation squad isn¡¯t a ce which can be entered with future possibilities.¡± Julius Hul, spoke his thoughts. It was unusual, considering he was someone who didn''t speak much. His judgment was as follows. The fact that the Devil''s call spreads across the continent itself will cause great confusion, and that may lead to a rift in the Devildom too. In order to prevent that, the team should be organized with as few people as possible. And since he wanted to include a small number, Arin¡¯s skills were inferiorpared to the other choices. Quincy Myers took over from Julius Hul. ¡°That is right. Even if we increase the number of people to receive support, there is no need to do this. Karakum in the northwest, the 5 major swordsman families in West, and the 3 Lords in Runtel¡­ it makes sense to recruit them." ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So? Understand that?¡± He had to understand. Airn was strong. He was a member of the 100 Sword Masters on the continent and had also awakened the spirits with the help of a few people. He had a will that could never be broken. If it was to subdue the monsters or demons, he would work better. But it asked if he could win over Devils? When he thought of the people who were better than him, he couldn¡¯t hold his head proudly. ¡­ at least, not now. ¡°If I get stronger.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If I get stronger than I am now. If the clown or other the evil powers which nurture him couldn¡¯t stand in front of my strength¡­¡± Phew, Airn took a deep breath and asked. ¡°At that time, will you ept me as a member?¡± ¡°Our goal is to finish our job before you grow to that level.¡± Wheik! Julius Hul said that. His words which were firm and tight enough that no loop couldn¡¯t be found. And it made even Lulu feel scared. Yet the young hero didn¡¯t back down. The Purification team was silently watching Airn, who looked at the strongest swordsman in the Holy Kingdom with an intense gaze that was heavier than a thousand words, and I smiled. 1 minute passed. Julius Hul said to Airn, who was sweating profusely. ¡°Khun.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Find Khun. If you get his approval¡­ then I will think again.¡± I need to move quick. Faster. In the end, Ilya Lindsay was getting farther and farther away since she was running instead of walking, and finally stopped at an unfamiliar vacant lot. The reason? There was nothing to say. Recalling I¡¯s words, she remembered what had happened in the banquet hall. ¡®¡­ she didn¡¯t even look at me.¡¯ Those memories were vivid. Ilya remembered I¡¯s gaze as she came out of the portal, giving out energy like the sun, and how she only looked at Airn. As if she didn¡¯t even exist, as if Airn was her only enemy. She kept watching it, so she knew. The anger, anxiety, jealousy, and obsession of hers were all one-sided emotions. From then. Ilya decided to erase I from her heart. ¡®I can do it. It will be more convenient for me. This is right.¡¯ She remembered the time when she swore at the nobles in the banquet hall. Nothing she was worried about happened. Rather, the emotions that she had been holding back were released, and she felt a cool and refreshing feeling. And then she realized. The freedom which came from not being conscious of others, the sense of freedom that she hadn¡¯t experienced in a long time. The moment she let go of her feelings for I, the same thrill woulde to her again. It surely will. But¡­ ¡®But I couldn¡¯t.¡¯ Gasp. Heavy breaths. It was difficult for her to remain still. Ilya looked around and drew her sword. And swung it around. Wong! She knew. She desperately wanted to be free from I, but in reality, she couldn¡¯t. Whoop! Breaking through the first trial in the dungeon and breaking through the barrier the second time. It was all because she was aware of I. She did everything she could to ignore her, but somehow the woman was all she thought about. The gentle yet intense me that came for a while gave her more power than usual. Woong! Even then, she tried to hide it and not show off. As if she meant nothing to her, she got rid of the expressions on her face and the trembling of her voice. She tried her best to not show any respect, gaze, or anything for I. Come to think of it. She knew the truth. Ilya knew it was because she couldn¡¯t erase her feelings. Woong! Forget all of it. Ilya shook her head and unleashed her sword of heart. She struggled with the idea that it was something she learned from I. Just thinking about it made her conscious of I. She just made a choice that would help her in the future. No, in fact, it was hard to see this as something she got with the help of I. Because the sword of heart was the sword, Airn showed her. She didn¡¯t have the grand heart to protect the world, but the desire to protect her precious friends was what had awoken her abilities. Right, this was a sword made with the help of Airn and not I. However, even such thoughts didn¡¯t calm her. ¡®In the end, am I being swayed by someone else?¡¯ ¡®Do you think you arepletely free from the eyes of others? You are still conscious of I. And you keep getting help from Airn.¡¯ ¡®Can I walk my own path? Can I? Just like in the past, like now and in the future, have I no choice but to live my life depending on another individual¡­ am I such a person?¡¯ Woong! Ilya¡¯s sword grew fiercer. And the thoughts which flowed from her sword created winds and storms. As a result, the Sword of Heart which had melted into the aura, was shaken. The chaos that couldn¡¯t be controlled by the sword even in the hands of a genius started wrecking the surroundings. As if it was an emotion which she had endured for a long time, an uncontroble feeling from inside her was tearing down the sky and earth. What made her stop was the voice of a man. ¡°Ilya.¡± Someone she hadn¡¯t heard in a long time. Above all, the voice was familiar and warm. Ilya¡¯s emotions subsided. So quick that it shocked her. Turning her head, she confirmed the person. And said, ¡°Father.¡± ¡°Yes, my daughter.¡± A fierce and cold impression. However, the middle-aged man had a soft smile for his daughter. The best swordsman in the Adan Kingdom, Joshua Lindsay, was the one who had appeared in front of his daughter. Chapter 201: An Unexpected Encounter (1)

Chapter 201: An Unexpected Encounter (1)

Joshua Lindsay. He was the current head of the Lindsay family, and among the many swordsmen on the continent, he was someone who was strong enough to be in the top ten. And Ilya Lindsay¡¯s father. And the daughter who saw him, couldn¡¯t help but put on a nk expression. Where was she? She was in the Rabat Kingdom in the middle of the continent. It was impossible for her father, who should be in the Adan Kingdom, which was in the west, to be here. But the thought didn¡¯tst long. Father, her father. The moment she saw Joshua Lindsay¡¯s face, his expression, and his eyes which she hadn¡¯t seen in 2 years, Ilya couldn¡¯t help but feel a deeper emotion than longing. However, herplex emotions rose up again and blocked her. ¡®What do I look like now?¡¯ 2 years back, when she said she was leaving home to practice, she remembered her father''s face. It was the first time that her father, someone who was among the major 5 swordsmen families, and also the coolest and calmest person known, had made such an expression. But not now. Only I Crescentia¡¯s face caught her eye. She left her family without even looking back and continued to practice, to show herself to others. No, not anymore, though. Ilya¡¯s head was moreplicated. She knew that her past self was wrong. She was well aware that her obsessiveness and ignorance had destroyed herself. And that now, it was the time to take a different path. But she couldn¡¯t. ¡®I¡¯m still swayed and entangled.¡¯ I have be weak and ufortable. To the extent that a single word of recognition from I broke down my wall of emotions¡­ and right now, she was unstable. She could see herself copse in a moment, and she even began to think that the Ilya in the Land of Proof was mentally stable and stronger than she was currently. Then, what did the past two years of training mean? The training she had done to perfect herself to the point where she ignored her own parents? As her thoughts flowed in. a wave of rage came along with it. Unable to raise her sword, or look into her father''s eyes, whom she hadn''t seen in a long time, Ilya shook her head helplessly. She didn¡¯t dare to say a word. But it didn¡¯t matter. ¡°It is alright.¡± It was her father¡¯s voice, softer and warmer than ever. No. Her father was the same as always. Although Joshua Lindsay was cold-hearted in the eyes of others, he was the gentlest man to his daughter. It wasn''t that her father didn''t seem warm in the past; it was her who didn''t feel it. Joshua approached her and hugged his daughter as tightly as he could, and consoled her once more. ¡°It is okay. Everything is fine.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°There is nothing to worry about. And I mean it. These aren¡¯t just words.¡± The girl, tired of the long voyage in the sea, felt like she had stepped onnd. Ilya Lindsay wept for a long, long time in the arms of her father, which were warm and wide. She poured out everything and emptied herself. She felt like starting over from scratch. And a little time passed. Joshua Lindsay stared intently at his daughter, who had fallen asleep, and looked at Emma Garcia, who was behind him. ¡°Look after my daughter.¡± ¡°I will, my lord.¡± ¡°She must have been through a lot. So, take good care of her.¡± ¡°¡­ this might be a disgraceful statement to say. But I think she is a much better person than she was two years back.¡± Emma Garcia said without a change in her expression. Joshua Lindsay looked down at his daughter and then smiled. As he said. ¡°Good and bad are very vague things.¡± ¡°I meant it in a very good way. And she will be better in the future.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Sorry for crossing the line.¡± ¡°No. I never thought that. You are the one who watched my daughter the closest, so you must be right.¡± The father handed over his daughter and looked at a ce. His warm appearance vanished right away and returned to usual coldness. Recalling the information he obtained by cornering Perry Martinez, he moved after saying. ¡°Look after her.¡± ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± ¡°Get approval from Khun. If you do that, I will let you join us.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you don¡¯t know who Khun is.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Airn nodded his head. If this was asked at the start of his journey, when he had just left his home, he wouldn''t have known. But now he did, thanks to Kuvar. There was no way he wouldn¡¯t know that man. The reason he stayed still without saying anything was because he didn¡¯t expect those words from Julius Hul. Airn thought with a serious expression. ¡®Khun, why¡­¡¯ Where should he go to meet him? Right. That was the most important question. The condition of being approved by Khun was understandable. It was a matter of determining his qualifications to be a part of this squad. Naturally, he thought that one of the top 10 swordsmen''s names woulde out. But among them, he wanted to know why the name Khun was mentioned, especially when his residence was unknown to all. ¡®He doesn¡¯t want me in the squad?¡¯ Was it because Airn openly expressed his dissatisfaction? Julius Hul looked at Airn. ¡°It is clear what you are thinking. But you don¡¯t understand it. And above all¡­ you are confident?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You are a lot more absurd than I thought. You know Khun, but don¡¯t know what kind of person he is.¡± At that moment, Airn felt a surge of consciousness run through him. Raising his head, he looked at all the pdins one after another. He didn¡¯t just look; he used his eyes and checked their aura. It was a look that could be considered to be rude. But thanks to that, he realized again that among those participating, there was no one weaker than himself. ¡°Khun isn¡¯t a good person. He has stricter standards than anyone else and has more demanding eyes too.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It means that even a few years of effort won¡¯t be enough.¡± Words that were closer to admonition. However, Airn didn¡¯t respond. He was a little upset. Encountering his previous self, learning the sword of heart from I, and bncing metal and fire spirits, it seemed like his head had filled with pride without realizing it. ¡®Get a grip!¡¯ Airn thought of the clown and the other demons he came across. He remembered the terrible and incredible powers of Karakum and Tarakan. He had to get stronger. So much stronger than what he was now. The will of the mes which rose again made Airn burn. The heated heart turned out of breath, and the light in his eyes was visible. An atmosphere no one could ignore emanated from the young hero, yet no one watched him. Feeling the strange atmosphere, Airn turned his gaze to where the others were looking. And was shocked. ¡°¡­!¡± A middle-aged man with a cold impression. As if carved out of ice and always surrounded by cold. An appearance that was without a blemish and seemed incredibly powerful. However, he couldn¡¯t avoid looking into the aura of the person. Airn unconsciously checked the opponent¡¯s power and was shocked. ¡®It¡¯s almost like the formermander of the Red Knights!¡¯ Considering that this man looked rather young, it was amazing. At that moment, Airn knew who the man was. There was only one silver-haired swordsman in the world with the skills on par with Quincy Myers. ¡®Ilya¡¯s father! How is he here¡­¡¯ ¡°I heard you were going to do this secretly.¡± Airn¡¯s thoughts didn¡¯t continue, and Joshua Lindsay¡¯s voice, as cold as his appearance, resounded around. Even the old people of the Purification squad were avoiding the eyes of Joshua Lindsay. And that was a new shock, ¡®What is this now?¡¯ Airn was literally shocked. The faces of Julius Hul, Quincy Myers, I Crescentia, who saw him, were weird. They hadn¡¯t expected this man. What kind of action will the man take after appearing suddenly in Rabat? Is he going to solve the bad rtionship he had with I? Or did he already know of the devil? Was that why he came here? If so, should Airn put aside his personal feelings and let them talk? It was neither. Joshua Lindsay, who paused for a moment, looked at Julius Hul. ¡°There are things I wish to ask, but I will do that at ater time.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Before that, can I take this young man with me for a moment?¡± ¡°You can. We are done here.¡± ¡°Okay. Follow me.¡± ¡®Uh?¡¯ Joshua Lindsay turned away. Seeing him walk away, Airn had a bewildered expression, To which Julius Hul said. ¡°What are you doing? Follow him.¡± ¡°Ah! Yes!¡± "Uh? Let''s go together, Airn!¡± Airn, who answered without knowing, followed the head of the Lindsay family. Lulu, who couldn¡¯t keep up with what was happening, followed him. As the three went away, Quincy said. ¡°We¡¯re in trouble.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Julius Hul nodded his head. Judging from the atmosphere, it seemed like he had heard what happened from Perry Martinez. The fact that his daughter was entangled with a powerful devil, and he was probably nning on going on a demon hunt which wasn¡¯t even disclosed to people. The bad rtionship between him and I was another thing that made them feel ufortable. Julius Hul, remembered that he wouldter have to have a talk with Joshua Lindsay and sighed. ¡°I am d we passed this for now.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t that young man manage to distract him for now?¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Everyone knew that this man was a fool for his daughter, so he was probably more concerned about men. Julius, who thought it shook his head. It was iprehensible for him, who had been single all his life. ¡®Amazing!¡¯ Following Joshua Lindsay, Airn recalled what happened. At first, things were moving too quickly for him to understand, but now that he thought, it was a shocking sight. ¡®How could he subdue the pdins who were so tough to deal with?¡¯ Indeed, this man was the head of the Lindsay family. At the same time, the desire in Airn to fight him rose. What was the driving force which made him turn so strong? The biggest thing for Airn was his rtionship with his past life, but the fact that he constantly met new and strong people and crossed swords with them yed a significant role. For that reason, Airn¡¯s eyes filled with admiration and envy while looking at Joshua. The head of the Lindsay family, who is said to be among the best 5! How great could his swordsmanship be? Must be better than Ilya? He wanted topete with thepleted Sky Sword! A lot of things were running through his mind. Perhaps because of Julius Hul¡¯s words that told him that he wascking now, and how he aimed to get stronger. ¡°Airn Pareira.¡± Before long, Joshua led them to another training hall. ¡°I heard that you are very close to my daughter.¡± ¡°Huh? Yes, that is true.¡± ¡°It is?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± It was strange how the man asked him again in a sharp tone. ¡°I heard that there were four of you who were traveling, but I see you two are alone." ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Did you do something?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I mean, on purpose for you two to be together¡­did you abandon them?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Eh? No! I am here too! Me too!¡± Flutter! Lulu, who heard Joshua¡¯s words, jumped ahead. She wanted to tell him that she was a member of the party and to not ignore her. But he didn¡¯t care. Even if a cat can talk, it was still a cat. With a much more bitter expression, Joshua asked Airn. ¡°Have you nned something?¡± ¡°Ah, no! n, what are you¡­¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t n anything?¡± ¡°I did not! Really!¡± ¡°¡­ is that so?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Airn responded desperately. Without knowing what was happening, he decided to just nod his head so that he could live. But Joshua Lindsay didn¡¯t seem too happy. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, he opened his mouth again. ¡°Is my daughter not even great enough that you didn¡¯t even have to n anything?¡± ¡°Huh? What are you¡­¡¯ ¡°I can¡¯t listen to this anymore. Pick your sword.¡± Srng! The sound of a sword being pulled out of the sheath. Airn gulped. He saw the face of Joshua Lindsay staring at him and said again. ¡°Take out your sword.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t, I won¡¯t take responsibility for what happens to you.¡± Shhh! Clench! Airn hastily summoned the sword. Joshua rushed for him. The Sky Sword, which he wanted to experience, was being struck at him with fierce force. And he didn¡¯t really wish to see it in such a situation. Airn Pareira, who changed his mind right away, swung his sword to survive. Apletely different fear from when he met the devil came over his whole body. Chapter 202: An Unexpected Encounter (2)

Chapter 202: An Unexpected Encounter (2)

Swosh! The sword descended on him each time at a terrifying speed. It wasn¡¯t just fast. It also contained an aura with more ferocious energy than anything Airn had ever seen and it was approaching him with vicious sounds. ¡®I am done for if I can¡¯t stop it!¡¯ There was no time to think, and Airn hurriedly took his stance. The oing attacks weren¡¯t at a level where he could simply stand and defend. Remembering that the best defense was offense, he swung the sword. Kwang! ¡°Kuak!¡± ¡°¡­¡± A groan of pain emanated from his lips. Airn took three steps back. His hands and wrists were already numb. It wasn¡¯t just being pushed back. The moment they collided, he felt like everything in his body was being pushed up. Perhaps because of the opponent¡¯s skill. ¡®As expected from one of the 5 great swordsmen¡­¡¯ Fortunately, Joshua didn¡¯t attack right away. But that thought changed immediately. He looked at Airn for a moment and then looked at the sword he was holding, and with the same coldness, he mumbled to himself. ¡°I didn¡¯t think he could stop it¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Was it an unstoppable attack? While he was shocked, Joshua Lindsay smiled and said. ¡°It¡¯s a joke. I wanted to see your skills. If I didn¡¯t attack you with this much strength, I wouldn¡¯t be able to see your true abilities.¡± ¡°¡­ I see.¡± ¡°Yes. So, let¡¯s do it a bit more. Just think that this is an official match, so feel free to¡­¡± Tat! Without even finishing his words, Joshua Lindsay moved. Airn thought that this man was absurd! Yet he moved his sword. This didn¡¯t feel weird. Airn had been subjected to numerous matches till now, but he never saw someone who had rushed to attack him like this. Thanks to everyone conceding to Airn thinking he was weak, he always got the chance to show off his swordsmanship. I am no match for him. He is definitely attacking me with some emotion!¡¯ Airn, who understood that, grinded his teeth. He didn''t understand what had happened. But he did understand that if he didn¡¯t move, it would be a huge deal. With his mind alert, he raised the aura with all his might and fought back using the power of the spirits. Then, the weight of the great sword of Airn turned heavier. Kwang! Kwang! Kwaang! Left, right, back, right, and left. Joshua¡¯s attacks poured in from left and right. Airn countered it with his sword before the opponent¡¯s power was fully gathered, and used his strength utilizing his core and lower body in order to not back down. ¡®Crack'' As he countered that, the ground where he was standing became unstable, forcing him to move backwards. Still, thanks to his quick thinking, he wasn¡¯t pushed back by a lot. Joshua''s eyes widened at the sight, and he took a deep breath. Wooong! A stronger energy condensed onto the sword. And with that, came wind and typhoons. Airn felt the hair on his head standing tall, and the force of the Sky Sword, which was raging to crush him. He couldn¡¯t stop this. Airn, who sensed the crisis, gave up his stubbornness and stepped back. And thanks to that, he was saved. Suddenly, Joshua Lindsay¡¯s sky sword fell and engulfed the ce Airn was previously standing at. Kwakwakwakwang! What a terrible sight! Airn gulped at the power of the Sky Sword, which ate into the ground. Did that man believe in Airn and truly not hold back at all? Or did Airn¡¯s safety not matter to him? He expected it to be the former but was too reluctant to believe it. He lifted his head and looked at Joshua Lindsay. He had a faint smile as he said. ¡°Right, if you can handle this, then you are qualified enough to go with my daughter.¡± ¡°W-wait¡­¡± "Wait, what? I don¡¯t have a lot of time, you know!" Kwang! Joshua dismissed Airn¡¯s words and swung his sword again. And then the terrifying energy flew in again with it. It was purely Aura manifestation. And it was not an ordinary aura, but rather, one which contained the energy of a storm. Airn, who was staggering as if he had encountered a natural disaster, opened his eyes and bit his lip. ¡®Get yourself together!¡¯ Feeling the taste of blood in his mouth, his mind cleared instantly. He didn¡¯t know what Joshua Lindsay was hoping for. However, it was clear that his sword wasn¡¯t going to hold back. The sword of Joshua Lindsay was tougher and more threatening than Durkali¡¯s great warrior, Karakum''s, and yet, that very aspect was stimting him more strongly. His blood boiled and the fire burning in his heart made his entire body hot and sharpened his senses. And his iron will, which was once hard, met the fire again and changed its shape. The great sword. No, Airn, who was now equipped with more elegant steel wings, began to move towards the typhoon. Pang! ¡°¡­!¡± Seeing the young man approach him with a golden aura, Joshua Lindsay seemed surprised. It wasn¡¯t simple to destroy this force. As he looked at Airn, he remembered a simr event that he had heard about that had happened 400 years ago. The figure of the Lindsay head, who didn¡¯t lose in the fierce winds of the Demon Dragon King and continued his path as firmly as a steel butterfly! That was the vision of the Lindsay Family. It was the only thing that could counter the Sky Sword. And the fact that he was using it. ¡®Ilya! You gave that guy pointers about the Sky Sword!¡¯ Wheik! Joshua Lindsay¡¯s energy grew stronger. A daunting and intense momentum spread from him, and it seemed as if it would dominate the entire hall. The Lindsay family never stopped interacting and dueling with others. It was to not let their skills go stagnant. If other swordsmen gain something through their discussions, argumentative swordsmanship, and battles with other swordsmen, then the Lindsay Family, too, would gain a new meaning for the Sky Sword and would be able to strengthen it. That was what the first lord Dion Lindsay said, so Joshua Lindsay had no intention of ming Airn either. And even if he did. It would be the ancestor that he would me, and not the young man. With his eyes full of anger, he moved ahead. ¡°Haaaaa!¡± ¡°¡­.!¡± Airn¡¯s eyes shone with strength. The hand holding the sword, his core, and feet. In fact, all the power he was able to exert was exerted to the fullest. The sword, the aura, the spirits, and the Sword of Heart which was immaturely registered in his body. Airn, who had all of them in his mind, brought them out and swung his sword with his mouth clenched. Kwaaaang! The sound of metal shing around. Only then did Joshua Lindsay, who was attacking, breathe. ¡°¡­ this.¡± There was a look of regret on his face. He thought the kid was holding up pretty fine, so he increased his strength, but then he remembered about the fact that his daughter was too close to the guy, so he ended up using too much. If he hadn¡¯t pulled back in the end, it would have turned into a huge deal. Of course, still, it wasn''t something to take lightly. Joshua looked at where Airn fell back with a stiff expression. And a familiar voice from behind. ¡°Airn!¡± ¡°¡­ daughter?¡± Joshua was shocked. Ilya, who was supposed to be resting, had suddenly appeared here! However, even more important was that she called out Airn¡¯s name first and not his. ¡°Airn, are you okay? Get a grip on yourself!¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Airn just groaned as if he was on the verge of losing consciousness. Joshua Lindsay knew that this wasn¡¯t good. He red at the man who was on the ground. Towards such a father, Ilya put on an absurd expression. ¡°Father? You were dueling?¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± ¡°No, why would you duel like this¡­ no, Emma!¡± Ilya Lindsay called for her escort, as if her father wasn¡¯t important. Emma Garcia came in quietly at the call. "Don''t say anything which will pour oil over the fire and stay silent." ¡°¡­¡± At the words of his Knight, Joshua stayed silent until Emma helped Airn up. His daughter¡¯s face, that was stained with worry, caught his eyes. It was more serious than the face she had when she looked at him after two years. ¡°Airn, are you fine?¡± ¡°I am fine. Really.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t even need an escort to support me. I can walk fine.¡± Airn Pareira got up after sitting down and standing up a couple of times to show he was stable. After reassuring Ilya, he looked at Joshua Lindsay. With dazzling eyes, he bowed his head. ¡°Thank you. It was an amazing duel, and I learned a lot.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I am sorry, but maybe¡­ could we do this again next time?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I have a reason to be strong. Please.¡± Airn Pareira bowed again. Suddenly, Ilya mouthed to her father. ''Say Yes, father.¡¯ After a brief pause, Joshua Lindsay answered with a frown. ¡°¡­ yes. Every day at 7,e here.¡± ¡°Thank you. Thank you!¡± "¡­ you did good, Emma.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I need rest. Look after my daughter.¡± With that, Joshua turned away. His face was even stiffer than when he first looked at Airn. And there were also his burning eyes. The father thought, leaving behind his lovely daughter. ¡®I thought they were close, but¡­¡¯ Actually, Joshua Lindsay didn¡¯t hate Airn Pareira. He had heard from Emma. Thanks to him, his daughter¡¯s condition improved by a lot. Ilya Lindsay, who was always anxious, nervous and obsessed, was able to smile brightly thanks to the young man. That was a good thing, definitely a good thing. But. ''Being more than a good friend, however¡­ is a different matter.¡¯ Hm. Nothing like that should happen. Joshua Lindsay nodded and looked back. His daughter, no, he looked at the guy. ¡®Asking for future duels?¡¯ Fine! They could do that! But, don¡¯t regret it now. Because it would be a lot tougher than you could imagine. ¡®I will show you hell.¡¯ Ilya¡¯s father¡¯s anger burned hotter than anyone else''s. With a firm resolve, he clenched his fists. At the same time. Located in the deepest forest in the southern part of the continent, in a dark ce. The clown was waking up in a new body with which it slept, and it scratched at the mask with his fingers. In front of him stood a man in a pure priestly uniform, which didn''t go really well with the forest, making him stick out like a sore thumb. And that man looked at the devil and said, ¡°I need help.¡± Chapter 203: An Unexpected Encounter (3)

Chapter 203: An Unexpected Encounter (3)

The Devils were divided into two main categories. One was the type that doesn''t care for their own body and were hellbent on destroying and causing chaos. The other is the type who had a hobby of making fun and deceiving humans, and was more concerned with self-security than the former. The clown was thetter. For 2 thousand years, the reason he was able to remain in the human world without falling or moving back to the Devildom was because of that. ¡®¡­ I might die for sure this time.¡¯ Thought the clown who was waking up in the south part of the forest. He loved the human world. He loved it so much. He was the one true devil who was more than happy to see humans despairing and frustrated with his pranks. That was why he didn¡¯t return to Devildom despite his serious injuries. He wanted to recover from them in the human world and continue his time here. And he hoped that his dream woulde true soon. However, that wasn¡¯t it. He suffered great damage again because of those heroes who entered his ce, and he had no choice but to escape into a dummy after destroying his main body in the dungeon. The problem was that it didn¡¯t seem like the situation would end. ¡®That dark-haired woman¡­ she must be from the Holy Kingdom.¡¯ The chills still stayed on his body. When the aura and the holy power were shot from that woman¡¯s sword, it shook him. That woman must be alive even after he attacked them by sacrificing his body. No, even if she wasn¡¯t alive, the humans there would have reported the news to the Holy Kingdom. The pdin army, which was much more powerful than in the past, would search the entire continent for him. ¡®The best thing to do is to recover the power by recovering the dummy before the Pdins move, but¡­ that is unlikely.¡¯ The clown looked at himself. The body he had, belonged to the corpse of a fellow devil he had yed with 1,500 years ago, but there were bruises on it. With such a body, he couldn¡¯t gather strength and travel the continent. There was a much higher chance for him to find ¡®real death¡¯ with this body. In that case, it would be better to let go of this dummy body. If so, then his presence would be noticed on the continent, and then a rift would open up. ¡®If I go back to the Devildom with the rift in the dimension, it can save my life. I might not recover right away with magic, but¡­¡¯ The troubles kept deepening. He knew. He knew it very well. That giving up power rationally, and leaving the human world, and returning to the Devildom will be the right choice. However, the special memories he made here, made it difficult for him to choose that. Even as a clown, he couldn¡¯t tolerate the fact that he had left this ce where he made memories of joy and would be forced to return to his ce. ¡°I need help.¡± ¡°¡­¡± In the shade, a human form appeared. And it wasn''t just some random human either. In pure white robes and ornaments hanging from the neck which had symbols of Gods, a priest. However, the clown didn¡¯t think of this mysterious priest as a human. He observed the man for a long time. He gave out Magi, and the Clown devil thought if he had to spin around run. But then, he realized that it was a fairlyfortable atmosphere with this human. The clown nodded and sat down. As he said. ¡°Right. You are a devil too.¡± ¡°Right.¡± "I thought there were a few left beside me, but I never thought I would see one in this ce. Yeah, uh. By the way, as you can see, I am not in a good state. My back, my shoulder, and my chest hurts. Huh? My head hurts too! Maybe that is why my senses are ying with me. Funny, right? A devil who can''t recognize its own? Heheh¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Not funny? I thought it was funny.¡± ¡°I am not the type tough.¡± "Well, you do seem like that. Good though. At least I don''t think you came here to harm me!" The clown jumped out and hugged the fellow devil. Still, the priest didn¡¯t act. Man, was he really asking for help? The clown who thought, asked. ¡°What do you need help with?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go back to Devildom.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Your situation is difficult because you were found. Soon, the Holy Kingdom will shake up the continent, and being swept away by it, I will also suffer damage." ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you at least take responsibility for the shit you brought on? Don¡¯t go back. Whether you make demons or go out yourself, attract the attention of the holy kingdom. Until my work is done.¡± ¡°Ha, indeed, you!¡± The clown threw his head back as heughed out loud. Instead, he made something like a star-shaped thing explode. Anger? It didn¡¯t feel that way. Thanks to the other one who spoke confidently, the clown began to develop curiosity. Laughing out loud, the clown moved. Looked straight in the eyes of the priest and said. ¡°I will be honest. I can draw attention. Well, I was thinking of doing something big like you said. I also make demons from time to time, and it seems like they are here and there.¡± ¡°I am d.¡± ¡°But once the dimensional rift opens, I will run to Devildom.¡± ¡°That is fine. I have one more thing to ask.¡± ¡°One more? Does it also have something to do with what you are nning?¡± ¡°Yes. Humans.¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡± The clown shook his head. No devil could know better than him. Except for Karen Winker, the man he met from a thousand years ago, the clown had never failed in manipting humans. The reason he smiled was because the aspirations of the priest seemed to be less than what he expected. But. ¡°That isn¡¯t the end.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Through the flowers which bloomed with your help. I will make this ce like your home.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Listening to that, the clown changed his mind. ¡°Yah, you aren¡¯t a human, but you seem to have the same delusions as them.¡± He turned his finger round and round near his head. Just as there were myths and legends of heroes in the human world, there were stories that were handed down to the demons too. It was possible for them to confuse the humans, but never destroy the entire human world. It wasn¡¯t a story floating around but an undeniable truth. Humans had the power to destroy their own continents, but not devils. That was the fate they had for not being born in the human world. ¡®Those who went against that fate met tragic ends.¡¯ There were a few before him who tried it, and he remembered them. A typical example was the Demon Dragon King. Unable to tolerate the greed of his, the heavens sent down a hero, and the Devil copsed. And the clown had no intention of being like that. He didn¡¯t even think about it. It was absurd. He understood if it''s at the level of destroying a couple kingdoms and causing wars, but turning the human world into Devildom? It was absurd. And the clown who lost interest clicked his tongue. No, it was that moment. A ck line flowed from the priest¡¯s body and entered the clown¡¯s mask. ¡°¡­¡± The priest had kept everything secret and revealed just one fact. But that was enough now. The clown smiled and nodded. ¡°I see. That was why. It isn¡¯t that my senses were broken, but rather because you are special. I should have noticed when you mentioned home¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°A devil not born in the Devildom¡­ such a precious guest! Uhahaha!¡± The clown smiled. Like a child, he seemed excited. Seeing that, the priest nodded and smiled for the first time and extended his hand. ¡°Hahaha.¡± Hold. The clown had an innocent smile as he reached out for a handshake. A week had passed. The weather was still cold, but Airn wasn¡¯t having a cold day. Cause it wasn¡¯t just any Sword Master. A swordsman who ranked in the top waspeting with him every day! Actually, it was too rough and ferocious to feel like a duel, but Airn was learning a lot. ¡®The wind¡­¡¯ Heading to the meeting point with Joshua Lindsay, Airn Pareira recalled his sword. The Sky Sword was unique. It was a truly unique swordsmanship he had never experienced before. Although he knew of the swordsmanship from Ilya, the level Joshua was using wasn¡¯t something Ilya was even close to mastering. ¡®How should Ist longer?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t even think of defeating that man. There was nothing to say; Joshua was a very strong person. The close-range shes, and the tricks and the distance attacks, everything was like Airn was being blown away by the wind. Airn was able to wield the sword all day, but when he went against Joshua, he would be exhausted within 30 minutes. ¡®Let¡¯s hold out for more than an hour this time!¡¯ Exhaling, he looked ahead. As he continued to ponder, he was at the meeting point. Thinking of Joshua Lindsay, who woulde standing in that ce like yesterday, he summoned the great sword. However, that was it. ¡°¡­¡± I Crescentia. She soon recovered from her injury. The greatest genius who put Carl Lindsay into a slump. She swung the ferocious sword at Joshua Lindsay, who was the greatest genius of the previous generation. Chapter 204: Among Geniuses (1)

Chapter 204: Among Geniuses (1)

I Crescentia. The most talented swordsman on the continent. But to be precise, until a year ago, she wasn¡¯t a swordsman but rather just a sword holder. It was because she used the de as just a weapon and not a sword.1 But it wasn¡¯t because she couldn¡¯t handle the sword, but because the de was the best weapon for her. But not now. No matter how good the Vulcanus Numbering Sword was, it couldn¡¯t bepared to the Holy Sword given to her by the Holy King himself. I quickly adapted to it, and surprised people with even greater skills than before. And now. In the secluded training hall, her all-out attacks were rushing towards Joshua Lindsay. Swosh! I¡¯s unique swordsmanship. And it was obviously aimed to wound. But the attacks weren¡¯t in a straight line, but rather gave out a feeling of shing by returning and swinging in a circle. And shing wasn¡¯t easy either. To be precise, the skill she disyed was so great that it was hard for normal people to tell if she wanted to stab or sh till the two swords shed. And even at this skill level, the speed of their attacks was terrifying, and the power behind each of those attacks was amazing. It was a movement that Airn couldn¡¯t imitate. Thung! Of course, Joshua wasn¡¯t flustered. With the aura and wind around him, he stood straight. And simultaneously, he would give out a powerful force like a typhoon. With a more serious expression, he calmly handled I¡¯s sword. Block, block and block again. A simr pattern continued for a while. And the offensive of I was gaining momentum. Kwang! Kwang! Kwang! She stretched out her sword nonstop and moved her feet. And it didn¡¯t stop there. Drawing out even greater power, she kept pressing Joshua Lindsay from all sides. Like dozens of eaglesing at one tortoise. A terrifying beam of light shed in her eyes. Airn gulped without realizing. At that moment, an unbelievable energy erupted from Joshua¡¯s body. ¡°¡­!¡± Jjkk! Phat! I¡¯s smile disappeared. Her frantic pouring of sword strikes, as well as her constantly moving feet, stopped at once. With a serious expression, she retreated with terrifying speed. And right after that, Joshua swung his sword. Kwakwakwakwa! As if the wind had beenpressed to an extreme limit and then let out, the sword swept away everything around them. There was nothing left. Neither I, not her attacks or her force which was burning fiercely just a little while ago, could be seen. Everything disappeared in front of that wind. ¡°Uh!¡± But Joshua¡¯s counterattack didn¡¯t stop there. In an instant, he swung the sword five times and shot forward. Seeing that, I swung her sword. It was like a wildfire that spread without control. Airn nodded at her response to not back down again and her decision to handle the attack. Pure power vs power. Strike vs strike. The surrounding ce shattered as the two swords shed head-on. The floor of the gymnasium exploded, and the tiles scattered in all directions, and it was followed by a roar that seemed to have vibrated throughout the heavens and the earth. The fight between the two monsters turned the surrounding area into ruins. And Airn Pareira, who was standing at the end, was watching everything without blinking his eyes, trying to understand everything they did. ¡®What is this¡­this feeling?¡¯ Watching swordsmen who were stronger than him fight was helpful. Apart from swordsmanship, other things like their gait, breathing, aura operation and many other things could be learned. And if it was a confrontation between the Lindsay Patriarch and the ck Knightsmander, there would be hundreds of swordsmen who would give up their entire fortunes to see it.2 However, Airn wasn¡¯t looking at their swordsmanship. It wasn¡¯t Joshua¡¯s hurricane-like attack or I¡¯s burning counterattack. He didn¡¯t know why, but Airn was looking at the two with his heart and not his head. Of course, that wasn¡¯t always the case. Kwang! It ended with a deafening roar. And it was a win for Joshua Lindsay. As the dust settled, the figure of I, stretched out on the broken ground, was revealed. As Airn stared at Joshua Lindsay, the patriarch, who had a cold expression, as usual, asked. ¡°Did you get anything?¡± ¡°Haaa¡­ unfortunately, not much. But thank you.¡± ¡°If you are thankful, then get up. I want to take you down a few more times.¡± ¡°If you want that, I can do it¡­ phew, I don¡¯t care if you want to beat me to your heart''s content.¡± Airn nodded his head as he heard the exchange between the two. It was a short conversation, but it was understandable. I asked for a duel with Joshua, hoping for a new realization, and the Lord epted it, and the current situation had urred. ¡®But what is the Patriarch thinking?¡¯ The air seemed eerie. Airn knew better than anyone what happened with the Lindsay family and I, yet he couldn¡¯t imagine how Joshua was feeling about this. In fact, he didn¡¯t understand why the man even epted the duel. Was it because he didn¡¯t like running away from a challenge? And if not that, did he want to defeat I? His head was filled with suchplicated thoughts. No one had done anything wrong. But a tragedy had urred nheless. It was a frustrating reality. There was nothing a third person could say. Airn continued to remain silent when the Lord nced at him before walking towards I. ¡®He actually wants to fight more?¡¯ Airn was puzzled. To him, Joshua was the kind of man who was serious in everything he did. He was also a father who loved his kids more than anything. There was a possibility that he didn¡¯t take I¡¯s joke as just a joke. Thud! Fortunately, he didn¡¯t harm the exhausted I. He didn¡¯t stare down at the woman with bloody eyes, nor did he say anything. Surprisingly, he sat down near the woman and looked at the sky as he recounted the story. ¡°¡­¡± His story was nothing special. The sorrow of a father who had lost his son, a sadness which anyone could imagine, was being said casually. However, the weight of the emotions within him as he said the story was great. And despite the calm words, the sadness could be felt. ¡°The funny thing is I couldn¡¯t think of anyone else to confide in, but you.¡± Perhaps, it was really funny for him because Joshua, who always had a cold expression, now had a subtle smile on his face. However, he looked at I with cold eyes. No, he was looking at I¡¯s past self. At the woman who hadn¡¯t even enrolled in the Holy Kingdom yet. ¡°Do you have anything to say?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Silence. And time passed. It wasn¡¯t much, probably just enough time to take a deep breath. Not even a minute had passed. But as Airn watched her, it felt like more time had passed. Nothing could be guessed. To be more precise, his thoughts leaned towards her, who had nothing to say. The I he knew was like this. A person who had no interest in others. A person who didn¡¯t care about anything else other than the path she wanted to pursue. It never urred to him that this woman would have any feelings for trampling over a kid 10 years ago. And Airn''s judgement was right. She didn¡¯t open her mouth as she continued to think. She was on the floor, looking at the sky, and little by little, Joshua¡¯s nails dug into his palm. Which was why it was shocking. In the dark and heavy air that had set around them, I brought up her own story, and it was not about Carl Lindsay. ¡°When I was young, there was a time when I lived in an abandoned house with younger kids and friends of my age.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Airn and Joshua were shocked at those words. It was because her story wasn¡¯t known to the world despite her fame, a personal story which she had experienced by herself and had not shared with others. Why? No one asked. They all just silently listened. To the meaning of the thoughts behind I¡¯s actions, the things she had cherished and experienced. 30 minutes passed. However, there was no mention of Carl Lindsay in it. Then why bring up this story at all? Just as their doubts rose, she said. ¡°To be honest. I never thought about your son, Carl Lindsay. And it will be the same even now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°However, I knew what kind of person the Lord is and what you were for your son, what thoughts I had and lived and what kind of meaning I had in life¡­ I thought I should tell you about this.¡± Airn nced at Joshua Lindsay and I. No, it wasn¡¯t I. Today, she wasn¡¯t the 17-year-oldmoner I, but rather the I Crescentia who had developed over 12 years.3 And as Joshua Lindsay realized that, he clenched his fist even stronger, which made drops of blood fall down from his palms. But that was it. Releasing his clenched fist, he sighed. After a long time of thinking about something, he turned to Airn and said, ¡°If you have something to say, say it.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You watched other people¡¯s duels for free and heard their personal stories too, wouldn¡¯t it be appropriate for you to release something out of your mouth as well?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Airn, who was confused, nodded his head. Rather than saying that Joshua Lindsay was right, he, too, felt the urge to tell his own story. And it was at that moment that he realized. Why he couldn''t immerse himself in the fight between the two. He instinctively felt it. To understand the art of swordsmanship and how to use aura was, of course, important. But what was even more important than that was the exchange of their hearts. ¡®It has been the same for me.¡¯ Airn remembered the events in his life till now. All the Duels, discussions, and spectating. It wasn¡¯t that they didn¡¯t help. But thinking about what brought in the most growth to him, he realized that it was looking into the hearts of others rather than what they wanted to show him. When he was a prospective trainee, he heard things about Ilya, and his spirit grew. A year and a half ago, his spirit rose again after his fight with I. The agony and anguish he had in his previous life were of great help as well. If he couldn¡¯t havemunicated with his past self, he would still be wandering with no aim. ¡®It is the same for Judith and Bratt. I¡­ through the exchanges, I have grown together with them.¡¯ Airn looked at the two people in front of him. The thoughts and feelings and hearts of the monsters in front of him, with whom he couldn¡¯tpare with, flowed into him. Even if they wouldn¡¯t help him immediately, it would definitely be of use to Airn in the future. ¡°What are you doing? Speak already.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Joshua¡¯s push and I¡¯s gaze. Airn resistedughter as he realized he liked this. Isn¡¯t it a story he talked about a lot with his friends? The only difference was that these two people weren¡¯t close to him. One was a senior with much stronger skills, and the other was one among the famed strongest people. And such strong people were waiting for him to speak. Showing interest in him. Reaching out for an exchange. And that gave satisfaction to Airn. And it brought in new joy. ¡°I¡­¡± He shared his story in the most enjoyable mood. Naturally, it wasn¡¯t just his own story, but the one with his friends. It was the story of what he experienced when he travelled with Lulu and Kuvar, and Ilya, and Judith and Bratt. Wheik It was when the story was done. The sound of something burning came up beside them, to which Joshua and Airn turned their heads in surprise. They looked at I, who was burning in an aura of me. ¡°This¡­¡± She was in a mysterious condition with her eyes closed. It was clear, she was having a moment of enlightenment. Although it was Airn¡¯s first time witnessing it, he knew. For a second, he was nk, and then he became serious, but he soon felt d that his story was of help to I. However, the significant gap between them had widened even further. Airn¡¯s heart, which had two opposing emotions, was raging like I¡¯s body. ¡°...¡± Joshua Lindsay, who looked at him, had an unreadable expression. I know this might be confusing, but as I have understood it, the ¡®de¡¯ here doesn¡¯t refer to the weapon ¡®de¡¯ but rather the usage of the sword as just a piece of steel or a ¡®de¡¯ in that sense. I hope that clears it up. If this is not how the author meant it, and I was indeed a de user previously, which I feel is highly unlikely because she was using the Vulcanus numbering ''SWORD'' before this, but yeah, if I''m wrong, I¡¯ll correct it.?Here, the exact trantion is Lindsay¡¯s Lord, but I¡¯ll be using ¡®the Lindsay Patriarch¡¯ interchangeably with Lord.?I is 29 currently, but he¡¯s talking about how the I that defeated Carl isn¡¯t the same I they see today, since she had grown in the past 12 years.? Chapter 205: Among Geniuses (2)

Chapter 205: Among Geniuses (2)

What do you need to be strong? It was a question with an easy answer. In particr, depending on if the sword was being learned recently, the easier that question was to answer. It was because, just like in most fields, beginners have a much greater scope of growth. Simple running increased their stamina, and lifting something heavy would increase their strength. Since there are always individuals who are superior to normal people present everywhere, it would be easy to find instructors and follow their words and improve swordsmanship by listening to them. A novice swordsman who has improved his skills through practice andbat, grows into a skilled swordsman. However, such pleasures do notst forever. The amount of training required to develop stamina and strength increases exponentially after a point. No matter how many times someone does training, there are many movements that simply cannot be perfected. The aura, which was exponentially growing in the past, would reach stagnation and dealing with it would be even more painful. And it would hurt so much that it would feel as if their head was going to split. And everyone was the same. It was the same whether it was a criminal or a genius. The only difference was the timing and the level, but the true identity of oneself inevitably follows the swordsman, just like the ordeals of a Hero. Despair. Vanity. Frustration. It doesn¡¯t get better no matter how hard they try, and it doesn¡¯t get better no matter what they try. Even if the sword was all that was thought about, it would be nothing but suffering with no answer. So, some settle down, and some of them just give up. As with those who reached their ¡®limit¡¯, they end their long journey because they think they can¡¯t continue anymore. Wheik! But not I Crescentia. Although she possessed more talent than anyone else, an inevitable moment of stagnation came for her as well. It was a solid wall that didn''t break even after shing against it a thousand times. And even with days of deliberation, she found no clear answer. It was the first real limitation she had ever encountered. But she didn¡¯t give up. As if she wasn¡¯t facing a wall, she continued to practice. She found each thing through which she could change and grow, thusying the groundwork for her eventual leap forward. If she was a littlezy, and if she hadn¡¯t known about her shorings, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to realize anything from Airn¡¯s story. Woong! But I wasn¡¯t like that. The story of the growth of the character called Airn permeated into her mind and heart. It wasn¡¯t just the simple story of his, but his story of trust with the precious people in his life, which widened her narrow horizon. Her self-righteous thoughts changed. Her feelings about the ident, which had been stained with distrust, had also changed. Watching Airn break through a wall he never could ovee, with the strength of his friends, made her realize what shecked. She remembered what she had been ignoring all this while. Georg Phoebe Anya Marta. The moment she remembered those who were with her, her body was wrapped in a ming aura. Wooong! The light emanating from her was as intense as the sun. However, that wasn¡¯t all. As time passed, the ruthlessness of burning everything away faded, and a warm and splendid majestic light entered its ce. It was closer to the energy of a leader rather than a warrior, an energy that enriched those behind her. ¡°¡­¡± Airn watched I in awe. He didn¡¯t know what she was doing or if she had attained realization. All that he could infer was that something he had said had influenced her. That alone made him feel a little bit of pride in his heart. However, a me, thicker than that, hotter than the one covering I¡¯s body, raged in his heart. A feeling of not wanting to lose. Of not wanting to be left behind. It didn¡¯t matter if it was belief, will or if it was the hero¡¯s path. It was a thought and a promise that he fully embraced as a ¡®swordsman¡¯. ¡®Someday¡­¡¯ Shhh Airn Pareira summoned his sword. Something which he himself didn''t realize he had done, and put strength into his grip. And strength into his eyes. A deep breath escaped from his mouth as he watched I Crescentia, someone who had been his ¡®target¡¯, for a long time. ¡°¡­¡± Joshua Lindsay looked at I without saying a word. It was amazing. It wasn¡¯t easy for a Sword Master to break down a wall. Although it wasn¡¯t as much as her, even Joshua was in a state of enlightenment. Perhaps, tomorrow he will be stronger than today. However, he didn¡¯t think about himself. Not with the eyes of a swordsman, but with those of a Lord. No, with the eyes of a father. He looked over at I and Airn. Rather, he looked into thetter one for a longer period of time. A deep and long silence lingered around them. Not a lot of time had passed. ¡°¡­¡± Eventually, I Crescentia opened her eyes. The me around her body faded. However, the red light in her eyes was still shining. That was a testament to the fact that she was different from a moment before. Joshua Lindsay knew that better than anyone. ¡°Commander.¡± ¡°Yes, Lord.¡± ¡°Congrattions.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± Congrattions and a brief thanks. It was unavoidable. The two were still awkward, and they probably would never get close to each other for the rest of their lives. I turned her head, and Airn¡¯s figure caught her eyes. zing eyes. With a firm grip on the great sword which he had taken out, he was looking at her without even thinking of hiding his feelings. I, who was happy, burst intoughter. With a smile on her face, she looked at Airn. ¡°Airn.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Join the subjugation squad within three years.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you answering? Not confiden¡­¡± ¡°1 Year.¡± Airn stopped her. It was disrespectful and couldn¡¯t be shown to amander of the Holy Kingdom. However, I didn¡¯t care about it. Airn Pareira smiled and then spoke to her. ¡°Within 1 year, I will return with Khun¡¯s approval.¡± Rattle- Thud! A little past midnight. Returning to his room, the head of the Lindsay family sat on the chair in the dark room. There was no need to turn on the light. He closed his eyes and remembered what had happened. The match with I was unexpected, and her skills were better than he had thought¡­ but in the end, he ended up liking her story. And another was Airn Pareira. And the awakening of I. ¡°Phew¡­¡± Unable to hold back, Joshua sighed. His heart was tired. As a senior swordsman, watching the two grow, he knew that the two would leave a mark on the continent, and that was something he couldn¡¯t help but feel happy about. At least as a swordsman. However, he wasn¡¯t just a swordsman. He was a father who had lost his son. A weak andcking family head who somehow wanted to find someone to put the me on. Because of that¡­ he couldn¡¯t be that happy to see I growing so fast. The problem was that there wasn¡¯t just one such genius. ¡®Airn Pareira.¡¯ At first, he thought it was awesome. At the age of just 23, he achieved the status of Sword Master. Right now, he was higher in skill than Sevion Brooks of Pnque, which meant that Airn wasn¡¯t a beginner Sword Master. But¡­ ¡®He¡¯s much stronger, much more stronger than I thought.¡¯ He remembered what happened 10 years back. The shock of seeing I, who had challenged the Lindsay family when she was below 20 years of age. Who could stand up to that same woman now? Who was confident enough to go against her? At least, in her own generation, there wouldn''t be a rival. No. He thought of Airn. Even during the atmosphere during the match time, that man didn''t hesitate. He didn''t yield and just burned more ferociously. Seeing the young man exerting such an influence which helped I, Joshua began to worry about his daughter. ¡°¡­¡± Carl Lindsay was blocked by a genius called I. And he wasn¡¯t capable of growing after that. Ilya was standing in front of I. No, I was too strong for her. Even if it wasn''t I, there was Airn Pareira, who had talent, passion and tenacity, which rivalled her. Will she be fine? Will she really be fine? Joshua bit his lip. He had a frown on his face, and his eyes had turned wet. He hadn¡¯t seen his daughter for the past two years, but before that, he watched Ilya very closely. Every time he saw his daughter carrying an unbearable weight on her shoulders, he lost his smile and couldn¡¯t help but think of his son. What should I do? He asked himself. Joshua Lindsay, an experienced swordsman, wasn''t an experienced father. In the storm of intense emotions, he clenched his fists. Blood dripped from his palms to the floor. And then came a sound. Knock. Despite only hearing a knock, he knew who it was. His daughter. He wiped the blood on the floor and his hand, and calmed his expression. He put on the face of a father who loved his kids. And looked in the mirror. ¡®This should be enough.¡¯ ¡°Come in.¡± Disguised as calm and rxed, he spoke, and Ilya entered the room. He saw her face and felt the emotions inside him rising. ¡®¡­ she is different.¡¯ His daughter was different from 2 years ago. No, she was different from the daughter he saw a week back. ¡°I want to consult you about some concerns.¡± She was confused. Ilya was still wandering in the dark. However, the steps she was taking now were not meaningless anymore. She was clumsy and slow and still a bit lost, but she wasn¡¯t broken like before. She had the confidence to speak about it. ¡°.. I see.¡± And before long, all the worries of Ilya came out. Thoughts about her brother. About I. About the views and words of others. About her thoughts and swords and friends and Airn. And herself¡­herself who had seemed too shabby to her. Hearing that, Joshua closed his eyes. His mouth felt dry. As a novice father, listening to his daughter¡¯s concerns and giving advice to her after many years was most nerve-wracking. Fortunately, he had something to say. Drinking a ss of water, he opened his mouth with a more reassuring face than before. Chapter 206: Among Geniuses (3)

Chapter 206: Among Geniuses (3)

Ilya Lindsay has been wandering on a long road. The defeat and disappearance of her brother, Carl Lindsay, robbed her of the chance to live her life. And more than 10 years had passed since then. After meeting Airn and her other friends, not much had changed. Sure, she realized the path she took was wrong. But what after that? Acknowledging a mistake didn¡¯t mean that the problem itself was solved. And so, she was still unable to find an answer. As I moved confidently, Ilya was there as a best friend to Airn, who had also found his own sword. But if not for holding Airn¡¯s hand, she would have nevere this far. A person whose embankment had copsed because of a few words from I. A person who couldn¡¯t walk on her own path and gets swayed easily. A person who hadn¡¯t been able to take a step forward ever since she had been previously swept away by the words and gazes of people. ¡®Is this right?¡¯ As she was like that, she hesitated to even knock on the door. Was it fine to ask her father for help as if she was a child? The thought of her dreams lingered on her mind. But, Ilya finally knocked on the door. ¡®It¡¯s the same always.¡¯ Right. After all, she was the one who made the same mistakes over and over again. She knew that she wasn¡¯tplete and wascking. If there was one thing different from when she was in Land of Proof, that would be... Admitting it. That she needed help. And that made her feelfortable. Ilya, who brushed off her feelings of shame, appeared in front of her father. ¡°¡­ I want to consult you about some concerns.¡± And regretted it. Why hadn¡¯t shee a little earlier? ¡®Good.¡¯ She felt relieved. She couldn¡¯t be more at ease when talking about it to anyone else. Since her father was a person who looked at her with eyes full of kindness and warmth. And withplete trust that no one else could have that look, Ilya confided in him. After a short time passed. ¡°You are mistaking something.¡± Joshua Lindsay, opened his mouth after careful deliberation and pointed out something Ilya had missed. ¡°When walking your own path, why is it that you think that you need to think and decide about everything alone?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think so? Humans are creatures who interact with others. Neither the beggar in slums, nor the royal family nor the nobledies or men, nor themoners nor the kids¡­ no one can live alone.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Ilya¡¯s confusion grew stronger. Didn¡¯t Airn do it by himself? If we constantly interact and get swayed by other people, then what is the meaning of such a life? Was it right to follow I? However, the words her father said told her the opposite. Humans interact with others. That they influence each other. It was when Ilya put on a confused expression. ¡°The important thing here is that the subject of interaction with others should be ¡®myself¡¯.¡± Joshua Lindsay smiled and continued. Like before, he made sure to say that a human cannot stand alone. Sharing emotions, ideas and talents. Just like that, one can lead a better life by filling in each other¡¯s shorings. And of course, that didn¡¯t mean that one should depend on another person till the end. And it doesn''t mean you have to listen to everyone either. ¡°I heard from Perry Martinez. He said that you swore at the nobles who spoke about you?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°I am not reprimanding you. Rather, I willpliment you. Good job, you did really well.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t think so? Do you think that anything they said was for your growth?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then, was there anything you learned from their words?¡± ¡°¡­ no.¡± ¡°Right. In the end, it is nothing more than meaningless words. Ignoring them is right.¡± Joshua smiled as he continued to speak. ¡°But there will be things which you shouldn¡¯t ignore. Your friend¡­ Airn said something like that.¡± Ilya nodded her head at that. It was right. The Rabat nobles and Airn were different. Airn¡¯s words were for her. It wasn¡¯t something she thought was wrong. He said words to make her grow. Without him, she would have never been able to ask her father for help. Ilya thought and looked into her father¡¯s eyes. She seemed to understand what her father was saying. ¡°Finally¡­ it doesn¡¯t matter if you get along with others or not.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Joshua smiled and continued. ¡°From now on, the words, gazes and actions of countless people might be focused on you. And they will try to shake you. But it isn¡¯t right to close your eyes and ears in fear of that. That wouldn¡¯t mean you are walking your path, but it is more like you are crumbling under the eyes of others.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°ept what you receive and think you need and let go of what you don¡¯t need. If your judgement is right, spit out swear words like you did in the banquet hall and just brush it off, and if it is advice that can help you grow, then ept it. Now should we conclude this? So, now what do you think is important?¡± ¡°Focusing on myself first and not others.¡± ¡°Perfect.¡± The father stroked his daughter¡¯s hair. ¡°There is no need to focus on each and every word of others that is directed at you. As long as you understand yourself, then all your problems will be solved.¡± At that moment, Ilya Lindsay felt her mind clearing. What kind of person is she? What did she like and dislike? What was her path? And what path made her crouch in fear? All of it was clear. Instead of reacting blindly to the words and actions of others, if you can be the subject and make your own choices¡­ Then there was no need to be afraid of others. And there was no need to be bothered by others. ¡®It is the same with I.¡¯ Ilya closed her eyes and thought of I Crescentia. The swordsmanship she showed, the courage she showed and the words of recognition she gave her. There wasn¡¯t any problem with that. Because she clearly understood her own feelings. She hated and hated I¡­ but truthfully, she didn¡¯t. Rather, she longed for her. And those feelings were driving her own growth. ¡®I have to make a clear distinction.¡¯ The incident caused by I. The sadness caused by I. The rumors caused by I and the voices ofparison that arose out of it. Ilya didn¡¯t need those; she didn¡¯t need to listen or think about them. But that didn¡¯t mean that she had to ignore them and be stubborn about being recognized as a swordsman. Ilya was genuinely delighted to hear thepliments from I. She decided to ept it and move forward. But¡­ ¡°Father.¡± ¡°Yes, my daughter?¡± ¡°Thanks for talking with me. I am sorry, but I¡¯ll be back in a moment.¡± ¡°Huh? Where¡­¡± The moment she focused on herself. Ilya left the room as she realized that there was something more important than I. And she moved with all her might. She felt sorry for her father, who was left behind. But she couldn¡¯t stand it. She finally realized. The moment she focused on herself, Ilya sprinted towards the training hall to see him, who had a greater presence than anything else in her life. How did she know he was there? She just knew. A strange feeling had called out to her. Ilya appeared in front of her precious friend. No, she looked at the one she loved, Airn Pareira. ¡°haa, haa¡­¡± ¡°Ilya?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What happened?¡± Airn¡¯s voice. Even in Krono and in Land of Proof, it was a face that gave her great power. She could feel his worried eyes and the faint smell of sweat. She liked that too. Ilya Lindsay, who waspletely focused on herself after so long, was fully aware of her feelings and opened her lips to speak. ¡°¡­¡± But she couldn¡¯t say it. It was unavoidable. She lived her entire life concentrating on others, so it wasn¡¯t easy to speak out like this. Her confidence lowered. ¡®Why am I being like this?¡¯ ¡®Isn¡¯t it more strange since I was the one who came out running for him?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t think this situation calls for saying that¡­¡¯ ¡®No, Airn definitely only thinks of me as a friend¡­¡¯ Among the dozens of thoughts, a few seemed positive. And then she realized once more. Who she was. The fact that there was something more important. ¡®¡­ to love me.¡¯ ¡°Ilya are you fine?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ilya? Ilya?¡± Airn Pareira approached her. And looked at her with a worried expression. Ilya felt grateful for that. Knowing that Airn had currently put down his sword for her sake, her emotions deepened. Of course, that was all. She got to know herself better than before, but¡­ it would take time for her to fully love herself. It was difficult, but Ilya decided to hold back her words for Airn a little longer. ¡®Let¡¯s take a little more time.¡¯ Until she felt confident. Unlike she could love herself. Until Airn begins to like her. Until then, she wanted to hide the feelings a little more. Instead¡­ ¡°Airn.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I just wanted to see you.¡± ¡°¡­ uh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s like I said. Since we haven¡¯t seen each othertely.¡± ¡°R-right.¡± ¡°So, I came. Since I wanted to see you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Should we duel then?¡± ¡°Hm¡­ should we?¡± Airn nodded. And Ilya smiled as she looked at him, which made Airn a bit surprised. Because she was brighter than usual. However, there was nothing strange. She liked Airn. She wanted to spend time with him. Although she wasn¡¯t confident in revealing the truth about her feelings, she didn¡¯t feel like she should hide thempletely. She would stop hiding her feelings. She would be more confident and express herself. Not hiding her true self. And then¡­ ¡®Someday, I will be able to be a person attractive enough to express my feelings.¡¯ Looking at Airn¡¯s face, Ilya Lindsay smiled brighter. Only the moon in the night sky was looking down on the two who were using their swords after a long time. Chapter 207: Among Geniuses (4)

Chapter 207: Among Geniuses (4)

It was mid-march with chilly mornings and evenings. The members of the Purification squad, including Julius Hul, were preparing to go out of the mansion to leave Rabat. There were not many to see them off. Very few people knew of their existence and what they were dealing with. So only a few of the high-ranking officials of the dungeon exploration team, Joshua Lindsay, Airn and some others, were present. ¡®¡­ so amazing.¡¯ The court magician of Rabat, Perry Martinez, was shocked. He knew the surface power of the Holy Kingdom, but he never dreamed it would be like this. The squad''s members were all people who made a name for themselves on the continent, including Quincy Myers. With that kind of power, even that clown wouldn¡¯t be able to withstand it. Even the demons lurking around wouldn¡¯t harm them. Showing a sign of relief, he turned his gaze to the other side. I Crescentia, the youngest member of the squad and the ck Knightmander. And then Airn and Lulu, along with Ilya Lindsay. A deeper emotion bloomed in Perry¡¯s heart. ¡®Talents who will leave a mark on the continent have flocked to one single generation.¡¯ Not to mention I. At the age of less than 30, she had the skills to defeat Sevion Brooks. Even now, without any devil around, she still gave out that ferocious energy he had seen back then. It was clear that this woman had attained some enlightenment. It was the same with Airn and Lulu. He still remembered the actions that were filled with courage andposure that they showed in the dungeon. Even as an experienced magician, he was trembling in fear while these young people were doing their best. If it weren¡¯t for them, more damage would have definitely urred. ¡®But what is even more shocking is¡­¡¯ Ilya Lindsay. She did an amazing job in the dungeon. She was one of the three who had broken through the second barrier of the clown, and everyone also knew that she had an amazing sword. However, it was also true that she looked somewhat anxious when learning the sword from I. But not now. He wasn¡¯t sure since Ilya didn¡¯t seem to be the kind to openly show off her strength like I. But if his intuition was right, this woman grew a lot too. A whole lot. ¡®Even her eyes that are looking at I. I can feel them being very rxed¡­ what. Just what happened?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t figure it out. It was clear that Ilya Lindsay was ready to fly higher despite her defeat in the Land of Proof. It would be nice to see Rabat have such talented people. Perry, who mumbled that, looked to the side. He could see Joshua Lindsay, a father watching his daughter with an ufortable expression for some reason. ¡®What is with him? When his daughter is showing such a dignified appearance in front of I.¡¯ No, not his daughter. Was he looking at Airn? He didn¡¯t know. Actually, he didn¡¯t even want to understand. All he knew was that this man definitely had an unusual side to him. Of course, Airn couldn¡¯t avoid it. ¡°Airn, Airn.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Ilya¡¯s father is staring at you.¡± "I know." ¡°Have you done something wrong? Like stealing and eating something?¡± ¡°¡­ I didn¡¯t.¡± Airn sighed. He vaguely noticed it, but now he knew for sure. Joshua Lindsay was under some kind of misunderstanding. And he couldn¡¯t figure out how to solve it. Of course, it wasn¡¯t something he had to worry about. I took a step closer and opened her lips. ¡°Airn Pareira.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°As I said before, in 3 years. Raise your skills.¡± ¡°Like I said before, I will join you unconditionally within a year.¡± ¡°You¡¯re too overconfident. Khun isn¡¯t that easy of a person to convince.¡± ¡°Have you met Khun?¡± ¡°Nope. But I have heard a lot.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Let me just tell you one thing.¡± In an instant, I narrowed the distance between them. It was close enough for their noses to touch, and she whispered something in Airn¡¯s left ear and then took two steps back. And with a bright smile, she asked Ilya. ¡°Do you have anything to say?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ilya Lindsay stayed silent for a moment. It was as if she was organizing her mind thinking what to say. After about 30 seconds, she opened her mouth. ¡°¡­ let¡¯s meet next time.¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s have a duel.¡± Unlike before, Ilya was speaking normally. But that made it even more difficult to ignore. Compared to the past, when it felt like her life was being squeezed out, she seemed more rxed. I, was confused for a bit and then smiled. Stretching out her hand, she nodded. ¡°I understand. Next time then.¡± ¡°A handshake is a little too¡­¡± ¡°Ah, alright.¡± ¡°Then do it with me.¡± ¡°But don¡¯t you hate me too?¡± ¡°But it is better than before. Enough to shake hands.¡± In the ce of Ilya, Lulu stretched out her paw, and I held onto it and shook it. Some of the old knights of the Purification squad looked at that. ¡®They¡¯re doing well.¡¯ Julius Hul looked at Airn, Ilya, Lulu and I. Of course, he had a different opinion than the rest of the old knights. What he saw wasn¡¯t the present, but the brilliant and bright future. ¡®I hope they can continue to have a positive impact on each other for a long time.¡¯ Through them, he hoped the kids would grow stronger and more upright. The pdin who devoted his life to the peace of the continent, closed his eyes and prayed to God. At the same time. In the middle of the great forest located in the southern part of the continent, an energy dotted with malice fell towards a young hero. [Side Story-Joshua Lindsay] ¡°Dame Emma. How long do we have left?¡± ¡°At the current rate, it will take a week or so.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Shall we speed up?¡± ¡°No. don¡¯t overdo it. It doesn¡¯t seem like that¡¯s going to happen.¡± After speaking, Joshua Lindsay closed his eyes. A sigh from his mouth. After the disappearance of his son Carl Lindsay, Joshua was forced to turn more sensitive regarding Ilya. It was for that reason that he constantly prevented his daughter from training. Of course, he couldn''t break down her stubbornness, and the result of thatpromise was the magic map in his hand. It was an object which could identify the location of an individual after engraving it with their blood, and it also emitted a strong red color when the particr individual was subjected to physical or mental shock. It was an item that wasn''t affected by any magical interference and was more expensive than any normal magical tool. However, something was wrong with the map. It was the dot on the map which should be green normally¡­but it was now ck instead of red. ¡®There is nothing wrong with the map.¡¯ ¡®Then?¡¯ ¡®A few things can be expected but¡­ it is definitely something stronger than simple magic¡­ it is as if a space filled with magi or something simr is influencing it¡­ that could be the case.¡¯ Joshua recalled the words of the map reader. Two weeks ago, he thought that it wouldn¡¯t be a big deal. No matter how terrible a devil¡¯s den was, it couldn¡¯t put his daughter, a Sword Master, in danger. Didn¡¯t Emma Garcia say that Ilya¡¯s threepanions were amazingly skilled? ¡®She said that one even beat my daughter. And that cat that apanies them is also an excellent sorcerer¡­¡¯ With that much power, Joshua didn¡¯t have to worry about his daughter. However, no matter how much time passed, the ck dot didn¡¯t turn to either green or red. Perhaps¡­ Was the existence that his daughter was facing was even more terrifying? Maybe an ancient devil like the ones in the past appeared¡­ It was the moment he was thinking that. Phat! ¡°It changed. The light changed!!¡± ¡°What?¡± Joshua Lindsay opened his eyes. And looked at the map in his hands. It had really lit up. And that too, it was green and not red. His daughter was alive. And she was in the best health! He sighed in relief and even hugged his escort and the map reader in the carriage. Emma Garcia could handle it, but the map reader was so weak that he felt pain. ¡°L-Lord! It is too strong¡­¡± ¡°Ah, right! Please check my daughter''s condition right now. Hurry!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Ah, nothing. Sure.¡± The old map reader, who was a sorcerer, nodded. It was nice to see that the father was assured that his daughter was alive. But he didn¡¯t like how Joshua didn¡¯t care about his frail body. He felt a little offended, but he did his job. The ability to see the person and surroundings of the person by ingesting a part of the body of that person. That was the ability of the sorcerer, and to do that, the sorcerer put a strand of Ilya¡¯s hair into his mouth. And with his eyes closed, he made a serious expression. Joshua Lindsay and Emma waited for the answer. After a while, the information flowed out. ¡°Right now¡­ thedy seems safe. And no problems too.¡± ¡°Phew, right! And anything else?¡± Joshua asked. He was d. He wasn¡¯t sure what all had happened, but it felt like his world was intact, knowing that his daughter was safe. And it didn¡¯t end there. Joshua hurried the sorcerer to tell him what he saw. A small bunch of troops, and a wastnd. Old knights in pure white armor were different from those he had seen before. And a copsed dungeon behind them. ¡°¡­ something huge seems to have happened.¡± ¡°It seems so.¡± Joshua and Emma looked worried. From what they knew, this had to be done by a devil or demon. And it was definitely not just some demon but one which was very powerful. How could his daughter be involved in such a terrible thing! What the hell were the other bastards doing¡­ And then came some new information. ¡°And¡­ there are two people close to your daughter.¡± ¡°Two?¡± ¡°Yes. One cat which seems to understand people and flies too¡­¡± ¡°Wait, two including the cat?¡± ¡°Huh? yes.¡± Sorcerer answered in confusion. He couldn¡¯t understand why his Lord focused so much on the number of people with his daughter. However, Joshua was feeling sensitive. ¡®Is it possible that the party of 4 was divided and torn into 2 different groups?¡¯ His face hardened. He didn¡¯t like it even back then, when he had heard the report from Emma. A party with men, what was that! However, there was another woman, so he didn¡¯t worry much but hearing this now, it felt like his head was bursting out. Two people were different from four. He asked the sorcerer again. He didn¡¯t notice, but his voice was a bit shaky. ¡°Th-then who is the other one? A woman? Red haired¡­¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°A blonde man and he¡¯s quite handsome too¡­¡± ¡°Coachman! Speed up!¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Uh?¡± Emma was bewildered as she saw Joshua¡¯s sudden change. Even the sorcerer was startled at it. Despite his pounding heart, he looked at his Lord. ¡°Hurry up, can¡¯t we go faster!¡± Whether he could reach or not, he didn''t care; his new order came. He stopped the carriage and took two horses, and said to Emma. ¡°I can¡¯t stay here like this. Let¡¯s move first. That would be faster.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Nothing. I will follow you Lord.¡± Emma Garcia controlled her expression. The two of them moved to the Rabat estate and were able to advance the schedule by 2 days. But¡­ ¡®It seems like my daughter has already fixed on him.¡¯ Phew, Joshua sighed as he remembered the arrival. Airn Pareira, a pretty decent young man. He had a good appearance and a strong physique. His swordsmanship skills were quite good too. Except for I, there was no rival to him in the 20s. He could definitely bepared to Joshua when he was in his 20s. Even his character was good. He didn¡¯t neglect others, and constantly put effort into getting stronger. And was kind to his daughter. The problem was that no young man would look decent to a father. ¡°This can¡¯t go on. I need to get stronger from tomorrow.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Emma was silent. Her Lord looked upset and asked her to have a drink with him, and this was the situation¡­ To be honest, this man was too much for her to bear. This man¡¯s love for his daughter was too much. But Emma didn¡¯t point it out. After thinking for a moment, she opened her mouth. ¡°The Lord¡¯s judgment is right.¡± ¡°Yes, yes. Have another ss.¡± Joshua continued to drink whiskey after that. Emma, who assisted him to the end, thought as she left the room. ¡®It will be tough for you, Airn Pareira.¡¯ Chapter 208: Let’s go together (1)

Chapter 208: Let¡¯s go together (1)

As I and Julius Hul, along with the other members of the subjugation squad left, the Rabat estate turned much quieter than before. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean that the Holy Kingdom people were noisy. However, since the ck Knights, along with the knights of Pnque, both of who were officially Rabat''s guests, had returned to their nations, the ce felt rtively quieter than before. However, even in the midst of all this quietness, there was a ce from where a loud sound reverberated over and over again, and that ce was the training hall. On one side, there was Airn, someone who made a strong impression during the battle against the clown, which urred after the final battle for champion in the Land of Proof. And on the other side, it was Joshua Lindsay, a swordsman who was known as the best talent of the previous generation and was considered to be stronger than the five swordsman families despite his rtively young age. The battle between the two was still rough and hot even after the teams from the different countries left. Kwang ¡°Kuak¡­¡± ¡°You lost your bnce with just that?¡± No¡­ if anything, it was even more intense now. The reason was clear. It was because Joshua Lindsay decided for it to be that way. The events of a few days ago came to the mind of the Lindsay Patriarch. His lovely daughter, who came to see him for the first time in several years, had asked him for advice. And for such a sweet Ilya, he gave her the best advice with all his heart. Using all his experience from his years traveling and with the wisdom he had umted for over 50 years of life, he came up with the best answer he could think of, and since that day, his daughter has been living her life much brighter than before. Till that point, it felt like a really good thing, and he was proud of it. There was no reason for him to be angry like he was now. But¡­ ¡®The reason she ran outside as soon as she heard my advice was to meet him!¡¯ Ilya hated having anyone meddle in her personal life. And that was the same for Joshua too. However, at that time, he couldn¡¯t hold back his curiosity, so he quietly followed his daughter, and as if it was natural, he followed her to where the young boy was. He still remembered it. The figure of his daughter who had a smile brighter than one he had ever seen from her. What was even more annoying was that the young guy just reacted lukewarmly to his daughter! ¡®You, do you like your sword that much!¡¯ He came to know about it; Airn''s confrontation with the devil, him facing off with I, and his talk with Julius Hul. As well as the assignment that he had, where he had to get the approval of another one of the strongest people of the continent, Khun. He would have been angry if this man had pushed aside his worries and tried to make a move on Ilya. But. But¡­ ¡®I can never forgive you for putting my daughter behind the scenes!¡¯1 Clench! Thinking about it, Joshua Lindsay clenched his hand. Power surged along with his emotions. The refined Aura Sword that formed through the Sky Sword turned like a sharp wind. In an instant, the sword of wind split into seven pieces and flew towards Airn. Thung! Tung! Tung! ¡°Ack!¡± Airn let out a groan. Each wind that was approaching him felt different. Some of them were putting pressure on him, while the other ones gave him a sense of emptiness which turned him anxious. And the winds that kept blowing, would throw him off his bnce while his hands were busy trying to stop them. But still, he managed to block it. However, there was no time to rest. Joshua Lindsay, who took advantage of Airn losing his bnce, took his sword and shed at Airn from the rear. Airn hurriedly turned the weapon and swung his sword from his lower right to the upper left. The terrifying power that came from Airn, blew away the wind. Shhh. However, the Lord¡¯s sword had turned into a steel butterfly. After cutting the wind sharply to make a gap, Joshua moved leisurely. As he lowered the sword to Airn¡¯s neck, he said. ¡°Is this the best you can do?¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°Your voice doesn¡¯t seem too strained. We can go again then.¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Airn bowed his head and took his position. His breathing was rough. His muscles which had been overworked, were screaming, and the aura, which had been perfect when they started thest spar, was now on the verge of flickering out due to exhaustion. However, his senses were still sharp. Airn clearly felt Joshua Lindsay¡¯s sword and aura, and he could even feel the unfamiliar emotions that the man had towards him. However, he didn¡¯t correct the Lord¡¯s misunderstanding. In fact, it was close to being impossible to correct. Because Joshua Lindsay wouldn¡¯t bring up anything about Ilya. However, thanks to that, Airn was able to train more intensely andpete as if it was a real battle. The ferocity of their battle was simr to his first spar with Karakum, back when Airn said that he would walk the path of a hero. And Airn liked the harsh pressure. The bloody atmosphere. He knew that it was impossible to catch up with I Crescentia, who kept getting further away, otherwise. ¡®This is a rare opportunity.¡¯ That was what he felt when Joshua¡¯s sword came for him. He calcted the optimal movement with rational reasoning. Joshua wasn¡¯t just wielding the sword just to torment Airn. Although the battles were intense, he never crossed the line during the duels. That indicated that the man was capable of oveing and controlling his emotions. So Airn decided to repeat until he seeded. Instead of telling Airn explicitly, Joshua would give hints little by little through the sword battles to encourage Airn to grow. Kwang! ¡®The atmosphere itself is bloody and ruthless, but the teaching method is kind and considerate.¡¯ Airn smiled. He was such a good man. It was natural. He was the father of Ilya Lindsay, who has always been kind to him as well. He started his counterattack by scraping up all the left behind strength, and Joshua''s eyes lit. He was definitely a good kid. But that didn¡¯t mean that he would back down. Joshua was ready to make a stronger attack. An attack that Airn couldn''t stop. However, somehow, he had faith that this kid could stop it. No. it wasn¡¯t that. If he couldn¡¯t handle the attack, then there was nothing to be done. The kid would have to get treatment before he coulde back again for the next spar. Between boldness and frustration, the two opposing emotions that were bubbling up inside him, Joshua just swung his sword. Until a voice came. ¡°Dad.¡± Woong! The moment he heard his daughter''s voice, he missed the direction of the sword, and as the sword passed by Airn, he sighed in relief. Airn knew that he couldn¡¯t stop it. As he looked further back, he saw Ilya with a bright smile on her face. But it onlysted for a second. She frowned and asked with a sharp voice. ¡°Aren¡¯t you being too harsh?¡± ¡°No, this¡­ right. I was trying to make Airn stronger like this.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes!. Right, Airn?¡± ¡°¡­ that is right.¡± "He seems a bit dazed, though?" ¡°¡­ Airn is very tired, so it is difficult to answer right now. How about we take a break now.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Joshua looked at Airn, who sat on the floor, and his daughter. While Ilya looked at her father and Airn. After a moment, Ilya moved close to Airn and sat next to him. ¡°¡­¡± Joshua¡¯s expression hardened for a moment, but then calmed himself. In front of his daughter, he had to be kind! The Lord was set on showing a mature side of his to his daughter. However, at the next words which his daughter spoke, he had no choice but to raise his voice in surprise. ¡°Airn, would you like toe to my family?¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°What!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The atmosphere changedpletely. And it was all because of how loud Joshua¡¯s voice was. And the expression was a sight to behold. The dignified expression was long gone, and now he was left with his mouth open as if his chin was going to fall off. Looking at her father, Ilya sighed. And that reaction drove another nail into Joshua¡¯s heart, but she didn¡¯t care. She looked at Airn and said. ¡°Dad and I are going back home soon. Since we can¡¯t stay here forever.¡± ¡°Ah, right.¡± Airn nodded his head. It was said that they were going to secretly subdue the devils, but obviously, the few members of the Purification squad couldn¡¯t do all of it throughout the entire continent. Support from the high-level people in each nation was necessary, and Joshua Lindsay was one of them. Which meant that they couldn¡¯t be staying in Rabat forever. Besides, Ilya had no reason to train here. A few days back, she said. It seems like my long wandering hase to an end. Now that I have found my own path, all I have to do is work towards it.2 ¡®Well, it would be better to train in her family from now on.¡¯ Thinking that made Airn¡¯s heart turn heavy. It was the same when he had to part with Bratt, Judith, and Kuvar, but the separation with Ilya gave Airn the deepest sadness. Except for his family, she was the closest to him. ''No, wait, didn''t we decide on staying together?'' Airn looked at Ilya. And Ilya looked at Airn with a smile. She smiled a lot these days, and it was nice to see her much brighter than before. However, there was something more important. Airn continued to think about his answer when Ilya continued. ¡°Well, in order to keep the promise made with I, you need to train a lot in a year, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°How about duels with dad? Doesn¡¯t that help you?¡± ¡°¡­ it does.¡± ¡°Then stay with me in our family mansion and continue the training.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°Right?¡± Whong! Airn¡¯s eyes moved. Contrary to the caring expression Joshua disyed on his face, Joshua Lindsay¡¯s hate could be clearly felt by Airn. Giving out an energy that only meant to scare Airn off. However, with one word from his daughter, everything changed. ¡°Dad, stop.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Swosh The Lord smiled as warmly at Airn just as he did with his daughter. Despite being shocked, Airn felt the soft energy from Ilya¡¯s side. An expression of unknown feelings, like she was caring for him. Ilya asked Airn again. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t want to?¡± ¡°No, it isn¡¯t that.¡± ¡°Then, will we go together?¡± Woong¡­. Ilya¡¯s energy grew stronger. Now he knew. It was clear pressure. Airn gulped at the gaze of his friend, who was demanding for him to apany her. It was the moment he decided to answer. ¡°That won¡¯t do.¡± A voice from afar. All three looked at the ce. A woman with beautiful blonde hair, which seemed to have a hint of a sorcerer¡¯s vibe, came into their eyes. Even Lulu seemed a bit dazed. ¡®Who?¡¯ ¡®Who?¡¯ Both the Lindsays looked at her with suspicious eyes. But not Airn. He jumped up from the ground and called out the name of the woman in a weing yet surprised way. ¡°Kirill!¡± ¡°putting my daughter behind the scenes¡± ¨C This either means not giving her enough attention and reacting to her smile because Airn was too focused on the sword, or it might be referencing the fact that Airn has always overshadowed Ilya''s achievements ever since he started traveling with her from the Land of Proof.?For some reason, there were no quotations for this sentence, even in the raws, so I''ve left it as such.? Chapter 209: Let’s go together (2)

Chapter 209: Let¡¯s go together (2)

Airn''s younger sister, Kirill Pareira, appeared. Of course, the Lindsays didn¡¯t know that she was his sister. Joshua was startled to see this young woman who suddenly appeared by hiding her presence and looked at her outfit as he nodded. ¡®Her clothes are amon sight of the eastern continent¡­ she must be either a magician or a sorcerer.¡¯ Even a master with much superior senses than ordinary people could miss the presence of a sorcerer who had proper skills or a magician who had the right tools. So, his thoughts went like that. ¡®Aside from Ilya¡­ was there another woman? A woman who is so close to him toe all the way here?¡¯ Ilya, too, had simr thoughts. The beautiful hair, the cute appearance, and slightly raised brows which indicated strong feelings towards Airn. In a bad way, it felt like the taste of Airn was different, and in a good way, she became confident about her own looks. But she was concerned, and because self-esteem was very important for Ilya. As she was thinking, the blonde woman hugged Airn. In an instant, the expressions of both the people of the Lindsay family who were watching them, changed. Airn, who saw that, began to make an excuse to avoid being misunderstood because of his action of hugging Kirill. But as he thought further about it, he didn¡¯t even know why he was making up excuses. ¡°She is¡­that younger sister. Ilya, I mentioned to you about her before, don¡¯t you remember?¡± ¡°Right? Ah, right. I just remembered.¡± ¡°Hm. Right.¡± "Yes. Kirill. How are you here¡­ No, introduce yourself first." "Isn''t brother happy that I came to meet you after two years?" ¡°¡­¡± As soon as he heard that, Airn knew that Kirill wasn¡¯t in a good mood. Gulping, he released the hug. And he tried to organize his mind, but it wasn¡¯t going well. Kirill immediately bowed to the Lindsay girl. ¡°Hello. I am Kirill Pareira, the daughter of the Pareira family. And the younger sibling of brother Airn.¡± ¡°Hm, nice to meet you. I am Joshua Lindsay.¡± "I am Ilya Lindsay. Nice to meet you." ¡°Yes, nice to meet you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± There wasplete silence after that. It was strange. It could be because of her personality, or it could be because Kirill didn¡¯t care about Ilya being a Sword Master, or that Joshua Lindsay was paying attention to her. And Joshua was focusing on her to the extent that he could feel strangeness in her. Kirill, who looked at all three of them,nded her gaze on Joshua. With a faint smile, she said. ¡°I just saw it¡­ but aren¡¯t you treating my brother too harshly?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Joshua stayed silent. He did push Airn too much. Much stronger than usual, and the duel was much more ferocious than usual. However, it wasn¡¯t without reason. Thinking that, he said. ¡°That¡­ Airn¡¯s skills are too good, so I had no choice but to increase the intensity of the match to give proper instructions to him¡­ and it isn¡¯t usually like this. It was just today¡­ that I was a bit harsher¡­¡± ¡°Lulu, is that true?¡± ¡°¡­ it is the same intensity as usual.¡± Lulu, who looked at Joshua, spoke to Kirill. It wasn¡¯t like Lulu hated Joshua; it was that she couldn¡¯t lie to Kirill. After finishing her answer, Lulu hid behind Airn and peeked from behind his shoulders. ¡°That is what she says?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Kirill, you are being rude¡­¡± ¡°You stay out of it.¡± Airn tried to stop her, but she shut him up immediately. Kirill, who silenced her brother, looked at Joshua and continued. "Lulu and I are sorcerers, so I can roughly understand what is going on. So, I know that it isn¡¯t like the Lord has some great negative feelings towards my brother. And I also know that there are some people who treat a person harsher than others too.¡± ¡°¡­¡± "Rough training is essential for those who walk the path of the sword, but as a younger sibling to him, I was worried and spoke out a little emotionally. I am sorry." ¡°No, no, it is understandable. I am sorry for making you worry.¡± Joshua Lindsay waved his hand, admitting that he was wrong. A sight Airn would never see otherwise. And Kirill epted it easily. But it didn¡¯t end there. Kirill looked at Ilya this time. Ilya was stunned at that, but she, too, looked at Kirill without backing down. Unlike her father, she never did anything wrong to Airn. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was a battle of eye contact. Again, the air turned gloomy. Joshua and Airn didn¡¯t even dare to get involved in it and stayed on the sidelines. A minute passed, and then two and then even more passed. And Ilya was the one who lowered her tail first!1 A swordsman who was a Master backed off! It was hard to believe, but it had actually happened. Kirill smiled and spoke to Ilya, who had averted her gaze. ¡°Sister.¡± ¡°Huh? Uh? Yes?¡± ¡°You are a year older than me, so it¡¯s sister, right? You can speak normally to me. Just call me Kirill.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ really?¡± ¡°Yes. Will you call my name?¡± ¡°¡­ Ki-rill?¡± ¡°Thanks. May I call you sister Ilya too?¡± ¡°Uh, yes¡­¡± Kirill took the initiative in the conversation and smiled. If only Airn had a magic camera, he would take a picture of his younger sister, whose expression was so refreshing. However, the atmosphere of the ce wasn¡¯t like that. Under some sort of a strange pressure, Kirill called for Ilya separately. ¡°Sister Ilya.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Wait, I have something to tell you¡­ can we talk for a moment over there?¡± ¡°Y-yes.¡± ¡°Lulu, stay here.¡± ¡°Yes, Kirill. I will stay here.¡± Lulu answered from behind Airn. Joshua and Airn looked at the two women walk away. Joshua, who was curious, asked Airn. ¡°Are you going toe to my family estate?¡± ¡°I was thinking about it, but¡­¡± Wheik! Joshua Lindsay¡¯s energy grew stronger. The energy didn¡¯t spread around but concentrated only on Airn. It was to avoid being questioned by Kirill again. Airn, who was sweating, continued. ¡°¡­ it will probably be difficult. It seems that I have to go somewhere else.¡± ¡°Hm. Does it have to do with what I said?¡± ¡°That is right, phew.¡± As the energy grew lighter, Airn sighed. Airn told Joshua about the information I whispered to him. ¡®ording to my information, Khun is in Krono.¡¯ With that, Airn''s next destination was decided. Actually, he had been meaning to head there anyway. To show Ian his sword, and although they had just recently separated, Airn wanted to see his friends again too. There was no reason to dy it. ¡®Even if I can¡¯t get Khun¡¯s approval right now. I need to prove my worth in a year.¡¯ If he didn¡¯t go now, he would end up wasting a lot of time looking for Khun. And that wasn¡¯t what he was looking for. Airn exined that to Joshua, and he nodded. But his expression was odd. The man seemed to be dissatisfied with something, but the dull Airn didn¡¯t understand it. He didn''t have time to think. Kirill, who came back with Ilya, asked Airn. ¡°You are going to Krono?¡± ¡°¡­ yes, I think.¡± "It''s been two years since you left home. Aren''t you going toe visit your family?¡± After Joshua and Ilya, Kirill was now aiming at Airn. During the time he wandered the continent with Kuvar, he would send letters to his family. However, after entering the country of the orcs, Airn stopped doing that. To be honest, he forgot about it. Considering that he was here thanks to the love and support of his family, he felt horrible. And he felt sorry for his sister. ¡­However, he couldn¡¯t give up his career as a swordsman. Because of the devils. And I. There was no way to stop his heart that was set on joining the Purification squad. Having made his decision, Airn decided. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I am going¡­ to the swordsmanship school.¡± Before Airn could give a reason, Kirill just nodded. And Airn asked her why, clearly confused. To which she answered calmly.2 As if she were reading his thoughts. ¡®Has she be more adept at sorcery?¡¯ There were other things too, but it seemed like Kirill had improved a lot. She said. ¡°That is a bit sad, but not bad. It is amazing that there is something you want to do to the point where you are being so stubborn, and if I ride my griffin, we can move there quickly too.¡± ¡°Right! Kirill is right!¡± ¡°Lulu, you seem to have turned kinder.¡± ¡°Yes! I am the kindest cat! Please continue to trust and love me!¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Kirill smiled and patted Lulu. Lulu enjoyed the touch, which was rougher than the gentle pats in the past, and Ilya, who saw the rough patting, panicked again. Either way, Kirill didn¡¯t care. She looked at the Lindsay family members and said. ¡°I am sorry for appearing so suddenly and doing all kinds of things. Since I haven¡¯t seen my brother in a long time, I wasn¡¯t in the best mood.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°I get it, Kirill.¡± "Thank you, Lord and sister Ilya. I know I must have dyed your ns¡­ but can I monopolize my brother for today?¡± They were the words from someone who was dominating the current atmosphere. Both of them nodded their heads which made Kirill smile. ¡°Thank you. I hope to see you often before I leave. Then, please excuse us.¡± With that, Kirill led Airn and Lulu away. Joshua and Ilya looked at them. The silence broke when the siblings were no longer seen. And the father spoke. ¡°Ilya.¡± ¡°Yes, dad.¡± ¡°Can you tell me what you talked about with Miss Kirill?¡± ¡°I am sorry, but I can''t.¡± ¡°¡­ I see.¡± The woman had a slightly depressed expression on her face. During that time, Airn and Kirill talked a lot. They even talked about the devil. He didn¡¯t want to cause her to be too concerned, but Lulu couldn¡¯t lie to Kirill, so she just said it. Fortunately, Kirill didn¡¯t act out. ¡°I see. It all went well then.¡± ¡°¡­ I¡¯ll work hard to not cause more concern.¡± Kirill also talked with the Lindsay family¡¯s members. And despite not knowing what they were talking about, Kirill and Ilya soon became friends. Even the Lord was close to her, though not as much as Ilya, but seeing him with a different attitude from what he showed Airn, felt absurd to Airn. ¡°Airn.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You can¡¯tpare to Kirill.¡± ¡°.. right.¡± Hearing Lulu¡¯s words, Airn immediately agreed. And the days passed like that. Finally, the time for parting came. The Lindsay family destination was west, to the Adan Kingdom, where their estate was. And Airn¡¯s was to the east where the Krono Swordsmanship School was. Outside Rabat, the five of them were saying their final goodbyes. ¡°Airn.¡± ¡°Yes, Lord.¡± It wasn''t a greeting from Joshua, but rather some advice on swordsmanship. But it was more of a mindset that he should follow than advice. Airn was momentarily shocked by the words, but he nodded and expressed his gratitude. ¡°Thank you. I will use it.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± With a short nod, Joshua Lindsay stepped back. There was a love-hate rtionship between the two men. As much as Joshua didn¡¯t like Airn for getting close to his daughter, he also couldn¡¯t help but like this man who worked hard. And thest person was Ilya Lindsay. And she had a much brighter expression than when she first came to Rabat. A much clearer smile, and like I, she was too close to his face, and she whispered. A soft whisper. ¡°My home. Come there for me within a year.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you don¡¯te this time¡­ I wille to you in person and torture you.¡± Basically, means the first to back off?There was no specific answer that was given. I guess we¡¯ll never know.? Chapter 210: Let’s go together (3)

Chapter 210: Let¡¯s go together (3)

[Lindsay Family - Side Story] ck! ck! The Lindsay family¡¯s carriage made its way along the straight road. And its speed wasn¡¯t fast. Maybe at the time when Ilya Lindsay¡¯s condition was unclear, it had moved quickly, but they didn¡¯t have to overdo it this time. ¡®No, it is an emergency¡­¡¯ He looked at the scenery outside the carriage as he became lost in thought. For 150 years or maybe even longer, a single devil hadn¡¯t appeared. And what happened now was no joke. ording to the words of the Commander of ck Knights, I Crescentia, this devil wasn¡¯t inferior to a Great Devil. And heard that there were demons lurking around too. As a descendant of a hero and one of the few powerful people on the continent, he was in a situation where he had no choice but to be nervous. However, it wasn¡¯t the well-being of the continent that weighed on him so much. Joshua Lindsay, with his eyes closed, recalled Carl Lindsay, who had disappeared. ¡®Son¡­¡¯ His son, who wasn¡¯t proud of this position as the eldest son, had a weak heart which didn¡¯t match his talent. And even back then, he had a strong spection that a Devil might have had something to do with his disappearance. Without an existence of that level, no one could enter the Lindsay family unnoticed. And now Joshua¡¯s suspicion grew stronger. What was his son¡¯s condition? Was he dead? Or was he alive? Was he living in pain? Was he having a hellish time as the test subject for a devil? Perhaps¡­ Wooong¡­ Huge energy rose from Joshua Lindsay¡¯s body. Although it wasn¡¯t spread widely, an energy like that made fear rise for others. Ilya Lindsay opened her mouth before the energy went outside the carriage. ¡°Dad.¡± ¡°¡­ yes, daughter.¡± Shhh. As Joshua smiled, the energy subsided. It was a mistake. He couldn¡¯t even control his heart in front of his daughter. He felt like he had failed as a father. Thinking of his son, he felt like blood woulde out of his clenched hand, but there was nothing he could do now. Within the union, including the Holy Kingdom, all he could do was narrow down the search without any leaks. So, what should he do now? He should focus on Ilya, who was right in front of him¡­his lovely daughter. ¡®Not everything is bad; there are some good things around me too.¡¯ As he continued to have small chats with his daughter, he brightened. There was no need to force a calm smile. He was naturally turning brighter with each talk, and seeing her present state, made him smile more. There was no anxiousness. There was no longer an obsession. And there was no nervousness. Looking at Ilya, who was looking at him with soft eyes, Joshua¡¯s eyes smiled. It made him feel even better as he thought that his advice was what yed a role in the growth of his daughter. ¡®¡­ It hurt a little when I saw her run out before our talks were done.¡¯ Joshua Lindsay¡¯s eyes trembled at that thought. As a father, he did cool things and made sure that the atmosphere with his daughter was calm, and he even wanted to take a picture of it and show it to his wife too. But all these dreams of his were shattered by that guy. He was disappointed. Very disappointed. But if asked if his feelings about Airn Pareira were negative, then Joshua would shake his head. ¡®My role was important, but Airn yed a bigger role than me¡­ it must be him.¡¯ He realized it when he first arrived in Rabat. That his daughter had changed. That she waspletely different from 2 years ago, back when she was obsessing over I without even knowing the reason. And that now, the entire reason his words had made an effect on her was because Airn had slowly changed her, and it was understandable that his daughter had fallen for that man. And¡­ ¡®Honestly, Airn isn¡¯t toocking for a son-inw.¡¯ At the moment of parting, that was the reason he gave advice to Airn. To help him grow. To help him grow into a better hero. So, one day, he hoped that Airn would be reborn as a great man and a greater son-inw who could meet his strict standards. ¡­of course, no one knew when the day woulde. ¡°Dad, dad?¡± ¡°Huh? Ah. Sorry. I was lost in thought¡­. Sorry. Really.¡± Joshua apologized over and over. This was amon urrence since it was his first time having such talks with his daughter. A situation where each of them were being careful. Of course, Ilya didn¡¯t react sensitively. Rather, she made an unexpected suggestion after thinking it over. ¡°Do you want to have a light drink in the evening instead of just a meal? Dad?¡± ¡°D-drink?¡¯ ¡°Yes. I actually have a good bottle of wine.¡± Ilya took a bottle out of her bag. When Joshua saw the name, ¡®Ragbun 16¡¯ on it, he was startled. It was something he loved. And it was also a drink with a unique taste that could make one frown. ¡°It¡¯s from Durkali¡­ it was a gift from a friend in the Od. It tastes good.¡± ¡°¡­ you learned to drink.¡± ¡°Yes. Since mom doesn¡¯t like drinking, I wanted to have it with dad, so I learned a little.¡± ¡®Learned a little?¡¯ Joshua wasn¡¯t sure how to understand that. His daughter had learned to drink. As a father, he was sad and happy. And he felt a bit weird too. Of course, he didn¡¯t make it an issue. Looking at his daughter, who was offering it to him, he smiled. ¡°Haha, you are old enough to know about alcohol¡­ Thank you. Great! How about a light drink in the evening?¡± ¡°Sounds good.¡± ¡°Right. Who told you about alcohol? That¡­ Airn?¡± ¡°No. Airn doesn¡¯t like alcohol much.¡± ¡°Then? Who was¡­.¡± ¡°Another friend called Bratt Lloyd, who I was traveling with." ¡°Ah, see. B-bratt¡­¡± ¡®Another man¡­¡¯ He smiled, suppressing the angry thoughts inside him. A lot had happened, but right now, Joshua was the happiest person. [Ilya Lindsay - Side Story] A month and a half passed since their departure and the return of the Lindsays to their estate. Numerous people, including Olivia Lindsay, thedy of the house, came to greet her daughter. ¡°Thank you all. Really.¡± She replied with a smile. In the past, Ilya would lock herself away from the world but not anymore. She epted the goodness of the people around her. And didn¡¯t care about the malice which was mixed in. She thought that it was a waste to concern her heart about such a thing. ¡®Thank you, dad. Thanks, Airn.¡¯ The two people who made her who she was. Ilya walked around the garden thinking about them. ¡®A lot of flowers have bloomed.¡¯ Since it was a warm May, flowers were blooming. She didn¡¯t know the name. There was a time when she was interested in such stuff, but after the age of 7, she didn¡¯t care. She silently walked, immersed in her own memories. Her older brother who would stroke her hair with a warm smile. And I, who stood in front of her brother. The two swords that shed and intertwined, the stiff face of her father, the flustered vassals of the family, and Carl Lindsay, who just stood there and didn¡¯t know what to do.1 And a small girl with Adonis flowers in her hand. ¡°¡­. And then I saw that there was no one.¡± Ilya looked around the garden. After the day Carl was defeated, many things disappeared from the Lindsay family. She remembered thinking about nting the Adonis too, back when she wasing back from Krono, but she couldn''t as her brother had disappeared by then. In a way, to her, the Adonis was a flower that held a bad memory. ¡°¡­¡± No. Ilya closed her eyes. Her brother. I. Neither their fight nor anything which came as a result of that fight mattered. She erased it all from her mind. Erasing it one after another and only asking herself one thing. Do you like that flower? After a moment¡¯s doubt, she nodded. ¡°¡­ I must have been holding it since I liked it.¡± At her clear answer, she burst intoughter. It was nothing, and it was really not a big deal. Tomorrow she would tell her dad to buy some flowers. After she mumbled to herself after a short while, she walked to her room. And on the way, a cool breeze blew from behind. A fresh and cool wind was blowing at the Lindsay family, which had been troubled for too long. Airn, Kirill, and Lulu looked on at the Lindsay family¡¯s carriage as it disappeared into the horizon. No, it wasn''t that. Even though Airn was looking there, his mind was focused on what had just happened. ¡®Pleasee over.¡¯ ¡®If you don¡¯te on time¡­ I wille to you in person and torture you immensely.¡¯ ¡®Promise.¡¯ ¡®Sure, promise. Hehe.¡¯ Ilya Lindsay disappeared with a light smile. Herst appearance would remain in his memory for a long time. At the same time, the sensation he felt a few times before was blooming. When he saw Bratt and Judith. Or the tickling feeling he would feel when his eyes met with Ilya¡¯s. ¡°¡­¡± Airn didn¡¯t pay much attention to it. He was a dull person when it came to such things, and he was afraid of something. He looked at his younger sister, Kirill. And then the tickling sensation subsided. ''I happen to be traveling with Kirill.'' It felt strange. The younger sister in his memory was very young. Kirill was a tomboy and was a stubborn child whom no one could control but her mother. How can he avoid idents as he traveled with her? Of course, she had be a lot more mature now, but¡­ ¡°Brother.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°What are you worrying about? Don¡¯t think of weird stuff.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Was she reading his mind? Airn, who thought that it was terrifying, turned his face away. ¡°But, can we ride the Griffin together?¡± He remembered the past. The Griffin was something Kirill had created when she was 11 years old, which led to people calling her brave instead of cute and adorable. It wasn¡¯t big, so it could be cramped for two adults. Of course, he didn¡¯t ask because he was worried. Since Kirill grew, the Griffin too, must have grown. However, the words which came out of Kirill were unexpected. ¡°We aren¡¯t going to ride the Griffin.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°That would be too short of a trip. This is the first memorable journey with my brother.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why? You don¡¯t want to?¡± ¡°No, no! I like it!¡± ¡°You werete with your answer.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡­¡± ¡°Airn likes the idea so much that he felt moved! So, I guess you repliedte! Right? Right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Right, Airn?¡± ¡°Yes, that is right.¡± Airn looked at Lulu and nodded. Lulu nodded as well. Kirill, who had been staring at them with expressionless faces, burst intoughter. ¡°Great! I¡¯ll believe that. Well then, let''s get going!¡± ¡°Sure!¡± Kirill Pareira, who moved confidently, and Lulu, who followed her. Airn Pareira, who had been dazed for a moment, pursued them. And the sun was shining ever so brightly in the clear sky. She''s remembering the day of the fight between Carl and I after she defeated him.? Chapter 211: How to Catch the Fire (1)

Chapter 211: How to Catch the Fire (1)

During the nearly two-year-long journey, when did Airn feel the mostfortable? There was nothing to think about. It was when he wasing from Durkali to the central part of the continent. When he first went out on the journey, he was nervous because everything was new, but after Judith and Bratt joined, it became fun and crazy. And they also had Kuvar, who would make sure that they weren¡¯t ufortable. On the other hand, when it was just Lulu, Ilya, and him too, it wasn''t weird because Airn slowly learned stuff. Why? ¡®Well¡­¡¯ Airn nced to the side. He was smiling slightly. However, now someone whose feelings and thoughts he couldn¡¯tprehend was walking next to him. ¡®I am so nervous.¡¯ He smiled as he met eyes with his sister. It was strange. When he went with Ilya, the atmosphere wasn¡¯t the same as now. It was morefortable and rxing. That is, of course, apart from the fact that she was concerned with I. However, even when they were just walking now, he was strangely on alert with Kirill. It felt like he would have to bring up some topic to avoid such an atmosphere. ¡°¡­¡± Lulu, who was usually the mood maker in such situations, was also silent now. Of course, Airn understood it. Considering the personality of his younger sister, it was better for Lulu to be cautious. But in that case, it was entirely up to Airn to loosen up this atmosphere¡­. ¡°Brother.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Did that ne change?¡± ¡°Hm-ne? Ah!¡± Flustered by her sudden question, Irene took it out from his backpack. It was the ne that Kirill gave to him before the subjugation. However, it wasn''t as good as before. The moment he faced the clown, it shattered, unable to stand the strong magi. For that reason, Airn was currently wearing the ne of five spirits that he received from Tarakan. ¡°Hm, I see.¡± "Sorry. It was a gift you gave me, but I treated it too harshly¡­¡± ¡°No. it wasn¡¯t something else but that devil. Rather, it is great that you are healthy and unhurt.¡± ¡°Thank you, Kirill.¡± ¡°Still, it is unfortunate. I wish you had told me first.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Honestly, I wanted you to tell me about it since I came to Rabat, so I waited for a while. I thought it would have been better if you mentioned it first." Airn, who felt embarrassed, tried to take off the ne of five spirits. However, Kirill shook her head. ¡°No, it suits you. Keep it on¡­it is fine.¡± ¡°Huh? Ah¡­.¡± "I am not just saying it. I like the unusual design, and I have a feeling that it will be more helpful to my brother than the other thing." ¡°Re-really?¡± ¡°Yes, truly.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Airn nodded his head. Lulu and his younger sister said the same thing. If the two sorcerers were saying it, then it had to be good. Once again, the ne felt more mysterious. However, he couldn¡¯t stay immersed in his thoughts. Swosh! Kwak! ¡°Kirill?¡± ¡°Uh? Griffin? Why?¡± Seeing his sister who suddenly summoned the Griffin, Lulu and Airn were perplexed. It was only a day ago that she said that she wanted to take a leisure trip. And especially since the city was nearing, there was no need to summon it now. It was clear that this would only draw other people¡¯s attention. However, Kirill¡¯s subsequent words answered Airn¡¯s thoughts. "Even if we go leisurely when traveling, we should be as morous as possible when entering the city." ¡°Huh? Why?¡± ¡°Those people have such a level of ability? Is what we need to show to the people to keep them at a length from us. To avoid unnecessary arguing.¡± 1 ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why? Is it not so?¡± ¡°T-that, Kirill.¡± Airn was desperately trying to dissuade his younger sister. Now he himself was a veteran mercenary and traveler. He was going to find a ce to stay and not worry about other things, and he would try to find a good restaurant with a good atmosphere. Airn was sure that he would be able to handle it, even if an argument broke out this time. ¡°Hm, what?¡± Whhh- After listening to her brother with a strict expression on her face, Kirill reverse summoned the Griffin. And she moved ahead with the words, ''I will trust you.'' Looking at her back, Airn sighed. Lulu patted on his shoulder. ¡®She has really changed.¡¯ Still, it wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t like it. Rather, it was a different kind of fun than when he moved with his friends. Airn, holding Lulu in his arms, followed Kirill. ¡®I don¡¯t like it.¡¯ Kirill Pareira, a disciple of great sorcerer Skina Keaton, made everyone ufortable. And the reason for that was her brother. It wasn¡¯t a big deal. Perhaps it was an exaggeration to call him a veteran traveler, but Airn led the party more smoothly than she had expected. However, there were little things in the middle. Like apologizing to the guy who bumped his shoulder first. And another thing that happened was that even though the food delivered was changed due to the store''s mistake; he said it didn''t matter. Of course, she knew that this was her brother¡¯s personality. However, from Kirill¡¯s point of view. As a woman who kept seeing her brother suffer since childhood, the current situation was irritating. ¡®Is my personality right?¡¯ She didn¡¯t pressure others because she was capable or strong. She just made sure that other people didn¡¯t offend her. It was like that even when her brother went out for the first time. As she looked at the eldest son of Pareira, who didn''t change despite all this time, she felt relieved, but along with that, she also felt her stomach boiling in rage. ''I should hold it in, though.'' Kirill controlled herself. She knew. It wasn''t easy to change a person''s innate nature and that her brother was doing his best. Most of all, he was trying to match Kirill¡¯s mood. In such a situation, she couldn¡¯t say that she didn''t like it. Unlike before, she was now an adult, and so was he. But. ¡°Can I join you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± One of the vulgar men at the table next to them spoke to Kirill, which didn''t appease her. ¡°I don¡¯t remember telling you to join.¡± ¡°Haha. Sorry. But there is no c¡­¡± ¡°I am with apanion. He went to the washroom.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t taking one seat fine then?¡± ¡°His seat was the one where you are sitting.¡± "Uh? You speak rudely, but it is so attractive. Lady, can I know your name? Ah, I am¡­" The white-skinned man introduced himself. And then he introduced his family. Kirill, who looked at him, thought. ¡®We should have just made our entrance on the Griffin!¡¯ She remembered when she was in the Cesar Duchy. While her older brother was in trauma after what happened, she was also restrained because of it. She was the only disciple of a famous Sorcerer. Yet, despite having such a great teacher, there was always ridicule that was directed at her. Back then, in order to get her brother out of that sorcery barrier, she didn''t care about their words. ¡®Not anymore.¡¯ Two years ago, her brother broke the barrier on his own. Not just that, he was reborn as a more reliable figure than anyone else. And his swordsmanship had grown to a point where sorcery seemed like an added bonus. It was bittersweet that he didn¡¯t need her help, but a great sense of joy awakened in Kirill. She couldn¡¯t hold back any longer. There was no need for it. It didn¡¯t matter if she was going to kick people and pay them back twice for what they made her go through! Not anymore. As soon as she returned to Cesar Duchy, she taught a lesson to the people who insulted her and shut them up, and Skina Keaton loved that part of her. And as time passed, she was now an adult. There was no one who could flirt with Kirill in Cesar Duchy. ¡®Despite enduring this much, I still need to face this?¡¯ Crack. The corner of the wooden chair was ripped. Because Kirill¡¯s grip was enhanced with sorcery. The anger and irritation she had been holding back since the start of the day made her power stronger. Lulu thought that an earthquake was happening. ¡°Yah! Run!¡± ¡°Huh? The cat is speaki¡­¡± Lulu warned the man, but the man didn¡¯t care. He felt intrigued that a cat could talk, and he also wanted to speak about the cuteness of this blonde woman who seemed angry but held back. He was in a situation where he couldn¡¯t hear anything around him. He liked it. A thrill that only those on the top could enjoy! It was the moment when the drunken man raised his hand for a drink. Thup! ¡°Uh?¡± Swosh! A blonde young man appeared from nowhere and took the man''s hand. And quickly pulled him out of the store. ¡°Uhhh?¡± ¡°How dare that bastard take away our young master like that?¡± The escorts who were a little further, moved. Some who knew the man¡¯s background, clicked their tongues. The stories of this bastard creating trouble every day was no longer new news to them. However, after a while, the young master came in with a meek attitude and uttered wordspletely different from what the local people thought would happen. ¡°Sorry!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I won''t bother you anymore and will disappear!¡± ¡°I am sorry!¡± ¡°Sorry!¡± The man and the escorts disappeared after those words. In the midst of the silence, Airn returned to the table and said to Kirill. ¡°Sorry. I should havee sooner, but I hesitated and then stop¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Since I spoke to them, they won¡¯t bother you anymore¡­ Uh? Kirill?¡± ¡°¡­ I need some fresh air.¡± ¡°T-that¡­¡± ¡°I am not chasing after them, so don¡¯t worry; I just want air.¡± Saying that, Kirill Pareira left the ce. Airn, who watched her, asked Lulu. ¡°Did I do something wrong? Should I havee sooner?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t know¡­¡± The ck cat shook her head. Even Lulu, who was an excellent sorcerer, couldn''t understand Kirill. Airn sighed. Because he knew what she was like. Also, apart from that, he didn''t like that man''s behavior, so he ended up threatening him to an extent that wasn''t usual. However, those were just his thoughts and not Kirill¡¯s. It was when Airn, who was worried, got up. ¡°For now, I, I will go.¡± ¡°Will you be fine, alone?¡± ¡°Yes. I like Airn and Kirill. And I hate fights. I¡¯ll take a good look and relieve Kirill¡¯s mood ande back!¡± Saying those words, Lulu walked out. And then quickly walked to the alley where Kirill¡¯s scent lingered. However, as she got closer, her speed reduced. Before turning into the alley, Lulu tried to puff up her chest and make herself seem confident. Good, now enter. Was what she made up in her mind. Whoo! Kirill suddenly approached and hugged Lulu. ¡°Lulu.¡± ¡°Uh? Uhu? Ah?¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡¯ ¡°W-what?¡± ¡°About my brother.¡± Phew, after taking a breath and exhaling, Kirill burst into a smile she had been holding back. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me that he turned so cool?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Uh? Really? For real, huh? Why didn''t you tell me? Lulu!" Lulu opened her mouth with a nk face. She was a cat who spoke the humannguage, but she wasn''t a human, so she couldn''t tell what was happening now. But Kirill didn¡¯t care. She recalled what her brother just did, and all of his actions on their way here. ¡®I never thought he could do something like that.¡¯ The brother in Kirill¡¯s memory was kind and good. But more than that, most of the time she had known him, he was in deep depression and seemed empty most of the time, so she had always felt that he was just something that she had to protect. Sigh, she exhaled and hugged Lulu more strongly. "Lulu, Lulu, Lulu! Tell me about all the things which happened while you were traveling!" ¡°Kuak, cough, let me go, Kirill¡­¡± ¡°Okay, are you good now? Now¡­will you tell me everything tonight?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell them to youst time?¡± ¡°Tell me again. It seems like there aren¡¯t a lot of things I heard; there could have been things you missed, right?" ¡°Ah, okay.¡± Lulu nodded impatiently. It was a much better development than she had expected, but she knew that tonight was going to be tiresome. ¡°Phew.¡± After dinner with his younger sister, who seemed more blunt than usual, he took a night walk, and Airn went to his room and fell into thought. He wasn''t worried about his sister. Because Lulu said that Kirill was fine. It looked like she was hiding something, but it was not something that he had to worry about. ¡°Phew.¡± Airn exhaled and closed his eyes. And then, at some moment, he remembered the advice Joshua Lindsay gave him. ¡®Be careful not to get caught up in the mes of I.¡¯ Right. Airn who mumbled that recalled all the rumors. I Crescentia, who had a sun-like momentum, makes those who aren''t in their right minds bow to her, and her fire spreads in the hearts of those who think they are equal to her. And the moment that illusion breaks, one would realize. The fact that the me that had spread all over the body, was just making them suffer. ¡®Basically, it meant there was no talentparable to I on the continent.¡¯ But he didn¡¯t agree with it. And that thought wasn¡¯t based on himself. Ilya, Bratt, and Judith. He thought everyone who had been with him till now was talented enough. However, he knew what Joshua meant. Hadn¡¯t he seen it himself? The image of Ilya, who was engulfed in the mes of impatience while chasing after I. ''¡­ perhaps, her brother, Carl Lindsay, had been the same too.¡¯ Thinking, Airn shook his head. He had to focus on himself. ¡®How am I currently?¡¯ Airn¡¯s spirit was hotter than before. The spirit of improvement, struggle, and belief that had suddenly blossomed made his heart burn. When asked if it was a bad choice, Airn would shake his head. Compared to the days when he was a prospective trainee who wielded the sword like a puppet and with a cold heart, he felt that he was much, much better now. ¡®But¡­ it is also true that the me is getting hot.¡¯ Airn recalled some of his rtionships from the past. Charlotte, Victor, and Grayson. Not all of them would have been that way in the first ce. They would have developed themselves through a healthy me and mind. However, there was a high possibility that the spark of impatience had popped up, and their emotions of self-doubt had destroyed them. After all, a decent spark wasn¡¯t a bad thing. The strong energy of metal was a problem. The energy of fire, too, is a problem if it is too strong. And that is the most important part. In other words, what he had to pursue now was to make sure that the fire in his heart didn¡¯t go out of control¡­ ¡®It is about taking care of myself.¡¯ If so, how was he supposed to control the fire? How should he extinguish the fire which could destroy him? How should he restore the bnce and nurture the healthy me? He didn¡¯t know what it was before, but now he knew. ¡°Through water.¡± Airn, who mumbled that, followed the teachings of the Five Spirits Divine technique. Keep them at a length ¨C This basically means to not let people get close to them or to maintain a distance emotionally as well as physically with people.? Chapter 212: How to Catch the Fire (2)

Chapter 212: How to Catch the Fire (2)

The difference between the Aura operation of humans and orcs wasn¡¯t just limited to the spirits that they used. Contrary to the basic human way of moving the body, it also focused on the left and right sides of the body, along with the inside of the body, instead of using the entire body as a vessel for the Aura. Even now, Airn¡¯s head was filled with the knowledge he had learned from the Durkali tribe. But he forgot all of them and realized something while practicing. It wasn''t the subtle craftsmanship that was important. Even before he knew everything about the technique he learned from Karakum and Gorha, he was able to manipte the metal. And was nurturing the fire by himself as well. Of course, it is true that he had managed to control itpletely thanks to the theoretical knowledge of the Five Spirits Divine Technique, but in the end, the most important thing was the mind¡­ and Airn hadn¡¯t forgotten it. ¡°Phew.¡± Airn took a short breath. In an instant, the darkness disappeared, and the world of imagery appeared. Although it had been a long time, there was no awkwardness at all. A smile crept across his face. Of course, that was for a short time. Airn sharpened his concentration. Suddenly, he had forgotten that he was smiling and that he was sitting on the floor, and he quietly contemted his heart. ¡®¡­ there is a difference from before.¡¯ The first thing he saw was an iron stake. No, it was no longer in that form. The shape which was sharpened by the fire was in the form of a sword. Not just any sword, but exactly like the golden sword he summons. And that wasn¡¯t all. There was a zing me around it. The me which warms his heart just by looking at it was far wider than before. Airn had a serious expression as he watched those embers spread around, far beyond the size of his expanded mind. ¡®I overdid it.¡¯ Will he be reborn into a new self through these mes? Or will he be engulfed in them? Airn wanted the former. Neither Charlotte, nor Victor, nor Grayson, nor Ilya Lindsay had a positive oue after being engulfed in those mes. Nodding his head, he began to move the water ording to the teachings of the Five Spirit Divine Technique and moved it around his heart. Shhhh! The me was slowly being suppressed. The water kept being spilled onto the fire, which seemed to be everywhere. And Airn did his best to not leave any embers alone. However, the effect wasn¡¯t great. Chhh! The water turned to vapor and disappeared. And in some ces, the fire even grew stronger. It was the same logic as not being able to extinguish the me in a forest with just a bucket of water. There were no signs of the fire calming down no matter how much effort he put in, and Airn couldn¡¯t even think of anything he could to solve this predicament. He finished his training without any results, and as he looked at his sweaty body, he had a bitter expression. ¡®It doesn¡¯t seem like it would be easy.¡¯ He remembered when he met Kuvar two years ago. And the advice that was given to him. About the stake in his heart and the me he had along with it which could help it. ¡®He exined it in a way so that even I, who knew nothing, could understand it.¡¯ However, knowing it didn¡¯t mean that the change came immediately. He only realized it in the Alhad mountains. When he met I, and he realized his fighting spirit through his meeting with Ilya. Significant growth was achieved only after establishing for himself a firm will through countless experiences. And the same would be the case for water. If something like this had been resolved simply by learning the Five Spirit Divine Technique, then it wouldn¡¯t take anyone so long to hone themselves. ¡®In the end, it is the mind and not the spirit which matters¡­ The heart of water.¡¯ The problem was that he didn¡¯t have a mentor to advise him. Things were different when he had Kuvar next to him. Even if he wasn¡¯t actively doing anything, Kuvar gave Airn the right directions. Airn burst intoughter as he thought about it. When he remembered the orc with a smile, his depressed mood improved a little. ¡®And¡­ thinking about it, it shouldn¡¯t be a huge deal.¡¯ It is true that he had no clue right now. It is also true that he didn¡¯t have a teacher by his side. But where was he headed? Krono. There was some controversy as to whether he was the best swordsman on the continent, but this person was there at the school, and there was no objection to him being the continent¡¯s best teacher, and thatforted Airn. Sure¡­ ¡®But I can¡¯t just rely on that.¡¯ Thinking about it, Airn wiped his sweat off with a towel. And he went back to meditation. There were still hot mes. And the stream of water was still too weak. But Airn didn¡¯t give up. He continued to work to keep himself in check. And he would continue to do so today, the next day, and even a weekter. Of course, the effect wasn¡¯t that great. Rather, it would be more urate to say that there was no change at all. Airn¡¯s heart was still raging in mes, just like when he had started. The problem was that Airn started feeling impatient again. ¡°Sigh.¡± There was a time when, despite banging on the stake in his heart repeatedly for days, there wasn¡¯t much change. But at that time, Airn just continued to work. He didn¡¯t expect much back then, so he wasn¡¯t disappointed. He just endured it each day and persevered. But now, it wasn¡¯t the same. Unaware, he had a much hotter me than his friends, and he nurtured an unprecedented passion within him, and that led to him losing his old patience. And even though he treated it with water to reduce the fire, Airn wasn¡¯t aware of it. And that tormented him. And the pain¡­ The malice which had started from the southern forest appeared again. Shhh¡­ And that malice was insidious. And dark. It was more silent than a deserted alleyway, and more cautious than a thief. It was the moment when this quiet darkness was slowly seeping into the back of Airn, who was suffering. Knock! ¡°Brother. I have something to say; open the door.'' ¡°¡­ hold on.¡± Hearing Kirill, Airn got up. As a result, his senses which were asleep, awoke, and the malice around, was terrified and disappeared into the shadows. But Airn kept silent. He didn¡¯t even realize it. And Kirill was the same. All her attention was on her brother. She raised her brows. She heard a lot of stories, but she still thought that he was focusing too much on training and neglected her. Airn made no excuses for it. He just nodded his head. Kirill looked at her brother with displeasure, mmed the door shut, and left. Airn looked at the door with a calm face. And after a while, Lulu appeared with gentle steps. ¡°Airn, try to understand her. It wasn¡¯t that she meant it like that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Recently¡­ Airn, it¡¯s looking like the training isn¡¯t going too well. And yes. Kirill told me that. If it isn¡¯t working when you are trying this much, you should put it aside for a moment and think about something else and thene back to it. Was what she wanted to say.¡± ¡°Uh. I know.¡± ¡°Right? So Airn knows too, right?¡± Airn nodded his head. Kirill was always like that; she wasn¡¯t the kind to speak openly to him. She can¡¯t say stuff like, ¡®don¡¯t push yourself too much¡¯ or ¡®don¡¯t neglect yourself.'' Airn turned his head and looked to the side of the bed at the things lined up there. An animal doll which performed tricks, a snowman doll which sings a song if tapped twice, a sorcery frame which shows a beautiful scene each time¡­ ¡®Every time shees to my room, she always brings a present for me, so there is no way I can misunderstand her.¡¯ Recalling her face, Airn smiled. He didn¡¯t know, but the mes which were spreading in his heart, seemed to be weaker than before. The Fourth month of April. It was a chilly morning, but the weather was much more pleasant than when he faced the clown. Airn looked at the sky and smiled. It was one of the most beautiful skies he had ever seen. ¡°We have finally arrived.¡± ¡°Wow, Alcantra! Kirill, did you know? That there are a lot of my friends here?¡± The sky wasn¡¯t the only thing that they saw. Alcantra, the city where Krono was located, was seen too. Airn, Kirill, and Lulu, who looked at each other,ughed. ¡°Ugh¡­ A-Airn Pareira?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Ah, nothing th¡­ excuse me but, can I ask you for a sign on my gauntlet?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What is this now? Brother is so sessful?¡± ¡°You''re in the way; you''re in the way!¡± ¡°Oh! A talking cat¡­ by any chance, are you Lu- Lulu?¡± ¡°Yes! I am her! Lulu!¡± ¡°If-fi you don''t mind, can Lulu sign too¡­ no, just put a paw print in here, please?" ¡°Ah, sure!¡± Airn was shocked at what he was seeing for the first time. This was because although he had attracted attention several times, he never received this much. It was natural. If anyone had to pick the most famous swordsmen on the continent right now, it would be I, Ilya, and Airn. For him, Alcantra was the same as the hometown of his sword, so it wasn¡¯t weird if people knew about it. ¡°I feel strange.¡± ¡°Why is it strange? I feel good.¡± ¡°Yes, brother. Think about it. If you be a Master, then this is bound to happen.¡± Hearing that, Airn nodded. Of course, he didn¡¯t agree to it right away but thought that it wasn¡¯t something he could ignore. Maybe even greater hospitality awaited him when he returned to the Hale Kingdom? Especially from his family. When he thought about it, he felt embarrassed for a second. Airn looked at the Krono school of Swordsmanship and gulped. ¡®My real purpose¡­ I wanted to know where Khun was.¡¯ Right. The biggest reason he came here was to know about Khun''s whereabouts, and the second was to prove his will to Ian. But that wasn¡¯t important. Now he had to catch the fire within him. Or other words, he had to embrace water. To ask for Ian¡¯s advice, Airn walked into this ce with big steps, and obviously, this meant that he would be meeting with his friends too. But after a while, he was shocked. ¡°What? Judith is Khun¡¯s disciple?¡± Airn wasn¡¯t the only one shocked. Kirill too, was shocked. Although she wasn¡¯t a swordsman, she knew what kind of person Khun was, so she didn¡¯t understand why he took in a disciple. However, she didn¡¯t ask about it too much. To be precise, it was because there were things the others wanted to know from Airn. ¡°Weren''t you with Judith and Bratt during the trip?¡± ¡°Yes, why?¡± ¡°W-what the hell happened to the two during the trip?¡± ¡°Right! You should let us know too!¡± ¡°Uh? Huh?¡± Airn turned flustered at that question. Chapter 213: Judith’s Choice (1)

Chapter 213: Judith¡¯s Choice (1)

Even as he entered the swordsmanship school, right away, Airn was filled with thoughts of meeting Ian. He felt bad for Judith for a second. However, after hearing the stories which came in, he thought differently. Khun¡¯s disciple? For the sole purpose of defeating Ian, he didn¡¯t take in disciples or have kids and even separated from his wife to continue his training, but the fact that he was teaching something to someone, and moreover, taking an official disciple, came as a shock to him. Besides, to say that she was a disciple, didn¡¯t Judith have a say in it? ¡®She just came back to Krono, so was¡­. Was it necessary to go under Khun as a disciple?¡¯ He didn¡¯t understand. So, he wanted to know more. What happened? Did something special happen while he wasn¡¯t there? But he couldn¡¯t know. The attention of the over-excited students of the school was rather focused on the romance between Judith and Bratt. ¡°Quickly! Say it!¡± ¡°Ah! I am losing it! Say something, will you? We are too shocked!¡± ¡°So. The two of them were fighting every day¡­ ha! There must have been some signs before. Airn, you must know something. Right?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Right. Airn remembered what happened in Durkali. Judith, who seemed to hate Bratt¡¯s courageous confessions and his aggressive behavior, still kept staying with him. After that, the two of them returned here alone, so there was a chance something had happened between the two of them during that time. Having recalled till there, he slowly thought about what he saw and heard. There was a concern within him, whether it was okay to tell other people¡¯s stories without asking them, but he dismissed it because all the swordsmen present there seemed to know the rtionship between the two. ''No, I am the only one who didn''t realize it, right? What exactly happened?¡¯ Seeing the twinkling eyes of his mates, and somehow, even his younger sister seemed to be interested in this for some reason, Airn made up his mind. Just like before, Airn knew that Bratt would have expressed his feelings in a moderately yful manner, where he was half-sincere with his words, and Judith would¡¯ve been aggressive¡­ so they wouldn¡¯t have hidden it that well.1 There had to be something more. Airn nodded and told everyone everything he knew, and then asked. "I told you everything, so now it''s your turn." ¡°Our turn?¡± ¡°What happened after those two arrived? Between Khun and them. I am curious too.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± ¡°Ohh¡­¡± His mates were shocked at his words. Airn, not realizing the reason for their reaction, asked. ¡°What? What is with that reaction?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± ¡°We¡­¡± They looked at each other. As if confirming they are one the same idea. Airn felt a strange feeling, one of them opened his mouth. ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t be interested in this kind of thing.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Right. We didn¡¯t think that you would ask something like this since you only seem to be having strong feelings about swords¡­¡± "It''s a little strange to see you taking an interest in other people''s love stories." ¡°Well, you were always different from us. I guess now is the time for you to be interested in this.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Airn looked around. Even his sister and Lulu were nodding their heads. He said nothing, and after being silent for a while, he just urged them, thinking that he wouldn¡¯t be able to convince them, even if he made an excuse. ¡°¡­ so, what happened?¡± ¡°Hm, so where do we start¡­¡± Before Airn Pareira¡¯s party arrived at the school. In an empty lot at night, Judith continued to ponder with a serious expression. She didn¡¯t want to turn down his offer. But it was too sudden, that was for sure. She only heard rumors, but Judith had never met him. Ian was the best teacher on the continent, and if he was the one who had asked her, she wouldn¡¯t feel this anxious. But now, she was feeling it. But¡­ ¡®Those eyes.¡¯ Judith recalled the look in Khun¡¯s eyes. She remembered what he said and the scorching heat around him, and his figure, which made her feel scared and stimted at the same time. The same as back then. The day her future changed. The moment when she decided to be a swordsman while she was living in a slum for the first time, the same feeling Judith felt at that moment, while looking at Khun. She made up her mind. Even if she belonged to Krono, she still wanted to be the disciple of Khun at the same time. So, what was troubling her? Both people had ties with Krono, so it wouldn''t be a problem, and unlike in the past, now she could have good conversations with everyone. Schoolmaster Ian, who felt like a grandfather to her, and Keira Finn, who was strict yet the most caring person. The seniors who helped her and motivated her. And Airn Pareira, that bastard, whom she could never get angry at yet. Ilya Lindsay, whom she didn¡¯t like at first, but became close enough to open their hearts to each other. And¡­ ¡°Bratt Lloyd.¡± Judith mumbled the name and kicked the stone on the floor. Right.. all of these people who she thought were good¡­ she could handle not seeing them. If it was two years or maybe longer, she could handle it and control herself. Because she could run after what she wanted. But not with Bratt Lloyd. ¡®Sigh.¡¯ It was absurd. She had never liked him. He was richer than others. And he had too much confidence. And he was someone who had the talent to handle his peers and also knew his own strengths the best. ¡®And his looks aren¡¯t my type either. That bastard looks too sassy.¡¯ But. Now she liked him. It didn¡¯t matter who confessed and who expressed it. Judith herself wanted to see him. She wanted to spend time with him. But she couldn''t. Judith sighed at the thought of Khun, who would be her teacher. ¡®I told you, you can¡¯t go out into the world for the next two years.'' She knew they wouldn¡¯t be empty words. He was a man who gave up everything, including his wife, for the sake of the sword to get over Ian. There was no way he would be considerate for his disciple. And Judith still didn¡¯t understand why he had asked her to be his disciple. If it weren¡¯t for his sincere eyes, she would have thought that he was just making fun of her. After all, her remaining time with Bratt was¡­ just a few days more before leaving this ce. ¡®We can manage to go on one date before then.¡¯ Judith smiled, looking more usual. That was what Bratt told her. ¡®Let¡¯s head out for a date tomorrow, and rejection isn¡¯t epted.¡¯ They were together on their way back here, but it was Judith¡¯s first time going out for an official date, so she was a little excited. A lot excited And she was kind of depressed too. That this could be theirst. It wasn¡¯t long before she realized. And she felt embarrassed as she had never properly expressed herself. ¡­ the fact that there was a good chance that things might not go the way she wanted it to, made her sink into that feeling even more. ¡°¡­ let¡¯s just go to sleep.¡± Judith kicked the ground in frustration and went back to her room. It had been a long time since she went to bed early without practicing the sword. And she couldn¡¯t sleep. And the next day dawned. ¡°¡­ Do you like this?¡± ¡°Uh. The weather is nice? When the weather is this nice, walking out seems so nice. And it is better than staying inside.¡± ¡°The weather is nice, but it is kind of cold.¡± Bratt grunted as usual, and Judith was being stingy with her words like usual. But it was a little different today. Unlike when they first left Krono to explore the world, these two were walking through Alcantra with their hands held together. And that wasn¡¯t the only difference. Since the two of them were different in everything, there were so many fights in the beginning of their trainee days. But now, it was rare to see them fight. When Judith wanted to see the street circus, Bratt would follow. And when Bratt wants to see Ice Sculpting, Judith would move with him. It was the same throughout the day. The two went on a date without any objections or fights, or arguing. It was because both of them knew. That today was too short to waste on something like arguing. Even if that wasn¡¯t the case, they¡¯d have been the same. Finishing their meal, the two looked at each other. There was an alcohol bottle on the table, and neither Bratt nor Judith paid attention to it. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± In that noisy ce, the two of them just stayed silent, looking at each other. Judith was worried, seeing the familiar expression on Bratt¡¯s face. What should she say? What should she say to make Bratt and her own heart feel morefortable? There was nothing that came to her mind. Judith wasn¡¯t the kind who would think and do something. That was something Airn and Ilya did, not her. ¡®This idiot has to be simr to them.¡¯ Judith just red at Bratt¡¯s mouth. He flinched a little, indicating that he was thinking of saying something. That he was trying to choose the right words. She felt terrified and curious at the same time. What would it be? What was he trying to say? She couldn''t get herself to wait. ''Just say something'' was what she wanted to scream. Anything. In a little while, the day would be over, and their sweet rtionship could potentially end. That made Judith sad. And it made her look into her own mind and not Bratt¡¯s. ¡®Am I fine with this?¡¯ She shook her head. It was difficult and painful to think about. She wanted to be the strongest swordsman. She wanted to be stronger than Airn, I, and anyone else¡­ and to do that, she had to be a disciple of Khun. But that wasn¡¯t all. Before all this, something else was growing in Judith¡¯s heart. What was it? She couldn¡¯t figure it out. No, she actually knew. But she was too shy to say it out loud and ept it. ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°¡­!¡± It was then. Before Judith could sort her mind, Bratt¡¯s lips moved. Until she organized her thoughts, cleared her mind, and put her lips together to make the words she wanted to say. Bratt Lloyd decided to wait since she too seemed like she wanted to say something like that. The moment it crossed his mind, Judith¡¯s arm moved. And she grabbed Bratt¡¯s cor. He was shocked and flustered. And the next thing he felt were her chapped lips. Judith just acted. She just moved before she thought about it. Pulling the opponent towards her, she pursed her lips with his. And her eyes were telling him to shut his mouth. ¡°Huh!¡± ¡°Uh, wow!¡± ¡°Woahhh!¡± At the same time, the Krono mates who were hiding in various ces couldn''t believe what they saw! By half- sincere, Airn doesn''t mean that they weren''t from his heart, but it''s probably something more like how Bratt''s words were like yful banter and how he keeps teasing Judith. But apart from that, the ship is sailing boyssss. LET''S GO.? Chapter 214: Judith’s Choice (2)

Chapter 214: Judith¡¯s Choice (2)

¡°¡­!¡± At Judith¡¯s sudden action, Bratt was shocked. Being grabbed by the cor all of a sudden was one thing, but their lips touching was a whole different thing. The way she pulled him, made him wince in pain, but the impact of it was so great that he didn''t notice what happened. ¡®What? What happened?¡¯ For a brief moment, Bratt shook his head and tried to remember what he was trying to say. ¡®I¡¯ll wait.¡¯ He might not see her for two years or maybe longer, but that wasn''t the problem; he was still close friends with Airn after he hadn¡¯t seen him for five years, and his heart didn¡¯t change. Of course, now he couldn¡¯t say it. And even though Judith¡¯s lips parted with his, Bratt just looked at her. And her face was beet red. Not just her cheeks but her entire face, and this wasn''t because she drank alcohol. If it was going to be that way because of a drink, he would have never let her touch it. ¡®She is redder than her hair. Will it ruin the mood if I tease her now?¡¯ Thinking about it, he decided not to. And it was the right decision. Judith, who didn¡¯t know what to do, put her thoughts together and growled. ¡°You!¡± ¡°Yes?¡± "From now on, just answer if you understand what I am talking about. Okay?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Tell me if you understand.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Bratt couldn¡¯t figure out if there was a difference between okay and I understand, but he decided to go along with her. Judith took a huge breath and then spoke. ¡°Once a year¡­ no, twice a year! Come see me! Even if it takes too long toe and go, you need toe, okay?¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Bratt replied. ¡°There won¡¯t be anything to do apart from duels. Going out, drinking, and watching stuff¡­ don¡¯t even dream of that. Think of it as a date for swordsmen. Okay?¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Bratt nodded. ¡°Finally, train hard in your family. If you don¡¯t improve your skills each time, we meet. I-I I am dating you, okay? You need to help me with swordsmanship training, so be strong. At least¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°This should be enough, because I need to show my teacher that you are great. Okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Wh-what? Why aren¡¯t you answering?¡± Judith rushed for an answer. Bratt, however, couldn''t help but be shocked. Because all the things Judith said till now were selfish. There was no reason for her, who wanted things for herself, to take care of Bratt¡¯s convenience. Judith¡¯s heart was beating like a drum. After a while, something made her heart beat faster. Bratt stood up and grabbed Judith¡¯s face with both hands. His lips protruded out like a carp. Bratt smiled and pressed his lips, but more softly than Judith did. ¡°¡­!¡± But it was a little more intense than the first time. Not long after, they parted. Seeing Judith¡¯s face ready to explode now, Bratt gave his reply. ¡°I understand.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Wow! So cool! Bratt!¡± Upon hearing the story, Airn had a nk expression on his face while Lulu was moving around excitedly as if she had heard the most interesting story ever. The names of Bratt and Judith were going around. But it didn¡¯tst long. Kirill, who had calmed Lulu with a nce, asked her brother¡¯s friends. ¡°So, what happened? Really, Khun? Khun allowed it?¡± ¡°Uh? Ahh¡­¡± The friend sighed a little. After spending so much time in this ce, except for Judith, there were too many men, and this friend was on the verge of turning nervous while speaking about the love story. For him, Kirill, with her attractive appearance, was a stimulus. ¡®If I ask him, will he introduce us?¡¯ He wasn¡¯t sure, but he wanted to make a good impression on her. Airn''s friend, who nodded, continued to exin. ¡°So¡­¡± Of course, Kirill wasn¡¯t interested in him. Regardless of what kind of intention he had, she was only focused on the content that he was saying. The story stretched like cheese, but in the end, that was the point. Judith and Bratt got permission from Khun, and they were able to continue their rtionship during the training. Having understood that, she looked at her brother and asked. ¡°Brother, do you feel something?¡± ¡°Uh? What?¡± ¡°Airn! Don¡¯t tell me, did something happen with you too?¡± ¡°What, did you find a lover while traveling too? Perhaps¡­¡± ¡°Ah! No what! No such things happened.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Nothing happened? Can you take responsibility for those words?¡± ¡®What is this girl doing?¡¯ Seeing Kirill corner him like this, Airn began to sweat. He was telling the truth. What thing rting to love could happen to him who only thought about training? The only people that were around him who he missed were Kuvar, Lulu, Judith, Bratt, and Ilya¡­ ¡®¡­ Ilya?¡¯ Airn couldn¡¯t think after that. He didn¡¯t know why. He was thinking of the people he was missing one after another, but the moment Ilya''s name popped up, he couldn¡¯t think further. However, Kirill didn¡¯t miss her chance. ¡°Who did you think of?¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Just now. You were thinking about someone. Say it out.¡± ¡°No. I was thinking of a lot of people.¡± ¡°Is that so? How many?¡± ¡°No, why are you suddenly asking¡­.¡± Airn looked around. He saw all his ssmates who were looking at him with suspicious expressions, his sister who was smiling in a strange manner, and Lulu, who was busy grooming herself. But these weren¡¯t the only people that he saw. At some point of time, an existence had settled down near them. Seeing the smile of Ian, Airn eximed. ¡°School master!¡± ¡°Gasp! School master?¡± ¡°When did youe¡­¡± ¡°Huhu. Just now. You were telling a pretty interesting story, so I listened quietly. But the way¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°This is so frustrating that I can¡¯t listen anymore. Even if this goes on for a hundred or thousand days, only my mouth will hurt if I ask you, tch, tch¡­¡± It was frustrating. Kirill nodded in agreement as she looked at Ian shaking his head. The ssmates of Airn slowly disappeared from there. Since they weren¡¯t training much these days, they thought that if they stayed with Ian any longer, they might get scolded. Of course, Airn didn¡¯t move. He had no reason to avoid Ian. No, he was looking forward to this. ¡°Hello, school master, how have you been?¡± ¡°Right, my student. It has been so long.¡±1 Ian looked at Airn, whom he hadst seen two years ago. Back when he saw the hot me burning within. A sight he had never seen before. ¡®He changed. A lot.¡¯ He felt satisfied. After a few thoughts, he turned around and said. ¡°Follow me.¡± ¡°¡­ is it fine to not look at your disciple¡¯s sword?¡± Airn asked. Because it reminded him of the first time he came here two years ago. When Ian asked Airn to show him his sword. But he didn¡¯t ask the same thing now. Ian turned out with a soft smile. ¡°I have already seen your sword. I don¡¯t need to see it again. You seem to have another problem, so let¡¯s talk about it.¡± Ian¡¯s room, which he hadn¡¯t visited in a long time, was the same as before. Except for some furniture that was present, there was nothing special about it, and it was easy to think that this was the mostfortable room on the continent. From Kirill¡¯s point of view, since she was someone who liked to decorate, this room felt too empty. But Airn and Lulu didn¡¯t care about it, and neither did Ian. He looked at Airn with deep eyes, and Airn began to unravel his story. No, it wasn¡¯t that. Airn thought he was speaking slowly, but he was clearly pouring out his inner feelings at a faster tempo. Rather, he was spitting it out. Airn, as if spewing fire, confided to his teacher the troubles he had been harboring all the way here. ¡°¡­¡± After hearing that, Ian stayed silent for a long time, which made Airn nervous. Was he choosing the words to say? Normally, anyone would think that, but Airn realized that it wasn¡¯t it. And there was no reason, but rather, it was just a feeling. As the silence grew longer, Airn felt impatient, and even Kirill and Lulu, too, felt their hearts rush seeing that. Ian, who let a little more time pass, opened his mouth. He drank the tea, which had cooled down by then, and said. ¡°There is no problem.¡± ¡°¡­ Huh?¡± ¡°I mean, there¡¯s nothing to worry about. Did you say you were afraid of the mes engulfing you? That can happen, and I understand that. In fact, excessivepetition turns into self-doubt and into a sense of inferiority¡­ There are a lot of people who can¡¯t stand it and ruin themselves. Even in our school, there are so many who fall prey to it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But you are not that kind of a person. Don¡¯t you think so? Seeing as you are aware of it, that itself is good enough.¡± Sip. Ian drank the tea in one sip and continued. ¡°If you think it is a dangerous thing, then you were in an even more dangerous state before this. No dreams, no hopes, no enthusiasm¡­ Compared to those days when you lived like an empty vessel, you are so wonderful now. You worked hard, and you did extremely well. And I, as your teacher, only havepliments for you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­ But this might not be the answer you want.¡± Ian closed his eyes. It seemed like it bothered Ian that he couldn¡¯t help Airn. Seeing that, Airn felt bad. But¡­ ¡®I don¡¯t want to go back just after listening to his praises.¡¯ Airn¡¯s eyes lit up. Like when he first met I. Just like when he asked Joshua Lindsay for additional guidance. And it was then that a thought struck Ian. It was a rather ironic sight to be seen as a person who wanted to control water, but Airn was unaware of it. After a while. Ian opened his eyes and looked at Kirill. ¡°¡­ was it Kirill?¡± "Yes, yes.¡± Kirill stuttered. It was strange. The girl, who was full of confidence, was being cautious with her words in front of this old man. And she wasn¡¯t the only one. Lulu, who would be bright in her meetings, noticed that Ian was strange. Even Airn, who was trapped in his own troubles, could vaguely feel it. Ian acted like he didn¡¯t care. ¡°I heard you were an excellent sorcerer. I heard that you can summon the legendary animal, Griffin¡­" ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then maybe we can ride it together and go somewhere? It isn¡¯t far, but it is a distance I wouldn¡¯t want to walk.¡± ¡°We can.¡± ¡°Good. Let¡¯s leave then.¡± Ian got up and left. Unable to adjust to this, Airn and his party followed him. A muchrger Griffin from the past was summoned. ¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡°Ohhh¡­¡± The voices of the trainees could be heard. Either way, Kirill steered her Griffin in the direction Ian said and arrived at ake outside the castle. Andnded carefully. Ian jumped off and spoke while looking at Airn. ¡°What should you do to realize the Heart of water and achieve the Sword of Water?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It is a difficult problem that you¡¯ve presented before me. I don¡¯t know how to put it into words. So, I came here to show it in person. Airn, are you ready to watch and learn?¡± ¡°¡­ yes.¡± Airn nodded. Ian walked towards theke and drew his sword, and then he swung it with an indifferent face. Swish! Kirill was puzzled. This man was too horrible with his sword to be called as someone from the strong three. She didn¡¯t know much about swordsmanship, but she was disappointed at this. The sword pierced theke with a weird sound. And then it happened. Swish! The sound of something being cut deeply. With that, the water was cut. Not simply cut, but theke was split into two as if an ice cube had been cracked open. There was no loud noise, and no change in thend. Ian, who was standing calmly, looked at Airn and said. "How is that? Do you understand it a little?" ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t get it.¡± ¡°Did you see what I cut?¡± ¡°The water¡­.¡± ¡°Okay?¡± He stroked his chin. In the meantime, as if time had moved slowly, the dividedke began to merge into one. Ssh! Neither, Kirill, Lulu, nor Airn said anything. Ian opened his mouth with a bright smile as the waves moved like a sea behind him. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll have to work a little harder.¡±2 Why did I read this in Master Oogway¡¯s voice?Man, I absolutely adore the teacher figures in this novel.? Chapter 215: We Are All Old (1)

Chapter 215: We Are All Old (1)

Near thergeke in the northwest of Alcantra, the best city for swordsmanship on the central part of the continent. There were many different kinds of fish and no monsters in theke, so there were many people who went fishing there. And it was even more sotely. Nobles and wealthy merchants would cast their fishing rods and enjoy this month. However, something had interfered with their peaceful life. Ssh! ¡°Wow! Kirill! So fun! Look at this! I caught a fish!¡± ¡°Huh? You are right!¡± It was Lulu. She had once lived on the coast of the eastern part of the continent, but it was a long time ago. Besides, she hated swimming in the salty water. But she liked the deep and clearke she was seeing now. Wearing a tube made by Kirill, Lulu soared through theke by sshing water and catching fish. Those who enjoyed fishing would consider it as a hindrance. However, they weren¡¯t offended by it. Rather, as if they were seeing something unique, they only looked at her. ¡°Look there! That cat!¡± ¡°Huh! It is talking! The cat is talking!¡± ¡°I¡¯m seeing it too. Recently there was something about a cat sorcerer going around as rumors, so it has to be that one.¡± ¡°A cat which likes water!¡± ¡°Haha! I am a cat who likes water, and I also love humans too!¡± Lulu stood on her tube and proudly dered. Despite being mysterious, she was cute. The people forgot what they came here for and just looked at her. Kirill looked at her, smiled, and then went back to focusing on her work. She was thinking about summoning a beast that could be used in water. ¡®I hate Krakens¡­ So a turtle? Or maybe a dolphin?¡¯ Kirill walked around thinking about such things. And as she was walking, her beauty shone even more as the sun was shining through her blonde hair. Even though the members of the Pareira family were known to be good-looking, she was particrly beautiful. Which was why the young people at theke were looking at Kirill and not the cat. Some of the older people looked at that andughed. And a little away from them. A young man stood quietly in a remote ce. He swung his sword towards theke with a terrifying speed. Swoop! Whoop! ¡°!¡± ¡°Gasp!¡± ¡°What¡­¡± There was a huge sound, and they saw a stream of water soaring high in the sky. Those who were watching, including Kirill and Lulu, were shocked at it and gulped. Wooong! The huge sword dyed in gold. A few of the escorts were talking as they watched Airn use the Aura sword in front of thete. ¡°Crazy¡­¡± ¡°That person over there is that man, right? The famous¡­" ¡°Right. He¡¯s Airn Pareira. He became a Sword Masterst year, but¡­ I didn¡¯t think it was real.¡± ¡°I know. He is still said to be in his 20s, but isn¡¯t he moving at a faster pace than even Ian?¡± ¡°Right. Of course, just because he became a Master early, doesn¡¯t mean that he will be a strong swordsman in the end.¡± A man, who couldn¡¯t shake off the look of surprise, spoke from behind. ¡°¡­ I think it could be possible.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Being the strongest on the continent.¡± ¡°Hm, that is too far-fetched¡­¡± The colleague who was rebutting stopped. It was hard toe up with a reason. Has anyone reached the status of Master faster than this? Two people. I and Ilya. Of course, Ilya is said to be three years younger than him, and it was clear that she had the talent to rise to the ranks of the strongest people. Thinking like that, he thought that this man was even more precious. ¡®Maybe we are watching the training of the strongest swordsman of the future!¡¯ Their bodies turned hot. With that thought, they felt their blood rising, and everyone who was looking at Kirill turned to Airn. Hoping he would show something greater. But no. Ten minutes, and then twenty minutes passed. The swordsman just stood there with his eyes closed as if he was immersed in some kind of mediation. ¡°¡­. Is that training?¡± ¡°Well, it has to be. How can we know how a Master trains?¡± ¡°Right.¡± And they turned to Kirill and to Lulu too. In the end, Airn failed to keep their attention on him. Beside him. Ian appeared suddenly. ¡°Is it going well?¡± ¡°School master¡­.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t force it then. It will only make it harder.¡± Just trying for a few days won¡¯t make it work. His appearance drew the attention of people. Despite being in Alcantra, there weren¡¯t many opportunities to see the owner of Krono. It was because he was the type of person who didn¡¯te out much. Of course, even if they saw him too much, they wouldn¡¯t lose interest. Since he was known to be one of the three great swordsmen on the continent. However, the swordsmanship shown by him fell short of their expectations. sh! It was neither fast nor slow. If people had a deep knowledge of swords, they would have admired it, but there were no such great people here. They were only concentrating on the image of the sword. If they wait, won¡¯t something great happen? Even that expectation gradually disappeared. Seeing that nothing happened, the escorts titled their heads and then turned their heads away. ¡°¡­¡± There was nothing different about Airn too. It was definitely a great sword. And they only thought that because they knew that he was a Sword Master. Airn knew that the sword of Ian he showed just now held no force or pressure, and also that it was a sword made of decades worth of hard work. 1 However, the sword he saw a week ago. Parting the water in theke¡­ this sword couldn¡¯t bepared to that. ¡°As I said before, the thing I showed you first¡­ and the sword I am showing you now aren¡¯t different. They cut the same way.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Just because you don¡¯t understand it now, doesn¡¯t mean that you have to be impatient. Just take your time and practice¡­ I will be away for a few days; I''m just letting you know.¡± ¡°¡­ Yes, I get it.¡± Ian left behind the same sword and the same words. Airn, who watched his back, closed his eyes. He remembered it clearly. The posture, the breathing, the aura movement, and the flow of the drench when the water was cut perfectly in the middle. 2 But he couldn¡¯t keep up with it. Feeling frustrated, Airn sighed. ¡®It would be nice if he gave me more hints.¡¯ He had the desire to ask, but Airn held himself back. There must be a reason why Ian didn¡¯t want to tell him more. So, he didn¡¯t want to ask. ¡®Simrly, what he showed today would be meaningful too.¡¯ Airn remembered the sword Ian showed a moment ago. He didn¡¯t understand it yet. No matter how he looked at it, he could only see Ian dipping the sword in theke. It was as if he was facing a riddle, and this began to make his heart boil. ¡°¡­¡± But he had to strive forward. To join the subjugation squad within a year. In order to defeat the clown and the other devils around. He had to be a lot stronger than now. Woong! Phat! The sword, in response to his rising will, spit out a cry. The aura sword, which was swung, fell on the water again. This time, the water did not split. And Airn sighed. After leaving theke, Ian walked around. Although he wasn¡¯t running, and despite seeming like an old man, he was still moving quite fast. And the sun went down and rose for four days. Ian, who came to his senses, swung the sword while looking at the valley in front of him. Step! sh! And the water was cut again. The flowing valley of water stopped and split apart. But not forever. A few secondster, it merged again. Ian, who swung the sword again, hesitated and sheathed his sword. ¡°My heart is getting impatient.¡± He had found a great disciple. A child of great character, talent, and patience. The 23-year-old kid who was too good. However, it was too early for him to realize the Sword of Water. Normally it would take ten years to teach it. But¡­ ¡®I don¡¯t know if I will be alive until then.¡¯ Ian sat down on a rock and closed his eyes. Agony and anxiety came to his mind. The reason was clear. It was because the news about the devil from the Holy Kingdom had reached him. ¡®What will the continent be like after I die?¡¯ His words could be taken as arrogant. However, Ian was confident. That at least for as long as he was alive, he was confident in protecting the continent. Julius Hul could be the same. But he was old too. Quincy Myers, who was considered to be the most secret weapon of the Holy Kingdom, was also old enough to die. Karakum, the stronger orc warrior, was a little younger, but the lifespan of the Orcs was shorter than that of humans. And the Lords of the Runtel Kingdom had been alive for 80 years. ''In the end¡­ in less than 15 years or less, the power of the continent will probably be cut in half.¡¯ Which was why Ian was being greedy with his disciple¡¯s growth. Fortunately, a lot of talented young people have appeared on the continent. I, Ilya, and Airn. Bratt too, wasn''t far from them, and Judith, who left with Khun, was the same. However, there wasn¡¯t enough time. If the old men die trying to grow support for the continent, the demons would just hide and emerge when these old men died. Will the continent be able to continue the 150 years of peace it has had till now? ¡®¡­ it is moving too fast.¡¯ Ian shook his head. Ian spent more than 30 years just cutting water. And even now, he was working on it. No matter how hard he tried, his anxiety was building up. After thinking until there, he took a breath and concentrated. He started to shake off his heart¡¯s worry. However, it wasn¡¯t possible. Wheik! ¡°¡­!¡± Ian opened his eyes. A fast-moving force. He saw a man who had his sword drawn. A demon? Demons couldn¡¯t be this quick. A Devil, then? The devils were too strong to be felt this easily, so there was one person who was remaining. Pung! The swordsman suddenly moved. Seeing Khuning for him at such a speed, Ian smiled. The timing was wrong. Feeling the thick flesh on his body tickling, Ian swung his sword. By ¡®sword¡¯ in this sentence, it does not literally mean the weapon, the sword, but rather the technique or the skill.?I¡¯m not too sure what ¡®drench¡¯ means here, but I¡¯ll be correcting it as I get more information about it. I''m assuming he''s talking about the way the water fell, maybe?? Chapter 216: We Are All Old (2)

Chapter 216: We Are All Old (2)

Khun moved with a ferocious momentum. Looking at him, Ian shed a smile, knowing that he couldn¡¯t be stopped. He had probably heard about it too. The story about the Devil that appeared, and the fact that the peace which hadsted for 150 years wasing to an end, and that help was needed. Naturally, Khun wasn¡¯t the kind to care about such things. Seeing the maning in with the same force he did the first time he challenged him, Ian thought. ¡®Crazy bastard.¡¯ He didn¡¯t understand it in the beginning. Why was he so obsessed with him? Was it necessary for Khun to aim at Ian and give up his life? Kiera Finn, a pretty wife and a wealthy fortune, tossing all of that aside, this man devoted himself to the sword, and what was his reason for challenging Ian? Ten years, 20 years, 30 years, and now, their rivalry had been going on for close to 100 years. ¡®A Reason?¡¯ The smile on Ian¡¯s face grew stronger. An uncontroble fighting spirit was emanating brightly from his body as he was wielding the sword. ¡®Such things don¡¯t matter anymore.¡¯ Kwaaang! The swords collided. Due to the bursting shock which spread around, it led to rocks and trees getting equally smashed. Everything crumbled. Yet, Ian, who was in the center, stood firm. Seeing Khun backing out, Ian raised his force even more. Wooong! And his sword became so huge that it couldn¡¯t bepared to an ordinary Aura Sword! The aura, which was now close to 10 meters, gradually decreased. No, it waspressed. The air around trembled, and it was clear that this was something which no Master could simply imitate. Yet, Khun wasn¡¯t agitated. And even now, he had the same look he had from the beginning. At that moment, he took a step holding his own Aura Sword, which seemed pitifulpared to Ian¡¯s. Swosh! And his body disappeared. ¡°Phew.¡± The owner of Krono, widened his senses to the maximum. His eyes and ears were open, and everything else was on high alert. Information that couldn''t be felt before was now entering Ian''s mind in real-time. And it wasn¡¯t just that. The Aura. The precision of his swordsmanship. If it was a virtue of a swordsman, then Ian wasn¡¯tcking in it. Even if he faced a swordsman like Julius Hul, which the Holy Kingdom was so proud of, Ian was confident that he would still smile. Even if it was a battle with the greatest swordsmen in history, there was no swordsman, superior to him, present on the continent right now! At least, that was what he thought. However, there was a moment when such thoughts began to cease. It was because of the ¡®speed¡¯ of the opponent facing him now. Kwang! Kwakwang! Kang! The constant roaring sound. As a result, cracks in the shape of human footprints formed everywhere. It was all Khun¡¯s doing. Those ridiculous muscles on his body. The enormous aura he wielded. In fact, everything which made Khun, Khun. He had made himself evolve for the sake of moving quickly. And in particr, it was his terrifying tenacity and effort which had partially broken through the limits of normal humans. An Inexperienced aura operation? A Lack of depth in swordsmanship? None of that mattered. There were no shorings that could be noticed as Khun moved. He wielded a sword that had been polished to the limit whose sole purpose was only to stab Ian! To block such a sword, Ian had to do his best. Jkkk! Jjkk! ¡°¡­¡± Unable to even breathe properly, Ian continued to move. It was slowing down both of them. Being deprived right from the first movement meant that he would have to deal with the opponent at ater moment, and that meant that he would need the right timing. Although Ian was better than Khun in most aspects, he was at a disadvantage because of his shorings in his speed. It was a situation where each split-second decision could lead to victory or defeat. And in such a dangerous situation, Kwang! Kwaang! Kwaang! Ian continued to block Khun¡¯s offensive. He blocked each sword attack that came at him from every direction. He had no choice but to do that. His heightened senses were giving him the right information. And his absurdly quick thinking made him respond to it ordingly. And the body, which was created bybining years of experience as well as inborn talent, led to all parts of him moving perfectly in sync with each other. The most beautiful swordsmanship in the history of Krono unfolded. He was even half a beat faster than Khun in some moments. It was a truly foreshadowing movement. But that was all. There was no problem in the defense, but since Ian¡¯s speed wascking, it was difficult for him to switch to offense. However, Ian had his own strategy. ¡®Sword de.¡¯ Except for speed, he was ahead of Khun in all other areas. That meant that the amount of Aura and the density of Aura Ian wielded was iparable to that of Khun¡¯s. Maybe he was lucky today? Ian understood as they exchanged blows, that he kept hitting the same part of the opponent¡¯s sword. It wasn¡¯t intended. He wasn¡¯t the kind of person to care about such things anyway. But from then, he thought that even such a simple thing would be required to beat him. Swosh! As soon as he finished thinking, Khun¡¯s attack flew in. Ian did his best to concentrate. His senses were so high that he could feel everything in him and outside him simultaneously. And the time stretched like cheese. In this slow-flowing scene that yed out in his eyes, his sword struck the desired point. Kaaang! ¡®Got it!¡¯ The right feeling as his sword connected with his opponent¡¯s. Ian thought and stepped back. His expression still showed that he was being cautious. He felt that he was two steps ahead. No, if he could raise the aura a little more, he might even cut the opponent''s weapon in half if it hit the same spot again. He controlled his expression and bided for time. A total of seven attacks followed. A block, another block, and then he held fast, trusting his defense. The next attack he avoided, and then continued to block the next three attacks that came at him. But at that moment, Ian¡¯s eyes widened as he watched Khun¡¯s movement changepletely. It was still a slightly familiar sword. He didn¡¯t know yet, but what he was doing right now, was a behavior that he had experienced several times in the past too. For the moment of perfect victory, many people had let clear signs of something like this go unnoticed. Wheiik! Ian stretched out his sword with a different force from before. The perfect timing. The perfect counterattack. As time slowed, he smiled. After three draws, he finally had the upper hand. Exciting ecstasy stimted his body, and his gaze was already on Khun. At that moment, Ian felt that something was wrong. ¡®¡­!¡¯ He knew it. Khun was aware that Ian was aiming for the sword. He had, after all, shared the sword with Ian for several decades. There was no way he couldn¡¯t read the thoughts in his opponent¡¯s eyes. So why? Knowing that the sword was being aimed at, why did he still move in the same way? Thinking till there, Ian decided to think it through his actions again. ¡®If I need to break the sword, I will have to risk it by rushing forward¡­¡¯ So, he should probably be prepared to suffer a serious injury that afflicted either his hand or shoulder. Perhaps, it would also result in him having Khun¡¯s sword pierce through his heart? Then¡­ ¡®In the end, it is my defeat!¡¯ Ian smiled. It didn¡¯t take long to confirm it. In the midst of such concentration, he felt the time passing slowly. He was feeling different from usual. It wasn¡¯t that he was worried about the future generations, but rather, it was about Airn. Or if only a little bit more time was given to him to deal with the crisis¡­ the results might have beenpletely different. But these were all excuses. He looked at the sword and then at the eyes of his opponent. The smile grew. The eyes opposite him too were smiling, causing wrinkles to form near the eyes. After a while, the result came. Kakang! ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Khun¡¯s sword broke He expected that much. However, it was different after that. The opponent didn¡¯t drive the de through his body. Looking at Khun, who held the sword pieces in hand, Ian asked. ¡°Why?¡± Why didn¡¯t you aim for my heart? It was natural to question him; Ian knew Khun''s character. Khun wanted victory over Ian; that was the reason for so many battles¡­ However, the other party didn''t answer it; rather, he continued questioning. ¡°Are you worried about your disciple?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Well, that has to be it. Dog-shit bastard. How can you have other thoughts when fighting me?¡± He couldn¡¯t say anything. He felt bad for his opponent. For worrying about his disciple. While the emotions were mixed, Khun clicked his tongue as he tossed the broken sword aside. ¡°Take it out.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Take it out. Let¡¯s hear what the fuck is happening inside you.¡± ¡°¡­ you will listen to other people''s concerns?¡± That too about his disciple? Ian was puzzled. To him, who was serving as an owner of Krono for 40 years, he was being asked toy out his emotions after taking in a disciple for the first time. ¡°Huhuhu.¡± It wasn¡¯t funny, but he couldn¡¯t stopughing. But it wasn¡¯t too bad either. Seeing the unusual appearance of his rival, some of his worries disappeared. ¡°Huhu.¡± Seeing that, Khun also smiled. He had no choice but to. Because he too, didn''t understand what he just did and why he did it. After a while, the two old men began to speak about their disciples for the first time in their lives. It was quite an absurd but also a sentimental atmosphere to see them sit down and talk after smashing down the ce around them. ¡°Hm.¡± The number of defeats he had against Ian had piled up so much that he couldn¡¯t even remember. And thinking that, Khun scratched his head, throwing away his golden chance to taste his long-awaited victory. No matter how much he thought about it, his actions just now made no sense. ¡°Cough!¡± Gulp. It was because of the incurable disease he was afflicted with. It had to be that. What was the strongest point in his life? With old agees sickness. In other words, he had probably given up his only chance to defeat Ian. Why? Was it because he wasn¡¯t in good shape? If not¡­ was he afraid that Ian would lose his life or be seriously injured? ¡®Damn it!¡¯ That was nonsense. If the sword went into Ian¡¯s heart and he died, he would wee the situation. He swung the sword each time with the same thought. ¡°Hm.¡± Khun groaned and titled his head. To the left and then to the right. He kept worrying, and he kept walking. The old man went back to his house with the same thoughts, and the red-haired swordsman was there waiting for him. ¡°Sir, why are you sote?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What now? Why is your expression like that?¡± ¡°What is this habit of this rotten bastard talking to her teacher like this?¡± ¡°No, you said you would teach me swordsmanship, and said ¡®Now, you have to learn right now!¡¯ and then why did you just leave? And then you came back after a full month with a strange expression on your face.¡± ¡°Huh, fuck¡­¡± Khun swore. He had realized then. No, maybe he knew right away. That this girl struggled with the same personality and pain that he did. If he wanted to teach the girl who seemed to be even more savage than him¡­ ¡®I will have to live longer.¡¯ Thinking that, Khun titled his head. As soon as they met, he had felt it. Judith was just like him. There were many people who must have gone through the same things as he did, but this child had gone through the same level of pain as him. But that alone wasn¡¯t enough to exin his actions. Even if Judith was his first disciple, there was nothing more important than Khun¡¯s dream. ¡°Why are you cursing? My precious disciple.¡± ¡°Excuse me, excuse me?¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you calling me teacher?¡± ¡°Teacher? Should I call you teacher? Or master?¡± Khun frowned, but Judith wasn¡¯t bothered by it. He felt a bit frustrated with this girl, but he couldn''t understand why he was letting her be like this. And then he finally concluded the reason. It wasn¡¯t that something special had happened, but he was surprisingly close to the answer¡­ ¡°Do people change as they get older?¡± ¡°What are you spouting all of a sudden?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, you bastard. Be quiet for a second! Do you want to get hit?¡±1 ¡°No. Ugh, what kind of teacher did I get?¡± The atmosphere was more like a conversation between friends, rather than teacher and disciple. However, Judith and Khun, who were so simr to each other, constantlyshed out at each other. But Khun soon looked at her with warm eyes. Seeing the disciple wield the sword with a hotter me than him, the teacher nodded. ¡®It wasn¡¯t a bad choice.¡¯ ¡°I am getting old too.¡± After separating with Khun, Ian mumbled as he headed to theke. No other words came to his mind. He really was too old. And as he got older, he forgot the most important thing. ¡®The disciple believes in the teacher, but the teacher doesn¡¯t believe in the disciple.¡¯ Even if the world didn¡¯t believe in his disciple, he had to believe in him no matter what. It went without saying that his disciple was one of the most talented people on the continent right now. Ian nodded, thinking. ¡®Airn will do well.¡¯ Eventually, he will realize. It might take some time. He might end up wandering around too. However, he will eventually achieve it, so all Ian had to do was support and encourage the child so that the process didn¡¯t turn more difficult than it already was. ¡®To hear such things from Khun of all people¡­¡¯ Ian shook his head andughed. Apparently, he wasn¡¯t the only one getting older. After finishing his thoughts, Ian moved. Was it because his heart felt lighter? His footsteps were much lighter than before. Ian returned to where Airn was. No, he was going back, so, to be precise, he had no choice but to stop near theke. ¡°¡­¡± There was a wide veil of darknesspletely surrounding theke. Feeling the magi which engulfed the entireke, his expression hardened. ¡°How could this¡­¡± I absolutely adore this dynamic between Judith and Khun.? Chapter 217: To be cut (1)

Chapter 217: To be cut (1)

¡°This is absurd¡­!¡± Krono¡¯s owner, Ian''s voice trembled. He was the most powerful swordsman on the continent. Naturally, his concept of aura operation was also the best. Moreover, his ''Sensory Awakening'' was the field in which Ian was the most confident. Of course, he didn¡¯t always use his five senses, but even so, his senses were different from that of others. Moreover, since he had heard about the news of the Devil, he had been extremely vignt since then. But¡­ ¡®It deceived my senses and created such arge field of magi?¡¯ A being which could deceive his senses and fill the entireke with such disgusting magi couldn''t be a demon, so it had to be a Devil. He had never experienced it in his life, but from the experience he had umted till then, and from the history he had heard, it had instilled confidence in him. What was iprehensible for him, however, was that the appearance of such a being hadn¡¯t been noticed until now. ¡°¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t understand it. But it already happened. Ian, feeling the sweat dripping from his hands, clenched his fist and moved. He was thinking of approaching the veil of darkness and grasping the situation from there. ¡®There is nothing wrong with my senses. I can feel everything else clearly.¡¯ ¡®What the hell did it use? The chances of it being a demon were too low, so the fact that a Devil which was born in another dimension, has finallye out of its den¡­ and I couldn''t feel it?'' ¡®I thought I would be fighting a devil sooner orter, but for it to happen right before the request from Avilius¡­¡¯ ¡®Was my disciple¡¯s party still in there?¡¯ Numerous thoughts bombarded his mind. Thatst thought shook his mind. Taking a moment to rest, he moved, still worried about his disciple. ¡®No, I need to calm down. Nothing has been confirmed yet.¡¯ As Ian caught his breath and kept telling himself to calm down, the optimal body condition was created, and all preparations were made to fight a devil. Finding his calmness, he looked ahead. At the veil, no, the barrier before him. Ian raised his power the best he could. Jjjjjj! A formidable amount of aura flowed through his body and through the sword¡¯s de. The energy from his body and sword, soared to the sky, higher than when he was fighting with Khun, and then condensed itself into an Aura de of 2 meters. A momentum that no one on the continent could block was flowing through Ian¡¯s body. -! There was no sound of something cutting through the air. As if time itself had been cut, Ian, who shed the sword down at a speed no one couldprehend, looked at the dark barrier. A muffled groan from his mouth. ¡°Huh¡­¡± ¡°We couldn¡¯t do it either.¡± ¡°¡­¡± He looked back. It was Kirill and Lulu who were approaching him. He felt relieved for a moment but then turned stiff, realizing that only two of them could be seen and not Airn. And he said, ¡°Exin the situation to me.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t exin it for sure. It is the first time that Lulu and I have witnessed this phenomenon¡­ however, from what we know¡­ this is sorcery.¡± ¡°Sorcery?¡± ¡°Yes. It is a barrier created by my brother¡­ a world no one can enter nor break.¡±1 ¡°¡­ is it the same as the barrier which he created a few years ago?¡± Ian asked with a serious expression. Shaking her head, Kirill answered. ¡°It is not. As you can see¡­. This barrier isn¡¯t made solely by sorcery, but there is also magi, that incredibly dark energy, mixed with it... I don¡¯t know, but the ancient devil must have, huh huh, had this much power?¡± ¡°Calm down.¡± Ian quickly approached Kirill, who was trembling, and used his aura tofort her. He used the spirit of fire from the Durkali tribe to drive away the fear inside her. ¡°Thank you. Oh, don¡¯t worry about people near theke. I¡¯ve moved them to a distant ce¡­¡± ¡°Right, that is great.¡± ¡°Anyway, the exnation for such a thing... It is perhaps because of my brother''s strong desire¡­ But it seems that the devil intervened somewhere. And thus a bizarre space that is hard to consider as purely sorcery and hard to consider as something like a contract with the devil was created¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°We think that this is what this veil is, both I and Lulu.¡± ¡°¡­ you are remarkably calm. Ah, I didn¡¯t mean to demean your emotions, so don¡¯t get me wrong.¡± Ian said right away. This wasn¡¯t a good situation, and he knew that this child in front of him knew it better than anyone. This was probably hurting her. For all he knew, this child would want some time to sit down and cry, yet she was enduring it. Fortunately, Kirill seemed calm. She shook her head and answered. ¡°It isn¡¯t a big deal.¡± ¡°Then, I am d, but¡­.¡± ¡°Because my brother will not lose to something like a devil.¡± Kirill said in a confident voice. Although the time they spent together was shortpared to the years that they had lived, she had seen her brother ovee many things. Hepletely overcame the trauma of his childhood. He stood proudly in front of those who ignored him. He performed better than anyone in the Demon Subjugation. The terrible and powerful demons, which people had only heard of, were expelled by him. And that wasn¡¯t the end. Recently, he had shown her a reliable appearance that was too shocking for her. Recalling that, she smiled and said. ¡°My brother wille. He will break out of it with his own powers as if nothing happened.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Of course, it isn¡¯t like I can¡¯t worry, but¡­¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Ian groaned He knew immediately what Kirill was talking about. He was worried about the time it would take Airn to break the barrier. However, he wasn¡¯t too scared. Unsurprisingly, there was a small part of his heart that believed in Airnpletely. After seeing Ian, Lulu soared high into the sky. Swosh! Lulu, who was now flying above the barrier, tried to look into it. But she couldn¡¯t see anything, and it was true darkness all around. However, the ck cat¡¯s eyes were shining as if she could see inside. ¡°I feel it.¡± ¡°¡­ you see Airn?¡± ¡°No, Airn can¡¯t be seen, but I can feel it. To be precise¡­¡± Lulu paused for a moment and said. ¡°I can feel the energy from the ne Airn is wearing, the five spirits ne.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Surprisingly, when I think about that ne, I feel like there is nothing to worry about.¡± A statement with no basis at all, and it was a statement that would infuriate someone if they heard such a thing. But neither Kirill nor Ian said anything against it. They believed it. A strong desire was formed in the eyes of the three beings who looked at the dark ce. ¡°¡­¡± It was dark. Airn, who had been meditating, stood up and looked around. And then he looked up. It was dark everywhere, and not a single ray of light wasing in. Feeling strange, he looked around with his heightened senses. But he still felt nothing. Even his sister, who was near him not too long ago, couldn''t be felt. And Lulu, who was constantly close to him and trying to groom herself, was nowhere to be felt either. Everyone had disappeared. He thought something unusual had happened, and that was when raindrops fell from above. Drop, drop Drop¡­. The rain, which had just been a drizzle at the start, had now turned into a huge downpour. Airn¡¯s gaze reached down. As if there was going to be a flood because of all the rain, the water in theke slowly started increasing. ¡®I can¡¯t stay here any longer.¡¯ His mind was feeling fuzzy. Airn shook his head and ran. For now, he had to get out of this ce, but even after running for a long time, the darkness hadn¡¯t changed. And it was the same with the rain. Even more absurd was that he couldn''t get away from theke no matter how much he traveled. ¡°¡­ Fine.¡± Airn summoned his great sword. He closed his eyes and concentrated and then remembered the image of Ian cutting the water. He felt that this was something that was harder to cut than anything else. It was more difficult than rocks, steel, and even mountains; he pictured the figure of Ian trying to cut water! Recalling that, he opened his eyes and lowered his sword. Kwaaaah! The golden aura sword which suddenly appeared broke the surface of the water. The water sshed upwards so high that it was difficult to know if it was the rain or theke water. It was such amazing power. But it was then... Airn, who failed to cut it like he wanted, raised his sword again. ¡°It is okay. I will just keep doing it until I seed.¡± He remembered his past. Airn had faced many adversities, trials, and difficulties so far, but in the end, he preserved. He never gave up, and he always achieved what he wanted, and as a result, a stronger self was reborn. It would be the same this time. Eventually, he would win. Because. Only if he could realize the sword of water; And only if he could learn the swordsmanship which cuts water; Could he get away from this strange, unpleasant space. It was the moment when Airn Pareira, who understood this, was about to swing his sword again. ¡°Is that so? But will you be able to do it?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± It was a voice from behind. Shocked, Airn turned back. How could he not feel someone this close to him? He was on high alert, but it seemed like the constant rain was meant to interfere with his senses. The doubt, of course, was answered as he turned to face the one who had appeared behind him. There was no need to think anymore. Seeing his opponent, he grunted. ¡°¡­ the clown devil.¡± ¡°Haha, how did you know? My appearance is different from back then! Aww, is it because of the mask?¡± The clown took off the mask and smiled. It was a terrible face behind the mask. As the flesh had been torn off, the bones on the face could be seen, and there was blood and pus flowing down from the wounded face. And the blood which flowed down soon mixed into the water on the ground and spread to where Airn was standing. With a stiff expression, he widened the distance between them. However, he couldn¡¯t avoid it. It was the moment Airn was about to speak; he felt the malice energy spread throughout the space. ¡°Look here. Don¡¯t put on such a grumpy face! I am here to help you out.¡± ¡°As if¡­¡± ¡°Ahh? Are you unable to believe me? It is fine, because it is actually a lie. But in the end, it is almost the same as helping you. As you know, to get out of this ce, even your swordsmanship can¡¯t help you. So¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­ you know what you need to do. What you should be cutting down. It should be this thing¡­ If you do that, then you can get out of this stinky, damp, and unpleasant space.¡± And what if he couldn¡¯t? Could he search this ce and do anything else? Kihihi The clown devil burst intoughter. Inside Airn was a wave of emotions, which were surging. Wooong! Airn Pareira¡¯s sword let out a long sound. As a result, a golden me which burned the darkness covered the sword. It was the very sword that made the great clown devil nervous. No, that wasn¡¯t it. It was the teachings from I which made the sword seem stronger now. Swosh! However, even such a powerful aura sword couldn¡¯t defeat the clown devil. He shed his swords downwards, to the surface of the water, and only the water sshed up. And the devil was back in a perfect form. He took off the mask and smiled again. ¡°No, you can¡¯t do it, my friend. Sadly, you can¡¯t kill me. At least here, no matter how powerful the me you wield is, you can¡¯t harm me. This is a betting ce where your wishes and my malice meet. It¡¯s definitely not a ce where one side can unterally take over and press over the other.¡± ¡°A betting ce?¡± ¡°Yes, you must be feeling it to some extent. No matter how great I am, I ept that I am not someone who can force a guy like you to listen to me, even to the end.¡± ¡°That means¡­¡± ¡°I want to kill you.¡± The clown devil said. The atmosphere waspletely different from before. With stern eyes and fierce malice, he continued to speak. ¡°I don¡¯t want to just kill you. I want to savor doing it for a long time, and I want to see you die in pain, desperately, to see you suffering in agony, unable to get what you want. So, the bet that I made in this ce is that you won¡¯t get the swordsmanship you aim for. And my reward, as I said, is your painful death.¡± ¡®Is that so? So I bet on the other side even without my knowledge?¡¯ Airn nodded his head. No, he understood. About why he hade here, and why he couldn''t hurt the clown devil. That was because it wasn¡¯t about betting. But in order to put an end to him, he had to win this bet first. Only after fulfilling his desire to cut the water, could he move to the future. Thinking that far, he frowned. ''It seems a little unreasonable, but¡­'' If he could win the bet, he would get the sword that cuts through water. But in order to win the bet, he would have to learn the sword. What kind of nonsense was that? ¡°¡­¡± But he had no way. He didn¡¯t like this situation, but in the end, he was involved in the bet. There was no room for thinking except if it strengthened his aspirations. Airn nodded towards the clown. ¡°I get it.¡± ¡°Great. Then try your best, my friend!¡± After saluting, the clown turned into water and disappeared. Airn exhaled as he looked at the water, which had turned more ominous than before. ¡®It is fine. Let¡¯s not worry about it.¡¯ Just like he couldn¡¯t harm the devil, the devil couldn¡¯t harm him either. In other words, all he had to do was focus on his training. And training was what Airn was the most confident in. Slowly, closing his eyes, he concentrated his mind to cut the water again. This "barrier" literally just withstood a full-out attack from the continent''s most powerful swordsman.? Chapter 218: To be cut (2)

Chapter 218: To be cut (2)

Some time had passed. Airn¡¯s days were the same. Every day he would close his eyes, concentrate and think of different ways to cut down the water. And to make his thoughtse true, he would swing the sword. And if he failed? He would just repeat the entire process again. Of course, he hadn¡¯t seeded even once till now. But, it was fine. It was because he didn¡¯t think that he would be able to realize the Heart of Water quickly in the first ce, and he felt that the current ce was a good ce to practice. ¡®Of course, it is a sorcery world which was created by half-fulfilling my wishes.¡¯ Since it was his will to cut the water, the entire ce was filled with water. Even under his feet and in the sky above his head, everything was water. Of course, the other half contained evil intentions of the devil, but there was nothing he could do about it¡­ That much he could tolerate. The beliefs which were passed down from his previous life to the current life prevented the magi from intruding into his mind and corrupting it. ¡°Good. Let¡¯s do my best again.¡± Airn mumbled. And the belief that he could do it, and the tenacity that came with it, gave him strength. And the devil didn¡¯t move either. He just sank into the water, and was quietly watching the human from there. A little more time had passed. Airn was still swinging his sword. However, he still couldn¡¯t cut the water. It was unavoidable. Didn¡¯t Ian also say it? That realizing it wouldn¡¯t be so easy? Airn took in a slow breath to control his mind and then exhaled deeply; the problem was... There wasn¡¯t much time left. Tututuk! Tuktuktuk! It had been raining harder than ever. It wasn''t too troublesome like a typhoon that blocked his view, but there was still something troubling him. That the water had risen to a higher level than before. The water had risen from his calves to his waist, and now it was at the level of his chest. Airn felt an unpleasant feeling and swung his sword. Swish! sh! It was a failure this time too. Airn let out another deep sigh, and feeling as if something was forming in his chest; he had the urge to vomit. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± But only his breath came out. There was still something suffocating and frustrating within him. ¡­ he shook his head to shake off the water and then swung his sword again. Of course, it had no effect; since the rain kept falling on him. The clown devil didn¡¯t move. From under the rising water level, he just kept watching Airn. More and more time passed. Now, he couldn''t breathe anymore. The water had reached the bottom of his head, which deprived Airn of his freedom to breathe. It wasn¡¯t life-threatening, though. The only moment he would lose his life, would be when he gave up everything and epted the darkness. This scenario was because, in the first ce, in a world made of sorcery and magi,mon sense couldn¡¯t be brought into the picture. However, whether he would be able to save his life or not still wasn¡¯t a guarantee. Airn swung his sword in response to his emotions. Woong! Woong! It was a much stronger attack than before. However, it was still impossible to cut it. All he could do was push it away with a huge force. Airn felt like screaming at the sudden influx of water which came rushing back. But he couldn¡¯t. The water-filled his surroundingspletely. The emotions inside him were tormenting him. At some point, Airn was more focused on his feelings of not being able to cut the water, rather than trying to cut. How long did he have to do this? If someone just kept working hard, would they get what they wanted? And if that didn¡¯t work, then what was he supposed to do? How was he supposed to get rid of the frustration which was invading his mind? His anger, which was as thick as water, and not fire, was exhausting his body and mind. The problem was that an even greater anxiety was filling his head.1 ¡®Just how long have I been trapped in here?¡¯ Airn, remembering the past, bit his lip. The sorcery barrier he made to ovee his weakness, and the events inside it, where he gained unparalleled power, excellent swordsmanship, and confidence. However, he lost something too. Five¡­ five years of time was lost. When he remembered his sister''s face, which was stained in tears, his heart pounded violently. And now, the same thing was happening again. No, this time, it was even worse. ¡®¡­ this time, there is no definite time when this can end.¡¯ Woong! Kwakwakwang! Airn grunted and raised his aura to the extreme and cut it again. But the result was the same. It didn¡¯t take long for the water toe rushing back violently. Bubble bubble¡­ Airn exhaled. He couldn¡¯t breathe. He was already filled with negative emotions to the point that nothing more could enter his mind. Just like the water which was filling this ce. The Clown who watched it, finally smiled. ¡®I just need to wait a little more.¡¯ The devil looked at Airn. He looked inside of Airn and not the outside. It was over. The negative emotions inside him were making him more anxious. It was making him sink deeper and deeper. What would happen next? It wasn¡¯t even worth thinking about. He had seen countless times what the end of a human being engrossed in such emotions was like. The Clown smiled. ¡®A little more, just a little more.¡¯ Just a little more, and he could see the image of a young hero who wielded the sword, fallpletely into jeopardy. Beneath the water, the devil waited patiently for that time toe. Many years have passed. The pouring rain had no meaning anymore. Under theke water, which had reached dozens of meters above his head, Airn still continued to swing his sword. He didn¡¯t even know if it was meaningful anymore or not. Even now, his sword was just vainly cutting the current. His mind was filled with negative emotions. Especially the anxiety about the passage of time. The ce which he had once thought was the best ce to practice, had now ced him in pain each second. ¡­ still, the reason he didn¡¯t give up was because the only thing Airn had to do was try. Woong! There was a time when he ran from pain. To forget his childhood trauma, he tried to fall into a deep sleep to escape from reality. Woong! There were times when he copsed in the face of frustration. There were days when he was disappointed in himself for not being able to grow even after swinging the sword millions of times in the sorcery barrier, with growing doubts on whether he could actually do it. Woong! Yet, Airn still prevailed. No more running and no more hiding. Rather than sinking down to avoid fear and hardship, he raised his sword to move forward and rise above his feelings. And so, he constantly swung the sword. It wasn¡¯t because it was the right answer. It was because, at some point, he realized that not doing it at all was the wrong answer, and that if he didn¡¯t try, then there would be no growth. It was the same today too. He knew that if he gave up simply because he saw no hope or a way through, then it would be the end. If he truly did that, then the thin thread of opportunity would break, and he might never be able to get out. Trapped under the water, Airn would just die a tragic death. That couldn¡¯t happen to him. And so, it didn¡¯t. The foundation Airn had made until now, supported him and allowed him to keep moving forward. Wong! Woong! Bwoon! He continued to swing the sword. He couldn¡¯t even tell how many times he had done it. He swung it for as long as he could count. And continued after he couldn¡¯t¡­so much that it seemed like forever. He only focused on his sword. The feeling of impatience no longer flooded him. There were no more anxious thoughts. He didn¡¯t rise above, but he didn¡¯t sink further either. In the midst of the barrier filled with water, the young hero swung his sword. It was then that the clown devil appeared again. ¡°¡­ how.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Why, why, why, why are you making such useless effort?¡± The devil¡¯s voice resounded around. Airn didn¡¯t answer. It wasn¡¯t because he didn¡¯t think it was worth talking about, but rather because he didn¡¯t think too much of it at all. And he couldn¡¯t open his mouth because of the water. However, the Clown thought of it as a disrespect to him. ¡°You bastard, awfkkfkvlfaufwksutrjd I will eat you alive. Dnfhdgkrhskdkfdmfantlgo! Speak to me! How dare you ignore me! Tmfepdjqtmsshfurdmfdldjkrh!¡± Airn frowned. He couldn¡¯t understand it because thenguage of humans was mixed with thenguage of the devils. All he could feel was that the Clown was angry and impatient. ¡®Why is he like that?¡¯ Airn shook his head, disregarding the Clown Devil, and looked away. And just like before, he swung his sword. It was true that he was holding up well. However, that was it. He still hadn¡¯t found a clue to cut through the water. But he couldn¡¯t give up, so he kept moving. However, the Clown swore at him and seemed dissatisfied with him. Of course, there were no attacks. Because just as Airn couldn¡¯t harm the devil, the devil couldn¡¯t harm him either. But it was annoying. Even though he was in the water, Airn could still hear that piercing voice of the Clown and exhaled at that sound. The breath turned into air bubbles and went up to the surface of the water. When the Clown saw it, he yelled again. Was this a coincidence? This time he was able to clearly understand it. ¡°You can¡¯t do it! You won¡¯t do it! Water cutting? Nonsense! You will never be able to drain the water here¡­¡± Halt. Airn went stiff. As if time had stopped, Airn, who hadn''t moved at the Clown¡¯s words until then, turned and looked at the Clown. The devil met his gaze and frowned. ¡°Wh-what?¡± To him, Airn mouthed. You. Cleverly deceived me, right? ¡°¡­ what dog shit is that!¡± The Clown swore again. The malice flowing from the mask increased. The dark red water wrapped around Airn, but he didn¡¯t care anymore. Airn nodded, remembering the time when he was brought to this betting ce. ¡®You know what you need to do. What you should be cutting down. It should be this thing¡­ If you do that, then you can get out of this stinky, damp, and unpleasant space.'' It was clear to him now. The Clown said something had to be cut, but never said it was the water. ''Come to think of it, the school master also never spoke about cutting water either.'' Airn nodded. Now he understood. Why he couldn¡¯t get out of here. Why the Clown was so confident. It was because Airn had misunderstood it till then. His thinking had beenpletely wrong. Finally, his vision widened, and his eyes shone. ¡®What has to be cut isn¡¯t the water¡­¡¯ Airn took a stance. It was a softer posture. A calm energy rose from his body, and the sword he lifted was lighter than ever. Wooong¡­ There was no force behind it. It was really ordinary. Even though he held the title of Master, the Aura Sword didn¡¯t form on it. But it was fine. The water was all around. But it was the emotion that filled his heart. There was no sword more suitable for cutting off the excessive ¡®obsession¡¯ that had gued his mind. sh! Airn Pareira¡¯s sword fell through the water. as thick as water, and not fire ¨C Not too sure about what this means, but I suppose it might be an indicator of how opposite his emotions are from usual, because most of his willpower and his resolve have almost alwayse from the ¡®me¡¯ inside him.? Chapter 219: To be cut (3)

Chapter 219: To be cut (3)

¡°¡­.!¡± You. Deceived me, right? At those words and the calm face of Airn, the Clown knew the mistake he made. It was a mistake on his part. In a battle of patience like this, the one who hurries loses, and knowing that he came here himself, he couldn¡¯t bear it. He was so anxious that he burst out. Why? Since ancient times, betting had been his specialty. Unlike humans, who lived for 100 years, devils live for more than a thousand years. Even the youngest devil on the continent had lived several times longer than humans. To them, waiting for 10 to 20 years to see their prey suffer was like an appetizer before the actual meal. However, for the clown devil, he couldn¡¯t wait any longer. It was because of his memories from a thousand years ago. Back when despite waiting for decades, his painstaking efforts didn¡¯t bear fruit. When in the midst of immense pain and anger, the suffering and doubt, a human still didn¡¯t fall. The devil still had scars caused by Karen Winker, who had threatened his existence. ¡°Damn it, damn it!¡± As if realizing something from the devil¡¯s words, Airn closed his eyes and concentrated. The Clown who watched it rushed in quickly. He tried to headbutt the man. Waaang! Despite the two defeats in his life, he was strong. But his attack just then was in vain. It was because of this ce. He couldn''t do anything other than speak to the opponent. Still, the Clown didn''t stop. He continued to hit Airn with his fists and kicks. He tried his best to distract the man. But Airn continued to ignore the Clown, and after some time passed, he opened his eyes and lowered his sword. Swosh! sp! ¡°¡­!¡± It was a simple sh with the sword. At least it seemed like that. But the Clown knew. The strength of the man¡¯s sword even without Aura on it. The fact that he created a rift in a barrier filled with darkness. sh! sh! And Airn¡¯s swordsmanship didn¡¯t end with one sh. He knew, and the more he did, the more he understood. Seeing him continuously wield the sword with a lighter expression, the Clown turned furious. Swear words in the demonic tongue filled the space. But Airn didn¡¯t care. For him, who was immersed in his own world, the devil¡¯s screams were nothing. ¡°Kuak, ah¡­¡± A little more time passed, and the Clown couldn''t even get angry anymore. The sword that cuts water. No, Airn, who realized the sword that cut his obsessions, was the winner of the bet, and so, the loser had to pay the price. The devil exploded with a painful expression and vanished, leaving behind bones. The disgusting debris melted into the water. But Airn didn¡¯t care. His thoughts were directed elsewhere. ¡®Now I realize.¡¯ When he saw Ian teaching him the sword to cut water, Airn was filled with strange thoughts. The magnificent sword which struck the water on the first day, and the insignificant sword which Ian showed him on the second day. What did it mean? Ian didn¡¯t even give an exnation. It would be a lie if he said he didn''t feel frustrated at the look of his teacher, who didn''t seem to want to answer the question. But now he knew. If he had told him the answer, Airn wouldn¡¯t have realized what it truly meant. If he said that what had to be cut down was his obsession, then only his mind would understand it, but his heart couldn¡¯t have truly understood it. Of course, that wasn¡¯t the case now. After enduring it for many years and swinging the sword, Airn felt another pain. An intense emotion like when he understood that too much fire was harmful to him¡­ he realized that emotions which umte slowly like water, were harmful as well. ¡®Let¡¯s not do that anymore.¡¯ Crack... The cracks got worse. The stagnant water, which couldn''t flow and had a foul odor, leaked through the cracks in the barrier, and then started flowing out. The negative emotions which had umted because of the excessive obsessions within him, were starting to flow away. It was an effort to let go, and not an effort to hold on. A new change took over Airn¡¯s body. Woong¡­ No, to be exact, it was a change caused by the Five spirits ne Airn was wearing. It embraced the energy of steel perfected in his past life, and radiated the energy of fire which was ignited in the present life. The energy of water, which flowed harmoniously and proudly, was also bnced. It wasn''t just metal, fire, and water. The other two spirits were also present. Earth, which was not as hard as metal but was more tolerant and stable, grew within him. It wasn¡¯t too strong to be used, but it was at a level where it could be said that a foundation had been created. The energy of wood was the same. Although it was still a sprout, it still formed a solid foundation and could grow into a healthy tree anytime. The water, fire, and metal inside Airn helped with all of this. The five spirits formed within him, and the light in the ne grew brighter. Wooong¡­ The five spirits rotated and mixed and turned into Yin and Yang. As Yin and Yang started chasing each other by their tails, they turned into a single circle. Before the devils were born, the reality that became the source of all things in the universe, The Great Ultimate, was revealed to the world. Of course, Airn didn¡¯t know of it. For Airn, who was now only tapping into the 3rd of the five spirits, it was too much for him to handle. Woong! Woong! sh! The sword fell on the barrier as Airn shed down. Forgetting the passage of time and change in scenery, he continued to move his body. Slowly, without any rush, he checked himself and kept doing it. He came to his senses when the darkness passed, and the warm sunlight fell on his golden hair. ¡°¡­¡± And then, as he looked around, he saw a normal scenery. The emerald water swaying. The atmosphere was a bit strange, but it seemed natural. The devil appeared, so there was no way the people who were catching fishes before stayed. Were they fine? Were there any injured or dead? It was when Airn thought of it. ¡°Brother!¡± ¡°Airn!¡± He heard familiar voices. Airn shook his head. He saw something huge, but it was neither a lion nor a bird, but it was the Griffin of his sister, Kirill. The color of anger which was on her face soon disappeared. And it was reced with concern. ¡®Maybe, a long time passed again¡­¡¯ Airn¡¯s expression worsened. In the past, five years had passed when he came out of such a sorcery barrier. As a result, he became conscious about the time, but when he thought about how the people in his life would have felt in his absence, his heart went heavy. ''This time, too, I feel like a lot of time has passed¡­¡¯ As he thought that, the giant Griffinnded. Contrary to the dignified body of the creature, its face looked cute. It felt more like a parrot than an eagle topare, and it wasn¡¯t Kirill¡¯s taste. Three people jumped off the Griffin''s back. The moment he saw that Kirill, Lulu, and Ian¡¯s appearances seemed to be the same as before, Airn sighed in relief. This was good. Maybe just a year has passed. A year or maybe two. ¡®Ah, if it has been more than two, I am dead...¡¯ He recalled the promise he made to Ilya, and now he became nervous. ¡°Kirill.¡± ¡°Brother, are you fine? The devil? Did the devil really appear?¡± ¡°Huh, I am fine. Rather it was okay. The devil¡­ right. I¡¯ll exin that¡­ but¡­¡± Could you tell me how much time has passed? Airn asked very cautiously, and silence passed. It wasn¡¯t long. Probably the time it took for them to blink their eyes three or four times... However, that moment felt too long for Airn. Of course, he wasn¡¯t too worried. ¡°As of today, it has been a week.¡± "I told you right, Kirill? You said it would take too much time.¡± "This time? Then did you know that it would take five years thest time?¡± ¡°A-no. I didn¡¯t mean¡­¡± Kirill looked at Lulu, who avoided her gaze. Seeing that, Airn was genuinely happy, but Ian, who stayed silent, took a step and stood in front of them. And asked. ¡°Did you realize the sword of water?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Airn didn¡¯t answer it. Swosh, he summoned his golden sword and walked to theke. Ian, Kirill, and Lulu turned to him. Swish! sh! There was nothing special about Airn¡¯s sword that was shown to them. He just swung the word, and the water sshed. However, looking back at the three of them, Airn¡¯s expression was supremely refreshing. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I feel that my heart is much cooler than before.¡¯ Hearing those words from his disciple, Ian smiled. That evening, after telling everyone what happened with the Clown, Ian handed Airn his graduation card. It wasn¡¯t something that meant much. After leaving the arms of Krono, Airn had already be a full-fledged swordsman, and he spoke to Ian. ¡°I still think that I have a lot to learn, so is it fine to take this graduation¡­¡± ¡°Huhu, if you can¡¯t graduate, then what about the others? Say something that at least makes sense.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Stop. After all, graduation is just the beginning, so don¡¯t take it too seriously. And¡­¡± With a moment''s hesitation, Ian spoke. ¡°Since you are now a graduate of Krono, it means that I can exchange ideas about swords on equal footing with another capable Sword Master. And that means¡­¡± It meant that he was full of qualifications to face Khun. With that, Ian sipped his tea. Airn, who sat across, lifted his teacup. ¡®By the way, I came here to find Khun¡¯s whereabouts and gain his approval.¡¯ It was strange. Obviously, he had wanted to meet Khun until a week ago. He could join the subjugation squad with his approval. Only those thoughts filled his head. But not now. But, that didn¡¯t mean that he didn¡¯t want to meet Khun. This was an opportunity to meet a swordsman as good as Ian. He was now Airn who wasn¡¯t obsessed, and was the Airn not overdoing anything, and was the Airn who had realized the heart of flowing water. But he still had no intention of rejecting this encounter with Khun. The me in his head zed softly. ¡®And, above all¡­¡¯ He wanted to see Judith. Recalling her angry face, Airn Pareira smiled brightly. Chapter 220: Do me a favor (1)

Chapter 220: Do me a favor (1)

A day after Airn formally graduated from Krono, the party moved to where Khun and Judith were staying. ¡°I¡¯ve had enough for a while. And I don¡¯t really want to see him now.¡± Ian didn¡¯t apany them. At those words, Kirill seemed visibly sad. Although she wasn''t a swordsman, the rivalry between Khun and Ian was something that had been news for decades and was something anyone would be interested in. Of course, she couldn¡¯t say it out loud, and in the end, the only ones on the Griffin were Kirill, Airn, and Lulu. On the stable back of the Griffin, Airn closed his eyes. His thoughts naturally moved towards the heart of water that he had recently learned. ¡®I¡¯ve been thinking of itpletely wrong all this time.¡¯ Why did he want to learn the sword of water? It was to control the fire which grew out of control. It was because the fire he got from I, stimted by Ilya and ignited by countless other events, had started to harm him. However, that thought was so strong that he neglected to understand what water meant. He just wanted to put out the fire. He wanted to get the sword of water for it. And to do that, he wanted to cut the water. And Airn forced himself with these thoughts to a level where he had be obsessed with it. It was only when he reached the end of the Dark barrier did he realize that it wasn¡¯t a healthy mind. ¡°Phew¡­¡± With that, Airn exhaled and focused on the world of imagery. A towering sword greeted him. It was the same with the fire around it. However, it wasn¡¯t as strong as it used to be. And he epted that. It was because of the energy of water. Airn, who looked at the stream of water flowing through his heart, nodded and thought. ¡®It was a mistake to try and put out the fire by forcing the water.¡¯ He recalled the thoughts he had inside the Dark Barrier. His excessive obsession spurred emotions within him, and these stagnant emotions led to all kinds of negative thoughts and ideas forming in him. Disappointment, shame, fatigue, and a lot more simr emotions were tearing down his heart and making it rot. It wasn¡¯t until a long timeter that he realized that what he was doing wasn¡¯t a healthy effort. ¡®It¡¯s still there. All those emotions are still buried deep in my heart.¡¯ Looking at the stream of water inside him, which was flowing naturally without being trapped, he tried to look at a wider picture. Some would have arge pool of water within them, but that wasn¡¯t the case for Airn. This was something Airn had created in himself just recently. He stared at the small puddle, when he heard a loud, distracting sound. Airn opened his eyes and looked behind him at Lulu, who had turned into a sorcery girl and was spewing fire from her mouth. Beam! ¡°Ack! Ahh! This is so annoying!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother her, brother.¡± Hearing Kirill''s words, Airn nodded. Just looking at it, he knew that Lulu was in a sensitive state. The reason was obvious. She was trying to analyze the five spirits ne, but it didn¡¯t seem to be going well. ¡®Lulu said that the reason I got out of there quickly was thanks to the ne.¡¯ The five spirits they see in the world, or the five elements. However, it was said that all the spirits were one at first. The Great Circle (Universe) that contained all the things of the world as well as the five spirits. ¡®I heard that it also held a concept of space and time in it. Gorha told me! So, if I observe and analyze it with the intuition of a sorcerer, I have to understand something!¡¯ Lulu had spoken confidently with her chest puffed out. But not anymore. Looking at her anxious expression like she would burst any moment, Airn asked Kirill. "I thought you would be blunt and yell at her; surprisingly, you are being considerate?" ¡°¡­ what does brother take me for? Did you think I wouldn¡¯t understand the mind of a sorcerer?¡± ¡°Ah, no¡­¡± ¡°Right? No, right? At least prove your sincerity to me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Airn went silent. He had no excuses for the way he put his words just then. Thinking for a moment, he asked. ¡°Can I think about it for a little more?¡± ¡°Of course not. The more you think, the more I can hear words I like, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Airn avoided the gaze of his younger sister. Either way, the Griffin was flying fast towards its destination. Thud! ¡°Phew, phew.¡± Judith, who was sweating as if it was midsummer,y t on the field. No matter how much she held on, she wasn¡¯t the unreasonable version of herself anymore. She stared at the sky to soothe her mind and body. A gust of wind cooled her body which was feeling hot. A sight that any teacher would be happy to witness. However, Khun, who was swinging his sword next to her, wasn''t like that. "This little bastard! Are you that tired? You must have no passion for the sword or the desire topete with your enemies; your burning will should be to be the best in the world!" ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Look at me! I am close to 100 years old, but I am still more passionate than you. Yah! Loser! This is what you fragile flowers are like! Look at my tenacity, which doesn''t copse! The poison within me which makes me want to swing my sword once more for the sake of my rivals! That is the attitude that a disciple of Khun is supposed to have! Pheew! It¡¯s too hot!¡± Khun swung his sword like a madman. Judith couldn¡¯t believe this. She didn¡¯t realize it in the academy. But this man was so childish! She just thought of him as a wonderful person who didn¡¯t like losing to anyone, that he was the only one person who could understand her desire to stand higher than others, and that he was someone who was willing to endure extreme pain in his life to achieve his goals¡­ ¡°Haaa! Die! Ian, die! You bald idiot! Stupid bastard who¡¯s shorter than me! Dieee!¡± Woong! Whoop! ¡®Well, the world must have people like him too.¡¯ She shook her head. It wasn¡¯t like she couldn¡¯t understand Khun¡¯s behavior. In a way, it was natural for a man who trained his sword for one victory in his life to explode in such anger and desire to win against Ian. And it was true that the fire-like properties within him which matched his personality were simr to herself. Judith, who raised her upper body, said. ¡°Does such childish swearing help your training!¡± ¡°Of course, phew! Hash!¡± Wheik! Wheik! Khun responded coolly. A truly dazzling swordsmanship. It was such a quick sword even for Judith¡¯s eyes, who was now a top expert. Judith didn¡¯t think about anything else anymore. And Khun didn¡¯t care either. He kept unleashing his swordsmanship, and he spoke. ¡°You idiot, gasp, gasp, gasp, people like us, huh, who have a bad temper, huh, huh, need to be annoyed¡­. Huh! That will give you more strength, huh, no, but strength will start building? Huh! It will make talented bastards stay on their toes, huh! And they will want to follow you!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Judith, who heard that, had a terrified expression on. Khun was always like this. In order to pursue talented people, he would say to work hard, save the time to eat and sleep, and instead use that also to work hard. A peace of mind? A break for effective training? He never spoke about it. He would only think about how to use the sword once more or if he could continue the training even longer. That was also his reason for swearing at Ian. By raising his anger, envy, and jealousy towards him, Khun wouldn''t be able to rest. ¡®But, why bother calling the schoolmaster bald?'' Judith grumbled. However, contrary to that, her body felt alive. She thought it was childish, but she also thought that this method of Khun¡¯s was effective, at least for people like them. ¡°Tch.¡± She thought and remembered several people. Who was the bastard who annoyed her the most? Who could make the fire in her chest burn brighter? The moment she thought about it, she found who it was. There he was, the image of Airn Pareira, before her eyes. ¡°Airn, you bastard! Wheik! The red sword that was gifted to her by Tarakan, was swung. A tree which was struck was split in half. Still, Judith didn¡¯t stop there. Rather, she began to show off her swordsmanship by running wildly. And the profanities at Airn continued. ¡®You disgusting bastard!¡¯ It wasn¡¯t that she hated him. Rather she felt d. As a friend, she liked him more than anyone. Even more so than the school mates she had been with in Krono for thest five years. Seeing that kind, gentle, and foolish appearance he always had, would make anyone feel like it as well. Wheik! But if she put those feelings aside, Judith felt really annoyed with him. Because of the potential, she didn''t have. That brilliant talent which made her look too humble. Recalling the face of her rival, who started outter than her but still ran faster than her, she swung her sword. Kwakwakwang! ¡°Hm, good. Who did you think of? Airn?¡± Khun, who was watching, asked her. If Ian had seen this, he would have put on a worried expression, but not Khun. Such was the driving force that lifted people like them. Even though everyone denied it, he didn¡¯t care. For him, it was the truth. Judith too, thought the same. So, she answered. ¡°Right, huh, it is that, huh, bastard!¡± ¡°Right. From now on, whenever you see Airn, just call him a bastard!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°What is Airn?¡± ¡°A bastard!¡± ¡°And what about that bastard?¡± ¡°Airn! I will kill you!¡± Judith''s voice echoed. Even the birds flying in the sky seemed startled, and Khun chuckled, until something caught his eyes. A Griffin. ¡°¡­¡± A fantasy animal that couldn''t exist in reality, adjusted its speed and touched the ground. Two humans and one cat jumped down from the Griffin andnded on the ground. Lulu. Kirill Pareira. And Airn Pareira. Khun, who didn¡¯t know who they were, frowned. But Judith did. However, finding the face she wanted to beat more than anyone else, she pointed the sword at him and shouted. ¡°Airn! You bastard!¡± Tung! Judith, who moved strongly, rushed towards the young Sword Master. Chapter 221: Do me a favor (2)

Chapter 221: Do me a favor (2)

¡°Ah, the weather is nice.¡± It wasn''t just the weather which was good. Kirill Pareira looked down from above and seemed to be in a good mood. Her brother was back. That too in a very short period of one week. Of course, there was Lulu who kept saying it wouldn''t take five years, but she thought her brother would be stuck in there at least for a few months. Of course, the problem was that the barrier wasn¡¯t entirely his own, but was part of a devil¡¯s too¡­ ¡®What more? The devil, which he defeated twice.¡¯ Right. ording to Lulu, the devil was so great that all the pdins of the Holy Kingdom came. However, her brother defeated such a devil, twice. And this time, it was all by himself. Kirill turned and looked at Airn. The image of him immersed in meditation with a calm face felt so reliable to her. ¡°Lulu, isn¡¯t my brother so cool?¡± ¡°Huh! Airn is always cool!¡± She smiled and stroked Lulu¡¯s head. And then unfolded a map to check where they should head to. There was not much distance that was left. They would soon arrive at their destination. A house, which was built on a wide field, came into their eyes. In front of it, they saw two people wielding their swords. ¡®I finally get to see him.¡¯ One of the strongest men on the continent, Khun. And Judith, the first disciple he had epted and one of her brother¡¯s closest friends. It was the second person who drew Kirill¡¯s attention more, and it was because of the sweet, fresh, and innocent romance that the woman had. When she was young, she didn¡¯t know much and kept practicing sorcery to protect and take care of her brother. However, as she got older and was old enough to know stuff, Kirill too started to get interested in the opposite sex little by little. And for her, Judith, who achieved love despite the restrictions of her teacher, seemed like a very cool person. What kind of person would she be? What kind of woman could she be if she had grasped the heart of a high-ranking noble and made him more passionate for romance? It was when those kinds of thoughts had popped into Kirill¡¯s head. ¡°Airn! I will kill you!¡± Flinch. Lulu, who was moving on the griffin, stopped. And looked at Airn and then at Kirill. She hadn¡¯t heard it wrong. Both the humans were looking below them, startled at what they heard. The one Lulu focused on more was Kirill. ¡®¡­. This is bad!¡¯ A cold face. She could feel the raging emotions in Kirill¡¯s eyes. She knew that this anger was directed at the one who had yelled this, ¡°Hey, Kirill¡­¡± ¡°Be quiet.¡± ¡°¡­¡± And she heard that, Lulu went silent. Airn held the cat warmly in his arms and tried to calm his sister down. ¡°K-Kirill? So, I don¡¯t know what is happening, but Judith¡­¡± ¡°It is fine, brother. I am just acting like usual; I am not that kind of a person anymore.¡± Airn couldn¡¯t say much after that. Kirill, who controlled her emotions, then said in a cold manner. ¡°I just want to know the reason why my brother was cursed.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Airn scratched his chin. He couldn¡¯t think of any excuses. He knew Judith, but he couldn¡¯t think of any reason for why she had cursed him. All he knew was that it wasn¡¯t said with any bad intention. It was a situation where those who didn¡¯t know Judith could misunderstand the eventspletely. In the end, he couldn¡¯t say anything until the griffinnded. Immediately after, they allnded on the ground. And then¡­ ¡°Airn! You bastard!¡± Phut! Seeing Judith rushing in with a bright smile, the three of them were shocked. ¡®What is with her?¡¯ The most shocked person was Kirill. Airn and Lulu were familiar with Judith, but not Kirill. She did hear about her, but she never thought that she was someone who would pull out a sword and run at someone she had just met. What was even more disconcerting was. Kang! ¡®¡­ I can¡¯t interfere!¡¯ Even when Judith¡¯s sword collided with her brother¡¯s, she had to restrain her desire to take down that woman. Kirill gulped. The red-haired woman didn¡¯t even look at Kirill and kept her eyes on Airn. Yet, she felt afraid, scared. The moment she faced that terrifying aura around her, the sorcerer who had feared nothing in the world, took a step back. Bang! Kwang! Kwakwang! Judith didn¡¯t care about anything and only looked at AIrn. She could see her best friend and the one she wanted to defeat the most, exuding a golden energy. She wanted to beat him. She wanted to win over him. And that was all; she just wanted to win against the one who she thought was the best! Her immense fighting spirit and her desire to win ignited her heart once more. The fire gave her exhausted body new strength and created an intense aura. And without knowing it, Judith swung her sword. Kwaang! Surprisingly, these were the most satisfying strikes she had done all day. The speed was good, the power was great, so she was convinced that these were the best she had done the entire day. Judith¡¯s current pace was not bad at all, and even Khun, who was picky, nodded in approval. But, she wasn¡¯t satisfied. She couldn¡¯t be satisfied with just this. Exhaling a fiery breath, Khun¡¯s disciple looked at Ian''s disciple. She looked into his rxed eyes. And she got annoyed. She was so angry that she couldn¡¯t stand it. Right now, she was doing her best. No, she was now doing even better than when she was at her best¡­ ¡®The gap has widened so much that even his breathing isn¡¯t being shaken.¡¯ It was a cold and cruel reality. Seeing her friend who didn¡¯t even use his aura sword, Judith gulped. Even if Airn had only panted, she would have felt d. She was angry at what had happened. But she didn¡¯t want to waste such emotions. She wanted to embrace it and carry it with her so it could make her stronger. Her anger was ring up. Judith, who was deeply immersed in her feelings, moved. Phat! She moved in a straight line. There was nothing special about it; it was nothingpared to her first strike either. It was a movement so simple that the opponent would feel confused at the simplicity. But. ¡°¡­¡± Not Airn. He couldn''t help it because Judith was nowhere to be seen. Although she was not as big as his body, she still had arge body for a woman, and yet she had disappeared. And her body had been reced with a sword. The only thing that could be seen was the reddish sword which felt erged,ing at him. The shing sword represented Judith better than anything else. And it was more powerful than ever! ¡°Hmm!¡± Woong! As soon as that thought crossed his mind, Airn drew out the Aura Sword and swung it. His muscr strength, his aura, and even the strength of his mind were pulled out, and the best move he could make in that situation was performed. ng! The golden sword and red sword collided. Immediately after, the red sword that couldn¡¯t stand it bounced back. And Judith, who wasn¡¯t seen until then, appeared there. She tumbled and flew off far away. The impact was so great that, if she had been a normal person, she would¡¯ve died a dozen times over, but Judith resisted, and she never let go of her sword even then. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean that she was entirely safe. Shocked at what he did, Airn thought. ¡®Shit, I overdid it!¡¯ Even though the match had started out of nowhere, his movements throughout the duel had been rxed. It was unavoidable. After the Land of Proof, the gap between the two had turned wide as the sky and earth. No matter how talented Judith was, she was still an Expert, and she would fall short of Airn, who even Quincy Myers had acknowledged. It was simr toparing it to a fight between an adult and a child. But¡­ ''Thest blow was like an exploding firework.'' Right. He looked at the weapon raging in, and didn¡¯t have a choice but to be wary of it. And what Judith was holding wasn¡¯t just a sword, but rather, he felt like it had been me itself. It was burning so intensely, that he couldn¡¯t even see her figure. And that made it so frightening that Airn''s body went still at that instant. ¡®Now isn¡¯t the time to think about it!¡¯ Airn stopped thinking, and although that shocking blow still lingered on his mind, right now, Judith¡¯s condition was more important. He hardened his expression and ran towards Judith. No, he was about to run; however, Judith''s teacher, Khun, blocked them. He said. ¡°It is fine. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°Do you think I would have such a feeble bastard as a disciple? She is fine. It might have hurt a little, but it¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But it is quite pitiful, so maybe a recovery potion has to be applied? It might hurt otherwise.¡± ¡°¡­ thank you.¡± ¡°What for? Rather, I am grateful to you.¡± Khunughed. His words were sincere. He remembered the battle he watched just now. The training he had made just for Judith. At the same time, he thought that the oue of the battle was good. Especially that quick sword that she used. If Judith could maximize what she discovered today, new chances would definitely open for her. ¡®Even though not all the aspects were perfect, if just her strength was honed to the limit then¡­¡¯ Thinking that, Khun smiled and said. ¡°Airn Pareira, do you still have strength left? Pick up your sword.¡± ¡°¡­ yes.¡± Woon! A force that surged like an explosion. And in front of a great swordsman, who waspletely different from his teacher Ian, Airn raised his sword. ¡®Today, I have a lot to gain.¡¯ On his face, just like Khun, there was a smile that couldn¡¯t be hidden. Chapter 222: Do me a favor (3)

Chapter 222: Do me a favor (3)

The wind blew. A wind that wasn¡¯t strong enough to cool down the heated air blew past Airn and Khun. There was a sense of tension in the air which made it seem like a battle would spark any moment. However, the match didn¡¯t start right away. Step, step, Kirill started walking and stood there between the two. There were no signs of fear on her face. Khun, who got slightly flustered as he saw Kirill walk forward, asked. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I want to take a look at sister Judith.¡± ¡°But she¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°Just because she is fine, there is no reason to not help her, right? Wait a minute. I willy her down and give her a simple healing.¡± ¡°What? Are you a priest?¡± ¡°I am a sorcerer. But a simple treatment is possible.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ah, don¡¯t fight immediately. I want to see my brother fight, as his sister.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Do you get it?¡± ¡°Huh, look at her.¡± Khun smirked. Was it because she was the sister of Airn Pareira, who was now famous on the continent? The woman didn¡¯t seem like a normal person. She had a dignified figure and seemed like an interesting person. So, he nodded. ¡°Okay. Finish it ande quickly.¡± ¡°Yes. Lulu, help me.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lulu, transformed into her sorcery girl form and raised her wand. And Judith, who was lying on the floor, started to float in the air. Once Kirill and the others entered the house, Khun, who watched them, looked at Airn and asked. ¡°She is quite different from you.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Have Judith and your sister already met each other? It didn¡¯t seem like it¡­ but your sister seems to care about my disciple.¡± ¡°This is their first meeting.¡± Airn said with a smile. He couldn¡¯t understand her actions either. Kirill must have felt something in Judith with her sorcery senses. ¡®I don¡¯t know for sure, but it is good that it worked out better than I hoped it would.¡¯ After a while, the door opened. Lulu returned as a cat, and Kirill came out with a proud expression. And said, ¡°You can now start.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I am not the type to listen to anyone¡­¡± Khun smiled and mumbled. But he didn¡¯t feel bad. After all, even from back when they were young, Airn knew that his younger sister was the type of person who was more popr with unusual people. Airn, who thought that, took a stance with a serious expression. Ad said, ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Woong! Wooong! The two exchanged nces as they raised their Aura. The Aura Sword, which appeared at the same time, shone in gold and white. Surprisingly, the difference in length wasn¡¯t that significant. Of course, it couldn''t be better than Khun¡¯s, since he was known to be the best on the continent. However, there was another part that was truly shocking. Without any sign of movement, Khun¡¯s body disappeared. Shhh Kwang! ¡°Kua¡­.¡± And Airn let out a groan as he deflected the sword which came at him in an instant. He was really surprised and was almost on the verge of losing. Khun¡¯s sword was that fast. As he moved his feet and narrowed the distance, he held out his sword. Pop! Kwang! Pop! Khun kept stabbing at Airn. And Airn raised his senses to the peak and countered it. Some of the attacks were avoided, and some of them were blocked. And then, he tried to find his own pace. The energy of metal which welled up from within made Airn¡¯s sword stronger and heavier. His eyes, looking for the counterattack, shone sharply for a second. But it was in vain. Receiving the constantly pouring attacks from Khun, Airn realized howrge the gap was between him and one of the three major swordsmen on the continent. ¡®I can¡¯t be strong with a heavy sword.¡¯ A heavy sword wasn¡¯t necessarily a slow sword. It was supposed to be a pressure-oriented sword that advances hard and heavy, and one that aimed to upy the opponent¡¯s space and limit the freedom of movement of the opponent. However, it kept getting blocked from the start. Khun was always in a position where he could advance freely. The opponent¡¯s sword was always present and was constantly moving in for more space. Not only did Khun have a strong sword, but he also had the most perfect posture and was fully prepared. Even though Airn¡¯s was a heavy sword that didn¡¯t get pushed back in a head-on collision, it wasn¡¯t possible for Airn to gain an advantage over opponents who were prepared, quickly. Surely¡­ ¡®But I can¡¯t give up like this.¡¯ Airn smiled. It was strange. If it was him when he was in Rabat, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to maintain hisposure like now. He would have struggled to get Khun¡¯s approval somehow, and made an unreasonable move to prove himself. But not now. He didn¡¯t realize it, but the sword of water flowing through his heart was giving him a sense of calmness. Of course, it wasn¡¯t just him being calm. Airn was a young swordsman. Unlike the old swordsman who experienced a lot of stuff and had felt most of the world, Airn was still young and fairly inexperienced. So, his passion was still burning bright. And the water tuned into that brightly burning passion. Tung! He raised the energy of metal and blocked his opponent¡¯s sword. Khun found that interesting. He could feel the heaviness of Airn¡¯s sword on his hands. Airn counterattacked, aiming for that momentary gap. And added fire to the metal. A sword that had been heated like an iron ingot at a metal forge was swung towards Khun. ¡®It is beyond my imagination.¡¯ The interest in Khun¡¯s eyes grew. He was honestly amazed. He thought that Airn was just a turtle in its shell trying hard to defend itself, but for the same kid to notice the gap in his movements and attack him. And the attack wasn¡¯t even from a normal sword. It had a strong will, and in addition to that, there was a hot and ferocious energy which refused to back down. If it was an opponent of the same level, the energy would have been terrifying. Of course, Khun was higher than Airn. Heughed and raised his Aura even more. And his strength, his Aura, and his mind all served to elerate his body. The sword of the great swordsman, who had a serious expression on his face, was swung at the opponent who had tried to smash him. Kang! And it fell. Kang! It kept falling over and over again. After unleashing seven attacks in an instant, Khun took a step back with a rxed attitude. And said, ¡°You are quite good.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Airn couldn¡¯t follow his attacks. The opponent¡¯s attacks were pouring down at him with an incredible speed which made even the wind blow away. He realized that it was impossible to control the flow of his opponent with just metal. Nodding his head, Airn tried to speak to Khun. ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± ¡°You can call me Mr. Khunfortably. I am not very good with formality.¡± ¡°¡­ Mr. Khun. Excuse me, but could you give me a moment?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Khun stared at Airn. Normally he would have told him to not spew jokes and to get back into the match. Who would ask an opponent to wait in the middle of the match? He probably would have said something like, ¡®What is the need for a match if you need breaks?¡¯ But he didn¡¯t. Just like Ian couldn¡¯t understand Khun¡¯s sword. And like how Khun couldn''t chase after Ian¡¯s sword. The juniors would be the same. It was uneptable to treat Airn the way he taught Judith. ¡®I really did change as well.'' The person who had always trained and moved solely for defeating his opponents, now didn¡¯t. Before he knew it, he was treating Airn with the attitude of a teacher and smiled. ¡®Not like a teacher¡­ but like a senior, giving off a little generosity¡­¡¯ Not bad. Khun, who thought till there, nodded his head. And Airn too. His expression was strange. The young Sword Master was hard as steel and hot as mes, but yet he felt calm and rxed. Like Ian. However, not exactly like Ian. Khun showed interest in Airn¡¯s energy. ¡°Phew¡­¡± And slowly exhaled. Airn''s Aura was the same. Khun¡¯s eyes lit up as he felt his opponent''s Aura slowly and solemnly flow to his feet. ¡®It¡¯s like water.¡¯ No, it couldn¡¯t be simplypared to water. Kwakwakwang! The flow of energy, which seemed in and boring, suddenly changed violently at one point. It was like a tsunami. The force of Airn rushing in, wasn¡¯t simple to be called as ¡®just like water.'' Woo-! And to that ferocious energy, the energy of steel was also added. Watching the massive and heavy attack falling at him, Khun nodded. He smiled, and his eyes smiled too. The sword was nice. It was the same thought he had when he stopped Airn¡¯s attack previously. Kwang! Khun drew his sword! Kwang! And again! Kwang! Kwang! Ang! Kwang! Faster, faster, and even faster, he shot out the sword towards Airn. In fact, it was as if his hands were on fire, and he wanted to cut down the opponent. Kwaang! Khun wasn¡¯t Ian. He wasn¡¯t the best talent, nor did he have a brilliant mind. Unlike his rivals, who achieved remarkable achievements in many ways, his only achievement was the one weapon in his hand. A sword that cuts water? Of course, he didn¡¯t know about it. He didn¡¯t even want to know it either. Even without such a thing, he could deal with water. ¡°¡­!¡± Airn¡¯s eyes shone. With a terrifying speed, Khun¡¯s rapid flurry of sword attacks kept hitting the wave. It wasn¡¯t like Ian¡¯s grand movement, but it was powerful and swift and poured in countless times, and the water that came had no choice but to submit to those attacks. And the water was pushed aside. But because it was water, it would eventually once again unite despite being cut, but the sword that kept cutting the water, kept pushing the water aside.1 And the attacks repeated countless times. The result of this was the wave being split on both sides for a brief moment. And lying in between that gap was the young and promising swordsman. That gap was enough. And with a grin, Khun unleashed his sword, and the sword flew across the neck of the fully disarmed opponent. It was a perfect finish. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kirill and Lulu, who were watching it, said nothing. It was the same with Airn. Completely different from Ian, he had a nk expression at the opponent, who managed to find a way out. And smiled. ¡°Thank you so much. I learned a lot.¡± "¡­ learned my ass; you can''t even follow it.¡± Tch Khun, who had the sword in his hand grumbled, as he looked at Airn. It felt good, but also not good at the same time. He nced at the house and thought of Judith. ''I won''t say it is impossible, but¡­'' She was walking down a more difficult path than him. Mumbling in his mind, he sighed. I do not think there is actual ''water,'' but I think it''s probably the manifestation of Aura, very simr to the technique Bratt had shown earlier, but far more advanced.? Chapter 223: Do me a favor (4)

Chapter 223: Do me a favor (4)

¡°Phew.¡± Airn,y on the field sighing. It wasn¡¯t because he was frustrated. Just thinking about the series of battles which had happened in an hour, he immediately felt d. ¡®It was truly amazing.¡¯ Ian, who seemed to have stopped time and cut the water, and even Khun''s swordsmanship, which he had witnessed just then. A quick sword that split everything. That terrifying speed¡­ It was even more shocking to think that his stubbornness, no, his conviction, which Khun had been clinging on to all his life, was his sword. It wasn¡¯t just Khun¡¯s sword that surprised him. Judith had shocked him too. Airn slowly closed his eyes and thought of her in Durkali. And remembered the match. Judith, who wasn¡¯t afraid of breaking her body and burning her heart, the Judith who was ready to sublimate even the pain into her aura, and then the image of Judith who rushed in¡­ it was far beyond the fire Airn pursued. ¡®Amazing.¡¯ Airn nodded his head. He saw a lot of people like her. Charlotte and Victor were the same, Grayson too. It was the same with Ilya in the Land of Proof. They all harbored a sense of inferiority and possessed a fire they couldn¡¯t handle, and swung their swords in pain. Ignoring everything else, they were content with being stubborn and lonely. Strangely enough, when he saw Judith now, he didn¡¯t feel worried. No matter how intense the mes were, Airn was convinced that his friend could endure it. Then¡­ ¡°What about me?¡± Was it possible for me? Just like Judith. Would he be able to embrace the fire and develop it into such a threatening force that it would make even his opponents stop? ¡°You can¡¯t.¡± Did he look into Airn? Khun, who came closer, shook his head and answered. He sat down. ¡°A genius like you and Ian can never imitate it. Being good at this and that and other things¡­ Do you think that this loneliness and suffering can be endured by those who enjoy their lives and have fun with everything they learn? You can never do it. To be able to do such things¡­ only two people on the continent can do it.¡± He then pointed to himself and said. ¡°Me.¡± And at the house. ¡°And Judith.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hang in there. The day wille when you and your teacher will be defeated at the same time¡­¡± ¡°Certainly, I don¡¯t think I can keep up.¡± Airn, who raised his upper body, straightened his posture. He had a serious expression and serious eyes. Seeing that, Khun felt a little burdened. Airn, who was in front of him, continued to speak. ¡°You said I am a genius, but I am someone whocks a lot. I was helped by my family to get out of myziness, I borrowed the hands of ssmates and my teachers to develop my poor physical strength, and I received the teachings and advice of even more people to learn the sword. Still, it is still not enough. And it might never be enough. Perhaps, it is my fate to learn and depend on others for the rest of my life.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°To think that I am ahead of Judith, who goes through all that pain alone¡­ I wouldn¡¯t dare to think that.¡± It was sincere. Many swordsmen had tried walking on this lonely path, and now Judith was walking that same path which none could seed in. Even so, this friend of hers thought she was courageous and hard working. Airn looked more amazing than anyone. And it seemed the same, even for Khun, who walked a simr path. Although they had met only for an hour or so, he felt as if he had looked into the other person¡¯s life through swords. Of course, acknowledging them didn¡¯t mean denying yourself. It was simr to finding the right way and moving. He found his own way himself. And when times turn tough, he knew that he could hold someone else¡¯s hand. And that when he was tired, he could rest, relying on another person. ¡°¡­ even though I amcking a lot, I will continue to grow and move forward¡­ I want to remain a match for Judith, as a friend who isn¡¯tcking.¡± ¡°¡­¡± After Airn finished speaking, Khun looked at the eyes of the young swordsman. There was no weird energy, yet Airn felt as if his insides were being checked. It was a different but simr feeling to when he had met Ian. ¡®¡­ the eyes of a master swordsman who had risen to the highest position and those which were sharper than even a sorcerer¡¯s.¡¯ He gulped. The pressure was no joke. Of course, Khun didn¡¯t show signs of trying to harm Airn. He just frowned and sighed. And said. ¡°You keep hearing that you suck, right?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You¡¯re probably right. But, you deserve it.¡± ¡°What do¡­¡± "You are like an old man. You are different from Ian, who pretended to be like that when he was young. Your insides are old. From where did you get the soul of a 30-year-old?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But then again, it isn¡¯t like you are an old man.¡± When he saw what Airn was saying or thinking, he could feel a calmness and seriousness as well as a leisure that someone from Judith¡¯s age group would never have. However, there was passion too. Rather than blindly following the path of others, he went his own way but, at the same time, didn¡¯t refuse the help of others¡­ there was harmony and bnce. Which was why he sucked. The grumpy Khun stood up. ¡°Come in.¡± ¡°Where¡­.¡± ¡°To my home. Don¡¯t even think of saying that it is narrow. Don¡¯t make noise. Just be there with your mouth shut.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why are you dissatisfied¡­¡± ¡°Noints.¡± It wasn¡¯t Airn but Kirill who answered. She quietly watched the two of them talk and then approached them. Lulu, feeling the atmosphere of an impending argument, jumped down from her arms. Kirill didn¡¯t care. She put her hand on her waist and said. ¡°So, you are going to acknowledge my brother, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡®Right.¡¯ After hearing her words, Airn nodded. That was the reason he came here. He was so absorbed in the battle with Khun and Judith that he had forgotten about it. ¡°Huh, right.¡± Khun seemed puzzled. Airn was one thing, but this woman called Kirill was abnormal. Most people wouldn¡¯t dare to talk looking at him, and that was especially true after watching his sword, but this one seemed fearless. ¡®Seems quite strong, but¡­¡¯ For him, her personality was greater than her ability. That didn¡¯t mean he was going to back down. Khun was that kind of a man. He wasn¡¯t a generous senior or a kind old man; he was more like a fiery teenager. At this moment, a fire was raging hotter than before appeared and said. ¡°I¡¯ll have a talk with Airn for a second.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Judith came out of the house and walked, staggeringly. With an air around her telling the others to move. Lulu was the first to leave, Whik! Seeing Lulu flying into the house, Khun looked at her. And he then looked at Kirill, who also soon went inside. Seeing that, Airn was surprised. Judith was the first one to make Kirill so docile. She was the same around Ian too. ¡°It isn¡¯t like you are saying something secretive¡­.¡± ¡°Just leave us alone.¡± ¡°Huh, what kind of a disciple is this¡­¡± Khun, who moved, continued to mumble. However, he knew that he couldn''t break his disciple''s stubbornness. He too, moved into the house, leaving the two swordsmen of Krono in the field. Thud! ¡°Airn¡± ¡°Huh.¡± "You seem stronger than when we were in Durkali. Did something happen?" ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°I heard from teacher that you met some devil¡­ you weren¡¯t thinking of hiding it from me, right?¡± ¡°¡­ I will tell you.¡± Airn answered after a moment¡¯s hesitation. He knew that she must have already known something. And since he wasn¡¯t in a situation where he had to hide anything, he spoke freely. He told Judith everything that had happened sincest year, one event after another. And it was not just his own story. He knew that Judith was strong, and that she had chosen the most difficult path where she would be alone. So Airn wanted her to be happier and enjoy things. He hoped that she wouldn¡¯t live a painful life thinking only of the sword. He knew Judith would understand his effort too. With that thought in mind, Airn spoke about not just his story but of those around him as well¡­ and shared the thoughts and feelings of his friends. Judith¡¯s reaction was¡­ ¡°Hmm. Good.¡± ¡°What?¡± "You, Ilya, and I too. You are all unbelievable geniuses. Just thinking about it makes my stomach boil¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± "This amount of anger is right. Just thinking about this seems like it will help my training. Thank you, Airn." ¡°Sigh.¡± Airn shook his head. Judith was Judith. He smiled and looked at the darkening sky. At that moment, different words came out from Judith¡¯s mouth. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t mean toe at you like that as soon as I saw you. I knew it. And I know exactly what kind of dog-like personality I have and how fucking stupid I am. But I wasn¡¯t at fault¡­ no, shit, fault my ass. Rather, I am sorry that this happens each time I meet you, and you still keep struggling to help me. And I can¡¯t promise to not do it the next time¡­ but sorry.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ right.¡± Airn was taken aback by Judith¡¯s sincere apology. He knew her well, so this felt awkward to him. But it didn¡¯t stay like that for long. ¡®Come to think of it, Judith is serious when she has to be.¡¯ Airn remembered the past. In the final evaluation. At the reunion after five years. In the Land of Proof too, her heart was never rough or malicious. Rather¡­ ¡®It was always warm.¡¯ Airn, who faced Judith as a close friend rather than a swordsman, smiled brightly. Seeing that, Judith smiled and said. ¡°Fuck, that was funny¡­¡± ¡°Wait, why are you suddenly swearing¡­¡± "I rarely swear! Ah, I still need to cut it down. I kept listening to the teacher swear; it must have rubbed on me. Did I use too much?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°Ah, forget it. Don¡¯t answer.¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say sorry.¡± She opened her mouth and shut it and then searched her pocket. Airn, who watched that, stayed silent. What? Did she prepare something for him? It couldn¡¯t be. ¡°You, where are you going after here?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°No. How long does it take to go back and forth on that? On the Griffin? It will be quite fast, right?" ¡°But, why?¡± ¡°Then, do me a favor.¡± Judith, who hesitated, then made up her mind, and handed him something. It was a carefully sealed envelope. Seeing Airn with a nk face, she seemed flustered. ¡°Stop by Lloyds family and hand this letter to Bratt.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°T-tell me If you don¡¯t want to do it.¡± ¡°No, it is fine.¡± Airn who received it smiled. He felt d. Contrary to his worries, it seemed like Judith¡¯s life wouldn¡¯t be so lonely in the future. Chapter 224: Must be Crazy (1)

Chapter 224: Must be Crazy (1)

After the conversation with Judith was over, Airn and his party stayed overnight at Khun¡¯s house. And the next day, after having their breakfast, they left for the Llyod Estate. ¡°Thank you for letting us stay.¡± ¡°Of course, you should be thankful. It''s been ten years since I let someone sleep here. I have to practice now, so hurry up and get out already.¡± "You have a bad personality, unlike school master Ian." ¡°Unlike him? You people should have met that guy when he was young¡­¡± Khun grumbled a little. None of the members of the party cared about it, though. Airn turned to Judith and said. ¡°See you again.¡± ¡°Right. I don¡¯t know when it will be¡­ but I will see you.¡± Judith nodded and replied. They were normal words, but they had a different weight in them. Perhaps, the next time they met her, she would be much stronger than she was now. ¡°Kirill.¡± ¡°Yes, sister.¡± Judith called Kirill. Over the short time they had been together, they had formed a nice rtionship with each other and were looking at each other warmly. The two shook hands and shared a brief hug, and Kirill had a soft smile as she said. ¡°I will keep cheering for you.¡± ¡°Cheer for me? If I end up doing great, your brother will lose.¡± ¡°It is fine. If brother and sister work hard, you will win and lose to only each other. It is fine if he loses like that¡­¡± ¡°I n to win all my life, but¡­ since you are like my younger sister, I¡¯ll just close my eyes at such remarks.¡± Judith smiled and looked away. Lulu jumped up, knowing it was her turn to be hugged. ¡°Can Ie here and y with you next time?¡± ¡°No. For a while, I will have to focus on my training.¡± ¡°But I will only look at you and go, is that also not fine?¡± ¡°That is fine, but wouldn¡¯t it be boring for you?¡± ¡°It is fine. I wille to see you when Brattes. I think it will be fun seeing you two talk¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯te when Brattes.¡± ¡°Uhh? Eh?¡± Hearing Judith say that, Lulu felt shocked. Airn grabbed the cat and said with a smile. ¡°The letter¡­I will hand it over safely.¡± ¡°¡­ I get it, so get out already. Ah shit, mynguage is changing¡­¡± Judith looked at him with a grim expression, but Airn didn''t hate it. After shaking hands, he climbed onto the Griffin. ¡°I will get going, Mr. Khun! Thank you for teaching me.¡± ¡°Go.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Wooong! p! p! Airn and his party flew away with the help of the Griffin. And they were gone in the blink of an eye. And once they disappeared, Khun stopped staring. And like yesterday, he was back to training himself. ¡°¡­¡± Judith looked at the spot where they disappeared a little longer, and then she too went back to her training. Woong! They were all determined to follow their own ways. Woong! To catch up with their goals. Whong! Judith¡¯s mes burned more strongly as she thought about it. As they flew to Lloyd¡¯s estate on the Griffin¡¯s back, Airn was deep in thought. He had had two battles in one day, but¡­ yesterday¡¯s experience gave him great stimtion. Most of all, it made him think about his own path and the direction he had to take in his future as a swordsman. ¡®I am not like Judith.¡¯ She was someone who preferred to sharpen herself to the limit, thus covering their other shorings. It was something that could break easily, and yet, it could pierce anything too¡­ but Airn knew that pursuing such extremes was for Khun and Judith. And Airn wasn¡¯t like that either. As mentioned earlier, his direction was to ovee and supplement his shorings through experiences, teachings and interactions. Just like the five spirits created a synergy through coexistence and mutual prosperity. In the same sense, the journey they were on to the Lloyd estate was meaningful. It was because Bratt Lloyd was the closest to the ¡®water element¡¯ among all of Airn¡¯s friends. ¡®The problem is that my mind¡¯s distracted¡­.¡¯ He remembered what Judith saidst night. Although he had spoken bluntly, Khun had acknowledged him in the end. So if he wanted, he could deliver the letter to Bratt and join the subjugation squad right away. Before leaving, Khun had tossed an old coin to him as proof of it. He didn¡¯t know the meaning of it, but he was convinced that Julius Hul would let him join the squad if Airn showed that to him. But¡­ ¡®Is it okay for me to join the subjugation squad?¡¯ Airn was questioning himself because now, he wasn¡¯t sure of his qualifications. Back then, after escaping from the clown devil in the dungeon, he had beenpletely confident. He thought that he could go after each devil on the continent andpletely annihte them. But not now. He had met Ian and then the clown devil again. And then came his meeting with Khun and Judith. Even though Airn had learned a lot through these meetings, he also strangely felt as if he wasckingpared to before. Earlier, he had thought that just joining the group was enough, but now he wasn¡¯t sure whether he could stand shoulder to shoulder with the Pdins and I. ¡®¡­ then, what do I do?¡¯ Airn¡¯s expression turned serious. As a result, his thoughts deepened. He wanted to make the world a better ce. He wanted to create a world where everyone was happy, and a world where there was no one suffering. That was his goal, will and belief. And he had to subjugate all evil to achieve it. But if it was asked whether he could create benefits to the world in any other way¡­ It was difficult to answer. ¡°¡­ Hmm.¡± Airn woke up from his thoughts and quietly opened his eyes. Thendscape above the sky, which was now quite familiar, came into his view, and he looked at his sister. Who then asked, ¡°Are you fine?¡± ¡°I am.¡± ¡°I feel like there is somethingplicated in your mind.¡± ¡°There is. A lot of things are actually. But on the other hand, I feel like my abilities are toocking to deal with all my problems.¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Upon hearing that, Kirill too, had a serious expression. However, it wasn¡¯t as bad as when they headed to Krono. At that time, Airn was more anxious and nervous than now. Despite being worried, Airn looked much better now. Knowing that the barrier he had been in, must have helped this, she nodded and changed the subject. ¡°Since you have to go through something like this every day, let¡¯s just put it aside for now and talk about something else.¡± ¡°What do you want to talk about?¡± ¡°About my brother''s friend.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°What kind of person is Bratt Lloyd?¡± Kirill¡¯s eyes were twinkling. She had met Ilya and Judith. And it wasn¡¯t like she had just met them now. She had already met them through Airn¡¯s words and stories in the past, and currently, she had met two of them face to face. And now she had more or lesse to realize how her brother had be so reliable. ¡®Maybe Bratt Lloyd¡­ must have also influenced my brother.¡¯ In a good way. Thinking that he was someone who captured the heart of the powerful Judith, her expectations grew. ¡°Hm, Bratt¡­ is the most mature and calmest friend I¡¯ve had. He is always calm, wise and rxed, no matter the situation.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. Bratt is smart. And he reads books to me too!¡± Lulu joined in, but Airn''s words were stuck in her mind. And her expectations for Bratt grew greater. ¡°I want to meet him.¡± ¡°Yes. I miss him too.¡± ¡°Me too! Kirill, can you speed this thing up?¡± ¡°Usually, I wouldn¡¯t. But because sorcerers are people whose abilities improve when their hearts are moved...¡± ¡°Sorcerers are not just people! Some sorcerers are cats too!¡± ¡°Anyway, shall we go faster then?¡± ¡°Wait, we are already going past¡­ euk!¡± Swosh! Airn groaned at the sudden swift movement of the Griffin, which was now twice as fast as before. A strong wind hit his face. Despite the spring weather, he was now feeling cold. ¡°Ah, this is so exciting!¡± ¡°Fun! So fast! Let¡¯s go a little more faster!¡± ¡°Nice, okay, a little more¡­¡± Swosh! ¡°Uaaahhh!¡± ¡°Wow! I want to shout too! Can I?¡± ¡°Okay!¡± ¡°Yahooooo!¡± ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lulu and Kirill screamed, and seeing the both of them, Airn smiled quietly. Thanks to speeding up, Airn and the party arrived at the Lloyd¡¯s estate far earlier than they predicted. They were looking at the mansion gate, which seemed more grandiose than they thought. ¡°This¡­¡± ¡°Right. It¡¯s more than I thought¡­ What should I say? Is the air different? Like another city?¡± Kirill asked with round eyes. It was huge. Except for the Holy Kingdom, thergest nation was the Gerbera Kingdom. And among the nobles of the nation, the Lloyd family was part of the highest-ranking nobles, so it wasn¡¯t surprising that this ce was much more developed than the Pareira estate. However, that wasn¡¯t what the party focused on. As he saw the expressions of the people around him, Airn thought. ¡®They are all so bright and happy.¡¯ Airn had been to a lot of ces in the past two years. So, he knew. How many people had hard and difficult expressions on their faces. Even the central continent was the same despite the good security in those ces. Whether the city was wealthy or not, the people living there still seemed to be in a tough state. The most pleasant would be Eisenmarkt, but then, the people there weren''t really friendly with others. Because the streets were overflowing with addicts. But the Lloyd¡¯s estate and the region around it wasn¡¯t like that. Most of the people seemed happy. So did the guards and the merchants around. Even the workers seemed happy. Without a sense of surprise, Airn entered the estate. ¡®Everyone seems happy.¡¯ There were people who were selling things everywhere. And there were small boys who kept trying to bring in guests to their Inns. From the musicians on the street to the people who were walking, everyone seemed fine and happy. ¡°It seems like the Lord is a good person.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Kirill responded. But she wasn¡¯t too impressed by it. Lulu was the same as she turned around and looked at other stuff. However, Airn wasn¡¯t like that. With deep eyes. And with more thoughts, he put all his attention on the people of Lloyd''s estate. ¡°Great. Let¡¯s head in.¡± ¡°Uh? Huh, right.¡± Of course, he couldn¡¯t keep watching forever. They reached an Inn which Kirill had led them to, and it had quite a luxurious and high price. But that was not a problem. Airn and Kirill and Lulu. They were all rich. They opened the door without any hesitation and tried to walk to the counter. But they couldn¡¯t. Airn went still. ¡°What is the matter?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Is it someone you know?¡¯ At Kirill¡¯s question, Airn frowned slightly. It was a noble. A noble in his 40s, with grey-brown hair and a mustache. There were tears welling up in his eyes as if something had happened. But oddly. It felt strangely familiar. ¡°¡­¡± There was a wine bottle on the table. And along with that, there were five bottles of strong whiskey, but the man didn¡¯t look drunk. Even as he stood there watching that man, he kept pouring a cup of alcohol and drank it with a sad expression. No one could imagine that a man could drink so much. But. ¡®The aura¡­ feels very simr.¡¯ Airn¡¯s aura seeing eyes. Airn''s unique ability, which others didn''t know of. Although his appearance had been camouged by magic, he was someone Airn knew. ¡°I miss you¡­¡± As if unaware that Airn and his party were approaching, the man continued to drink. In the middle, he said he missed someone, but Airn knew it. He pulled out a chair from the table and sat beside the man with a smiling face. And looking at his friend, who was shocked, Airn Pareira said. ¡°Bratt.¡± Chapter 225: Must be Crazy (2)

Chapter 225: Must be Crazy (2)

After leaving Krono and returning to his family, Bratt had busy days. It was because he had to be trained to be the sessor, something he had put off until now due to him traveling with Airn and the rest. Learning the political structure of the kingdom, the continent, rechecking the etiquette, focusing on the culture and learning every other thing that a high-ranking noble should know. But he didn¡¯t forget his promise to Judith. Toe once he had umted enough skills which wouldn¡¯t make her feel ashamed in front of her teacher. And if he couldn''t do that, she had told him not to visit her. And thanks to that, he continued to train fiercely. And he trained so much that sometimes a day felt short with only 24 hours in it. However, no matter how busy he was, he didn¡¯t make unreasonable ns. He knew that he was capable. Although he might not be someone at the top of the geniuses, he still had the ability to handle tight schedules filled with intense training and practice. And he also knew that it wasn¡¯t good to be overconfident and move without rest. He knew that he had to give the body some rest. And along with his body, his mind deserved rest as well. It was for that reason that Bratt was currently drinking at an Inn and not his home. It was because such a ce was more suitable for him to recall the memories he had with Judith. ¡°Bratt.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± In front of him, a person he didn''t expect to see appeared. Bright blonde hair and a handsome face he didn¡¯t know how to use, along with a good body. He blinked a couple of times and looked to the side. A beautiful woman who was unfamiliar to him and a sorcerer cat which couldn¡¯t be here. He suddenly became drunk in an instant. 1 And then he grasped the situation. ¡®I don¡¯t know how they can be here¡­¡¯ First, he had to make an excuse for what he was doing. Having thought that Bratt, suddenly yawned. ¡°Yawn¡­ is it because I am drunk? I keep yawning. And tears are forming in my eyes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But who are you? Why are you sitting in someone els¡­¡± ¡°Bratt.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Bratt? Who is that¡­ you have the wrong person.¡± ¡°I heard it when I came. You said you wanted to see Judith.¡± ¡°I heard it too. You were drinking and crying.¡± Lulu added. After a moment¡¯s silence, Bratt continued his excuses. ¡°Th, hm¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°There seems to be some misunderstanding. I was talking about Yurith and not Judith.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Like I said. I kept yawning and tears formed.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°No, why would anyone cry in such a ce? I am not Bratt, and I don¡¯t even know such a person¡­¡± "Liar! You weren''t the least bit shocked when I talked!" Lulu said, banging on the table with its foot. This surprised Bratt. It was a sharp point. There were very few people who could remain calm in front of a talking cat. Unless, of course, it was someone who already knew about its existence. And even without that point, in Airn''s eyes, Lulu and even this unknown woman, too, all of them already believed that he was Bratt Lloyd without a doubt. ¡®It is true¡­¡¯ Bratt checked in the mirror of the store. The disguise magic that was cast was perfect. He had spent a lot of money on the family magician for this appearance. So it is fine. He could just leave today and treat his friends like nothing happened the next day when they met. It was when he thought that and decided to leave. ¡°I have a letter from Judith and was asked to deliver it.¡± ¡°What!¡± A voice that was so loud that the surroundings were startled. And then a silence fell between Airn and Bratt. Noticing what he did, he sighed and sat down. Thinking for some time, he asked Airn. ¡°You met Judith?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t just interrupt her training for nothing, right?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then, why did you go?¡± ¡°¡­to be acknowledged?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Bratt, it¡¯s been so long.¡± Airn smiled and asked for a handshake, and Bratt hesitated before he sighed and took the hand. He even tried to use his energy, but it couldn¡¯t hurt Airn. In the end, he released the hand without any results, and then looked around at the party. ¡°I did know this.¡± 2 ¡°What?¡± ¡°That Brat Lloyd, the high-ranking noble who was heir to the Lloyd Family in the future, is so cool, but what is even better than that is¡­ despite his high status and enormous wealth¡­ he has a pure and romantic heart to shed tears for the woman he loves¡­ the real man, Bratt Lloyd.¡± ¡°¡­¡± "What do you think, Lulu?" ¡°Airn, Bratt must be drunk.¡± Hearing that, Airn shook his head. Bratt was always on the brazen side, but now he was being serious, and Irene felt that he was being a bit over the top. However, Airn¡¯s emotions were nothingpared to Kirill¡¯s. ¡®What is this man?¡¯ Unlike Airn and Lulu, it was her first time meeting him. And seeing this made her feel utterly confused. Even more so because she had heard all the stories of Bratt from Airn. Hearing all thepliments and then seeing such a stupid look when she met the real person, the sense of disparity was too great for her toprehend. And, What the hell did Judith see in this man to start dating him? All kinds of thoughts ran through her head. It was mostly negative thoughts about Bratt. And through the chaotic atmosphere, another man appeared. A person with a bigger physique than Bratt and Airn. Airn, startled at his appearance, called him out. ¡°Lance!¡± ¡°What? Airn, how¡­ Lulu is here too! What? Why are you guys here?¡± ¡°Hello, Lance!¡± A person who had a close family rtion with Bratt¡¯s family. No, Lance was now someone who was on equal footing with Bratt. Airn was surprised by it. Lulu, too, seemed unable to adapt to Lance suddenly greeting them warmly. And Bratt said. ¡°Ahh, I didn¡¯t tell you. I was drinking with Lance.¡± ¡°Right, Lance wasn¡¯t in school. Perhaps¡­¡± ¡°Right. I left Krono after graduation. I was heading back to my family and thinking of traveling around, but then stopped by to see Bratt before leaving. Ah, more than that¡­¡± Lance reached out with a smile. ¡°¡­ congrattions. On bing a Sword Master.¡± Along with the smile, Airn could feel the emotions of the person with his sorcerer powers, and at first nce, the emotions wereplicated, but then were quickly sorted out. Rather than sorted, it was more urate to say that pure and deep pleasure covered everything else. It wasn¡¯t difficult to guess why. Airn thought to himself. ¡®Is it because of graduation?¡¯ And then, he remembered that he didn¡¯t introduce them to Kirill. ¡°Uh? Where did she go?¡± Kirill was nowhere to be seen, which made Airn bewildered. She was with him until a moment ago, her cold gaze looking at Bratt as if she had found him pathetic. Her eyes were waiting for a fight to happen. But where did she go? Could it be that she went to her room feeling disappointed after she met Bratt? That thought didn¡¯tst long. Within a while, Kirill returned with the brightest look like never before. ¡°Hello, you must be schoolmates from Krono Swordsmanship school? I am Kirill Pareira, the daughter of the Pareira family.¡± ¡°Ah, night to meet you. I am Lance Peterson.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Bratt? What is it with you? Introduce yourself.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Is it because of the disguise?¡± ¡°¡­ eldest son of Lloyd¡¯s, Bratt Lloyd.¡± ¡°Yes, nice to meet you.¡± Kirill smiled sweetly, but her gaze didn¡¯t turn to Bratt Lloyd. Seeing her eyespletely focused on Lance Peterson, the Lloyd family¡¯s eldest son knew what was going on. ¡®Quite a unique taste.¡¯ Of course, dull Airn couldn''t read it, and Lulu was the same as always, and her eyes were drooping as if she felt sleepy. And immediately after, ¡°I am sleepy. Wake me up when something interesting happens.¡± With that, she went into Airn''s backpack, and silence fell again. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­ hey¡± ¡°Hey.¡± ¡°Ah, you go first.¡± ¡°Right. Are you going to keep drinking? No, would you like to drink more?¡± At Airn¡¯s question, Bratt looked around. People were looking at them, mostly because of the talking cat, but the other people on this table were also unique in their eyes. He thought that drinking more was rude after this, so he got up with a sigh. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°I hardly drank.¡± ¡°But today won¡¯t be the only day. So, are you here to just deliver Judith¡¯s letter?¡± ¡°Hmm, not just that¡­¡± Airn paused. Just like before, in the scene outside, happy people could be seen. He watched as he mumbled. ¡°¡­ it¡¯s a beautiful ce.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°The atmosphere is really good. I¡¯ve been around a lot, but I don¡¯t think I have seen a ce like this before.¡± ¡°Uh. Of course, one shouldn¡¯t forget the duty of a noble, and should work hard for the people of their estate day and night¡­¡± Bratt felt his head heat up as he said it; he knew whose gaze it was, so he smiled and continued. ¡°All thanks to my esteemed father, Lord Philip Lloyd. And my loving mother.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Bratt nced back. Kirill¡¯s expressionless expression caught his eyes. He smiled and then looked at Airn. ¡°Why? Are you interested in meeting my parents?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Right. But that wouldn¡¯t work now. They left to the capital for work. They will be back after a week or so.¡± ¡°Well, we can wait.¡± Airn answered right away. Travelling with Kuvar, reading the historical books in Durkali and listening to the opinions of Tarakan and Karakum. After all that, the difficult problem in his mind still couldn¡¯t be solved. What could he do to make the world better? Was subjugating the devils enough? ¡®I think Bratt¡¯s parents would be able to solve some of my problems.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just because of the happy faces he saw all around the territory. Airn looked at the man with the middle-aged disguise, walking in front of him. It was a ridiculous appearance, but Bratt was his most reliable friend. He was the person who supported Ilya¡¯s wandering and Judith¡¯s pain, and even when everything around him felt like it was crumbling, he still kept his focus. If it was his parents, then¡­ While he was in thought, they all arrived at the mansion. Bratt, who was disguised, moved majestically, and the guards and knights in the mansion looked at the figureing towards them. ¡°It is me, the high noble Bratt Lloyd.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Sorry. I drank and bit too much today since it has been quite long.¡± Bratt yfully closed his eyes. And then something began to ooze out of his body along with a small amount of Aura. Startled, Airn asked. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you just drained away the kick of alcohol with aura?¡± ¡°Yep. It was a by-product of thinking how to express Aura more effortlessly and naturally. Thanks to that, I have an edge when ites to drinking with my father now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So, would you like to have a spar?¡± Bratt shoved his hand into the magic pouch. A blue sword boasting energy appeared. Airn nodded his head. By the time he came to his senses, he realized that he was now in the centre of the training hall and that some knights were looking at them with interested expressions. ¡°Please.¡± ¡°Please?¡± ¡°There is something I have been thinking about these days. Doing this with you will help me a lot¡­ ah, I didn¡¯te here just because of that thought.¡± ¡°Sir Christopher?¡± ¡°Yes, young lord.¡± Bratt, who heard Airn''s request, called a knight. The man ran in quickly and bowed. And the eldest son of Lloyd said. ¡°This person is the famous Sword Master of the continent, Airn Pareira.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± "And that great Sword Master is now asking me for swordsmanship advice.'' ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Aren''t I cool?¡± ¡°You are cool.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a joke. Sorry if that came out weird.¡± ¡°It is fine.¡± ¡°To say it was fine, you must have thought that I was making it up.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That was a joke too.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Sir Christopher stepped back again. Airn had a flustered expression on his face, and Kirill just shook her head. Lulu, who suddenly woke up from her sleep, too, shook her head. Lance didn¡¯t. With a serious expression on his face, he intervened. ¡°Sorry, but can I have the first fight with Airn?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I know it¡¯s been a while. But¡­¡± Lance didn¡¯t speak more. But it was enough. Airn looked at Bratt. And he stepped back with a nod. The air turned heavy, and the young Sword Master took a stance and said. ¡°Shall we start?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lance Peterson, who responded, took a stance too. An unconceble energy rose from his body, and the fight began. But the fight didn¡¯tst long. ¡°¡­ I lost.¡± Lance pulled back the sword with a nonchnt expression. But no one really thought that he was okay after that loss. ¡°Nice, it¡¯s my turn now.¡± As if nothing had happened, Bratt faced Airn with a more energetic look. And the second battle began after a while. He¡¯s acting. He¡¯s not really drunk.?I found this to be slightly confusing. If it wasn''t clear, it is Bratt himself who says this.? Chapter 226: Must be Crazy (3)

Chapter 226: Must be Crazy (3)

¡°¡­¡± Lance Peterson, who came out of the center of the ring, looked at his two mates who were now starting their duel. His face seemed fine, but his expression was filled with frustration and regret. It wasn¡¯t like he thought that he would win. Who was his opponent? It was a swordsman who had reached the level of Master in his early 20s. This meant that he wasn¡¯t in a position to evenpare himself to the opponent. However, despite knowing that, Lance still couldn¡¯t calm down. It was because he knew that there was definitely a time when he was stronger than Airn. ¡®I thought I could fight him longer¡­¡¯ He knew that Airn didn¡¯t even do his best. He didn¡¯t pull out his Aura Sword, nor did he use his full strength. Still, Lance had no choice but to feel helpless as if he had been facing an iron wall. No matter how hard he tried, the wall didn¡¯t break. Conversely, he felt scared that the opponent could take him down with any strike. Which was why he gave up mid-way. ¡®The difference in skill¡­ is too much.¡¯ While he was in those thoughts, Airn and Bratt got ready. The way they looked at each other was kind. It seemed like the air was different from when he had fought with Airn, which made Lance¡¯s expression harden. Of course, it didn¡¯tst long. He yfully told Bratt. ¡°Eh, Bratt! Get angry and go all out!¡± "Be quiet! I am in front of a monster, and my heart is pounding so hard!" The eldest son of the Lloyd family shivered. Seeing that, Airn burst intoughter. And that was the end of the warm atmosphere. Once the match started, Bratt rushed in. Kang! It started off immediately with a stab for the throat. It was a dangerous move in practice matches, but Airn didn''t care. He was holding his sword without backing down. Bratt¡¯s sword bounced off and moved to the bottom, and Airn blocked that attack too. There was a constant nging noise as the two swords collided with each other, with Bratt aggressively attacking and Airn passively defending. Although Bratt¡¯s sword was pouring out at a terrifying speed, the young Sword Master wasn¡¯t flustered at all. He was as rxed as someone who knew the opponent¡¯s attacks. And it was true since he was reading the flow of Bratt¡¯s movements and preparing for the next attacks, making sure he didn¡¯t lose focus and stamina. It was when he blocked the seventh attack, which came in at full power. Ching! ¡°!¡± Bratt frowned at how heavy his hands felt. It was always like this when he fought with Airn. Instead of the opponent¡¯s body slowing down, his own hands would go numb as if he had hit an iron statue. It was probably a technique Airn came up with the spirits he had influence in along with Aura operation, and since they all learned the usage of spirits at the same time, despite Bratt not being able to use it, he still knew about it. But he wasn¡¯t feeling bad. Bratt has always been like that. There would be no end if one started being envious of another. Looking at the opponent, he thought. ¡®What I am good at¡­¡¯ Let¡¯s just focus on that. With calm breathing, Bratt¡¯s sword began to move softer than before, Tung! Tung! ng! Airn''s sword, which went on the offensive, was terrifying. It was just one sword, but it was so full of strength that no one would dare try and stop it. Bratt consistently backed off and moved to the side as if he was in a real battle and the territory Airn could use gradually expanded. However, it was unreasonable to feel that and try to pressure the opponent because of it. The eyes of the blonde swordsman who shed the sword again stood out. ng! The angle. He had to disturb the timing. And change the hitting point. And Bratt¡¯s softly drawn movements made it possible. Like a river flowing profusely, Bratt was constantly moving his sword in a circle to handle the mighty power from Airn. What was even more surprising was that not just the sword but even Bratt¡¯s footsteps changed. Tung! A shock that couldn''t be handled previously was now being received through the body and handled by the aura. And before the impact could umte in the body, he would shift ces to discharge it into the ground. After the exchange of swords, it felt like an illusion, and it was as if the entire ce was filled with moisture. No, he was mistaken. Suddenly, the floor where they were standing on was rattling with the aura Bratt had carefully scattered. ¡®Like hitting water.¡¯ To be precise, Airn felt like he was dealing with a person walking on water. Bratt skillfully drained down the attacks he received into the water. Yet, the control and bnce Bratt disyed were both impable. A truly difficult opponent. But, Airn didn¡¯t think that he would be pushed too much because of it. Bang! Whoop! Tung! Tung! Kwang! ¡°Kuak!¡± Airn''s sword stretched out, and the expression Bratt had while blocking the attack wasn''t good. His hands and feet, which were rxed till then, were now trembling. It wasn¡¯t because the opponent¡¯s sword was strong, but because the opponent¡¯s sword was faster than his. The moment Airn¡¯s sword pierced the point where Bratt was aiming to discharge the impact to, Bratt¡¯s flow was broken. He was no longer walking on water and had to handle the shock with his own body since he had nowhere to discharge it to. ¡°Damn it, I lost. Phew.¡± ¡°Phew, it was a good fight.¡± ¡°You monster-like bastard. Still, I thought I could hold on a little longer.¡± Bratt shook his head. Aftering back here, he had attained some kind of half realization. It wasn¡¯t known when he could fully embody it, but with his level, he thought that he would be able to win a good match against Airn if he didn¡¯t use the Aura Sword. He was mistaken. As he got stronger, so did Airn. No, maybe Airn had gotten even stronger than him. And that fact felt bitter to Bratt, but he brushed it off quickly. ¡®It is fine. I¡­¡¯ ...am now a couple. And that jerk is as dull as ever. Dull bastard. He¡¯s still single. Bratt, who preserved his mentality in this way,posed himself and asked Airn. ¡°What is the problem?¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°You said it earlier. That there was something you wanted to know through the match. Didn''t you say that because there was something bothering you?" ¡°Hm¡­¡± Airn was worried. It was correct. It wasn¡¯t that something bad had happened, but he wasn¡¯t satisfied with his current self. Expressing it as distracted and unorganized seemed correct. Of course, those words couldn¡¯t be used to exin itpletely either, so he was troubled. Seeing that, Bratt shook his head. He slumped down on the floor and motioned Airn toe closer. ¡°Come and sit here.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do a sword argument like we had in the past. We will both learn something from it by trying it out. There are a lot of things I want to try.¡± ¡°¡­ okay.¡± Airn approached Bratt with a wide smile, as if his troubles were no more. And they both started; Lulu yawned, watching them. ¡°They are at it again.¡± ¡°Do they do that often?¡± ¡°Yes. Usually, if Airn is making that weird expression, Bratt does this.¡± ¡°Is that so? Then¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°No, when I first saw him, I thought of him as a stupid person, but¡­¡± Kirill took a brief pause. ¡°I think he has a pretty good side.¡± It was sincere. No matter how close you were to someone, if that person overtakes you, it is inevitable to feel envious. However, as Kirill took a look, there was such a thing in Bratt¡¯s heart. It wasn¡¯t like envy didn¡¯t exist, but his sincere feelings for his friend were greater than it. ¡°His mind is wide.¡± ¡°Bratt is broad-minded.¡± ¡°Is it because of that, that Judith fell in love with him? He is an interesting person. He seems better than I imagined.¡± ¡°Right! Bratt is a good friend! Don¡¯t hate him too much.¡± ¡°I never hated him.¡± And Kirill and Lulu were arguing over little things. Lance, who looked at them, bowed his head, hiding his expression. He recalled the feelings he had when Bratt was defeated. ¡®I was a little happy.¡¯ And the reason for that was clear. In addition to Airn, who moved far ahead, he hoped that Bratt hadn¡¯t left him behind too much too. He felt really bad. Was it because of that? The words of the people talking about his friend who had such a strong attitude despite his defeat made him feel like he was stabbed. ¡®Come to think of it; I''ve never beaten Bratt since I was a kid.'' It was when Lance¡¯s thoughts were sinking deeper and deeper. ¡°Lance, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Well, why are you standing there looking so nk-faced? Huh? At a time like this, you should take a look at your friends who seeded." ¡°What¡­¡± ¡°It is a lecture from a Sword Master, and it is free! Come and listen. This one''s speaking skills are on a different levelpared to the old days; it is totally worth listening to.¡± ¡°No, you were discussing it together, but then you¡­¡± "Really? Lance, the Sword Master, needs your help." Bratt Lloyd urged him toe. And as if he really needed help, Airn looked at him with serious eyes. Lance, who had their attention on him, remained silent¡­ ¡°Fine.¡± He quickly joined with a smile. But he wasn¡¯t the only one who joined. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Kirill? Why are¡­¡± The Krono friends looked at Kirill, who sat next to Lance. She was courageous. Taking a sip of her non-alcoholic drink, which she had brought from the inn, she said "I won''t disturb you; I¡¯m just listening.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Why? You won¡¯t be able to underst¡­¡± ¡°But I can feel. I have the sorcerer¡¯s sense. Listening to the story, I am convinced that there could be something gained.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You know what a sorcerer¡¯s senses are like?¡± Kirill looked at Airn and then at Bratt. Her eyes were so sharp that they nodded their heads. ¡°Ah, sorry. Come to think of it, I must have rushed it¡­ if you are ufortable, I will move.¡± ¡°No, it is fine. Miss Kirill.¡± ¡°Just Kirill will do.¡± Kirill looked at Lance. It was a softer gaze different from how she looked at Airn and Bratt. And she asked. ¡°Can I call you Lance?¡± "Sure... of course, you can." The answer didn¡¯te from Lance. Kirill turned to the man who spoke. Bratt Lloyd looked at her with a serious expression, and then, with a very noble-like smirk, he said. ¡°You can call me Bratt too, Kirill.¡± ¡°Call me Miss Kirill, Mr. Bratt.¡±1 ¡°Let¡¯s do that.¡± Bratt Lloyd, who agreed, looked at his mates. ¡°Then, should we start again?¡± And the talks resumed. Hello darkness, my old friend¡­? Chapter 227: The Long Walking Path (1)

Chapter 227: The Long Walking Path (1)

¡°Phew.¡± Lloyd family¡¯s training ground. Airn Pareira, who was training his sword, as usual, took a deep breath. And it wasn¡¯t because of the warmer weather that he did this. Even in midsummer when it was hotter than this, at the age of 15, when his strength was worse than it was now, he would still wield the sword till he copsed from exhaustion. The reason he sighed was because of the frustration within him, which still wasn¡¯t resolved. He didn¡¯t think that he would suddenly realize something, but it was because of the conversation he had with Bratt. At first, Airn didn¡¯t even know what it was. It felt like something wascking in him, something that made him distracted¡­ an abstract feeling he couldn¡¯t pinpoint. It was absurd to ask someone for advice when he couldn¡¯t even understand the problem himself. ¡®I have to think about it slowly.¡¯ The good news was that his heart wasn¡¯t as impatient as before. Airn remembered the moment he parted ways with I. At that time, he took the advice of Joshua Lindsay, but was restless as he couldn¡¯t get what he wanted. It wasn¡¯t just that he was suffering alone, but he knew that his emotions were projecting outside, which caused his sister and Lulu to be worried for him. But it wasn¡¯t that bad now. The water flowing through his heart continued to cool him and brought peace to his mind. Even though therge puddle of water was still and not moving, he had already realized that he couldn¡¯t force the water to move. After thinking so far, Airn decided to rest for a while. It wasn''t his body that was tired since it was still 5 pm, but rather, it was his mind. Airn tried to rx his mind while looking around the mansion and the clear sky. He had learned inside the dark barrier that letting go also took an equal amount of effort. But, ¡°¡­¡± There was something that was irritating to his eyes. Unlike therge training hall for soldiers and knights, this small hall was for family guests or for Bratt to use personally, so there were fewer people here. At best, a few guards took turns guarding the ce, but today¡¯s guard did something strange. Firstly, there were two guards, not one, and there was a strangeness in their behaviour. Although the man and woman were in ragged clothes, it still showed a nobleness that couldn''t be covered with their clothes. The problem was that these two people were constantly staring at him. ¡®¡­ why?¡¯ They were doing that now too. Even when he stopped training and looked at the sky, their gaze on him didn¡¯t stop. They were constantly looking at Airn¡¯s movements. And their gaze felt bitter. One could mistake them as assassins. Wheik! ¡°¡­¡± Airn looked at them directly. And as soon as they saw that, as if nothing happened, the two turned their gazes away and pretended to clean the outside. It was concerning. But he couldn¡¯t approach them. As said earlier, it was because the two of them seemed too cool. ¡°Airn, those people keep looking at you¡­¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°They look scary. Aren¡¯t we supposed to run away?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Airn couldn''t say, ¡®That won¡¯t be needed¡¯. He knew that such a man couldn¡¯t roam around openly in the Lloyd mansion, so he didn¡¯t say it. But he thought for a moment and said, ¡°Let¡¯s not look at them.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. No, let¡¯s end this here. I¡¯ll ask Bratt about itter¡­¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Ah-Bratt.¡± Just then, Bratt showed up. Lulu, who tried to hide her fear, moved to Bratt¡¯s side, and Airn quietly moved there as well, to ask the question when, ¡°What are you doing here? Father, mother.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What? Why are you looking at us with those eyes?¡± Airn didn¡¯t respond. Observing their faces a little more, he looked at the two people he mistook as guards. And nodded. The eyes were simr. It seemed that such a feeling woulde out from Bratt too asionally. So Airn said to Bratt. ¡°I thought they were guards, since they have been staring at me since the morning.¡± ¡°Why would guards do that?¡± ¡°I thought it was a little strange¡­¡± ¡°If it was strange, you should have gone and asked them.¡± ¡°Hm, that¡­¡± He didn¡¯t want to say that their eyes were too scary for him to approach. Fortunately, Bratt didn¡¯t push it either. He walked towards his parents and said something, and the both of them opened their mouths. After a while, they came along with Bratt and approached Airn. And the eldest son said, ¡°Father, mother, let me formally introduce him. This is Airn Pareira, a fellow swordsman and one of my best friends.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± ¡°Umm.¡± ¡°¡­Hello. I am the eldest son of Pareira family, Airn Pareira.¡± Best friend. Seeing Bratt, who honestly used the expression, Airn felt gratitude. However, what was worrisome was that Philip Lloyd and Kaya Lloyd both looked at him with sharp nces. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± There was silence for a moment. It was Lulu''s hups that broke the silence. The ck cat, crushed by the unbearable atmosphere around, disappeared with her mouth shut and Bratt, who was watching it, nodded as he understood. ¡°Don¡¯t get them wrong. My parents are very shy.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Yes. Please don¡¯t misunderstand.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± ¡°Maybe it was because they were curious about you. I talked a lot about you in the past.¡± ¡°That is true.¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The misunderstanding was cleared, but the mood didn¡¯t settle down. Airn desperately shook his head amidst the chopped conversation. ¡®What do I do?¡¯ Airn hade here to deliver the letter from Judith and discuss matters with Bratt, but he also wanted to talk to Bratt¡¯s parents. About the atmosphere of happiness and joy in the people living in their territory. He thought that if he could speak to them about it, it would be of great help to him. However, in the current atmosphere, it was unreasonable. Airn was shy, and Bratt''s parents were even worse than him. It wouldn¡¯t be nice to have Bratt stay in the middle and deal with both sides. As such, his troubles deepened. A thought shed through Airn¡¯s mind. ¡°Excuse me, in a little while we will have dinner¡­ I think it would be nice to have a light drink along with talking¡­ would that be fine?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Lloyd couple didn¡¯t answer, but it wasn¡¯t entirely without a response. They had the same cold eyes. However, there was a small smile on their lips. Airn who saw that sighed in relief, but Bratt thought, ¡®It was so troublesome.¡¯ A small party was held. The participants were Lord Lloyd, his wife, and their son, the Pareira siblings, and Lance. On the old-fashioned table, precious drinks were lined up. But the problem was that only alcohol came. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­ uh, is there something to eat?¡± Kirill asked Philip Lloyd, who had a strict expression on his face. It felt like a courageous statement. Lord Lloyd¡¯s eyes were so fierce that any strong-willed woman would be scared. Pointing to the ss in front, he said. "It is a cocktail made with eggs, almonds, and rum." ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°A great snack.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The silence spread like darkness; Lance built up the courage and asked. ¡°Then, water¡­¡± ¡°I think beer would suffice¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­ it is a joke.¡± Kaya Lloyd smiled shyly and nced at the maid. And then, btedly, generous dishes made their way onto the table. Lulu, Kirill, and Lance sighed in relief. To Airn, who seemed relieved, Bratt, who was next to him, quietly said. ¡°It is a joke my parents often y when they want to get to know someone.¡± "Bratt, it is embarrassing, so stop." ¡°Yes, father.¡± Philip Lloyd spoke with no shame. Bratt nodded, and then the Lord, with a faint smile, raised his ss. He opened his mouth as he lifted the ss with the strong drink. "Lance and Airn. I heard about you two from my son. And the others¡­ Cat guests are also wee. I don''t have anything set up, and alcohol isn''tpulsory, so you can have what you want." He said that, but no one could say no to the first drink. When Lord Lloyd was done, everyone except for Lulu drank it. Airn thought¡­ ¡®How aged is this¡­¡¯ ¡°Isn''t it good? Thanks to the aging of 30 years, the taste is very mild. People who drink it for the first time usually like it.¡± ¡°I see¡­¡± It was a lot stronger than expected. Airn smiled at the warm feeling inside, and something shocking happened. Before he even noticed, Lord Lloyd¡¯s cup was filled. ¡°¡­?¡± Not just that. Kaya Lloyd¡¯s and even Bratt¡¯s cup were filled. The speed of it being poured was so fast that even a Sword Master couldn¡¯t see it. ¡°¡­ I always wanted to meet you.¡± Philip Lloyd spoke after emptying his ss again. Was it because alcohol was involved? Or something else? The expression on his face seemed softer than before. ¡°Again, it doesn¡¯t have to be liked by all. You can drink as much as you want.¡± ¡°¡­ Alright.¡± Airn, who answered politely, and looked around. Philip Lloyd and Kaya Lloyd were constantly looking at each other as if they had something to do. Kirill, Lance, and Lulu were talking to each other naturally. Bratt didn''t seem like he wanted to help this mood either. Bratt drank three sses in session. He had to be alert. Airn thought to himself as the Lloyd couple were looking at him. Meanwhile, their sses would constantly turn empty. Two hours had passed. The time that had passed was neither too long nor short, but Airn was the drunkest this year. It wasn¡¯t because he was forced to drink. What they had said weren¡¯t empty words at all. They didn¡¯t care whether we drank or not. They were only focused on their own sses. The problem was that they and Airn were both shy. Both sides want to say things to each other. However, they couldn''t bring up any topic, and the atmosphere was awkward. In the meantime, he kept reaching out to the alcohol in front of him. Thanks to that, Airn would drink it, and despite the strong body of a Sword Master, he still felt drunk. ¡°I need to go for a walk.¡± Fortunately, he hadn¡¯tpletely lost it. Airn mumbled, ¡®If I drink more, I¡¯ll get in trouble¡¯ and stood up. "I wille too. It is a hot day; I want to feel the cold air." ¡°I will end it here. I still have some youth left¡­ I want to y a little more with the young ones.¡± Lord Lloyd followed him, and after a while, his wife left. Lulu also said that she wanted to y with the neighboring cats and disappeared out of the window. All who were left were Bratt, Lance, and Kirill. "I have been drinking a lot; I need to go too." ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But rather than going to sleep like this, I think it would be better to go out for a walk as a break¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Lance?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Lance, who was moderately drunk, responded. With a bright smile, Kirill asked. ¡°Would you like to take a walk in the garden?¡± ¡°Huh? Uh¡­¡± Uh wasn¡¯t some answer. He just couldn¡¯t think of anything and said it out loud. But Kirill didn¡¯t care. Watching her deftly dragging the bulky man, Bratt mumbled. ¡°I feel lonely.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡± A few servants looked at each other. Do they have to condole their master, who felt alone? Is it okay for them to do that? Or should they just stay silent? The answer came. ¡°Everyone go out. I want to be alone.¡± "Okay, sire." ¡°Well, have a good time¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± And Bratt Lloyd was all alone. He quietly pulled something out of his sleeve, the letter from Judith. It was not the least bit wrinkled, and Bratt carefully read the content. It wasn¡¯t well-written, but it didn¡¯t matter. After reading it three times, he folded it neatly and ced it back in his sleeve. Gulp gulp! Bratt, who filled the ss, emptied it in an instant. He mumbled, looking outside the window. ¡°I miss you, Judith¡­¡± The moon wasn¡¯t visible today. At the same time, Airn and Lord Lloyd were walking out of the mansion through the city. They were passing through the well-maintained streets and through the square. The people they passed all had smiles on their faces, and they arrived at a dark and ufortable ce that Airn couldn''t have imagined. The slums of the Lloyd estate. Chapter 228: The Long Walking Path (2)

Chapter 228: The Long Walking Path (2)

¡°I heard you have a big goal for the world.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I heard it from my son.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± It must have been 10 minutes since they had been out for a walk. Philip Lloyd brought up a new topic. Airn couldn¡¯t think of saying anything. Because he was flustered. It wasn¡¯t like he was embarrassed or something. However, how should he react when a person like Lord Lloyd, who was able to create a nice ce like this, raised a topic like that¡­ It was a bit concerning for Airn. However, the thought was brief, and he nodded with a serious expression. ¡°Yes. That is also the reason I hold the sword.¡± ¡°So cool.¡± Philip Lloyd nodded. He walked silently for a while. Airn followed him, taking half a step in the back, but before they knew it, they were in the streets. Wasn¡¯t it supposed to be a light walk? Was he nning on showing something? Around that time, Lord Lloyd opened his mouth again. ¡°The dream isn¡¯t as big as Airn¡¯s, but when I was young, I had simr thoughts. To create a good territory where no one suffers. It is a dream that could be considered as a joke in this harsh world, but back then, there were a few people with simr thoughts like mine. I remember the time we had drinks and shed because of it.¡±1 ¡®Must have been tough.¡¯ He thought about it, but he didn¡¯t say anything. The atmosphere was too serious for him to interrupt. Airn listened without saying a word, and Lord Lloyd continued. ¡°When I heard your story from my son, when I heard the things you have been waiting to ask me¡­ I have been thinking a lot. What should I say to this good and upright young man? What should I show him? Nothing came to my mind. But¡­ as I was with you, I thought about it.¡± ¡°Wha¡­¡± "Walk a little longer; if we go a little further, you will find the street I want to show you.¡± As Lord Lloyd said it, Airn had no choice but to follow him. Of course, all sorts of questions popped up in his mind. What was he being shown? The beauty of the city? A medical centre that wasn¡¯t present anywhere else? He couldn''t help but wish to reach there quickly. Thanks to that, his steps were a little faster, and so were Lord Lloyd¡¯s steps. However, the ce they reached was different from what Airn thought of. ¡°This ce¡­¡± ¡°The Slums.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°This is the ce I want to show people the least in the estate. And it is a ce where I want to solve its problem, but can¡¯t think of a good way right now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Shall we go for a walk? Ah, if anything dangerous happens, young Airn should protect me since I am not good with swords.¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Airn nodded with a bewildered expression and then slowly moved in the darkness of the Lloyd¡¯s estate. He had heard of it. No matter how great an estate is, there are always back alleys that are bound to exist. It wasn''t that Airn didn''t experience it; he just never looked at it. However, he didn¡¯t expect for this ce to exist in Lloyd¡¯s estate. Was it because he felt too impressed? The impact was too great on him when he saw it. The smell of trash, the puke, and the cracked, broken walks, the eyes of unknown people looking at them through the dark¡­ Fortunately, nothing happened. And both of them came out of there. However, Airn¡¯s heart was darker than before. He looked at Philip Lloyd. What on earth was the Lord thinking when he showed me this ce? ¡°When I was young, I was full of enthusiasm. Even though my parents died early, I was confident. Rather, I thought that I could fully use the vast wealth handed down from generation to generation, and the knowledge I had umted at the Royal Academy¡­ it was a little bit scary, but I also had a feeling of excitement.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And it wasn''t a bad start. Just lowering the taxes a little, and paying more attention to the security and the faces of people in the state was one of the main things I did. Even with just three years of hard work, the effect was great; I even stayed up all night thinking that if I worked ever harder for ten years, I would be the best Lord on the continent. But¡­" Over the years, he came to realize that the world wasn¡¯t that easy. The emotions behind Lord Lloyd¡¯s words were so bitter that even Airn could feel what happened. When the taxes were lowered, there were subtle checks ced on them from the surrounding estates. In order to maintain a smooth rtionship with them, they donated grains during the famine, and that made a conflict arise with the peasants. For them, who was thergest granary of the kingdom, Lloyd¡¯s actions were bound to damage them. Diplomacy wasn¡¯t the only problem. His decisions had different repercussions from what he thought. The real world was different from what he was taught in the academy, so when one problem was solved, two or three different ones popped up. It was a cycle of agony. He ended up working for 24 years. Whether it was eating or walking in the garden, the things that were happening in his territory didn¡¯t leave his mind. He couldn¡¯t even sleep properly. Until all the problems of the territory were resolved, rest and normal life seemed unimportant. ¡°30 years have passed like that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And the estate still has a lot of problems. There are still a lot of things that can¡¯t be understood just by looking at what you see around you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Airn.¡± ¡°I wanted to say that the things I have done and the intentions I had behind them are useless¡­ But I didn¡¯t bring you here to make you feel bad.¡± ¡°Then¡­?¡± ¡°I just wanted to point out that our intentions aren¡¯t all that great to be running at every moment.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think so too? My situation is one thing, but your dream is so difficult and huge that you won¡¯t find happiness even if you spend your whole life helping people achieve it. It cannot be achieved by individual efforts alone, and it cannot be achieved through the efforts of one generation alone. It is a question of whether or not you can move forward even a little if the efforts continue. But what about your own thoughts and actions?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Living day by day as if it was going to be a big deal if everything didn¡¯t happen the way you want, isn¡¯t the right effort.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t the right effort?¡± ¡°Yes. It isn¡¯t just enough to embrace something that could be done with efforts of hundred, or thousands or ten thousands of people alone, and being tied to the thought of ¡®why not?¡¯¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get me wrong, Airn, it doesn¡¯t mean that the troubles and actions which you have been dealing with until now aren''t worthwhile. But what we need to look at is the long term, take a little more time, and move forward. I didn''t spend a lot of time with you, but I can tell. You haven''t had a proper resttely, right?" ¡°¡­ I have been trying to rx.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t lie. No, it isn¡¯t exactly a lie. But in my opinion, what you¡¯re doing is not rxing. Sittingfortably and looking at the sky and lying on the soft bed doesn¡¯t mean rest. Because¡­¡± Even the moment he decides to rest, all the thoughts in his mind burden him. ¡­The moment he heard Lord Lloyd¡¯s words, Airn had no choice but to erase his rebuttals. And he walked silently for a while. Unlike the slums, they passed through the clean and tidy square. A well-maintained street without a single scratch. And then Philip asked as they reached the mansion. ¡°Airn, are you sleeping well these days?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. When I was young, I didn¡¯t sleep well. Even when I would sleep, I was full of anxiety, worry, and tension¡­ when I wake up in the morning, my stomach would ache, and it felt like something unpleasant was filling me." ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I am a middle-aged man who barely works out for 30 minutes a day¡­ it is a bit strange to be concerned about the health of a Sword Master who is so young, but the face of young Airn looks really tired.¡± Lord Lloyd smiled. His eyes were still sharp. However, there was a smile of concern and encouragement, warm enough for anyone to feel, and Airn weed it. ¡°I am not bragging, but I am pretty proud of our guest rooms. Today, I hope you can lie down on one of our luxurious beds and get a very good and deep sleep.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Can you promise me?¡± ¡°¡­I will try.¡± ¡°Haha, Airn seems to try everything. Still, I like this answer.¡± Philip Lloyd burst intoughter and took a step forward. Airn thought for a moment and then followed him. His troubles weren¡¯t over. The words that Lord Lloyd said to him kept running through his mind. His teachings were no different from Ian¡¯s. It was no different from what he had learned from the clown too. However, for some reason, this dug deeper and deeper into Airn¡¯s chest. ¡®What?¡¯ In the midst of such thoughts, he saw a figure wielding a sword in the training hall. It was Bratt. It wasn¡¯t simple practicing. This swordsmanship style and movement were different. It was a sword which was swung at random as if he was angry. Philip Lloyd, who watched this, approached his son and asked. ¡°What are you doing at night?¡± ¡°I feel lonely.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I understand it. After he started dating, my son got a little weird.¡± Ever since the eldest son of Lloyd¡¯s found a lover, the house should have been happy, but this guy had been strange¡­ Irrespective of the grumbling, Bratt swung his sword. Seeing that, Airn shook his head. After a while, Airn returned to his room after washing himself and theny on the bed. It was indeed a veryfortable one, like Lord Lloyd said. It was something he knew, since he had been staying here for a week. And realized that he didn¡¯t really sleep this week. He realized that he only slept for two or three hours. He couldn''t sleep more than that, and his eyes would just open. Why did Lord Lloyd¡¯s words resonate with him? He was lost in thought and quietly mumbled. ¡°Let¡¯s just sleep¡­¡± Airn Pareira closed his eyes. And after a while, he fell asleep. ¡°¡­¡± And he dreamed. There are instances where territory has been used interchangeably with estate, so if you guys find estate somewhere, remember in most cases, it means the entire territory and not just the estate.? Chapter 229: The Long Walking Path (3)

Chapter 229: The Long Walking Path (3)

One year ago. So, after the championship match against Ilya Lindsay, Airn had graduated from his former self. Of course, after that, he met with Karen Winker through Gurgar and the clown too. But the dream¡­he never saw it again. From the age of 15 to 22, Airn felt regret at the thought that his rtionship, which had been going on for seven years, was suddenly cut off. ¡®¡­ I didn¡¯t graduate.¡¯ A familiar sky, a familiar yard, and a familiar smell. Airn¡¯s expression hardened at the scenery of the rural vige which unfolded. No¡­ Currently, Airn had no form or shape and just seemed to be a ball of consciousness floating around like a ghost. Airn¡¯s eyes moved to the side. And a familiar person came into his vision. It wasn¡¯t his former self. It was an existence that was familiar and unfamiliar at the same time. Airn Pareira, who was swinging the sword in a serious posture. Wheik! Swish! Wheik! Airn''s sword was more powerful than Karen Winker''s. There was no fuss in every move, and a sharp energy could be seen. The bnce was excellent, and it was at a level that any swordsman could admire. However, Airn didn¡¯t focus on it. He had slightly different thoughts, and he watched his other embodiment practice. ¡°¡­¡± At some point, his eyes opened. It was no longer a dream. Airn got up and looked out of the window. A darkndscape. And a dark room. It seemed that he hadn¡¯t slept for more than 3 hours this time too. Sitting in that darkness, he realized. Today¡¯s dream wasn¡¯t just today¡¯s dream. Even after graduating from the man¡¯s dream, the fact that he practiced the sword in his dreams was his everyday ritual. ¡®¡­ No, it¡¯s not training.¡¯ Airn shook his head. Was it because of Philip Lloyd¡¯s words? Unlike before, when he swung the sword unconsciously, today, he was looking at himself objectively. As a third person, he was able to read the expression on his face. It wasn''t ack of enthusiasm. There was still a passion that was burning inside him. However, it was slowly declining. And fatigue and anxiety that was even greater than his passion were weighing him down. Thinking of the dream, he nodded again. ¡°I am¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t that he was concentrating on the goal he wanted to achieve. The fact that he was too engrossed in himself, i.e., someone who might not be able to achieve his dreams and the negative emotions that came from it¡­ he realized itte. ¡®Nothing has changed since the dark barrier.¡¯ He knew about letting it go. There were times when he tried it. At least it worked with the dark barrier. When he abandoned his meaningless obsession with cutting water, his path was free and natural. But not now. However, he wasn¡¯t very disappointed with it. He realized that he couldn¡¯t get what he wanted at once. It was because he learned all this from the failures he had gone through. ¡®I can start over.¡¯ Airn nodded his head. The teachings of Ian, and Lord Lloyd¡¯s advice were the same. However, Philip¡¯s words of asking Airn to grow up touched him deeply. He felt like even if his mind couldn''t understand the words, his heart was epting them. Of course, it wasn¡¯t just the positive thoughts. He mumbled, looking at his past self. ¡®I was the type to live a pretty tired life.¡¯ After the pre-trainee days. So, after he vowed to find his sword, Airn''s head had never rested. Even when traveling, when moving to his family mansion, even when he traveled with his friends to cities, Airn was constantly engrossed in his thoughts. And it got worse after looking at his previous life in Durkali. Even when looking at bright flowers, he couldn¡¯t appreciate their beauty. Even when the wind blew, he couldn¡¯t enjoy it. No matter what he saw, heard, or did, his thoughts were somewhere else. ¡®Like a kid who wants a certain thing right away, and gets irritated when he doesn''t get it¡­¡¯ Airn, who thought that, burst intoughter. It wasn''t weird. It was only a few hours since he decided to let go of his obsessions and rest. But again, he kept thinking of the troubles. And now, an obsession of trying to let go of his obsessions had formed. He realized that this wasn¡¯t going to be easy. Mumbling, he stood up. He felt like he needed to put in an effort in apletely different direction than before, so he washed his body with cold water to empty his mind. The effect wasn¡¯t great, which made himugh again. And then he looked at Bratt, who was now in his room. ¡°Bratt? What is it?¡± ¡°I heard about it.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I heard from my father about your condition. You can¡¯t even rest or work properly?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Was it true?¡± "¡­ it is. But it is fine now. Because the advice your father gave me is engraved in my heart. Now I feel morefortable than¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± Bratt Lloyd had a firm expression, and seeing that, Airn went silent, and Bratt continued. ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t know you? From the days of when you were a deadbeat noble and locked yourself up in the room thinking about depressing stuff all day, and even after you picked up the sword, you haven¡¯t been able to rx even for a minute, and you¡¯ve always been thinking about how to do better.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°A guy like you cannot be left alone. Get ready to move and follow me. And wait outside.¡± ¡°What are you suddenly¡­¡± Airn asked, bewildered. Bratt, who was about to leave, turned back with a smile and said, ¡°It isn''t easy for you to have fun. That means that you need to be with someone who can have fun with you properly.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Today, an experienced person will teach you how to y, eat and rest. So, don¡¯t say anything and follow me.¡± Tak! He closed the door behind him. Airn, who saw that, burst intoughter again. A much brighter and lighter smile than before. Contrary to the confident appearance in the room, Bratt wasn¡¯t really well. The food they went to eat wasn¡¯t really good, and the famous street magician¡¯s music made him frown. So Bratt took him to a museum, which also bored him. ¡°You don¡¯t seem to be doing too well.¡± ¡°I know a good bar.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It is daytime, so they might not have opened yet.¡± Hearing Bratt¡¯s brazen words, Airn grinned. Actually, he knew, and although Bratt had more social experience than him, he was still 21 years old. Besides, Bratt spent half his life in school, so this was expected. It wasn''t boring, though. He wasn''t annoyed or even tired. A friend¡¯s heart that only wanted good for him. Airn felt that, and he mumbled. ¡®Thanks.¡¯ Human malice didn¡¯t flow in just one direction. If you hate someone, then that person will also feel it and send the same malice back. It was a natural thing that didn''t need any exnation. And the same was true for goodwill. When someone likes you, you naturally get a good impression of them. Such a mind will keep flowing in a positive cycle. It was the same with Airn today. When he was alone, he felt a stagnant feeling inside of him. But it had started flowing now, stimted by Bratt¡¯s good intentions. Airn, who worried about the future, disappeared and Airn, who concentrated on the joy of the present, appeared. And it wasn¡¯t just that one day. ¡°It has been long, so shall we go on a date, brother?¡± Kirill appeared the next day. ¡°Airn! Me, Me! I have lots of new friends. Would you like to see them with me? There is also another ck cat like me!¡± And the next day came Lulu''s invitation. The next day, and the next, were all the same. Bratt, Kirill, Lulu, Lord Lloyd, and his wife too. Airn couldn¡¯t ignore their good feelings towards him. He began to put his heart into taking a break. And that was the beginning. The pressure of not being able to achieve your dream, the anxiety about whether he was on the right track, and what he could do if he weren¡¯t. He was no longer caught up in that feeling. He couldn¡¯t focus on flowers and stuff, but it was different when he spent the time with people precious to him. When he was with Bratt, Airn only thought about Bratt. When he was with Kirill, he only thought about Kirill. And when he was with Lulu, he only thought about Lulu. Feeling his thoughts and emotions flow naturally, he realized how uselessly he had been wasting his mind. ¡®Like an idiot.¡¯ Airn, who sat in the soft chair in the concert hall, looked around. Bratt, Kirill, Lulu, Lance, and the Lloyd couple too. He had so many precious people around him. Their faces were different, but their hearts were all the same. Feeling their goodwill towards him for the first time, Airn was able to focus on the pleasurable present rather than the anxious future. ¡°What are you looking at?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It is starting, so don¡¯t make that stupid face and look ahead. It is better to enjoy the music with eyes along with the ears.¡± ¡°Son¡± ¡°Yes, mother.¡± ¡°Stop the bullshit.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Kirill, I am scared.¡± ¡°It is fine. I will hug you.¡± ¡°Huh¡­.¡± Airn didn¡¯tugh out loud. However, his smile didn¡¯t vanish. The bright face he had looked forward to the concert, and the performance began. ????? He didn¡¯t know much about music. Piano, violin, cello¡­ that was all Airn knew. Listening to the music, which resonated ording to the conductor''s wonderful hand movements, and as he saw that, he thought there wasn''t much difference from a street musician, but it didn''t matter. All that mattered was that he was here right now, at this moment. Unlike himself in the past, he was able to fully concentrate on the situation, the atmosphere around, and the performance. ¡­ the melody was flowing into him. Airn slowly closed his eyes. ¡°Well, this is good.¡± ¡°Son.¡± ¡°Yes, mother.¡± ¡°Can you tell me what is so good?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you after I get home.¡± ¡°Son.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°In case you don¡¯t know, you need to p hard.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be care¡­ huh?¡± Brat, who obediently sumbed to his mother¡¯s words, looked to the side. Airn¡¯s eyes were closed. He wasn¡¯t sleeping. It was different. The moment he saw his friend who looked like a knight. ¡°What an absurd bastard¡­¡± A flustered voice came out of his mouth. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Did something¡­ no way!¡± Lulu¡¯s question and Lance¡¯s face hardened right away. Bratt Lloyd looked at the face and nodded as he said, ¡°Airn, this jerk¡­ it seems like he has realized something.¡± Chapter 230: Go and be back (1)

Chapter 230: Go and be back (1)

¡°Really?¡± ¡°An awakening?¡± Upon hearing the words from Bratt, Lulu and Kirill looked shocked. So suddenly? But those feelings didn¡¯tst long. ¡®Things like this could happen.¡¯ ¡®Because there has been a significant change in my brother¡¯s heart.¡¯ They were sorcerers who knew the importance of the heart better than anyone. And as they were close friends along with Kirill, who was the younger sister of Airn, they knew him better than anyone else. As such, they were also aware that Airn was going through something even if he didn''t show it. Moreover, in the case of Lulu, who had experienced Airn go through rapid growth beside her, this was no big deal. The ck cat spoke to Bratt. ¡°Don¡¯t make that face, Bratt.¡± ¡°What is with my face?¡± ¡°It¡¯s like he is a tactless person.¡± ¡°Right. He is tactless one!¡± ¡°But such things happen.¡± ¡°If he keeps getting it, won¡¯t it hurt? Even if I see him normally, he is tactless.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t speak bad about my brother.¡± ¡°Right, Son, why are you being so mean?¡± ¡°So pathetic. Son, jealousy isn¡¯t good.¡± ¡°¡­ is there no one on my side?¡±1 Bratt shook his head as he sighed. After looking at Airn, he turned around. ¡°What? Did something happen?¡± ¡°The lord¡¯s party¡­.¡± ¡°Did something bad happen?¡± The performance was done. Normally, the audience would leave, but they couldn¡¯t. The lord, his wife, and their son hade here, so they all had a stiff expression on their faces. ¡°¡­ well, we ask the understanding of the people in this hall.¡± Said Bratt. It reminded him of a story he had heard a while ago from Ian. When a swordsman who has risen to a high level is immersed in his own world, it is necessary to control the surrounding environment as much as possible. ¡®If the moment of awakening is interrupted by an impact to the body or a trivial force¡­¡¯ For example, if one gets a chance to be a Sword Master, but it goes to waste because of outside interference¡­ He wouldn¡¯t be able to forgive the interference, unless it was his own parents or Judith in the case of Bratt. Thinking till there, Bratt quickly and calmly settled the situation, he spoke to the manager of the hall and asked the future performances for the day to be canceled and the audience to leave the hall quietly. Despite being curious, no one asked further questions. Thanks to that, the party saw how Airn¡¯s face looked morefortable. ¡°Now what?¡± "Speak normally. In the first ce, it wasn''t broken even when the music and apuse were happening around him. However, from what I heard from our school master, this is a moment when the mind and body are reborn, so we need to be careful about any external shocks.¡± "Right. So, should we have an escort?"2 ¡°The knights of the estate¡­¡± ¡°There is no need to call the knights.¡± After answering his parent¡¯s questions, Bratt said, ¡°I will escort him. As Airn¡¯s best friend and the strongest man in this estate.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I want to say embarrassing things without shame like you do.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not wrong, and there is nothing to be ashamed of.¡± This time, Philip didn¡¯t care much, rather he looked at his son with a proud expression. As a parent, he was proud to be able to see this side of his son despite his friend being far ahead of him. ¡®I had worries when he was young, but he grew up so well.¡¯ Lord Lloyd gulped. He tried to hold back the emotions inside him. It wasn¡¯t really a situation that called for tears. So, he just nodded his head. ¡°I want to stay with you.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± Lulu and Kirill said. Bratt nodded. They too, were close to Airn like him. And there was no reason to stop them. But that wasn¡¯t the only reason. ¡°Bratt, you should keep an eye on Airn.¡± ¡°Huh? Of course¡­¡± ¡°Not as his guards and escort. Just keep watching him, and maybe it will help you grow.¡± To Bratt, who didn¡¯t understand it, Lulu exined seriously. "Even in the world of sorcerers, there are moments of awakening. No, we have them a lot more frequently than swordsmen. Since the heart, will, and faith are the most important parts of sorcery, it is natural. And the moment a sorcerer awakens is nothing inspirational to other sorcerers¡­ it is an obvious thing. Because you can watch the moment the mind changes and the person¡¯s growth in real time.¡± ¡°¡­¡± "I don''t know much about swords because I am no swordsman. However, if you try to find something that can be understood from a swordsman''s perspective, such as changes in the body, the aura and¡­" You, too, might be able to break through the wall in your way. Lulu¡¯s words ended there. And none of them spoke for some time, and it was because of Bratt. The moment they heard the cat¡¯s words, from then on, the atmosphere around Bratt had changed, and the surroundings calmed. The countess, who witnessed her son¡¯s appearance as a swordsman for the first time, gulped, and Kirill didn¡¯t pick on him. ¡°¡­ good. I feel motivated.¡± Brattughed. To be honest, he was envious of Airn. It would be a lie if he said such feelings didn¡¯t exist. He was seeing Judith keep breaking down her barriers and his other friend growing up without ever seemingly reaching the limit. And now, it turned into a passion. Looking to the side, he asked. ¡°Lance, will you stay too?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Lance?¡± ¡°Ah, sorry. I was lost in thought¡­ Yes¡­ I will stay.¡¯ Lance replied with a grin. However, unlike his expression, his heart wasn¡¯t fine. Forcing on a bright face, he thought. ¡®How could this happen?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t understand Airn. Not by training or fighting life and death battles, but taking a break and enjoying music was taking their friend to a higher level. Bratt, Lulu, and Kirill, too, couldn''t understand it. Far from being frustrated by watching it, everyone had the same thoughts as Lance. He was someone who was fat ahead of them. A genius they could never catch up with. Looking at all of them, Lance said¡­ ¡°Of course, I should stay here.¡± Lance smiled, while hiding his inner feelings, which he couldn¡¯t reveal. ¡®¡­¡¯ Airn opened his eyes. It wasn¡¯t his real eyes, but the eyes of his mind. Waking up in the middle of his imagery world, he slowly looked around him. It wasn¡¯t a towering steel sword or a zing fire. As he moved, he looked down at a deep, dark pit. ¡®Dark.¡¯ The pit was filled with ck and nasty emotions. It wasn¡¯t as violent as fire, nor was it visible like fire. But it weighed himself heavily. Seeing that stagnant feeling made him dizzy, Airn grabbed his head and looked further. A new energy began to flow from the outside world. Shhh¡­ It flowed like clean water. It was a clear and cool stream that came from someone''s heart. Slowly, it flowed towards the pit and began to clear away his dirty and dark mind. As a result, changes urred in Airn¡¯s body. Wooong¡­. The emotions that had simmered during the five years inside the sorcery barrier. The fatigue that umted unknowingly in the midst of the trips. As the pressure which put him down while he was unable to escape from the dark barrier grew. At the same time, the water which umted in his body was also pushed out. Everything turned into a ck haze and disappeared. But Airn didn¡¯t know it. He just felt the natural flow created by the water flowing around inside him. ¡­ he woke up in the real world around three days after visiting the concert. ¡°Is he awake?¡± ¡°Seems to be.¡± ¡°He is.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Airn Pareira, who came to his senses, had a surprised expression on his face. Bratt, Kirill, Lulu, and Lance were looking at him from all directions. What was this? The moment he was about to ask the question, Brat¡¯s mouth opened first. ¡°As you might know, while listening to the performance, you seemed to have gone through an awakening.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°And it was blooming. The colors were so different, there was a silver-gray aura and then a red aura and a blue aura¡­ at the end, ck smoke came out of your body. The smell wasn¡¯t great, but it was bearable. Both Kirill, Lulu, and Lance were also being patient." ¡°Uh, so¡­¡± ¡°Sorry. I gained nothing from this, and thinking that you alone were turning incredibly strong, my stomach couldn¡¯t hold it, so ignore the sarcastic tone.¡± ¡°Right. Please try to understand.¡± Lance followed Bratt''s words. Seeing his friends joke around, Airn smiled. Now he understood why they stayed here. ¡®Like I had done when he awakened, they stayed by my side and protected me.¡¯ ¡°¡­ thank you, all of you.¡± Airn got up and said it. Bratt, who was about to respond bluntly, stopped. It was because he realized the emotions in his friend¡¯s voice weren¡¯t just words. And his words continued. ¡°Thank you, really. How much you all cared for me, worried for me¡­ I knew it¡­ so I am expressing this¡­ in order to not neglect your care; I should have expressed it more and tried harder, but, what I meant to say¡­. Why aren¡¯t the wordsing out right...¡± There could be no gibberish that could top this. I was able to get the useless emotions out thanks to you people; in the future, I will not neglect people around me; I will be a better friend and be a good older brother. Airn wanted to say something like that, but he couldn¡¯t. ¡°Stop being so cringy. I know what you mean.¡± Bratt, who couldn¡¯t listen any longer, stopped him. But there was a faint smile on his lips. It was the same with Kirill and Lulu. Their faces were full of smiles. As much as they loved Airn, Airn loved them too. As friends and siblings. The process of going through all of it was embarrassing, but it wasn¡¯t all bad. However, the atmosphere didn¡¯tst long. There were too many questions left for that. ¡°So, how strong are you?¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°What awakening did you get? I know you might not be able to exin it. I don¡¯t expect anything like that, so show it through your swordsmanship first. Or Aura Sword.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Airn nodded his head. He too, wondered. He knew that something had changed, and that he had gotten stronger. But he wasn¡¯t sure how strong. Of course, that wasn¡¯t the problem. That was something he could try and figure out any time. And when he thought that. Jjjjj! ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What, what is it?¡± Kirill''s expression seemed worried. The expression on her brother''s face, which was fine this whole time, suddenly went stiff, as if something bad had happened. The rest of the party who read the serious look and the soldiers who came there for errands were the same. In that atmosphere, Airn felt it. It was a wide cast of Magi that was emitted from somewhere close to them. And what was worse¡­ ¡®I don¡¯t feel any intention to hide the malice.¡¯ And the fist of the young hero, who was now stronger than he was a few days ago, was clenched strongly. GET REKT. KEKW?By escort, it¡¯s more like a protection from outside sources? Chapter 231: Go and be back (2)

Chapter 231: Go and be back (2)

Swosh! The legendary animal, the Griffin, flew in the sky. And on it was Airn Pareira, Lulu, Kirill, Lance, and Brat, along with his father.1 All their faces were serious. It was because of Airn¡¯s words. He said that he could feel magi from the forest nearest to their territory. ¡®I wouldn¡¯t believe it if it was said by another man¡­¡¯ Bratt looked at his friend. He was someone who had the sharp sense of a Sword Master. He had no choice but to trust Airn, who also had the sorcerer¡¯s mysterious intuition as well. ¡®But the atmosphere is too heavy.¡¯ He looked around to see not just Airn, but even Kirill, Lulu, and Lance looking dark. Even his father, who had been through 3 demon subjugations, was the same. Bratt couldn¡¯t understand it. Of course, it wasn''t good for a demon to appear near their estate. They were more vicious, dangerous, and cunning than monsters. But, what about the power we have currently? Someone from the Sword Masters who only numbered 100 on the continent. One of the leading cat sorcerers on the continent. And although her true ability was unknown, a promising sorcerer of the Cesar Duchy was also here. And even he was someone who was at the peak of Experts. ¡®Even Lance isn¡¯tcking in power. I haven¡¯t seen his full strength since graduation, but he can definitely be called an Expert.¡¯ Bratt thought of all of it. There was no need to worry. Even when he thought of the worst demon, he thought they could handle it. He thought he could subdue it by himself or finish it off with everyone. He wanted to ease his father of his worries. And when he was thinking about it. ¡°Son.¡± ¡°Yes, father.¡± ¡°From now on, don¡¯t speak of it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Promise me that you won¡¯t.¡± Everyone nodded at Philip Lloyd¡¯s request, and he continued. ¡°A few months ago, a devil appeared on the continent again.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°They say that he was very powerful. As much as the Demon Dragon King from 400 years back¡­. The problem is, there are countless devils all around¡­ and it has been confirmed that they were hiding in our world without returning back to the Devildom.¡± Lord Lloyd sighed. It was for that reason that he went to the royal pce a week back. The devils and their demon subordinates were so widespread that Avilius couldn¡¯t handle it themselves. In the end, the Pdins of the Holy Kingdom chose to release the information to the highest nobles of each country and asked them to keep it a secret. Along with a request for maximum cooperation. Having said that, he took out a ss bottle from his pocket. A sparkling blue liquid. It was holy water. It contained the higher power from the highest priest. Philip Lloyd continued after he showed it to everyone. ¡°An item which can tell how thick the magi of the devil was. Red is fine, but it means that the devil is powerful, but it is not to the extent that it can overpower a Master.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But if the liquid changes to dark red or ck¡­ we must turn this over to the Holy Kingdom. It isn¡¯t something we can handle on our own.¡± Silence continued. Lance seemed to have gone mad at the sudden topic of devils, and even Bratt was frowning. But the rest of them were the same as before. All of them had dark expressions. But that was all; there were no questions. Lord Lloyd, who thought it was strange, felt a bit confused. ''¡­they are strangely calm.'' After 160 years, a devil had appeared. It was normal for any courageous knight to shed sweat. However, Airn, Kirill, and Lulu were strangely calm. ¡®Maybe they haven¡¯t realized it.¡¯ After watching that, Lord Lloyd sighed. He couldn¡¯t afford to think about the others. It was embarrassing, but he himself couldn''t calm down. In the midst of it, Kirill''s Griffin eventually arrived at the point Airn spoke of. It was a bit farther from where they hadnded. It would be a big deal if they jumped right inside the ce. And there was no actual need to enter it. The liquid in the ss bottle had turned dark red. The moment Philip Lloyd was about to speak, the holy water, which had turned ck, turned back into a bit of red. ¡°I will go and be back soon.¡± ¡°Airn, what did I just say now?¡± ¡°I want to kill it.¡± ¡°¡­haven¡¯t you heard what I said till now?¡± Lord Lloyd looked at Airn with a puzzled expression. However, the young Sword Master was confident. Even the dark expression on the face and the nervousness was barely felt. Calm enough to put his own mind at ease¡­ No, he was full of confidence. ¡°I am not good at speaking, so I am not confident in exining things.¡± Airn stared at Philip Lloyd. His eyes were blue and deep like theke. And above all else, his calm and clear eyes held such strong will. He continued to speak. ¡°But, the confidence I have in defeating the demons that lurk here is overflowing within me.¡± It wasn¡¯t empty words. At first, it was true that Airn was nervous. The malice that was slowly being revealed. It was an energy simr to the one he had felt before. And he inferred that the clown might havee to regain his powers and take revenge on him. But that wasn¡¯t it. The closer he got, the more confident he became. It wasn¡¯t the clown, and even if it was something influenced by him, the energy was so weak that it couldn¡¯t bepared with the clown. ¡®Of course, it¡¯s true that even a weak demon is strong¡­¡¯ Airn clenched his fist. In addition, he inspected his own body to see the control he had, and he even checked the aura he now had. The moment he finally looked back, his confidence surged once more. He knew that he could win. That was the reason he was proud in front of Lord Lloyd. ¡°It won''t be strange if something happens while we contact the Holy Kingdom.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Of course, nothing could happen too. But I don¡¯t think it is necessary for¡­.¡± ¡°Get yourself together!¡± Lord Lloyd spoke in a low voice. The expression on his face wasn¡¯t too bad, and he said. "Airn, I know that you are one of the few geniuses on the continent. But the devil isn''t someone shabby. Trust my judgment after reading all the records I read from the kingdom. Now is the time to step back." Philip Lloyd refused to allow it. Although it sounded like he was pressuring him, it was closer to a plea. Airn didn¡¯t interrupt his words. However, even after he spoke, his intentions didn¡¯t change. ¡°I will go and be back.¡± ¡°Airn, you¡­¡± ¡°The clown mask.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°It is a characteristic of the devil which appeared a few months ago. How would I have known about this? ¡°¡­¡± Lord Lloyd had a nk expression like he didn¡¯t understand it and tried to speak, but as he realized something, his eyes widened. ¡°That, uh, so¡­¡± ¡°Yes, right.¡± Swosh! Woong! Airn summoned his great sword. Golden sword. A golden aura on it. He opened his mouth at the gentle flow of energy. ¡°I, too, contributed to the extermination of the great evil then.¡± Wooong! Immediately after, Airn¡¯s aura shone even more brilliantly. No one could take their eyes off it. Lulu, Kirill, Bratt, Lance, and Philip Lloyd. The hero, who finally looked at the sword, spoke slowly. ¡°I wille back unharmed.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I swear.¡± Swosh! Kirill''s Griffin was heading to the Holy Kingdom, and only Lance and Lord Lloyd were on it. Because Bratt, Kirill, and Lulu followed Airn into the devil''s base. ¡®If I transform into my other form, I will be of help too!¡¯ ''During the magic barrier, during the subjugation of demons, and in Alcantra, I left my brother alone. Not this time. This time¡­ I will follow him.¡¯ ¡®So will I. As Lloyd Family¡¯s heir, I don¡¯t want to leave everything in his hands.¡¯ ¡®But¡­¡¯ ¡®Airn, you think that I¡­ and if you think that Miss Kirill will be in trouble or be a burden, do not be afraid to tell us not toe.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ ¡®But if you don¡¯t think so, then we wille along.¡¯ ¡®Airn. Let¡¯s go together. You may run into situations that are difficult to attack alone.¡¯ Hearing those words from Lulu, Airn nodded, and the four stepped in. And until they left, Lance couldn¡¯t even say anything. ¡®Lance. Please escort my father.¡¯ That was Bratt¡¯s final words before he left with Airn. He knew better than anyone that it wasn¡¯t a request. Who would attack Philip Lloyd on top of the Griffin? Even without his escort, the lord would be able to deliver the news to the Holy Kingdom safely. Clench! Lance clenched his fist. His fingernails which pierced into his skin, made his blood drip. A disappointment so great that he couldn¡¯t feel the pain, along with bitterness, came over him. ¡°¡­¡± Lord Lloyd looked at Lance without saying a word. And he looked for a very, very long time. ¡°It¡¯s tiring.¡± The innermost part of the cave. A month after waking up, the devil mumbled. I don¡¯t know why I am here. Maybe I could know what existence I was? The memory of being teased by someone was there, but it was fuzzy, but now, even that didn¡¯t really matter. The devil with a body as hard as stone mumbled again. ¡°I can¡¯t stand it.¡± It had been a week since the cave was turned into abyrinth. So far, only three people have been caught. And not even a single cub hade. For the stone devil, this was more serious than anything. He wanted to taste human fear. He wanted to see more and more people who were lost, wandering, crying, and trembling in fear and hunger in the darkness! To do that, he had to go out. Instead of just waiting like now, he had to be more active. Whether by kidnapping or threatening, he had to make theme in. When he was in the middle of it. Three humans and a cat set foot into his cave. At the appearance of humansing in like rain, the stone devil rejoiced. ¡°Good! Good!¡± Kung! He stomped his feet as if he wanted to kill them and sat down in front of the Demonic Mirror so that he could observe the appearance of the strangers in more detail. Who were these people? What do they look like? What were their fears? What kind of death should I give them? A ck energy filled the stone devil¡¯s eyes. There was a lot of anticipation in that stiff face. It didn¡¯t take long for that expression to break. Kwang! ¡°Hmm?¡± At first, he was dumbfounded. He couldn¡¯t think of anything when he saw the blonde man breaking down the wall without getting lost. Kwang! And the same thing kept happening again and again! Kwang! And again! Kwaaang! Bang! Over and over again. Constantly. So, when the people arrived in an instant to where he was, the stone devil couldn¡¯t stay calm. ¡°Akkkkk!¡± Kukukuku! With a deafening scream, his body grew. There were cracks on his skin. And from these cracks, Hell¡¯sva flowed. How should he kill them? How should he break them down and release his anger? Those feelings raged the moment he made eye contact with the blonde. Wooong! He felt an energy stronger than the magi which he exuded. Flustered by it, the stone demon had a nk expression. And at that moment, Airn swung the sword as hard as he could. Kwaaaang! The stones were smashed, and the stone shards that came as a result of that attack shot in all directions like flesh. A few drops ofva brushed against his skin. But Airn didn¡¯t care, and he swung his sword again. Airn Pareira¡¯s second sword came down on the demon. Bang! At this point, it¡¯s a whole bus.? Chapter 232: Go and be back (3)

Chapter 232: Go and be back (3)

Kwakwakwang! The stone devil couldn¡¯t stop Airn¡¯s second attack. Unable to withstand the shock, the stone devil crashed into a wall. Thud! The noise and vibration were so loud that the entire cave shook. Blood-redva flowed under the dust raised ce. Based on the power behind the attack, the damage that was dealt was too severe for any demon to not die. However, the stone devil was fine. No, to be exact, it had one more chance left. Woong! The reason the ancient devils had their own nests was because they could store their power there. It was the same with the half-destroyed body of the stone devil. Thebyrinth which savored the screams and pains of humans turned to dust. The particles which had wandered for a while, eventually reconciled to the gigantic body of the devil. Thud! The stone devil returned to its original form in an instant. However, the expression was different from before. Looking at the blonde swordsman in disbelief, the devil thought. ¡®What is this?¡¯ Although the humans didn¡¯t think the same, the thing the devils were the most interested in were actually humans. And as he looked at the human in front of him closely, he realized that he wasn¡¯t that old. Even though they were of different races, the devil tribe had eyes which could tell the age of humans. ¡®Seems¡­not more than 30¡­probably mid 20s¡­¡¯ ¡°Haa¡­¡± The devil burst intoughter. It was absurd. No matter how fast the beings of the human world grewpared to time, no being in its mid-20s could possess such power. At least, in the devil''smon sense it didn¡¯t make sense. The blonde young man. Faced with the opponent holding a sword which shone like his blonde hair, the devil realized that his knowledge was useless. ¡°Phew.¡± Kuk! The devil exhaled. He knew thousands of ways to harass humans, but the field he was the most confident in was fighting. Having erased all the distractions around him, he breathed continuously again and again. As the inhtion and exhtion continued, the density of the body turned denser and his energy grew more violent. Airn watched this silently. And the moment he intuited that his opponent was in perfect condition, he rushed forward with immense speed. Chik! There was an ufortable sound, like a piece of cloth being torn apart. He arrived in front of the demon as quickly as he could and swung his sword. It was a movement that was out of bnce, but he couldn¡¯t care less. Worrying wasn¡¯t his thing. That was what his opponent should be doing. Kwaang! ¡°Kuak!¡± A suppressed moan escaped from the devil¡¯s mouth. A cobweb-like crack appeared on his huge, ck forearm as the sword struck. However, that was just the beginning. Airn Pareira, holding his breath, took a step forward. He swung down his sword with a normal strike loaded with so much weight that it made a sound. As if his legs were rooted in the ground, he continued to attack. Kwang! Kwang! Kwaang! ¡°Kuak! Kuak!¡± From right to left and left to right. From bottom to top and top to bottom. Airn¡¯s attack was so ugly and harsh that it felt slightly foolish. It had apletely different look than usual, and had a heavy yet clean taste. However, that wasn¡¯t an issue. Rather, it worked well. Unable to even dare to counterattack, Airn thought he was only attacking a stiff stone. ¡®My body has changed,¡¯ He thought he had trained his body to the limit. It was only three days ago that Airn desired nothing more from his body, except to enter a new realm in swordsmanship. But now¡­he could feel it. The waste products dissolved in his muscles had been purified. The impurities stuck between his joins disappeared. It was as if he retained his pure body like this from his birth. Still, the results of the training also remained intact. Airn¡¯s body right now was absolutely wless! Airn felt reborn and swung his sword with his arms and even used his entire body to test the endless possibilities of his new self. Kwang! ¡°Kuak!¡± A powerful shot erupted from Airn. The stone devil who endured it all despite the harshness, spewed outva from its mouth and stepped back. But Airn didn¡¯t care. Bang! One more step. Ching! He kept swinging and went for relentless blows at the devil. And it wasn¡¯t just physical strength. Airn was simply striking with excitement, but in his subconscious mind, the harmony of swordsmanship and Aura which had umted over the years, was also perfectly being utilized. There was nothing in his body that was limiting him. And nothing bothered his mind either. Feeling the thrill of pleasure, he threw in a stronger blow. At that moment, apletely different sound resounded in his ears. Kwakwakwak! It wasn¡¯t the sound of metal and rock hitting each other. It was the sound of metal breaking through rocks and stone. Airn who did it, looked ahead. A devil resembling a stone statue, twice as tall as him, was copsing with his waist halved. But he wasn¡¯t distracted. The devil was now almost confident that the one it was facing wasn¡¯t human. Although he only had a few memories before when he influenced the humans, he still knew that he wouldn¡¯t die from his waist being cut. Not in two pieces or four. Not in four pieces or sixteen. So Airn had to grind the devil until there was no trace of him! Airn, who had a firm resolve, ran forward again. And although he thought for long, not much time passed. Airn, hit a devastating front kick at the upper body of the devil which was falling. Kwang! Crack! Thud! At that moment, the upper body of the devil which was kicked fell with a rattling sound and started disintegrating. Airn looked closely at the fallen devil. The lower body was the same; the two legs which were standing like a pir withered in an instant and theva that wet the floor before, seeped into the ground. An unpleasant anxiousness rose within him along with an urgency to attack. He sharpened his senses to prepare for the attack. ¡°¡­!¡± The devil appeared. But it didn''t attack Airn. The devil appeared behind Bratt Lloyd who was standing far away. Watching the enemy going for Bratt, Airn stomped his feet. Thud! The speed of a whirlwind. If it was an ordinary person, they would think that Airn was the wind god. However, the devil was a little faster. It already had aimed for this and it caught the gap between, and thus it didn¡¯t think of moving back. The devil grinned. It had no intention of taking the blue-haired human hostage. It knew that negotiation was impossible with the blonde one. All it wanted was the cruel and gruesome death of the blonde human¡¯srades. It was the moment when the sullen evilness of the devil was about to hit the other swordsman. Swish! Bratt Lloyd wasn¡¯t an idiot. He knew that he was the biggest weakness in this party. He also knew that his existence wasn¡¯t enough to subjugate this devil. But he still came. And the reason why he, who was always calm and cool, came here by force was because; First of all, it was because of the intuition that he wouldn¡¯t be able to break through the wall that he saw in front of him unless he risked his life. Shhh¡­ And the second reason was because he was certain that he wouldn¡¯t lose a battle if he risked his life. ¡®I just have to believe in myself.¡¯ Bratt Lloyd raised his sword. It was something he had done hundreds of thousands of times. Millions even. And perhaps even more. However, it still wasn¡¯t something he had managed to perfect. As his blue hair fluttered to the back, he mumbled. ¡®Come at me.¡¯ He said it not just for the devil but for himself as well. It was a request and wish for the energy which didn¡¯te out. And now, the moment when he was in the most desperate situation, His worst weakness turned into his best strength. Wooong! It was not as bright as Airn¡¯s or as elegant as Ilya. And there was no strong and ferocious energy like I either. But it was still fine. Even now, although it seemed a bit in, he was still satisfied. The blue energy which flowed naturally through the sword. It was the Aura Sword. The moment Bratt Lloyd swung it. Kwaaaak! And waves crashed against the devil. ¡°What is¡­!¡± The devil, who was shocked, couldn''t speak. The rushing wave of blue aura pushed against him constantly. Of course, it wasn¡¯t like he lost. It was only a shock for a brief moment. It was too sudden that he couldn¡¯t go through with his n. However even after he regained his senses, it wasn¡¯t possible. Ckak! A shield was deployed by Kirill and pushed the devil away from approaching Bratt. Rnng! Lulu turned into her sorcerer girl form, and pushed him away. But the devil still didn¡¯t give up. In the end, he wanted to do his best to take the life of a human. It staggered and struggled to go through with its ns. Airn¡¯s sword, which had approached him even before he noticed it, purged the devil which was now in the form of a green fog. Wheik! ¡°Kuaaak!¡± Although he had realized the sword of water, his sword was still hot. So it was the rigidity. That was why he didn¡¯t awaken the powerpletely. The me and metal continued to rule over him. But there was now a stream which governed the me. Airn who found harmony and bnce, put down the sword he was holding with all his might. Whook! The hero¡¯s weapon, which had a splendid presence, disappeared. It was the same with the silver-grey shield and the Lulu¡¯s nest-like barrier which supported them. It disappeared along with the devil whichpletely evaporated. But Bratt¡­ ¡°Haa¡­ Haa¡­¡± Taking deep breaths, he got up using the handle of the sword as support. His gaze went to the tip of the sword, the symbol of the Sword Master he longed for. Watching the blue aura flow softly like a wave, Bratt gulped. And looked. Kirill¡¯s expression which hated him was different, Lulu¡¯s mischievous expression was also no more. And even his best friend and rival Airn was looking at him differently. With a heart prouder than ever and more emotions than before. He said. ¡°Congrattions.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Sword Master, Bratt Lloyd¡± Tears fell from Bratt¡¯s eyes. Chapter 233: Time to Prove (1)

Chapter 233: Time to Prove (1)

Sword Master. It was a word which refers to those who have reached the extremity of sword, and among the many swordsmen on the continent, there were only 100 of them who had such a precious title. At first nce, it might sound like a lot, but when you consider that the number was smaller than the leaders of the nations you can feel the greatness of it. ¡®Though there are a lot of people around me¡­¡¯ Right. Bratt Lloyd had a lot of Masters around him. He even knew people who had be Masters at a ridiculously young age too. Even Ian was a Swords Master and even Keira Finn. However, seeing Ilya Lindsay, who broke down the wall that blocked countless swordsmen their whole lives, at the age of 18 as well as Airn who was now progressing even beyond a Master, he felt a sense of deprivation, or even absurdity and jealousy. ¡®I didn¡¯t lose.¡¯ Yet, Bratt never copsed. He didn¡¯t get frustrated, nor did he stop. He still remembered those prospective trainee days. When he thought about all that he built and everything else that he would build in the future, it seemed meaningless. And Judith¡¯s punch which made his mind sh. Along with his father¡¯s advice. If it wasn¡¯t for them, what would he be like today? ¡®¡­ I don¡¯t need to know.¡¯ Right. There was no need to think about what didn¡¯t happen. The blue haired swordsman opened his eyes and looked at his sword. And on the blue sword which was gifted to him by the chief of Durkali, a blue aura rose from it. Seeing the light which was a symbol of a Sword Master, Bratt burst into tears andughter at the same time. ¡°Haha, Hahaha¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t justughing. Even in moments of excitement, Bratt was still Bratt. With a calmer personality than his peers, he realized how important this moment was. The feeling of expressing an aura outside the body and focusing it on the sword. Intensifying it, hardening and condensing it, and tuning into a sense of sharpness. Concentrating on all of the aspects of the Aura operation, he swung the sword. Carefully, as if he was holding a ss sword. But that was only for a short time. He quickly became ustomed to the Aura Sword and unfolded his swordsmanship even faster. Wheik! Whish! He didn¡¯t even have to close his eyes like Airn would to concentrate. Rather, it wasrger. As if Bratt couldn¡¯t miss a single moment, and he burst into tears at what he saw himself doing. He was proud. And an immense feeling of relief came up. Perhaps because of that, his movements were rougher than usual, but he didn¡¯t care. Rather, he sublimated it into a wave-like momentum. The devil¡¯s den was quickly filled with aura like waves. At that, Airn was surprised. It wasn¡¯t because of the Master¡¯s swordsmanship. It was because he wasn¡¯t in a rush to maintain the Aura Sword. He never saw it before. But this kind of swordsmanship suited Bratt more than ever. Arin watched his friend deeply as if engraving the sight into his mind, and Kirill, along with Lulu held their breath, feeling the strangeness in the air. And time passed. Quite a lot of time had passed. Even though they were in the den of a devil filled with unpleasant air, no one cared about it. And all of it ended when the aura on Bratt¡¯s blue sword returned to his body. And it was when the devil which they thought to be dead spoke. ¡°Hahahaha! You scumbags!¡± ¡°What? Is it still not dead?¡± ¡°It is fine. We can just kill it again.¡± ¡°Haha, you can¡¯t. I am already dead! No matter how vicious you people are, you can¡¯t kill a dead devil again!¡± ¡°What is that jerk saying?¡± ¡°Ah! This! This is that¡­¡± ¡°Posthumous curse!¡± ¡°Right! That one!¡± Lulu nodded her head at Airn¡¯s words. She had heard it from I. Most devils have other ways to torment humans. Even after death, they don¡¯t disappear entirely and pour out terrible curses to get revenge on those who killed him. Perhaps the stone devil was the same. No, it was weird to call it a stone devil now. It had a body made of smoke. The appearance was like cotton popping out of a dirty stuffed toy that was torn. And unlike the horrible appearance, the eyes were bloody. The devil said. ¡°You thought I was done? No! It isn¡¯t over until I say it is! Let me show you hell! I will give you a more terrifying, desperate and horrible space than abyrinth. I will turn you into a body which can neither live nor die and stay stuck forever! Haha!... hahaha¡­ Uah!¡± The devil flew round and round in the air. Lulu, which was staring nkly at it, turned into the form of a cat and jumped. It was to seize the devil. ¡°Fun! So much fun!¡±1 ¡°You insolent thing! I am not your toy!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Airn, do you know what to do now?¡± While Kirill was bewildered, Bratt asked Airn. As an educated noble, he knew about the curses. And although he never experienced it himself, he knew how terrible they were from the past records. Of course, he wasn¡¯t too worried. Didn¡¯t he already know? Airn had once subjugated a devil before. And he was much stronger than the devil too. So he would have some thought about getting out of his current crises. While he thought that, Airn pulled out his Aura Sword with an indifferent expression. And mmed it into the ground. Woong! Kwak! Crack! With a refreshing sound, a golden ray of light filled the devil¡¯s barrier. Like a bonfire in a dark room. Like the light of a lighthouse which gives hope to lost sailors. Bratt felt a surge of hope looking at the aura. ¡°Kirill.¡± ¡°Yes, brother.¡± ¡°Do you have any swords left?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Kirill took out miniature swords from her sorcery pocket and threw them. And they erged to the size of the one Airn used. Wong! The blonde swordsman who swung the sorcery sword a couple times looked at the devil and grinned. The devil¡¯s expression turned stiff. He knew it, he knew it the moment that golden aura sword was infused into the ground that something strange was happening. ¡°Y-You! What the hell are you doi¡­¡± Airn didn¡¯t care. He turned to Bratt and said, ¡°Have you ever heard of the Hero¡¯s Sword?¡± ¡°The thing that I uses? It is said that by nature it exerts powerful force against the devil¡­¡± ¡°Not by nature. You can learn it.¡± ¡°Is that right?¡± ¡°Right. It is a bit of a strange atmosphere, but now is the best ce to learn it.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± Bratt thought for a moment and then nodded. Since ancient times trials are how heroes are born. To him who was now a Sword Master, he had that confidence and thought that this kind of hardship was nothing. ¡°Good. I don¡¯t know what it is, but should I practice it here?¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s start right away.¡± ¡°Okay. Firstly, I will exin the human will to protect against the devil¡¯s desire to destroy¡­¡± ¡°¡­.¡± The devil was confused. These people weren¡¯t going to pay attention to him or the curse, but they started training and are now practicing? Did anyone see these crazy people? ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°Kuak! go away!¡± Lulu, who was pushed away by the devil, fell. Startled, the devil pushed Lulu away, but a part of his body was torn. and the torn part had ck smoke rise from it. ¡°y with me a little more!¡± ¡°Get lost!¡± ¡°Hehehe! I won¡¯t!¡± Swosh! Seeing the ck cat not floating in the air, but teleporting from here and there, the devil felt a bit scared. Kirill looked at the two of them, and then pulled out a mat and a tea set. Pour! And brewing the tea leaves in warm water, she looked around and said. ¡°Uh, this is so nice.¡± Lulu and the devil were moving constantly. And her older brother was teaching Bratt. She wasn''t bored with all that happening in front of her. To the extent where she thought a few days here would be fine. ¡®If I get bored, I can just practice sorcery.¡¯ Ten days passed. In the meantime, Bratt Lloyd not only stabilized his Aura Sword but he was also able to learn I¡¯s sword. Of course, it wasn¡¯t easy. But it worked as long as he had the will to protect. His family. His territory. His friends and also his lover Judith who was more precious than his friends. That was enough to bring out his will to oppose the devil. However, just having the will wasn¡¯t enough. I¡¯s vision was to materialize the emotions and will which was being taught into the form of ¡®swordsmanship¡¯. It wasn¡¯t just the work of the mind. It was a form made of esoteric andplex theories. The difficulty level was so high that no ordinary Sword Master could learn it, so Bratt frowned. But, ¡°¡­it is horribly difficult.¡± ¡°It is. But don¡¯t you feel it?¡± Grunting, Bratt mastered I¡¯s vision. Of course, he didn¡¯t fully master it. It could be considered as a first step forward. But that was enough. A swordsmanship which even Sevion Brooks couldn¡¯t learn. And doing that meant that Bratt had the talent to learn more. ¡°Kukuku. I was fine before, but I seem like a much better person now¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I even joke?¡± At the same time, the Pareira siblings shook their heads and went back to their own training. Bratt wasn¡¯t the only one growing. Airn too renewed his will by training the Hero¡¯s Sword, or the Sword of Heart after a long time. He stopped dragging his worries about the future into his present self. He let his heart which was full of knots, flow for the sake of the precious people in his life. His Family, friends, teachers, schoolmates¡­. It was even more heartbreaking because he forgot about them for a while. His heart, which was shaken for a moment, turned stronger and so did his sword. ¡°Phew.¡± Kirill was the same. Although she was engaged in a field of sorcery which couldn¡¯t be measured quantitatively, she was still recognized as the best talent. No matter how strong the curse of the devil was, there was no way she couldn¡¯t handle it. Of course, it was difficult. The constant feeling of hopelessness and depression was taking over her. However, it was nothingpared to the difficult time when she had lived away from her brother. ¡®If it is at this level, it is the perfect environment for mental concentration and training.¡¯ Hundreds of rays of light flickered around Kirill, who closed her eyes. Seeing the lines move around her and change into patterns Lulu seemed shocked. Pah! The ck cat was chasing after the light. The devil, who was watching it, also swayed and screamed. ¡°Kuaaak! You crazy bastards! No more! I can¡¯t stand it anymore!¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Get out of here. I am not going to disappear in the hands of you lunatics!¡± A desperate scream. The devil gradually moved away from Airn and others. The darkness faded. The magi which was blooming from the dead devil didn¡¯t impose bad emotions anymore. The barrier was released. No, to be more precise, the devil ran. As everyone had nk expressions on their faces, Bratt, who came to his senses first, shouted. ¡°Catch it!¡± Cats will be cats.? Chapter 234: Time to Prove (2)

Chapter 234: Time to Prove (2)

¡°Catch it!¡± Woong Bratt yelled and pulled out an Aura Sword. Then, without looking back, he chased after the devil or rather, the remnants of it. Was it because of his pride to not let the devil run? No¡­ It wasn¡¯t that. ¡®I don''t know what will happen if we identally let that thing escape!¡¯ They were all physically and mentally strong enough to stand up to the curse. But that wasn¡¯t the case for normal people. Even if the devil was dead and was just in its ghost form, normal humans wouldn¡¯t be able to ovee the despair that came off of it. It had to be stopped. And he could never let it go towards the Lloyd estate! Bratt¡¯s heart was impatient which further hastened his steps. ¡°We areing!¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Kirill and Lulu, who realized it a littlete, followed closely behind him. There was tension on their faces. But Airn didn¡¯t move. ¡°¡­¡± His gaze turned towards the devil which was running away. No¡­ it wasn¡¯t his gaze. Among the vast energies he was feeling, he was able to grasp the exact one which came from the devil. It was a vivid sensation as if he was looking right at the devil, but at the same time he also felt that there was some kind of refreshing fresh wind blowing. And as he felt that, he realized that there was no reason to worry. It meant that the purification of the devil was already a fact. Wheik! Whiek! A huge appeared in the empty air. It was by no means an ordinary. The white mesh woven with holy power seemed flimsy but didn¡¯t miss capturing even a bit of magi. It collected all the unclean energy inside it and began to purify it. -Kuaaak! Ack! Kuaaak! Pained screams came from the devil¡¯s mouth. However, it didn¡¯tst long. Touched by the holy lightning, and engulfed in the mes of purification, the devil turned into nothingness. Bratt, Kirill and Lulu gulped as they saw that there was not even ash left. It was Holy magic. Only the highest priest of the Holy Kingdom of Avilius could show such tremendous power. ¡®The subjugation squad has arrived!¡¯ That thought popped into all their minds, and at the same time, old men armed in sacred white equipment arrived. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Silence. The eyes of the members of the subjugation group didn¡¯t show good intentions. They all knew the reason. Bratt couldn¡¯t even greet his father who was with the old men of Avilius. ¡®It is true that we sessfully subjugated the devil, but it is also true that we ignored the guidelines of the Holy Kingdom¡­¡¯ And Bratt had no excuse in response to that. Not only did they interfere, but they weren¡¯t even perfect and almost let the devil go. Bratt¡¯s expression turned stiff. Even Kirill who was always very assertive and Lulu who was lively all the time, didn¡¯t utter a word as they looked at the old people. Step! In such a situation, Airn was the one among them who acted differently. A light step ahead. Everyone¡¯s attention was focused on that little movement. Those who knew Airn and those who were seeing him for the first time couldn¡¯t take their eyes off him. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± And then the stillness fell again. Quincy Myers, in his blood-colored armor, was unlike the others. He opened his mouth as he looked at Airn with firm eyes and said. ¡°Airn.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do you know what I am going to say?¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°You knew but you still went ahead and did. You are so shameless.¡± ¡°I just thought that it was right to subdue the devil as quickly as possible if I had the skills.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Hm.¡± In an instant, Quincy Myers'' body began to give out tremendous force. Lulu, who was in her magical-girl form, took two steps back. 1 Kirill frowned and pulled out a magical shield, and Bratt tried to withstand the pressure by using his Aura. However, he could still feel it. And he also saw something else. A young hero, who didn¡¯t have a change in his expression even though he was receiving the full force of another person head-on. As the members of the subjugation troops were shocked at it, Quincy Myers, themander of the 2nd subjugation troops, pulled out his sword and said. ¡°Then prove it. That you have skills to match your words.¡± ¡°Alrig¡­¡± Thud! Before he answered, Quincy Myers kicked the ground. And as a result, the ground began to wiggle like water. Kuk! Thud! Kuak! Once, thrice and then four times. Each step from him made concentric circles spread out on the ground. It was hard ground, but it felt like it was water below his feet and this unrealistic sight invoked fear into the minds of Airn¡¯s party members. 2 Kirill and Lulu moved to the air and Bratt began to bnce his body. And Airn, despite being in the middle of this situation, maintained hisposure. ¡°¡­!¡± Quincy Myers'' eyes lit up. And it wasn¡¯t like he was trying to bnce himself or anything. As they looked at Airn, they felt as though he was born to stand on water. No, it was as if he had assimted into one with the water, and the moment he saw Airn¡¯s rxed appearance, Quincy raised his foot to m it on the ground even harder. Tung! Airn¡¯s form moved. Swosh! It wasn¡¯t just the feet that moved. Aura flowed from Airn¡¯s sword, and he swung it slowly. As he saw that, Quincy was shocked once more. Sending out the aura oveid on the sword wasn¡¯t a technique that most Sword Masters used. The difficulty factor was one thing, but the technique caused a lot of energy to be wasted heavily. But Airn showed no signs of being overworked. No¡­ that wasn¡¯t important. The golden aura, which was now flying much slower than normal speed, spread leisurely and widely as if it were water, and obstructed his view. ¡°Hah!¡± Quincy Myers quickly took a stance and swung his sword. A typhoonnded caused by a sophisticated rotating swordsmanship that Quincy Myers disyed. Then, the aura of his opponent, which was obscuring his view like a fog, disappeared as if it had been washed away. And Airn¡¯s intentions seemed to be destroyedpletely. No, Thud! Airn bent his body and became one with his aura and approached Quincy Myers with a strong step. And just like Quincy Myers, it was a step which shook the ground. Some of the priests who were standing nearby, lost their bnce and fell. But no one cared about that. It was an optimal movement where strength and aura, along with swordsmanship and mind, merged into one. The most powerful vertical sh which Airn could currently do, moved towards the opponent. Kwaaang! Crack! Quincy Myers kept getting pushed back as he met with that strike. The ground beneath his feet kept getting smashed and his body was being pushed down. The gaze of the old knight shone as the ground beneath him cracked like a cookie. However, Airn¡¯s attack wasn¡¯t finished yet. It was just the beginning. Biting his teeth, he swung the sword in session. It was a powerful movement, and his swings were as if he was wielding a club instead of a sword. However, that didn¡¯t mean it was crude. Airn¡¯s mind had aligned naturally after removing his recent obsessions and anxiety. And that allowed him to fully concentrate on the fight. And Airn¡¯s swordsmanship, where he didn¡¯t have to waste his heart¡¯s will, was strong. It was tough but not harsh. The young man¡¯s great sword swung wildly, as if he was trying to split a rock. Thud! And Quincy Myers wasn¡¯t the kind to suffer. He took a step back and lowered his weapon. The sword stuck to the opponent like a ma andpletely distorted the hitting point. Airn¡¯s bnce, along with his, copsed for a second. Quincy Myers, who was freed from the attacks, exhaled. And his face showed that he was ready to repay the attacks. With that look on his face, he moved. Kwang! Kwaang! Kwakwang! His attacks consisted of heavy and thick swords striking down at immense speeds. And there were white sts. It was an aura that went beyond the title ofmander, but the color didn¡¯t matter. The first priority of Quincy Myers was to stop the merciless attacks of Airn. ¡®It really isn¡¯t easy.¡¯ Airn frowned. It wasn¡¯t easy. It wouldn¡¯t be strange if his body was hurt with just one wrong move. He looked at the Red Knightsmander, someone who was supposed to be one of the most ferocious people in the Holy Kingdom. So, he gave up And threw it away. 3 The thought of defending the territory, as well as his desire to make use of the advantage of the heavy sword he wielded to the fullest. Airn¡¯s energy, which had been hard like a rock until then, began to flow like water. Kwang! A sword attack flew in. It was a powerful attack. However, since it reached the surface of water, the force of the attack couldn¡¯t be transmitted onto Airn. Wang! The sword flew in again. This time in reverse. The attack was primed to hit the upper left corner and was aimed at the head. But it was fine. Airn took two steps back and retreated as softly as water. It was thanks to the flow around him. A smile appeared on Airn¡¯s face, who retreated as far away and as soon as he received the attack. ¡°¡­¡± Quincy Myers had no specific emotion. He just swung the sword stronger and stronger as he attacked Airn. Airn wasn¡¯t afraid, his smile turned brighter. As if in a state of trance, he received the opponent¡¯s attack and drained the force of the attack with the flow of water. Of course, it wasn¡¯t without limitations. ¡°Kuak¡­ kuak¡­¡± Airn, had grown in an instant in the Lloyd¡¯s territory and had also trained in the demon¡¯s den. However, Quincy Myers was even greater than Airn, and his aura was solid. Some of the old man¡¯s techniques were so subtle that it was impossible to understand them. ¡®If I wasn¡¯t being cautious, I would have copsed a long time ago. I still have a long way to go.¡¯ A fire zed in Airn¡¯s heart, who felt the gap with the top 10 swordsmen on the continent. However, he didn¡¯t overdo it. The fire which burned brilliantly with passion and enthusiasm turned his body hot but never hurt it. Suddenly, the water rushing in his body protected him. An ideal bnce had appeared, as if embracing the young man¡¯s spirit and the old man¡¯s techniques at the same time. The one who understood this the best was none other than Quincy Myers. He said, with his sword still, ¡°Airn Pareira.¡± ¡°Hua¡­ yes.¡± ¡°Join the subjugation squad.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Airn¡¯s party and the other members of the subjugation were startled. However, it was only for a moment. Thinking, the old men nodded one after another. Julius Hul¡¯s task? Khun¡¯s approval? That didn¡¯t matter. They witnessed it and Quincy Myers acknowledged it. He wasn¡¯t a young hero anymore. But he was aplete hero. Who wouldn¡¯t want such a person to join them? But. ¡°Thank you. But¡­ I am sorry.¡± Apletely different answer came out of Airn Pareira¡¯s mouth. I¡¯ll be taking the liberty to refer to Lulu as either Magical girl or Dragon Girl when she¡¯s not in her cat form. Just note that it refers to her Half Dragon-Half Girl form.?Think ripples on water, but just on the ground.?Wasn¡¯t his sword that he threw away but rather something intangible. It¡¯s exined in the next line.? Chapter 235: Time to Prove (3)

Chapter 235: Time to Prove (3)

¡®That boy definitely needs to be warned. So that such arbitrary actions wouldn¡¯t be engaged in¡­ Some pressure is needed for sure. Maybe even a little too much pressure.¡¯ Darin Horton, a member of the 2nd subjugation and master of holy magic, remembered what he had said beforeing here. At that time, he had thought about it like this. Even though he had the title of Sword Master, the man was still young and in early 20s. And when against a devil, isn¡¯t it natural for even Sword Masters to judge themselves to be lower than the devil and be cautious? But now he had changed his mindpletely. ¡®The Devil! No, it¡¯s just the devil¡¯s remnant!¡¯ ¡®It was already subjugated?¡¯ ¡®The ghost of the devil¡­ is running away? What the¡­¡¯ The devil definitely wasn¡¯t weak. If the blue holy water turned dark red, then it meant that ordinary Masters couldn¡¯t win over it. But this devil wasn¡¯t just subdued, but someone even made it run away without putting a curse on the ones who killed it? His doubts were quickly resolved after a few minutes. Quincy Myers vs Airn Pareira. Darin Horton, who watched the two, had no choice but to admit it. He had understood what had happened. The young swordsman¡¯s judgement was right. The young man had said that his actions weren¡¯t hasty, but was rather a demonstration of his confidence. ¡®He isplete.¡¯ He looked back. The old knights of the Holy Kingdom, who had retired in the past but still showed their perfect appearances. Even though his body was old, he could feel the enormous aura and the holy power around. Each of the old men could bepared to ancient heroes. None of them werecking in anything. The atmosphere that Airn exuded was hard topare to them, but it was still overflowing with stability. ¡°Thank you. And¡­ sorry.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I want to postpone the joining of the subjugation squad.¡± ¡°And the reason?¡± ¡°I have only recently realized my shorings.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± As he heard those words, it made Darin Horton, a higher priest and holy magic wielderpletely shocked. Realize his shorings? Did heck something? That young man? ¡®What nonsense¡­¡¯ Frowning he stepped ahead, because he was flustered. Of course, it was because it made no sense to him. The pdins here, including Quincy Myers were all strong men and they had risen to a position where they deserved to be treated with riches and fame no matter where they went. It wasn¡¯t unusual for them to act humble in front of others too. ¡®But when humbleness goes far, it bes rude.¡¯ Darin Horton shook his head. The world was full of darkness. A great chaos which might go down in history was fast approaching. So, there was no time for humble people. He was thinking of urging the man to join them and cut the bullshit, But he couldn¡¯t as Quincy Myers raised his arm and stopped him. As Darin Horton managed to suppress his anger, another question came out of themander¡¯s mouth. ¡°And the shoring was?¡± It was an emotionless voice. However, the weight of it could be felt. It was natural. A few months ago, the young man wanted to join the squad but now he was saying something different. Maybe he was thinking lightly of the Holy Kingdom. But, Airn didn¡¯t speak. It was because he realized something through the conversation with the Lloyd Patriarch. The fact that he had been ignoring those close to him till now. The fact that he neglected and wascking in things which mattered the most to him. Because of that, he realized that he wascking. ¡®The ideal of being strong is definitely important but before that, I need to be more faithful to those around me.¡¯ Before bing the hero who saved the continent, he had to be a great son to his parents. Before bing a warrior who subdued the devils, he had to be a great brother to Kirill. He had to be good to his friends and he had to be a good disciple. It¡¯s only after he fully focused his mind on what he had been missing out because of the direction he chose¡­ would he be truly eligible to join the subjugation squad. It waste, but Airn finally realized it. ¡®No, I am not thatte.¡¯ Pouring out his thoughts, he recalled the past. It was a mess and a life filled with mistakes. But looking back, it was never trulyte. After spending 10 years in bed, he had a chance. After being imprisoned in the barrier for 5 years, he had a chance to restore his rtionships. Today was the same. Airn¡¯s eyes, which harbored his beliefs which were now closer to certainty for him, shone and he said. ¡°Sorry. But¡­ for this reason, it seems difficult to join the squad right now.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Instead, when Ie back, it will be with a more mature image from who I am now.¡± Crack! Airn put the sword into the ground and swore on it. Quincy Myers watched it quietly. And so did the others. None of the pdins there were close to 100, and the youngest one was Darin Horton who was in his 70s, yet no one spoke back or said anything. But the mood wasn¡¯t even bad. ¡°¡­ first, since the subjugation is done, take a break in the estate. Why don¡¯t we continue sorting all of this out there?¡± Lord Lloyd broke the silence. And themander nodded his head. There was no change in the expression, but his demeanor had softened. And like that, the subjugation was done and it had shown much greater hope than expected. ¡°I underestimated Airn.¡± Quincy Myers who nced at the subjugation crew in therge room mumbled as he sipped tea. Others thought the same way. At the same time, the words of Airn made their heads nod. ¡®It is something we all have been through once.¡¯ There was a time when they spent their lives embroiled in trials in order to follow the will of God or some other teaching. However, they realized itter. It wasn¡¯t right to lose their present situation as they went searching after different ideals. It meant that God never wants their Lambs to only have painful days. Which was why this was more surprising. It wasn¡¯t usually a thought a man who was 23 could have. It was such a great attitude that they could ept it only if someone so young said that he had reincarnated.1 ¡°It is unfortunate, but we can do nothing about it. We will have to work harder.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t a bad situation even if we have to work a little bit harder.¡± The old people spoke one after another, but it wasn¡¯t without regret. Because the situation wasn¡¯t as optimistic as they said. They found out through detailed investigations and reports from various ces. Those who were presumed to be the servants of the clown devil were far more numerous than the Holy Kingdom had thought and were widespread throughout the continent. And it was likely for several other devils to be in the continent too. Of course, nothing bad had happened yet. Until now, the subjugation squad was divided into three to handle the devils and their minions. The support they had from all the nations was helping them immensely. But they thought that Airn, who wielded such power would be a great help¡­ ¡®A junior who will be responsible for the future of the continent, asks me for a little more time for him to grow¡­¡¯ ¡®As a senior who lived long, I can¡¯t look weak in front of him.¡¯ All the old men smiled. They considered him as aplete hero. At the age of 23, he had grown strong enough to not bepared with others, so they thought that Airn would need 10 years to cross another wall. It was because when the highest level was hit, an even higher wall formed. However, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. This young man was still growing, and his potential seemed to be endless. It was a time when hopeful thoughts were running through the minds of everyone in the subjugation squad. Knock. ¡°Can Ie in?¡± ¡°¡­Come in.¡± Quincy Myers answered. They knew who it was before he entered. The young swordsman was Bratt Lloyd, known to be one of the golden batch members of Krono. Curiosity shed on their faces. The blue-haired man bowed his head. ¡°If it isn¡¯t too rude, I would like to ask for a match.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I know that it is rude to do this to someone who is hoping to leave after a one-night break, and I know that my request has nothing to do with the situation. But¡­¡± As a future lord of the Lloyd house, he couldn¡¯t pass up the chance. Saying that, Bratt continued to speak his innermost thoughts. ¡®A devil has appeared here.¡¯ The helplessness he felt when he heard that was indescribable. It was a mixture of shock and frustration that was now elevated to a degree where he couldn¡¯t even remember the past where he was confident in his skills and his promise to not lose his dignity in front of anyone. Despite that promise, his mind was now unstable and wavering. Of course, he didn¡¯t sit down just because of that. Even though it was unreasonable, he entered the devil¡¯s den with Airn and crossed a wall that had been holding him back. After breaking through those limits, he could feel himself stronger. But he couldn¡¯t be satisfied with just that. ¡°I don¡¯t even dare think about joining the subjugation squad.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°However, the level of ability to protect the territory and its people from unforeseen disasters, the strength to endure against the devil until support arrives from the Holy Kingdom¡­ I want to be at least that strong. So please...¡± While speaking with his head bowed, Bratt looked at themander. His eyes were hotter than usual. But they were not because of arrogance. It was the attitude that one should have as a Lord, but it was a value nobles often forgot the most. And Quincy Myers could feel it. ¡°Um.¡± Darin Horton grumbled. Airn Pareira, he could understand. But this young man, who was even younger than Airn, was asking themander to teach him. Wasn¡¯t it like an Expert teaching swordsmanship to a 7 year old kid? However, his thoughts washed away as Quincy Myers spoke. ¡°How long have you been a Master?¡± ¡°¡­ less than a month.¡± ¡°Not bad. Follow me.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Everyone including Darin Horton was shocked. A Sword master? That young kid? Wasn¡¯t he still 21? Although they were shocked, the knights of Holy Kingdom followed Quincy Myers. And it didn¡¯t stop there. A pdin old enough to bepared to themander whispered. ¡°¡­not a bad thought.¡± Themander nodded and said to Bratt. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting for you in the biggest training hall, soe with Airn.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand¡­¡± But that wasn¡¯t the end. Quincy Myers shocked the young man with his next words. ¡°I will teach you the swordsmanship of the Holy Kingdom.¡± Little do they know lmao.? Chapter 236: Time to Prove (4)

Chapter 236: Time to Prove (4)

¡°Come with me.¡± Bratt Lloyd suddenly appeared in front of Airn who was talking with Kirill and Lulu. There was quite a bit of excitement on his face. Airn followed him without a question. Kirill too, who felt the weirdness, let them go without asking anything. And as they walked, five members of Holy Kingdom appeared in front of them along with Quincy Myers. Everyone had their swords held out and had smiles on their faces. But before Airn could ask, the subjugationmander opened his mouth and said. ¡°There is no need to think too hard about learning the swordsmanship of the Holy Kingdom.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You also don¡¯t have to bother saying words that might probably be burdensome. These four to five elders will show their swordsmanship to their juniors¡­ just think of it that way. You and the person next to you will probably already have your own style as you are Masters, so don¡¯t force yourselves to follow this to the tee. If you have something you can use, take it, otherwise don¡¯t. That is all.¡± Airn, realizing his opponent¡¯s intention now, looked at Bratt with a nk expression. Something far greater than he expected had been waiting for him here. ¡®Have the pdins of Holy Kingdoms ever taught their swordsmanship to others?¡¯ It couldn¡¯t be concluded that there was never such an urrence. But if it existed, it was extremely rare. And now, Airn had the chance to learn it. His heart was pounding. Putting aside his obsessions with his ideals for a while and focusing on people around. That was the reason he refused to join them. However, that didn¡¯t mean that he wouldn¡¯t practice at all. There was no reason to give up on being a swordsman just because he wanted to be a good son and friend. ¡®In order to be a good disciple, I need to constantly focus on the sword.¡¯ Airn¡¯s face was filled with ecstasy. Regardless, his passion for learning a new swordsmanship had definitely been ignited today. ¡°Thank you!¡± ¡°Thank you!¡± Quincy Myers nodded his head at it. Woong, he pulled out the white Aura Sword and said, ¡°The pdins of the Holy Kingdom have the highest number of Aura Swordspared to other nations. Did you know that?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± It was Bratt that replied to Quincy Myers¡¯ question. To be precise, the difference was that, rather than the total amount of Aura swords, even their holy power could be used as aura. So, if the swordsmanship was at such a level, then the knights of Avilius had their own advantages. But, ¡°Such strengths are fully demonstrated even as an expert, but when they reach the level of Master or higher, their real poweres into picture. From now on, the swordsmanship that I and the knights of the purification squad will show you is entirely based on the premise that they can be used as Aura Swords.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± Bratt seemed surprised. A swordsmanship for which the minimum requirement was to be a Sword Master? And now they were being taught that particr swordsmanship? There was no time to be shocked. Woong, Quincy Myers¡¯s Aura Sword was stronger than before. It was a scene simr to what I showed in the dungeon. Airn gulped as he saw it, and Quincy mumbled in a calm voice. ¡°If you can¡¯t follow it right now, keep it safe in your head.¡± The swordsmanship of the Holy Kingdom. It was understandable that one had to be a Master to learn it. It was because each of their teachings couldn¡¯t be followed unless a swordsman could wield the Aura Sword. The Aura Sword covered the de and then condensed around it and was finally shot out. That was incredibly difficult to do, and adding speed to it, adding explosions, changing the trajectory of it; all of this was difficult even for Airn. Rather than simply scattering the aura, to scatter an energy dense enough to bepared to an Aura Sword was a different story. ¡®The amount of aura it takes is insane! The total amount is one thing, but if there is even a slight waste in the process of handling it, we will get exhausted after using it just a few times.¡¯ In the case of the defensive technique of rotating the sword and spreading around an aura veil, that was even more impossible for them to do currently. To fill a wide area with a high density of aura? It was a task that was incredibly tough. However, depending on what kind of variation was given, it couldpletely change the flow of battle, so it couldn¡¯t be just dismissed as wasteful swordsmanship. Airn suddenly fell in love with the Holy Kingdom¡¯s swordsmanship and began to wield the sword.1 Of course, they didn¡¯t have a huge amount of aura like the old men, so they took frequent breaks in between their practice sessions. ¡°Huah huah¡­¡± However, Airn was still better off than Bratt Lloyd. It hadn¡¯t even been a full month since Bratt became a Sword Master. He was born in a wealthy family and had consumed various things like elixirs, but even so, he still couldn¡¯t match an average Sword Master. Forget swordsmanship, even the act of just concentrating the aura at the tip of the sword for a little time, seemed as though it would kill him each time he did it. And he couldn¡¯t seed. Airn had thought that Bratt would be more open to learning new things from now on, but that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. And there was concern in Airn¡¯s eyes. And Bratt told him. ¡°Don¡¯t give me those eyes.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I am the third youngest man to be a Sword Master on the continent. It is a pace which is a year faster than you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t understand why you are concerned. I am learning the swordsmanship of the holy kingdom... Huah¡­ huah¡­¡± ¡°¡­.¡± There was no need to worry. When he thought about it, it made sense. After all, the man in front of him was Bratt Lloyd, someone who was mentally stronger than Airn. Airn chuckled and sat down and Bratt joined him. Once the pdins finished teaching them, they went back to their rooms. In a spacious ce with only the two of them. ¡°We are so lucky.¡± ¡°For?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t we? This is an opportunity which is very hard toe by¡­¡± It was true. Come to think of it, they were able to do quite a lot so far. To enter the Krono Swordsmanship school that many kids dreamt of. They learned the spirits technique of the Durkali tribe which didn¡¯t even wee humans. They learned the Sword of Heart directly from I, the greatest genius on the continent, and as if all of that weren¡¯t enough, they were now studying the advanced aura operation and control mechanics of the Holy Kingdom. They couldn¡¯t describe how lucky they were. However, Bratt had a different thought. As he listened to Airn, he shook his head and said. ¡°I think it¡¯s a little different.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t right to consider all of our experiences as mere luck. You, me, Ilya and Judith¡­ we were all given these opportunities because we are people who deserve it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Do you think that the reason people taught you different things until now was because they were kind or nice? It¡¯s not like that at all Airn. You need to be more confident in yourself.¡± Bratt thought that. Airn was hardworking, it was in his bones to work hard. And he had a good personality which often put the hearts of others at ease. And all of that made them willing to teach Airn what they knew. And it was the same for Bratt too. When he first saw Quincy Myers¡¯ technique, it felt absurd. Why show a technique that is difficult to learn, let alone imitate it, to a person who just became a Master? Was he making fun of Bratt? However, it wasn¡¯t that. The old man believed in both of them. Not the current Bratt, but rather, he believed that in the future, these kids would understand his techniques. Furthermore, it was also due to the fact that he had a personality that wouldn¡¯t use his powers in vain situations. ¡°So, you have to be a bit more daring. We can do it. Don¡¯t think of it as luck, let¡¯s just think that we did well and got more chances.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Of course, that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t appreciate the seniors who helped me. But that¡¯s not bad either. You can just give as much as you receive.¡± ¡°That is right. Even tomorrow, thanks to the pdins¡­¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t bad, but¡­¡± Looking at Airn for a moment, Bratt looked up and said. ¡°I think the senior knights will be happier giving their knowledge to the ones who deserve it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°For me, well¡­ no, I think it is both our duties to do that.¡± At that, Airn thought of Bratt during the trainee days. He was simr to now. Although he had been a bit more arrogant then, he never used his power or title to bully others. He had always been more concerned about his duties like now. If anything has changed. Unlike the past when he was obsessed with people of ss and birth and openly spoke about his prejudices¡­ ¡®Now he is normal.¡¯ ¡­ maybe because he was dating Judith. ¡°You are right.¡± ¡°I know. I always say the right thing.¡± Airn replied to that with a smile, and Bratt nodded his head. After that, they didn¡¯t talk for a while. But it wasn¡¯t weird. Their friendship wasn¡¯t so weak for the atmosphere to be awkward with a little silence. ¡°Phew, I¡¯ve rested for a long time, so let¡¯s try again.¡± ¡°Ahhh me too¡­¡± The two got up, and one after the other, they practiced the swordsmanship again. It wasn¡¯t easy. Even Airn failed often, not to mention Bratt. Within five minutes of getting up, he fell down on his butt again. But neither of them was disappointed. The two swordsmen didn¡¯t leave the hall for a long time. It was time for Airn and Bratt to train. Lance Peterson was alone in a secluded bar in the estate. He was drinking alcohol. To stop his inferiority¡­ To stop it from growing¡­ He kept repeating what Keira Finn had told him. Darkness filled his face. His heart slumped. Something hidden in the corner looked at him. So well hidden that even the pdins of Holy Knight could barely notice. Something deeper, darker and more tenacious than the clown devil. It was the moment that it approached Lance Peterson little by little. Step! Thud! ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Can I join you?¡± Lance looked at the stranger with a blunt expression. Arge body with dark green skin. A tattoo which covered half of its face. An Orc Probably a fortune teller, seeing how he could speak humannguage. So, he shook and said, ¡°I am not interested in divination and stuff.¡± ¡°I am no fortune teller. It would be more appropriate to call me an orc counsellor.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± When Lance Peterson¡¯s eyes showed a bit of annoyance and curiosity, the darkness which had narrowed the distance, stopped and watched them closely.2 Rip Ilya?NGL, the author got me in the first half.? Chapter 237: Time to Prove (5)

Chapter 237: Time to Prove (5)

¡°¡­¡± Lance Peterson stared nkly at the orc sitting in front of him. If the Orc had introduced himself as a Fortune Teller, he would have kicked him. It was because he didn¡¯t believe in divination. He had heard from Bratt what happened in Durkali, but he didn¡¯t think that apetent Orc like the one from Bratt¡¯s stories would wander the continent. However, the title Orc Counsellor shook his heart. Did he understand Lance¡¯s concerns? The orc with a tattoo on the face, said as he ordered beer. ¡°Honestly, the self-proimed fortune teller orcs wandering around the human world are all quacks. It is the energy of spirit, and the five spirits, and they pour out the usible words with no real substance.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re busy?¡± ¡°Me? No¡­ there were very few consultations for me hahaha.¡± The Orcughed and gulped down the beer. And emptied the ss in an instant and ordered another and said. ¡°But, just telling someone what is in your mind puts you at ease.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t say huge things like fortune tellers, and go on talking about the future or ask you to set goals for your life. Just speaking honestly is good, and it will ease your heart if you talk about your worries¡­ if that is possible for you.¡± So how about it? Two beers in exchange of story. Hearing that, Lance Peterson stayed silent for quite some time and then said. ¡°¡­ it is a friend¡¯s story.¡± Was it because he was drunk? Or was it because the orc said that they wouldn¡¯t be tied in their futures? Lance told his story more easily. And as soon as he began, even the things he didn¡¯t want to talk about came out of his mouth. ¡®No, I never thought of this.¡¯ After a while, Lance was embarrassed at what he did. However, after saying all that, he felt more relieved than he thought. But it felt a bit embarrassing. He looked at the orc counsellor. He was curious about what advice would be given to him after listening to this? ¡°There is no problem.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°You are living fine. I don¡¯t think it is a situation where you need to worry.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ah. Did you feel bad that I took it too easily? Sorry. I didn¡¯t mean to.¡± ¡°¡­no.¡± ¡°No, what? I am sorry.¡± Despite the orc¡¯s apology, Lance¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. It was as the Orc said. For him, it was something serious enough to make him think of his life but seeing the reaction of the orc, he wanted to kick the orc out right away. But the orc didn¡¯t seem like he would leave Lance alone. He drank the second ss and spoke with a thin smile. ¡°It is true that there is no problem. Don¡¯t you already know? Your dream isn¡¯t to be the best swordsman. So you can just have fun practicing the sword¡­ in the meantime, if you can show your family, your teachers and the people around you that you are fine, that will be enough.¡± ¡°That¡­¡± ¡°I know, I know. Your head knows it, but your heart cannot ept it. It is painful¡­ is that what you want to say?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Actually. It is the same.¡± The orc who put down the ss looked around. He looked at the waiter, the inn owner with a worried face, and the customers speaking to each other. ¡°They are all envious of someone.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You might be the same too, envious of someone. It is no different with friends. No matter how strong you are, no matter how good the swordsmanship, there is always someone higher. It is the same even if you reach the highest point. You will still never be the best.¡± ¡°What are you trying to say?¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t I already said it? Whether it be a good person or a bad person, there is inevitably a feeling of inferiority in everyone''s heart. Well, let me change that, it is not that it is not that it isn¡¯t a problem, but rather that everyone lives with this kind of pain.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°The important partes now.¡± The orc stopped speaking and looked at the man. The eyes that were looking at him were so strong that even Lance who was close to being an Expert felt overwhelmed. And said, ¡°Despite having such difficult days, almost everyone perseveres and moves forward.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Look at yourself now. And think about the ¡®you¡¯ five years ago.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Did you stop during this time or move ahead?¡± ¡°¡­ I moved ahead.¡± He said that with certainty because his childhood self was terrible. He was young and his swordsmanship wasn¡¯t even worth looking at. It was difficult to even talk with Bratt. ¡°Yeah, right. Then let me ask again. Was that time as hard as now?¡± ¡°¡­ it was.¡± Thinking about it, he cried a lot and was angry a lot too. There were days where he would be exhausted from training and copse and yet, not see a single improvement. He thought that he was shabby when his friends who were beside him were taking immense leaps, leaving him far behind¡­ ¡°It was so hard, but you made it through. And, you have reached a ce where you are far ahead of the past.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You were hurt, frustrated and suffered because you felt inferior to others¡­ but in the end, you never stopped and kept moving, didn¡¯t you? You have been doing it so far, so won¡¯t you be able to do it in the future?¡± To the orc¡¯s question, Lance didn¡¯t answer. He knew it was right. But he didn¡¯t want to admit it. The friends he saw, those who were ahead of him, were not like him. To those who were living much happier than him and were more rewarding to themselves, he wanted to counter them. Like himself, he knew that they too had their own hard times while they were moving ahead with their heart stuck on someone else. ¡°¡­ I will pay for the 2 beers.¡± ¡°Really? Phew, thank God. I was worried. Your expression wasn¡¯t that good. I thought I would have to pay, actually the advice I gave is nonsense.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Why are you looking at me like that? Everything I said is bullshit. You can forget it.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± Lance Peterson thought it was absurd. He was the one who didn¡¯t want to talk with orcs. It wasn¡¯t like he realized anything big, but the fact that he confided his inner feelings to another person, made him feel relieved exactly like what the other person said. But, making the time worthless now? ¡°I don¡¯t have the sensibility to judge a person¡¯s appearance, but your mood seems good. And you have a good physique and are tall. There are probably people around you too. If you just collect their goodwill and their advice, you will be able to see a few changes right? Am I wrong?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Perhaps what they say will be of more help than what I said. It could be that they would think more deeply.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°Actually, there is something else I really want to say, would you listen to it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Lance stared at the orc. The orc grinned begging for an answer. And he ordered another beer which was also emptied in an instant. ¡°At your age, dating is the best way to get out of a slump.¡± ¡°¡­ what?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t look at me that way. When you meet good people, you will feel better, and your mind also bes rxed. You will be correcting yourself through it as well. Anyway, you wouldn¡¯t be this frustrated then. Remember that one cannot dig a cave alone.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡°Date. You should definitely do it. Andter, when you have more time to think about your worries, think again. Maybe your thoughts will change then. It is nothing, but why stay alone and be so serious all the time¡­ is what I mean.¡± ¡°¡­ what if it is still hard?¡± ¡°Then discuss it with your partner. Until then, are you going to hang onto an old orc like me?¡± Drrrr! The orc stood up. And walked away whistling. Lance, who stared at the orc walking away, came to his senses. ¡®That bastard! He drank three and not two!¡¯ When he was thinking that. ¡°Think of thest drink as a cost for introducing a good person.¡± ¡°Huh? What¡­¡± Lance frowned. Drrr! ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Hello?¡± A beautiful woman who appeared out of nowhere, spoke to him. It wasn¡¯t a stranger but Kirill Pareira. Lance, who looked at the orc, sighed and sat down. He didn¡¯t know what happened, but he couldn¡¯t leave Kirill alone in here. ¡°Kirill? How did you ge¡­¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t acting like you don¡¯t get it right?¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°I gave a lot of hints, but you never responded.¡± ¡°¡­¡± At her words, Lance blinked. What did she mean? What was she trying to say? Maybe because he was drunk, he was thinking of a weird situation? Either way, Kirill didn¡¯t care. ¡°Should we meet often?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°UH? Forget meeting. I like you. Ah! Don¡¯t ask why I like you. Because I don¡¯t know it well either. It¡¯s been like that for a long time. I am a person who hates one for no reason and likes one for no reason. And you are thetter.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I am going to ask you straight up. Do you not like me?¡± Lance turned dumb. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t like her. And it wasn¡¯t like he liked her either. Actually, he had just never given it much thought. It was because he was too engrossed in his own worries and didn¡¯t look around. So, it made sense that he couldn¡¯t speak. Lance concentrated on his thoughts to pick the right words with a bewildered expression. Kirill didn¡¯t wait much. ¡°You don¡¯t know me much, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It is fine. I get what you are thinking.¡± ¡°Tha¡­¡± ¡°Instead of answering right now, how about getting to know each other while we date?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I like that one. Well, if you are still worried¡­then I will ask again after you drink more.¡± Lance Peterson nodded his head looking at Kirill who smiled brightly with her ss. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem that bad!¡± Philip Lloyd, who was disguised with magic, looked at them happily. 2 weeks after that. ¡°Lulu.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°We need to leave.¡± ¡°Really? Are we going to finish the trip and head back to your home to meet your family?¡± ¡°No, sorry there is another ce we need to stop by,¡± ¡°Um? Where?¡± Looking at Lulu, who was looking at him with her head tilted, Airn said. ¡°To see Ilya.¡± Chapter 238: How dare you (1)

Chapter 238: How dare you (1)

The dawn that came the next day was cool enough to make one forget the early summer heat. It was an early hour, when even the darkness had notpletely lifted, and yet, the 2nd subjugation squad had already left the mansion. There was no need to see them off. In the first ce, they wereprised of people who had already retired and were forgotten by the world. There was nothing to be sad about since it wasn¡¯t like they were hoping for anyone¡¯s hospitality. ¡®We were tied up longer than I thought.¡¯ ''It wasn''t bad, though. This was necessary.'' ¡®Just leave the present to us. And we will leave the future in your hands.¡¯ Rather than sadness, there was a good feeling in the hearts of the old pdins. It was because they were able to teach the talented people who would potentially support the continent for theing time, maybe for the next 100 years. Airn Pareira and Bratt Lloyd. If they could seed, they would be of great strength to I, who was currently moving alone. Hope filled into the old men¡¯s hearts. At that moment, Quincy Myers, who was leaving the mansion, stopped. ¡°Wait.¡± Did someonee? The squad members nodded at themander¡¯s words and turned their gazes to where he was looking at. In the small training hall, they saw a person wielding a sword. They knew the name. Lance Peterson. ¡®He is pretty good, but¡­¡¯ ¡®Because of the two of them, my eyes never fell on him.¡¯ ¡®Thenmander¡­¡¯ The old pdins looked. And the High priests thought. This young man wasn''t great enough to stop the pace of their busymander; although he was a young man who was strong and everyone wanted to support him, he had a limit. Quincy watched Lance Peterson for over a minute, and then spoke to his squad as he turned. ¡°Certainly, there are a lot of talented people in this generation.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯ll leave now.¡± Darin Horton replied with a nod. No one asked what was so great about the young man. These were the words of the oldest knight of Avilius. There must have been something he saw that the others couldn¡¯t. And like that, they moved out. Lance Peterson swung the sword, unaware that he had been watched. Wheik! Nothing had changed since his meeting with the Orc. He was still inferior to Airn. Wheik! Compared to Bratt, his skills were too poor. But strangely, he felt fine. It was true that things were difficult and painful, but¡­ He felt reallyfortable with his current state whenpared to a week back. ¡®Is it because of the advice of the orc counsellor?¡¯ Lance Paterson paused for a moment, wiping his sweat. An unidentified orc appeared and drank three sses of beer, and disappeared. Recalling the conversation they had, he turned his head to the side. And saw Kirill Pareira looking at him with a smile. ¡®¡­ if not, is it because of her?¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± After thinking for a while, Lance focused on his swordsmanship again. He still didn¡¯t know. In fact, it was unclear what burden was removed. And even if he was fine today, tomorrow might not be the same. Even if it was okay this year, then maybe the next year, he might be struggling with self-doubt again. But it was different from before. It probably was because of his newfound confidence to persevere and move forward, which was blooming in the corner of his heart. Either way, he was moving forward. Even if it was hard and painful, he wouldn¡¯t stop. Looking back, he realized that he had travelled far more than he initially imagined. Whik! Wheik! Lance nodded and swung the sword. And Kirill just watched him do that for a long time. And, Shhh¡­ The darkness which lingered around Lance for a long time hadpletely disappeared. Even more secretly than when it had first approached him. And it was careful enough to avoid the senses of the subjugation squad. It was now early June, and the sun was high up in the sky and had started to sting as its rays fell on the skin. Airn and his party got ready early in the morning to leave the Lloyd estate. Bratt Lloyd and Lance Peterson, as well as others, appeared to see them off. And Philip Lloyd said, ¡°Thank you. If it weren¡¯t for you, I wouldn¡¯t have known that there was a devil lurking around.¡± ¡°No. I just did what I had to do.¡± Airn responded, humbly. There was absolutely no reason to turn away from the devil just because the subjugation squad would appear at ater time. If a devil appeared in front of him in the future, he would destroy it again with all his heart. And he would continue to work hard to acquire the skills to do so. As Airn thought that, Bratt jumped up and said. ¡°Get ready to be nervous for our next meeting.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± "It is hard to know how far I will grow, even for me, hahaha¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­ is it not funny?¡± ¡°Bratt.¡± ¡°Yes, mother. I am sorry.¡± ¡°It is good that the apology was quick.¡± ¡°Please.¡± Airn suppressed hisughter. It wasn¡¯t Bratt but his mother who was funnier. But if Airnughed now, it would be like he wasughing at Bratt¡¯s words. Turning his gaze, he reached out to Lance Peterson. The two shook their hands and nodded at each other without a word. ¡°Hey! I¡¯ll be backter!¡± ¡°Me too. Thank you for taking such good care of us.¡± Lulu and Kirill bid their farewell. And Kirill, sent a secret nce to Lance, and everyone noticed it! Even Airn, who barely noticed things like these, saw it. ¡®I never thought that my sister could ever look at someone like that.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t a bad feeling. It was rather good. But he wasn¡¯t immersed in that thought for long. Ilya Lindsay. He remembered the face of his friend he wanted to see. ¡°Then, let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Be safe!¡± Airn and his party got on Griffin''s back, and they left the others as they took off. There was a vigorous pping of wings, and then it was followed by a fast flight. Watching them disappear, Bratt Lloyd mumbled. ¡°He is going pretty fast.¡± He knew why. It was to meet his own friend. And she was also Airn¡¯s friend. However, in the future, both of these friends might be in a slightly different rtionship when he met them. Thinking of her, he mumbled quietly. ¡°Are you going to take it to the next level with her soon?¡± Of course, it didn¡¯t seem like it would be easy. Didn¡¯t both of the people he was thinking of have boring personalities? ¡°Well¡­ it will be fun to watch.¡± ¡°Son, what is it?¡± ¡°Nothing. I was just talking to myself.¡± Bratt shook his head and looked up at the sky. It wasn¡¯t in the direction where Airn left. He was looking at where Judith would be, and he mumbled. ¡°I miss her.¡± Airn and his party, riding on Griffin¡¯s back, flew towards the western part of the continent at a frightening speed, towards the Adan Kingdom. ording to Kirill, they would arrive there in four days, which was a ridiculous speed considering that it usually took two entire months to travel from the central part of the continent to the western part. ¡®I think we are moving much faster than before.¡¯ Perhaps, through the fight with the devil, maybe Kirill had grown too. Arin smiled brightly and just sat there thinking. This time, it wasn''t practice in the imagery world that he usually did. This was much more intuitive than that. It wasn¡¯t swordsmanship, but something that can be said to be the basics of an Expert and Master. Aura Operation. Wong! Wooong! Woong! The golden light flickered on Airn¡¯s great sword. He was training to pull out and collect the Aura on his sword as quickly as possible, but it required Airn to perform aplex and difficult process, even though it looked simple on the surface. ''If the amount of Aura is generous like ours, it is fine to waste a bit, but you young men don''t have that much. If you want to use the swordsmanship of the Holy Kingdom, you need to practice, and be more efficient and bnced in using an aura sword.'' Having said that, Quincy Myers gave them several training methods. Forget Bratt; even Airn hadn''t made much progress. It was fine, though. Airn was now different from before. While keeping the enthusiasm when facing I alive, he was in a state of bnce where his impatience didn¡¯t keep affecting his mind. It was now as natural as flowing water, and the effortless attitude he now had was leading him on the right path. Thanks to that, the two of who were with Airn also felt a sense of security, unlike before. ¡®I¡¯m d that Airn looks good. I wish he was always like this!¡¯ ¡®It can¡¯t be like this. This time we need to make a little more progress!¡¯ But Lulu and Kirill¡¯s thoughts looking at Airn were different. To be precise, there was one thing Kirill wanted from her brother now, and that was to progress his rtionship with Ilya. She realized it the first time they met. That there was something serious between them. However, the reason there was no progress being made was primarily because of their personalities. ¡®Of course, this is fun to watch, but if I stay still, things will be the same even ten yearster.'' In Kirill¡¯s opinion, Ilya was a nice person who was hard to find. Her ability, her appearance and personality were all excellent enough to pass her strict standards. Of course, if Airn didn¡¯t like her in that way, it would be a bummer, but in her view, it felt like Airn had some kind of emotions for her. But Airn was unaware of it, so she thought that she should encourage the two of them. ¡®But I am d. Brother brought up the topic first to go see her.¡¯ Kirill looked at Airn, who was training. What should she do to make this dull person be aware of it? Several thoughts ran through her mind. However, the problem was that Kirill was a novice when it came to dating. In the end, she didn¡¯t have much of a n until they arrived at the Lindsay estate. Rather, they just moved to the mansion, embracing the uneasy feeling they had. ¡°Kirill, is there anything wrong?¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°Then what is with your face?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Stop asking.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Lulu answered, and Airn looked at her with worried eyes. Feeling Airn¡¯s eyes on her, she thought. ¡®Who do you think I am doing this for!... no, calm down!¡¯ She took a slow deep breath. It was good to worry for her brother, but it wasn¡¯t right to ruin the entire party¡¯s mood. She was the ruthless sorcerer in the Cesar Duchy, but she couldn¡¯t be like that in here. I have to smile. For now, just smile. With that in mind, Kirill stepped ahead with a terrifying smile which made Lulu¡¯s hair stand up. Airn watched them from behind with a warm expression. But a problem arose when they arrived in front of the mansion. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Three carriages?¡± Airn mumbled. Three carriages were waiting at the gate. Although the Lindsay family might have been the most famous family in the west, seeing so many guests visiting at the same time was still surprising. It was because, after the match between Carl Lindsay and I, the family had closed its doors. Was something happening? It was when they were thinking about it that another carriage arrived. A nobleman with grey hair, who looked around 30¡­ Smirk. He looked at Airn¡¯s party with a smirk. ¡°¡­¡± Airn¡¯s gaze moved to Kirill. His younger sister didn¡¯t tolerate such things. And she was ring at the nobleman. ¡°Ha!¡± And snorted. At that moment, the man who was moving with the escort, stopped. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The noble looked at Kirill. And Kirill red back at him. In that weird air, Airn and Lulu felt bewildered. Smirk. And the noble showed a scornfulugh again. ¡°Huh.¡± And Kirill still didn¡¯t give up. She replied to theugh with a snort louder than the previous one¡­so loud that everyone could hear. The man now burst into augh as if he wasn¡¯t going to back down. ¡°Ha.¡± ¡°Hu.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± ¡°Uh.¡±1 ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Airn¡¯s group; And the nobles who arrived, as well as the guards at the gates, were all at a loss of words at this childish war of nerves. The same was the case of the Headmaster of the Joseph Swordsmanship School, who arrived in front of the mansion a littlete. And with an expression of understanding things, he mumbled. ¡°Did that Stanton bastard start a fight again?¡± ¡°Right in front of Lindsay''s mansion?¡± ¡°He is over 30, but I don¡¯t know how long it will¡­¡± Everyone clicked their tongues at it and criticized the nobleman. They didn¡¯t even have to think that it was the woman¡¯s fault and were sure that this man had started the problem. However, the Headmaster of a swordsmanship school was different. He narrowed his eyes and thought while looking at Airn Pareira. ¡®The one standing behind, isn¡¯t he the young man I saw in the Land of Proof?¡¯ What is happening LMAOOO? Chapter 239: How dare you (2)

Chapter 239: How dare you (2)

Joseph Swordsmanship school. He inherited the name of the seventh most glorious hero, ''Joseph'', and he was regarded as one of the top-ranked Sword Masters in the western part of the continent. Now that he was old, he had turned quiet, but when he was 20 years old, he was a fighter who showed his skills to the world through various battles. He too, had been through numerous subjugations. Such a person was truly a veteran. For such a man, there was no reason to be disturbed by the fact that a few young people were arguing in front of the Lindsay mansion. It was the same even if one of them was Bill Stanton, an infamous person of Adan Kingdom. However, his thoughts changed when he saw the young man standing behind the woman-his bright blonde hair, which looked like the sun. On one hand, he had an expression that made one feel good just by looking at him. And on the other hand, he had a perfectly bnced, strong-looking body crafted from great training. ¡®The champion of the Land of Proof!¡¯ Of course, Airn wasn¡¯t the Champion anymore. He knew that this person had left Eisenmarkt as soon as he took the title of Champion. But that didn¡¯t matter. The important thing was that the fight from that time had remained in Joseph¡¯s mind even after a year. ¡®My heart still races when I think of that time.¡¯ Joseph was someone who had gone through countless battles so far. He had been fighting countless times with people stronger than him and had also fought the most brutal battles with Masters. The fight between Ilya Lindsay and the young man was so intense and ferocious that even he had just sat there tensed at what the oue would be. It wasn¡¯t because of the background of the two kids who were top students of the Krono Academy. It was because of the skills and the fighting prowess that the two of them disyed¡­something that had transcended their age, and it was something that had made the blood of an 80-year-old man boil after a long time. ¡®Airn Pareira¡­ to see that young man here.¡¯ Joseph looked at the man. After appearing like aet in Eisenmarkt, spection about his future whereabouts had swept through the western continent. However, contrary to others'' expectations, Airn had been quiet, which was why he was even happier at this unexpected chance. ¡°Huh.¡± ¡°Ha¡± ¡°Hu.¡± ¡°Huh!¡± Of course, while he was lost in thoughts, Bill Stanton and Kirill Pareira continued. ¡®What is he doing?¡¯ In the end, a figure of the Joseph Swordsmanship school who wasn¡¯t seen had approached them. To be precise, the figure approached Bill Stanton. He knew¡­ what kind of character this man had. However, it was true that he was arguing because of his arrogant and proud personality. The man was convinced that the current quarrel was because of Bill Stanton. ¡°Now, take it easy. Apologize to thedy right away.¡± ¡°Ah, Mr. Anton. Long time no see. No, why should it be me? Why are you telling me to apologize without even listening to what happened?¡± ¡°Do I need to listen? It has to be your fault.¡± ¡°Right. He was rude to us.¡± ¡°Ha. Wow, you are quite some¡­¡± Upon hearing Kirill¡¯s words, Bill Stanton looked bewildered. The gatekeepers were looking at him in a cold way. And he also saw the cold eyes of the members of the Joseph Swordsmanship school. And even his own escorts weren¡¯t on his side. Like an upset child, Stanton had an expression that suggested that what he was going through was unjust, and tried to exin the situation to Anton, a mighty figure from the Joseph Swordsmanship school. ¡°No, please listen carefully.¡± ¡°I am listening.¡± ¡°What day is the day after tomorrow? Isn¡¯t there a banquet to celebrate the birthday of Joshua Lindsay, the head of the Lindsay family?¡± ¡®I see. That is why there are so many people!¡¯ Airn nodded his head. He had been skeptical for a while. He heard that since Carl Lindsay¡¯s disappearance, the Lindsay family had never held a banquet. ¡®If I think positively, can it be said that the pain of losing someone had lessened after a long time?¡¯ Perhaps it was thanks to him that his friend, Ilya Lindsay, had ovee the wounds. He had a few thoughts like that. And a feeling of joy bloomed in his heart. He felt like rushing into the mansion and calling for Ilya. ¡°So? Why did you have to smirk at us as you passed by?¡± Kirill wasn¡¯t going to stand by because of what had happened. She was angry. She couldn¡¯t understand this man at all. And the answer came right away. Frowning, he pointed to Airn and Kirill with an unpleasant gesture. ¡°On a very happy day when outside guests were allowed into the Lindsay Estate for the first time in 8 years, you are trying to cross the threshold of the Lindsay family gates with such a sloppy outfit.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Iughed at you because, as a cultured noble representing the Adan Kingdom, I cannot overlook it!¡± Upon hearing Stanton¡¯s words, Anton shook his head. It was a pitiful reason. Of course, what he said wasn''t exactly wrong. Even to Anton¡¯s eyes, Kirill was dressed too normally. And she also had a hairy cat on her shoulders which was ck, and people right now were sensitive about such things. But that didn¡¯t justify his reason tough at them. ¡®I need to do something. As the man said, it¡¯s a banquet held by Lindsays after a long time.¡¯ The least he could do was to not let them fight in front of the gate. At that moment, the blonde woman pulled something out of her pocket and put it to her chest. And with a bright light, her outfit changed entirely. sh! The casual clothes from before was nowhere to be found, and a beautiful woman appeared in front of them in an elegant red dress. Bill Stanton opened his mouth in surprise. ¡°W-Ho¡­¡± ¡°So I guess there is no problem now?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Since you judge people by their appearance, does this ease your mind? And you... Phew, say something.¡± ¡°T-this¡­¡± ¡°No, not just the appearance. Rather than worrying about the exterior you put up as a noble, I would rmend that you start concentrating on what¡¯s inside as well. Let¡¯s go, brother.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± Bill Stanton blocked Kirill as she took Airn¡¯s hand and walked ahead. Despite his handsome face, he looked like an ugly man with excitement oozing out of his nose. ¡®His appearance now is really ugly.¡¯ Kirill thought to herself and asked with a smirk. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Bill Stanton continued to ponder. He knew that if anyone disrespected even just one person, then what he did was actually disrespect three or maybe four people. But now, his pride wouldn¡¯t let him apologize. To be honest, he didn¡¯t expect something that started as a simple snort would turn this big. Most of all, the woman¡¯s appearance and her attitude made it unbearable. ¡®Isn¡¯t there a way to lighten the mood in some noble way, without hurting my pride but at the same time also make things get better? No, if I do that and it reaches my father''s ears, I¡¯ll get scolded¡­ no, and looking at her now, she is so pretty. Isn¡¯t there a way to improve our rtionship? Ah! But I don''t want to apologize.¡¯ Complicated thoughts entered Bill Stanton¡¯s mind. At that time, Joseph, who was far away, gently intervened. ¡°I roughly understand what happened.¡± ¡°Uh? Headmaster?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry. My introduction iste. I am Joseph of the Joseph Swordsmanship school." ¡°¡­ hello. I am Kirill Pareira.¡± Kirill has a short introduction. The other man was polite, but she wasn¡¯t a fool, and the fame of Joseph was well known. Wasn¡¯t he a Sword Master respected by many? ''¡­ thinking about it, I was too excited. I shouldn''t be like this in front of the gate of the ce I was hoping my brother would have a nice time at.¡¯ Remorse filled her mind, and Kirill exhaled. She was angry, but she knew when to step back. And since Master Joseph personally stepped in, she couldn¡¯t act headstrong now. But the words from Joseph¡¯s mouth were unexpected. ¡°I think both of you were at fault to some extent, but I think that if we just parted like this, both sides would only have hatred for each other. So, how about a small and clean sword match to rx the mood?¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Ye?¡± ¡°Ah, of course, I¡¯m not asking Miss Kirill toe. The young man in the back? Are you, Miss Kirill¡¯s brother?¡± ¡°Huh? Ah, yes.¡± ¡°You are a swordsman, aren''t you?¡± ¡°¡­ yes.¡± ¡°How about it then? Aren''t you thinking about raising your sword for the sake of your sister?¡± ¡®What is this now?¡¯ Bill Stanton was bewildered at this. He was someone who was constantly told that he wasn¡¯t mature despite being 31 years old, because he had more idents. However, contrary to the evaluation of his behavior, Bill Stanton was someone who was confident that he wouldn¡¯t lose to anyone his age in swordsmanship. Because he was treated as one of the famous swordsmen in the Adan Kingdom. ¡®Looking at him, it¡¯s a body that feels pretty well-trained, but¡­¡¯ His opponent seemed to be in his early 20s. That meant that he wouldn¡¯t have be even an Expert, and it meant the young man wasn¡¯t his opponent. No matter how upset he was, he couldn¡¯t use his sword against the weak. As he opened his mouth to reject the offer¡­ Smirk. Kirill smirked right then. And that was a huge blow to Bill Stanton¡¯s esteem. ¡°¡­ if the other side agrees, I will too.¡± ¡°Huhu, it is nice that you are full of energy. And the young man, what about you?¡± ¡°Brother, you will show them, right?¡± ¡°Uh? Uh¡­¡± ¡°Headmaster?¡± At the confrontation between the two young men almost being done, the Joseph Swordsmanship School members raised their voices. They couldn¡¯t understand why their kind headmaster was encouraging two people to fight rather than making them stop. ''Sorry, Bill.'' Joseph smiled and apologized in his heart. He just couldn¡¯t help it. He was curious about Airn¡¯s current strength, so he wanted to make an excuse and watch him in action. ¡®If you have that kind of talent¡­ you would have grown tremendously over the past year. I can¡¯t stand this much excitement.¡¯ Joseph¡¯s smile widened like the innocent smile of a child. Even though it was someone else¡¯s fight and not his; It had been a while since he felt so excited! The 80-year-old man clenched his fists and stepped back. Meanwhile, Bill Stanton, who drew his sword, warned Airn. ¡°I am Bill Stanton. A lone wolf from the Stanton family, as well as the swordsman who will take charge of the future of Adan Kingdom.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. Won¡¯t you introduce yourself too?¡± ¡°¡­ Hale Kingdom, Airn Pareira.¡± ¡°Okay. I will warn you in advance. I¡¯ll take care of the situation with my swift and strong sword, so I am not sure how your body will fare. But I will still do my best.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Did you hear me? Promise me. To do your best.¡± ¡°¡­ Alright.¡± ¡°Nice. Ah! And you don¡¯t have a sword! Yah, give that young man a¡­¡± The moment he spoke to his escorts. Swosh! A golden sword grew out of Airn¡¯s hand. Bill Stanton stood there still, perplexed at what he saw. ¡°Huh?¡± It didn¡¯t end there. Woong! A golden energy covered the de. Having witnessed the Aura Sword, which was so clear that no one could mistake it, he had a dazed expression and looked at the cat flying behind Airn. ¡®A flying cat?¡¯ ¡®Airn Pareira?¡¯ ¡®Sword appearing from thin air?¡¯ ¡®Hale Kingdom?¡¯ ¡°Ah!¡± All the pieces fell in. It was when Bill Stanton was trembling with a sense of betrayal and turned to look at Joseph in upset. ¡°I have no fear.¡± Step step! The gate opened. A middle-aged man approached them with a sword. He had silver hair as soft as the moonlight and an overwhelming atmosphere that made people feel chills. Joshua Lindsay, who felt sharper than usual, stood in front of Airn Pareira, ignoring Bill Stanton. And said. ¡°You have grown a lot, Airn. How dare you pull out the Aura Sword in front of Lindsay¡¯s mansion?¡± ¡°That, I¡­ Happy, happy birthday.¡± Airn quickly pulled back the sword and bowed. Joshua Lindsay looked at him and asked with cold eyes. ¡°Is that true?¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°You are here to celebrate my birthday, is that true?¡± ¡°Yes, of cour¡­¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t here to see my daughter?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Raise your sword, Airn.¡± ¡°Wa-wait¡­¡± Airn was bewildered. Kirill was stunned, and Lulu flew around restlessly. Bill Stanton moved back, and in that hectic atmosphere, Josephughed. ¡®It turned out to be more fun than I thought.¡¯ Chapter 240: How dare you (3)

Chapter 240: How dare you (3)

¡°Huhu.¡± Josephughed at Joshua Lindsay¡¯s appearance. The original n was to persuade Bill to sh swords against Airn, and then to intervene himself, because he thought that it would be tough to bring out the skills of a Sword Master if it was just Stanton. However, if it was Joshua Lindsay, then the story changed. ¡®I don¡¯t know what this is, but I wish he can be pushed to the limit if possible.¡¯ For a brief moment when Airn used the Aura Sword, Joseph felt it. Airn Pareira¡¯s skills had improved dramatically over the year. The smoothness of his Aura operation, including the concentration and manifestation stages was iparable to the past. As he thought about it, Bill Stanton, full of dissatisfaction came up to him and said. ¡°Old man.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You did that knowingly, right?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°That person, you knew that he was a Sword Master and pushed me into it, right?¡± ¡°Well, did I force you into it? You could have said yes or no. If you made the choice yourself, why are you ming others?¡± ¡°Making idents and then ming other people, isn¡¯t that why he has been called a mess?¡± 1 ¡°That is true.¡± Aton shook his head and Joseph¡¯s words. He thought of Bill Stanton and his own headmaster who was bullying the man. ¡®I feel like the older he gets, the more childish he is.¡¯ Of course, few people cared about it. Everyone in the ce was focused on Joshua Lindsay and the blonde young man who showed an Aura sword. ¡°What? Raise the sword already.¡± ¡°Wait, one second, let me talk for a second.¡± ¡°Was that an order?¡± ¡°No, why would I¡­ have I done something wrong?¡± ¡°You lied, didn¡¯t you? Ilya was your goal, but you make excuses saying you were here for my birthday.¡± ¡°No, of course I came here to see Ilya, but¡­ it is also true that I was here to celebrate your birthday.¡± ¡°Really? Then do you have a present for me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Airn went dumb. It was fine to lie for his life, but when asked about the gift, he couldn¡¯t think of any excuses. Sweat trickled down his back. And his sister helped him. ¡°Of course, we have¡­here it is, the present prepared for the lord.¡± Swosh! Kirill pulled out a bottle of alcohol from her sorcery pouch. It was a bottle of very expensive wine. She had bought it to have it with Lance Peterson and have a good time with him, but she sacrificed that for her brother. Joshua, who received it from them, looked at it. ¡®¡­ it is the one I like.¡¯ This time, Joshua was at a loss for words. In fact, everything he said so far was nothing more than an outburst. Airn, hade earlier than the one-year deadline, and he was a man who had captured his daughter¡¯s attention, so, he started a nonsensical argument with him. Right. Since he had started the argument, it was right to push through till the end. With a stiff expression, he looked at the blonde man and said. ¡°Airn.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You haven¡¯t forgotten what I told you, right?¡± ¡°¡­ yes.¡± Airn nodded his head. To not be swept away by the mes of I. To get out of it and keep my own pace. His words were still engraved in Airn¡¯s heart. He wandered so much, but the change started from this advice. Seeing the seriousness in Airn¡¯s eyes, Joshua was a bit startled. The advice he had given was something one¡¯s head could know, but was hard for the heart to ept. In other words, it was a question to see if Airn could do it or not. However, through the expression and the confident eyes he saw in the young man, it made Joshua intrigued. He was the father of his beloved daughter, but he was also a swordsman who loved the sword more than anyone. ¡°¡­ it seems to have paid off.¡± ¡°I am stillcking, but I am proud that I have grown from before.¡± ¡°Can you prove it?¡± ¡°I can.¡± ¡°Great. Then let¡¯s change ces. Come inside.¡± ¡°Yes, lord.¡± The atmosphere changed. The young boy with a weak impression after escaping out from a crisis had disappeared, and a young hero with a strong will took his ce. Joshua¡¯s mood changed too. Beyond loving and cherishing his daughter, the character who had nothing to say as he saw his advice being taken seriously, instantly exuded the atmosphere of a Master. 2 It was a very serious situation. Joseph swordsmanship school¡¯s people and the headmaster moved along with them in interest and Kirill and Lulu who came to their senses a bitter, also entered through the gates. ¡°This is going to be so fun.¡± So was Bill Stanton. He already forgot that he was yed by the old man. And he hadn¡¯t said anything since he had the chance to see one of the 10 top swordsmen of the continent, Joshua Lindsay in action. Besides, his opponent was known to be a genius among geniuses¡­ someone who was on par with I and Ilya! The immature noble moved inside, but there was someone who was like a hurdle to him. ¡°Why are you following us?¡± It was Kirill Pareira. ¡°What? I am a guest of the Lindsay family, is it wrong toe in?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking about that. Just get the directions from the maids and go to your room. Why are you following me when you have no connection with the battle?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I follow?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then if I get permission from one of the parties going to cross their swords?¡± ¡°Will you ask the lord?¡± ¡°I was going to ask Airn Pareira.¡± ¡°Let me tell you the answer right here; you have been refused.¡± ¡°I am sorry for earlier, I was short-sighted.¡± ¡°I hate those who change their mind like flipping their palms.¡± ¡°No. I still think it is rude to show up in clothes which don¡¯t fit the asion. Of course, I ended up expressing it rudely in the process, so I apologize for that. If you want, I can bow in front of you and show my sincerity. Is it a no, even now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still a no.¡± ¡°Uh, then, there is nothing I can do about it. But, even if you regret after this, there will be nothing you can do about it either.¡± 3 ¡°¡­whatever you do, I have no intention of visiting the same ce as you.¡± Kirill looked sharply at Bill Stanton. It was something she felt so much in the Cesar Duchy. After quarreling with them, some high-ranking nobles would throw in threatening words like this when things didn''t go their way. However, Kirill wasn¡¯t the kind to give in. ¡®Whatever you do, I will pay you back in double.¡¯ Resolute, Kirill was ready to deal with Bill Stanton. However, the words which came out of his mouth werepletely unexpected. ¡°If you don¡¯t let me see the match, then¡­on the day of the birthday banquet, I n to confess to you.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°In a very crowded ce.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I will do it very loudly and I will make sure to fill you with shame so that everyone is watching.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I will sing a serenade of love in a sweet voice.¡± ¡°What crazy shi¡­¡± ¡°This is a confession attack.¡± ¡°Kirill, this man is weird¡­¡± Lulu mumbled in a terrified voice. Kirill had the same thought. She looked at Bill Stanton. Put her to shame with a confession? Attack her with a confession? What was this absurd attack? But the effect was clear. When she thought of Bill Stanton confessing in front of people, she thought of an illusion where dozens of bugs were crawling on her body. She couldn¡¯t deal with it. It was disgusting. So, she had no choice but to say. ¡°Sorry. Don¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Then the match?¡± ¡°Allowed.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Bill Stanton smirked and whistled. Joseph Swordsmanship school¡¯s people who heard that, looked at the man like he was mad. ¡°Are you ready?¡± ¡°Ready.¡± Whether they were watching or not, Joshua Lindsay and Airn were already engrossed in each other. The Lord who had arrived first, pulled out his sword and Airn summoned his sorcery sword. And when the swordsmen saw that brilliant golden sword, they admired it again. It looked more elegant and sharper and sturdier than any famous sword in the world. However, that sentiment changed when Joshua Lindsay used his Aura Sword. Wooong! It was a sword wrapped in a silver brilliance. While everyone was looking at the Aura sword, which was more beautiful than the swords of the Avilius Knights, Airn raised his aura as well. The moment the two rays of light soared high in the sky. Tat! Taht! The fight began. Kwaang! The two collided in the centre of the hall, fighting for the upper hand. Suddenly, a crack resounded in the hall. Unable to withstand theirbined pressure, the stone floor shattered like cookies. And this caused Airn to slightly lose his bnce. Without missing that chance, Joshua¡¯s sword flew in like a gale. Kwaang! Another roar! Airn didn¡¯t resist it. He slid off the floor and got out of the attack and Joshua continued to move with an offensive flow. The sight of him pouring out attacks while changing the direction of the attacks from the back, front, left and right, was like a gust of wind. ¡°¡­¡± Bill Stanton, gulped as he saw it. The swordsmanship of the Lindsay lord, who inherited the blood of a hero, seemed to dominate the sky and press down on the opponent. However, what was even more surprising was the fact that, despite such relentless attacks, Airn didn¡¯t show signs of being pushed back. Kwang! Kwang! Kwaaang! Deafening metallic sounds continued to resound throughout the gymnasium. A fierce sword storm. However, Airn, who was in the middle of it, had plenty of room to do what he wanted. He hardened his centre through the energy of steel. And dispelled the attacks with the energy of flowing water. If he confronted the wind head on, he would be defeated but if he focused on deflecting it by following the flow, then there would be no problem. He had to keep deflecting the attacks as long as he could. When it was impossible to deflect, he had to endure it with the durability of cast iron. He knew that the opponent would also need a break from the attacks he was doing, and Airn could restore the bnce in the meantime. So, like that, 1 minute¡­and then 2 minutes passed. When it was 5 minutes¡­. ¡°¡­¡± Bill Stanton and the others too. Even Joseph was silent and watched the battle. No one dared to speak. It wasn¡¯t an atmosphere where one could speak. Everyone¡¯s hearts felt like they would explode at any moment. A gust of wind began to erupt from Joshua Lindsay¡¯s sword, and he took a step back. ¡®That!¡¯ Joseph¡¯s eyes opened wide as he saw this. It was an attack which embodied the power of wind, and was rumored to have inflicted enormous damage on the Demon Dragon King, even beyond that of an Aura Sword. It wasn¡¯t just a simple increase in power. An opponent who was caught in the rotational force wouldn¡¯t be able to even hold their sword properly. How many swordsmen had be so miserable that they had no choice but to stare at their swords flying in distance while they just barely grabbed on to themselves? However, Airn had no intention of giving up. Blink. Airn opened his eyes wide and looked at Joshua. He sharpened his senses in real time to maximize his sorcery. The flow of aura flowing through the Lord¡¯s body felt close enough that he felt that he could grasp it. As he saw it, he came to an understanding. Thepleted Sky Sword couldn¡¯t be blocked by him. It had to be stopped before the attack was deployed. Airn, who made the decision, used his Aura. Whoop! It wasn¡¯t just a quick lift. The aura which flowed through the body exploded with the energy of fire and then, exploded once again. He used these explosions to make himself faster. So that he could achieve a speed beyond his limits. Originally, it was a dangerous technique which could have ruined his body, but now, it was fine. Thanks to the proper use of the energy of water, he was able to bring it out without major side effects. This was enough. This much was enough. Airn Pareira¡¯s sword, which spread out in an instant, pierced towards the Sky Sword just before itspletion. Kwaaaaaaang! Roar. And then silence. Compared to Arin, who took 20 steps back, the Lord only took 3 steps back. But no one ridiculed the young man. An exmation close to shock, flowed from Joseph¡¯s mouth. ¡°Oh my god¡­¡± I kinda feel bad for the guy at this point ngl.?I realize this might be a bit confusing. The person giving out the aura of a swordmaster is Joshua Lindsay.?Stanton is threatening Kirill here.? Chapter 241: How dare you (4)

Chapter 241: How dare you (4)

¡°¡­¡± Oh my god. There were no words that better expressed the current situation. Who was Joshua Lindsay? He was the youngest among the five Sword Masters in the western continent, and was known to have the most outstanding skills among the strongest. And this person in front of them had exchanged dozens of strikes with that Joshua Lindsay. And moreover, it was a young man who was a little over 20! ¡°Headmaster.¡± ¡°¡­ go on.¡± ¡°That young man¡­ Airn Pareira¡¯s skills, were they of that level?¡± ¡°¡­ haha.¡± Joseph burst intoughter. No. Never. Airn a year ago was great too, but he had barely be a Sword Master in the past. Defeating Ilya Lindsay was in fact the result of luck, or at least that was what Joseph had thought. Then what about now? The density of the aura sword that Airn had was absurd. The smoothness of the aura operation couldn¡¯t bepared to the past at all. In all other respects, he has shown insane growth to make up a strong swordsmanship. Like.. ¡°¡­ it¡¯s like looking at someone else.¡± Next to the shocked Joseph, the others too were in disbelief. All the geniuses they had known about till then had beenpletely erased from their minds. Right in front of them was the dazzling name, ¡®Airn Pareira¡¯. ¡°¡­¡± But there was another person who was more shocked than they were. It was Joshua Lindsay. Unlike those who hadn¡¯t seen Airn till then, he had seen this man just three months ago. And of course, he was great back then. He had the ability to triumph over his daughter, whom he thought was the greatest genius on the continent, so no one had to tell him how hard Airn had worked to achieve it. ¡®¡­ Airn back then.¡¯ Compared to the current Airn, the past one seemed socking. It wasn¡¯t just the swordsmanship or aura. ¡®As I thought. His attitude¡­ it haspletely changed.¡¯ Unlike Ian, who was known to have a good eye for seeing people, or Quincy Myers who knew about it after a while, Joshua wasn¡¯t like them. But the more he shared swords with this person, the more he felt it. It meant that he found his own pace after getting out of the shadow of I. His passion was still burning hot. But there was no impatience. There was a calmness which controlled the mes. And there were no signs of overdoing it, and no signs of fear either. All because of one move. Joshua Lindsay almost unwittingly uttered words of praise. But the words that came out were the exact opposite. ¡°¡­ it isn¡¯t a perfected technique.¡± The Lord had a hard time being honest. The pain in his heart was still fresh to praise this man openly. He remembered what had happened 3 months ago. The day he thought he gave pretty good advice to his daughter. He witnessed her running suddenly somewhere¡­and then saw his daughter sharing swords with the man affectionately! Heat rose to Joshua¡¯s head at the thought and the words that came out of his mouth turned colder. And he spoke with sharp eyes. ¡°The flow of the attack was good. But the response after that is messed up. You didn¡¯t think that you¡¯d be able to subdue me in one hit, right? Considering the follow up situation, you should have paid attention to bnce after the sh, trying to escape the moment without thinking, and it pushed you 20 steps back. If it was a real battle, you would have been dead.¡± ¡®No¡­¡¯ ¡®He did extremely well¡­ so why is he being so tough?¡¯ ¡®He is known to be tough but isn¡¯t he being too harsh?¡¯ The swordsmen of Joseph swordsmanship school were shocked. This young man was going against the head of one of the 5 best swordsmen families. It deserved praise but Joshua Lindsay was being too strict. It made it seem like the Lord hated Airn. However, the blonde kid didn¡¯t seem upset. Rather, he nodded his head as if it made sense. ¡°The Lord is right. Sorry. I will work harder.¡± ¡°¡­ Hm.¡± ¡®This is why I hate him even more!¡¯ Joshua thought this young man was really kind and good. So, he hated him even more. Since he couldn¡¯t see any part of the young man which was bad. In the end, he brushed off his thoughts with a sigh and raised his energy again. Woong, the silvery aura turned stronger. Seeing that, he turned to see Airn Pareira who took the stance again, and softly said. ¡°I¡¯ll give you some time.¡± Huh? ¡°I heard something¡­that the blow you can pull off when enough time is given¡­ is on a different level.¡± ¡°Hm¡± Airn made an expression that he could understand. He must have heard it from Quincy Myers. A fatal one-hit attack that cannot be used in actualbat, but can only be demonstrated with sufficient time was given. ¡®e to think of It, I''ve always been confident in that direction.¡¯ One by one he recalled the past. It reminded him of the final evaluation in Krono. The time he visited Ian after 5 years and used the sh. The time when Jet Frost epted defeat in face of the sh. It was the same even after bing the Sword Master. When he was tested by Quincy Myers and when he fought with Khun too. He had won their approval with his best move. ¡®Then, how about now?¡¯ Airn nodded his head. There was nothing to worry about. As Joshua said, given enough time, he could disy the most powerful and destructive swordsmanship whenpared to the other strikes. He wasn¡¯t confident, but he was quite certain. The three great swordsmen, Ian, Khun and Julius Hul¡­ and Quincy Myers. Even if he couldn¡¯t overwhelm them with force. He had a belief that he had sufficient odds against the strong ones. Such emotions flowed from his eyes. ¡°Such provocative eyes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Not bad. I¡¯ll be honest. I like that look.¡± ¡°You will be pretty nervous.¡± ¡°I get it, so get ready.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Airn answered and closed his eyes. Limiting the most important point of view in the five senses was an action which couldn¡¯t be imagined in real life. But at that moment, it didn¡¯t matter. What you have to do is something one can¡¯t even dream of¡­ to gather the power. To merge it, and thenplete it and pour out everything that one is capable of exerting in one single sh. ¡®This one thing¡­ I call it my best blow!¡¯ Woong! As he finished it, the Aura Sword covering Airn¡¯s sword soared louder. The onlookers saw the Aura being manifested in the best way; it was an energy which had umted by oveing numerous trials. The Aura of metal, me, water of the five elements. In addition to that, the strength of mind he learned from I, as well as the swordsmanship passed from the pdins of the Holy Kingdom. Combining all those into one was difficult, but little by little, progress was beginning to be made with his sharpened senses. Wooooong¡­! The air shook. He could have been mistaken, but it looked that way to Joseph. It was the same for the others. As they watched Airn¡¯s sword which continued to shine brighter, they had no idea that their mouths were open. They didn¡¯t care. Rather, they couldn¡¯t care about it. At this moment, their entire focus was on Airn. Joshua Lindsay, one of the top 10 swordsmen. ¡®Since you gave me enough time to prepare¡­ even I have no idea what might happen!¡¯ Blink! Airn¡¯s eyes finally opened, and an intense gaze was directed at the head of the Lindsay family. They weren¡¯t the eyes of a junior who wanted to be recognized by his senior. They were the eyes which wanted to defeat the opponent like a swordsman! ¡­ but. ¡°¡­.!¡± He saw Joshua Lindsay floating in the sky. As he saw that, he became aware of how arrogant the thoughts he had inside were. Woong! Woooong! A typhoon wasing his way. No, the aura of the storm was even more fearful than a typhoon. An unrelenting gust of wind which danced around. Airn raised his head and looked at the sky. The wind was ripping apart everything. Joshua Lindsay, who reigned over him, looked down at Airn and the scene was like the daunting return of Dion Lindsay, who struck down the Demon Dragon King 400 years back. ¡®Heaven¡¯s¡­ Sword.¡¯ ¡°Airn.¡± The Lord opened his mouth. Airn couldn¡¯t answer. But it felt like his mind was burning by holding his attention, praying that his attack wouldn¡¯t copse. And then Joshua Lindsay shouted. ¡°Believe!¡± What? What is that supposed to mean? What was he even saying in this situation? All of those thoughts soon disappeared without a trace. In the blink of an eye, the moment when the two swords shed; sh! A loud roar resounded throughout the hall. ¡°Kuak!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Wheik! Woong! Shhh! There was a powerful shock wave. The people there couldn¡¯t respond. But it was good. Joseph had pulled out his sword and saved everyone from the attacks which fell onto them. Lulu and Kirill summoned their sorcerer barrier and shield to block the shock as well. Tuk! Tuk! Stones fell all around. And then therger stones started to fall down like hail. Joseph couldn¡¯t stop that, so the stones fell down on several people¡¯s heads. But nobodyined. What had just urred was like a mythical battle which woulde out in a history book. Seeing Joshua Lindsay standing tall at the end, everyone was at a loss of words. ¡®¡­ did I overdo it?¡¯ The Lord was slightly regretting what he had done. He hadn¡¯t thought of it. But seeing the energy of Airn growing stronger and stronger without stopping, he thought that it would be difficult to receive it. It was for that reason that he had to use the final technique of the Sky Sword. Airn wasn¡¯t the only one who concentrated on his growth during his spare time ¡®But well¡­ I managed to counter that power, so it is fine.¡¯ Joshua nodded. Airn was down, but that was all. Thanks to the gentle wind at the end, there were no wounds on Airn¡¯s body. Of course, it didn¡¯t matter even if they were wounds. He even felt a bit bad that he was unhurt. ¡°Well, this is good.¡± He mumbled. This could make up for the pain he felt 3 months ago which kept weighing on his heart. Then, wasn¡¯t this a good thing? Joshua who rationalized it, took the sword and it was the time when felt slightly refreshed that he heard a voiceing from behind him. ¡°Dad.¡± Flinch. It was a familiar and beautiful voice. His body trembled. He felt it right away. What kind of emotions were in the owner of the voice, and with what expression she was looking at him. ¡°¡­ daughter.¡± Still, he had to look back. When Joshua Lindsay¡¯s turned. Standing there was the one he loved more than anyone, Ilya Lindsay. Her gaze on him was colder than the wind of the northern continent. Chapter 242: How dare you (5)

Chapter 242: How dare you (5)

¡°Umm¡­¡± Joshua who was receiving the cold gaze from his daughter faltered. Although the expression on his face was normal, because of his blunt personality, he wasn¡¯t the kind to show his expressions well in the first ce. But Joseph, who had known Joshua for long, knew that the Sword Master was a bit upset now. ¡®His eyes seem to be trembling a lot?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t because of the battle. Sure, the excitement of the battle still didn¡¯t leave the body of the two Sword masters. But this¡­ this wasn¡¯t that. Of course, his reaction wasn¡¯t important at all to Ilya Lindsay. ¡°¡­¡± She just kept ring at her father. ¡°¡­¡± And then she looked at Airn Pareira who had fallen to the floor. Seeing Ilya like that, the entire hall turned silent due to the mood. It felt like the air turned heavy and they couldn¡¯t speak because of the atmosphere. Joshua¡¯s heart sank as he saw this. He opened his mouth and said. ¡°Daughter. So, this¡­ that, you realize it, right? It was just a normal match. Your friend wanted to show off his achievements and I agreed to it, and¡­ we each did our best.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And then it became a little overheated. A little. That is all.¡± ¡°It is fine for Airn to be doing his best, but why should father be doing his best?¡± Ilya¡¯s expression was still cold. And she was now calling her dad, ¡®father¡¯. Joshua realized it right away, and tried to justify his actions in order to calm his daughter¡¯s heart. ¡°No, when I said I did my best, I didn¡¯t mean I fought with my full limit. I used just enough to tackle Airn and bring out his power. As a senior swordsman, and as a mentor¡­ yeah¡­ like that.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you use the final form of the Sky Sword?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That, well, as you can see, I got lost a bit in the duel towards the end. I didn¡¯t think straight, but¡­no one was hurt. And well, so¡­ right¡­ I believed and trusted Airn. I had the confidence that he could withstand the attack and he did a great job too. Right, he was great. I didn¡¯t expect him to grow so much in such a short time. It was great. Amazing. I mean it.¡± Seeing Joshua Lindsay praise Airn, the people of Joseph Swordsmanship school were dazed. Joshua Lindsay, someone who was known for being blunt, cool-headed and was infamous for his reprimanding personality, was actually praising someone. How was he able topliment a man so much? Of course, it made sense that he praised Airn who was so amazing, but¡­ ¡®Something¡­¡¯ ¡®Feels off from the previous atmosphere.¡¯ Until thest minute, they were swordsmen whose blood was boiling for action, and the excitement would have reached their heads. But not now. It was all gone. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean this situation was uninteresting. They all decided to enjoy the rare sight, and they looked at the father and daughter duo. ¡°We¡¯ll talkter.¡± However, Ilya cut off the conversation with her father. The servants of the family had carried Airn, who lost consciousness on a stretcher, and moved him to the infirmary. Ilya Lindsay, also left with them, clinging close to Airn. Her eyes werepletely different from how she looked at Joshua. ¡°We should go too.¡± ¡°Huh! He will be fine, right?¡± ¡°Of course, he will be fine. You don¡¯t believe in my brother?¡± ¡°I believe him! Airn is the best!¡± Kirill and Lulu followed. Before leaving, they stared at Joshua Lindsay for a moment. ¡®Did you have to go that far?¡¯ It looked like they were asking Joshua that question. ¡°Hm. Hmm. This is quite rude.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°As the head of the house, I apologize for causing a bit of a fuss in front of the guests. Then¡­ I will see you allter. Ah, The Joseph Swordsmanship school¡¯s headmaster! Thank you foring. Bill too,¡­ no, no. We will talkter. My head hurts so I need to rest for a bit. Everyone please forgive me.¡± ¡°Yes, please go rest.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Go in.¡± And so, Joshua, Ilya and Airn all left the ce. The only ones in the hall were the guests and the servants rushed in quickly to attend to them. ¡°We will take you to your rooms.¡± ¡°¡­ right. Right.¡± Everyone nodded their heads. In their minds, they were still in shock from the match they saw. ¡®It was amazing.¡¯ ¡®That young man must be the rumored Airn Pareira. Well, if you think about it, a lot of things matched with the rumors that were going around, so why didn¡¯t I realize it earlier?¡¯ ¡®The battle between Sword Masters¡­ it was so much better than I thought.¡¯ Since they were guests, they couldn¡¯t do more than just watching it from the sidelines. Some of them even had abilities beyond that of Experts. But even for them, today¡¯s match came as a shock. It was like a legendary sh between heroes. However, there was another person who was even more shocked than them. It was Joseph. ¡®I¡­ what have I been doing until now?¡¯ Most of the young swordsmen who were present there were focusedpletely on Airn Pareira. He, on the other hand, was greatly stimted by the status of Joshua Lindsay. It was still ying out in his mind. The slowly rising aura in the form of storms. Joshua looking down from above. There, he looked like the ruler of the sky, with an overbearing figure, and shot down towards his opponent. ¡®Lord Lindsay, despite his age nearing the 60s¡­ he still has the passion and fighting spirit of a youth.¡¯ It was like he had no worries at all; as if he had never been hurt. There was a time when Joseph looked forward and ran like that. It was when he dreamt of being the best swordsman on the continent, and kept training and trying each day. But it wasn¡¯t like that now. After witnessing Julius Hul whom he had met by chance. After experiencing a defeat from Joshua Lindsay, whom he thought would be below him. His mes died down. The passion which seemed to burn everything shrunk. But it was not like that for Joshua Lindsay. Despite being blocked by the walls of the three strongest in the continent, he was still himself. Despite feeling the same limitation and frustrations as Joseph did, he still didn¡¯t stop trying. Thest form of the Sky Sword could be said to have been the umtion of all the years he had spent training so faithfully. ¡®¡­ maybe ten years from now, the current holder of the title of the 3rd strongest would be the 4th.¡¯ Putting Joshua Lindsay to a higher position in his mind, Joseph moved to his dorm. ¡­ feeling a little warmer than before. ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Huh.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ha!¡± ¡°Hey, Sir Bill Stanon¡­¡± ¡°Ah? You were still here? It is fine, it is fine. Everyone, don''t worry and get back to your work.¡± Bill Stanton who spoke to those around him, fell into thought again. Of course, no servants in the Lindsay mansion would look down on anyone, especially not on Bill Stanton despite the scene which he had made in the beginning. Holding his breath for a long time, he sighed. ¡®It was such a great match!¡¯ To be honest, he didn¡¯t understand a lot of things that had happened during the match. Even though he was at the peak of Expert, he couldn¡¯t grasp them. They didn¡¯t seem like Sword Masters to him, but people who had reached a higher level than they did. However, that didn¡¯t mean that he gained nothing from them. The limits which swordsmen were known to have. These two had broken it at the same time and Bill Stanton¡¯s horizons had widened. And that alone was a huge benefit. ¡°Haha, I feel good.¡± Bill Stantonughed. It was a satisfying sight, and a satisfying day. And he had no intention of stopping here either. He never had any intention of letting the luck of the day, which was like a gift, leave. He nned to get close to Airn and hispanions. ¡®I have to get close, so that I will have a chance¡­ but the problem is that my first impression wasn¡¯t very good.¡¯ Bill Stanton frowned. Threatening with a confession? That wasn¡¯t a good way. And he knew that a forced rtionship wouldn¡¯tst long, and that having a good base for a rtionship would make itst longer. Airn, Kirill and the ck cat. Thinking of the easiest target of the three, he put his hands on his forehead and smiled. ¡°This¡­ will be fine? Haha, hahaha¡­ hahahaha.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Heughed, got annoyed and thenughed again. However, no one thought it was strange. Even the servants had indifferent expressions. It looked like they were used to this side of Bill Stanton which they had seen a lot. ¡°¡­¡± Airn was still unconscious. However, there was no problem. In his deeply submerged consciousness, his thoughts flowed in the direction of the match with the Lord of the Lindsay family. The power of the Sky Sword that he couldn¡¯t previously imagine. The sword that he used against Joshua was not that strong. ¡®Could I have prevented that?¡¯ With a stronger power? Or maybe with a new technique? Thoughts like those onlysted for a little while before they disappeared. Airn kept thinking. It was then that he realized that he was already full. He could make great dishes with the ingredients he had now. What hecked was something in himself, and not the items that he possessed. ¡®Let¡¯s go back one by one.¡¯ He had to reflect on the past. From back when he was a prospective trainee to the match he had with the Lord. One by one, he recalled them, all the skills he had honed and mastered for this long. The concept of Aura. The Five Spirits Divine Technique. The Sword of Heart. The Sword of the Holy Kingdom. After recalling all that he learned, he then checked on the other things he was dealing with more closely. In order to exert more power, he smoothly thought of each thing. But he didn¡¯t do it for long since this wasn¡¯t a sorcery world. He had just briefly fainted for a while. ¡®Right. I lost consciousness. But why?¡¯ Airn grasped the situation. However, he was confused. Unlike before when he had clear thoughts, now, everything seemed blurred. And I¡¯s name came to his mind. The first person who stunned him like this. It was a very simr situation back then too. Airn, who recalled the memory that happened a long time ago, called out her name. ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°I?¡± He heard a familiar voice. Surprisingly, he was conscious again. Airn opened his eyes in surprise and looked to the side, and he smiled. However, for some reason, Ilya Lindsay was looking at him with a scary face, And she asked again, ¡°I?¡± Chapter 243: Cannot help but admit (1)

Chapter 243: Cannot help but admit (1)

¡°Uh¡­¡± Airn¡¯s expressions went still as he heard Ilya¡¯s voice. The blurred vision was gone. And it was quite clear too. It seemed like after he lost consciousness in the match with Joshua Lindsay, Ilya came here to be with him. And it seemed like she was nursing him too. Normally, this was a nice moment, and he would express his gratitude. However, seeing the chilling air around her, Airn had no choice but to feel confused. ¡®What should I say?¡¯ The reason he called I¡¯s name was because the situation he was in was simr to the past. Other than that, it meant nothing to him. But, Ilya didn¡¯t feel that way. ¡®Even if he calls a name, it was I. Not someone else¡¯s, but hers¡­¡¯ Of course, Ilya was now very different from the past. She was freed from her obsession with I, and was able to go her own way. But that didn¡¯t mean that she was unfazed by everything. Whatever the case, I and her didn¡¯t have a great rtionship. And while Airn was thinking about it, Ilya who was silent asked, ¡°Airn.¡± ¡°Y-yes.¡± ¡°Would you exin?¡± ¡°W-what?¡± ¡°Well, why you woke up calling I¡¯s name,¡± ¡°¡­ I did that?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Exin it. why did you have to suddenly call I¡¯s name.¡± Wheik! A ferocious energy emanated from Ilya¡¯s body. It wasn¡¯t just the air. Feeling the aura of the Sword Master, Airn gulped. He had to say something to relieve Ilya¡¯s heart. The strange thing was that he, too, thought this anger was justified. In fact, it didn¡¯t seem like much of a problem. There was no need to lie or make excuses. Just say the things and clear up the misunderstandings. From Ilya¡¯s point of view, the name of her rival might be disconcerting, but there was no need to stare at her friend whom she met after so long with such a cold face. Still, the fact that he didn¡¯t feel anything strange about it was proof that Airn was also feeling something different. ¡°Uh, so¡­¡± But, Airn wasn¡¯t aware of his own feelings. He couldn¡¯t even think of a sensible excuse. Airn was Airn. In the end, he just openly spoke about why he thought of I. ¡°¡­ that happened.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ilya was silent. Airn looked at her with a puzzled gaze. It seemed natural for her to be angry. And he tried to figure out how to make her feel better. And some time passed. ¡°Puah!¡± Ilya, who had been in silence for long, burst intoughter and said, ¡°Airn, why are you so nervous?¡± ¡°Uh, huh?¡± ¡°I was just asking, right? As soon as you woke up, you suddenly called I¡¯s name, so I was curious about it. That was why I asked, why are you so nervous? You look like a sinner.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ something, uh¡­ the feelings weren''t right¡­¡± ¡°I feel so bad now. Ah! But I guess it seemed like that. I wasn¡¯t smiling and then I saw you fainted, so it made me feel so ufortable. Why on earth is dad being so harsh on you is something I don¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Ah, it is fine. I am not hurt. I¡¯mpletely fine.¡± Airn said while rotating his shoulder. It was fortunate. His body was one thing, but Ilya¡¯s anger being relieved made him feel better. To be honest, he didn¡¯t understand why she was so angry and wondered if she was trying to pull his leg. ¡°I am d. Dad said you were fine too, but I was just checking.¡± ¡°Yes. I am fine. Thanks, for being concerned.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± There was silence for a moment. The reason for that silence was unknown. The misunderstanding was cleared up, and Ilya was smiling like before. However, the atmosphere was strangely ufortable. Sweat was dripping down Airn¡¯s forehead. ¡°¡­ still, be careful. You look fine, but I can¡¯t let you move too aggressively. You¡¯d better rest for at least a day.¡± ¡°Ah, yes, sure.¡± ¡°You came sooner than I thought, but we have been apart for some time, right? There are things I want to talk about, but there are so many guests who I¡¯m supposed to greet. You wille soon, right?¡± ¡°Uh? Yes. If you are fine¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I am fine. And once the banquet is done, after the family mansion has calmed down a little, we will talk about the other things.¡± Ilya, who smiled, got up from her seat. Airn unconsciously tried to pursue her, but Ilya refused. Ilya said that he had to take care of his body and rest. ¡°Thank you for keeping your promise.¡± Click. ¡°¡­ I obviously have to keep it.¡± In the room where his friend had disappeared, Airn mumbled silently. It was a messier reunion than he had expected, but it still felt good. Recalling Ilya¡¯s smile, he too smiled faintly. It was then, ¡°¡­ I.¡± Ilya Lindsay returned to her room with a slightly grumpy expression. She knew. That Airn wasn¡¯t lying. No, she knew the fact that she wasn¡¯t in a position where she could be angry with Airn in the first ce. ¡­ but she was annoyed. She couldn¡¯t pretend like nothing had happened. That was why she left Airn that quickly. She didn¡¯t have the confidence to manage her expression. ¡°¡­¡± Ilya Lindsay got up and stood in front of the full-length mirror. After standing for so long, she mumbled. ¡°¡­ on the day of the banquet, should I dress up?¡± It was Ilya Lindsay, who was jealous for the first time, thinking about an outfit. ¡°Crazy!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And, it wasn¡¯t someone else¡¯s name but I¡¯s¡­ sigh. You really are hard to deal with, brother.¡± After Ilya left, Kirill and Lulu entered the room, and Airn smiled. But surprisingly, Kirill asked Airn a question¡­about what had happened with Ilya. And Airn tried to dodge the question. It wasn¡¯t because he didn¡¯t want to tell Kirill what had happened, but because it wasn¡¯t a huge deal for him to discuss with his younger sister. Which was why he didn¡¯t feel the need to say anything¡­ and he was a bit disappointed. However, the sorcerer''s terrifying senses saw through what he was hiding, and in the end, Kirill¡¯s relentless questions forced Airn to spill everything out. The result, of course, was Kirill¡¯s wrath. She sighed in disbelief. ¡®It wasn¡¯t a bad situation, but¡­¡¯ Kirill looked at Airn. He was a nice, cool and strong person. But on the other hand, he was a person who couldn¡¯t express himself and was dull. It was clear that it was good news that he slowly began to realize the feelings. But it wasn¡¯t to a level where she could leave him alone. And now, he had created another problem too. Airn thought that Ilya¡¯s anger hadpletely been resolved, but it wasn¡¯t the same in Kirill¡¯s eyes. Kirill knew that Ilya would still be upset. ¡°Brother, you are a sorcerer, so how didn¡¯t you know that?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ahh. This is a real problem. A problem, I say.¡± Airn didn¡¯t say anything. He couldn¡¯t figure out what wrong he had done. Yet, he didn¡¯t feel that it was unfair that he was being nagged at. So, he stayed silent. Together with his sister, he thought on how to relieve Ilya¡¯s mood. However, it wasn¡¯t easy. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Airn was one thing, but Kirill too was a kid when it came to love. They tried using their heads but not one idea came to their mind. Scratch. Lulu stared at the two and then began to scratch her head with her paws. For a cat, none of this mattered. She didn¡¯t think that Airn and Ilya''s rtionship could deteriorate with this one incident, so she wasn¡¯t interested. ¡°Hm.. um?¡± It was when Lulu began to yawn and tried searching for a ce to sleep. The delicious smell from outside wafted into the room. It was the smell of fish being grilled. But she wasn¡¯t sure what kind of fish it was and was curious about it. ¡®I want to eat!¡¯ The curious ck cat moved. It jumped over the window, climbed the tree and then descended to the ground and ran across. And upon arrival, there was a familiar noble. Lulu looked at Bill Stanton smirking and said, ¡°You mustn¡¯t make a fire in the garden.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Why are you being nice?¡± ¡°I have a wish. And people who have wishes, need to lower themselves.¡± ¡°Huh? Wish? Uh, I too have a wish!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Grilled fish! Let me eat too!¡± ¡°It needs to cook a little more. But what do we do? We shouldn¡¯t be making fire in the garden¡­¡± ¡°It is fine. A small fire is fine.¡± ¡°Right. It isn¡¯t our fault if we put everything back to normal.¡± Seeing Bill Stanton smile, Lulu nodded. Time passed. Fortunately, no one stopped them, and the fish were grilledpletely. Lulu gulped. The fish was so appealing. ¡°It is hot, so let¡¯s cool it.¡± ¡°Thanks! Phew, phu huh? This is so nice!¡± ¡°Haa, right? I cook a little. The ingredients are quite precious, so this will be the first time you will have such a thing. I ran away from home when I was 17 and learned to cook from a fisherman. It reminds me of the past.¡± ¡°More, give me more!¡± ¡°Alright. Instead¡­¡± ¡°Instead?¡± ¡°Please listen to my request.¡± ¡°Ah, right. You said you had a wish.¡± Lulu nodded and pulled something out of the air. It was gold and silver. They were objects with deep historical value from ancient kingdoms. ¡°I¡¯ll give you this.¡± ¡°This wealth isn¡¯t what I want.¡± ¡°Really? Such a strange human.¡± Lulu looked at Bill Stanton. Cat¡¯s don¡¯t like money. Yet, the reason why she gives wealth is because Lulu knows that people like money. Until now, the only ones who didn¡¯t care for it were Airn and his friends. So, she was interested. However, nothing was more interesting than the grilled fish in front of her. There was a rumble from her stomach. Lulu bowed her head and then looked at Bill Stanton. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t really big.¡± Bill Stanton kept grilling the fish and said, ¡°I want to get acquainted with Airn Pareira, please help me.¡± ¡°What? Lulu, why did you bring that person here?¡± ¡°Ah, right! Kirill doesn¡¯t have a good rtionship with him!¡± Lulu seemed shocked. But there was nothing she could do. She already brought him as she had taken the fish he cooked. The cat avoided Kirill¡¯s eyes and said to Airn. ¡°Airn, this person wants to be acquainted with you.¡± ¡°No, Lulu! This person, why did you¡­¡± ¡°You are in trouble, right?¡± ¡°What¡­¡± ¡°I heard from Miss Lulu. Young lord Airn here made a mistake with Miss Ilya Lindsay and can¡¯t think of a way to make it up to her¡­¡± ¡°Lulu! You told that to him!¡± ¡°He, uh, I thought it would help us! I did it because I wanted to help Airn!¡± Lulu went under the bed. It was cute to see her sticking out of the bed with only her head, but Kirill hated her right now. But she didn¡¯t look at Lulu any longer, and it was the same with Airn. The two looked at Bill Stanton, who was standing there in a different manner than when they first met, with a sense that he was in the wrong. ¡°Although I am known to be a bastard, I can confidently say that I know better on making peace with people. The reason I live so well despite the idents I do and not get kicked out of my family is because of that. Actually, how many times did I survive from the crises that I created¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kirill looked at Bill Stanton with a puzzled face. He wasn¡¯t shameful. But it didn¡¯t make sense either. But then a few usible words appeared. And above all, since the siblings had no idea how to resolve their current situation, Kirill decided to listen, and asked. ¡°So, what do you propose?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Bill Stanton¡¯s words stopped and looked at Airn. Contrary to his first impression, he seemed serious. About the time the strangeness in the air formed, the lips of Stanton opened. ¡°Two dayster, a ball is being held at the Lord¡¯s birthday party. Many people pay a lot of attention to their attire in order to make themselves stand out and add more charm. Some say that the inside is more important than the outside, but that also means that if you have a different personality, it¡¯s better to have a presentable outward appearance. Ah, of course, I didn¡¯t mean anything about your personality.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Young lord Airn, why don¡¯t you try dressing up a little? If you show the other person a cool side, then that might melt away a person¡¯s anger that moment and even the slightest mistakes will be overlooked. Perhaps, even Miss Lindsay too will be the same.¡± Kirill looked at Bill Stanton with a nk expression. He was back to the topic of dressing up again? Of course, he wasn¡¯tpletely wrong, but she wanted to say something else because she didn¡¯t have a good impression on this man. ¡°You really are a consistent one, aren¡¯t you tired of it?¡± ¡°I will say this again, I am sorry for what happened before. I am sorry for the rude remarks, but it is not the case for the point I have made.¡± ¡°Right, I don¡¯t need it. Why are you even trying to stick with us?¡± ¡°I want us to get closer with each other.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you both a genius Sword Master and a genius Sorcerer who will be responsible for the future of the continent? Rather than leaving a bad impression forever, it felt nice to try and give a little help and create a nice rtionship. Isn¡¯t this a world where people are more important than wealth?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you overly honest?¡± ¡°Honestly is one of my charms.¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡± ¡°I feel like this is better than lying to you and getting on your bad side; I am confident. If you leave it to me, I will properly dress and style you in the best way in the western continent that matches with your body and shape.¡± ¡°How about it? Not a bad suggestion, right?¡± Listening to Bill Stanton, Airn was in deep thought. It was strange. This noble man was sure that Airn and Ilya weren¡¯t friends, but were in a deeper rtionship. And it felt burdensome. But the surprising part was. ¡®¡­ how will Ilya react if I dress up?¡¯ Despite the pressure, he feltpelled to ept the offer. ¡°I like it.¡± ¡°Brother?¡± Kirill was shocked and so was Lulu. They didn¡¯t expect this answer. Actually, Airn too couldn¡¯t understand it. But, he didn¡¯t try toprehend it, and decided to just go ahead with it. He wanted to look good. He wanted to show a little more nice side of himself. Airn Pareira answered again with vague emotions rising in him. ¡°Please dress me up nicely.¡± Chapter 244: Cannot help but admit (2)

Chapter 244: Cannot help but admit (2)

¡®Will this be fine?¡¯ Kirill, who returned from her brother''s room, was frowning. She didn¡¯t like this. It wasn¡¯t her brother, but Bill Stanton. ''Brother is too kind. Come to think of it; he''s always been that way till now.¡¯ She thought about Airn Pareira. Her brother had a solid physique, a nice height, a decent face with good proportions, and trouble-free skin. He wasn¡¯t some god, but it was urate to say that his appearance would shake the hearts of women. However, not once did Airn ever take full advantage of his handsomeness. Yesterday and today, he still had the same travel clothes. He would keep on wearing clothes that had no individuality or fashion, except changing the clothes as the seasons changed. It was unavoidable. Airn, who spent his youth most interested in the sword and then the sorcery barrier, didn¡¯t have the luxury to think of the opposite sex. That meant that he reached his 20s without going to balls or parties or gatherings, which weremon for the nobles. Thinking about it like that, she thought that it was her own fault for leaving her brother alone. ¡®I wasn¡¯t really interested in myself, but I should have paid more attention because I was better off than my brother.¡¯ In that sense, the proposal to dress him up with better clothes was appropriate for a ball. But the problem was with who the one who gave this idea. Bill Stanton. An absurd person with a foul mouth, as well as someone Kirill didn''t have a good impression of. And when she thought about having to leave her brother to such a guy; she couldn''t help but get anxious about it. ¡®That bastard, he isn''t just suggesting it because he spoke about us being sloppily dressed, right?'' Although she was a sorcerer, Kirill was unable to change Airn''s clothes with sorcery because the clothes they wore were different since they were both of different genders. However, 2 hours after Airn disappeared, she deeply regretted her choice. A notorious bastard. The guy boasted an unpretentious first impression befitting him. A guy who clung to the topic of taking care of her brother. Is it okay to trust her brother to such a person? It was then, ¡°Kirill.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It is fine. Don¡¯t worry too much.¡± Lulu suddenly came to calm her. Seeing that, Kirill frowned. After all, this was Lulu''s fault; it was 90% her fault that things turned out like this. If Lulu hadn¡¯t brought Bill Stanton in, Airn wouldn¡¯t have been deceived. However, the reason she didn¡¯t yell or show her anger was that this thoughtless cat was sometimes like a sage. And now, it might be the same. Lulu quietly approached Kirill and spoke her thoughts. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter how cool Airn looks in those clothes.¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°The fact that he paid attention to his clothes for the first time is the important thing. Of course, it would be preferable to look better and good looking than anyone else in the ballroom, but I think being a little clumsy is fine too.¡± ¡°¡­ really?¡± ¡°Yes. If I was Ilya and Airn appeared in some different kind of clothes, then¡­¡¯With what heart did he wear them?¡¯ That is what I will think.¡± Thinking for a moment, Kirill nodded her head. What Lulu said was right. Even if it wasn¡¯t the usual clothes, and even if the clothes Bill Stanton chose were the worst, it would still be different from Airn¡¯s usual choice. And that gave her a bit of confidence. And that was what was important. A man who never paid any attention to his clothes, now had a different appearance. That alone would make Ilya feel nice, and maybe her heart would change along with it. ¡°No, aren¡¯t we pushing it too much?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so? Airn from before, and Airn now arepletely different.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. This is my prediction¡­ maybe while preparing for the ball, more changes will ur.¡± Lulu waved her tail as she said it. It went without saying that she meant a change in Airn¡¯s thoughts. No one would have thought that it was strange that a person who had be lost by the death of his mother could smile brightly and have positive thoughts and be confident in his acts. But at the same time, the opposite could also happen. A person¡¯s mind and their behavior aren¡¯t independent. Changes in behavior could always affect the mind. And that was the case of present-day Airn. Instead of approaching in the usual attire. Investing in his appearance more than ever, checking his expressions, and practicing to smile in front of a mirror. Even if such actions weren¡¯t initiated by his own will, but by the suggestion of a man called Bill Stanton¡­ ¡°After doing that for a day or two, there is a high chance that his feelings towards Ilya would change.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°¡­ nothing.¡± Kirill shook her head and opened the window. The cool breeze of early summer night came in and cooled her body. Kirill, who was a little bit angry, said to Lulu. ¡°I don¡¯t think your words are wrong, but.¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go around taking food from just anyone and then bringing them over to us, okay?¡± ¡°Okay¡­¡± Lulu responded with a sullen voice. The amazing fish taste still lingered in his mouth. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What?¡± "No, I think someone is talking about me¡­ I must have been mistaken." ¡°As a swordsman and a sorcerer, young lord Airn, I don¡¯t think you were mistaken. Still, we need to focus here. In addition to the clothes and the way you walk, culture, your expressions, smiling and most importantly, dancing¡­ there are many things which need practice.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Airn answered in a serious voice. He didn¡¯t know how it happened. He was only nning to dress up, but when he came to his senses, he realized that he was practicing things over and over again. Fortunately, they weren¡¯t difficult. As he ascended to Sword Master, he was able to easily follow most of the movements another person showed him thanks to his body and his senses which had been trained. But¡­ ¡®I feel strangely tense.¡¯ ¡®Why?¡¯ Because he did something wrong to Ilya? And did his body need more strength because he was doing it to resolve the anger? No. There was a feeling that it was something bigger than that, and there were emotions blooming in his heart. However, it wasn¡¯t clearly evident. Airn was too dull. He was normally like this, but because of his time away from the real world, he was even more dull. And now he was entering into something he should have experienced a long while back. But the important thing was that he had to keep moving ahead. And so, two days passed in an instant. Soon, the time for the ball came. It was no ordinary ball. This was an event being held by the Lindsay family after a long time. After Carl Lindsay¡¯s disappearance, Joshua Lindsay had never held a banquet. But here was another surprising thing. ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°The clothes¡­¡± The daughter of Joshua Lindsay, one of the top ten geniuses on the continent, who reached the Sword Master level was here. Despite her reputation, she had always been extremely reluctant to attend social gatherings, and now, she was here. A blue and luxurious dress that had an off-shoulder style. And she wore her silver hair carefully draped, and her makeup was light yet clear, and the essories she was wearing were carefully selected. All the people gathered there were wide-eyed at the beautiful appearance of thedy. Gulp. Naturally, the reactions of men in their 20s and 30s were the most insane. Ability, fame, background, and appearance; She was an existence that didn''t fall behind in anything. Such a being had awakened from her long silence and made an appearance. And for that appearance, she hadpletely broken away from her swordsman appearance and hade in an elegant attire. In such a situation, there was no one who wouldn¡¯t go after her. ¡®Perhaps¡­¡¯ ¡®If I ask for a dance, would it be epted?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t know about other days, but doesn¡¯t Miss Lindsay seem more friendly now¡­¡¯ ¡®Is my hair alright?¡¯ The hearts of all the young men present in the hall were beating fast. But no one took action right away. She was a really attractive woman. A woman who shone brightly. So, approaching was difficult. The irresistible sense of entitlement made them halt their steps. Above all else, there was someone standing behind the smiling Ilya Lindsay. The presence of Joshua Lindsay, who was scanning the room with a terrifying look¡­ no one could dare go through that man. ¡®He is usually cold, but it is even more so when ites to his daughter.¡¯ ¡®I heard that all those who looked at his daughter were asked for a duel¡­¡¯ ¡®Is it true? No, even if it isn¡¯t true, asking for a dance while receiving that gaze¡­¡¯ ¡®Is impossible.¡¯ In the end, the men calmed their hearts and turned their gazes away. Joshua Lindsay, who sensed that, smiled, and the old nobles who noticed it shook their heads. They fully understood his love for his daughter. But wasn''t it too much to do this when he was one of the top-ranked swordsmen on the continent? Even in the Adan Kingdom, where there are so many talented young people, who would daree and approach the lovely daughter who has such a scary father? ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was then. A littlemotion rose from a corner of the hall. Calling it amotion wasn¡¯t right. It was just a few exmations in the general ballroom. But it drew enough attention. ¡°Oh!¡± ¡°Well!¡± ¡°¡­¡± There were now more gazes concentrated there. More interest grew, and multiple eyes filled with deeper interest, turned towards a young man. His name was unknown. The ce he was from was unknown. He wasn¡¯t from the Adan Kingdom. Even the most socialdies couldn¡¯t figure out the young man¡¯s name. Only a few people know, and that included Joseph and a few others. And even they were surprised. ¡°¡­¡± Seeing the blonde man slowly approach, Joshua gave a displeased look. However, he didn''t give out any energy because he already knew that this man wouldn''t stop because of that. And¡­ ¡®Isn¡¯t this guy a lot more distant normally?¡¯ It wasn''t just the clothes that had changed. The walk, the facial expression, the smile, and the manners. Airn transformed into a noble of Adan. He asked gracefully to Ilya. ¡°Lady Ilya Lindsay. Would you please give me the honor to dance with you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Completely different from what was expected. But as she looked at her friend, who was still approaching her with familiar eyes, Ilya Lindsay felt her heart beating fast.1 Next chapter about to make me cry fr? Chapter 245: Cannot help but admit (3)

Chapter 245: Cannot help but admit (3)

?? ??? The music yed softly in the ballroom. The gaze of the people were now bing burdensome, and a strange atmosphere formed because of it. Right. They were there to celebrate Joshua Lindsay''s birthday. No, it felt as if everyone who had gathered here were looking at Airn Pareira and him. No, among the two, most of the interest was being taken away by Airn. Even Ilya was being watched. As she looked at her friend, who approached her with apletely different look than what she expected, the expressionless face she worked hard to hold was breaking. ¡®What happened in thest two days?¡¯ When they met in school. After that, even when they met in Eisenmarkt and traveled together, she never once saw Airn dress up. It didn¡¯t matter to her. Because Ilya didn¡¯t fall in love with Airn for his external factors. It was because of his kind and sincere heart which struggled to lift up Ilya¡¯s confidence each time she copsed. But¡­ She couldn¡¯t help but admit. Airn¡¯s appearance, fully dressed, was far more destructive than anything she had seen. ¡®Strange. There is no huge difference¡­¡¯ Still, it felt like he had changed a lot. But of course, Ilya didn¡¯t know. She didn¡¯t know Airn¡¯s effort over the past two days for today¡¯s ball, and that Bill Stanton, a ¡®stylist¡¯, was by his side, helping him the whole time. The present appearance was the result of that. A very faint blue and ck dressplimented his fair skin. The fit matched his body type, the points of the shoes, the neatly trimmed hair, and the special walk, all created a youthful, sophisticated and noble air around him. ¡°My Lady?¡± ¡°Ah!¡± Airn Pareira called her again. Seeing the serious expression on his face, Ilya raised her voice involuntarily. She realized that she had been staring at him. And nodding, she took his hand. With a creaking awkward walk despite her Master ability, the two young people moved to the centre of the room. ¡°What?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Today¡­ no.¡± Ilya was about to ask something, when she closed her lips. It was obvious what she was going to ask. What new wind blew for you to dress up like this? Did you try to set a mood because this is a ballroom? Or maybe ¡®Was it to look good in my eyes?¡¯ And then her mind went a little further¡­ ¡®Airn, you feel that way towards me too?¡¯ Questions started filling her mind. But Ilya couldn¡¯t get even one question out of her mouth. Looking at her awkwardly smiling, Airn asked. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°You were trying to say something, right?¡± ¡°Ah. Huh. Right, I forgot about it.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± "R-rather than that, you dance pretty well. I am from the Adan Kingdom, so I am used to this, but not Airn, right?¡± Ilya cut off Airn¡¯s words and changed the topic. It was scary. She liked this feeling she was having now. It felt nice that Airn showed up in a much more thoughtful outfit than usual and came up to her with courage, and asked her to dance. ¡®It can¡¯t be that reason; it was because he set a mood for¡­'' Ilya was a little disappointed. Ilya was one thing. She had broken out of her shell and was growing rapidly, yet shecked confidence. Despite having an outstanding background, an outstanding talent, a beautiful appearance, and a kind heart, shecked confidence. ¡­ however, it was the same with Airn. ¡®I am still trembling.¡¯ His heart was pounding hard. Even though it wasn¡¯t like this was when they first met, it felt awkward. The touch of her hand on him and his on hers, was making his heart flutter. In fact, he realized that it had always been this way when he thought back. Just like Ilya was taken aback by Airn¡¯s change of appearance, he too couldn¡¯t take his eyes off his old friend, who was in a dress for the first time. ¡°¡­ the music is fine.¡± ¡°¡­ yes.¡± They didn¡¯t care about the interest around them. The pouring gazes and the whispers aimed for them. Their own questions and worries in their heads vanished, being reced by pure feelings for each other. For now¡­ They were just enjoying the moment. With a natural smile on their lips, the two young people danced for a long time. "Hm, Keugh."1 ¡°Who is that person?¡± ¡°Cheeky¡­¡± A blonde young man had suddenly appeared in the ballroom and took away thedy of the Lindsay family. The young nobles, who stared at it nkly, showed signs of dissatisfaction. If only they had time to settle their heart, they would have gone confidently to ask for her hand. They were under the impression that a guy with no name and background had cut them off. Of course, they didn¡¯t know the full thing. Pareria, who was younger than the other nobles in the room, was more powerful and courageous than them. Apart from him, not a single man could have broken past the scary energy Joshua Lindsay was releasing. Moreover, even if they did go ahead and ask Ilya Lindsay, she wouldn¡¯t have taken their hand. In a way, it could be said that they had escaped from embarrassing themselves thanks to Airn. However, the young men didn''t think of it that way. Armed with shame and jealousy, they ndered Airn. And then came the surprising information. ¡°How is it? Young lord Airn Pareira¡¯s appearance? Isn¡¯t it amazing?¡± ¡°¡­ that is because my brother can carry it well.¡± ¡°Right. That is the basics of everything. But let¡¯s not forget that this Bill Stanton worked hard to make that great man more brilliant¡­¡± ¡°I won''t forget it! Even if Kirill doesn¡¯t approve of it, I¡¯ll admit it! Even to me, the cat, Airn, is looking so much nicer!" ¡®Airn Pareira?¡¯ ''The genius swordsman of the Hale Kingdom who reached the Master level in his 20s?¡¯ ¡®The one who took down Ilya Lindsay in the Land of Proof?¡¯ It was hard to believe. But they couldn¡¯t help but believe it. They knew it too. The biggest characteristic of Airn Pareira was, in fact, arge sorcery sword and a cat that followed him. Seeing Lulu eating meat behind them, they all looked at Airn. ¡­ now they couldn¡¯t bring him down. This man wasn''t some no-name guy who approached thedy. That young man dancing with Ilya Lindsay in the centre was a Sword Master with one of the highest talents and abilities on the entire continent. And he was also someone from the most famous Krono Swordsmanship school. And his face was so handsome that they couldn¡¯t find any ws in it. ¡°Life is so absurd.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± ¡°Should we have a drink?¡± The faces of the men turned bitter. Some brought in drinks and some food before they went onto other young women. And today''s star, Joshua Lindsay, looked at them with a dissatisfied face. ''In the end, men are like that. After all, my daughter is far too precious to get close to you men.'' ording to his wife, some young men who wereing to attend the ball were good. Thanks to their outstanding character and skills, many would consider them as great sons-inw. But not all of them had the same standards. Not one could walk up confidently, and not one of them tried to reach for her hand, and like dogs with their tails curled, they only sweated. ¡®Rather¡­ Airn wasn¡¯t bad.¡¯ Turning his gaze, he looked at the centre of the room. His lovely daughter continued to dance with clean and elegant movements in Airn''s arms. As he watched them, he looked at Airn and nodded. ¡®I¡¯ll admit it for today.¡¯ He knew that Airn had great talent in swordsmanship. However, that alone didn¡¯t give him the right to pursue his daughter. Every time he saw Airn''s usual appearance, which showed that he had no interest in anything other than swords, and that stupid dumb expression when he couldn''t understand that his friend Ilya was deep in love with him, Joshua felt a fire burning in him. ¡­ but not now. He didn¡¯t understand what new wind that had caused this change was, but looking at Airn, who came out with apletely different appearance confidently, he mumbled. ¡°¡­ but this is just a dance. There is a lot more I need to admit.¡± ¡°¡­ phew.¡± Seeing Joshua Lindsay praising Airn with a serious expression, the Countess put on a pathetic expression. She would admit that her husband was overprotective of Carl Lindsay and Ilya Lindsay, who was his daughter. But he was being too much today. When a tall young man came over for his daughter, as a father, he should put on a happy expression. ¡®What do you n on doing if another woman snatches away that man!¡¯ The Countess looked at Ilya¡¯s face. She tried to seem innocent, but she knew everything which was happening, she was a mother, and she knew that her daughter was in love. Sighing, she stepped on the lord¡¯s foot. Step! ¡°Rx your face. Don¡¯t scare the kids away.¡± ¡°Um¡­ fine.¡± Joshua groaned and nodded. The old nobles who knew them, burst intoughter. They knew. That they were all looking at the daughter of Lindsay''s family right now, but before that¡­ ¡®But she is so in love. So much so that the blunt expression on her face isn¡¯t stable.¡¯ Seeing Joshua Lindsay in pain, the old nobles all smiled. ¡°¡­¡± After the dance, Airn went back to his ce. He looked at his precious friend for a long time. He looked at how the three members of Lindsay''s family greeted the guests. And how Ilya would frown when she took a sip of strong alcohol. He watched her picking up a cookie and eating it.2 It was different from before. A lot different. No, it wasn¡¯t just that. It wasn''t that she changed. Ilya was the same when they were traveling together. She wasn¡¯t weak to alcohol, but she had never liked the strong ones, and when she ate sweets, she would chew on them more cutely and slowly. Right. What had changed was his mind. ¡®I¡­¡¯ ¡®Like Ilya.¡¯3 Airn Pareira, who finally realized his feelings, looked at Ilya Lindsay with the gaze of a man and not a friend. This is probably not a person¡¯s name, the guy makes this sound in disgust.?Stalker much??LETS FRICKING GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO? Chapter 246: Cannot help but admit (4)

Chapter 246: Cannot help but admit (4)

?? ??? Inside the ballroom with soft music ying. Airn Pareira, who was looking at Ilya Lindsay from a corner, closed his eyes as he sighed. His mind wasplicated. He had achieved internal growth through various events in Lloyd¡¯s estate. In order to achieve his will, the desire for a sword, the depth of improvement, and the fighting spirit were very important¡­ but it had taken a while for him to realize that it was the people around him who made him what he was. It was for this reason that he came to the Lindsay estate earlier than previously nned. Along with Judith and Bratt, the one who guided him was another important dear friend of his, Ilya. ¡®Yes, friend. Obviously, it was like that¡­¡¯ Not anymore. Even when he closed his eyes, Ilya¡¯s face appeared in his mind. The memories he had with her were slightly different than before. It was good. But at the same time, it was strangely scary as well. He couldn¡¯t help it. Even though hecked worldly experiencepared to his peers, Airn had developed a lot, especially when concerning his social interactions with people over the past few years. However, things with opposite sex were a whole different story. Even when he saw a lot of lovers around him; And even when he saw people who were married and in a family. Even when he saw couples like Bratt and Judith, who were the closest to him, he couldn¡¯t feel any emotion from them, until now¡­ and that realization shook Airn. ¡®¡­ let¡¯s go get some air.¡¯ Phew, Airn exhaled again. He tried for a long time but his mind didn¡¯t calm down and meditation was of no help. In order to solve this, he realized that he had to look into it more specifically and understand it. For that, he needed a quiet ce. With that in his mind, he got up. Seeing one of the main yers of the ball step out, several people mumbled about him. ¡°You know something? A friend of mine mentioned that he was called thezy prince in the past!¡± ¡°Hm? What story is that? Wasn¡¯t he a Sword Master?¡± ¡°I know. Which is why it¡¯s hard to believe, but I checked and it¡¯s not a lie.¡± ¡°I heard it too. Well, there is also a story that when he was young he met with the youngdy of Lindsay family and he changed¡­¡± ¡°Gasp! Then I saw it right! I felt it the whole time they were dancing today, it felt like the two of them only cared about themselves and didn¡¯t even seem to think of the world around them.¡± ¡°Right! Same here.¡± ¡°Ha, the rumors will spread from tomorrow. Although just a few gossip lovingdies of the kingdom are present here, by tomorrow the entire western continent will know¡­¡± ¡°Shh!¡± ¡°Uh? Why¡­ ha!¡± The noble man nced behind only to be scared out of his wits. Joshua Lindsay was staring hard at him, and it didn¡¯t end there. Ilya Lindsay¡¯s cold gaze was on the women, which made them turn away and cough awkwardly. The Lord hated his daughter being a part of such a story, but Ilya too hated her own life being spoken about this way. However, contrary to their concerns Ilya wasn¡¯t looking at them. Her gaze was on Airn Pareira, who had left the ballroom and had gone to the garden. ¡®He went out to get some air? He wille back, right?¡¯ She knew. That today wasn¡¯t their final meeting. She knew that after the banquet, Airn and his party would be staying over for a week or so. Nheless, she felt sad. She wanted to see him more. To look at him a little more even if it was in the form of brief nces as she greeted the guests. ¡®No, calm down.¡¯ Ilya took a deep breath and calmed her mind. Unlike Airn, she had realized her feelings for him a long time back. But even though that was the case, she still found it hard to control her raging emotions. It is fine. There was no need to hurry. What could she do alone in such a situation? Should she ask him something? But she didn¡¯t have any courage to ask, right? With those thoughts, she calmed her mind. Watching the guests in the ballroom, Ilya and her parents greeted them. But. Things which made her excited like this were happening all over the ballroom. ¡°Ha, isn¡¯t it a little hot? Should we go for a walk¡­¡± ¡°I think I have had too much to drink? Suddenly I want some fresh air.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± ¡°What is this? Honey, where is our daughter?¡± ¡°Huh? She was by our side a while ago.¡± The noble girls were moving. Ilya, who saw the direction they were heading to, put on a surprised face. Everyone was leaving the ballroom. She sensed their intentions and raised her Aura. Swosh! ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± ¡°She was obviously here a while back¡­. wasn¡¯t she?¡± Ilya Lindsay disappeared in an instant. The guests of the family were surprised that Ilya was gone. Joshua Lindsay who sensed that something was off was about to follow his daughter. ¡°Just leave her alone, you will just embarrass her¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± At the countess¡¯s low but terrifying voice, the Lord decided that it was better to stay there. Swosh! ¡°Where? Ah! There!¡± Ilya Lindsay used aura to the extreme and appeared outside the room. It was amazing. She could of course move in the blue dress she was wearing, but moving swiftly with it was a problem. And moving at high speeds seemed virtually impossible. However, she was a Master. Thanks to that, she was able to catch up with the other noble women who had gone out before her. ¡°Sir Airn Pareira!¡± ¡°Sir Airn! Could you spare me¡­¡± ¡°Who are you? An acquaintance of Sir Airn? Why are you calling him by that name?¡± ¡°What does that have to do with this? And now¡­¡± ¡°No, I got pushed away talking to you!¡± ¡°Mr. Pareira! If you don¡¯t mind, can I walk around the garden with you and talk?¡± ¡°Ah! A coincidence! I too wanted to ask a few things¡­¡± ¡®I waste!¡¯ However, she waste to catch up to them. Ilya put on a puzzled expression. Seeing the girls surround Airn, she had a gloomy expression. ¡®But¡­ who wouldn¡¯t like Airn?¡¯ Ilya now was different from Ilya in the past. Unlike before where she spent her days in self-doubt, she was slowly recovering now. However, with this situation in front of her now, she couldn¡¯t remain calm. When you like someone, that person would look even more amazing than they truly were in your eyes. And at times, they would look humble too. And Ilya was like that now. Airn was surrounded by beautiful women and currently, he looked more handsome than ever. The flustered expression on his face made him look innocent and his inability of not being able to push the women away felt dignified for some reason. On the other hand, what about Ilya? She had nothing to do with Airn. They were close, that was definite, but they were still friends and not lovers. Ugly jealousy bloomed in her heart. The emotions were so strong that for a moment she wanted to drive out the other women by using her aura. But she didn¡¯t. How could she hurt fragile women just so that she could calm herself? It wouldn¡¯t be a big deal if Ilya could control it in another way, but she didn¡¯t have the confidence to do that. Complex and intense emotions simmered in her. And it slowly turned into a boiling pot of negative emotions. ¡°¡­ sigh.¡± In the end, Ilya, who couldn¡¯t stand watching it, turned around. She didn¡¯t have the confidence to go and stand with Airn. Even if she did, she wasn¡¯t confident enough to look pretty. It was the time when she was about to walk, her feet didn¡¯t move. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°Huh? What¡­¡± ¡°Ah! Sorry! I must have interfered when you were thinking about it. I¡¯ll leave now, but maybeter¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it will happen. No, I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°¡­ Why?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have enough time to practice swordsmanship these days.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you are confident with the sword, you can follow me to the training hall¡­¡± ¡°¡­ no. I will leave.¡± A t-out refusal. No, considering Airn¡¯s character, it was a blunt rejection. It was weird. Asking delicatedies toe for a match with swords. Isn¡¯t that just a way of saying get lost? ¡°Tch.¡± ¡°Even if he is a Master, isn¡¯t hecking in manners?¡¯ ¡°Doesn¡¯t he only care about himself?¡± ¡°Seriously.¡± The noble women returned back with blunt expressions. Ilya looked at Airn with a nk expression. And Airn looked at her btedly. ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Ah?¡± ¡°You were here? Since when¡­¡± ¡°Ah,no! No! I just came here now. It was a little hot inside, so I came to get some night air, but uh, it was noisy so¡­ I didn¡¯t know you were here.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°UH, yep.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Silence prevailed. Airn¡¯s head stopped working the moment he looked at Ilya, and he was unable to organize his thoughts and Ilya was too lost in how Airn rejected the others. He wanted to spar with them? What did he mean? Perhaps¡­ ¡®He spoke with me in mind?¡¯ She wanted to ask that, but she didn¡¯t. Thinking that she was considering herself too important in his life, she stopped. But Ilya today was bit more courageous, So¡­ ¡°Ilya.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It might be a little strange, but¡­ how about a light spar?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ilya went stiff. Airn, who watched it, felt terrified. Come to think, it was an absurd thing to say. Just like him, even Ilya¡¯s dress was weird, and she couldn¡¯t fight in it. Asking a woman in a dress to spar! It was a terrible mistake which made him want to apologize, ¡°Okay! Yes!¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go! To the training hall!¡± Ilya said yes. It was as if she really liked what he had said, and she grabbed his hand and dragged him with an excited face. To which, Airn asked in a bewildered voice. ¡°Ah, but now that I think about it, I haven¡¯t thought about it right. Your attire¡­¡± ¡°It is fine. I am a Master? There is no problem. Right. Let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°T-true, but¡­¡± A young man in ballroom attire was being dragged and thedy in the dress moved with a cheerful face. Kirill, who was hiding in the grass and watching this, mumbled in embarrassment. ¡°No, what is with them¡­ swordsmanship¡­ is this going right? Can I let this go like this?¡± ¡°Ugh, but it is going to be just those two.¡± ¡°Yes, right.¡± Bill Stanton nodded at Lulu¡¯s words and said, ¡°Although the progress is frustrating, I can feel it from those two¡­ it is a fresh yet solid air, which I really like.¡± ¡°¡­ Huh.¡± Kirill turned her head to him. The reason why she didn¡¯t refute his words was because she could sympathize with that idiot¡¯s words. And the banquet, which was held after a really long time, wasing to an end. Chapter 247: Cannot help but admit (5)

Chapter 247: Cannot help but admit (5)

After the birthday banquet, the noisy mansion was silent again. Of course, not everyone left. Some close friends had stayed for a day or two and chatted. As for the high-ranking nobles, they secretly shared the information of the devils. Of course, Airn Pareira and his party too were remaining with the guests. Kirill and Lulu had a peaceful time with Elisa Lindsay touring the entire mansion, whereas Airn¡­ ¡°Hah!¡± ¡°Huh!¡± Kang! Kang! ¡­ from the day after the ball was over, he continued having a fierce battle with Ilya Lindsay. ¡®¡­has she gotten stronger?¡¯ Phew, Airn took a step back and exhaled. Over the past few months, he had grown a lot. The experience and skills he had umted while meeting Lord Lindsay, Ian and Khun, and the enlightenment he had achieved through the advice of Lord Lloyd. Although he hadn¡¯t fully digested all the advice, Airn was having a hard time finding rivals who were at least close to him in age¡­ and maybe even Ilya too would have been considered a bit weak. But now. Surprisingly, she too had grown up. In fact, it wasn¡¯t just growing up. Looking at the swordsmanship alone, it was as if it was apletely different person. Did she get a boost in the meantime? Or was she hiding her skills? It was neither actually. ¡®It wasn¡¯t strange for these things to happen.¡¯ Unlike the past, these days, people praised her talent. The three best talents of the continent, who were publicly acimed; Airn, Ilya and I. The reason Ilya couldn¡¯t grow was because of her psychological stagnation. But not anymore. ¡®Probably after the party split up in Rabat, shepletely got rid of the doubts!¡¯ Thinking that, he smiled. He was d. However, it didn¡¯t simply end there. With a much deeper heart that had other emotions in it apart from the feeling of joy at the end of his friend¡¯s aimless wandering, Airn rushed towards Ilya at a terrifying speed And swung his sword. Kwang! Bang! Kaaang! A powerful burst that seemed to destroy the opponent, poured out from all directions. A pure strong sword appeared in the Lindsay mansion. However, that didn¡¯t discourage Ilya. Just like her opponent, she gently rotated her body with a bright smile. Having taken an advantageous position with just a few steps, she encountered Airn¡¯s attack with a movement as natural as the wind. It was the Sky Sword. Not the inexperienced Sky Sword from before, but rather, the attack right now was like the wind which unfolded from the sword of a hero from a long time ago, and it swept around him. No. It wasn¡¯t just the level of imitating her ancestor. While fully demonstrating the power of the swordsmanship that had been passed down from ancient times, she used the experience that she had umted till then. Airn knew that it wasn¡¯t just an imitation because he experienced what she was seeing and feeling. A genius who crossed the wall. A true genius who broke the limits. Airn, who felt goosebumps rising on his skin, swung the sword stronger. Kwang! ¡°¡­ should we end here for today?¡± ¡°Uh? Why? Are you tired already? Hm¡­ I don¡¯t think that is the reason?¡± After a big collision, Airn stepped back and asked, to which Ilya puzzledly replied. She was curious as well, but first, she had to counter this situation. After hearing ¡®that word¡¯ in the garden, she was excited about sparring with Airn. ¡°Um. Sorry. I have something to think about.¡± ¡°Well¡­ okay. Then we can do it again tomorrow. Rest for today.¡± Of course, Airn didn¡¯t know his partner¡¯s heart. Ilya was waving her hand and her eyes were full of worry and regret. He too waved his hand towards her. He stopped walking several times and looked back, and then hid out of sight. An old friend who continued to practice the sword even after the battle was over. ¡­ no. Watching the person Airn wanted to be closer with, than just remain as friends, he thought. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ After a few days of thoughts, a few things were clear. He liked Ilya Lindsay as a woman. And that such feelings can never be erased. It was great to share swords with her. But that wasn¡¯t the only thing he wanted to share with her. He wanted to do a lot more things with her, and share a different kind of rtionship with each other. But. ¡®Then, what am I to do next?¡¯ The fact that he was aware of his feelings meant nothing. He had to try. He had to go a step further. It was necessary to convey his feelings so the other party could know it. So that the other person could clearly know what he felt about her. ¡°Sigh.¡± Airn sighed. Effort. A word which never betrayed him. From his trainee days when he had no strength, he had risen to the Sword Master level. The fact that there were so many precious people around him, who didn¡¯t have a single friend before then. I was able to achieve what I have today because I kept trying without giving up. However, things are a little different now. No matter how many times he failed he would get back up and try again. The way Airn was going right now was great, but what he had to do now still scared him. ¡®¡­ what should I do if I get rejected after saying something?¡¯ After watching Ilya for a long time, he turned and thought. The reason he couldn¡¯t convey his feelings was because he was afraid that the other person had feelings different than his. The reason he was afraid was because he was unsure if the other person¡¯s mind would be different from his own and that would cause his current rtionship to go sour leading to an awkward situation between them. And when all these fears came together¡­ Airncked confidence. Was he attractive to the other person? What was this attraction exactly? And how could he make Ilya more attracted to him? Questions he never thought of started bombarding his mind. Airn sighed, ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Nothing can be done. He couldn¡¯t rush into it. Time passed in the midst of such anguish, and 10 days had passed since Airn and his party had arrived here. It was quite a bit of time. However, the time was too short to solve the problem. It was the night before Airn¡¯s party left the family mansion of the Lindsay family, when Airn made a decision. He asked his younger sister to create a bunch of sorcery flowers, and said to Ilya who was still trying to keep a smile. ¡°This¡­is a gift.¡± ¡°Uh? Uh¡­¡± Ilya was flustered. She was happy each day she spent with Airn. It was a pity that he was leaving tomorrow, but it was nice that they were closer than before. And as she stood there thinking that, this man brings in gold and silver flowers and hands them over to her. Her face turned red when she saw this unexpected gift. ¡°T, this¡­¡± But Airn didn¡¯t notice it. Because he too was nervous. It wasn¡¯t a confession. He didn¡¯t have the courage to take that leap, yet his heart beat wildly as he took a step closer to her. The words he prepared to say were forgotten, but it was fine. He said he was sorry that he couldn¡¯t give a gift to her on the day that he came here. He also said that a constant sorcery power was required for the bouquet to maintain its form. So, he asked her to not let the light go out of the flowers¡­ and wondered if he coulde by often to help the flowers maintain their form. He definitely tried to convey his intentions. ¡®This is driving me crazy.¡¯ Airn was sweating like a waterfall when he was done talking. It was a weird talk. And he kind of regretted what he had done too. He wondered whether he should have just said that he¡¯de by more often. At the same time, he thought that Ilya must have felt burdened by his words. Airn waited for her to speak, but a couple seconds which felt like minutes to him passed, and Ilya just stood still for quite some time. And then she reacted. A few secondster. ¡°¡­!¡± She hugged him. However, he couldn¡¯t feel it for long as Ilya was already running away in shyness, but she turned to Airn who was dumbfounded and said, ¡°I will be very angry.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you make me wait for long.¡± With that, Ilya left. Airn just stared at where she left. The silver and golden flower bouquet was happily taken by her.. Her touch, scent and warmth. The 23-year-old boy stood in the middle of the summer night for a long time, feeling the traces of the woman he liked, on his body. And after a while. ¡°¡­ next time, it will be much better than now.¡± The one who grew from a boy to a young man mumbled his promise. At the end of the June month, a time in the morning when the summer heat was in full swing. Airn Pareira and his party left the Lindsay mansion. There were many people who came to bid them goodbye. The Count and his wife, along with Emma Garcia and a few other knights. Of course, just because they didn¡¯t have much staff, that didn¡¯t mean the Lindsay family wasn¡¯t treating them right. Rather, it could be said that the core members of the family had gathered, and that Airn was receiving more respect than anyone who visited this mansion. ¡®Well, he is a young man with a high chance of bing the son-inw of our Lord¡­¡¯ ¡®We should definitelye.¡¯ A few old knights who had devoted their lives to this family looked at Ilya and smiled happily then looked at Joshua Lindsay with a puzzled look. ¡°Ahem.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ then, we will get going, Lord.¡± The Lord, who stared at the knights as if asking them to go, clicked his tongue when they disappeared. It wasn¡¯t because of them. It was because of Airn. Before leaving, he said something to Joshua which hadn¡¯t left his mind even now. ¡®Next time Ie I wille back with a stronger image.¡¯ ¡®What? You seem fine?¡¯ ¡®I will do my best to not worry you.¡¯ ¡®No, what are¡­¡¯ Airn said those words and flew away on the griffin. He didn¡¯t have much to say. Strong Image? Not worry me? Joshua felt flustered and a little angry at those remarks and he felt as if his daughter was suddenly on the line! ¡®This jerk! You have a long way to go to be acknowledged by me!¡¯ Of course, that was his own opinion. Elisa Lindsay was already looking excited thinking about her happy daughter and son-inw. And Ilya Lindsay¡­ ¡®But, do I actually have to wait here? Instead¡­¡¯ She was having thoughts which could make her father cough out blood, and looked at the ce where Airn vanished. Chapter 248: Waited for long (1)

Chapter 248: Waited for long (1)

A month after Airn left the Adan Kingdom, the legendary animal appeared in Stanton mansion. An animal with an eagle head on the body of a lion.Z No, it looked more like the head of a parrot than an eagle¡¯s, but in any case, the mysterious spiritual creature which wasn¡¯t normally seen was in their mansion. But the reaction was calmer than expected. Lord Stanton, the knights, the servants and the guests. Everyone had a strange expression on their face, but they weren¡¯t frightened by the huge flying monster. Thus, the griffin which had the head of a parrot safelynded. A ck cat jumped out. The cat, carrying a small sack on the shoulder, looked around and shouted in a cheerful voice looking at the people who were staring at them. ¡°Ah! There you are Bill!¡± ¡°Nice to meet you again, Lulu.¡± ¡°Hehe! Same here!¡± Lulu, who flew through the sky, stretched out her cute hand. Bill Stanton, too, reached out and did a cute handshake. Some cat lovers envied him. However, there was someone who watched it with a more intense gaze. It was Quentin Stanton. The Lord of the territory. ¡®Is this kid really acquainted with Airn Pareira?¡¯ Now, the name of Airn was known all over the continent, but among them, the Adan Kingdom knew more about him. It was because of what happened in the Land of Proof, along with the rumors that there was something going on between the swordsman and the youngdy of the Lindsay family. Airn was said to be traveling with a Griffin, which was a spiritual beast summoned by his younger sister, Kirill Pareira who was a sorcerer, and the flying cat¡­ Lulu, who was his best friend.¡¯ Quentin, who had suspicions, looked at his son''s face. Actually, he didn¡¯t believe what Bill had told him. His son was a man in his 30s who constantly created idents with everyone he met, so how did he get along with someone as great as Airn Pareira? Rather, the rumors throughout the kingdom were weird. Quentin Stanton was shocked to hear that Bill Stanton had caused trouble for the Pareira family. But weren¡¯t the rumors true? Were his son¡¯s words the truth instead? ¡®How did this happen?¡¯ The suspicion had disappeared, but Viscount Stanton still couldn¡¯t shake off the bewildered feeling he felt. But the surprise didn¡¯t end there. A ne with blue jewels was pulled out from the bag the cat had, and a sword which looked like a treasure was also pulled out. When everyone who saw it had nk expressions, Lulu exined. ¡°Thank you for helping us thest time! This is an artifact created by Kirill. It helps the wearer to feelfortable in any temperature and has detoxifying functions, and also has a magi detection feature too.¡± ¡°Oh my, what about the¡­ hmm, the sword?¡± ¡°This sword? Of course, it is a gift too! It¡¯s from Airn. This was made by a very famous cksmith! It is great!¡± ¡°Ahh, is that so? Thank you. Thank you very much!¡± ¡°Haha! You don¡¯t have to thank us so much. Because you took care of us too! Ah, this is my gift!¡± Lulu put her hand in the air and pulled out a gold statue. It was a gold statue in the shape of a cat, with a fish in its mouth. Bill Stanton thanked her again and Luluughed happily and went back to the griffin. ¡°I want to stay longer, but I have a lot of work to do, so I need to go. I need to see the Lindsay family off and say goodbye to my cat friends too!¡± ¡°It is fine! I¡¯ll meet youter!¡± ¡°Great! I¡¯ll be waiting! Bye!¡± The Griffin and the cat took off into the sky and vanished into the horizon. It was when the people who were standing there with confused faces that Bill Stanton looked at his father and said. ¡°Father.¡± ¡°¡­ Uh? Ah, yes.¡± ¡°I know that this isn¡¯t enough to make my father trust me, but you can think of this as a basic filial duty.¡± Hahaha, the son whoughed after saying that, had an arrogant face. Even while watching that arrogant attitude, the Stanton Lord couldn¡¯t scold Bill. Lulu didn¡¯t go with gifts just to the Stanton family. Count Lindsay and his wife also received valuable gifts. Elisa Lindsay was given a famous perfume from the Cesar Duchy and the Lord was given a sword. ¡°Um.¡± Joshua Lindsay groaned. In fact, he didn¡¯t like swords as gifts. It wasn¡¯t because he didn¡¯t like the sword. Rather, it was because he loved them so much that most swords didn¡¯t meet his standards. But the one he received wasn¡¯t like that. It had perfect bnce. And a sharp de. It wasn¡¯t of sophisticated design, but it had great bnce. It was enough to know that the craftsman who had made it was very skilled. No, it wasn¡¯t just that. After observing the sword for quite some time, the Lord could guess that the sword¡¯s cksmith wasn¡¯t some normal one and guessed the identity of the person. And he mumbled. ¡®Airn¡­ how did he manage to get in touch with this person? Even if he is visited by a Master, he isn¡¯t the kind to¡­¡¯ ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°No, what are you so dissatisfied with?¡± The Countess looked at him with a frown. Airn Pareira. Just looking at him, she knew that the young man was as pure as one could be with excellent swordsmanship and no dating experience either. Even so, the fact that he didn¡¯t just get gifts for Ilya alone but for her parents as well showed his effort. Then was he angry because he didn¡¯te in person? Airn was the champion of the Land of Proof as well as somebody who had reached the status of a Sword Master at such a young age, and since he had juste back home, the influx of guestsing to visit him alone could keep busy for more than a month. Or maybe it was because Airn had received a summon from the King. ¡®Does this man hate or love his daughter? Does he not want Ilya to get married?¡¯ Elisa Lindsay shook her head. Seeing her like that, Joshua Lindsay had a gloomy face on. When others saw him like this, they would end up asking ¡®Is this how the dignified lord is actually like?¡¯. In reality, this was the usual atmosphere of the family. Therefore, Joshua and Elisa and the servants who served them, continued their lives nonchntly. Click! ¡°Mom, dad.¡± ¡°Uh, right! My daughter¡­ Huh? The dress¡­¡± ¡°I am going to visit the Hale Kingdom.¡± ¡°What? Wai¡­¡± Shhh. Before he could even speak. Ilya Lindsay ran away, and the Lord stared for a long time in the direction she disappeared. Of course, it didn¡¯tst for too long. He soon followed his daughter. But, ¡°Then, bye! I¡¯m leaving.¡± ¡°What? Uh? Wa-wait! Wait!¡± Swosh! Suddenly, Ilya Lindsay, riding on the Griffin¡¯s back, flew through the sky with Lulu at a frightening speed. The speed was so high that even Joshua Lindsay couldn¡¯t stop it. Ilya looked her father and said, ¡°Sorry dad.¡± But she couldn¡¯t help it. It had been a month since they had left, and the moment she received Airn¡¯s letter she waspelled by the urge to go to Hale Kingdom right away. Nothing else mattered. Since she would be there soon, she just had to hold on a little more. ¡°I won¡¯t wait. You wait this time, Airn.¡± Ilya mumbled softly with her eyes full of love. Looking at her, Lulu thought. ¡®I am a little scared!¡¯ Turning back time a little; It had only been a few days since Airn and the party left the Lindsay mansion. The three of them arrived in the middle of the continent in an instant and started their walking tour on their way to the estate without riding the Griffin. It was because of what Airn said, ¡°I don¡¯t think there will be an opportunity like this for a while after we return home, so let¡¯s enjoy this leisurely.¡± Unlike Kirill, who always took care of him, he didn¡¯t take care of her on this trip. He knew that crazy things had happened over and over again, but that was all justme excuses. ¡®I think it would be best to look at Kirill¡¯s favorite stores and festivals and then head home.¡¯ There was nothing special about it, it was in consideration. However, when Kirill heard that, she teared up. Her older brother, who had been confined to the room for 10 years, had grown to a level where he could be conscious of his surroundings and the people around him. Some may say that this was bound to happen as he was in his 20s, but she had been watching Airn all her life so she couldn¡¯t help but be moved. Rather, she liked this side of Airn more than the Sword Master side. So did Lulu. It was something that he should have grown up with; an emotion which should have been felt since the beginning. She couldn¡¯t help but feel prouder as a sorcerer when she saw her precious friends being happy despite starting outte. ¡°Nice!¡± ¡°I like it!¡± ¡°Hm, shall we go pick presents for our parents as well? Ah, I¡¯ll have to buy one for Marcus too.¡± ¡°I like that too!¡± ¡°Me too! And buy me one too!¡± ¡°What does Lulu like?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know! Buy anything!¡± ¡°Brother, you are going to buy one for me too, right?¡± ¡°Well, unless it¡¯s too expensive?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a joke.¡± Airnughed and joked. Kirill, who felt that this ordinary appearance was special to her, smiled. And nodded. The full day trip which started like that was really enjoyable and meaningful for Airn as well. Just strolling through the streets and chatting. Listening to stuff, going to restaurants which were famous¡­ sometimes they were disappointed and sometimes they were amazed. It was an ordinary time, nothing special happened but this was something Airncked the most in his life. Of course, it wouldn¡¯t be the same in the future. Airn¡¯s heart and footsteps began to flow naturally through countless experiences and rtionships he had forged. And they arrived at the Pareira estate, the warmest and most reassuring ce Airn had ever known. It had been exactly 2 years. After returning from the never-short journey, Airn¡¯s mind was filled with thoughts about his parents. However, he couldn¡¯t go straight home. ¡°You! You! You¡­. Jerk!¡± ¡°¡­¡± The moment he walked on the streets, he ran into someone which made Airn feel a sense of regret. He had really, really forgotten! But the other person didn¡¯t forget about him. The dwarven cksmith, Vulcanus, was staring at him and looked like he would eat Airn alive.1 And he ran towards Airn like an angry boar. Always thought that the author just forgot about this guy.? Chapter 249: Waited for long (2)

Chapter 249: Waited for long (2)

The Dwarf cksmith Vulcanus. He had a great reputation that any swordsman would know, and it was a name which remained stronger in Airn Pareira¡¯s mind. ¡®I didn¡¯t even swing the sword and he picked me as the winner¡­ he was no ordinary dwarf.¡¯ The dwarf being who grasped the energy of the man in his dreams that no one could have ever known. A being who wasn¡¯t satisfied with making 9 Vulcanus Numbering Swords that any swordsman would want, and continued to devote himself to his own development. How could he possibly forget this person who struck the iron with a me-like passion? ¡­ but, the current situation was too funny. ¡®Clearly¡­ he said he would be back in a year.¡¯ Airn recalled what happened in Derinku. Vulcanus¡¯s face, expression and aspiration which assured Airn that he would make a sword superior to the sorcery great sword in one year. If it was any normal swordsman, they would have waited impatiently for the sword to bepleted all through the year. But¡­ ¡®¡­ there were too many things which happened throughout the year that Ipletely forgot about this.¡¯ Right. Strictly speaking, this wasn¡¯t his fault. He did forget his promise to Vulcanus, and it could be said that it was because of the great number of things which happened to Airn. Meeting I, the continent¡¯s greatest talent. Reuniting with Judith and Bratt after 5 years. Training under Jet Frost, the 101st swordsman. And his most precious encounter, realizing his thoughts towards the person he liked as a woman¡­ and he alsopeted against her for the title of Champion innd of Proof. At the same time, he reached the Sword Master level. And that wasn¡¯t the end, but the beginning. Meeting Karakum, Tarakan, Gurgar and the spirits. The secret of his past life was finally revealed and then the clown devil appeared. There were many things which couldn¡¯t be exined, and slowly Airn¡¯s thoughts passed. Again, he didn¡¯t feel guilty. Of course, this was a subjective opinion. From the standpoint of Vulcanus, who was waiting for Airn, this would be an absurd excuse. Filling his body with anger which umted over the time, the short dwarf went in to headbutt Airn. Airn, startled, ended up using his aura to defend himself. Thud! ¡°Kuak!¡± Vulcanus bounced off to the distance. It was as if he had been hit with a huge rock. Seeing him fall over and over. Airn was shocked again. ¡°Mr. Vulcanus!¡± ¡°Euk¡­ this kid!¡± Fortunately, Vulcanus was fine. Although he frowned in pain, he was fine after he shook his head a couple times, perhaps thanks to his body which had been strengthened from beating the iron. Seeing that, Airn stopped walking and turned back. Behind him were Lulu and Kirill, who were bewildered and Airn shouted. ¡°Run away!¡± ¡°Ye-huh!¡± ¡°Run away? Brother, what did you do?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s head home now! I will exin itter!¡± ¡°Where do you think you are going!¡± Phat! Turning away from Vulcanus, who was about to attack again, Airn quickly ran towards the mansion. So did Lulu. She ran like a criminal on the loose and kept screaming in a shrill voice. Given the situation, Kirill couldn¡¯t help but run. She too, used a carpet to fly away, and then said, ¡°It seems like something is wrong, but my brother isn¡¯t the kind of person to do something wrong to someone, so he will exin it soon.¡± ¡°What nonsense is that! Does a guy with anymon sense leave me alone for this long?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll see youter!¡± Airn didn¡¯t know what to do. But first, he had to see his parents whom he hadn¡¯t seen for so long. Thinking that, Kirill flew to her family mansion in an instant. ¡°The Baron and Baroness are out at the moment. It is no huge deal, it was because Baron Fried had invited them¡­ they¡¯ll be back in a week¡¯s time.¡± So, Airn and the others returned home safely. It was Marcus who greeted them and not their parents. Still, he had the same old warm smile. However, instead of worry, this time he looked at Airn with a look of pride and said, ¡°Our young lord seems to have crossed paths with the cksmith Vulcanus?¡± ¡°Ah, huh. What happened? Since when has he been here?¡± ¡°For about a month. How was your journey for the past two years, and the amount of rumors¡­ There are so many things I want to ask, but I think it would be better to let you handle the issue at hand.¡± ¡°Yes. I think that would be good.¡± Airn nodded his head. He too wanted to tell Marcus a lot of things, his journey, the friends he made, everything¡­ except for the devil. But the situation was urgent. If he didn¡¯t go and exin right away, Vulcanus would do something weird. Fortunately, Marcus could understand it and he told Airn everything that had happened for a month. And hearing that, Airn organized his words and said, ¡°So, no matter how much he waited in Derinku I didn¡¯te so he came to my hometown to meet me, and he wanted to wait till I came so he asked you to provide a ce to live? And then he opened a cksmith ce and he made things here?¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°After hearing the rumor that Vulcanus had a shop here, more people visited the territory?¡± ¡°Yes. Merchants were one thing, but a lot of swordsmen came too. Of course, Vulcanus yed a huge role in this but, I don¡¯t think it was just because of him¡­¡± Marcus looked at Airn with passionate eyes. He still couldn¡¯t believe it. The timid and fragile young lord, who was called all sorts of things, was now a Sword Master! He wasn¡¯t part of the family, but he wondered if this was how parents felt. ¡°Thank you, Marcus.¡± Airn too knew these feelings. He wanted to speak right away, but he knew that the Vulcanus issue was first at hand. ¡°Let¡¯s go right now. Marcus, would you like toe with me?¡± ¡°That would be my honor! I want to see it too, the 10th numbering sword!¡± ¡°Great! Lulu too, but I guess Lulu is scared.¡± ¡°Ang! The dwarf looked at us with a terrifying look!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, it is fine.¡± ¡°Okay. What is the problem? Isn¡¯t this a good thing? If it was me, I would have kicked the guy who didn¡¯t keep his promise and give the sword to someone else. He is a kindhearted dwarf to me.¡± ¡°That is true. That man¡­ he had no intention of giving it to anyone else¡­ no one saw it either. Not even his friends.¡± ¡°Friends? Ah¡­¡± Airn nodded slowly. He seemed to know. ¡°I finally got to see it!¡± ¡°So cool, really insane! There is no need to hide it so much!¡± ¡°Right. No, does he have to give it to that man? He could just give it to another person.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± ¡°Shut up! Such behavior is against my beliefs! Anyway, this is a sword made just for him. Even if another Masteres, I can¡¯t pass it to them!¡± Vulcanus rolled his eyes towards the surroundings. Either way, he didn¡¯t care about others. Rather than that, the 10th Vulcanus Numbering Sword was soon to be released and everyone was curious about it. ¡®What is so great about this sword¡­¡¯ ¡®Does he have to be so arrogant and proud?¡¯ ¡®He''s extremely strict with himself.¡¯ ¡®I need to see this. Definitely.¡¯ Two cksmiths from Derinku, Dawnson the dwarf, and Pablo came to the territory. It was not just them. Rashad White, a famous jeweler in the eastern continent as well as the best sculptor in the northern part, elf, Jamari. All of them stayed by Vulcanus'' side for ten months to see the greatest masterpiece of his life. And they were there as a cksmith or an artist. There could be no greater inspiration than to see an object filled with passion and talent. They all moved like kids for candies and the hero who would take the sword came soon. Vulcanus looked at Airn¡¯s face and spoke with a smirk. ¡°Hey kid,e here, you asshole!¡± ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m really sorry. I didn¡¯t do it on purpose¡­¡± ¡°Enough! It is my fault. It is my fault that I still had high expectations of you¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But, the moment you see the sword now, you will regret it. Why didn¡¯t Ie back in a year? Why did such a sworde into my life only now? That is what you will think. You idiot Airn Pareira! Sorry Mr. Vulcanus!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­ if you say that, I will dly forgive you and acknowledge you as the master of this sword, the 10th Vulcanus Numbering Sword.¡± ¡®Such a weird person.¡¯ Kirill frowned at the dwarf. This man was yelling at her brother, making arrogant expressions and was full of pride. All of those weren¡¯t things she liked. But they didn¡¯t quarrel. So, she was curious. How great was this sword? How confident was he to say this? ¡°¡­ can I see? The sword.¡± It wasn¡¯t just Kirill¡¯s thought. It was the same with Marcus and Lulu as well. The four people standing next to Airn Pareira and Vulcanus. Everyone looked at the back of Vulcanus who went to pick up the sword. After a while. When the 10th Numbering Sword was revealed, a look of disbelief appeared on their faces. ¡°This¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Insane.¡± ¡°It¡¯s worth waiting for a few months¡­ it really was.¡± ¡°Haha, of course.¡± Satisfied with the reaction of his close people, Vulcanus, Dwanson and Pablo grinned. He had never made a more satisfactory product in his entire life. The shock of meeting Airn almost two years ago. And the shock when he saw the sorcery sword Airn was using. Along with that, the inspiration from the sword he saw. ¡®Perhaps¡­ it might not be as hard and good as the sorcery great sword.¡¯ However, a sword isn¡¯t something that could be judged only by its hardness. The sharpness of the sword also mattered. As well as its bnce. Numerous other factors influenced the quality of a sword. In Vulcanus'' mind, the 10th Numbering Sword was sure to outperform Airn¡¯s old and clunky sorcery great sword in all respects except for the rigidity. ¡°Ha, what is it? Airn Pareira!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Isn''t it difficult topare? If so, try summoning the great sword from then. And swing them both too. Then you will know. Which sword is the better one? As your swordsman¡¯s lifepanion is a sword, you will be able to find a sword which suits you better!¡± Vulcanus said in a loud voice. It was a face full of confidence. Marcus and Airn¡¯s party nodded at the dwarf¡¯s words. Their eyes were shining. The 10th numbering sword of Vulcanus waspleted after many years. It was so great that it was ranked at the top even in the long history of the continent¡­ It is truly a sword that can bepared to the objects of the mythological era. Everyone thought of it like that. Swosh! Airn Pareira, who was silently watching the numbering the sword, summoned his sword. And his expression was as if he was somewhat sorry and cautious. The reason for this was soon known. Dawnson and Pablo spit out curses when they saw the new sorcery sword which was different from the past and wasn¡¯t the crude sword they had all seen before. ¡°That¡¯s insane!¡± ¡°This is crazy!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Rashad White and the Elven sculptor Jamari couldn¡¯t even speak. They just opened their mouths wide. Lulu looked around in silence and Airn mumbled as if making excuses. ¡°Well, sorry¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t see each other for long, and the great sword evolved¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Mr. Vulcanus?¡± Airn was puzzled. Unlike the others who blinked, Vulcanus stood there nkly with no change in his expression. He didn¡¯t speak. He didn¡¯t even move. Lulu, who felt weird, checked the dwarf. And said, ¡°He is stunned.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Kirill shook her head and sighed and Airn, who saw the change, thought. ¡®I feel a bit¡­ sorry.¡¯ Chapter 250: Waited for long (3)

Chapter 250: Waited for long (3)

¡°¡­¡± Shortly after the reunion with Airn Pareira, Vulcanus, who came to his senses, was living every day in anguish. He remembered it when he closed his eyes. No, even with his eyes open he could still see it. The 10th Numbering Sword that he so proudly brought, far surpassing the¡­ great sword of unbelievable quality. ¡®Really¡­ that was an object that can only be seen as made by the God of cksmiths.¡¯ That was how he felt when he saw Airn¡¯s sword for the first time. The rigidity he felt when he looked at the great sword. Even though that alone was like an artefact of the mythical era, the golden greatsword transcended the limitations of its appearance revealing the grace it possessed. The cutting force it had. The bnce. The durability. Even the handle and the beauty of the most trivial parts, not a single thing was missing. There is no need to have a closer look at it. A strong shock was transmitted as if his eyes felt burned, and Vulcanus felt like he had lost his mind as he saw the new form of the sword. ¡®¡­ I am done.¡¯ The dwarf, remembering what had happened hundreds of times, drank with a depressed expression. He couldn¡¯t live without drinking. Of course, drinking didn¡¯t change a thing. It was done. It was the birth of a great sword that cannot be bested even if he spent the rest of his life trying to do it. Frustrated by that, he poured strong whiskey down his throat. It was the time when he downed three bottles. ¡°Can Ie in?¡± ¡°¡­¡± A nice, soft voice. Airn Pareira. Vulcanus didn¡¯t like his visit. He was embarrassed. Mistaking his sword to be the greatest in history, he confidently dered and spoke too much to Airn. ¡®I¡¯m sorry, Vulcanus! If you say that¡­ I am willing to forgive and acknowledge you as the owner of this sword, the 10th Numbering Sword.¡¯ ¡°hhhh! Ackkkkk!¡± The dwarf who remembered it once again, yelled by ripping his hair out. And banged the bottle on the floor. Vulcanus didn¡¯t care. Rather, he struggled with his mind going crazy. But Airn was calm. It was as if he had expected this to happen. Or, the calm attitude was his way of being kind to him. He approached the dwarf with a speed that was neither slow nor fast and held his hand, and raised his aura. Wooong! While returning to the Pareira estate, there was a part of the journey where Airn considered new methods of usage for the aura. Should it always be used to intimidate the opposite person? ¡®Not at all.¡¯ From the basic level of exhaling the force to the enemy, to the ultimate level of creating an Aura Sword. It was true that most Aura manifestations are used as tools to harm the opponent. However, the Aura itself wasn¡¯t dangerous energy. Rather, it was the opposite when the Aura was inside a person. It calms the owner''s mind and ignites their enthusiasm, and sometimes gives them courage to stand up in threatening situations as well. Then. If the expressed aura can be passed to someone¡­ ¡®Wouldn¡¯t it be possible to relieve them a bit and maybe even change their mind?¡¯ He was convinced. No, recalling everything that had happened, Airn had actually already used this before. He had helped calm the mind of the swordsman from the Land of Proof, Grayson. He had also used it to purify the darkness in Ilya Lindsay. It was the same in the barrier of the clown devil. The strong energy he projected out was like a lighthouse and bonfire for those who needed hope in that dark situation. ¡®If there is a difference between then and now¡­ at that time, I relied solely on intuition.¡¯ Now it was different. The strength of his mind had of course grown, but in terms of swordsmanship and Aura operation, the current Airn had reached a level that couldn¡¯t bepared to before. Extensive and deep knowledge as well as his technical know-how were all mixed together to create a new theory, and the intuitive energy from before was much more refined now. Among the five spirits too, the energy of me was reinterpreted in another way, and a slightly different concept of ¡®appearance¡¯ was added to it. When the water was added to the Aura he was applying on Vulcanus¡¯s body, the Aura, which couldn¡¯t enter before, naturally seeped into Vulcanus¡¯s body. And with it, warmth, calmness,fort and other positive energies flowed in. Vulcanus felt it too. Although he was a little drunk, he raised his head with a puzzled expression, still looking haggard. However, unlike before, his eyes were returning to normal. Confirming that, Airn used his sorcerer¡¯s abilities now. The will and belief that were inside him spurted out as if they could be held on to with a hand. Wheik! ¡°¡­!¡± Vulcanus was shocked. Contrary to his small and dull appearance, he was very sensitive to things. He also had superior intuition than most people. That was why 2 years ago, he chose Airn as the winner without even a match. He saw the heart of steel inside the young man. Then, what about now? ¡°¡­confounding.¡± The dwarf mumbled. It was much bigger and greater than he felt 2 years ago. It was a lot clearer. As if one could hold it in their hand. The courage in him rose. An inspiration that was enchanting enough to straighten out a broken will gave Vulcanus a new hope. Compared to then, Airn Pareira, had grown beyondparison, even for him. Even if it cannot be as nice as the great sword, wouldn¡¯t it be possible to make a greater sword than his 10th numbering sword? ¡°¡­ please, allow me to stay in the territory.¡± The proud dwarf who got up from the seat, turned around and asked in a polite tone. Airn, who watched him, smiled and answered. ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°No, brother, what did you even do? How can they¡­ no, did you force those people to stay in our territory?¡± ¡°That is right, young master! What you did was truly amazing! Even the Baron will love it!¡± ¡°Uh? why?¡± ¡°The most skilled artisans on the continent want to settle in our territory, why would any Lord hate it? From now on, the Pareira estate will develop beyondparison! As soon as you return, you do such a great duty to your family¡­ really, you really are amazing!¡± Lulu was dazed at this situation while Kirill and Marcus were happy. When asked who was closer to Airn, it was the former. It was because he didn¡¯t do this for the sake of hisnd or for his parents. ¡®It was just that Vulcanus didn¡¯t want to leave so¡­¡¯ This wasn¡¯t a bad thing, but he was a bit shocked, yet, he truly liked this. However, it didn¡¯tst long. The words which Marcus said resounded in his mind. The duty to family. It caused a huge wave in Airn¡¯s heart. ¡®¡­ thinking of it, the people I neglected the most were my parents.¡¯ After attaining enlightenment from the conversation with Lord Lloyd, he was more conscious of the precious people around him. This was because, despite receiving so much help and love, he felt like he didn¡¯t do his best and he felt that he clung on to useless and uncertain things. If so, who among them showed him what he wascking? It was family. Especially his mother and father. Those people had supported him for longer, and thinking that he left them alone till now hurt his heart¡­ ¡®No, this isn¡¯t a good thought.¡¯ Airn shook his head. For 10 years, he had confined himself to his room and had worried his parents sick. The past couldn¡¯t be changed, no matter how much he looked back and regretted it, nothing would change. Just as one shouldn¡¯t be too invested in the future, one shouldn¡¯t be caught up in the past either. Living in the moment is good. He shouldn¡¯t of course forget his days as azy prince, where he did nothing for his parents, but he should focus more on the present. Thinking that, he asked Marcus. ¡°Marcus.¡± ¡°Yes, young lord.¡± ¡°What kind of gifts would my parents like?¡± ¡°Uh? But hasn''t the young lord already brought them?¡± ¡°Um, I¡¯m just worried. It was chosen after me and Kirill thought, but¡­ what if they don¡¯t like it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And it is Marcus and not us who have been with our parents the longest, so if you have a better idea let me know.¡± ¡°¡­young lord. It is fine.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°The presents you have prepared for them are the greatest they¡¯ll ever get.¡± Marcus answered with a serious expression. That made Airn puzzled. What he prepared was alcohol for his father and perfume for his mother. It was true that he prepared good things because he had money, but he didn¡¯t think that this was something to be given such praise. It was then, When he was in the midst of thoughts about the words that were said, there was some kind of fuss. Airn and Kirill looked at each other at the same time and moved. Papat! Swosh! Aura and sorcery were simultaneously used to move quickly. After a while, he stopped in front of Baron Pareira who had returned with the escort knights. Harun Pareira¡¯s surprised face and Amelia Pareira¡¯s shocked face were what they saw. And Airn saw the knights including Zukran. ¡®The number of people I don¡¯t know have increased.¡¯ Once again, he felt like he had been away for too long. Joy and regret came up at the same time. Airn bowed his head, and a trembling voice came up. ¡°I am back¡­ father, mother.¡± Silence fell. No one dared to speak or move. Was it because they all met after two years? It was one reason, but that wasn¡¯t the only one. The present. However, until now, to Airn,.. considering the shadows cast on this family, the present scene was bound to be more special. ¡°¡­ ah, Father, Mother! Come inside! Come inside! I have so many things to tell you all! There are things I want to hear from you too! And I managed to prepare a present that, um, I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll like it, but¡­¡± Airn spoke, and as usual it was gibberish. He couldn¡¯t help himself since his emotions weren¡¯t organized, so his words came up without any coherence. There would be no parents who would be annoyed at their son who wascking a bit. And that was especially true for Pareira. Of course. ¡°Airn.¡± ¡°Yes, father.¡± ¡°I heard that you reached the status of a Master.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Can you show that to me?¡± It must be the greatest wish of a parent to see that for themselves. Hearing Harun¡¯s words, Airn remembered the words which Marcus had said. ¡®¡­ the greatest present is me.¡¯ Right. If he was really worried about his parents the most, then being here was all he could do to make them happy. The appearance of him, who had grown so much more than before, was a gift for them. Thezy prince of Pareira family had finally realized it. ¡­ no, Airn Pareira, the most famous member of the Pareira family, replied with a nod. ¡°I will show you.¡± Swosh! Wooong! A golden sword appeared in an instant. And golden energy soared at the same time. The Aura Sword is the most perfect one. The knights who were looking at the Sword Master for the first time looked shocked. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°Wah¡­¡± A knight who recently entered the estate. Before Airn left, the knight knew that the young lord was an Expert. But even Zukran couldn¡¯t speak despite staying so long here. No one was able to speak anything. People who didn¡¯t know Airn and those who knew him too were all too shocked. They looked at that de whose aura soared through the sky. But not Harun Pareira, and not Amelia either. Their gaze was on something other than the sword. The Aura Sword, the symbol of a Sword Master, was important, but more precious than that was¡­ Seeing his parents look proudly at him, Airn who teared up once again said, ¡°I am back.¡± After many years, the young hero who removed the stigma of beingzy returned with the honor of being a Sword Master. As they heard the news, the entire Hale Kingdom, including the 6 Southern families, shook. Chapter 251: Our Son (1)

Chapter 251: Our Son (1)

¡°¡­ Sir Orn Zukran.¡± ¡°Ah, please say it.¡± ¡°Tha, that¡­ about the young lord, you see¡­¡± ¡°Do you want to ask if the rumors are true?¡± Orn Zukran, an old knight of the Pareira estate, looked at the knight who had just joined the family. No other people denied it, nor did he himself deny it. People who have been here since the days of the ¡®Lazy Prince¡¯, including those who came in when Airn was trapped in the sorcery world. From their point of view, Airn¡¯s past was unbelievable. ¡®I can¡¯t believe it either.¡¯ However, this was true for Orn Zukran as well. A clumsy family member, and a child ridiculed by the entire kingdom. One day, that being suddenly moved and grew up in an instant. ¡®And for a person like me¡­ even making eye contact with a Master is hard.¡¯ He smiled bitterly. Orn Zukran too was one of the people who hated Airn, despite not saying it out loud. But he showed it without words, and gave a nasty look at the young lord whenever he came out. However, not everyone was like that. Marcus, who had been in charge of the young lord since Airn was young, didn¡¯t show dislike to him. Kirill Pareira loved him despite them being step-siblings. Although it must have been harder than anyone else, Harun Pareira and his wife took good care of the kids. ¡®To such people, the young lord¡¯s current appearance is¡­ a blessing.¡¯ ¡°¡­ why does the past matter? The fact that he is a Sword Master now is what is important.¡± Orn Zukran replied. He looked at the family which entered inside. How much joy would Airn Pareira bring to the Baron? Despite having children, he couldn¡¯t dare imagine it so easily. ¡°Re-really?¡± ¡°Yes, why would I lie in front of my father? I really met Lady I Crescentia¡­¡± After 2 years, Harun Pareira, Amelia Pareira, Kirill Pareira and Airn were sitting in the same ce. The three of them were talking without knowing the passage of time. The topic was, of course, the two-year journey of Airn Pareira. As he went through things that other people wouldn¡¯t have experienced in their whole lives, there was no shortage of stories to tell. Of course, the story of the devil was hidden. Which was why Lulu wasn¡¯t present. She couldn¡¯t imagine how much the parents would worry if he spoke about the clown devil, so he didn¡¯t say it. Thanks to that, the story felt creaky, but Harun Pareira and his wife didn¡¯t notice it. For that reason, topics other than the devil were also exciting. ¡°Haha. To hear that you received an offer from Dame I Crescentia, the greatest genius on the continent¡­ besides, you learned how to operate something from the orc tribe?¡± ¡°They call it the Five Spirits Divine Technique.¡± ¡°Huh¡­ I need to have a little alcohol with this.¡± Pareira was someone who didn¡¯t usually drink. It was all good now, but there were pretty painful times in the past. They were all controlling their emotions for quite some time thinking that if they drank a sip of alcohol, they might copse. But now they couldn¡¯t stand it. No, there was no need to control anymore. The one they loved the most, Airn Pareira. The story of a child who had been constrained all the time, finally spread open his wings and decided to ascend to the sky. And that was the happiest thing for his parents. ¡®I didn¡¯t have to keep my emotions in check on such a happy day!¡¯ After a long time, a true smile formed on Harun Pareira¡¯s face, and it grew wider and wider. ¡°Lord Lloyd, he is a great person.¡± Baron Pareira wasn''t the only one feeling good. Amelia Pareira, who listened to it quietly, had no choice but to show a strong reaction when she heard that her son talked with Lord Lloyd. External growth was one thing and she already acknowledged it when she heard that Airn subjugated the demons. But internal growth was a different story. Seeing her son, who was still wandering despite doing a great job in subjugation of demons, Amelia exhaled in relief. During the journey, which she expected to be long, she was worried that his fragile heart would break. ¡®There was no need to worry.¡¯ His son wasn¡¯t the same as before. He still had a few shorings, but he at least had the courage to move in the right direction. There were always good people who genuinely helped their son. A son who wasn¡¯t strong on the outside and had a stable and healthy mind and heart was much better than the opposite. And Amelia ended up crying as she remembered how many years it took for this to happen. ¡°Darling, are you fine?¡± ¡°Yes, I am fine.¡± ¡°No, Kirill, you too¡­¡± ¡°Ah! I am not! I just yawned and tears came out¡­ ah! Maybe dust hit my eyes? They keeping down!!¡± In the end even Kirill cried. In the midst of that, Harun Pareira and Airn Pareira didn¡¯t stop their faces from turning red. The father wanted to show a strong image and the son only wanted to show a bright side. Because they hadn¡¯t done this in a long time. Because for so long they couldn¡¯t hold the hand despite it being the closest to them. ¡®But not anymore.¡¯ The mistakes of the past cannot be erased because it had already happened. Therefore, no one intended to look back on those painful feelings. ¡®¡­ I will work hard in the future, to show the filial piety I couldn¡¯t do before.¡¯ With that thought in mind, he returned to his room after a long but short break. Knock. Kirill, cheerfully knocked on the door and entered. ¡°Brother, you are going to work hard in the future too, right?¡± ¡°Uh? Yes, I need to.¡± ¡°Do you have something in mind?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± He sat there in thought. However, there was no grand n. In the past, he had never talked to anyone and had confined himself to the room, so from now, he wanted to talk more often to his parents. ¡°Um. Well, it¡¯s not a bad thought. You definitely need to spend more time with our parents. They will probably like it.¡± ¡°Yes. Right. I couldn¡¯t do it much before¡­¡± ¡°But rather than that, why not hold an event?¡± ¡°Event?¡± ¡°Yes, event. Thezy prince of the Pareira family is back as a Sword Master. Since the change was so great¡­ you should hold an event and do it proudly.¡± ¡°No, that is a bit¡­¡± Airn was a bit confused. He didn¡¯t like such things. The reason he was holding the sword was also not for fame. Even if no one recognized him, Airn would silently do the job. Just like the pdins of the Purification teams, who were wandering the continent despite officially retiring from work long ago. However, at Kirill''s next words, he couldn¡¯t refute her suggestion. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that for brother to brag about how good you are.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°It is for our parents to brag about.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°People want to show off only their expensive essories, imagine how greatly they can talk about their handsome son who is a master in his early 20s? Don¡¯t you think the same?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Airn remained silent for a while. And remembered his parents. He thought that neither of his parents were stern with him, they were benevolent and kind and quiet, and didn¡¯t have anything to speak about. But, ¡®¡­ it is the same with Joshua Lindsay.¡¯ Not just him. The Lloyd family too. Karakum too. All of them looked dignified, but their love for their children was greater than their own achievements. Airn, who thought that, recalled the past. When he stayed idle and didn¡¯t move. The ignorance and ridicule which was directed at him didn¡¯t just bother him, it even hurt his parents. Even then, neither of his parents pulled him out of his room, and they always showed a strong figure to him¡­ ¡°¡­ okay. Let¡¯s do it.¡± ¡­ he thought that this event mentioned by Kirill would be a good gift to them. ¡°Great. It isn¡¯t difficult to n it, as long as it is allowed. Let¡¯s set up a ce to show off the most handsome son on the continent¡­¡± ¡°Most handsome on the continent is a bit¡­¡± ¡°Correct that mindset! For your parents, if you aren¡¯t the best, then who will be the best? Ah! Of course, I do cute little things and my abilities are good as a brother, but¡­¡± This time, her brother was going to be the main character. ¡°Be proud of who you are! Okay?¡± Airn nodded at the words which kept flowing out. At the same time, a question arose. So, what the hell was this event going to be? Upon hearing this question, Kirillughed and answered. ¡°A special swordsmanship lecture by a Sword Master in his 20s for the surrounding estates¡­ how is it? Just this is enough, and I think you can brag about it in style.¡± Sword Master Airn returned to his family. The news had spread across the Hale Kingdom in an instant. It wasn¡¯t just the six southern families. At no point in the social world did Airn¡¯s name not be mentioned. ¡°Finally, there is a Sword Master in our kingdom¡­¡± ¡°That too in his 20s! it is amazing!¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t the only one who was annoyed with the other kingdoms right? But now we can brag about ours!¡± ¡°I heard he has a handsome face?¡± ¡°If we invite him to a banquet, will hee?¡± Most of it was praise, admiration or envy. However, not everyone weed this. ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°There is too much talk about Airn Pareira these days¡­¡± Some nobles who had used the term zy prince¡¯ to joke about the man, hade too far to change their stance and praise him. Therefore, their reactions weren¡¯t good since the moment Airn subjugated the demon. So, they thought that the performance was inted and thought of them as rumors. But they couldn¡¯t think like that anymore. When it was confirmed that he was the champion of the Land of Proof, Airn¡¯s reputation had already risen to a level that couldn¡¯t be damaged anymore. The only things the nobles could do was change their stance. However, the news of a special event held by the Pareira family spread. ¡°Did you hear? The Pareira family is giving a special swordsmanship ss!¡± ¡°What? A Sword Master is teaching?¡± ¡°Yes! Of course, it is only for two days, but who even teaches these days! Our eldest son is good with swords, so we are going to send him.¡± ¡°E-even my son is quite interested in swords¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Still, the curiosity about Airn Pareira kept skyrocketing. The thought of wanting to make good connections with him. In the midst of that, everyone began to write letters about it. ¡°¡­ did you hear about it?¡± ¡°I did.¡± ¡°What will you do? Our kid also wants to be a knight.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Say something! Are you going to pass up this chance?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°Then do something and apologize for what happened in the past and move with sincerity!¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± Even those who despised Airn were pushed to get close to him. No, they struggled for it. The nobles were known to be proud and arrogant, yet for the sake of their kids they bowed their heads. ¡°Huhu, huhuhu.¡± Baron Harun Pareira, feeling the change, couldn''t help butugh. It was a bit embarrassing, but a greater sense of pride filled his heart. Thinking of his son, who grew up so much, he mumbled. ¡°Is this what having a Sword Master as a son feels like?¡± Baron Pareira, who was very happy, smiled brightly. Chapter 252: Our Son (2)

Chapter 252: Our Son (2)

In August, when the summer heat was in full swing, a big event which shook the entire Hale Kingdom was held. This didn¡¯t take ce in the capital, nor in the rtively densely popted northern part of the kingdom. The six southern families. Among them, a special swordsmanship ss was being held by the Pareira family, which had a Baron title and that drew the attention of a lot of people. ¡®It¡¯s not just the attention.¡¯ As he greeted the guests, Marcus wiped his sweat, He did know that a lot of people woulde, but never did he imagine that it would be this much. And it wasn¡¯t just the nobles nearby, but even people from the far northern kingdoms hade, wanting to participate in the special lecture. The Barons and other nobles who couldn¡¯te, made it a point to send a messenger with letters and gifts. And that wasn¡¯t all. Due to the rumors spreading so widely, the nobles of Hale Kingdom who didn¡¯t want toe were forced toe as well. For that reason, Harun Pareira set the limit for the visitors to two people per family. Otherwise, the people wouldn¡¯t fit in the Pareira¡¯s training hall. The young master was truly the greatest boon the family had ever received! Thinking that, Marcus¡¯s face was filled with pride. The first born of the Pareira Territory, who was responsible for the future of the Hale Kingdom was bringing in so many people! And the top knights of each family who wanted to be stronger were alsoing here! Aust to talk with Airn Pareira! At the sight which he couldn¡¯t even imagine 10 years back, his heart raced harder than ever. However, not everyone was looking at this situation with excitement like Marcus. Kirill was the prime example. Unable to hide her expression and stop her anxious heart, she opened her lips. ¡°Will it be fine?¡± ¡°Will what be fine?¡± ¡°Brother.¡± ¡°Airn is always fine.¡± ¡°No, it is a ss. I know my brother is strong, but teaching is¡­. Apletely different area, right?¡± ¡°True.¡± Lulu nodded. There was a saying that geniuses can¡¯t teach. A genius was a being who reached a level with just a fleeting intuition; A level that others could only reach through countless repetition, consideration and never-ending effort. And among those geniuses are people who race through dozens of stairs at a time; stairs that force normal people to climb one by one There are such transcendental existences in swordsmanship as well. And people called them Sword Masters. ¡®Even my brother is called to be one of the most talented.¡¯ Who were the three geniuses being constantly talked about in the continent? The first was obviously I. The second was Ilya. And the third was Airn. ¡®Can such a great achiever be able to give a ss which normal people can understand?¡¯ That was what Kirill was concerned about. Not just her brother, but even the people who have been by his side were all geniuses! And such doubts were spread more widely as the more and more knights came here. ¡°He¡¯s cing.¡± ¡°Be quiet.¡± ¡°Young lord, even if the ss is weird, don¡¯t show it. we didn¡¯te here to learn the sword. We are only here to build contacts.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± At those words, they saw a blonde young man approaching from far. At that, everyone stopped chatting. And Marcus felt even prouder when he saw this. The heavy atmosphere and silence spread and Airn stopped walking. In front of the crowd surrounding him, he stretched out his hand, showing neither a subservient or an authoritarian gaze. A brilliant golden sword appeared in the air. ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± Airn¡¯s trademark weapon. It was a weapon capable enough to defeat Ricardo Pinto, the son of Sword Master Harrison Pinto, who was a candidate for the Land of Proof¡¯s champion spot, and break his ¡®Numbering Sword¡¯. Words of admiration flowed from the mouths of the people who witnessed the weapon. No sword they had seen till then could even fall in line with it. It wasn¡¯t just whenparing swords. There was no object that could bepared with it, and the same would always be true. Wooong! ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Aura Sword suddenly appeared. The atmosphere of the hall changed once again as an energy more magnificent than the light on the sword came into their views. In fact, until just a moment ago, the way the people waited for Airn was far from how one would think about a Master. A strong physique, a stable gait and a calm face. These were the elements that show that a person is strong, but just those things didn¡¯t always mean that the person was a ¡®Sword Master¡¯. That was because there was something more intense than any of these things¡­Sword Aura. All the doubts they had vanished as they saw it. An atmosphere that only those who had reached the top could create filled the hall. Everyone who felt it fixed their gaze on Airn without saying anything. Airn was calm. He lightly swung the sword four or five times and soon called back the energy. And then came voices of regret. It was because most people there had never seen an Aura Sword their entire lives, and what they had seen just now was strongly engraved into their heads. However, it had ended too quickly. For the first time, Airn spoke with a smile in a rxed way. ¡°There are so many different people who havee¡­ I pondered a lot about what content should be talked about. I was worried that some might get bored if I went over the basics and some wouldn¡¯t learn anything if we skipped ahead¡­¡± Wheik! Wheik! Swish! Three times¡­ Airn swung the sword three times in a light manner. And naturally, as he took his stance, the entire attention of the people in the hall fell on him. Although it was nothing like the Aura Sword, not a single person felt bored. It wasn¡¯t just them, Marcus, Kirill, Lulu and even his parents were also looking at him. Airn was calm. In a firm tone, he continued speaking, not being swayed by anything else. ¡°¡­so from start to finish, I decided to cover it all.¡± Finally, the swordsmanship ss of the strongest swordsman of the Hale Kingdom began. The content that Airn focused on was ¡®seeing¡¯. It went over how to be aware of the opponent¡¯s movement and how to receive an attack. Furthermore, he also exined that in order to attack the opponent, it was important to understand the intentions and actions of the opponent. So, the basic part was ¡®seeing¡¯ or observing. How they could look close to dodge or attack well. It was a pretty normal thing to do, but if it was done properly, then it was a whole different story. The first part Airn went over was the ¡®shoulder¡¯. ¡°Most of the beginners that started using swords tend to only look at the des of the opponent. I did that at the start too. As I followed the de of the sword, I would find my eyes getting dizzy. But¡­¡± If you focus on the shoulder, that dizziness would be reduced by half. Airn, who exhaled calmly, swung the sword. ¡°It isn¡¯t the sword that moves. Before that, the arm and then the shoulder moves. If you find it difficult to match with the swordsmanship of an opponent during a match because of being too conscious of their sword, try focusing on the shoulder, which is rtively close to the source of movement. From now on, I will perform the movements more slowly.¡± It was a kind and urate exnation. All of the theory was followed by clean and standard movements. Everyone nodded their heads. Especially, the young lords who were just entering the path of the sword showed intense reactions. They were immersed in Airn¡¯s exnation, who pointed out the mistakes that beginners do and suggested easy solutions. But not everyone was like that. Some of them thought that this was all information that they already knew. And some of them couldn¡¯t even rte to it. However, that wasn¡¯t the end of the ss. ¡°As I said before¡­ the movement of the sword is important, but even more important than that is the source of the movement. The various muscles and joints that work for that movement to happen¡­ It would be really nice to be able to see all the movements at a nce, but I think everyone knows that it would be difficult. This is why we narrow our focus and move. Always keep this in mind : sword to shoulder, shoulder to waist and waist to feet.¡± Airn¡¯s words flowed out like a gushing river. It waspletely different from the past. This was partly because of the thorough preparation he did before, but it was also because of his main characteristic feature that made him who he was. He¡­ ¡­was a genius Especially when it came to hard work. No. The word Genius of Hard Work was more appropriate. Airn went through each process more carefully and firmly. So, he had a more stable growth. The important thing was that these movements didn¡¯t change despite him reaching higher. ¡°It doesn¡¯t end just because every body partes into view. They can use tricks to mess with the mind or use a number of diversions. To deal with that, you need to read your opponent¡¯s intentions in advance. What you need to pay attention to here¡­is the eyes of the opponent.¡± Even for geniuses, this was a very difficult thing. Airn was being serious. He did his best to wield the sword and even after doing that for so long, he would still sometimes feel lost. There was no reason he shouldn¡¯t re-check himself just because he had reached a certain height. To those who had not reached his level, there was no way he couldn¡¯t give them this advice. He slowly retraced the process he had walked through and exined it to the audience. When the ss that had continued for hours like this was finished. p! p p! p! p! p! p! The sound of apuse erupted from someone¡¯s hand for the first time, and it kept increasing. It wasn¡¯t because he was a new hero, and neither was it because they came to build a rtionship with the Sword Master. It was sincere appreciation for the lecture itself. Even Baron pareira felt his eyes turn red at this. ¡°Before this ends, I would like to say onest thing.¡± Airn opened his mouth which made the hall go silent. The young man in front of them wasn¡¯t someone born with just talent. They didn¡¯t say it out loud but everyone knew it. He must have put in a tremendous amount of effort until now. To the point where the title of zy prince¡¯ was nothing more than a misunderstanding. Airn didn¡¯t even know what they were thinking. He didn¡¯t care. What he wanted to say was¡­ No, what he wanted to show them¡­ began then. ¡°You all¡­ why do you all hold your swords?¡± Chapter 253: Our Son (3)

Chapter 253: Our Son (3)

He asked the people gathered there. Why did they start learning swords? For what reason were they training? For what purpose were they trying to walk down this path? None of those who were questioned gave an answer to Airn. Of course, it wasn''t an easy atmosphere for anyone to open their mouths. Because that¡¯s usually the case with questions asked to a crowd. What about the content of the question then? It was honestly a question that was too abstract to answer. Some swordsmen even titled their heads. It was asked right after the most intriguing and helpful ss that they¡¯ve had their entire lives, so they couldn¡¯t understand the meaning of the question either. It was as if he was trying to end the ss with the ¡®Theory of spirit¡¯. However. ¡®¡­ it was something I always wanted to say at least once in front of someone.¡¯ Airn thought to himself and recalled the words Ian had told him 7 years ago. ¡®Without your own will, just chasing after someone else¡¯s path¡­ I am not going to ask you how you got to this point by doing that.¡¯ ¡®But in the future if you are nning to walk down the path of the sword, you will have to seriously think about it from now on.¡¯ The reason a person had to pick up the sword. Why did he want to be a swordsman? Was it because you want your own ¡®sword¡¯? 1 And did you achieve it with your own belief, will and meaning? Because of his constant journey to find it, Airn had continued to grow stronger and stronger. And finally, he was able to achieve and follow his own path for power. Wheik! Contemting, he raised his weapon. It was as strong as the will of his previous life. It was as hot as the beliefs of the present. It was a great sword crafted from Airn¡¯s heart. ¡­ after a while, Airn showed them his ¡®sword¡¯. Woong! Woong! It was a heavy and powerful swordsmanship. It was strong and yet soft enough to calm the people watching his disy. The borate and smooth movements presented the beauty of an artistic performance. But that wasn¡¯t what left everyone surprised. The golden aura which flowed slowly had filled the training hall. Like the light of dawn which clears away the darkness, a warm, cozy, and hopeful energy spread out wide throughout the hall. It was filled with goodwill towards the world. The brilliant will to protect against the darkness captured the hearts of the crowd at once. Wong! Wooong! Airn¡¯s swordsmanship didn¡¯t invoke various realizations like Ian¡¯s sword dance. He couldn¡¯t do that. Compared to Ian who had been through countless experiences, Airn was still only 23 years old. But his swordsmanship was by no means shallow. It wasn¡¯t light, and no one just dusted it off without a concern. Rather, it was heavy. And even more serious. The swordsmanship, which was heated with the will of steel, flowed proudly like a river. With the heart of a swordsman. Airn moved ¡­ 20 minutes passed like that. ¡°Phew.¡± Rab! After finishing the sword dance, Airn put the sword on the floor. He could have reverse summoned it, but he didn¡¯t. Raising his head with a refreshed feeling, he looked at the crowd. The swordsmen who were in the hall all looked bewildered. And Airn smiled brightly and opened his mouth. ¡°There will be people who have been pushed by someone to start using the sword, and there might be those who lifted their sword a long time ago to find a solution to their situation. Maybe there are people who are going through a much harder and fiercer time than I did.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°To all of you swordsmen¡­ I didn¡¯t do this sword dance with the intention of teaching you anything. I remembered what was taught to me, and I thought that the resulting realization was the root of my swordsmanship¡­ and that was what I wanted to show to you.¡± He could feel the eyes of countless people on him. Some of them looked in admiration. Some of them in realization. And to some people, it was hope. There were some who didn¡¯t like it, but even they seemed to try hard to not forget what they had seen. So that they could always remember it. ¡®This is enough¡­ wouldn¡¯t this be a good level for a ss?¡¯ He didn¡¯t dare call himself someone¡¯s teacher, but considering that this was a one-time thing, he thought he did it pretty well. Airn, who was quite pleased, bowed his head. ¡°The special ss ends here. Thank you.¡± p! p! !p p! p! The apuse which started again, was stronger and longer than before. Although the ss hadn¡¯t covered a lot, no one was dissatisfied. Even if he wasn¡¯t a full-fledged sorcerer, he knew it. Baron Harun Pareira wept. ¡°Darling, wipe your tears.¡± ¡°Ahem, tears¡­when did I cry?¡± ¡°Then you don¡¯t need a handkerchief?¡± ¡°¡­ I am sorry.¡± The Baron took the handkerchief his wife handed to him, and smiled. Kirill Pareira, looking at her father who was wiping his tears, went to Lulu and Marcus. ¡°Sigh, I am relieved now. W-was it fine? Ah, I am shaking so much.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Uh¡­ did I do something wrong?¡± Airn looked at his family who were silent. Harun Pareira smiled as he looked at his son who had grown tremendously, but still had his former self too. ¡°No. You did well. Very, very well!¡± ¡°You worked hard, my son.¡± ¡°Brother is best! I didn¡¯t know you could do that well!¡± ¡°Right! Airn is the best! Hehehe!¡± ¡°The Young lord was so cool!¡± Airn was a bit dazed at the praises which came in from his family. But that was only for a while, and after that, he smiled brighter than anyone. ¡°It is all thanks to my parents¡­ and of course, Kirill, Lulu and Marcus too!¡± After a long time, it was the older brother Airn, whoforted his younger sister. This made a brighter smile sh across their faces. ¡°I was really impressed¡­ really impressed. I learned swords from knights till now, but this is the first time I learned so much! I saw so much!¡¯ ¡°Me too! I-it could be considered as nonsense¡­ but I will do my best to be a great knight like Airn Pareira and do my best in the future!¡± ¡°Huhu, the young lord seems to be imagining stuff. You look more excited than when you came in.¡± ¡°Well¡­ isn¡¯t it natural? I want to head home and wield the sword all day after I get home. I don¡¯t think this passion will die even after 50 years¡­¡± ¡°Amazing. It is by no means easy to give such a lesson to swordsmen who are of different levels.¡± ¡°And it definitely won¡¯t be like that.¡± After the special ss, the Pareira family treated all the nobles from the nation with arger banquet than expected. During the music that was yed by talented musicians, the young lords and senior knights all praised Airn Pareira. Not only was the ss customized for all the levels of swordsmen who hade, but Airn had also made it easy to understand. And the first impression which shook the ss, and the final sword dance which had pierced their hearts¡­ it was all absolutely amazing. ¡®Just looking at that swordsmanship reminds me of the path he took and the steps he¡¯ll take in the future.¡¯ ¡®That power which can feel what is abstract, intuitively¡­ Are all Sword Masters such monsters?¡¯ ¡®He is greater than I thought.¡¯ Was it because it was a special ss of Airn? All the swordsmen of Hale Kingdom respected him. However, there were those who didn¡¯t. ¡®¡­ No. what Airn Pareira showed today¡­ it was far better than a superior Sword Master that I know of. There was something more special about Airn and his swordsmanship whenpared to the Sword Master I know which cannot be described!¡¯ On the whole continent, the Hale Kingdom was a small nation. So,pared to swordsmen of great power like the western kingdoms¡­ those gathered here had to say that they didn¡¯t have an eye for a sword. However, one, middle-aged man with bright eyes looked at Airn. He was the best swordsman of the Hale Kingdom. He was themander of the Twilight Knights, the highest knights of the kingdom, and was known to be a level above Hill But. In the eyes of the twilightmander, Oswaldo Odone¡­ Airn¡¯s true value was much deeper and more intense than others. ¡®No.¡¯ Commander Oswaldo Odone shook his head. Even he couldn¡¯t fully understand the depth of Airn. It was sad, but he couldn¡¯t help it. It was hard to figure out a Master, who was expected to have more skills than a normal man¡­ and Oswaldo¡¯s level was too low. Even though he was called the best in the Hale Kingdom, looking at the whole continent, there could absolutely be many swordsmen who were better than him. Still, he managed to roughly understand Airn Pareira. ¡®I don¡¯t feel a pinch of arrogance from that young genius. I feel really fortunate.¡¯ When he first arrived here, he had numerous worries. A Sword Master. Also, the influence of being a Sword Master, who was also known to be rted to the Lindsay Family of the Adan Kingdom and was also friends with the Lloyd family of the Gerbera kingdom was¡­ a lot greater to handle in his own small nation. It was a hard truth, but he hade here to see the character of the Sword Master. ¡®If such a great person was even a little proud, he wouldn¡¯t even ept the King¡¯s call.¡¯ Fortunately, he didn¡¯t feel any arrogance from this man. Airn was always polite. He thought that the special ss was to show off his skills, but it was a real ss where many things were taught. ¡®That young man is from our Hale Kingdom¡­¡¯ Oswaldo Odone recalled thest sword dance, and his eyes reddened a little. There was no need to be vignt. No matter how strong this young man was, he would never be rude to another person. And if he saw the young man a little more, what more he was made of¡­ and figure out more things¡­ When he was thinking that. Airn Pareira, who was smiling, came closer to him. ¡°Excuse me for this, but what are you doing here?¡± ¡°¡­ you know me?¡± For a moment, for a brief moment, he looked at Airn who had appeared in front of him which made themander of Twilight Knights startled. He almost shrieked. But Airn was calm. And he said, ¡°No. but¡­¡± Your skills are too high to be here. Airn thought he wanted to say something, so he asked out of curiosity. Looking at Airn who spoke softly, Oswaldo gulped. ¡®Even if he is a Master, being aware of his surroundings like this¡­¡¯ Right, this man wasn¡¯t a normal Sword Master. It wasn¡¯t because he had some insight like Ian, Julius Hul or Quincy Myers that Airn thought this man was strange. It was because of his Aura Seeing Eyes that he realized that someone was observing him. Taking a short sigh, he spoke frankly but he was cautious so that no one could hear it. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to be figured out¡­.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to be figured out, and there is no reason to deceive the young lord, so I will tell you¡­ I am themander of the Twilight Knights, Oswaldo Odone.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m currently wearing this young face, but I am an old man with his face disguised so as to not cause trouble to the Young lord Pareira. To be honest¡­ I was curious about your character, so I wanted to watch you from a distance.¡± ¡°I understand that. Then why hide and watch me? If you are the leader of the kingdom''s highest knights, you could proudlye¡­¡± ¡°I apologize, but can we talkter? There are too many eyes on us right now¡­¡± At those words, Airn looked around. Some people were indeed looking at them. Airn nodded and answered. ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll see you after the banquet. More than that¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I think you are going to say something important, so I think it would be best to hear it in the presence of my parents. I¡¯ll see youter.¡± Airn Pareira, slightly bowed his head and walked away. Oswaldo, who watched him, thought. ¡®¡­ he is a young man with deep filial piety, which is also very rare.¡¯ At the same time. The second-inmand of ¡®Slick¡¯, one of the three major families of the Magic Kingdom Rel, and a strong person who was given the title of ¡®Great Magician¡¯ which only 8 people on the continent were given. A person came to Yprene Slick¡¯s ce. ¡®Sword¡¯ doesn¡¯t mean literal sword here, but rather the technique and method.? Chapter 254: While He Was Away (1)

Chapter 254: While He Was Away (1)

The Hale Kingdom, situated in the middle of the continent, was a small nation. Compared to the great powers the other nations surrounding it had, this small one had nothing special about it, or in it. The territories, finance and military power were all insignificant. It was a nation with less influence than a swordsman family in the west. The reason the Hale Kingdom was able to protect itself for more than 300 years was because of its allies. The Sonan Kingdom. The Colonge Kingdom. And, the Vissau Kingdom. All the four weak kingdoms which couldn¡¯t ovee the chaos alone, were able to forge an alliance stronger than anyone else on the continent. When the Hale Kingdom suffered injustice, the Sonan Kingdom would rise up as if it was their own problem and when the Colonge Kingdom was in crisis, the Vissau Kingdom would dispatch its troops. The four nations which helped each other like brothers would deal with their troubles together. In such a way, the small nations in the central region were able to carry on their lives in peace, and in the era of peace a banquet was held each year to remember the past. But¡­ ¡®It is all a past thing.¡¯ The Duke of Vissau Kingdom, Kyle Murdoch smiled bitterly. Right. There was no longer a solid rtion between the four kingdoms like there was before. It was because the entire continent had entered into an indefinite peace treaty under the im of the Holy Kingdom that aimed to ¡®purify the devils which bring chaos¡¯. Of course, no one had any intention of undermining the cause of the Holy Kingdom. Because it was true that the world had stabilized since the noble pact was made 150 years ago. The devils which weremon in the ancient times no longer appeared now. However, the solidarity of the four Kingdoms, which had been freed from foreign invasion could no longer be called as strong. Now, each country wanted to be better than their brother nations. They wanted to show an image of being ahead of their former friends and allies. In order to not be ignored, ridiculed or be betrayed. That was the reason Kyle Murdoch visited the Runtel Kingdom. ¡®Even then, the arranged marriage between the princess and the Slick family is a bit too¡­ no, I should stop thinking.¡¯ Duke Kyle shook his head. The time for thinking had long passed and honestly, it wasn¡¯t so bad. Yprene Slick. The Great Magician of Runtel Kingdom, and one of the ¡®Two powers of the continent¡¯, and the second son of the Slick family. If the King of the nation hadn¡¯t used his power and sent a powerful person to talk to this man so that they could make him a son-inw of the country¡¯s royalty, would the Duke of a small nation¡¯s request for help even be heard? The answer was obvious. ¡°Phew.¡± Kyle Murdoch checked himself in the mirror. There was no mess, no stains and he had a perfect smile. And just as he got ready, a figure from the Slick family approached. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± They walked along the long hallway following the expressionless servants. He wiped the sweat off his brow and caught his breath. Meanwhile, they arrived at the door. Contrary to what he was feeling in his heart, the Duke of Vissau smiled brightly and entered the room. In the middle of the strange spacious room, Great Magician Yprene Slick, who was seated, greeted him. ¡°You have arrived.¡± ¡°Yes. Kyle Murdoch greets Yprene Slick, the Great Magician of Runtel Kingdom.¡± ¡°There is no need for that, sit down.¡± Contrary to the soft tone, the expression of Yprene was dry. The Duke didn¡¯t care. There were only a couple of things he was more concerned about, than the expression. Kyle Murdoch forced himself to ignore the women who were undressed next to Yprene. And the meal began soon after. It was all rare cuisine and expensive alcohol; along with beauties which would make any man lose their mind. This was a ce full of things which the Duke liked, yet he didn¡¯t want to indulge in. After examining the atmosphere, he carefully tried to talk. To ask for help with the position they were in. In spite of what he was trying to do, the main point of what he wanted to say, came out of the other person. ¡°A Sword master appeared in the Hale Kingdom?¡± ¡°yes? Ah, yes.¡± ¡°I heard he is young, so it must be burdensome. I even heard that a banquet is being held in Hale kingdom.¡± ¡°That is true.¡± ¡°I guess that is why you came here. You need support. Because your nation doesn¡¯t have the talent to stand alone.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Good. Let¡¯s go then.¡± ¡°Sorry?¡± When Kyle heard Yprene¡¯s words, he was surprised. He thought it was because the other person spoke up first. Knowing how smart the Slick family was, they must have been watching the entire situation on the continent. And like he said, the duke was nning to get two high ranking magicians to apany him to the banquet show to show off their power. And to show off their rtionship with the Runtel Kingdom. But¡­ ¡®Will Yprene himself move for this situation rather than sending his men?¡¯ It was hard to believe. To be a bit more honest, it was burdensome. It was strange to think like this from the standpoint of being helped, but he really wanted to ask Yprene to note and just send people. But he couldn¡¯t do it. ¡°Didn¡¯t you ask for it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You arete to answer.¡± ¡°Sorry. I went off topic.¡± ¡°Things like that could happen, I understand.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Well.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hm, the meat is a bit tough.¡± Insignificant questions and conversations during the meal time . However, in that brief moment, the Duke¡¯s clothes were wet as if he was exposed to heavy rain. Beads of sweat continued to form on his forehead and he even stopped wiping it off and just maintained a smile. ¡°Then, let¡¯s meet at the banquet.¡± ¡°Yes, I am touched by the grace shown here.¡± 30 minutester, the meal was finally done. However, Yprene Slick didn¡¯t leave the room. The man¡¯s hand, as cool as a snake, wrapped around one of the beauties. A light moan broke the expression of the woman. The Duke didn¡¯t even try to look at the situation. Bowing for thest time, he quietly left the room and the mansion soon after. ¡°¡­ sigh.¡± Deep sigh. A deeper regret than that. The Duke of Vissau, who was someone who had seen the princess grow into a fine youngdy from when she was a child, got into the carriage with a dark expression. ¡°Father, me, and even my younger sister. The three of us have decided to go together.¡± ¡°Thank you. Really thank you!¡± ¡°I mentioned it before¡­ Please don¡¯t use honorifics.¡± ¡°Ah, right Master Pareira, thank you! Really!¡± Themander of Twilight Knights, who was still awkward, was overjoyed. He had no choice but to do that. He had been hiding his identity from Airn out of the fear that since he was someone who had risen in status, he might reject the King¡¯s request, so when it was epted, he was happy. For Airn it was a natural thing. ¡®The king, who sent the best knights as soon as he heard about the demon appearing here in the past.¡¯ Such a king had requested his presence. And there was no reason to say no to a banquet. But that didn¡¯t mean it wasn¡¯t without any burden. ¡®¡­ no matter how long I try, this still is a bit ufortable.¡¯ Airn was no longer the 16-year-old teen who was ignorant of humans and politics. Sure, his experience was still shallow. But, he was fully aware of what it meant to be present in the banquet held by the king. It was purely for showing off Airn. So as to keep the other kingdoms in check. Like the banquet which was held right after Airn returned from Krono by the 6 southern families, there must have been those who wanted to nder the kingdom or its great families. But.. ¡°I¡¯ll think about all thatter.¡± Putting a stop to his thoughts which had spread, Airn mumbled. He didn¡¯t mean to go thoughtlessly into it. But, there were more important things for him to do. It was to take care of his own people and the ones who mattered the most to him. ¡®Lord Lindsay, The Countess, Sir Bill Stanton and¡­ Ilya.¡¯ Airn headed to Vulcanus¡¯ Forge and remembered some of them. All of them were important to him, and they all always took good care of him. ¡®I can¡¯t go right away because of the 4 Kingdom¡¯s banquet¡­ then¡­ wouldn¡¯t it be better to hand them some presents?¡¯ And for Ilya¡­ A letter too. It was fortunate that Lulu said she would go. Thanks to her, he was able to request the presents be delivered to them. He had other doubts, but then he pushed them all back the moment he arrived at the forge. Vulcanus, who was sweating a lot while pounding on the iron, looked at Airn and said. ¡°What? Do you need something? A Sword?¡± ¡°¡­ how did you know?¡± ¡°I have been making swords all my life, kid, I can tell by just looking at their faces. But this is funny. The one who was offered the sword for free, the one who came back 10 monthste to collect his sword and then ultimately declined that sword, suddenly needs another sword? Is it as a gift?¡± ¡°¡­ Yes.¡± ¡°Ha, thought so. To use my sword, a sword of Vulcanus¡¯s, the greatest cksmith on the continent, as a gift to others! I am going to go crazy because of my high self-esteem.¡± ¡°Sorry¡­ however, it is because I won¡¯t be satisfied unless it was a sword made by you. And the one I am giving this present to, are people I value a lot.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I-I will pay as much¡­¡± ¡°Enough! pay? I have enough money with me.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°Ah! Enough! Just stay quiet and follow me! And choose, okay?¡¯ Vulcanus said bluntly. It wasn¡¯t like he was super rich, but Vulcanus thought that he had received a great help from Airn. To be honest, this kind of request was nothing to the dwarf. But Airn didn¡¯t know it. So, he was worried. Was Vulcanus going to give him a few decent swords and end their rtionship? Of course it wasn¡¯t like that. The moment the door to the warehouse which was on one side of the forge was opened, the weapon rack was disyed. ¡°¡­¡± Airn looked at all the swords dumbfounded, without even closing his mouth. ¡®Is this the level of the swords?¡¯ To be honest, it was at the perfect level. Airn shut his mouth and gulped and grabbed the heavy sword that he thought would suit Lord Lindsay the best. And then, he used his senses. ¡­ it is notcking. Evenpared to the other numbering swords he had experienced. ¡°My skills have increased a bit since thest time I made a sword for you. In the past, swords of that level woulde out only if I put my heart and soul into them, but now theye out quite often.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Of course, I have no intention of being satisfied with just this level. Because my goal is the golden sorcery sword that you have. Before that¡­ I don¡¯t intend to rest until I make a sword which excels that one.¡± Still, this was good enough for a gift. Don¡¯t you think so too? When one of the best cksmiths asked Airn, he thought ¡®He has the same thought process as the Lord and Stanton.¡¯ Ilya Lindsay. Thinking of the person he had a crush on, Airn asked Vulcanus. ¡°There is a swordsman I know.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°It is a person with great skills and full of talent and a person who inspires people like a cool wind. I am sure that Mr. Vulcanus can be of help to them.¡± ¡°So?¡¯ ¡°For her, can you make a sword?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The swords here are great but¡­for a better present¡­ it is because I want to give her a sword that she will like.¡± ¡®I know who it is.¡¯ He knew because he had heard the conversation between Kirill and Lulu. This man was probably talking about Ilya Lindsay, the daughter of Lindsay family. As a side note, he also knew this man¡¯s feelings for her. The eyes of the boy now were the eyes of a person who was in love. ¡®Not bad.¡¯ Vulcanus grinned. He didn¡¯t know what kind of people they were, but he thought they would make a good pair. ¡°Airn Pareira is my inspiration itself, and Ilya Lindsay, the person which inspires this inspiration. Then¡­¡¯ If things go well. How great will the talent of the child born from these two be? How great will that child inspire him? ¡®¡­ with that in mind, wouldn¡¯t it make sense to go over the line?¡¯ Despite the two people not being in a rtionship, he dreamed of a rosy future for the two. ¡°Okay. I will do my best.¡± ¡°Ah! Thank you!¡± ¡°But not right away. If it¡¯s a sword which needs to be made with much care, then I need to start with seeing that person. Bring her.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°cksmiths like me don¡¯t move, so bring the person you want to give the present to, here.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why? Can¡¯t you bring her?¡± Airn Pareira listened to Vulcanus. He answered with a serious expression. ¡°I will bring her.¡± ¡°Great. Then we will talk again after that.¡± The enthusiasm of the smiling dwarf burned brighter. The heart of the swordsman standing next to him was even hotter. Chapter 255: While He Was Away (2)

Chapter 255: While He Was Away (2)

¡°Then, I will go!¡± ¡°Be safe!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll buy you a present! Good luck Lulu!¡± ¡°Come back safe! Honey. Airn and Kirill too.¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯ll ride the griffin carefully!¡± ¡°Of course. I might be scolded if Cherry is treated harshly.¡± ¡°The Griffin''s name is Cherry¡­¡± A week after the special swordsmanship ss. Baron Pareira, Airn and Kirill went on a journey to the capital of Hale Kingdom. It wasn¡¯t a huge party. There were only the Twilight Knightsmander who came on the order of the king, two knights from the family and four more soldiers to take care of the chores. When a Lord was heading to the capital, it wasmon to bring arge number of people with them, at least for the sake of face, but right now no one thought it was strange to head with a small group. ¡®Sword Master Airn Pareira¡­ with such a brilliant title, it can be said that there is no one who can match him in the kingdom¡­ there is no reason to worry.¡¯ And that wasn¡¯t the only great thing. His younger sister, Kirill Pareira, who was also a talent which was difficult to find, was in Hale Kingdom. Who can ignore the great disciple of the Cesar Duchy? Commander Oswaldo Odone felt his heart swell. ¡®Sonan, Colonge and even Vissau¡­ we¡¯ll see if they can ignore Hale again.¡¯ ¡°Then, let¡¯s go.¡± With a polite voice, themander of Twilight Knights carriage departed. Knowing that a luxury carriage isfortable to ride, he asked Baron Pareira if there was anything inconvenient. It was because they knew. Sword Masters and excellent sorcerers were important people. And the father of both of them was the most respected person in this party. ¡°No problem at all. The carriage is veryfortable.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fortunate. If there are any inconveniences, please tell me right away.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t ask anything more after the consideration you have shown. Thank you so much.¡± ¡®He is such a good person as well.¡¯ Hearing Harun Pareira¡¯s answer, themander thought. The reason Airn Pareira was kind to others and did his duty to the nation was because of the character of his father. If a master level talent had emerged from the neighboring nobles like Viscount Gairn or some other ce¡­ would things really work out like this? ¡®It wouldn¡¯t have been easy. Hill But, you were right.¡¯ Recalling the words of the vicemander of the Twilight Knights telling him that there was no need to worry with the Pareira family, themander smiled. With the Pareira family on board, the carriage moved to the Royal castle. ¡°Great. Shall I start too? Are you ready to run? No, not running! Flying!¡± Swish! ¡°Haha, I don¡¯t know what I was saying. Anyway, let¡¯s go Cherry! Listen to me!¡± Swish! The flying beast with the body of a lion, the head of a parrot and the wings of an eagle, along with its cute name, quacked like a duck. Marcus and the several knights who came there, had a puzzled face. But Lulu didn¡¯t care. The thought of spending time alone after a long time. The ck cat lost sight of things around her, and moved. ¡°Then! I am leaving! Bye everyone! Do not forget me!¡± ¡°How can we forget a cat which can speak humannguage and even use sorcery?¡± ¡°Go safely!¡± ¡°Bye bye!¡± With Marcus¡¯s friendly departure statements, Lulu climbed onto the Griffin¡¯s back. It took off in an instant and moved to the west of the continent and elerated. And the cool refreshing wind blew past them. In a good mood, Lulu checked her ns. ¡°First I have to go to the Adan Kingdom and give the present to Bill Stanton and then meet Ilya and y fishing with the cats. Then I have to go to Durkali and see Kuvar and learn from Gorha again! Ah! I also should get some Tai ho fruit powder. No, I already have a lot and¡­¡± Further north. She wanted to head further north. So, she could confirm and track the memories which hade to her mind a year ago. ¡®Something I am good at?¡¯ Prong! Lulu suddenly transformed into her sorcery girl form with a serious expression. She thought she was a cat. And was born in the eastern part of the continent, but onlyst year did she think for the first time she visited the north with Airn. The broken memories continued to float since she awakened her power¡­ and those cast doubts over her. Was she really a cat? And was she a forest cat born in a forest of the east? If so, what was that cave scene which kept ying in her head right now? What were the cold, windy and snow-covered mountains doing in her memory? Something that could only be present in the northern part of the continent? For this reason, Lulu didn¡¯t go with Airn. She thought that in order to make the uncertain memories certain, she had to go to this ce. ¡°Hm, I don¡¯t know.¡± Pop! Lulu, who contemted for a while, soon turned back into a cat andy on her back. Actually, she wasn¡¯t too sure about it either. Was it right to look for old memories when her present was so happy? Wasn¡¯t it better to just leave the past behind and move on? But. ¡°Well, am I not flying to find the answer for that?¡± Lulu mumbled and got up. And pped Cherry. ¡°Cherry! Faster! Move faster!¡± Quack! Quack! And the griffin quietly sped up despite not liking it. Lulu who held onto it thought. Let the heart lead the way. And now, her heart was heading north. Then it would be better to go there. Much better than just sitting around and regretting itter. After traveling for a while, Lulu arrived in the Adan Kingdom with a much calmer mind and delivered the items and the letter as requested by Airn. And before she could set off to meet her ¡®cat friends¡¯, a variable intervened. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Uh? Where?¡± ¡°The Hale Kingdom.¡± ¡°Now?¡± ¡°Yes, now. I¡¯ll get ready and be out in a second so take me too. Can you do that, Lulu?¡± ¡°Uh? Huh, yes¡­¡± Ilya Lindsay jumped up from her ce as she read Airn¡¯s letter and requested Lulu to take her to the Hale Kingdom. No, it wasn¡¯t a request. It was an order. Lulu looked at her and thought. ¡®I can¡¯t dissuade her now.¡¯ She was scary. There was no way she could refuse. Since she had another schedule other than Adan Kingdom, she thought of bringing up some courage and speaking up¡­ but the ck cat¡­ Contrary to her n, Lulu immediately returned to Pareira estate. Marcus, who was running out from the hall the moment he saw the flying Griffin, was shocked to see a silver-haired woman get down with the cat. ¡°Gasp! By-by any chance, are you Miss Ilya Lindsay¡­?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I-I-It it is an honor to meet you! So,¡± Looking at hering here suddenly, Marcus continued to stutter. He already knew Airn was close with this woman. Oddly enough, Airn didn¡¯t speak much about her, but he had heard things from Kirill and Lulu. However, he never expected her to suddenly appear in the estate. Naturally, he was in no state to prepare anything for the guest. ¡°That, I apologize, but the response may becking as I didn¡¯t know you wereing! And¡­have youe to see young lord Airn?¡± Marcus, who managed to calm his mind, asked. What could be the reason for his young lord¡¯s friend toe here? Of course it was to see her friend. But he had asked Ilya since Airn wasn¡¯t here, so thedy would have to wait. ¡°¡­¡± But it didn¡¯t sound like that to Ilya Lindsay. Even when she rode the Griffin, she didn¡¯t think much. ¡®I want to see Airn.¡¯ ¡®I can¡¯t wait any longer! No more! So, you wait this time!¡¯ With that thought alone, she moved without considering anything else. But not now. She came to the mansion and got down from the Griffin. ¡®Is this really fine?¡¯ ¡®What will other people think if they see me flying to the Pareira mansion in such a hurry?¡¯ ¡®What do I do if others notice that I like Airn?¡¯ ¡®Then what will happen?¡¯ If someone liked someone else, it was usually something to be celebrated, not teased about. But Ilya¡¯s thoughts were a bit childish. What was even more absurd was that they weren¡¯t doing a good job hiding it. The romance that everyone noticed around these two was hard to hide. That was the problem here! ¡®W-what do I do?¡¯ Ilya couldn¡¯t think of anything coherent. No, thinking itself seemed impossible. ¡®How deeply am I in love with Airn for me toe to his estate in such a hurry?¡¯ The words of Marcus which were ¡®Are you here to see young lord?¡¯ were interpreted as such. Ilya¡¯s face turned red in an instant. Her heart was pounding. Flowing blood. And heat to the face. Her head was spinning. To calm this down, she operated Aura with all her might. Phat! ¡°Euk!¡± ¡°Ack!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Ilya had no intention of putting pressure on an opponent. However, she was so thoughtless and restless that she used it so strongly, and the people on the other side had weak bodies. And that put pressure on Marcus and the others to move back. It wasn¡¯t just that. Even the soldiers who were training and the knights who supervised them, couldn¡¯t stand her force, and groaned. The atmosphere was more shocking than when their young lord Airn had returned as a Master. Only Lulu, who had been through such things before, was moving freely. No, it wasn¡¯t that. A young man approached quickly from afar. It was an impressive rare blue hair with a noble attire. ¡®Who?¡¯ ¡®Who could that be?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t remember seeing him in the estate¡­¡¯ It was when everyone was confused. Suddenly, he approached Ilya¡¯s face and released his aura. Pah! ¡°Um?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Phew¡­¡± Ilya¡¯s energy which was flowing wildly due to her embarrassment was blocked by this young man. Thanks to that, the people in the hall were able to breathe and they looked at the blue haired man in surprise. Regardless of why thedy suddenly manifested her aura, the man who was able to block the aura of the youngest Sword Master so effortlessly took their attention¡­ who was he? It wasn¡¯t like no one knew. Marcus wiped the sweat off and then approached him. ¡°Young lord Bratt Lloyd?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The strongest weapon of the Gerbera Kingdom, a promising swordsman who ranked in the top three of the 26th batch of the Krono Swordsmanship School! There was shock on the faces of the knights and soldiers. ¡°Right. But, why¡­¡± Bratt Lloyd wasn¡¯t embarrassed. He was used to such reactions from people. With a good background and a nice face and a noble feel, this was bound to happen. He was silent for a moment, letting people take in his noble appearance and then looked at Lulu, the Griffin and Ilya. They too were surprised. With a yful look he said. ¡°You must have missed Airn a lot.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What are you doing here? How badly did you miss him?¡± ¡°¡­ stay quiet.¡± ¡°Why should I stay quiet? I am just asking a question?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Is there any reason I should keep my mouth shut? Maybe you and Airn¡­¡± Wooong! He didn¡¯t speak more. The greatest genius of the Adan Kingdom, no¡­ the greatest genius of the West took out her sword. Sword Master Ilya Lindsay¡¯s Aura sword was shining fiercely. ¡°A spar.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It has been long, how about we have a go at it?¡± Ilya¡¯s voice echoed all around the ce which went dead silent. For most of them, it was too overbearing and scary but not for Bratt. With a grin, he pulled out his sword and said, ¡°However long you want to.¡± Chapter 256: While He Was Away (3)

Chapter 256: While He Was Away (3)

¡°¡­¡± Jovan, who became an escort for the Pareiras earlier this year, was distracted with the recent events. Of course, he knew a few things. Although the Pareira territory was just a Baron¡¯s estate, in a small nation like the Hale Kingdom, the truth was that even such territories held greater importance than in other nations. ¡®Miss Kirill, the promising sorcerer recognized by the Cesar Duchy, and Airn Pareira¡­ in his early 20s, who had reached the Sword Master level.¡¯ But it just never felt like it. And it was kind of unavoidable thinking that way. No matter how great they were, it would only be felt if the siblings were seen in action in the eyes of Jovan, and he had only heard things about them and not once had he actually seen them. But not long ago¡­ When the young lord returned home and fully demonstrated his swordsmanship through the ss he had conducted, Jovan couldn¡¯t help but shed tears at the intense emotions which overcame him. ¡°What now?¡± ¡°A spar?¡± ¡°Can we see Miss Lindsay¡¯s swordsmanship now?¡± ¡°Huh! I am so d that I am alive! I want to see it!¡± Everything that had happened was extremely shocking. Hearing the words of the knights and the soldiers around him, Jovan had a nk expression. Young lord Pareira had shown his real skills¡­ It was amazing what he saw a week back. It was also shocking that the Young Lord Pareira¡¯s contacts wereing in one after another. The feelings he felt as he saw all this were even greater. Ilya Lindsay, the genius swordsman who had reached the level of Master the fastest in the history of the continent! Bratt Lloyd, the genius of the Gerbera Kingdom who had a higher influence than the king of the Hale Kingdom! And such people were friends of his young lord? It was when he was thinking about it. Woong! ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°¡­ aura?¡± A blue energy came out from the sword of Lloyd. It wasn¡¯t the aura that an Expert could use. Anyone could see that this was apletely stable Aura Sword. Shock appeared on everyone¡¯s faces including Marcus, Jovan and others as they saw that. Posing nicely, he spoke to Ilya. ¡°It has been a long time¡­should we go all out?¡± ¡°¡­ since when?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a few months. How is it? Are you ready to do your best?¡± ¡°¡­ okay.¡± Ilya nodded her head. Until before, she now regretted pulling out her Aura Sword. No matter how flustered she was, she shouldn¡¯t have done it in front of an expert. But if he was using an Aura Sword, then it didn¡¯t matter anymore. It wasn¡¯t rude to use an Aura Sword anymore and she could show off her skills properly. ¡®Right. Even if I move harshly¡­ there will be no problem.¡¯ Ilya nodded her head. She couldn¡¯t see Bratt as his older version anymore. With cold eyes, and cold air, and a silver de as cold as the winter wind. The crowd who felt the situation was weird, gulped, but Bratt stayed calm the entire time. ¡°Should I start then?¡± ¡°Come.¡± ¡­ no. It was a bit more exciting. Ilya was an old friend, and an existence he wanted to ovee. The blue haired swordsman who remembered his trainee days clenched his hand. Phat! The floor of the hall broke. Bratt¡¯s body jumped out at a high speed with a strong reaction and the sword was swung even faster to cut Ilya¡¯s movement, which would soon block him. Whooo! Phat! Ilya took a step back and Bratt took three steps back. The intention of those three steps he had moved backwards was to acknowledge his inferiority and was also an attempt to make room for correction, but his opponent didn¡¯t give him a chance. Wind blew from Ilya¡¯s sword, and she narrowed the distance in an instant. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Unfortunately, those who had gathered there to see the sparring weren¡¯t of a high enough level to notice it. Neither the people of the western continent nor the people in that small baron estate could understand what had happened. But still, everyone knew. What kind of swordsmanship the Adan Kingdom¡¯s genius used. The Sky Sword! The moment the most famous swordsmanship of the continent appeared, everyone¡¯s hearts began to burn. Thud! nk! nk! ¡°Kuak!¡± Like a typhoon, Ilya¡¯s strikes were fierce and powerful with no mercy! In the midst of the attacks, Bratt groaned in pain over and over again. No matter how hard he tried not to groan, he couldn¡¯t suppress it. Enraged, he swung his sword at Ilya. Woong! Swish! But it was in vain. The opponent retreated with a light step and approached him like a gale of wind. And then the storm came again. Under the pressure, Brattughed instead of groaning. ¡°Uh. Hahahaha!¡± Kwang! ¡°Kuak! haha!¡± His entire body was in pain. It was the same with his throbbing arms every time he swung his sword. But the gap which existed between the two was what hurt him even more. It was fine though. He would just endure it. What Bratt Lloyd acquired at 14 wasn¡¯t talent or potential. Rather, what he had was a heart which wouldn¡¯t be shaken even if the wind continued to blow against him and despite that, he could still move ahead confidently. It didn¡¯t matter if it was a breeze or a typhoon. ¡®I will move at my own pace.¡¯ Bratt, who firmly made sure he understood it, swung his sword by using all his potential at once. Phat! Kwang! Kwang! ¡°¡­!¡± The dam built inside his body burst. Three of them exploded in session. As a result, a huge wave¡­a tidal wave of power flowed in. For the first time since the battle started, Ilya seemed surprised. But that was all. Kwaaaang! She didn¡¯t avoid it. She could have avoided it if she wanted to, but she chose to face this head-on. The waves which were swept away by the storm, shattered, and even the owner of the waves couldn¡¯t control it. Her friend, Bratt Lloyd, flew back and lost consciousness. Ilya watched him and gave something to Marcus. ¡°T-this is?¡± ¡°A potion. It is a family thing, so it would work pretty well. Please take care of Bratt and use this on him.¡± ¡°Ah! Yes! You two! Follow me!¡± ¡°Y-yes¡­¡± Step! At that moment, the blue haired swordsman who should have been unconscious was suddenly sitting. Marcus and the soldiers who were approaching him backed away, clearly shocked. It was because of Bratt¡¯s eyes which looked terrifying. Of course, his gaze didn¡¯t fall on them. Having found Ilya, the person who had just defeated him, he paused for a moment and said, ¡°I heard Airn isn¡¯t here¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Are you going to stay until hees back?¡± ¡°¡­why are you so curious about that?¡± ¡°Is it such a strange question? It isn¡¯t. It isn¡¯t unusual for a friend toe see another friend either. I am here to meet a friend too. It is good to see friends after a long time, so I n on staying longer here¡­ I was asking because I wanted to know what you were going to do. What about you, friend? Why are you looking at me wide-eyed lik¡­¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Plop. With that Bratt Lloyd copsed and didn¡¯t get back up a second time. Once it was confirmed that he was truly down, Marcus and the others took him to another room. ¡°¡­ Lulu.¡± ¡°¡­ what is it Ilya?¡± ¡°Airn¡­when will he be back?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ I don¡¯t know for sure.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Ilya nodded her head with a gloomy expression. Airn Pareira¡­she wanted to see him a lot more now. A few days before Ilya and Bratt arrived at the estate. Airn Pareira and his party were moving slowly towards the capital. They didn¡¯t have a busy schedule. And they didn¡¯t have anything to do until the banquet, so the family moved slowly. Not surprisingly, it was the first time in their lives that they were going out of the territory together. ¡°Dad! There seems to be something happening in the town. Shall we take a look?¡± ¡°Uh. We are on our way to see the King, but¡­¡± ¡°It is fine. There is plenty of time for such things, so I think we can enjoy it. I heard that there is a festival going on in the vige. They say it¡¯s fun and interesting, so I am intrigued too.¡± ¡°You areing right? Father?¡± ¡°Hm, well¡­ let¡¯s go?¡± Baron Pareira was gentle, polite and usually blunt too. But he wasn¡¯t the kind to turn away from the present moments he had with his son and daughter. A deep sense of happiness and pride which he hadn¡¯t felt in 20 years filled him. It felt like he would cry at any moment. Even more so when he thought of his wife alone in the estate. ¡®Next time, Amelia should alsoe¡­¡¯ Swallowing the regret, he looked at his kids and responded to them with a brighter smile. A gentle smile which even pleased the Twilight Knightsmander. ¡°Father, a light drink at night¡­¡± And the interaction wasn¡¯t confined to daytime. Every night, when their journey would halt so that they could rest, Airn would go to his father and so did Kirill. And Oswaldo would move away. He knew that this family had only recently found this feeling and he didn¡¯t want to interrupt it. ¡®Outsiders shouldn¡¯t intervene in such situations. Maybe I should have a drink by myself?¡¯ Because of that, the soldiers would have their drinks by themselves. And a day before arriving at the castle. As a result of epting all of Kirill¡¯s wishes, the party had finished preparing for a camp outside. It wasn¡¯tfortable like an inn in a town or a city, but it had its own charm, and no one felt out of ce. Airn Pareira, who could be called as the centre of the party, continued to have dreary thoughts as he thought about the banquet which kept getting close. ¡®Recently, around me¡­ there are only good people.¡¯ It was true. Like Ilya Lindsay whom he liked and Bratt Lloyd along with Judith. Kuvar, whom he had seen over a year ago and Lulu as well. And not just them. Ian, Quincy Myers, Joshua Lindsay. Khun, I, Karakum, Tarakan¡­ Besides them, so many other people had helped and guided him. So many wonderful people and good people were the reason he was able to get where he was. ¡®But the people I will meet at the banquet will be different from them.¡¯ Airn remembered the six southern families, especially Viscount Gairn. Maybe the people of the four kingdoms were simr to that. He couldn¡¯t help but think that way. It felt like he was experiencing ast stretch offort before the greed, envy and the dirty politics would unfold. What wasforting was that themander would asionallye and help him out with his concerns. ¡°Worried?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ yes.¡± ¡°Feel free to speak about them then. Although my swordsmanship isckingpared to Young Lord Pareira, there are other things I am experienced in.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Airn wasn¡¯t the same as in the past. It wasn¡¯t just swordsmanship anymore. And what¡¯s more, he didn¡¯t feel like he had to carry the burden alone anymore. The story which started like a question for Oswaldo Odone continued tillte into the autumn night. After a while, heughed and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think you need to worry so much.¡± ¡°You think so?¡± ¡°Of course. To be honest, just with your ability and connections¡­ people from the other kingdoms will have no choice but to be polite with you.¡± ¡°Ahh¡­¡± ¡°Of course, I am not only talking about what you possess. The important thing is that you are a really nice, upright and good man.¡± Themander said with a smile. They were sincere words. This was something he felt clearly from the moment he met Airn. Airn wasn¡¯t someone with just overflowing talent in the sword but he was also a man with a nice way of living life¡­ he was a much deeper character than he thought. ¡®He isn¡¯t someone to be treated lightly. And the more I know him, the more admirable he seems.¡¯ Who would dare disrespect Airn who was good inside and out? ¡°Right. It is natural for my brother to be treated nicely!¡± Kirill cheerfully agreed and Baron Pareira smiled as well. Although they didn¡¯t involve themselves too much into the conversation, the rest of the party agreed to it. From what they had seen, Airn was a good man with no ws. Airn smiled at it. He remained still, but it wasn¡¯t a bad feeling. ¡°¡­ I am a bit tired. I will go to bed first then.¡± A swordsman who was a Master couldn¡¯t be tired, but no one spoke about it. As he left, the others too went to bed and woke up with fresh thoughts. And they all proceeded to the royal castle at a faster pace than before. All smiling. But. ¡°¡­ that one?¡± A huge carriage passed through the gates of the capital ahead of them. No. Themander of the twilight knights who confirmed the background of the moving carriage which had 64 people surrounding it, he went stiff. It was something that belonged to a truly strong person, sometimes considered to be primitive in the human world. Yet, it was authoritative and noble. The moment he saw the Slick family symbol painted on the carriage, he couldn¡¯t help but worry. ¡®Why is the¡­. Runtel Kingdom here?¡¯ Chapter 257: Under Running Water (1)

Chapter 257: Under Running Water (1)

The Kingdom of Magic, Runtel was known to be a powerful nation. It wasn¡¯t just a simple power, but rather, a superpowerparable to the Holy Kingdom, the strongest nation on the continent. Avilius was a Kingdom which had expanded its influence with powerful pdins and priests along with their faith. And Runtel was a Kingdom which grew with powerful magicians and by selling magical tools. If anyone ever asked the biggest difference between the two kingdoms, many would mention one fact. ¡°The high-ranking magicians of Runtel are notorious for being narrow-minded. And they rarelye out of their countries.¡± The Twilight Knightsmander, Oswaldo Odone, had a serious expression as he said it. Like he said, the powerful power of Runtel came from the magicians in it and those magicians were known to have umted knowledge, and recorded it for a long time. It was for this reason that the three families of the Kingdom of Runtel were famous for several hundred years. Because other families couldn¡¯t tackle that history. Of course, recently a genius battle magician called ¡®Perry Martinez¡¯ had appeared¡­ ¡®Could the other Runtel families acknowledge him? No way.¡¯ Recalling the arrogant faces of the Runtel born magicians, Oswaldo continued. ¡°Others, especially¡­ a magician of the Runtel Kingdom are known to be reluctant to hang out with people from small nations like Hale. And of them, I know that the Slick family is known to be the most sensitive of such things like origin.¡± ¡°They¡¯repletely different from the Holy Kingdom.¡± ¡°Yes. Unlike Avilius, who only sees faith regardless of their other conditions¡­ the people from Runtel are closed off. There must be some reason they are here, but¡­¡± Themander of Twilight Knights who was speaking, looked at one person. The one who received it was Airn Pareira, who didn¡¯t panic. Thinking, Airn seemed like the reason. ¡°Is it because of my brother?¡± ¡°¡­ ah, yes. It is also because of Miss Pareira.¡± Kirill nodded at those words. Althoughte to understand, this made sense. Everyone¡¯s expression hardened. The closed and proud and authoritative Runtel. And Slick was known to be the most oppressive one. ¡®Besides, if it was to the extent of mobilizing 64 people¡­ perhaps the Vissau¡¯s King has pulled over Yprene Slick directly to their side through marriage. This is quite tough¡­¡¯ A Great Magician, one of the top ten on the continent, participating in the feast of a small nation. To meet with the Pareira siblings, who were promising youngsters who are reaching new heights. What was the intent? Hostility? Or maybe favor? Nothing could be said with certainty. His wish was simply¡­ to hold the banquet safely without any problems uring. As he was thinking taht, Baron Pareira said in a low voice. ¡°Kirill, your father¡¯s words might sound old¡­¡± ¡°Ah! really! What do you think I am? A 10-year-old kid?¡± ¡°¡­ I haven¡¯t even said anything¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try to speak, hold back your words. Weren¡¯t you nning to nag me because of my temper?¡± ¡°Ahem.¡± Baron Pareira coughed and turned his head away from his daughter¡¯s gaze indicating that she was right. Seeing that, Kirill frowned. But she didn¡¯t drag the issue further. Grunting, she sighed, trying to ease the emotions. ¡°I will be quiet. Otherwise let me know and I¡¯ll stay in a room using the excuse that I am sick.¡± ¡°Uh, that is a bit¡­¡± ¡°Well, since you are that worried, I will do that.¡± She wasn¡¯t just saying those words. Kirill really intended to do it. She was afraid that she might not be able to control her temper, but it was more that she didn¡¯t want to be in the same room as the Slick family¡¯s magician. ¡®¡­ the worst impression.¡¯ It reminded her of when she was in the Cesar Duchy. The attitude, atmosphere, and the gaze of the two old men who were high ranking magicians of the Slick family. None of it was to her liking. Their gazes without hostility or favor. And the way they treated people with emptiness¡­ ¡°Anyway, don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t cause problems!¡± ¡°Haha, worried? I didn¡¯t even think of that in the first ce!¡± Themander said with a smile. To be honest, he was a little worried, so he looked to the side and chuckled. ¡®I don¡¯t have to be worried about Master Pareira.¡¯ A strong sense of trust and reassurance was flowing from Airn. A soft smile continued to hang on his face. ¡°Phew, haaa, Phew, haa. Sir Oswaldo, is this right? Uh? It isn¡¯t bad, right?¡± ¡°¡­ Yes. And nothing will happen.¡± ¡°Phew¡­ right? I think so too. But what should I do if my breathing gets worse? Huh? What should I do then?¡± ¡®The Pareira family isn¡¯t the problem here but rather, it¡¯s the King.¡¯ Seeing the King of Hale constantly breathe in anxiety, Oswaldo sighed. Of course, it wasn¡¯t like he didn¡¯t understand it. His King had always been timid. He was the one who secretly sent him to the Pareira family even after Hill But had informed that there was nothing to worry about Airn Pareira. However, he worked for the Hale Kingdom whole-heartedly. And now he was happy. A promising sorcerer, Kirill pareira. And a young Sword Master, Airn Pareira. At themander¡¯s words to look at the two, the King turned his head. And put on a warm expression. ¡°Haa, haaa, Sword Master, a Sword Master! A Sword Master in a small nation like ours, that too a young Sword Master¡­ ha!¡± However, his happiness didn¡¯tst long. The moment he saw people of the 4 kingdoms gather for hunting before the banquet, along with the Slick family present, the King of Hale felt overwhelmed. The queen beside him, held his hand. ¡°It is fine. All fine.¡± ¡°Uh, right? Phew, it is fine, right?¡± ¡°Of course it is. Has anything happened till now? It is fine and once this is done, we can all head back to our normal life. Come on, let¡¯s enjoy the hunt.¡± ¡°Y-yes.¡± Woong! ¡®¡­ He shouldn¡¯t be losing it.¡¯ Instead of giving out orders and speeches, themander felt sad seeing the King act so timid and scared. But fortunately, his feelings weren¡¯t noticed by the King who was already tense¡­ it seemed like the people of the other kingdoms were nervous too. As he watched the guests, he looked at Slick¡¯s side again. As if the whole pce was moving, the scale of the people was huge, but what was even more shocking was that all 64 people they brought were magicians. ¡°¡­Move!¡± Themander of the Twilight Knights drove ahead with his horse. And then he shook his head vigourously. If the Slick family was going to stay quiet, it would be better if they continued it till the end was what he thought. No, it wasn¡¯t just his thought. Even people of the Vissau Kingdom seemed to have the same thought. ¡­ the problem was, an hour passed since the start of the hunt. ¡°Hm.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The window of the carriage where Yprene Slick was in, was opened and he looked out and that action made everyone nervous. Just because he was quiet now didn¡¯t mean that he would be quiet in the future. Some were afraid that this man from Runtel would show malice towards them, so they moved to a spot where they couldn¡¯t be seen. However, Yprene Slick didn¡¯t care. No, his interest lied elsewhere. Yawning, he felt the autumn breeze on him and snapped his fingers. Two of the 64 people outside, went in and closed the door. Those who went in were a woman and a man. After a while, unfamiliar moans could be heard which only meant one thing when men and women were together. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Looking at the records which spoke of very in the past, these were a fewmon things. It was a part where nobles often had sex in carriages or open fields with their ves or sometimes, they even made the ves do it as they just looked at it. It was because ves were considered as animals like dogs, cattle or such but never humans¡­ they didn¡¯t care whether people could see what was being done to a ve or the soundsing out of the carriage like now. And Yprene Slick was such a person. At least, some of the people gathered there thought so. ¡°¡­ Ahem.¡± ¡°Haem.¡± At the ignorance of the man, some coughed. Some people preferred staying far from the carriage. Of course, it wasn¡¯t withoutints. However, no one dared to point him out. And this atmosphere turned the hunting contest more ufortable as the time passed. And after a while. ¡°Your Majesty, the men are chasing the beasts. Get ready.¡± ¡°Oh, is that so¡­? Seems like a pretty huge boar! All right, I will show my skill!¡± Hunting was just a contest, and currently they were here to promote the friendship of the four kingdoms. Therefore no one considered it as apetition and just used arrows to hit any target they saw. Under such a situation, therge carriage, which was quiet after the post-sex period, was stopped. And from the opened door came Yprene Slick with a bow. Swish, an arrow flew. Puck! It wasn¡¯t known if it was because of magic, or if it was because the man was good at it. However, one thing was certain. The arrow fired by Yprene Slick was approaching the boar. The fact that he ignored that it was the turn of the King of Hale, the host of the banquet and did this was also known. And the atmosphere turned cold. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± In the deep silence, the King of Hale was startled, he wasn¡¯t sure what he was to do. Normally, the King of a rival nation would yell in anger, but he couldn¡¯t do that. The Sonan Kingdom. The Cologne Kingdom. Even the Vissau Kingdom which brought the Slick family into this, felt bad for the King of Hale. And it ended there. No one expressed their dissatisfaction. ¡°Great Magician. I am sorry to say this, but it is basic manners to wait for your turn.¡± Except for one man, Airn Pareira. ¡°Uh¡­¡± The Twilight Knights¡¯mander was surprised. It wasn¡¯t just that. A lot of people looked at Pareira with a bewildered expression. However, most of their attention was focused on Slick. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The Great Magician didn¡¯t mind the attention. And even the Sword Master didn¡¯t seem to care about it. The two looked at each other without moving as if they were in a painting. The first to open the mouth was Yprene Slick, ¡°You¡­do you have no intention ofing to Runtel?¡± It was before the audience were surprised by the unexpected proposal, that the answer came out in a firm manner. ¡°I don¡¯t n to.¡± Chapter 258: Under Running Water (2)

Chapter 258: Under Running Water (2)

¡°Eik.¡± The King of Hale hupped while watching the conversation between a Great Magician and a Sword Master. Fortunately, no one noticed him. Because everyone was looking at the two. He covered his mouth with his hand and felt his wife¡¯s hand on his back caressing him, but his heart wouldn¡¯t settle down. ¡®Is it fine to reject it with such a strong tone?¡¯ But it was Yprene Slick who showed disrespect first. Even if there were no objections raised, what he did constantly disturbed the atmosphere of the hunt and even now, he ignored the presence of the King and shot at the boar. However, the King of Hale was more concerned about Airn¡¯s response. No matter how talented or brilliant he was, even if he had amazing friends, he couldn¡¯t bepared with Yprene. Yprene Slick, the powerhouse of Runtel! ¡®This wasn¡¯t supposed to turn out like this¡­¡¯ The king thought that. No, he couldn¡¯t even think much. Since he was too anxious to even do anything. And his anxiety even spread to the Twilight Knights¡¯mander. But no one could do anything. If they could, they wanted to go and grab that Great Magician by the throat. ¡®In the end, we will have to see this through.¡¯ Clenching their teeth, all of them looked at Airn who couldn¡¯t be helped by anyone now. For now, they could only trust Airn. At that moment, Yprene Slick snapped his finger. Snap! Ching! A white barrier unfolded in an instant. The people of the 4 Kingdoms were terrified. It wasn¡¯t attack magic, but the fact that a Great Magician used it was surprising. ¡®I can¡¯t see.¡¯ ¡®I can¡¯t hear anything¡­ what do we do?¡¯ The Sonan Kingdom and the Cologne Kingdom. Even the Vissau Kingdom who had brought this man, couldn¡¯t do anything. One of the 64 magicians, who stood like dolls till then, spoke. ¡°The Master wants to have a quiet conversation, so please forgive this. It is fine to continue with the hunt.¡± ¡°¡­¡± In an atmosphere where no one could move easily. Of course, there were those who didn¡¯t care. One of those people was Kirill Pareira. But. Sh ¡°¡­¡± The moment the 64 magicians looked at her at the same time, even the great Kirill decided to stop. ¡°Kirill, let¡¯s just wait and watch for now.¡± She suppressed her anger. The pressure from the other people, the 64 magicians and her father were the reason¡­ ¡®He is a brother who defeated even the ancient devil, so this wouldn¡¯t be anything huge, right?¡¯ Her belief in Airn was the biggest reason. ¡°Huh.¡± Kirill nodded and snorted. And then she red at the magicians who acted like the representative for that person. Shh. Shielded from her vision, something was flowing in the white barrier. ¡°What?¡± ¡°I want to have a secret conversation.¡± ¡°I said everything I wanted to.¡± ¡°I am not done yet.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to be with you.¡± ¡°Why? Is it because of my attitude?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But have I done anything disrespectful to you?¡± ¡°To the other¡­.¡± ¡°You and them are different. I tend to be courteous to those who deserve my respect.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°In a way, to people like you. Haven¡¯t you also judged people in your own way? That is why there is a colder side to youpared to others. It is the same for me. I evaluated the people gathered here based on my own standards and acted ordingly. If they were dissatisfied with my attitude¡­ they should havee up and asked.¡± The old magicians smiled. ¡°But no one did. They didn¡¯t even have the courage. Or it might¡¯ve been because theycked skills.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That is why I have no choice but to ignore them.¡± ¡°¡­ what is it you wanted to say?¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t I say it already? I want you toe to Runtel.¡± ¡°I already ans¡­.¡± ¡°The world considers the Slick family to be arrogant.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t agree with that. We just want to develop and hang out with people who are worthy of being next to us, and exchange knowledge and build rtionships as well. I don¡¯t blink an eye, when people excluded from great history misunderstand and nder us. It doesn¡¯t harm me in any way. I let them bark.¡± Airn sighed. The thought he had beforeing to the banquet was right. He only met good and kind people all this time. He could clearly feel it when he was in front of this man. ¡®It¡¯s frustrating.¡¯ However, he thought that if he didn¡¯t listen to this man talk, more frustrating things would happen. Desperate, he let out another sigh. And asked Yprene Slick. ¡°Why would the Great Magician of Slick family want me? I am no magician.¡± ¡°There aren¡¯t just magicians in Runtel. Althoughcking, we have other forces. Three Masters.¡± ¡°Then, isn¡¯t that enough?¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t. We don''t want masters. We want more than that.¡± ¡°More than that¡­¡± ¡°The birth of a swordsmanship familyparable to Runtel, Slick and Korkoran. Something even better than the five swordsman families in west¡­ the beginning of history.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I think you are the most suitable person for that position.¡± It was sincere words. Yprene believed that this gentle looking young man had a lot of potential. Of course, he couldn¡¯t achieve it alone. The best environment had to be provided for such potential to grow. And the full support of Runtel was the negotiating card he was nning to use. ¡°Many geniuses have made their mark in history, but not all of them have built great families. However, it isn¡¯t their fault. It was because of the environment they were in and the people around them were terrible. Runtel isn¡¯t going to be like that.¡± Pride rose on Yprene Sick¡¯s face. And of magicians which had nothing to do with swordsmen? Stupid people thought of it like that. But that wasn¡¯t true. The knowledge umted through extensive data, through analysis and relentless experiments didn¡¯t apply just to magic. From theory to actual practice with swords¡­and then finally to aura. Rather than the Western swordsman who focused on abstract concepts of enlightenment, Runtel¡¯s method was more effective. ¡®Sorcery and holy power. Except for those two areas¡­ there are no fields that Runtel has failed to conquer.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t hope. Nor was it a goal. It was the simple truth. Yprene Slick spoke with a faint smile. ¡°I know making a decision won¡¯t be easy. I know that it is hard to break away from one thing.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°But you will have to decide wisely. You need to think seriously. Depending on who is by your side and supports you, your life and swordsmanship will all change. If you can take that decision after careful thought, I guarantee that you won¡¯t be disappointed. You will absolutely love Runtel.¡± Yprene Slick¡¯s persuasion continued. He had confident eyes,pletely different from the expressionless look he had before. Of course, he wasn¡¯t rushing anything. He knew that an immediate answer was impossible. It was unavoidable. Those who have been in the well for too long didn¡¯t know how wonderful the outside world is. It would take a little longer for this man toe out of his shell. ¡®But he¡¯s a talent worth waiting for. Unlike thatmoner.¡¯ A person¡¯s face passed through his head. He shook his head slightly thinking of I, the current I Crescentia. At that time, he was saddened that the Holy Kingdom had taken her away. Unlike I, Airn was known to have a gentle personality and his bloodline was rtively good too. It would be much easier to handle this man and shape him for the glory of Runtel. The old magician''s smile deepened at the thought. He had to convince him. Until his mind changes, he do continue trying various things until he had no choice but to agree. Yprene Slick was confident. He had a firm belief that he was going to get what he wanted. But then came the crack in his confidence. It was when he realized that the young Sword Master wasn¡¯t looking at him. ¡®¡­ what is he looking at?¡¯ The eyes of the Great Magician followed the gaze and his eyes trembled. He saw the white barrier whichpletely cut off the inside from the outside. It was because he was flustered at the appearance of Airn, who seemed to be looking beyond it. ¡®No. he isn¡¯t even a magician.¡¯ Even a magician will find this impossible to do. Wasn¡¯t he in the top ten on the continent? Was this young man really able to break through his solid magic and see beyond it? It was impossible. Even Perry Martinez wouldn¡¯t be able to do it. Yprene calmed his expression and looked at Airn. And the young Sword Master spoke. ¡°Apologize.¡± ¡°¡­ what?¡± Yprene Slick thought it was absurd. It wasn¡¯t funny. To be quiet all this while and then suddenly asking him to apologize? No, he didn¡¯t like this man from the beginning. He felt it at first, that this man¡¯s personality was different from what was informed to him. And Airn said again. ¡°Apologize to the King of Hale, to the knights who support the Hale Kingdom and to my father.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Are you pretending to not know? The environment I live in, the nation I live in, the family I live in¡­ and don¡¯t insult my parents, who embraced me more strongly and warmly than anyone else.¡± ¡°¡­ what if I don¡¯t?¡± Anger appeared on the Great Magician¡¯s face. There was no smile anymore. No matter how great of a swordsman this child was, he was still a kid. Maybe in 10 or 20 years he might change, but for now Yprene Slick was strong enough to take down a Sword Master in his 20s. ¡°I am requesting a duel.¡± ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t know what you are thinking. You haven¡¯t left your family since you were young, so you don¡¯t know what Runtel is really like. And do you even know anything about me?¡± To be honest, Airn didn¡¯t know. But Yprene didn¡¯t know about Airn either. Airn thought of his friends and he remembered the conversations they had. ¡®Ilya, Judith¡­ it''s been a while since I met Judith. I hope her training is going well.¡¯ Judith was a very precious person to Airn. However, with her fiery personality and red hair, she was a friend who provoked a lot of people countless times. Recalling her lines, he said ¡°Are you scared?¡± ¡°¡­. You crazy swordsman bastard.¡± Crack¡­ Break! The white barrier broke apart. The second inmand of the Slick Family who was visible to the crowd again, nodded with an angry face. ¡°Fine. I ept the duel.¡± Thud! Hearing that, the King of Hale dropped the bow he was holding. Chapter 259: Under Running Water (3)

Chapter 259: Under Running Water (3)

¡°This¡­ what is happening¡­¡± The King of Hale, who was watching the two, mumbled as he processed what he had heard. He didn¡¯t believe it. A duel¡­ A duel with the Great Magician of Runtel? Forget possible victory, considering the backstory, it was a situation that had to be avoidedpletely. But the young Sword Master didn¡¯t back down. No, if it was listened to clearly, it seemed like the Sword Master was the one who had made this offer. ¡°Done¡­ we are done. Winning is a problem and losing is also a problem for us. How should we deal with the wrath of the Runtel kingdom¡­¡± ¡°Your Majesty, calm down. Runtel¡¯s people will not be able to intervene in a private duel.¡± ¡°Sir Oswaldo.¡± ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°If I were to cry here, would it be too horrible¡­?¡± ¡°¡­ don¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Ehh¡­¡± Seeing the King of Hale on the verge of crying, themander of Twilight Knight¡¯s expression darkened. He too wanted to cry. No matter how rude Yprene Slick¡¯s attitude was, he didn¡¯t want things to turn out like this. Do people avoid poop because they are afraid? No, it was avoided because it''s dirty. It was something that they had to endure for a couple days, and everything would be back to normal. Even Kirill, who had a fiery attitude could be stopped. But Airn, whom no one expected, had gone and done this! ¡°Hill. How does this seem to you? Why do you think Master Pareira made such a sudden move?¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± Hill But, the vicemander of the Twilight Knights, groaned at the question. He too didn¡¯t understand why this happened. He only remembered Airn Pareira from 2 years back. ¡®Even at that time, it was a weird situation, but not like now, this is a bit¡­¡¯ Hard. No, the situation itself seemed like something was off. He felt confidence in Airn. A more urate expression would be¡­ ¡®¡­ a firm and study feeling?¡¯ Of course, the reason for that was unknown. Despite the trip to subjugate the demon, Hill But wasn¡¯t too close with Airn. In addition, considering the changes of mind which might have happened in 2 years, it was safe to say that Airn was now a different person than he used to be. But now¡­ ¡°¡­ let¡¯s watch for now.¡± ¡°Hm, you have any reason to believe?¡± ¡°At least I know that Master Pareira isn¡¯t the type of person to do such things.¡± ¡°True, but¡­¡± ¡°For now, we only have to cheer for him. Putting aside the worries for a while, and the things we want to ask him¡­ I hope our side wins.¡± ¡°Our side¡­ right. Our side! A person is doing everything he can to save the kingdom, so I must not be so depressed!¡± Hearing the vicemander¡¯s words, the King said those words. Right. Things happened like this. And what happened with Yprene Slick was irreversible, so winning was better than losing. Now, they had to cheer for him and encourage him. They had to do something so that they can properly strengthen their side. With a strong will, he opened his mouth with a solemn expression. ¡°The P-pride of Hale! Hale¡¯s blessing! Sword Master Airn Pareira, fighting!¡± ¡°¡­¡± The King of Hale wasn¡¯t too loud, actually the way he yelled was tough for anyone other than him to hear. Seeing that, the queen sighed. However, this wasn¡¯t embarrassing. The Sonan Kingdom and the Cologne Kingdom¡­they were all hoping that the Young Sword Master would break Slick¡¯s nose, but they didn¡¯t have the courage to cheer for him. Of course, apart from that, they were all in deep discussion. ¡°Maybe¡­ Yprene Slick will win?¡± ¡°Right. In a one-on-one situation, a swordsman has an advantage over a magician, but when the level is simr it can change.¡± ¡°It has only been a year since he became a Master, so his skills must becking¡­¡± ¡°But, don¡¯t the Slick¡¯s have more strength in just theory?¡± ¡°Hm. Well, we are here to attend a banquet instead of a battle, so there might be a bit of a shortage of magic tools with him¡­¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t like Master Pareira has a chance in the first ce.¡± ¡®¡­ stupid people.¡¯ Kyle, the Duke of Vissau sighed. He understood something. The 3rd family of Runtel>The Battle magician Perry Martinez> all other magicians.1 It was the general thought anyone would have, and that any ordinary Great Magician can barely deal with a Sword Master. However, that isn¡¯t true. Runtel magicians were strong. Much more than anyone knew. In the 150 years since the devils disappeared, the magic of Runtel had progressed tremendously. ¡®Now they will know.¡¯ The Duke had a sad expression as he sighed. Thinking about it rationally, Yprene would undoubtedly win. However, emotionally, he was supporting Airn Pareira. It was the moment the duel began. ¡°Are You ready?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do you have anyints? Do you want to change the ce or do you want to me to give myself a handicap? Considering the difference between a swordsman and magician, you might think¡­.¡± ¡°It doesn''t matter.¡± ¡®Cheeky bastard!¡¯ At Airn¡¯s attitude, Yprene Slick¡¯s forehead frowned What was that confidence? What advantage could this swordsman have over a magician? Was it just confidence in himself? Or was it because of hisck of experience with magicians? ¡®Thest reason was unconditional. I am sure of that.¡¯ The old magician smiled at it. He understood. A young man who was a Master in his early 20s. Ian, who was well known in the continent as well as Julius Hul, all of them broke through that wall at 25 or 26. So it wasn¡¯t unusual for this young man to be confident. On the other hand, what about him? Although he was a Great Magician in name and recognized by the Runtel, he had never shown anything remotely strong enough to prove it. And he didn¡¯t even bring a magic tool which was important for the magicians, so maybe that was why the opponent was confident. In fact, those who predicted Airn¡¯s victory were probably thinking that he would win because of the shortage of magic tools and artefacts on Yprene¡¯s side. Such thinking was stupid though. ¡®I am more armed than ever before.¡¯ Yprene Slick had a strong tendency to be prepared. Like most of the Runtel magicians, he was in doubt and distrust, so he made a trip down to Hale. And the fact that he hade in a huge carriage was proof of that. Dozens of magic circles were engraved on the carriage supporting him. ¡®This one, it¡¯s clear that he doesn¡¯t know about magicians.¡¯ That alone would let him win, even if the situation might seem favorable for the young Sword Master. Even though the duel started a long time ago, the opponent was still holding his position. Airn was just staring at Yprene with a firm posture while holding the sorcery sword. Perhaps, he didn¡¯t know much, so he was trying to focus on defense¡­ ¡®Giving a magician enough time is dangerous¡­ I will teach you a lesson on that.¡¯ Yprene Slick, who had a smile, secretly called forth his magic. Woong! Magic entered the magic circles. And it didn¡¯t stop there, and as Yprene intended, it changed as a catalyst of magic. It happened in an instant, and repeated over and over again. Dozens of magic were ready to be used. It wasn¡¯t elemental magic like lightning, fire nor was it physical magic that mobilized enoumous mass. It was mental magic. The most secret and deadliest of all magic, it had a force which caused the opponent to lose the battle by itself, and in the form of a thick rope, it flew for Airn. It wasn¡¯t too fun to see because of how it looked, but it made Yprene feel confident! A smile bloomed on his face. And it only kept turning wider. The changing eyes and lips made his face look creepy. And after a while. Pung! As he saw the development that had urred which waspletely different from expected, the smile on his face broke. Tung! The rope exploded and was crushed. And it didn¡¯t stop there¡­One step, and then in an instant, the distance between the two was covered by Airn''s sword. It was then that Yprene felt like something was wrong and moved his hands, however, his mind was thinking too many things. ¡®How the hell did he destroy it?¡¯ Sadly, Airn wasn¡¯t the only one who didn¡¯t know his opponent. On the contrary, Yprene waspletely in the dark about Airn, and three things stood out now. First. That Airn¡¯s skills weren¡¯t at the novice level of Sword Master. Thest time he revealed his skills was in the championship match more than a year back, and he developed tremendously since then and he looked like a different person. The second. His skills were one thing, but Airn¡¯s mental power was unmatched. It was natural. The will of his past and present had merged and formed into a me for the great sword, his heart turned strong enough to even repel the curses of devils. Even a Great Magician¡¯s attack would have no effect on his mind. However, the third was the most important one. Woong! If a lot of time was given, it wasn¡¯t just a magician who gained advantages. And that was the biggest fact that had an impact on the winning or losing of this match. Kwaaang! Airn Pareira¡¯s sword fell. It was better than when he was recognized by Khun. Even better than when the formermander of Red Knights, Quincy had acknowledged him. He was stronger and faster than he had been when he went to the banquet of Joshua Lindsay. The golden light from his sword shone brightly. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± No one was able to say anything. The King of Hale who was rooting for him and the Twilight Knights were the same too. All the people from the Sonan, Cologne and the even Vissau Kingdoms. Even the 64 magicians who were expressionless were now in shock. One sh. The Sword Master of the Pareira family of Hale Kingdom, stunned the Slick Family in one sh. He said, looking down at the magician. ¡°Again, I decline to go to Runtel.¡± 2 The raws were like this. Don¡¯t me me.?That was so fricking badass.? Chapter 260: Under Running Water (4)

Chapter 260: Under Running Water (4)

¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Countless people from the 4 kingdoms were there and more than 60 magicians from the Slick family were present as well, but no one spoke a word. The reason? It was because of the obvious ¡®tension¡¯. The tension of the impending argument with the magicians of Runtel, the tension which came from the one-on-one duel with the Sword Master which the others had nothing to do with¡­. and finally, the tension after the duel. But it wasn¡¯t like that anymore. It had all changed in a single moment. Seeing the Sword Master of Hale, who had overpowered the second-inmand of the Slick family, no one could hide their astonishment. ¡®Does this¡­ make any sense?¡¯ ¡®Even if he is a swordsman who is better than magicians, Slick should have still won¡­¡¯ ¡®The opponent was a Great magician right? And Airn Pareira has only been a master sincest year¡­¡¯ ¡®Is the aura of a Master that huge?¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s over? The duel is done?¡¯ The royals of each kingdom looked around at their knights. Their eyes were asking if the duel was done and if this was natural? But. ¡®Why are you looking at me¡­¡¯ ¡®How can I know? It is my first time seeing a Sword Master and Great Magician fight!¡¯ ¡®Even with my eyes wide open, I didn¡¯t see any movement. Hehe, is the difference between an expert and master this much?¡¯ ¡®No, even the Masters that I have seen before¡­ weren¡¯t this strong.¡¯ The knights couldn¡¯t give an answer to their Kings¡¯ gazes. This young man was the most talented in the continent, not just the four kingdoms. It was impossible to judge a Sword Master¡¯s skill. However, there was one thing they all agreed on. ¡®Airn Pareira is¡­¡¯ ¡®Not at the beginner level of a Sword Master.¡¯ ¡®We can¡¯t know for sure but¡­ he is much stronger than the rumors.¡¯ ¡°For some reason, it seems like Master Pareira is much better than I thought.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t know exactly because I am weak¡­¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± The silencested forever, and small voices broke out here and there. Most of it was about Airn Pareira. In addition to taking down the opponent, this young man was more mysterious to them than Yprene from the Slick family. It was even more so because the 4 kingdoms shared borders. Hearing the stories of the knights, the royals nodded and looked at Airn with deeper eyes. They knew that this man had to be treated much more carefully than they had initially thought. ¡®It remains to see how the rtionship with the Runtel Kingdom will change¡­¡¯ ¡®For now, we need to hold an amicable rtionship.¡¯ ¡®He is close to the Lindsay family and the Lloyd family. Right? Depending on how close they are, I think the situation will change entirely¡­¡¯ ¡®But it seems like everyone is having the same thought.¡¯ Except for the Vissau Kingdom which tried to have a rtionship with Runtel, the others all seemed to have the same thought. No matter how great the Sword Master in front of them was, it wouldn¡¯t be right to praise him if they were a country that was in a rtionship with the Runtel Kingdom. It was because the eastern nobles had overwhelming power. But right now, the situation was weird. The young man who had be a Sword Master at 22 years of age had proved that he had amazing talent and abilities which were far greater than what the rumors had told them. If so, it was very likely that he was close friends with the Lindsay and Lloyd families. Perhaps, it might be even beyond that level, and they could be even closer. Besides, considering that the younger sister of Airn Pareira had a connection with the Cesar Duchy¡­ it seemed good to try and wait until someone took the lead. ¡®Before the Cologne Kingdom reaches out¡­¡¯ ¡®Before the Sonan Kingdom tries to get close with Airn, we need to act first!¡¯ Both the Sonan and Cologne Kingdoms were now impatient. Initially, their n was to just return to their home after the banquet, but everything that urred during the hunt changed their mind. It seemed that it would be better to even enjoy the banquet till thest moment. ¡°I am sorry that it turned out like this.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°I am sorry, but I think I need to leave. Please let me.¡± ¡°¡­ sure.¡± The King of Vissau was no exception. Regardless of the duel, Hale wasn¡¯t the only kingdom in trouble. He and Kyle Murdoch were restless since the duel began and now, they seemed like they would die any moment, since Yprene was defeated. The Vissau Kingdom were the ones which called the Slick family here. In the end, they too had to withdraw from the banquet with the magicians of Runtel. Seeing the Vissau Kingdom¡¯s people leave, the King of Hale had a bitter expression. ¡®Maybe, after today there will not be a Banquet of the 4 kingdoms again.¡¯ And the problem wasn¡¯t just with the Vissau Kingdom. Even the Sonan and Cologne Kingdoms would now have problems with Hale. The four kingdoms were united for long and then they had acted separately and had desperately tried to rise to the top¡­ perhaps, this was inevitable. ¡®At least, the situation around Sonan and Cologne seem good,¡¯ What they were thinking was unknown, but at least they seemed to have a good impression. In the worst case scenario, Hale would be isted, and the three other kingdoms would decide to side with Runtel, but such a situation was highly unlikely. As his head continued to hurt from thinking of the possible repercussions of this incident, the person who had caused this incident walked forward. The King of Hale forced himself to control his expression. Everyone knew about him, but it seemed that he was trying to show some dignity. However, such thoughts didn¡¯t matter in the face of Airn. ¡°Your Majesty. I am very sorry and apologetic for causing this disturbance due to hasty actions. However, I could not stand by the remarks of Yprene Slick, who seemed to ignore my family and even the Hale Kingdom. The Slick family and even the Runtel Kingdom have the powers to surpass the royals, but Hale is my proud homnd with hundreds of years of history.¡± Wooong! The words of the young Sword Master were polite. And the brilliant golden aura shone from behind. Most people around had a hazy expression as they looked at the sword. Kwak! Airn pushed the sword into the ground. ¡°With my sword and my heart, and my honor as a knight, I swear to Your Majesty. After today, I will take responsibility for solving anything which might happen due to the duel that has happened because of me. Your Majesty, I will make sure that no nuisancees to my homnd.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The King of Hale was unable to speak. Airn¡¯s words were nothing special in terms of content. It was shocking that he would take responsibility for what he did despite not having a n, and it was a good thing to hear, despite the words not having much of a weight. However, Airn is a Sword Master. Not just any Sword Master, but one who was potentially great enough to leave a mark in history¡­ that Airn had drawn out his Aura which had looked more dazzling and sacred than the pdins of Avilius and had sworn to the king. As the king of a small nation, he had never experienced such things even in his dreams, and it was truly the most thrilling thing he felt! In the face of such deep emotions, there was no need for rational or logical measures. He barely nodded and looked at Sonan and Cologne Kingdom. ¡®You¡­ don¡¯t have one, right?¡¯ There are no Sword Master¡¯s in your kingdoms, right? Maybe even if you have, they are not at the level of Airn Pareira, right? Such things were being conveyed by his eyes. The Sonan and Cologne Kingdom felt the intentions of the King¡¯s gaze, yet they couldn¡¯t say anything. Envy and jealousy brewed in the minds of those people. But there were also those whose hearts were honest. ¡°Today, brother, you were so cool. Right, dad?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Dad, dad? Why aren¡¯t you answering¡­ dad?¡± Kirill seemed startled. This was because Harun Pareira, who was looking at Airn, was weeping quietly. Of course, this wasn¡¯t strange. Seeing the father stare at his son without hearing her words, Kirill stepped back. And with eyes simr to Harun, she looked at her brother. ¡°¡­¡± Of course, not everyone had such good intentions like them. Such was the case with Oswaldo Odone, While admiring Airn, his mind was constantly thinking about Runtel. ¡®Of course, it was a fair duel, and it was the other side who started it first and it was a one-sided defeat which is embarrassing to talk about¡­ Yprene asking Runtel or even the Slick family for assistance would be wrong. Because even from the Kingdom¡¯s point of view, it was absurd but¡­¡¯ Was this clearly over? Would the old magician quietly leave? The Slick family had a strong power even in Runtel and Yprene Slick was a person who was known to be bad. ¡®¡­ we need to discuss countermeasures.¡¯ Of course, it wasn¡¯t needed right away. After the hunting was done, the people should rest and then talk about the measures at night. And Airn Pareira¡¯s presence would be essential. However, after all that was done, he couldn¡¯t meet Airn. ¡°It looks like he went for a walk.¡± ¡°Hm¡­¡± Hearing the servant¡¯s words, Oswaldo sighed. The night was deepening and in his mind, he felt some unknown difort. ¡°Damn that bastard¡­!¡± Arge carriage of the Slick family in a vacant ce outside Hale pce. Inside it, was Yprene Slick swearing over and over. With this head, he continued to perform the magical calctions, and transformed it into his desires in his hands. In the first ce, this method wasn¡¯t something that should be done. Inserting personal emotions into rational magic was a big NO. And if the purity of magic deteriorated, bad results woulde out. But it was fine now. What he was practicing was a magic which could affect the mood and spirit of the opponent, and the more negative emotion the caster had, the more it would turn into a curse. ¡°Phew, done.¡± After finishing, he took a deep breath. And he looked at thepleted magic. It was colorless, odorless and the flow of magic was so small that no one could even feel it. If that was the case, then would this magic which was so hidden and unable to be felt even work? ¡®There will be no problem.¡¯ Yprene Slickughed. A white barrier was created before the duel. It wasn¡¯t just for blocking things. The secret magic that flowed from him would wrap around his targets, and this was also something that even high-ranking magicians could barely detect. ¡®And this magic would follow the other magic and go along with it, and when the two magics mix¡­¡¯ It could bepared to that drink which the ancient devils used to corrupt humans. It was now forgotten in the world, but in the old times, it was called the ¡®Demon drug¡¯. ¡°That trash¡­¡± Watching the magic spreading, the Great Magician smiled. He had no intention of going back and asking the head of the Slick family for help. His own skills were enough. And if he could do what he desired, then everything would be solved. When he was in thoughts. Kwak! He heard the sound of the carriage door opening. No, to be more urate, it was the sound of something crashing that reached Yprene¡¯s ears. It was a small sound, but he had still heard it. It was because he was in an extremely sensitive state now, and had cast magic to heighten his five senses before. Rather, what was even more absurd was the fact that he hadn¡¯t noticed it until now. But those feelings didn¡¯tst for long. The door opened and a being appeared in front of his eyes. The moment he checked Airn Pareira¡¯s face, the old magician¡¯s eyes shook. But then, something more shocking happened. ¡°M-My magic¡­¡± ¡®¡­is being held in his hand?¡¯ At that sight which was beyondmon sense, Yprene¡¯s voice trembled. Chapter 261: Under Running Water (5)

Chapter 261: Under Running Water (5)

The Runtel great Magician, Yprene Slick was generally fearless. His great abilities coupled with his background yed a role in that, but the main reason was because he could analyze magic and understand it. So, he was someone who knew a lot of things¡­especially things rted to magic. Even if he didn¡¯t, he was the kind of person who wouldn¡¯t rest without finding out what it was and learning it. In other words, it could also be said that he was the type of person who feared the ¡®unknown¡¯ the most. ¡°How¡­¡± From that point of view, Airn Pareira¡¯s current actions stimted great fear into the Yprene. The colorless and odorless secret magic which even he could barely feel after releasing it, was detected? And what¡¯s even surprising was that the young man in front of him grabbed onto that magic with his hands. As if he was grasping dozens of threads, Airn swung his hand and Yprene¡¯s magic moved along with it. Impossible! It was a realm which he had never seen or heard, truly beyond themon sense of a magician. From Yprene Slick¡¯s mouth spoke the word he hated the most. ¡°Sorcery¡­¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Airn Pareira looked down at his hands. In fact, he didn¡¯t consider his current skills to be sorcery. He just considered it to be swordsmanship. Swordsmanship powered by the will to protect the world. And if it was to be narrowed down, it was his will to protect his loved ones. He was able to mold it into the form of swordsmanship. It was the Sword of the Hero he had learned from I. ¡®Something that is able to resist the devil¡¯s desire to destroy¡­ a swordsman¡¯s no, the strongest power of man.¡¯ However, that didn¡¯t mean that Yprene Slick was wrong. At the time, it was overlooked, but now that he thought about it, the swordsmanship of Airn wasn¡¯t fully about swords. It was usually the case where his will and mind were strongly intertwined to such things. Perhaps the ¡®Sword of Heart¡¯ was abination of sorcery and swords. But. This wasn¡¯t important now. The reason why he could catch Yprene¡¯s magic. The reason why he, who waspletely unfamiliar with this magic, was able to grasp the opponent¡¯s magic. It was because of malice. A dark and terrible energy that wasn¡¯tcking inparison with a real devil¡­ Airn saw it clearly. Shhh¡­ A golden me erupted from Airn¡¯s hand. It was aura. Apleted aura with the same density as when he used his sword. It was the first time he was using it on his hand, but it wasn¡¯t too difficult. It was thanks to the growth he had undergone in recent times, but there was also a feeling of stepping into something higher because of the anger Airn felt inside him. But this wasn¡¯t aplete growth. Because emotions, instincts and intuitions tend to vtilize easily. However, the fact that he had experienced it was what was important. But again, that wasn¡¯t the point now. As the young hero clenched his fist, the golden aura instantly obliterated the magic inside his palm. Puah! Rumble! ¡°Uh! Uh!¡± Yprene Slick screamed. It was because of the fear and panic which had been affecting him. That wasn¡¯t the only thing he was feeling. There was anger and hate. There was hostility too, and the Great Magician, who felt that, raised his hands ready to cast magic. The entire carriage had magic circles on it. But everything was in vain. Airn, who appeared in front of Yprene in an instant, gave off a strong pressure. Wheik! ¡°¡­!¡± There was no physical violence. Instead of using his fists or kicking him or even drawing the sword, Airn only used his energy to express his emotions. The golden aura flowed not just from his right hand, but from his entire body. And that light... It was a light so intense that even ancient devils had suffered before. The dazzling light which had cleared the curse after the devils death, as well as a warm me that gave hope to people. However, Yprene Slick¡¯s heart didn¡¯t think it was warm. A scream erupted from his mouth. ¡°Kuak¡­¡± He wasn¡¯t a demon. His self-esteem had blocked out all the whispers from demons. No matter how great a demon or devil was, it couldn¡¯t make a proud man like him into their ve. But was his heart a human heart? No. It was unavoidable. After the disappearance of the devils, there were an increasing amount of people who were human but still harbored a non-human heart.1 No. Maybe such people existed had even back when the devils were still running around. ¡­ recalling the conversations he had with Tarakan, Karakum and Kuvar, Airn regained his strength. ¡°Huh, Uh, Uh¡­¡± ¡°As you can see from experience, your tricks don¡¯t work on me. Not just on me, it won¡¯t work on the people around me either.¡± Airn said. He had a much firmer and colder voice. However, his eyes weren¡¯t raging. Yprene who looked at those expressionless eyes and cold words, was shocked, and it felt like the golden light from his body was burning his heart. ¡°Whenever you are in the mood to try something like this, remember what happened today. And remember who I am today.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°There is no need to see me off.¡± With that, Airn walked out. There was no need to hear his answer. His eyes which could look through the hearts of other people told him this. Yprene would never try to touch the Hale Kingdom or the Pareira family again. Step. On the way out, he saw the 64 magicians. He could feel their gazes on him, but Airn didn¡¯t respond, rather they bowed their heads to him. Watching them as he walked out, Airn thought. ¡®That man was one among the best?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t figure it out. 2 years ago. He felt it when he first came out of his mansion, so that he could travel and gain experiences. The world was full of uncertainties. It was then that he realized that there was no such thing as a correct answer, and he had felt like the world was filled with regrettable incorrect answers, just tormenting everyone. It was the same this time. No, this time, was even more difficult. It was because it wasn¡¯t a matter which only involved Airn, but something that involved his nation and family too. It was important to do the right thing against injustice. Which was why after raising the sword, Airn never backed down. He raised the sword in front of Karakum for Kuvar. He aimed the sword at the clown for the expedition team. However, if because of his choices, his loved ones were going to be harmed¡­ Was that still the right path? Or should he endure injustice for the sake of his loved ones? ¡®Neither is the right answer.¡¯ The same was true regarding the disposal of Yprene Slick. There was something he had talked about with Tarakan a year back. There would always be people in the world who agree with you and those who don¡¯t agree with you. And there were people who wouldn¡¯t agree with each other and don¡¯t even try to understand the other party. However, the most dangerous beings in the world were those who used violence to carry out their will¡­ The danger from such people was nothing less than that of the devils. ¡®This magician was the same¡­¡¯ By Airn¡¯s standards, he was truly a viin on the level of the devils. However, because he wasn¡¯t a real demon, he had no choice but to think things through in his head. ¡®Is it right for me to punish humans too?¡¯ ¡®Even if they are entitled to punishment, am I confident enough to take responsibility for it? If possible, I can stop it with just intimidating Yprene, but¡­¡¯ ¡®Would this method be right?¡¯ ¡®Regardless of whether it is right or wrong, can¡¯t it be seen that the actions I took were the result of apromise I made unwillingly with Runtel?¡¯ Such thoughts constantly attacked his mind and hurt him. Along with that, emotions which seemed heavier than usual, sank into the young man¡¯s heart. ¡­ no, this isn¡¯t it. Phew. He took a deep breath and exhaled. Then, the emotions submerged in his mind, started to flow again. Instead of getting caught like before, they moved forward. ¡®Thinking is a good thing. We need to think hard, ponder ande up with the best answer for the future.¡¯ However, he couldn¡¯t move forward if he was going to be stuck on a single choice he had to make¡­ It was a realization he got when he tackled the clown devil, and also something he got at the Lloyd mansion. Airn, who found peace of mind rtively quickly, smiled. ¡®¡­ I need to work harder on my swordsmanship training as well.¡¯ Just as the mind affects the body¡­ The body also affected the mind. The same applied for swordsmanship and aura. Good cirction of it would promote overall growth. A new energy began to settle in Airn¡¯s heart, who made a promise to himself. Dddd. And that energy... It was natural like water. It didn¡¯t even have a presence or show up. It was less conspicuous than the energy of steel, which had a very strong presence, or the zing me. It justy there. But above all, it felt spacious too. It was stable. It didn¡¯t move here and there, and it made a way for the stream of water in his heart to spread more widely. It was the fourth energy of the five spirits. Earth. Airn Pareira, who became a much more reliable and stable being than he was when he had first picked up the sword, appeared again in the caste. ¡°¡­ Master Pareira?¡± ¡°Ah,mander. You are here for me? What is the reason?¡± ¡°Uh. That¡­¡± ¡°What? Sir Airn Pareira. Hm?¡± Oswaldo rushed ahead and Hill But came a bitte. The two couldn¡¯t even talk and another one came in soon after them. Something felt different. It wasn¡¯t about the feel of a swordsman. Until now, Airn was a great and respectful young man whose age was unbelievable. The present state was more¡­ ¡®It feels like the bowl of growth in this person has grown¡­¡¯ ¡®No, why am I feeling like this? Did he¡­¡¯ Was it because of the duel with the great Magician? The two thought and nodded. It was thought that Airn¡¯s ability wouldn¡¯t solve the problem alone, but seeing the duel with their own eyes, they couldn¡¯t help but feel reassured. Was that it? The two couldn¡¯t say what they wanted to say, and more important people appeared one after the other. ¡°Airn.¡± ¡°Brother.¡± ¡°Father. Kirill.¡± The young hero looked at the two with a bright smile. He seemed to be more honest in expressing his emotions right now, than before. Oswaldo Odone didn¡¯t know but Hill But could feel it. ¡°Ahem. You did a good thing today, so I guess I¡¯ll leave you to your family. Excuse me,¡± ¡°¡­ me too. Have a nice time.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Thank you.¡± Seeing them leave so quickly, Airn was puzzled. It seemed like they had a reason toe, but then they left so suddenly. But he didn¡¯t think much of it. It was because he wanted to be with his family even more. And Harun Pareira felt the same way. ¡®¡­ he has grown so much.¡¯ Looking at Airn who was smiling brightly, Baron Pareira¡¯s eyes turned red again. It wasn¡¯t because his son was a Sword Master. But because he seemed much stronger than before. Seeing his son standing in front of him with a reassuring face, there was nothing more he could hope for. No, If he thought hard about it, he could think of one thing, and with an awkward smile, he said to his son. ¡°Son.¡± ¡°Yes, father?¡± ¡°By any chance, are you nning to get married or not?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Arin Pareira couldn¡¯t even answer properly. I don¡¯t think it means a literal heart. It¡¯s probably referring to the intentions and the true personalities of these people being corrupt or selfish.? Chapter 262: Nice to meet you (1)

Chapter 262: Nice to meet you (1)

When one thinks of the ¡®East of the continent¡¯, the ces which usuallye to mind are the Runtel Kingdom, famous for its magic and the Cesar Kingdom famous for its sorcery. Thanks to these two highly developed ces, people think of the east as a pretty good ce to live. In reality however, that wasn¡¯t true. Except for these two Kingdoms, the other small nations there are chaotic just like the southern part of the continent and arge area of thend is a habitat for dangerous monsters. A primary example of this would be the Gabir Forest located to the southeast of the Cesar Duchy. It always had hot and humid weather surrounding it, and the trees were thick enough to obscure the vision and block most of the sunlight. There were pests which sucked human blood, poisonous nts which could cause seizures with just a small touch and terrible monsters which feed on such nts. ¡®Don¡¯t enter the Gabir Forest. The devil lives there.¡¯ ¡®Even if I am given all the riches of the world, I still wouldn¡¯t enter that ce.¡¯ Even the most famous guides would reject entry into that ce which was known as a paradise for monsters. Kwak! sh! sh! Crush! It was a horrifying scene where a goblin¡¯s limbs were cut off and its head was removed with a cleaver. The body, which was still oozing out blood, was thrown on a hook and then hung. There was no grand reason for that action. It was for pure fun. However, until a week ago such acts of pleasure weren¡¯t being done. While ughtering hundreds or maybe thousands of monsters, the devil realized one thing. It wanted more color in its life. ¡®I need humans.¡¯ That was why the devil left its ce and went out of the woods. If things happened following the natural flow, then he would have had as much fun as he wanted. Right up until just before being discovered by the Purification team from the Holy Kingdom which subjugated the devils came. ¡°Phew. Thank goodness. It was really fortunate! I met you before you went out to y!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Meeting the clown at the periphery of the Gabir Forest had to be seen as bad luck for the devil. ¡°Good. Good. It isn¡¯t as good as the Southern Great Forest, but this is also a good ce to hide. There are plenty of ones like you who will make a fuss. And there¡¯s no reason for you to even show your hand¡­¡± Woong! The devil didn¡¯t listen to the clown till the end, and immediately struck down hisrge cleaver at the clown devil. Normally, the devil wouldn¡¯t have acted in such a manner. He would act a little more moderately in order to experience the human emotions, the feelings of fear which were now only a memory for it. Basically, the devil felt something unusual from the clown standing in front of it. And it was right. But the actions that the devil took weren''t the answer. The clown who smiled slightly, raised his bare arm to block the opponent¡¯s attack. Tung! And with the other hand, he made a motion as if he was crushing the air. Shik! ¡°Um, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to recover just fine.¡± The clown climbed onto the fallen devil¡¯s body. The body was still wriggling despite its head getting shed, but it¡¯s movement stopped when the clown touched the stomach of the devil. As the magi was absorbed, the gigantic body of the devil shrank, and the damaged mask of the clown was back to normal. While he was concentrating on regaining his strength, he came to his senses when a letter fell from the sky. ¡°¡­ Uh!¡± The clown devil had a surprised expression. This was because the content of the letter was different from what he had expected. He knew that he would be scolded for making a bet with the reincarnation of his nemesis without consulting the other one, but the content of the letter the priest delivered was different. ¡°Because he is a demon stronger than a devil¡­¡± If it was someone else, the clown would haveughed. Humans who contract with the devil and ept the magi are different from humans who are demons from birth. In order to fill the gap, humans themselves must have transcendental powers, but such beings usually have a strong ego and do not fall into the sweet whispers of the devil. But¡­ ¡®I¡¯ve already seen something simr, so it doesn¡¯t seem like an impossible urrence.¡¯ The Great magician of Runtel. He couldn¡¯t even imagine how to subdue that filthily proud man. As for the n, the priest was always one step ahead of him. Which was why the clown had epted the offer. ¡°¡­ Hm... Hmm.¡± Kwak! The clown devil let out a strange groan as he shredded the corpse with the cleaver. But he still didn¡¯t feel good. Waiting for the time that he could reunite with his partner, he hid inside the Gabir Forest. ¡°Thank you, Master Airn Pareira! Baron Harun Pareira! Ah, and Miss Kirill Pareira too! Because of you, how, how great...!¡± The banquet ended safely. For Pareira and the others leaving the royal pce, the King of Hale went to see them off personally. It wasn¡¯t anything special since the King always acted like this, but the emotion in his eyes was unusual. It was bound to be that way. It was because these people were the ones who saved the banquet which could have ended in a mess and moreover, they had also saved his face as a king and at the same time, built a name for the nation. ¡°Phew. I am not good with words. Just seeing you people makes me feel so proud¡­¡± ¡°It is fine, Your Majesty.¡± ¡°Huhu, it is unfortunate. If I had a daughter, I would have asked for Master Pareira to wed her¡­¡± ¡°Haha¡­ thank you for those kind words.¡± Baron Harun Pareira responded politely to the king. It was really unfortunate. In his mind, even now, he wanted to use something, or some means so that he could have a daughter who could enter into an engagement with Airn. Of course, he knew that such thoughts were useless, so he didn¡¯t think much. Fortunately, Pareira rejected all the subtle marriage talks which came from both the Sonan and Cologne Kingdoms. If it was from another kingdom, it would be a different thing, but it was hard to ept it from the 4 kingdoms who were in alliance. Because the 4 kingdoms were friends yet rivals. ¡°I-I¡¯ve held you up for too long. I am sorry.¡± ¡°No, Your Majesty. How can you even say¡­¡± ¡°Huh. I will say it again, thank you. Really¡­thank you. With my power, Master Pareira I can put you right in the middle of the pce¡­¡± ¡°¡­ that is enough, Your Majesty.¡± The Queen stopped him from saying more and the Pareira family finally managed to get out of the pce. The father, son and daughter had a quiet moment where the sound of horseshoes was only heard. But that silence didn¡¯tst forever. ¡°Son.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Do you have someone in your heart?¡± ¡°¡­ I do.¡± ¡°By any chance, is that person¡­ the Lindsay family¡¯s child who is famous on the continent¡­ is that right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Airn Pareira, who stayed still then nodded his head. It was strange. After he took up his sword. No, even when he entered into the world to find his own true sword, Airn was never shy about expressing his feelings to others. But strangely, now he felt shy. He wanted to hide them. Even though he knew that his feelings weren¡¯t wrong or bad. ¡®Why?¡¯ ¡®He¡¯s still young in this aspect.¡¯ Unlike his son who was confused, the father who heard the story, felt like something new had bloomed inside his son. Actually, after having observed his son recently, Harun felt a sense of disparity. The son had always been a young and fragile boy who had to be handled with care and guided meticulously. And this thought hadn¡¯t changed for him until he graduated from Krono safely and was actively performing in the demon subjugation. However, after returning from the 2 year journey, or to be more precise, after seeing his lecture on swordsmanship, Harun realized that his son had escaped from the arms of the father and had been reborn into a muchrger person than him. And it wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t like the change in Airn. Rather, he was very proud of the change. However, when he thought about the change which might result in a situation where he couldn¡¯t reach his son, and when he thought about the heroic figure in the hunting contest¡­ It was also true that Harun felt a sense of loneliness. ¡®There is still something where his father can help him with!¡¯ Harun smiled softly. He couldn¡¯t even remember thest time he confessed to someone. However, he was sure that he would be more proficient at it than his son, who never had such feelings before. Considering Airn¡¯s introverted personality, he thought that he was even more experienced. Thinking about it, the Baron looked at his daughter. And Kirill too looked at him at the same time. Looking at her, with an expression she didn¡¯t understand, Harun said. ¡°Daughter¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Go out for a while.¡± ¡°No, why?¡± ¡°If you stay, won¡¯t it be difficult for Airn to talk?¡± ¡°NO, what! Seriously! This makes no sense. I can¡¯t be here, but dad can? I am confident that I will give good advice to people on their rtionships!¡± ¡°But then you have no experience in dating, right?¡± ¡°Uh, hm¡­ right.¡± Kirill stuttered. It was too burdensome for her to tell her father about her love life. Just as Airn was young, so was Kirill. So, she grunted and headed outside the carriage. She was running out with a frown on her face, but who would care about the sorcerer in such a situation? Eventually, the two were alone and Harun spoke with a smile. ¡°If you want to say something, you have the chance now, but you don¡¯t have to speak if you aren¡¯tfortable. I am just curious. How did youe to have these feelings and how did you fall in love with someone¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Would a drink help you?¡± ¡°No, this is good.¡± Airn shook his head. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to talk. It just meant that he had no intention of making this shyness grow by speaking about it. In fact, after realizing his feelings, Airn had been feeling frustrated the whole time. He was impatient, hot-headed, and he wanted to show what he was feeling, but at the same time, he didn¡¯t want to tell anyone either. Considering that, there was no one strong and reliable like his father. Before long, Airn spoke about Ilya. ¡°So¡­¡± Today¡¯s Airn was even less talkativepared to the past. He was trying to express what he wanted to say, but he couldn¡¯t put it in detail, so he stopped. This seemed a lot more difficult than even swordsmanship discussions, and sweat was flowing down his forehead. What he felt in the process was that the more he thought about it, the more he liked Ilya. ¡°Hmm, Hmm.¡± And the son¡¯s heart along with his feelings reached the father. The image of Ilya¡­Harun Pareira understood what it was little by little. Beyond a genius who had shook the continent, she was an attractive woman who had stolen Airn¡¯s heart. ¡®She seems like a good child.¡¯ He wanted to see her in person. He wanted to meet the child and have a short conversation with her. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean he was going to meddle into his son¡¯s love affairs, but he couldn¡¯t help his curiosity. Harun thought about it and shook his head. They hadn¡¯t been dating for long. No, not dating, they didn¡¯t even start dating yet. For him, his son had a one-sided love. In a situation, he was thinking about meeting the child in person? It was like¡­ ¡®Deciding to meet the person after the two are engaged?¡¯ Calm down. Calm down. Harun Pareira mumbled. Hearing the story, he felt more excited than his son, so he was the one who needed self control. Eventually, they reached the Pareira territory. Passing through the mansion gates, he nodded looking at the mansion. After a nice discussion with his wife, he thought that he coulde up with an answer which would help his son. With that thought, it was time to get off the carriage. ¡°Airn!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± It was a voice unfamiliar to Harun. However, to Airn and Kirill, the voice was a familiar one. When the two realized who the owner of the voice was and seemed bewildered, the one who shouted out the name ran at frightening speed towards them. And hugged Airn. ¡°Arin.¡± ¡°Uh. Uh?¡± ¡°I missed you. Really¡­¡± ¡°Uh. Yes. Me too¡­?¡± It was apletely different attitude, tone of voice and way of speaking And there was also a faint smell of alcohol. When Airn looked at Ilya whose face a little red and standing weirdly, ¡°Ah, we were toote¡­¡± ¡°We arete, Bratt.¡± Bratt and Lulu showed up one beatter and had sad expressions on their faces. Chapter 263: Nice to meet you (2)

Chapter 263: Nice to meet you (2)

The Pareira estate was always a peaceful ce except for the monster subjugation period in May. Due to the recent increase in the scale of the quantity of monsters, the army was strengthened and at the same time, they were constantly training. However,pared to the western kingdoms who were serious about swords, it was difficult to consider this in any way other than just knights who were just following orders because they had to. But it wasn¡¯t like that now. After the Young Lord of the estate had returned, the family¡¯s training hall was now more crowded than ever before. Wheik! Kang! Kaang-! ¡°Huh!¡± ¡°Gasp. Gasp¡­¡± ¡°One more round! The ones who can¡¯t keep up will pay for dinner!¡± Watching the skills of the Young Lord with their own eyes and not just hearing about him from the rumors. After constantly confirming the influence of the Young Lord, which were only heard about in rumors. Even the nobles with higher titles than the Pareira family, and the nobles of greater nations too, thought that they had to work hard. And they tried to treat everyone equally when it came to swords. And such changes made the knights and swordsman of the estates move. ¡®It is the ability to be treated differently.¡¯ ¡®If it isn¡¯t possible now, then we just have to put in effort.¡¯ So, that one can be an existence who could keep up when inparison to their lord! With that, many people voluntarily began to train. Of course, there would always be those who would quit too, and those who lowered the effort they put into the training from the first day too. However, there were many people who had a me in their heart and swung their sword day and night so that they could keep improving and be better than their versions of yesterday. But. Even the hottest ones among them couldn¡¯t bepared to the two young people wielding their swords in front of them. Swish! Kwaaang! Kwang! Kwang! Kwang! ¡°Kuak!¡± ¡°Get yourself together! Again!¡± ¡°What the fuck¡­!¡± Ilya Lindsay, the youngest child of the Lindsay family and the youngest Sword Master. And the genius who led the golden batch of Krono, Bratt Lloyd. After arriving at the Pareira mansion, the two continued to train andpete as if they were in the middle of a war. Of course, winning and losing didn¡¯t seem to matter to them. Unlike Bratt who had just reached a new height, Ilya was peeking into the world beyond. Kwaang! ¡®It is strange yet interesting.¡¯ Ilya thought as she unleashed the sword attack wrapped in a gust of wind. After movingpletely out of the shadows of I, she knew that her growth had elerated¡­especially after she had realized her feelings for Airn. However, for the past few days, the speed at which she had been improving in her swordsmanship was something that surprised even her. She wouldn¡¯t have noticed it this much if she had been sparring with her father or Airn. However, the one she was facing off against was Bratt¡­ and his skills were far inferior to hers. Which was why it was more strange. How was she feeling that her swordsmanship was improving in the midst of a leisurely fight? After pondering for a moment, Ilya came to a rough conclusion. ¡®I think it¡¯s because Bratt likes to be hit.¡¯ No, not exactly like that¡­this blue haired guy was a real good opponent. Even if it seemed like he was being beaten unterally, he would make unexpected attacks and ordinary swordsmanship would suddenly seem more creative in the middle of a fight. In short, his swordsmanship was more free than before. Of course, only that factor couldn¡¯t have influenced the growth of Ilya, but she decided not to think of it anymore. ¡®When the chancees, he will just lose more.¡¯ Over the past few days, she had somehow turned a bit mean-spirited. She smiled softly and moved again while putting strength into her feet. Phat! She charged for Bratt three times without holding back! Facing the hurricane, Bratt cursed out. ¡®Act in moderation you idiot!¡¯ Kwang! Jjjjjkkkk! ¡°Kuak¡­!¡± After receiving a huge shock, he was pushed back. His entire body turned numb. However, there wasn¡¯t enough time to even catch his breath. Watching the sword fall from his hands, Bratt just grunted. In fact, he knew how this current situation had happened. Like Ilya, he too had been growing in recent times. So, he wanted to push himself to the limit through a match with a strong opponent. He wanted to rise with the experiences he could get from such matches. But it felt like it was too much. The current Ilya was too radical! It was as if she was releasing all the stress she had been umting while waiting for Airn onto him. Her attacks were ferocious. They were a bit harsh too, but it was even more terrifying than the stone devil Bratt met. He endured those attacks for ten long days and might have endured it for even longer. But now, he felt like it was too much for him to handle. Kwang! ¡°Kuak!¡± ¡®No. this can¡¯t¡­ go on!¡¯ Bratt thought as he groaned and blocked the sword from the side. It was difficult. Maybe he had to run away from this monster. No, he couldn¡¯t run away from her, so maybe he had to get enough time to take a break. That way he could live. ¡°Cough!¡± Seeing that he coughed blood, Ilya pulled her sword back. Seeing his friend approaching her with a worried expression on her face, Bratt felt relieved. Right, this is enough for today. It was good to fight. But now it hurt too much, and he could get some good rest. With that thought, he looked at Ilya who had now pulled something out from her pocket. ¡°Sorry. This¡­ a high-quality potion made by the Runtel Kingdom.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem like a severe injury. So, take a 30 minute break after having this and you¡¯ll get back fine¡­¡± ¡°Ilya.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Your appearance recently is not falling under good light.¡± ¡°What¡­¡± Ilya, who was about to swear, held back. Her friend¡¯s expression was severe. It didn¡¯t seem like he was joking. In an instant, she was ready to listen. She wasn¡¯t like this in the past, and she used to be too conscious of others¡¯ words and despite that, she would never seek advice from those close to her. Of course, it was fine now. All thanks to Airn. He had told her to open her heart and her ears. And seeing that she was ready to listen to some advice, Bratt Lloyd said to her ¡°¡­ how about ending the spar and having some alcohol?¡± ¡°Alcohol? What the¡­¡± Before she could finish, Bratt spoke again. Slightly urgently, he spoke to her. ¡°No, don¡¯t get me wrong. I am not saying this because I want to drink. It isn¡¯t because the spar was too hard for me and not because I am upset at you for treating me like a stress relief toy. If you thought of it like that, then apologize to me. It is fine to ignore your friend, Bratt Lloyd, but to despise the young lord of the Lloyd¡¯s family and think bad about the family is unbearable. No, it is fine too. Don¡¯t bother saying anything. My heart is already weeping. Sorry if you misunderstood and don¡¯t bother thanking me. Well, that was long. Coming back to the point, the advice I wanted to give is¡­¡± Bratt poured out what he felt. Although it seemed logical it was too nonsensical, so Ilya couldn¡¯t understand the meaning behind the words. Bratt calmly chimed it once more and she nodded. ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t think you are wrong.¡± ¡°Right. I always say the right thing.¡± ¡°UH¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t think too hard. Anyway, alcohol is poison when consumed extremely, but a medicine in moderation. That is the situation now. Enjoy a light drink to escape from the tension and the impatience which constantly drives you¡­ this is a very generous and wise act.¡± ¡°That¡­¡± ¡°I heard that Lord Pareira enjoys drinking quite a bit. So how about it? At this point it isn¡¯t bad to taste the alcohol that the Lord often enjoys in advance to know about it and taste¡­¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°No. Nothing¡­then let¡¯s end the match here.¡± He just had to mention Pareira. Bratt was happy that she had epted the idea. It was because his time to rest hade. Of course, it wasn¡¯t without risks. Bratt weed a new drinker, but depending on who the other one was, it would be like moving back and forth between heaven and hell. For reference, in the case of Judith.. Although she was his girlfriend, her actions were unusual. ¡®Ilya¡­ it¡¯ll be fine with her. Because she has control.¡¯ Although not often, she too would drink with Kuvar in the past and had never caused problems. Thinking about it, Bratt took out a few bottles of whiskey with a happy face enjoying the aroma and taste. With Lulu who was in the middle, he drank and smiled at Ilya who was drinking. That was the problem. Although he was calm in his mind, he hadn¡¯t realized that his friend had overdone her drinking. It was also unexpected that this would happen. He also didn¡¯t think that Airn, Kirill and Lod Pareira woulde. Bratt and Lulu chased after her, but they couldn¡¯t keep up. ¡°Ah, we were toote¡­¡± ¡°We arete, Bratt.¡± ¡®Late for what?¡¯ Hearing that, Airn looked at the two in confusion, but it didn¡¯tst long. Ilya reached out and grabbed his face. And then turned it to make him look at her. ¡°Where are you looking at? Look at me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°See this, only look at Ilya.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Are you not following me?¡± ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll only look at Ilya¡­ uh¡­¡± ¡°What. I told you to only look at me, why do you keep looking around?¡± Looking at Airn¡¯s changing eyes, Ilya had a sullen expression on. She didn¡¯t like this. For ten days, she only thought of this one man for every single moment that had passed. Why was Airn constantly turning his head? ¡®What is making him do that?¡¯ She didn¡¯t want to know. But at the same time, she wanted to know, and thetter won. She frowned cutely and turned to where Airn was looking at. And saw Baron Harun Pareira looking at them. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Absolute Still Silence. In that air, Ilya removed her hands from Airn¡¯s face and took two steps back. And her field of vision widened and saw another person. A person who showed a kind smile to her all her stay here. Airn¡¯s mother, Amelia Pareira. Ilya Lindsay, who saw her, remained silent for a few seconds. Phat! And she ran out faster than ever. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The stillness is still there. The entire Pareira family kept their mouths shut, and those who came to meet the Lord were unaware what had happened and looked around. At that moment, Bratt who was silent till then, looked at Airn and said. ¡°It¡¯s all your fault.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Do you admit your sin? Airn Pareira?¡± At those words from his friend, Airn didn¡¯t say anything. The Pareira couple looked at each other and their silent son. p! ¡°¡­ now, we are calling for an emergency meeting now.¡± Kirill Pareira pped her hands and said looking at everyone. Chapter 264: Nice to meet you (3)

Chapter 264: Nice to meet you (3)

¡®The atmosphere seems strange?¡¯ That was the thought that Baron Harun Pareira had as he entered the spacious, well-lit room. Originally, he was going to have a leisurely tea time with his wife after taking a nice bath. After that, he wanted to talk about his handsome son and his dashing actions in the royal castle. Of course, the situation now was entirely different from that. In any case, an atmosphere was created in which thetter¡¯s story could naturally be brought out. However, the baron wouldn¡¯t be the one speaking. ¡°Then, let¡¯s start the emergency meeting, Mr. Bratt Lloyd?¡± ¡°Kirill, isn¡¯t it time for you to call me brother?¡± ¡°We have run into a situation we never thought of, so could you please exin what happened? Why is Mr. Lloyd and sister Ilya here?¡± ¡°I think I should start from the beginning.¡± Kirill, like the leader of the meeting, posed a question and the eldest son of the Lloyd Family answered it. The way they were talking was so natural that Baron Pareira didn¡¯t even dare to intervene. Like his wife and Lulu, he too stayed silent and immersed himself into the conversation. Only Airn Pareira, who was sitting in his seat, had a restless expression. Looking at Airn, Bratt said, ¡°Your story¡­ I want to hear it too.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The story of the events that happened after you left the Lloyd estate. I think something happened between Airn and Ilya in the¡­¡± ¡°Um, good. It would be easier to talk about the measures we should take if we share information with each other.¡± ¡®What measures?¡¯ Airn had a bewildered look, but no one cared. The meeting continued and Kirill exined what happened at the Lindsay family''s territory. It wasn¡¯t as good as how Bratt exined since Kirill was someone who didn¡¯t talk much, but the content could still be understood. So now, Bratt, Kirill, Lulu and the Pareira couple¡­ All of them were aware of the current situation of Airn and Ilya. Well, looking back, it wasn''t a subtle feeling. It was almost like a sweet feeling. However, for everyone who watched, it felt like their feelings were going to explode. Airn Pareira, who was forced to attend the meeting, also came to better understand his feelings. ¡­ not just his, but Ilya¡¯s heart too. ¡°Airn Pareira.¡± ¡°¡­ yes.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t going to hesitate now, right?¡± Bratt asked with a solemn expression. It wasn¡¯t just him who had that question. Bratt was just being vocal about it. Lulu and Kirill, and even Harun Pareira, who was hearing this for the first time, were putting pressure on Airn with the same eyes and thoughts that Bratt had. At that gaze, the blonde young man knew he couldn¡¯t say no, but the man didn¡¯t respond. He knew it too. That the time to act was now. ¡®Thinking about it, I have always known.¡¯ Right. Just like he liked Ilya, she too felt something in her heart for him¡­ and he knew it too. He couldn¡¯t have not known. Her eyes when she was looking at him. How the way she spoke to him differed from others. The gentle expression she disyed that was only for him. And more certainly, the events of the banquet. Still, what he wasn¡¯t so sure about was the reason why he couldn¡¯t take thatst step with her¡­maybe it was because he didn¡¯t have the courage to do it. ¡®Like the days I lived like azy sloth¡­¡¯ Airn recalled his childhood. He remembered a time when he was scared and feared everything and was constantly exhausted and did nothing and kept falling deeper and deeper into the swamp. He was pushed on the back and eventually he was able to move forward. But it happened gradually by raising his sword and swinging it, falling and stumbling sometimes too¡­ he remembered how courageous he was. Right. It was clear that he had changed for the better. There was no need to hesitate any longer. Just like Ilya Lindsay flew the entire distance on the griffin and expressed her feelings for him, even though it was with the help of alcohol. He too needed to be honest with himself. Instead of stepping back in fear or standing nkly, he needed to take a step ahead. Airn nodded as he cleared his confusion. A resolute voice came from him as everyone looked. ¡°I will confess.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± ¡°Oh oh!¡± ¡°Great! Well though¡­¡± ¡°¡­but.¡± Airn, who had been listening to Lulu, Bratt and Kirill cheer, spoke. ¡°¡­ how do I confess?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°,,,¡± ¡°I can¡¯t just go and do that¡­ uh, I mean, I have to think about it, and do something that might be like¡­ and again, I feel like I need to prepare¡­.¡± ¡°Sigh¡­¡± In the rapidly deting atmosphere, Kirill sighed. It wasn¡¯t something she couldn¡¯t understand. When it came to dating, Airn was a timid one which made it even more frustrating. This was why, even when she had to do something, she would have to think of various things which her brother might assume or get confused by, so him worrying about how a confession should be done was kind of natural. ¡®Maybe, right now, in my brother''s head, if he goes ahead and messes up the confession then everything would turn bad¡­ it could be a source of worry for their future.¡¯ The opposite could also happen. No, before that¡­ Airn had no idea if Ilya would be pleased if he confessed to her. The problem was that her brother wasn¡¯t the type of person who would listen straight if someone said ¡®Just do it, you idiot!¡¯ ¡°Phew¡­¡± Kirill let out another sigh. What should she do? How could she fill her frustrated and worried brother with confidence? It was when she was thinking that. After being silent for a while, Bratt opened his mouth. ¡°Airn, just put away those worries for now.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°A confession is nothing more than a means for lovers to bear fruits. Of course, that doesn¡¯t mean that it has no meaning, but¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If that concern is what is making you forget the important thing and step back¡­ I think that is a bigger problem than making a messy confession, Airn.¡± Bratt called him by his name again. Airn didn¡¯t have an answer to Bratt¡¯s words. However, it didn¡¯t matter. Because his eyes looked serious. After looking at that gaze for a few seconds, Bratt opened his mouth again. ¡°You can never get it right on the first try. Think back to when you first picked up your sword. It was a mess, poorly done, and it was embarrassing enough for you now to even think of it as swordsmanship¡­ but now, you are a Sword Master.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Love and dating are also simr to that. Just start, take a swing and then try again. And then gradually, it gets better. Fortunately, Ilya is a good person and she¡¯ll be understanding no matter what you do and, neither me, Kirill or your parents here have anyints with you either. There are many who will advise you if you are lost and wandering in the wrong direction. So¡­¡± ¡°Stop worrying about useless things and start worrying about what really matters.¡± Bratt Lloyd¡¯s words ended there. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The n was tedious. After finishing that, both Bratt and Airn stayed silent and so did the others. And little by little, the time passed. But the atmosphere around them wasn¡¯t as worrying as it was before. Lulu, who was watching everyone while wagging her tail, thought. ¡®You changed so much, Airn.¡¯ One might agree with the thought of the sorcerer cat. In the past, Airn was hesitant and indecisive and now he was doing the same thing. In the end, it was the same as not being able to take one step ahead without the help of others. But it wasn¡¯t just that. The 15-year-old Airn only had family, but now he had more intimate connections. It wasn¡¯t a gift which fell from the sky. It was the result of building rtionships through the many years of hard work. The reason Bratt was able to pour out sincere advice to Airn was because Airn had done the same for Bratt. The reason why he felt joy in seeing this through was because he wanted to see Airn happy. In other words. Everyone was helping, supporting and encouraging Airn so that he could move ahead¡­ ¡®Looking at it¡­ because Airn was good to everyone, it could be said that this was ultimately the result of his hard work.¡¯ Perhaps this was why Ilya fell for Airn. Lulu who thought that smiled like a human. It wasn¡¯t easy with the appearance of a cat, but she wanted to do it. Because everyone was smiling. As they looked at the growth of their loved one. Unsurprisingly, Airn who had his head bowed till then, raised his head and looked at everyone. He seemed to be feeling better, but he still had a little tension on his face and then he said, ¡°Thanks to all of you, it feels like my head cleared up a lot. The confession¡­ I think I can do it.¡± ¡°But...can you be of a bit more help?¡± At the words which followed, everyone¡¯s smiles turned stronger. They couldn¡¯t help but do it, After a while, the meeting resumed with Airn¡¯s more active participation. ¡°Ah! Ah!¡± Puk! Kick! Running away from the moment of crisis, Ilya Lindsay kicked the nket over and over. Maybe it was all a dream. Maybe she drank too much and had hallucinated or something. She returned to her room with such hopes, but the reality was cruel. It was for that reason that Ilya was kicking her nket. When she woke up, it was hard to believe that yesterday was real. It was for that reason she was kicking it. She couldn¡¯t justy still. And she sighed. ¡°Sigh¡­¡± What could she do? Head back to her family? She didn¡¯t want to do that. She had finally got to meet Airn so she didn¡¯t want to go without a proper talk. Somehow, she wanted to try and resolve the awkward atmosphere which had happened due to her actions into a natural one. That was what Ilya wanted. Of course, she couldn¡¯t think of a possible solution. ¡°Uhhh, Uhhh¡­.¡± Kick! Kick! Kick! Kick! ¡°¡­ Ah, it tore.¡± It was the moment when she was about to fall into deeper despair tormenting that nket. A knock was heard at the door. Ilya didn¡¯t respond. She was in fear. She was scared of Amelia and Harun now. Airn was whom she wanted to see more than anyone else, but right now, she couldn¡¯t even look at him. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t them. Shhh! Lulu, the ck cat who used sorcery to enter the door, spoke. ¡°Miss Ilya Lindsay.¡± ¡°U-Uh?¡± Ilya was visibly puzzled. The way she spoke was different from usual, even the attire of Lulu was unusual. A stylish suit tailored to the body of a cat, a bow tie, and that too a cute one. It was the moment she was about to say that she looked like a banquet attendant. ¡°Young Lord Airn Pareira said, if you wouldn¡¯t mind, he would like to spend the day with Miss Lindsay. Please grant him the honor of serving the Lady.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Will you ept the invitation?¡± The cat asked with dazzling eyes. It was a cute sight which no one could take their eyes off. Ilya¡¯s eyes were looking farther away. She thought of someone for a moment and with a nk expression she gave her answer. ¡°¡­ yes.¡± Unlike usual, she had a very, very red face. Chapter 265: Take care of me (1)

Chapter 265: Take care of me (1)

¡®What is this?¡¯ Ilya Lindsay thought, as she epted the invitation of Airn Pareira. She was waiting for her dear friend with a mixture of anticipation and excitement; there was a bit of shock and worry too, in her mind. Even when she got up, she didn¡¯t think that things would turn out like this. All she wanted to do was to make up for the mistakes she made and act like nothing happened¡­ so she was thinking a lot about whether to head back home or go back to her past self too. But not now. Ilya¡¯s head was now filled with only the thoughts about the uing date which was nned. One could tell by looking at the clothes she had on. ¡®Clothes, these suit me¡­¡¯ It wasn¡¯t like she had some fancy dress for a banquet on. However, what she wore wasn¡¯t the attire that she normally wore for training. She just chose the clothes that she thought she would look and feel the prettiest in. Still, she felt worried. She lightly used perfume. She lightly applied makeup. She wore earrings she wouldn¡¯t normally wear. ¡®How would I look to him?¡¯ ¡­ while she was thinking that, someone appeared. It was the person she was waiting for. ¡°Ilya.¡± ¡°¡­A-Airn.¡± ¡°Long time no see.¡± ¡°Yes, i-it¡¯s been long.¡± Ilya¡¯s face turned a little red. Actually, it wasn¡¯t that long. Didn¡¯t they just meet yesterday? It was a day that she wanted to erase from her memories, but she couldn¡¯t just make something like that happen. Fortunately, Airn didn¡¯t say much about it. He just looked at her with a smile. And it was the same with Ilya. Airn¡¯s expression was exactly what she wanted him to have. No, looking at his face, which looked a little cooler than her imagination, she was pondering on what to say, when Airn said something before she could... ¡°They suit you.¡± ¡°Uh? Uh?¡± ¡°The earrings. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve seen them before.¡± ¡°Ah? Yes. That¡­¡± Ilya¡¯s face kept turning red andplex thoughts filled her mind. What did his words mean? Was heplimenting her? Was he saying she looked pretty? No, it could just mean that the earrings looked fine on her. Was she overthinking it? No, more than that¡­ ¡®I need to know.¡¯ The different appearance than usual. It wasn¡¯t a huge change, but from her point of view, Airn was the kind of person who pondered over one thing a lot to decide if he had to do it or not, so making a conclusion right away on his thoughts was¡­ A little unfamiliar to her. Of course, she didn¡¯t hate it. Rather, she liked it. To the extent where she couldn¡¯t manage her facial expressions. ¡®¡­what kind of face am I making now?¡¯ Ilya trembled and instantly erased the expression. She didn¡¯t know, but she was certain that she had a strange expression. Again, she turned her head away in embarrassment. Wouldn¡¯t Airn think it was strange? Rather, how long were they going to be here? Ilya¡¯s worries were soon resolved. From the sky, a carriage came down. ¡°¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t a carriage. Since the horses that were normally used to pull a carriage were reced with an unusual griffin with a parrot head. Only this time, it had a ribbon on the head. And itnded with an unusual gentle motion. Perhaps it was due to the power of sorcery, the part of the carriage attached to the Griffin alsonded gently and stopped in front of Airn and Ilya. After that, Kirill jumped off from the body of the Griffin, Cherry, and said, ¡°Greetings! I am Kirill Pareira, who will be responsible for the two of you today.¡± ¡°Let me introduce myself again. I am Lulu.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Then, would you get in the carriage?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°Come, Ilya.¡± ¡°Ah?¡± Airn grabbed Ilya¡¯s hand as she was still confused. It wasn¡¯t even a grab, it was the gentlest action one could do. An action which could never offend the other person. However, Ilya was still technically being dragged away. She entered the carriage and sat down in the luxurious yetfortable seat facing Airn. ¡°We will depart now.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The voices of the coachman Kirill and Lulu flowed in, and the carriage started moving. It didn¡¯t have a rough start like usual, since two sorcerers were controlling it. ¡°There is a ce I want to visit, it¡¯s a bit far, so we are moving in a carriage.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°How is it? Is it ufortable or anything like that? Ah¡­ and sorry. I decided on everything without asking.¡± Looking out at the scenery, Ilya mumbled ¡°¡­no. there is no need to apologize.¡± It was strange. This wasn¡¯t her first time on the griffin. She flew on it when she came to the Pareira territory, and the outside scenery which she saw now, had nothing special in it. Yet, it felt different. Extremely different. ¡®If I was the protagonist in an adventure novel riding a griffin to defeat the Devil, I am now¡­¡¯ Ilya looked at Airn. Riding a sorcery carriage driven by a sorcery cat. She was now flying with the person she loved the most in the world. She felt like she was the protagonist of a romance novel. ¡°We are here.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± Already? Ilya was surprised. She wanted to enjoy it a little more. High in the sky, she wanted to enjoy the moment, as if she was the only one who could be with Airn for this moment. But she didn¡¯t show her thoughts outwards. There was no need to reveal it. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll take you down,dy.¡± ¡°..¡± He had a yful tone, but it didn¡¯t seem like a joke. Ilya looked at his face and then grabbed his hand to get off the carriage. There was no need to worry or be disappointed. Unlike the children¡¯s books which she used to read when she was child, nothing changed when she got off the sorcery carriage. ¡®Yet¡­¡¯ She was still by his side. She didn¡¯t let go of Airn¡¯s hand as they walked ahead, and she had a smile on her face. And¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have any worries.¡± Kirill, Lulu and Bratt who suddenly appeared looked at those two with happy eyes. Sevantino, the free city of Gerbera Kingdom, which was famous for its art. Artists from various fields, including painting, music, sculpting and acting too, could be seen here all thanks to the people who enjoyed these arts. It felt like a festival the whole year here. Ilya and Airn felt the same. As they strolled through the streets, the two found pleasure in things other than swords. ¡°Do you want to see that?¡± ¡°Wow, a portrait in 1 minute!¡± ¡°I like the sound of music from ther¡­.¡± ¡°I saw a lot of street performances, should we go inside?¡± At first, Ilya found it awkward to enjoy the street of artists that they were walking through. In fact, even at the beginning of the date, she had a firm expression and had just passively followed Airn. However, it was like that only for a while. She had already forgotten about yesterday. And also about Kirill and Lulu who were probably around. Somewhere since the beginning of the date, she had a moment when she felt as if she could enjoy the present without having to care about anyone else. From that moment, Ilya began to enjoy her time with Airn without any pretenses. It wouldn¡¯t have been possible in the past. She would have been reluctant to show this to others. Especially to avoid letting others know of her intentions. More than that, she was afraid of showing her heart to others¡­ If it was the past self when she couldn¡¯t trust anyone truly, no matter how much she liked them, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to show such an image to them. But not now. Ilya suddenly stopped and looked at Airn. Seeing her like that, the young man asked. ¡°What?¡± With a smile as warm as the sun. ¡­Ilya looked at his face more deeply than any artwork she had seen. ¡°Just¡­I like this.¡± She said with a smile. It wasn¡¯t said after a thought. Her face wasn¡¯t red, nor did she have a nk expression. Yet, her heart was trembling more than ever. Even though she controlled her body with aura, it was hard to stop the trembling. She wanted to be honest. She wanted to reveal and express what was going on in her mind, and she did. It was 100% urate and true¡­ it felt unreasonable to show her feelings and make sure the other one wouldn¡¯t misunderstand it. ¡°Yes, I like it too.¡± Airn smiled again and answered. It wasn¡¯t something with many meanings. Perhaps, it was because he liked the festive air which was good and rxing after a long time, and it wasn¡¯t about Ilya. Ilya who thought that, felt sorry but also relieved. ¡­ she couldn¡¯t do it yet. She thought to herself and kept moving. ¡°Hello. Thank you for visiting us. We will serve you with appetizers.¡± ¡°We will pair the Sevantino¡¯s silk wine which goes well with the hors d¡¯oeuvres. Please enjoy the taste that is deep and vorful.¡± ¡°How about a ss of red wine with steak? Just in time, a wonderful piece of meat has alsoe in¡­¡± ¡°I would like to rmend a cocktail with dessert. It has a citrus scent with a little umami¡­¡± ¡°You are Bratt.¡± ¡°¡­whatever do you mean?¡± ¡°Enough, get lost.¡± ¡°Excuse me, but who is Bratt? My name is.¡± ¡°Bratt, enough.¡± ¡°How did you know?¡± ¡°Go away now, please.¡± Strange. He was in a perfect disguise. The waiter disappeared mumbling¡­no, they let Bratt, who was disguised, go away. It was because Gerbera¡¯s young noble¡¯s emotions when it came to alcohol were a bit too sincere unlike food, and his gestures and his way of speaking would always reveal it. ¡°Sorry. I don¡¯t know why he is acting like that.¡± ¡°No. It is fine. It was fun.¡± Ilya said with a slight smile. It really was. She wasn¡¯t really in a good state before this meal. Airn¡¯s invitation was sudden, and he was acting very differently. The excitement and anticipation from it was tearing down her heart without mercy. It was to the extent where she couldn¡¯t control her feelings. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t mistake his words.¡¯ Ilya forced herself to stay calm. It was true that they were closer than before. Perhaps, out of the many imaginations that came to her mind when she epted the invitation, the moment she desired the most mighte today. Conversely, she also felt terrified and was afraid that this happiness would be snatched away. Which was why she wasn¡¯t offended by Bratt¡¯s sudden appearance. In front of the person she liked the most, Ilya felt herself getting smaller. ¡®I¡¯m trembling.¡¯ Airn looked at her with deep eyes. And continued to constantly look into her. Her nose, her lips, those ears with the new earrings on it, and the pretty eyes which were asionally staring into his. Everything about her seemed beautiful. She was always the same, but now she looked even more beautiful. ¡®Perhaps, it is because my heart finally knows it.¡¯ Because he was thezy prince who had humbled himself for long. He too, felt the same way as Ilya. But¡­ He couldn¡¯t back down today. ¡°Ilya.¡± Walking out of the restaurant, the two stopped walking. Ilya turned and looked. And looked to the side. It was a sparsely popted ce. And Airn had a face which seemed like he had something to say. She suppressed her feelings and raised her head. Thought of what it could mean and not mean at the same time. To her, he said. ¡°I like you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Not as a friend, but as a woman.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°A lot, I like you a lot.¡± Not giving her a chance to mistake his words¡­ Airn expressed himself clearly. Chapter 266: Take care of me (2)

Chapter 266: Take care of me (2)

¡°A lot, I like you a lot.¡± Airn¡¯s confession wasn¡¯t as unexpected as Bratt Lloyd¡¯s was to Judith. Airn had spent the entire day thinking about it and had made a n. Moreover, he had also sought advice from those around him. It was thanks to their help that he had a flying carriage, a good spot, and a cozy dinner ce. ¡®Bratt was a bit¡­¡¯ It must have been an act of goodwill so he could just ignore it. The important thing was that they all yed a part which created the right atmosphere for the confession. The most important part of the confession was its content, and that was Airn¡¯s duty. He couldn¡¯t leave that to anyone else. It was the reason why Airn couldn¡¯t sleepst night and kept tossing around in his bed. Fortunately, this was the oue. Airn took a deep breath. ¡®I am trembling.¡¯ He knew the feelings he had for her. And he also knew that she had feelings for him. Yet, he still couldn¡¯t help but be nervous and anxious. Because he was human, he wanted to show her a much better image than what was normal. Besides, this wasn¡¯t some ordinary moment, but a special moment of confession which marked the beginning of lovers. However, Airn put that thought aside and dropped his hands. Sophisticated speed, skillful expressions, actions as well as attitude. All of which were things that would make the other person¡¯s heart flutter. That didn¡¯t suit him. No matter how hard he tried the entire day, it was clear that he couldn¡¯t do such things. Which was why he thought he had to be more focused¡­ Confessing didn¡¯t mean he had to show his feelings in a fancy package. Rather, what he had to do was to fully convey the sincerity of his feelings. Airn who nodded at that thought, said while looking at Ilya. ¡°I like the Ilya, who first approached me when no one dared toe close.¡± He remembered their first meeting in school, when he was horrible enough to not even try forming a proper rtionship with anyone. And thinking back, Ilya was kind to him from the start. Even though she had her own things to do, she took time to help him and was unbiased towards him. Despite the misunderstandings, she listened to him calmly and showed him how he could ovee his limits as well as his personality. Both of which weren¡¯t easy to do. ¡°I like the Ilya who greeted me with a bright smile, despite me showing up after 5 years and not keeping my promise.¡± He remembered her from the Land of Proof. They were difficult and painful times. Although she was in a darker ce than Airn had ever been through, she had still weed him with a bright face. Although there was another misunderstanding then, even in that moment, Ilya still didn¡¯t walk away from him. Thinking about it, maybe he had liked her since then. ¡°The Ilya who was awkward while traveling, the Ilya who couldn¡¯t cook well and the Ilya who would coolly help out Judith¡­ I like all of that.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Ilya who listened to it, put on a flustered expression. The reaction hade when he mentioned the cooking part, and as he saw that, Airn smiled a little. Because it reminded him of the time where he had to use the aura sword to cut down that tough beef she had cooked. He liked that too. This clumsy appearance she showed now was her being embarrassed about her past clumsiness. And Airn continued. The big things like the events that had urred in Durkali and the battle with the clown. There were also small things like the times when she would make sure to sit next to him and stare into the horizon and talk about the most trivial of things. All of them were good and precious memories to him. But that alone was enough. ¡°Ilya.¡± He called out her name. And looked at her. All of a sudden, he felt like the words he wanted to say were flowing with ease. What if she was getting tired of it? Worry gripped Airn¡¯s body. He had to just shake it off. It was fine to be worried, because this was going to be the start. And as Bratt had told him, all the first times were clumsy and messy. Recalling the advice from his friend, he spoke embracing the worry he had in his mind. ¡°Will you go out with me? Noth¡­¡± Phew. Airn exhaled and spoke in a firmer tone. ¡°Go out with me¡± ¡°¡­¡± Listening to his voice¡­seeing the emotions he was trying to convey, Ilya, too, fell into her thoughts. It was simr to his, but slightly different. If Airn remembered when he started liking the other person, what he liked about them and how much. Ilya looked back at herself and not Airn. ¡®I, I¡­¡¯ Airn asked whether he was worthy of being liked? She never thought she was before that. No, she didn¡¯t even ask that question to herself. All she had in her heart was her brother, her family and I. She didn¡¯t have the time to worry about who the other person was, what he liked or disliked or anything of that sort. Of course, it wasn¡¯t the same now. She realized it as she escaped from the dungeon of the clown. She realized that in order to love someone, you first had to love yourself. It was then that she realized the fact that she had someone she had liked so much that she wanted to be beside them forever. From then on, Ilya¡¯s emotions flowed in a healthy way, and her heart, which was wounded, began to improve little by little. Therefore¡­ ¡®Coming back, for the first time¡­ my current self, is it ready to love and care for myself enough to love someone else?¡¯ It was an unnerving question. But it was a question which had to be addressed. If the answer was neglected, she wouldn¡¯t be the only one getting hurt. It was clear that Airn, who gave his heart to her, would also have a hard time. Which was why she couldn¡¯t answer right away. Of course. ¡°¡­ yes.¡± 1 If one asked if it was a tough enough question to change her mind, then the answer would be a resounding NO. She answered shyly and burst intoughter. ¡°Hehe.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ah, Iughed like a fool.¡± Ilya, who realized it toote, had a shocked expression on her face. It was meant to be. When she dyed her answer, Airn had a restless expression on. Still, it was cute to see Airn working hard to not show the anxiousness he felt, outside. Seeing that, it was impossible for her to notugh. She smiled as she thought, ¡®If I am asked, if I have enough confidence, self-awareness, and esteem, then I might probably becking¡­¡¯ But it is fine. If it was going to be Airn¡¯s eyes that were looking at her, and his emotions that felt for her, then everything would be fine. Even the shorings in her seemed like they could be filled. ¡°I like you too,¡± Ilya Lindsay said. She, who was now ready to date Airn Pareira, spoke. As the words were said, she felt better instantly. It must have been a relief to finally talk about her honest feelings out loud without hiding them anymore. Without even caring about her blushing face, she whispered. ¡°I like you. Me too¡­ I like you a lot, Airn.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ Ah!¡± Hearing that, Airn smiled with a dumb expression on his face and then came to senses. Ilya liked him too. And the smile didn¡¯t die. Like water flowing, pleasant emotions kept flowing from both of them. It was really fortunate that no one could see them. Because it would have been awkward. So¡­ ¡®For now, I only want Airn to see me like this.¡¯ After thinking that, Ilya Lindsay went close to Airn. She took one step ahead. At a very slow pace. As if her steps indicated her desire for him to hold her, Airn moved. Tap Tap! Despite being lovers, they awkwardly patted each other''s backs. Grab! Their hands sped in tension¡­both of them slightly sweaty. The two didn¡¯t let go for a very long time. Even though they were lovers, the moon in the night sky was looking down at them as if giving hope to those who had a young heart. ¡°¡­ What. Are you not done holding hands?¡± ¡°Why? Is holding hands not good?¡± ¡°No, it is fine. But the atmosphere is good, well, you know, to take it a step further?¡± ¡°Further?¡± ¡­ no. Apart from Airn and Ilya, there were other people watching these two. It was Kirill, Lulu and Bratt. The two sword masters were sensitive enough to catch even the sound of another person¡¯s breathing, but they didn¡¯t have the capability to break through the sorcery which Kirill and Lulu nned beforehand. They couldn¡¯t concentrate elsewhere. The two sorcerers were able to discuss the oue of the date to their heart''s content. No, it was only a bit like a discussion. That was because the current happenings with the new couple were leading into a one-sided dissatisfaction of Kirill¡¯s hopes. ¡°Still, uh? If it is this kind, it is fine to kiss, kiss!" ¡°Um. Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Kirill said in a strong tone. How hard had they worked for today. She styled Airn and focused all her sorcery into controlling the carriage, and even guided him to a good ce so that he could confess. The currentndscape was created after great care, and this was usually the most crowded ce in the city. However, Lulu had rented the entire ce out for these two. ¡®So, the confession was bound to be a sess! So¡­¡¯ It was natural for them to wish for something like this! That was Kirill¡¯s argument and the ck cat just nodded. To be honest, Lulu was satisfied with just this. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t know the other''s feelings, but for her, this was enough since the two had worked extremely hard to get here. And Bratt was the same. As he watched the two of them moving away, he spoke in a serious face. ¡°Both of them are very introverted, especially in this aspect, so I didn¡¯t think things would happen as easily as Kirill had expected it. But isn¡¯t this fine too? I think it will be more fun to watch it if it is fresh and pure despite it being a little frustrating.¡± Hearing that, Kirill said with a frown. ¡°Don¡¯t be silly. Mr. Lloyd took charge of the table and the atmosphere got too weird. If it wasn¡¯t for that, the atmosphere would have been a little better.¡± ¡°What¡­ it wasn¡¯t. Thanks to the right alcohol pairing with the food, the two probably feel a lot be¡­¡± ¡°Bratt, I don¡¯t think so.¡± Lulu shook her head and so did Kirill. Both had serious eyes. There was also a feeling of criticism against him. ¡°No. Watching this closely, if they slow¡­¡± ¡°Slow?¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s call it again. The emergency meeting¡± ¡°Ah, nice! I liked it a lot! It was fun!¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t doing this for fun!¡± ¡°Ing¡­.¡± Lulu got scolded by Kirill for being excited. Neither of them cared about the other man. Suddenly, feeling lonely, Bratt looked up at the night sky and thought of his lover. ¡®I miss you. Judith¡­¡¯ What was she doing? Swinging the sword as usual? Thinking about that in the cold wind, he was in solitude. At that time. ¡°¡­ why am I so itchy?¡± ¡°Yah! What are you doing! Is your teacher¡¯s teaching making you itchy?¡± ¡°No, wait! My ears are strangely itching¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t make excuses! Aren¡¯t you doing that because you want to res¡­¡± ¡°I said no you crazy bastard! Ah, seriously it itches like hell. Believe what people say!¡± ¡®¡­ is something thinking about me? Is it Bratt? It would be nice if it was him.¡¯ Judith, whose ears were itching, was also thinking about her lover. FINALLY. LET¡¯S GOOOOOOO!!!!!? Chapter 267: Sneaky Guest (1)

Chapter 267: Sneaky Guest (1)

The morning that dawned on the Pareira territory was bright. It was the usual wind, the usual sky, the usual atmosphere. However, that wasn¡¯t it. Everything was the same as yesterday, but the mood today had something different. At least, it was a day where everyone who had a close rtionship with Airn could smile¡­ ¡°Eh, Airn, how do you feel about starting a rtionship?¡± It was because of the meaningful and important event which had happened the day before. ¡°Haha¡­¡± ¡°Hm, are you going to fool around like that? Fine. I have someone else to ask, apart from you. Ilya?¡± ¡°Be quiet.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± Bratt Lloyd snapped and Airn seemed puzzled. Ilya had shown a sharp reaction, but it was only her speech which was like that since the reaction she showed was no different from Airn. They were both still shy. And since it was fun, Bratt teased them. Kirill who looked at the persistent and childish question shook her head and Lulu sighed. ¡®There¡¯s one who acts like a child and makes fun of them and then there are the ones who are shy like children.¡¯ It felt like the mental age of these people stopped at the teens. Certainly, it wasn¡¯t as good as their swordsmanship. ng! ¡°Bratt, how about a spar?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I refuse your refusal.¡± ¡°¡­can¡¯t help it.¡± Clearly impatient, Ilya Lindsay drew out her sword and Bratt took a stance. It was a sudden change, but it wasn¡¯t too strange. That was why they were in the training hall in the first ce. However, Kirill had no choice but to consider it absurd. ¡®NO, how is it that they start dating and the next day, they bothe to the training hall?¡¯ Her older brother was one thing, but she couldn¡¯t understand why Ilya was also doing it. Of course, she did understand that Ilya grew so much because of the passion and effort she had, but still, she should be hoping for something sweet from the beginning of their rtionship. ¡°Really, they¡¯re fools who only know swords¡­¡± Kang! Kang!! ¡°Ku¡­!¡± ¡°Hmph!¡± ¡°Wah, being so real.¡± In the end, Bratt and Ilya really started fighting. They weren¡¯t the only ones doing it seriously, even Airn¡¯s eyes were serious. Anyone could see how immersed he was in the battle between the two. Kirill sighed. Sensing that she wasn¡¯t in the right ce, she took Lulu into her arms and then left the ce. Nevertheless, Airn didn¡¯t take his eyes off the two who were fighting. ¡®Indeed, Ilya¡¯s skills are improving.¡¯ He felt it when he went to the Lindsay mansion. Recently, she was showing explosive growth. However, even taking that into consideration, today¡¯s appearance was surprising. Although Bratt was at the beginning stage of a Master, she was overwhelmingly and leisurely holding him down. What happened? Did she have a realization? Airn who thought for a while, soon found the answer. It had started from I, where a sword was firmly established in the hearts of the people she had affected. It was thanks to the growth of the Hero¡¯s Sword, or the Sword of the Heart. ¡®It is the same with me.¡¯ ¡®The Sword of the Heart¡¯ is a sword that utilizes the ¡®will to protect¡¯ against a devil¡¯s desire for chaos. In other words, it also meant that, the greater the desire to protect something, the greater the potential. Airn concentrated on his inner self. As it was originally, throughnguage and promises, the rtionship between the two had be deeper and stronger. As he thought that the effect was being exerted through his lover¡¯s sword, his feelings for Ilya turned even more intense. To the extent where the days of the past where he had been hiding his love, pretending to not know and ignoring it, all felt foolish. ¡®It won¡¯t be like that in the future.¡¯ He had to express it even better than now. But it was fine. Since this was just the start. Watching his lover who looked prettier than yesterday, Airn smiled. At that moment, Bratt who bounced back due to an attack from Ilya said, ¡°¡­ dirty couple.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°It is so disgraceful to have you guys exchange nces while dealing with me.¡± ¡°um¡­¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± ¡°Comin! Ahhh!¡±1 Kwang! Excited, Bratt stomped strongly. It was a charge so intense that a spider web-like crack appeared on the floor of the hall. His charge was as if he was actually dealing with enemies, but his attack still didn¡¯t reach Ilya. ng! ng! Wheik¡­ Kang! Bratt was frivolously counterattacked and he missed his chance, and the blue sword of his flew out of his hand and fell to the floor. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Silence fell. As the knights that watched saw that the Masters¡¯ match was done, them, along with the soldiers who managed the hall, and even Kirill and Lulu who returned since they had nothing to do, couldn¡¯t close their mouths. Bratt, who slowly picked up the sword, took a stance and said, ¡°Until my sword reaches the sky, I will not stop today!¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was the second day since Airn and Ilya had be lovers. Bratt held them from their activities until the afternoon. Time passed. The estate was as usual, the Airn couple were the same as usual. Except for the brief dinner date and the swordsmanship duels that they had all day. The days were so fierce that even some knights would bite their lips as they saw the duels. However, there was a man who was more devoted to swordsmanship than them. It was Bratt Lloyd, the noble of the Gerbera Kingdom. Whoo! ¡°Phew!¡± Whoo! ¡°Haa¡­¡± Always holding the Aura Sword, which consumed immense stamina, and a repeated swinging of the sword. He didn¡¯t hesitate to fight against Ilya or Airn, who he knew were superior to him. Rather, he wanted them to fight against him even more. Seeing him pushing himself to the limit, everyone in the Pareira estate couldn¡¯t help but be amazed at it. ¡°¡­¡± It was the same with Kirill Pareira. No, her surprise was greater than the others. She knew. The fact that Bratt Lloyd must have trained a lot. And that the status of Sword Master couldn¡¯t be reached by talent alone. However, Bratt¡¯s appearance that she had seen so far was rxed, yful, mischievous¡­ She hadn¡¯t thought deeply about his efforts till now. ¡®¡­ he doesn¡¯t fall behind my brother.¡¯ Not anymore. Rather than pranking Ilya, the figure silently swung the sword. Concentrating on the battle he had lost, he engraved the losses deeply in his mind. One week passed, and then it became two weeks and then three. Seeing his will andmitment which didn¡¯t turn dull even after a month passed, the young sorcerer changed her opinion of him. A genius who traversed the same path as another genius. Seeing Brat Lloyd walk the path without getting frustrated, Kirill thought. Him being Airn¡¯s friend was an amazing thing. ¡°See you again, brother Bratt!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Right. To Bratt Lloyd who was leaving the Pareira estate, it was the first time Kirill used the term brother¡­ and there was a reason. Of course, the others weren¡¯t aware of the change in her heart. Bratt was the same. However, his embarrassment didn¡¯tst long. The blue haired swordsman smiled and opened his mouth while looking at Kirill. ¡°Don¡¯t fall for me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°My friend, you know, I can¡¯t look at Lance Peterson in the face if that happens.¡± ¡°¡­ just, get lost.¡± ¡°Haha. See you again. And¡­ you two.¡± Bratt returned to the strict expression in an instant and looked at Airn and Ilya. ¡°Wait for me. Sooner orter. Bratt and Judith will crush you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Sooner might be a little difficult? Anyway¡­ the time wille, so just wait patiently.¡± ¡°And goodbye.¡± With that, Bratt Lloyd left the estate. Without waiting for even his attendants, he left with just a sword in his hand. No one would think of him as a high ranking noble of a powerful nation. But no one took him lightly either. ¡°¡­ I need to train.¡± Ilya, who was looking at Bratt¡¯s back, suddenly said that and went straight to the training hall. Airn nodded his head. He thought the same, and as always, his feelings for the sword arose strongly today since he had seen Bratt¡¯s disy all month. However, it wasn¡¯t the time for that right now. He turned his head and looked at the direction where his friend was leaving. Airn watched him for a long time. Leaving the residence. Leaving the mansion and the estate. Bratt Lloyd, who was leisurely walking through the autumn in, nced back. Now, the Pareira estate had started changing little by little. However, what reflected in his eyes the most were his friends who were bigger than him. ¡°¡­¡± He didn¡¯t think about it for long since there was no reason to keep looking at that. Airn wasn¡¯t the same person he had been during the time he had spent at Krono either. He recalled seeing Ilya Lindsay¡¯s sword and falling into despair. Seeing Airn¡¯s vertical sh and traces of the stage, he remembered how disappointed he felt in himself¡­ Now, he was old enough to let all of that go. ¡°Should I drain it well this time?¡± Srrng! Bratt Lloyd drew his sword. The sound that came out of the sword was clear. He also liked the color of the blue sword. He smiled slightly and moved ahead. He moved forward in a slow and leisurely manner and began to wield the sword. Wong! With a swing, the inferiority he had towards Airn was shattered. Woong! With another swing, he brushed off his entitlement to Ilya. Little by little, he brushed away the negative emotions that were entangled within him with every step, breath and action he took. Before long, Bratt¡¯s movements began to flow like water. Woong! Wooong! Suddenly, the wind that had blown lingered on his body and matched the sword. It wasn¡¯t a bad wind. It wasn¡¯t forcing him. It didn¡¯t block him. It didn¡¯t even try to grab him. Rather, it felt gentle, and it was as if it was coolly pushing him in the direction Bratt desired to move¡­ Bratt swung the sword longer than he expected and kept moving. And came to his senses after about an hour of starting the Sword Dance. ¡°¡­¡± Who? Looking around, Bratt thought. It was his thing to flow freely and embrace the wind which blew. However, when asked if he had made the wind his familiar, then no, he would shake his head. ¡®An amazing person was here.¡¯ A mysterious figure who had hid so naturally that even Bratt couldn¡¯t notice, and that person had then disappeared in an instant. When Bratt was mulling over the sword dance he did, the figure who had been watching him till then, moved away and thought. ¡°¡­ I finally get to see you. Hope you are fine, my daughter.¡± At that time, the swordsman closest to the sky was moving rapidly to the Pareira estate. With zing eyes. Kinda sus ngl.? Chapter 268: Sneaky Guest (2)

Chapter 268: Sneaky Guest (2)

¡®I am going to visit the Hale Kingdom for a while.¡¯ ¡®What? Wai¡­¡¯ ¡®Well, bye!¡¯ ¡®What? Uh? W-wait! Wait!¡¯ When his lovely daughter Ilya, suddenly left for the Pareira estate, the feeling of emptiness and deprivation Joshua Lindsay felt was indescribable. In the days after that, a light outing was scheduled with the family. No, it wasn¡¯t just that. It was the same in the past as well. The time when the devil appeared in the Rabat estate. There, Joshua gave counseling to his daughter. It was good that she liked it, and in fact, his daughter appeared quite refreshed after that day. ¡®But, then¡­¡¯ Ilya ran to see Airn to tell him what she felt, and not him. ¡­ that memory was the main reason why Joshua left his family and came to the central part of the continent. Waiting for his daughter toe back wasn¡¯t something which sat well with him. Even if it took a long time, it was better to just move directly. It didn¡¯t take that long. He was a Sword Master; more importantly, he was part of one of the top ten swordsmen in the entire continent. Some might disagree, but he thought that he was strong enough to be in the top five. So, he concentrated on moving, day and night, and his speed was shocking. It took only two weeks for him to move from the west to the central part of the continent and that crazy pace didn¡¯t end there. Somewhere along the journey, he asked himself what he was even doing? ¡®Why is it that I care so much about the love life of my daughter who isn¡¯t a child anymore?¡¯ Of course, being concerned was fine. Because she was his only daughter, he didn¡¯t want to see her get hurt. But there was no reason for this. It wasn¡¯t like Ilya had fallen for some insignificant man¡­ But it was to Airn Pareira¡­ There were a few things that were personally disappointing, but from a different perspective, he was a really good young man. In terms of his sword, character, and even appearance, there was no w. Still, he couldn¡¯t stop himself and had rushed to the central part of the continent, all alone¡­what was the reason? From that moment, his speed slowed. Instead of moving quickly, he focused on his emotions and thoughts, and he became more interested in clearing the thoughts in his mind. This was why he had helped the blue-haired swordsman along the way. It wouldn¡¯t have been possible if he was travelling with the thoughts of his daughter like he was before. ¡®¡­ it was nice to help out.¡¯ That young man. He was probably the eldest of the Lloyd family. Joshua nodded thinking about the gentle swordsmanship he had seen from the young man. Clearly, this generation had talent. Compared to his childhood, countless youth with unparalleled talent were springing up now. However, Joshua knew that this wasn¡¯t an enjoyable urrence. The birth of a hero meant the start of a crisis. Apart from the clown, numerous demons were also popping up and there were even a few devils too, so he wondered how long the truth could be hidden from the people. ¡®¡­ in the midst of that, I came running to this ce.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± Joshua Lindsay looked up at the sky for a moment, and moved. It waste. The Pareira estate was right in front of him. He couldn¡¯t regret something aftering this far. He had to keep moving. He had to face them. Whom? His daughter. And that guy. ¡®Phew,¡¯ He took a huge breath and made up his mind and ran at his fastest speed again. ¡°You must be from the west¡­ have a nice trip.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± The disguise didn¡¯t cause anymotion at the gates after a fake identification was given to the guards. When the guard smiled, Joshua nodded and entered the Pareira Territory. His destination was the mansion. The goal of his long journey was for the two young people. However, instead of moving straight there, he went through the estate first. It was a habit he had developed after arriving in the middle of the continent. It was so that he could clear hisplex thoughts. Also, in order to see the estate and the appearance of another territory other than his own, Joshua took a slow walk, examining the city scenery and the expressions of the people around him. And that wasn¡¯t the end. What did he need to do to know more? He had to make conversation. And the necessary ce for that... ¡­was any ce with alcohol. Looking at the orange sky, thanks to the shorter days than summer, Joshua entered a tavern. ¡°Damn it, I¡¯m losing it.¡± ¡°What is it now? Didn¡¯t it work?¡± ¡°Oh! You lost again!¡± ¡°Haha, you are ten years too early to be my opponent!¡± The wind was warmer than the autumn air and there was the delicious smell of alcohol which blew through the ce. Along with the loud chatter. He ordered a ss of beer with sides and slowly integrated himself into the ce. There was no need to use his Sword Master¡¯s senses. Among the drunk people talking about their affairs, Joshua quietly continued to do his thing¡­ ¡°It is a good ce.¡± Taking a sip, he said. And then, a middle-aged man grabbed a beer and sat across from him. ¡°Certainly, it¡¯s a pretty decent ce. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The food is good and the price is good too, which makes it even better. Above all, there are many kinds of alcohol, so it is good to choose a drink ording to the mood of the day. Ah, are you ufortable with me sitting here?¡± ¡°It is fine.¡± Joshua answered. It was sincere. He didn¡¯t think this would happen, but he thought that this was also a fun part of traveling alone. Most of all, he liked this atmosphere. The man sitting next to him looked calm. He had red-hair with eyes which looked deep. Joshua who stared at him continued, as if just tossing the word, ¡°¡­ when I said it was a good ce, I wasn¡¯t talking about tavern.¡± ¡°Hm? then¡­¡± ¡°About the entire territory.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. It looks better than the other estates around it.¡± ¡°You must be a tourist; can you tell me why you thought that?¡± ¡°Hm, okay.¡± And eventually, his thoughts about the Pareira estate flowed from Joshua¡¯s mouth. ¡°First, the security is excellent, it is only natural that the guard¡¯s equipment reflects the good conditions here and the residents don¡¯t seem insecure. The city seems better because of that. The roads are neatly maintained, and the inside of the castle is also kept clean, so there is hardly any smell lurking around.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± ¡°The tavern is impressive. It ismon in most estates to say that one gets sick from drinking, but I don¡¯t think this is a bad thing. Rather than worrying about each thing each day, worry can be pushed to the future. From what I see that is how it happens in this territory, after seeing people drink here. It seems that the lord is taking good care of this ce.¡± ¡°That is a better review than I thought.¡± ¡°They aren¡¯t empty words.¡± After taking a sip of beer, Joshua continued. Security, maintenance, welfare. It was a known fact that the factors that were mentioned, help immensely in the reputation of the estate. Still, not a lot of people care because of the money needed for it, and because of that, most ces have more troubles. Or because some rotten nobles ignore the lives of their people. If so, where was Baron Pareira getting the money to manage the estate? ¡®Perhaps they are supporting some high-profit businesses at the estate. The ss craft seems to have attracted a lot of people which adds value¡­¡¯ He didn¡¯t know the full details. The only thing he was interested in was Airn. Baron Pareira and his estate weren¡¯t important to him. However, he could tell by looking at this ce. There was an abundant trade volume. As well as a well-nned artisan union. He also realized the business acumen who made it possible and the sense of bnce which ran this ce without any trouble. Along with the heart of the lord of this estate who wanted the people to live happily. So, Joshua thought that Baron Harun Pareira was a greater man than he thought. Aside from his son¡¯s fame. He said all that he thought without holding anything back, and the man in front had a pretty happy expression on his face. This man had to be a native, or he wouldn¡¯t make a face like that. What was disconcerting was the fact that the native had much deeper interest than Joshua had thought. ¡°Then, what do you think needs to be done in order to develop the estate more?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°Ah, sorry. Personally, I like to talk like this, but everyone around me gets tired of it¡­ I can stop if you mind.¡± ¡°¡­ no it¡¯s not that, but it¡¯s a very broad and abstract question.¡± ¡°Ah, that is a problem. So, let¡¯s go over a specific question then. I¡¯ve been thinking about using the cksmiths which had been sitting on the estate recently¡­¡± A discussion about the development of territory which started out of nowhere. It was frustrating. But it didn¡¯t feel bad. Rather, it was quite enjoyable. It was Joshua¡¯s first time that he had a deep and harmonious discussion with someone he met in a bar, so this was a different kind of fun. What¡¯s more, Joshua enjoyed talking to this middle- aged man without reservations, as his speech, attitude, along with his brilliant ideas, were so shocking that even Lord Lindsay was amazed. After an hour. Joshua said with apletely different expression from when he entered the tavern. ¡°You are amazing. Are you in charge of the administration of this estate?¡± ¡°Haha, no, I am just a little interested in the story of what is happening in the world.¡± ¡°It couldn¡¯t be that¡­¡± Joshua mumbled in disbelief. He liked this. To be honest he wanted to recruit this man. The conversations he had with the man, made Lord Lindsay want to reveal his true identity and take the red-haired man into the Lindsay estate. It was a short conversation, but it was certain. The fact that the other person was a true human resource with the right personality and attitude as well as a good insight. Lord Lindsay, whose heart was now tilting, forgot why he came here and pondered whether or not to reveal his identity. Cups of beer continued to pile up. It was then, A topic that could make his mind nk came from the table next to him. ¡°You, did you hear?¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°Young master Pareira. There are rumors that he is in a rtionship with the child of Lindsay''s family. No, that isn¡¯t a rumor, almost certain¡­¡± ¡°What was that!¡± Kwang! ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The tavern was engulfed in silence. Seeing someone punch the table and smash it with one shot, everyone was flustered. What made the man so angry? Before that, what was the identity of this man and why was he so strong? Most of them paid attention to thetter part. No¡­ it went beyond that. People even started to leave the ce in fear. And the owner wept as he saw the people leave after paying the bill. The red-haired man got up and handed the owner a gold coin. ¡°I am sorry. It turned into a nuisance¡­. It is small, but I hope this helps.¡± ¡°¡­ it is fine to break things once in a while.¡± The owner held the gold coin and regained his smile. Returning to his seat, he asked Joshua Lindsay. ¡°Did you happen to hear about Young master Airn and Ilya Lindsay?¡± ¡°.. ahem.¡± ¡°Is it true?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°I see. I already knew of it, but I suppose travelers wouldn¡¯t know of it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But the reason you are so agitated¡­ I don¡¯t quite understand.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I will ask you straight out. Our estate¡­ the fact that Young master Pareira and Miss Ilya Lindsay are lovers¡­¡± Did he feel something off? ¡­ the facial expression of the man asking the question was so cold and stiff that it was hard to think that this man was the same one as before. ¡®What? What is it?¡¯ Joshua was puzzled. He was aware that breaking a table was a strange thing to do, but it wasn¡¯t horrible enough for the man to suddenly change. And no one here even knows that he is Ilya¡¯s father, right? But¡­ ¡®If I reacted like this?¡¯ Was it because he was a native of this ce? Airn Pareira, the son of the esteemed Baron, who was building a name here. This man could feel that Joshua was ignoring the power of their lord. Did he feel bad because of that? ¡®If I think of it that way, it is understandable.¡¯ Joshua nodded. It seemed like he was right. If so, it was also clear on how to resolve the mood. He had to apologize. He had to say sorry. Finally, he had toe up with an excuse that he was from Adan, and that Lindsay was a treasure there¡­ and so he got a little excited at what was mentioned. It might be weird, but he felt connected to this man, a stranger. So, he didn¡¯t mind saying it. ¡°Of course, I was upset.¡± ¡­ and he didn¡¯t say what he prepared. ¡°I think that if it is Ilya Lindsay, the greatest genius of Adan, the youngest Sword Master ever¡­ she might meet a better person who¡­¡± Rather, as he talked, heat rose and he spoke harshly, without even knowing he said the words in a wrong manner. But then Joshua stayed silent, it was easy because the emotions were so intense in the other man¡¯s eyes that he didn¡¯t want to push it. ¡®This¡­¡¯ Gulp, Joshua gulped. The opponent was an ordinary person, not even a swordsman, and he didn¡¯t seem like a magician or sorcerer. And by his standards, this man was weak. Still, he felt nervous. Still, he couldn¡¯t keep up with the intense emotions. Looking into the eyes of the hot-blooded man, Joshua Lindsay felt embarrassed, resentful and a bit angry. ck! ¡°It is fine. How about this? Sometimes dates should be out¡­¡± ¡°Uh? There is no one here?¡± The couple who entered the tavern stopped still. A man with warm blonde hair as if he received the blessing from the sun. A woman with beautiful silver hair flowing like the moonlight in the night sky. Seeing the two middle-aged men having a fight with their eyes over a broken table, they both thought the same thing. ¡®Father?¡¯ ¡®Dad?¡¯ Chapter 269: Sneaky Guest (3)

Chapter 269: Sneaky Guest (3)

Shortly after Bratt Lloyd left the Pareira estate. Airn Pareira and Ilya Lindsay continued their usual training. This was especially true for Ilya, because there was something she felt when she met her friend. ¡®He is much more mature than me.¡¯ She knew that Bratt¡¯s goal wasn¡¯t to be the best swordsman on the continent. She knew that he learned the sword to protect his estate and be a good Lord. But did that mean he had no desire to win a fight? No. If it were such a man, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to understand Judith¡¯s heart and win her love. Yet¡­ He never lost his way. Even if there were people ahead of him. Even if it caused painful feelings, he never got caught up in it, and he continued to walk at his own pace. ¡®Compared to me who was under the shadow of I¡­ he is so different.¡¯ Woong! Woong! As she quickly spread her swordsmanship, she thought of I Crescentia. It had been quite a while. Compared to the past, when she thought of her every single day, she had changed. But¡­ Did it mean that I waspletely out of her system? This was why Ilya skipped lunch and focused on her sword. ¡°Ilya.¡± ¡°A-Airn.¡± Of course, it wasn¡¯t happening how she wanted. As the blue sky turned orange, Airn spoke to Ilya. And she smiled. He had been by her side all this time since Bratt had left. She couldn¡¯t help but feel his affection for her. However, the words which followed were different from what she expected, so Ilya couldn¡¯t answer right away. ¡°To change the mood, how about we have dinner outside?¡± ¡°Uh? Ah¡­¡± Since the day of his confession till now, the two enjoyed having dates within the estate. It was because she was in full swing with her training, and it also felt burdensome to show others that she changed a little after getting a lover. ¡°Seems like you are frustrated. Come to think of it, you were here for a whole month, right? Sometimes, I think of the past, like when we used to travel, we went walking around like that¡­ so let¡¯s do something like that tonight?¡± ¡°¡­ No. I think it¡¯s a great idea. Nice. Let¡¯s do that!¡± ¡°Uh? You are fine with it?¡± ¡°Yes. Come to think of it, Airn is right. Let¡¯s go,¡± Ilya responded with a smile. Thinking about it, there was no reason to hide their current rtionship. It wasn¡¯t a bad thing. ¡®I would rather brag.¡¯ Still, she thought what she was trying to hide was the evidence that she was still being swayed by other people¡¯s reactions. She couldn¡¯t focus. And she didn¡¯t want this. Seeing the unshakable figure of Bratt, her heart filled with passion.1 That was the reason Ilya nodded and that was why she appeared outside the mansion. It was also the reason she was proudly walking down the street holding Airn¡¯s hand, and it was the reason she opened the door to the tavern that usually had many customers. But the result¡­ ¡®¡­ Dad?¡¯ She never dreamed that she would meet her father, Joshua Lindsay here. She was sure. He changed the color of his hair, put on a beard and added a few other things, but he couldn¡¯t fool his daughter. ¡°Uh¡­¡± But it wasn¡¯t just Joshua. The reason why Airn was shocked was¡­ ¡­because Baron Harun Pareira was there. He, too, was not in his usual blonde hair, but he was still recognizable to Airn who was his child and also since Airn had his Sword Master instincts. And Ilya whispered. ¡°¡­ why is dad? And the Baron¡­ why are you both here?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Airn couldn¡¯t say anything. He could understand why his father was here. asionally, he liked to visit the ce and listen to the conversations so that he could know about the people and their conditions. But the fact that the Lindsay patriarch was here was beyond reason, and he couldn¡¯t understand the situation. Why? Especially since he was someone who had to be in the Adan Kingdom? Why would he show up here alone, in disguise? ¡®No¡­¡¯ Was he worried about his daughter? As soon as the thoughts flowed, Airn felt the urge to run out from the ce. Even if he hadn¡¯t done anything wrong. Even if there was nothing to be ashamed of concerning the fact that he and Ilya were now lovers. He felt embarrassed to stand in front of Joshua Lindsay. ¡°Ahh¡­ phew.¡± Airn took a deep breath and exhaled. He looked at his father. He couldn¡¯t look at Lord Lindsay. Airn, who fixed his gaze on one ce, greeted his father. ¡°Father, you must have been inspecting the ce. I will leave for now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Then, bye¡­¡± Saying that, Airn stepped back and left the ce. Airn leaving had left Ilya bewildered! And then she figured out the situation. No, she didn¡¯t know it fully. But she knew that nothing good woulde out of staying here, so she decided to follow. ¡°¡­ Have a good talk with the Baron, bye dad.¡± ck. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Silence ensued. Dead silence. Baron Harun Pareira and Count Joshua Lindsay. Even the owner of the Tavern, who was watching this happen couldn¡¯t speak and it seemed like an eternity had passed. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Ahem. That¡­ sorry.¡± It was Joshua Lindsay who spoke first. In a sense, he was the one who had made the mistake. In front of the son¡¯s father, he said that his daughter could find someone better, right? It was so horrible, that even Joshua wanted to run, but that would be a bigger shame onto the family. Lord Lindsay once again apologized. ¡°I apologize. That¡­ I never thought that you could be Baron Harun. No, not that, it is true that I made a mistake here. I really apologize.¡± ¡°¡­ I apologize too. I got too excited at it and messed up the nice atmosphere. Well, looks like we both made the same mistakes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Would you like some more drinks?¡± ¡°Hm¡­ right.¡± ¡°Not beer. Maybe something a little more¡­ strong?¡± ¡°I think that would be nice¡± Joshua nodded. Clearly, this situation would be difficult to move if they didn¡¯t have something strong. At the very least, they thought that the conversation would only flow nice if they could take something stronger than beer. ¡°Owner!¡± ¡°Yes, yes! Customer.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we might be taking up more time here. Is that fine?¡± ¡°I-it¡¯s fine. Totally!¡± Baron Pareira gave the owner two more gold coins and found another table and sat down. After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Joshua sat down in front of him. He started pouring the strong whiskey into therge sses. Gulp! In one gulp, the entire ss was empty. It was Baron Pareira who did that. Tak. A second ss. Tak! A third ss. Tak! After drinking in rapid session, he set the ss down on the table with a clicking sound. To him, Lord Lindsay asked. ¡°Your drinking ability¡­¡± ¡°It is neither strong nor weak.¡± ¡°I am on the strong side, so it¡¯s fine, but wouldn¡¯t that be too much for the Baron?¡± ¡°This is a situation where I want to overdo¡­¡± ¡°Right¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But even then.¡± Baron Pareira poured the drink into the ss for the fourth time. It had been a while, and his face was already turning red. And he stared at the ss filled with amber liquid for a moment and then looked at Joshua. ¡°We are both proud no matter where we are¡­ and the pride will never decrease since we are both parents of adorable children¡­¡± ¡°¡­it is the same for the two of us.¡± ¡°It was quite interesting for us to meet like this and talk,¡± Baron Pareira finished. When Joshua heard those words, he felt touched¡­ ¡°¡­ that is true.¡± ¡°Right?¡± ¡°Exactly right.¡± In the end, he admitted to it in a weak voice. In that atmosphere, it felt like things had turned morefortable. They talked about the stories of each other, the stories about their children that both fathers knew, and the stories about their children that either father didn¡¯t know. Sometimes, theyughed, sometimes they looked down in mncholy. There were times when they felt angry, and times they were sympathetic to the other. And at the end of that long talk, there was one conclusion. The fact that their son and daughter had graduated from their parents'' care. That the fathers also needed to graduate from their children now. Naturally, the one who felt it more strongly was¡­ Joshua Lindsay. ¡°Phew, let¡¯s get up.¡± ¡°That would be nice. We have been drinking a lot. I got drunk too. A lot more drunk than what I said I would be?¡± ¡°Haha, is that so? Actually, I can drink a little more. However, if we have to continue, let¡¯s head to a morefortable ce¡­. Um, so, how about heading to the mansion?¡± ¡°Good. I like that.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go, go.¡± The two drunkenly left the tavern and headed to the mansion. The soldiers guarding the entrance were puzzled at the Baron bringing in a stranger. ¡°It is fine. It¡¯s okay¡­he¡¯s the patriarch of the best family among the five great swordsman families of the West, the Lord of the Lindsay Family.¡± ¡°¡­ Uh?¡± ¡°Take me inside. Take me in. Hahaha.¡± ¡°Yes, yes¡­.¡± Of course, the soldiers didn¡¯t believe it. They just thought that this man was drunk and a little bit unusual. That was probably why the man treated them like his own guards. However, before they could do or say something, someone else moved before them. It was Airn and Ilya. ¡°Lord.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Airn was two steps ahead of Ilya. Standing in front of Joshua Lindsay, he said in a nervous voice. Earlier, he was flustered and embarrassed that he ran away. He didn¡¯t have the confidence to face Joshua Lindsay. But not now. So, it didn¡¯t happen again. He wanted to be able to stay as Ilya¡¯s lover. He felt like he needed the approval of Joshua Lindsay to stand proudly next to Ilya. Woong¡­ A force rose from Airn¡¯s body. It wasn¡¯t the aggressive one when he faced the devil. However, it was hard enough to rival him and warm enough to feel nice. ¡®If it is a fight I will do it, and if he responds with words, I will also respond with words¡¯ Airn wanted to show sincerity in any way! It was the moment when he was firmly determined and looked at Joshua. ¡°Take care of my daughter.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Joshua gave his permission too easily. He entered the mansion with Baron Pareira with a smile and didn¡¯t even look back. ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Airn and Ilya both looked at each other with bewildered expressions, unable to understand the situation. Of course, this wasn¡¯t a bad thing. Rather, it was a good thing. Airn who calmed down said, ¡°Ugh, I am still nervous¡­¡± ¡°I am happy. I was worried about what my dad would say since he came all the way here.¡± ¡°Right, but are you sure he is here to see us?¡± ¡°¡­ probably?¡± Ilya nodded and then Airn nodded as well. However, there were no further questions. It was unavoidable. It was because they were too young to understand the heart of Joshua or his father. Right now, only Baron Pareira could understand Joshua. Sure. ¡®Airn that little one¡­ he seems to grow stronger each time I see him, but it is still not enough. I need to train him a little more tomorrow. So that he can grow into a more suitable man for my daughter¡­¡¯ Even the Baron didn¡¯t know such thoughts were running in the other man¡¯s head. And like that, another day passed in the Pareira estate. Originally said, ¡°turned her on even more.¡± KEK? Chapter 270: Sneaky Guest (4)

Chapter 270: Sneaky Guest (4)

Early in the morning when the cold air could be felt. Airn Pareira, who woke up, sat still after a long time, and then entered into the world of imagery. An iron sword which stood tall. A me which burnt constantly so that the sword wouldn¡¯t turn dull. There was even a stream of water running around so that the me didn¡¯t spread too strongly. At first nce, the stream didn''t seem different from when he attained enlightenment in Lloyd¡¯s estate. But it wasn¡¯t just that. Even more solemnly than before, Airn nodded, looking at the deep and wide river in front of him. ¡®This time too¡­ I have been helped by so many people.¡¯ The emotions in the dark pit were removed and had spilled out. Those emotions of his found peace bymuning with his loved ones. What was important was the part called munion¡¯. As Airn conveyed his feelings¡­ ¡­the other party too conveyed their sincere feelings and thoughts. On the contrary, it was much deeper than what he said. It wasn¡¯t like it was without malicious intention. There were people like the Great Magician of the Runtel Kingdom, but even more good intentions had flowed towards Airn. It had started from small streams. From these small streams, it became a wider river. The energy continuously rose, and it gave greater strength to Airn. Because he knew that this wasn¡¯t his own virtue. Because he was able to feel his emotions in the flowing river, and as if he was holding the bond with his own hands¡­ he had no choice but to feel humble. ¡®I can¡¯t getcent here. Rather, now is the most dangerous time.¡¯ He wasn¡¯t forcing himself to be humble. He didn¡¯t know before, but now that he learned about the spirits, he knew it. There was more danger around than he had thought. He needed another spirit to keep things in check. He was also looking for a me to control the metal in the past. It was for that reason he even learned the Sword of water to cool the heat which was transferred from I to him. If so, what should be done in order to control the overflowing river due to so many reasons? He knew the way. It was to nurture the energy of earth and support the energy of water. So, what will he have to do to move in that way? He didn¡¯t know that yet. It was embarrassing¡­ Yet, it was a fact that he was now more aware of the energy of earth than he had been before. ¡®What happened?¡¯ Airn frowned. It was clear that his sense for the energy of earth had grown stronger. Thend, which was wider than before, was now enough to support the wide river. If it was in the previous level, the problem would have been already felt. Whether it was by his own feelings or by the expectations that others had for him, Airn would have nheless been engulfed in the river that he couldn¡¯t handle. ¡°Phew.¡± He thought about it till there.. Airn then got up and opened the window. He smiled as he looked up at the sky which seemed brighter and then had a regretful expression. Because today was the day that Ilya, who had stayed in the estate for a long time, would leave. Airn who had been gazing at the scenery a little further was ready to see them off. ¡°I¡¯lle back again.¡± ¡°No¡­next time I wille to you.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Uh.¡± Airn and Ilya¡¯s farewell was simple considering the fact that they were lovers who had just started dating. However, their gazes were different. Joshua mumbled quietly as the couple looked at each other. ¡®Calm down. It is fine. This is something lovers usually do.¡¯ With his eyes closed, a gentle energy rose. However, the moment he heard Harun Pareira¡¯s voice, his expression softened. ¡°The next time, I wille to see you in your territory.¡± ¡°e anytime. I will be waiting for you.¡± A short, blunt conversation between the fathers. But that was enough. Airn, Ilya, Amelia, Kirill, and Lulu. It was because the two of them had built a friendship that was deep enough to be felt by so many. Of course, there were some who thought that this was calctive. Marcus was an example. ¡®Now the power of the Pareira family is¡­ we have grown so great that no one can call the Lord just a Baron any longer!¡¯ Normally, the Pareira Lord was considered to be a Viscount in terms of their financial condition. Then what about now? A Count? Or even greater than that? It was something that couldn¡¯t be figured out quickly. What was certain was that the influence that this small estate had, had grown much bigger than the entire Hale Kingdom. ¡°Then, for now¡­goodbye.¡± ¡°Please move safely. The Young miss too, stay safe.¡± ¡°Thank you for everything. If it is the griffin given by Miss Pareira, we will reach our estate within a week¡­ after we arrive, a letter will be hung around the neck of the griffin and sent back.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t put it around the neck, put it on the feet! If you put it around the neck, Cherry will feel stuffy.¡± ¡°Then I won¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try to make one for Lady Lindsay as well, the next time youe there, so look forward to it.¡± ¡°Thank you. Then...¡± With thosest words from Kirill, the Lindsay Lord and his daughter got on top of Cherry. As they left, Ilya Lindsay was waving her hand at them, and Joshua was looking at them with a solemn expression. And quickly, they both disappeared into the distance, and Airn stood there watching for a long time. It was unfortunate. He wanted to be with her a little longer. But it wasn¡¯t like it was unbearable. Airn lowered his gaze and closed his eyes, feeling the water flowing through him. His father, mother, sister, Lulu, his friends, the Orcs from Durkali and the other precious people of his life¡­ Among them, Ilya¡¯s feelings for him were the biggest and deepest. Rather than being swayed by it, he had to embrace it to be a better person. The thought of turning into a better and greater person ran through his head. ¡°Ah.¡± Only then did he realize it. The reason why he had gotten stronger recently. The reason why the earth¡¯s energy turned stronger without him even realizing it. It was because of the interest and attention of many people. Their expectations and love, along with the hearts of even more people. In the past, these things felt burdensome to him, and he wanted to run away from them. But not anymore. He wanted to respond and reciprocate them now. It was because of the will which had developed in him. ¡°¡­ let¡¯s work hard.¡± ¡°Uh? What?¡± ¡°Nothing. No, it is nothing, but¡­¡± ¡°Hm?¡± Lulu tilted her head and looked at him and Airn just smiled. He stroked the ck cat¡¯s head and walked to the training hall. Concentrating on others and getting to know the world was also a kind of training. But as of today, he now wanted to focus on the sword entirely. ¡®I learned a lot.¡¯ Flying on the griffin, Joshua Lindsay, mumbled to himself. He really did learn a lot. Initially, he thought he was teaching Airn, but thinking back, he was the one who had learned a lot. Airn had learnt to let go of the bitter past. Airn had learnt to never get caught up in worries and anxiety for a future that was full of hope¡­and naturally, he walked his own path without much difficulty. On the other hand, what about him? He still lived his life regretting the past. Because of the trauma in his mind, both the present and the future would be affected. It was based on the overprotection of his daughter, Ilya. Now he knew. He was obsessed with his daughter¡¯s safety and future more than necessary¡­ ¡®It¡¯s because of my son¡­ it is because I couldn¡¯t get over the guilt I felt for Carl.¡¯ Joshua closed his eyes. Now, even the face of his son looked blurry. On the other hand, he could clearly remember the strict behavior and cold expression. And how the expression of his son had darkened after that particr event. He had to escape this. And that would be the only way that Joshua Lindsay could stand up for his family. It would have helped his daughter be happy too. Thankfully, two fortunate things happened. The first one was that he was finally aware of the horrible truth he had ignored for a long time. And the second truth was that it was Airn Pareira who had shown him the path. The sword Airn had spread out, came to his mind. The look in his eyes also came to his mind, and the will etched deep in it came to his mind. For a brief moment, he also remembered the blue haired swordsman he had observed before entering the Pariera estate. ¡°Dad. We are almost there.¡± ¡°¡­ already?¡± ¡°Yes. I see it.¡± Joshua Lindsay, who was meditating, asked in surprise. It was true. He saw the estate ahead and nodded. It felt fine. Although he was riding the griffin for the first time, and his mind was very confused, everything seemed calm. Of course, the negative emotions that had gued him weren¡¯tpletely resolved. It would take a lot of time and effort in the future. It would be difficult since it was something he hadn¡¯t faced for a long time, and it would be a slow process. But still, it was fine. He had realized it before it was toote and that would be enough. The Lord, who smiled brightly at his daughter, jumped down from the griffin, which had nownded in the Lord¡¯s mansion. It was then. A familiar voice came from behind him. ¡°Lord.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I Crescentia, themander of the ck Knights of Avllius, asks for guidance.¡± Joshua Lindsay, the head of one of the five swordsman families of the west. He looked at the ck-haired knight who was looking at him with a serious face. At a nce he could see it. She was stronger than when they crossed swords at Rabat. No, she was much stronger than when she had attained enlightenment. ...this wasn¡¯t mentioned till now. The Lord opened his mouth with a stiff expression. ¡°I am not feeling well today.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s going to be extremely tough. If you are thinking of ending it with a simple spar¡­¡± Wooong! ¡°¡­then you should leave.¡± Even in the strong wind, I didn¡¯t hesitate. No matter how wide the sky was. No matter how strong the wind that took over the air was, the sun didn¡¯t lose its light. She, who still hadn¡¯t backed down, spoke with a cold smile. ¡°I ask you with the same intensity that you ask me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Without any level of stimtion, you¡¯ve reached an unbreakable wall¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s change ces.¡± Lord Lindsay interrupted I. It wasn¡¯t to avoid the spar, but rather, it was to have a proper one. Because if he fought at the entrance, the mansion could be damaged. There was also the desire within him to destroy the other person properly without caring for anything else. And then came another voice from behind, It was Ilya Lindsay. ¡°I want to watch it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Is that possible?¡± ¡°¡­ follow us.¡± Joshua Lindsay nodded and Ilya Lindsay, stood there with a tense look. And then there was I Crescentia who wasn¡¯t losing her light even in the midst of the storm. The attendants of the mansion couldn¡¯t pursue them, but not everyone was like that. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± A priest. A clown. And a swordsman beside them, watched the spar quietly. Chapter 271: Sneaky Guest (5)

Chapter 271: Sneaky Guest (5)

It was nowte at night. In the middle of an indoor training hall, where only the direct rtives of the Lindsay family were allowed to enter, Ilya Lindsay stood there with her eyes closed. Naturally, her thoughts went towards the spar¡­no, the fight which had taken ce today. It was definitely¡­ something which couldn¡¯t be called a simple spar. It was too harsh to be called that. Because her father¡¯s sword was full of life and I¡¯s sword was full of poison. ¡®No, is it right to call it poison?¡¯ That wasn¡¯t the correct way to say it. It was true that I¡¯s skills were still not as good as Joshua Lindsay, but the gap wasn¡¯t so wide that it could just be ignored. In fact, even this was surprising. Even though they were two generations apart in age, her father maintained a serious attitude from the beginning to the end of the duel. But, That wasn¡¯t all. The swordsmanship of I Crescentia began to rey in Ilya Lindsay¡¯s head. ¡®It was stubborn, persistent, and somewhat toxic too¡­ I¡¯s sword was far from anything like that before.¡¯ It was iprehensible. To stand up against something stronger than herself. What was more, in order to face the Lord of the Lindsay family, who induced the power of wind into his sword, the very thought that she had to endure it must have dominated I¡¯s mind. Since she didn''t want to be blown off the ground, she had given strength to her feet and had held her hands tightly and stood there valiantly. I was like that. No matter how strong the wind was, Even if a stronger storm came onto her or even if it was a typhoon¡­ She wouldn¡¯t shake. Nor would she be swayed. She would bravely strive forth and disy her sword. ¡®Even in the moment of defeat¡­¡¯ The result was as expected, her father had won. As time passed, the fierce and ruthless sword attacks made I wounded and she eventually fell. Nevertheless. She had shone bright. Watching her calmly surrender to the oue of the duel without losing her sanity, Ilya realized that she had been judging her opponent wrongly until now. ¡®She is a lot stronger than I thought. Like¡­¡¯ Like a king who wouldn¡¯t lose his dignity in front of anyone. Ilya Lindsay who thought till there, took a deep breath and then slowly opened her eyes. ¡°¡­¡± Even then, numerous thoughts were still running through her head. The figure of her father wielding the sword and the energy in it. The figure of I who didn¡¯t give in and did her best. In the past, she would have felt a painful burning in her chest. Because even with the Sky Sword of her father, he couldn¡¯tpletely take down the light that was shining down on I. 1 Then why? After the duel, Ilya¡¯s heart didn¡¯t beat impatiently nor did it seem like the loss was painful. She continued to ponder a little more and then came up with an answer, As she smiled. Woong! Ilya Lindsay, who drew out her sword, continued to move smoothly. The Sky Sword. The vision of her family which could be inherited by blood alone. The swordsmanship which the hero, Dion Lindsay created and something anyone would covet. She had hoped for that inexorable power. The absolute violence that it had with which one who mastered it, could cut through a devil the size of a fortress and in extreme cases, destroy even the sea¡­ she had desperately wanted it. But not now. It wasn¡¯t the devil, or I Cresentia or her brother Carl that was on her mind. It was Airn Pareira. Recalling him, who had shown her a new world, Ilya¡¯s swordsmanship grew deeper. Woong! Wooong! Woooong! A wind rose. It was different from what her father had shown in the fight with I. It was different from the records which were passed down from generations. Her ancestor Dion Lindsay¡¯s sword was like the sword of a king, which was said to have the ability to bring down everything which exists in the sky. She had wanted that. She was under the impression that only by attaining that would she be able to face I who was called ¡®the sun¡¯, so she had lived her whole life repeating what she had seen in the records¡­ ¡®But not anymore¡¯ Ilya closed her eyes again and Airn¡¯s face came to her mind. Not just his face, but his eyes and his awkward smile, and him in his entirety. What was it? What he felt like wasn¡¯t just the will of steel. The fighting spirit he had was fierce enough to beparable to Judith¡¯s. There were times when her heart fluttered at his presence which was like flowing water, when she had met him in his estate. And recently he had changed even more. He was now a person who could fully embrace his feelings like the wide and sturdy earth. ¡®I want to be like that too.¡¯ Woong¡­ Ilya¡¯s sword moved slowly. It was different from what she had seen her father do. It contained neither the fighting spirit that seemed to want to tear the world apart, nor the coercive feeling of pressing someone down. It was filled with warmth andfort. Instead of staring down from the sky¡­ ¡­it was in a position slightly lower than the sky, and it was more like it was familiar with the sky but also embraced the earth. The moment she made up her mind and affirmed her thoughts, a stronger wind blew from Ilya¡¯s Sword. Wooong! The wind she created now was different from the aura which was normally shed by her sword. The shining silver light was proof of it. An energy dense enough to be called an ¡®Aura Sword¡¯ was on her sword and it filled everything around her. ¡°¡­¡± The form of Ilya soared into the sky. Simr to what Joshua Lindsay had done when he fought with Airn. Of course, the difference in power was evident, but it was clear from Ilya¡¯s actions that the scene that had urred then could be rted to what was happening now. And more importantly. This was something she had made herself¡­in her own way, with her own thoughts, and without the help of others. She broke through the wall in the form which suited her the best. And the Lindsay family head, who had suddenly entered the training hall, just stood there and watched quietly. ¡°¡­¡± One hour. Two hours. Finally, three hours passed. Even after this long, Joshua Lindsay was still standing there, watching his daughter. Frankly, it was shocking even for him. There was no way to suppress the joy blooming within him. But the thought which struck him stronger was the sense of relief that had ovee him. As he shed a tear, he remembered the confrontation with I he had before. ¡®¡­ honestly, I regretted letting my daughter see that.¡¯ The sword of I Crescentia was so fierce. He could deal with Airn Pareira who had shown tremendous growth in recent times, but not I. She could find the gaps that he had very fast during the duel and that was something that always created an advantageous situation for her. He had to work hard to hide his gaps and persevere through the fight. Even if he hadn¡¯t done his best against her, he couldn¡¯t say that the fight was in vain. That was why he didn¡¯t harm her. Strictly speaking, during the fight, there was a point when he didn¡¯t think of her as the reason that resulted in the disappearance of his son, and rather, just admired her as his opponent. Leaving aside the issues regarding the devils and the impending crisis on the continent¡­. It was because he thought it would be impossible for him to do something as a swordsman and destroy the future of the greatest genius in history with his own hands. But¡­ ¡®I wasn¡¯tcking in the end.¡¯ Joshua Lindsay wiped his tears with his sleeve. Was it because of his rtionship with his daughter? Or did the thing called ¡®sorcerer¡¯s instinct¡¯e down onto him for a while? Through his daughter¡¯s swordsmanship, he could feel her heart and her emotions faintly. The sadness caused by Carl Lindsay. Her obsession with I Crescentia. The little resentment she had towards herself, and her distrust in the world for them being too harsh on her brother. And most importantly, the freedom she had attained from all of that. Ilya Lindsay, now seemed as free as the wind. ¡®One the other hand, what about me?¡¯ Joshua Lindsay looked back on himself. Even though he recognized the problem as he looked at Airn who was much younger than him, he still ended up being disturbed by the request of I. He felt it before, during and even after the fight. He would never be able to let go of his children for the rest of his life. Maybe it was different for other parents, but it still felt unattainable to him. Unless his son came back and the good old days returned, he wouldn¡¯t be able to get out of this. But. He was d that one person had let go of their past. He looked at his daughter, Ilya Lindsay, wielding the sword with a happy expression on her face. Watching her with warm eyes, Joshua Lindsay vowed. Now¡­ I won¡¯t be stuck. I won¡¯t be caught in the irretrievable past and jeopardize my present happiness. Remembering his son¡¯s past and not worrying about his daughter¡¯s future. I will think of only the good things. Carl Lindsay¡­ I¡¯ll let you go now. ¡°¡­¡± Really, I¡¯ll let you go. At that moment, Ilya¡¯s body, which had risen a meter above, fell to the floor. Joshua moved to her who was now staggering. And asked to support his daughter. ¡°Are you fine?¡± ¡°¡­ I think so.¡± Saying that, Ilya thought for a second and corrected her words a little. ¡°No, I feel good. Really good.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. It seems like something heavy which had been tying me down has finally blown away¡­¡± They were sincere words. She really wanted to convey the refreshing feeling within her but she couldn¡¯t think of the right words. After thinking for a second, she said, ¡°I am sorry, but I want to organize my thoughts.¡± ¡°Sure, we¡¯ll talkter.¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you, dad.¡± Ilya smiled brightly and sat on the floor. It didn¡¯t seem like something ady would show, but it was fine. Because his daughter was a knight first, rather than a noble. A genius knight worthy of leaving her name in the history of the continent, she was not inferior to I in any way. Joshua Lindsay smiled warmly as he watched his daughter understand what she had been through. He didn¡¯t know it, but little by little, his tightly shut heart was being released. And the clown devil, who was watching this, spoke to the man. ¡°Oh, this is both sad and happy.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Dear little sister is finding happiness and her father is finding peace. Right, very nice! Such a harmonious family! However, I don¡¯t know if this can be weed in your situation?¡± 2 ¡°¡­¡± The man didn¡¯t say anything. This wasn¡¯t special in any way. It wasn¡¯t unexpected either. He always thought things would turn out like this. No, it would be right to say that the timing was muchter than he had imagined. ¡­ but. He felt again that it wasn''t a pleasant feeling to be forgotten by his precious people. ¡°Let¡¯s go for now.¡± The priest rose from his spot. So did the clown. Even though the clown was a devil, it was impossible for it to roam around without any abilities due to the past battle. So, he just followed the priest. And it was the same with the man. He no longer would go back to the past. For that reason, there was no choice but to move ahead, and there was no choice but to keep chasing whoever was chasing after them. Carl Lindsay hid himself in the darkness where the sun would never shine. 3 Refers to Joshua¡¯s inability to crush her spirit despite the apparent overwhelming advantage in skill.?Y¡¯all thinking what I¡¯m thinking????Mans gone to the dark side folks. I guess most of us saw thising but still, the feels. ??? Chapter 272: The Greatest Expert (1)

Chapter 272: The Greatest Expert (1)

Looking at the entire continent, the central area was rtively safe. It was also the center of all trade heading to the east-west and north-south and it was within the sphere of influence of the Holy Kingdom which was the strongest nation. In addition, the graduates of the Krono Swordsmanship Academy could be casually seen around in the surrounding nations. Of course, if someone asked if the central part of the continent was the safest, then that wasn¡¯t the case. Normally, if a country was protected from its surrounding territories, and had good transportation paths, it usually meant that there were no problems with regards to safety. But that wasn¡¯t always the case. Especially when there was a chance of a surprise attack by groups of bandits targeting merchants when the guards were absent, which resulted in them taking risks, travelling though unused paths to avoid the bandits. The Nora bandits were one such group known to have specialized in targeting small merchants and travelers. And on one particr day, a middle-aged man came into their sight. ¡°Boss, how about that person?¡± ¡°What do you mean ¡®how about that person? Do we ever leave anyone alone? Just selling that sword on his back will be enough for all of us to get a meal. Everyone move.¡± ¡°Uhm¡­¡± One of the men with a big nose frowned. Something about this situation didn¡¯t sit right with him. It wasn¡¯t because the man was armed. Although they were just five men, they thought they were advantageous because they had bows on them. No matter how strong that one man was, he couldn¡¯t have the talent to stop arrows. Of course, that was only a possibility if the middle-aged man¡¯s skills were at a level where he could deal with anything. Which meant he had to be¡­ ¡®Right, he can¡¯t be an expert.¡¯ This wasn¡¯t a ce where knights or powerful men woulde. The man shook his head. Right, it¡¯s just a silly thought.1 There was no need to question himself just because a person had some muscles and was a little tall. They had a decent number of people and they also wanted to have a drink tonight, so this had to be done. With that thought, he took aim at the opponent. But the middle-aged man suddenly drew his sword and pulled out an Aura sword. Woong! ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Am I¡­¡± Dreaming? That was what he wanted to say. The man¡¯s body disappeared with a bang. As if he had vanished into the air, he couldn¡¯t be seen anywhere and the bandits just looked around, surprised. Fortunately, they were able to find the target in a few seconds. Of course, although they found him, they couldn¡¯t do anything about it. Shhh! The man appeared in front of him and swung the sword vertically. Normally, the blue aura sword made the sword lookrger, giving off a more daunting atmosphere. Of course, no one could feel that. It was after they saw that the tree near them had been cut down did they actually feel it. Kwak! Kwang! ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll spare you if you do two things.¡± ¡°T-tell us anything, we will do it sir.¡± Nore, the leader of the bandits, nodded his head. He was ready to listen to anything except for letting go of his life. Even if it meant giving up the lives of his subordinates, even if he had to lose an arm he would still follow anything the Sword Master told him to do. Fortunately, the request wasn¡¯t difficult. First, they should all leave their weapons. Second¡­ ¡°Uh? J-J-jet Frost¡­ the famous 101st swordsman?¡± ¡°Yes. I am that famous one who has been an Expert for decades. But¡­¡± The man, who identified himself as Jet Frost, smiled and continued. ¡°¡­ not anymore. The 101st swordsman, call me Sword Master Jet Frost. I want this news to spread.¡± ¡°Yes! Yes! I will!¡± ¡°Sure! Sword Master! Jet Frost!¡± ¡°Good, now get lost.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The leader responded quickly and moved, followed by his subordinates. Jet Frost, who was watching them run, felt his mouth go dry as he regretted his actions. Considering that they were aiming their arrows at him, he wanted to kill them all. But then he felt sorry and decided to use them. Jet Frost mumbled and moved, when¡­ Swish! Ack! Kuak! Kuak! Thud! He heard the repeated sounds of the sharp shing of wind and screams, followed by the sound of something falling. There was nothing else to see. It was instant death to the men he had just spared. Jet Frost frowned and checked the man who was now approaching him with his hands up. And this action didn¡¯t have any affection, but it was still a familiar look. But looking at the young man who had turned into a different person, he said, ¡°Bratt Lloyd?¡± ¡°Long time no see Mr. Jet Frost.¡± ¡°Uh, yes. Right. It has been quite long¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m just letting you know¡­they were all bad guys who had bounties on them. There were wanted posters around at the five surrounding nations asking them to be dealt with, alive or dead.¡± ¡°Ah, I see.¡± ¡°I said it because I was afraid you would misunderstand.¡± ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t like that¡­¡± Jet Frost¡¯s expression went stiff. The first time he saw it, he felt skeptical. However, looking closer he could tell for sure. Because the opponent wasn¡¯t hiding anything. Still, it was hard to believe. And it was a bit disappointing. Maybe in the past, before he became Sword Master, that is, if he had met this young man, then he might have started to drown again in the sticky swamp of frustration. ¡®¡­ but now it was different.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t easy. But he was now able to pretend to be resolute. Eventually, Jet Frost smiled and congratted the swordsman opposite him. ¡°You became a Master. Congrattions.¡± ¡°Thank you. And¡­ I congratte you too. Master Jet Frost.¡± With a gentle smile Bratt Lloyd congratted him. ¡°¡­ and like that I am heading to Mr. Khun¡¯s ce.¡± After joining Bratt, Jet Frost told Bratt his story. About how after meeting Airn and the others, he felt that the wall which had stood in his way for so long was breaking and that he finally reached the status of Master. However, the process wasn¡¯t smooth. Even though he decided to find the original feelings he had when he picked up the sword, he was still concerned about the achievements of others, and the sword he had created was shaking once in a while. So, at 70 years old¡­ he wanted to see the great swordsman, Khun, who has been walking down this path for 100 years. ¡°Maybe people say that Ian or Julius Hul are the best, but for me, Khun was always the best. So, I asked Mr. Ian where he lived and now I am going to find him.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°What about you? Ah, right. Judith is Khun¡¯s disciple, right? And¡­ I heard from the school master that she is in a rtionship with you.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Well, this is how things went?¡± Jet smiled. Because of their constant fights when they were with him, Jet had never even dreamed the two could be lovers. Considering Judith¡¯s personality, he was even more sure about it. ¡®More than anyone else, she hates the thought of losing¡­ when ites to the sword, there is probably no one more honest and selfish than her.¡¯ And that woman was in love. And that too, it was with her rival. ¡­ no. It was with someone who was above her. Jet¡¯s face, which thought till there, stiffened and he asked Bratt with a serious expression. ¡°Are you going to see Judith?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t she know you are a Sword Master?¡± ¡°She wouldn¡¯t. Unless she has been to the city. No, even if she came and went, the rumors haven¡¯t spread far, so it is impossible.¡± ¡°¡­ what are you going to do?¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°I¡¯m asking how you will show this to her.¡± Jet Frost¡¯s eyes were serious as he asked it. He couldn¡¯t help it. Although what they had was just a brief rtionship, he knew what Judith¡¯s personality was like. The wounds, the trauma, the obsession and the jealousy and anger which was born from it. So, he was worried. In addition to Ilya and Airn who were also from Krono, now Bratt was a Master too¡­ and that could be another wound on her heart. ¡®This guy, and the youngest master and the genius among geniuses¡­¡¯ ¡­ one could never know. It was for this reason that Jet Frost took on a serious mood. ¡°Hm.¡± However, after hearing all of that, Bratt was still calm. Rather, he continued to practice his swordsmanship for several days on the way to Khun¡¯s ce. They both walked and swung swords and spoke about stuff. Jet was surprised again. It wasn¡¯t just Master level. Seeing the blue haired young man who was on a level higher than himself, Jet had no choice but to feel deprived again. ¡®No, I am not important here. Rather, Judith! She is the problem!¡¯ From the beginning, Master was his goal. Since he never dreamed of anything more than that, even if a genius overtook him, he could endure it. But not Judith. Seriously, she was someone who sincerely dreamt of being the strongest on the continent. But the talent she had was toockingpared to her dream. In a way, she was the unluckiest person. If it wasn¡¯t for the current world where geniuses wereing out in crazy numbers, maybe she too, would have been called as the best. ¡®But, this generation¡­¡¯ As was the case with him, it was when Jet Frost had gloomy thoughts. An exmation flowed from Bratt¡¯s mouth. ¡°AH.¡± ¡°¡­ hmm?¡± Jet Frost followed Bratt¡¯s gaze. The reaction seemed a bit silly. However, it was fine considering the sight before them. There was a crater. It was a huge pit spread out over the horizon. ¡®Was such a ce there in the center?¡¯ No. Jet Frost, who had extensive knowledge about the location, had never heard of such a ce. No, in the first ce, this had to be a naturally formed ce. But he didn¡¯t know of it, so someone had done this¡­ Swish! ¡°Curious?¡± ¡°Huh!¡± ¡°It''s been long. I was told you¡¯de twice a year, but you arete?¡± ¡°¡­ there was a bit of an achievement, so it turned out like that.¡± ¡°Hm, I see.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The white haired muscr old man appeared like a ghost. Although he didn¡¯t say the name, Jet Frost could immediately recognize who he was. Seeing the person he admired the most, he bowed with a trembling voice and introduced himself. Khun pped his hand with an annoyed expression. ¡°Enough. I know who you are.¡± ¡°Y-you know me?¡± ¡°Most of the guys like me know. Still, you don¡¯t seem as bad as me. Have you turned 60?¡± ¡°Yes. Yes.¡± ¡°That is quick enough, Sword Master. How do you feel? Nice?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± Jet Frost couldn¡¯t answer. Honestly, it was nice. Where in the world could there be a swordsman who didn¡¯t like being a Master? However, he felt that saying it outright wasn¡¯t nice, so he stayed silent. Seeing that, Khun felt his mouth turn dry. ¡°I am not asking to trouble you, I just happened to ask you because I¡¯m curious.¡± ¡°Ah, I am sorry.¡± ¡°I don''t want to hear an apology. Honestly it must be nice. Who would be offended by being a Master?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­ there was a time when I thought that too.¡± If the goal was higher than he thought that would be the case. So, when they reach a level where they couldn¡¯t be satisfied with Master, they couldn¡¯t feel nice. So, Khun was telling his own story, and Jet and Bratt followed the man who was walking ahead. It was an interesting story. There were feelings of inferiority, frustration, deprivation, anger, anxiety, jealousy, emptiness and suffering¡­2 All of them felt very vivid, and Jet couldn¡¯t help but feel sober. Aspirations and greed far greater than his own were resulting in such feelings arising in him. Who couldn¡¯t show respect for Khun who overcame all those negative emotions that came from it and turned into such a giant of a man? However, the opportunities to express such feelings were none. They arrived at Khun¡¯s residence. The moment he saw the red-haired swordsman standing in front of them with stern eyes, Jet Frost felt the urge to step back. ¡°For reference, Judith didn¡¯t be a Master yet. She was still an Expert. But¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­ it is scarier. In the past, she tried her best to get rid of the anger in her heart, but she doesn¡¯t even let go of that. Even if the hand she is holding is burning, and burning¡­ she never¡­¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Bratt Lloyd drew his sword. Woong. Blue aura shone from the blue sword and radiated an intense light. Jet Frost gulped. He felt a stronger force than from the time they had sparred together. Judith didn¡¯t back down. Holding the red sword, which was the opposite color of her lover, she stood there, staring at him. And she took a deep breath and exhaled. Wheik! The red-haired swordsman, who turned into a speeding me, caused a huge explosion.3 Reaaaallly should¡¯ve listened to yourself for this one boss.?Me on a Sunday morning.?writes up ticket? Chapter 273: The Greatest Expert (2)

Chapter 273: The Greatest Expert (2)

¡°¡­¡± The 101st swordsman on the continent. No, Jet Frost, who was now a full-fledged Sword Master recalled what had happened a few days back. Master Bratt Lloyd had reached a great height in his 20s. Although he was a brilliant talent, he judged that he was inferior to her¡­ Judith who was still an expert. He remembered the surprising confrontation between the two. After he was done thinking back, he exhaled a breath he had been holding back and mumbled. ¡°It has been a week already since then¡­¡± It was vivid, what had happened. It wasn¡¯t something he was forced to think about. He just remembered it. When he ate, when he walked, before he slept and even in his dreams¡­ It was inevitable, because the fight at that time showed unexpected results to the extent where Jet Frost started to question his ownmon sense. ¡®Surely, I didn¡¯t expect an Expert to defeat a Master.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t an impossible thing. Although rare, it wasn¡¯t like there wasn¡¯t any precedent where an expert defeated a master. There wasn¡¯t much of a difference between those who were Masters and Experts who were at the peak of that stage. With a good sword and understanding, and enough destructive power to handle the Aura, along with some luck¡­ Judith¡¯s victory made sense. However, the fight this time wasn¡¯t like that. It wasn¡¯t ¡®luck¡¯. That was what it was like to Jet Frost, who was now a sword master. No, not just him, it was a one-sided result that anyone could understand. Thinking of that once again, he shook his head. ¡®¡­ Maybe, maybe I was thinking wrong about Mr. Khun all this time.¡¯ Only geniuses of the sword can reach the Sword Master level. However, there is a difference in talent among those geniuses too. Some people reach that level in their 20s, and other people, like in the case of Khun, the Aura Sword only manifested when he was 70. That was why Masters used to consider his talent as the worst in the world But it wasn¡¯t like that. No, even if that was the case, no one could know it. However, after seeing the spar a week ago, the facts became clearer. Khun and Judith, the two swordsmen¡­ the takeaway from that fight was that it had to be interpreted in apletely different way from the Experts-Masters power levelmonly used in the continent. ¡®The Aura Sword wasn¡¯t the only way to have the ultimate sword. If there is a more efficient and powerful way than that¡­ if only I can sharpen my sword enough to reach that extreme¡­¡¯ Why is the distinction between the Expert and Master so important? He truly thought about it. ¡°Perhaps even before bing a Master, Khun was strong enough to overwhelm an ordinary Master¡­¡± Jet Frost¡¯s troubles deepened as his thoughts wandered. The only goal he had was to be a Master and he had achieved it. However, he couldn¡¯t be satisfied with that. He was now dreaming of a higher level before he even truly realized it himself. He was bewildered and confused by the new direction his thoughts were going in, and he was at the same time, much more delighted than the previous feelings. ¡°Hmm.¡± As was the case, Jet Frost, who was reminded of Judith¡¯s swordsmanship again, went stiff. Because all of a sudden, Bratt came to his mind. To be precise, the emotions and thoughts of that time came. ¡®A Master lost to an Expert¡­ it was shocking.¡¯ On the other hand, it was an amazing and glorious thing to see an expert win over a master. A Master who lost to an Expert must be feeling disgraceful and shameful about it. Even if Judith and Khun couldn¡¯t be considered as normal swordsmen, even if Bratt was someone who knew them, the emotional impact on Bratt¡¯s mind would be a separate issue. ¡°¡­ please, I hope he doesn¡¯t get too frustrated.¡± Jet Frost got up. There were quite a few cases where geniuses who were training without any troubles, suddenly stumbled onto a rock and never got up again. It wasn¡¯t just something he had heard, he even saw such things. After thinking of the blue haired swordsman, he moved on. All he wanted to do right now was to return to his ce again and swing his sword. ¡°How should I do this?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­ what is with that expression?¡± Looking into the eyes of the disciple who was asking a question, Khun smiled. He couldn¡¯t help but smile. The strong pride and stubbornness. It was a strange thing that Judith, who had an arrogant personality, had asked him for advice. ¡®Fuck.¡¯ Even Judith didn¡¯t understand it herself. She thought that she was the only one getting strong. Her desires were simmering in her stomach as she was in her thoughts of bringing down those who were superior to her. Using such anger and jealousy as firewood, she used her sword and received results from Khun¡¯s teaching. It was thanks to him that she won the battle against Bratt. ¡®Then why¡­¡¯ Rather than being d, why was she feeling stuffy and ufortable? She was confused. It was confusing and flustering. Judith frowned at the unfamiliar feelings she was experiencing. At this ce, where there were many people other than Bratt who needed to be taken down, what would happen if she kept thinking of these depressing feelings? Judith shook her head as she got up. She was annoyed. She wanted to beat herself up, especially when she asked Khun for advice on how tofort Bratt. Phew, she took a deep breath and looked at her teacher. But then a new question arose. ¡°¡­ delete that previous thing.¡± ¡°Delete?¡± ¡°Yes. Instead, tell me about something else. How I would be able to get rid of these feelings and thoughts.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I think that is how we should move forward. Teacher did that too. So, I will throw it all away, you have been training here alone for several decades in this remote ce.¡± So, quickly tell me. How do you do it? How can that happen? At the constant questions from his disciple, Khun smiled strangely. However, the feeling was a little different. If the smile before was bright, it wasn¡¯t that bright now. The gap was so great that even Judith, who was drunk in her emotions, could feel it. She stepped back and looked at her teacher. ¡®She is right,¡¯ Khun thought. It was like his disciple said. He had left everything behind to get over the huge mountain called Ian. He left his friends. And his wife. Other than that, he put a lot of things away and focused his mind on only one thing. On the sword. As someone whocked talent¡­ if he didn¡¯t make enough time to swing the sword, he thought that he wouldn¡¯t be able to keep up with Ian. ¡°Don¡¯t let go of them.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t let go of your rtionship.¡± An unexpected answer came out of Khun¡¯s mouth. Judith seemed shocked at it, and he smiled. Bittersweet. Yet, his face was brighter than before. The teacher, who looked at his disciple for a moment, continued to speak. ¡°Be moderately strong¡­ so, if you want to be one of the 10 swordsmen of the continent, you should follow the path I walked on. It will actually be helpful. Thanks to throwing everything away, I was able to entirely focus on the sword and be one of the top three on the continent.¡± ¡°Why should I be one of the 10 top and you¡¯re in top 3?¡± ¡°Ha, you¡¯reining? I am not looking down on you. It is because the current generation is superior to ours. Am I wrong?¡± ¡°¡­ No.¡± ¡°Right. So, I said one of the top 10. But, a greedy one like you cannot be satisfied with that.¡± ¡°Obviously¡­¡± ¡°So.¡± Khun cut off Judith¡¯s words and spoke with deep eyes. ¡°Take a different path than me. Don¡¯t let go of your friends and your lover. Don¡¯t let go of the bond you have with Krono, and don¡¯t sacrifice all your ties in the future for the sake of the sword. Be greedy. But don¡¯t let go of anything and embrace them all.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°With your level of aspiration, not just me, but you will even have a chance to win against people like Airn and I.¡± Saying that, heughed out loud. He couldn¡¯t help it. Even if what he was saying was the same, sometimes the way it was conveyed changed the meaning. For example, there was a difference between a respected leader saying ¡®Live upright!¡¯ and a drunk gambler saying it. From that point of view, there is no one for whom those words just now would suit like it did for Khun. ¡°Haha, Hahaha¡­. Phew. Iughed after so long.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I am heading in. Sheath your sword or swing it. I am going in and getting some rest.¡± ¡°Ah, don¡¯t touch my hair.¡± Laughing, the teacher stroked his disciple¡¯s head and went into his house. Immediately after, blood gushed out from Khun¡¯s mouth. After wiping his teeth with a cloth, heughed again. Do people change when they are near their death? Suddenly, he thought of his wife, Keira Finn. ¡°¡­ if I go and say sorry, what will she say?¡± He didn¡¯t know. He would never know. Havinge this far on his selfish path, he didn¡¯t have the courage to say that. He coughed up blood a few more times andughed each time. Still, he felt more relieved than before. Rinsing his mouth with water, Khun pondered for a moment and then went out with his sword. ¡°¡­ what was that you just said?. Where are you resting?¡± ¡°Haha! A swordsman only rests after his death!¡± ¡°Stop talking nonsense¡­¡± ¡°Hah! Ha! Ha! Die! Ian!¡±1 ¡°Sigh¡­¡± Judith shook her head again. She knew that she was unusual, but this one was a level above her. That didn¡¯t mean that she didn¡¯t like him. When it came to the sword, he was the best. At least it was like that for her. Khun was a better teacher than Ian. Of course, the previous words of her master was something she had to think about a little more¡­ ¡®Let¡¯s think of it when I sleep, let¡¯s focus on the sword for now.¡¯ Judith took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Several sights shed through her mind. Khun¡¯s swordsmanship was different from her, but the advances were simr. Bratt Lloyd¡¯s swordsmanship, which was heading in apletely different direction from her. And the swordsmanship of the ck-haired swordsman who hade to this ce a little before. ¡®¡­ I will also reach them.¡¯ A spark ignited within Judith, as she remembered to not lose her dignity even when she was getting torn apart from Khun¡¯s sword. The de dyed red, and the heat was enough to make the winter weather turn warm. She wanted to go beyond Ilya. She wanted to surpass Airn. And I as well. If Bratt fell down, she would force him to stand up and beat him again. If she falls, she will rise up again and again. ¡®Well? If this is the case, it seems that the problem I had earlier was resolved?¡¯ Judith had a shocked expression and smiled bitterly. She didn¡¯t even know why, but the me on her sword grew even stronger. She swung her sword excited, and Khun looked at it in joy. He too soon fell into his sword and spent some time in a trance. He surely was his disciple¡¯s teacher. And far from them. ¡°¡­¡± There was a priest. Now he was alone. The clown and the swordsman were following another person¡­ I. He was a little worried about moving away from his ce of influence, but it wasn¡¯t a huge deal. Because he had protection. And more important than everything else, was the present moment. The priest looked at Khun. A friend whom he hadn¡¯t seen in a long time. The devil, who had been contemting for a long time as to what to call him, said, ¡°Father.¡±2 It was a quiet voice which no one could hear. Casual death threat lmaooo.?WHAT???????? Chapter 274: The Greatest Expert (3)

Chapter 274: The Greatest Expert (3)

¡°Hm, so that¡¯s what happened.¡± ¡°Uh. It¡¯s a lot bigger than I thought. Or do the two of them actually get along well? Ah¡­¡± Ian, the schoolmaster of the Krono Swordsmanship school, and one of the three best swordsmen on the continent. In front of him was Bratt Lloyd, the genius who had be a Sword Master at the age of 21. Which was why it was even more surprising. It wasn''t that he had shattered the wall in the short time he had been gone; rather, it appeared that Khun''s apprentice had gained more skill... Judith won against him? As an Expert? ''No, it doesn''t matter what an Expert or a Master is.'' Ian nodded his head. As others may not know, for Khun, such amon leveling system that was used throughout the continent didn¡¯t work. Perhaps, it was the same for Judith as well. The fact that she would walk an unusual path waspletely predictable from the moment she became Khun¡¯s disciple. But¡­ ¡®I didn¡¯t expect her to grow so quickly. It is quite flustering.¡¯ Ian was considered the best teacher for swordsmanship on the continent. However, Judith grew so exponentially as soon as she left for Khun¡¯s arms. It had been less than a year. He shook his head and took a sip of his tea. It felt weird. It should normally make him feel good that a student of his had been able to achieve such results, but¡­ It was also true that he felt ufortable when he thought of how Khun¡¯s expression would be. It was known to the world that Khun was too conscious of Ian, but that was a story of the past. Now Ian was more concerned about him. Of course, these thoughts were short-lived. Ian put down the teacup and looked at Bratt. The Sword Master who had been defeated. That too, a defeat from an Expert. Perhaps he thought it was disgraceful. How should he feel about his student who had told him all of this in such a calm voice? ¡°It was as expected¡­¡± ¡°Expected?¡± ¡°It can be said that my defeat by her hands is suitable since she is my lover. Although I am the one who will inherit the title of Lord of the Lloyd family, she is such an amazing woman, and she is still dating me even after that.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Of course, there is nothing to do other than to watch. That is why I returned here. One year¡­ no, two years.¡± Bratt Lloyd showed his fingers to Ian. It could look arrogant, depending on who saw it. Giving off the energy of a noble, he said. ¡°Let me show you my truth.¡± ¡°¡­¡± "Schoolmaster should be careful. It would be difficult if you were surprised by my growth which was faster than expected.¡± ¡°Seems like the time you were here has changed you.¡± Said Ian with a smile. Bratt has always been like this. Whenever he faced difficulties, he tried to be confident and tried not to lose hisposure. He had an absurd attitude that would make anyoneugh, but Ian didn''t think of it as a bad thing. It was as if he found a way to get out of the anxiety and impatience he felt by himself, and quite unsurprisingly, he seemed more stable than his past self. It was for that reason that he received the graduation badge the fastest among the graduates of the 27th batch of Krono. ¡°Nice¡­then do that. Harden your heart, and let me guide you. I don¡¯t want anyone to be spoiled by Bratt Lloyd¡¯s sincerity.¡± Ian smiled as he said that. Even though he graduated from the school, Bratt was still a student to him. And Ian was his teacher. Therefore, Ian couldn¡¯t help but be happy when Bratt came back to ask him for his help. ¡°However, there are other things you should consider.¡± ¡°More¡­.?¡± ¡°Yes. A disciple who I thought had left my arms a long time ago said they wanted to meet me and challenge me. Perhaps she has arrived by now. No, she must be here already.¡± ¡°Just what kind of a disciple dares¡­¡± To challenge Ian? Bratt, who was about to say that, went silent. He could feel it. The intense, red hot, me that he felt from behind him made him turn. As Bratt unconsciously thought of a person¡¯s name, Ian chuckled a bit, nodded, and then he got up. As he walked towards the training hall where the energy came from, Bratt just followed without a word. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time.¡± ¡°Things have been intense.¡± ¡°Would one spectator be fine?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter even if there are more.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t do. If there were others, most of them would suffer. However, not this one.¡± Ian looked at Bratt and grinned. I gazed at him too. As he looked at her eyes which shone with a hot ze, Bratt ended up taking a step back. Then with a nonchnt expression, one step, two, three steps¡­ he continued to back away and mumbled. ¡°I didn¡¯t move because of the pressure.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I was nning to leave. In order to not interfere with the confrontation. So that I could be a spectator in the right way. Um, right.¡± I looked away. Ian didn¡¯t look at Bratt either. Both of them looked at their opponent. As if it were just the two of them in the world. Woong! Kiiiik! A horrifying sound. A white light shone 10 meters above the ground, scattering brightly, and a ming sword red. The next moment, the two swords, which disappeared in an instant, collided at the center of the arena. Kwaaang! A roar that could destroy the ears of the onlookers, resounded through the ce. ¡°Um, maybe we should have fought outside?¡± It was now an hourter after the fight. Leaving I Crescentia behind, Ian mumbled in a sullen voice. He couldn¡¯t help but think that because the training hall was now a mess. It was a more serious issue to Ian whenpared to I, who had lost against him. He had no idea what to do. He smiled brightly and looked back and looked at the stiff expression on his student. ¡°¡­ how was it?¡± ¡°¡­ surprising. Even more than Airn and Ilya.¡± Bratt spoke honestly. It wasn¡¯t like he had ignored I. However, it was true that he didn¡¯t think of her as some unique existence. It was also because he thought that the two monsters around him were more than capable of surpassing this woman. But now, he changed his mind. He was wrong. The rumors that were going around about her had a reason to it. With his eyes closed, he recalled the match. It wasn¡¯t dark. He opened his eyes, and as he recalled I¡¯s brilliant swordsmanship, he said ¡°Still, it isn¡¯t something I can¡¯t catch up to.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. It was a good stimulus.¡± It was honestly just a bluff. However, it wasn¡¯tpletely false either. If it was the Bratt of the past, he couldn¡¯t be this sure, but after oveing so many setbacks, he understood that he could do it. ¡®Indeed, she is an existence that is overwhelming enough to be called the sun in the sky¡­¡¯ With today¡¯s simtion, if he could bring a wave with the pounding heart he had... If he could only make the waves big enough to reach the sky, he would move even further. With a grin, Bratt bowed his head. ¡°Once again, thank you.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Ian nodded and looked at his student. He knew that he wouldn¡¯t be disappointed. If he had been a child who would only show weakness, he wouldn¡¯t have brought Bratt here. He knew that Bratt was strong, and that was why Ian brought him here. But he didn¡¯t expect him to be this strong. Ian thought as he looked at Bratt, who raised his lowered head. ¡®I cannot help but admit it.¡¯ He was someone who tried to impart a fair amount of teaching to everyone. This was a normal thought. If the students, who were under tremendous stress because of the difference in talent, felt discrimination in the teaching methods, then their sense of deprivation would be indescribable. To break a student¡¯s heart with their hand, what could be more sorrowful for a teacher than that? But he didn¡¯t want to stick so closely to that anymore. Bratt was different from Ian in many ways. Yet, it was inevitable that he had a heart where he was more affectionate to this child than the other students. Maybe it was something that had happened when Bratt chose the Sword of water. ¡°I, too, would like to thank you.¡± Ian answered with a smile and looked at Bratt Lloyd. His student had be a much better person than when they first met. In order for him to be better, he must constantly add new material for Bratt to learn. ¡®In a way, this can be said to be a proxy war between Khun and me.¡¯ He didn¡¯t say it...probably because it might sound too childish for someone close to a 100 years to say something like this out loud. But it was unavoidable. Khun and himself had such a rtionship. As he stood there, he remembered his rival. How he reminded him of the student who had left his arms. Finally, looking at Bratt Lloyd with a confident face, Ian drew his Sword. And his teaching began. ¡°Hah! Tah! Tah!¡± Woong! Woong! Woong! In conclusion, after watching I fight, Bratt showed tremendous growth. However, if someone asked him if I¡¯s swordsmanship was the biggest cause for his growth, then he would shake his head. Then, was it the teaching of Ian, the schoolmaster of Krono, as well as the best swordsmanship teacher, the reason for it? That wasn''t right either. It was helpful, but the biggest reason for Bratt''s madness was something else. It was a short letter from his lover, Judith. [If you lose once more, I will kill you. Next time, you need to win¡­ I¡¯ll give you anything you want then. So, practice hard.] ¡°Anything.¡± Bratt mumbled, clenching his fist. The power within that fist was strong enough to even break the treasure of Durkali. But it was soon reced with his enthusiasm. No one could stop Bratt. No one. In the past, he was the most zealous of all the Krono swordsmen graduates, but after Judith¡¯s letter came, Bratt changed so much that his past craziness looked normal. ¡°It is a good thing.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Keira Finn, shook her head as she passed by Bratt. Ian stayed silent. The feeling of deprivation he felt for a long time, and along with that, there was also a little feeling of betrayal. Having managed to control it, he told Bratt. ¡°Let¡¯s go all out today.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Why? Don¡¯t like it?¡¯ ¡°¡­ it isn¡¯t that I don¡¯t like it.¡± Bratt seemed to like it. And Ian liked it even more. Instructor Ahmed, who saw them, grinned. Half a year after that. A man moved towards the Pareira Estate. Chapter 275: The Fifth Energy (1)

Chapter 275: The Fifth Energy (1)

¡°Hm, in the next week or so¡­ I guess I¡¯ll reach then?¡± A man was strolling through the ins of the central continent. His appearance was too shy to be considered a simple traveler. There were three golden chains hanging down his neck, and luxurious clothes decorated his body. The wristwatch on his left hand was more expensive than everything else on him. It was Eisenmarkt''s best instructor, John Drew. Of course, it was dangerous to walk around in such clothes. Although the central part of the continent was known to be safe, it wasn¡¯t without its fair share of criminals. Besides, what about the general situation on the continent? Monsters were turning ferocious beyond understanding. The demonic monsters guing the continent had exploded to the point where it couldn¡¯t bepared to the past, and it was the same with the demonic beings that were controlling them. Thanks to the unsettling atmosphere, the number of travelers traveling to and from the cities had plummeted, and the merchants moved only when they found skilled mercenaries. But¡­ ¡®If one is as talented as I am, then it won¡¯t be a problem. Ah.¡¯ John Drew chuckled. Of course, it wasn¡¯t that he wasn¡¯t apanied by escorts, but variables always existed. However, what he believed in the most was his own ability, and that was what had changed the mostpared to the past. The brilliant trick he had figured out to fill the gap in talent. An overwhelming method that can effectively ignore the aura. Right. For him, who had finallypleted his John Drew Style Swordsmanship, his ugly self, which had only paid attention to the eyes of the others, was now a thing of the past. Even though he hadn¡¯t changed his colorful lifestyle. ¡®Airn Pareira¡­ how will he react?¡¯ His reason to go to the Pareira Estate from Eisenmarkt was nothing huge, but it was just so that he could inform Airn of his realization. It was a strange thing. He loved money more than anyone else and was obsessed with it. Then why wasn¡¯t it like that now? What was his reason for travelling to the Pareira estate? Especially when it was a journey that took a whole month, and he wasn¡¯t even being paid for it! John Drew chuckled. He didn¡¯t know at first, but now he realized it. ¡®He is the one person who acknowledged me the most.¡¯ He was the person whose swordsmanship had been better than anyone else¡¯s, at least for John. He was the person who had poured out sincere admiration for his swordsmanship more than anyone else. It was a gift more precious than gold. Recalling his face, John Drew nodded and mumbled. ¡°Although he is someone talented enough to reach the Master level, there could still be areas where I can help¡­ uh?¡± It was then. John Drew could hear amotion close to him. Turning his head to the side, he frowned. ¡°Looks like bandits. Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± It was an act that ordinary mercenaries wouldn¡¯t be ready to do, especially when it had nothing to do with them. However, most of the people who were with John Drew were no different from students who had received advice from him. He believed that those who were helped by someone were bound to be active in helping others. They quickly steered their horses to the ce and pulled out their swords which shone in the sunlight. But they didn¡¯t have the chance to wield it. sh! ¡°Kuaaak!¡± Thud! ¡°Ack!¡± One sh, another sh. Each time he swung the sword, the bandits fell down like straws. There were around ten bandits. But it wasn¡¯t really a battle. In the end, the man who was attacked took down the bandits in less than a minute. There was a white brilliance that was clearly revealed on the de. John Drew, who checked the aura and the face of the man, said, ¡°The 101st Swordsman, Jet Frost!¡± ¡°Not 101st anymore.¡± ¡°Ah, right.¡± With a mischievous smile, he walked over to Jet and held out his hand. And so did the other man¡ªa strong handshake. ¡°John, it has been such a long time.¡± ¡°I know. Around¡­. 10 years? But howe you are here¡­¡± ¡°Hm. I was on my way to the Pareira estate¡­¡± ¡°Uh? Pareira? You too?¡± Jet had said it very naturally, and John Drew was surprised by his words about heading there. But the two talked and then nodded. They were visiting Airn for the same reason. Taking a sip of water, John Drew said, ¡°Well, that young man sure has a way to charm people.¡± ¡°That is true.¡± Jet Frost nodded. After watching Bratt and Judith fight, he returned to his hometown. However, the fact that he didn''t meet Airn lingered in his heart. The passion and effort he showed, the talent he had for the sword, and that unknown charm of his, lingered on Jet. Was it for inspiration? To find a clue and break the wall which seemed to have visited him again? There had to be a reason. But¡­ ¡°I just wanted to see his face.¡± ¡°Umm, right. Looking back, I think that is the biggest reason.¡± John Drew agreed. At the same time, his shoulders seemed to turn stiff. It was because the thought, ¡®this is that kind of situation¡¯ popped into his mind. ¡®It is like I am walking to a ce where a Sword Master resides while talking to another Sword Masterfortably!¡¯ John Drew, who saw other people as less than him, now saw everything in its true color. However, he didn¡¯tpletely abandon his former tendencies. Still, he wanted to appear more vibrant than before, and he felt overwhelmed by the current situation of casually hanging out with strong people. And he slowly nced back. A couple of people looked at him with envy. This made John Drew walk up more proudly, and he asked in a low voice. ¡°Shall we head out then?¡± After joining Sword Master Jet Frost, John Drew¡¯s attitude turned more dignified. When ordering food, his voice would turn a little thick, and when he would introduce himself at the gate, he tried to look like some important person. There were people who recognized him too. Although it was not quite as great as Jet Frost, he too had a reputation of his own. Especially since some of the experts he recently taught seemed to talk about him. ¡°Indeed, John Drew! You must be so famous in the central part¡­¡± ¡°That is so great! So amazing!¡± ¡°Haha. Why are you doing this? Teacher Jet Frost is next to me too; it is amazing for me as well¡­¡± It was true that he was feeling so good that he couldn¡¯t hide his expressions. Therefore, when they arrived at their destination, the Pereira estate, they had some expectations regarding what they would see. It was a small nation in the middle of the continent. Among them, if it was a mansion with the Lord being at the Baron rank, wouldn¡¯t it take a while to visit such a man? ¡­ was what they thought, but it was flustering when the checking near the gate ended very quickly. ¡°Pass.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°No, um¡­ nothing.¡± John Drew made his way through the gates looking at the guards near the gate who stared at him, all of them having a ¡®what is wrong?¡¯ expression on their faces. And he looked back, and to his surprise, Jet Frost was treated the same. ¡®No, what happened?¡¯ John Drew was shocked. He was one thing, but Jet Frost was on a whole different level. Even before bing a Master, he received the most attention on the continent, so it was impossible to understand why the guards were reacting in such a dull manner. Why? Why were they treating them like in regr wandering people? As he thought about it, there was amotion from the side of the gates. ¡°W-what?¡¯ Startled, John Drew turned his head. What the hell? What had happened for the guards and the people to make such a fuss? With that thought, he narrowed his eyes, and two orcs appeared among the crowd. At that moment, John Drew¡¯s expression changed to astonishment. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± One of them was familiar, while the other was not. But it was immediately known who thetter was. With a height of over 2 meters, arge chest and a huge axe which was enough to intimidate people just by looking at it, and an atmosphere where everything else seemed insignificant. It was Karakum. At the appearance of the best Orc warrior, everyone had a nk expression. ¡°Sir John Drew! Sir Jet Frost!¡± ¡°Ah! Ahh! Kuvar! Long time no see!¡± ¡°¡­ it has really been long.¡± Seeing Kuvar approaching them with a friendly face, John Drew and Jet Frost greeted him. However, they didn¡¯t feelfortable. When they looked at Karakum standing behind him like a rock, Kuvar couldn¡¯t help but feel bad. Fortunately, since Kuvar had an easy-going personality, he led the conversation. ¡°Aahah, I see. This is such a weird coincidence. We also came to see Airn.¡± Shortly after Airn left the Durkali tribe, Kuvar and Karakum went on a journey of their own. It wasn¡¯t because of some faction fight that they left the tribe. It was simply because they thought that spending time together meant something meaningful for them. ¡°After wandering around like that, we came to the Hale Kingdom before we realized it, and thought that it would be nice if we stopped by.¡± ¡°Ahh, r-right¡­¡¯ John Drew nodded at Kuvar¡¯s response. However, his eyes kept darting towards Karakum. He couldn¡¯t know what the giant Orc was thinking. However, the appearance that was looking at him and Jet Frost with a heavy gaze, made a chill run down their spine¡­ ¡°R-right now! W-we should head and see Airn, right?¡± ¡°Um, me too.¡± John Drew pointed towards the mansion, and Jet Frost nodded. Although they were people who were skilled, it wasn¡¯t easy to withstand the atmosphere of Karakum. They had never missed Airn¡¯sfortable face as much as they did now. The two of them were in a simr situation, so there was nothing to say about the other party. ¡°M-Mr. Karakum? The chief of Durkali?¡± ¡°Not anymore. Now the chieftain is my son, Tarakan.¡± ¡°Ah¡­ I see. I didn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to.¡± In an instant, the group tried to talk about things. That made John Drew feel a little nice, but it still bothered him. First was the attitude of the guards of the Pareira estate. Even though a giant warrior called Karakum was here, they all seemed calm! He couldn¡¯t understand it. ¡®Of course, it wasn¡¯t like they weren¡¯t surprised at all, but they seemed to have a more gentle reaction than I had thought. Just how!¡¯ No matter how nice Pareira was, even if he reached the Master level when he was in his early 20s¡­ is this a normal reaction from his estate? However, there was something more curious than that; Karakum¡¯s attitude. His body, as he strode forward without even receiving the guidance of a servant, was giving out a strong energy which let out something that looked like a haze from the body. What the hell? What was it that was making that monstrous orc act like he was ready to jump into a battle with that axe on his back? The question was soon resolved. Woong! Woong! Kwang! Woong! ¡°Kuak¡­¡± ¡°Phew¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Are they all below twenty? In the middle of the mansion training hall, many individuals who seemed to be very young were swinging their swords. John Drew, who saw it, was shocked. Normally, he would consider the young swordsmen to be cute, but he couldn¡¯t do that now. Woong! Woong! It was because he saw the sword of the blue-haired one. As well as the sword of another person which made her silver hair flutter in the air. Everyone had their Aura Swords ready. However, there was another entity among them that caught their eyes strongly. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Another silver-haired swordsman who watched the battle between the two Sword Masters. He walked towards Karakum. Karakum, too, walked to him. The Orc who moved his heavy body, which was still giving out energy, didn''t care about his surroundings. The moment the two faced each other three meters apart, John Drew gulped. ¡®¡­ maybe I shouldn¡¯t havee?¡¯ Jet Frost. Bratt Lloyd. Ilya Lindsay. Joshua Lindsay. And the Great Warrior Karakum. Squeezed by the relentless pressure of those people, he looked around with a flustered and confused expression. Chapter 276: The Fifth Energy (2)

Chapter 276: The Fifth Energy (2)

In the heavy atmosphere, John Drew gulped. Now he knew. Why the guards posted near the gates of the estate and the mansion didn¡¯t show such a huge reaction to them. Why they looked at Jet Frost like he was just another ordinary man. ¡®If they have seen so many Masters, then this is expected. Ah, no.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just that. From the moment he first set foot in the mansion, he was amazed. Ilya Lindsay and Bratt Lloyd, who had recently reached Master level. They were both young¡­so young that they couldn¡¯t be called experienced adults. Even Ian, one of the 3 great swordsmen on the continent, reached Master at the age of 25, so if one thought about it like that, then these two young people were even more talented than Ian. ¡®Even Masters have no choice but to look up to them¡­ they are geniuses on a different level.¡¯ Such great people were here in a lesser-known territory? However, that wasn¡¯t the end. There were far more amazing people than the young ones. John Drew¡¯s eyes moved. He saw Joshua Lindsay, who was now facing Karakum, the great warrior of the Durkali tribe. Seeing the two of the continent''s strongest men facing each other... people whom no one would even try to spar with, John Drew felt so much pressure that he couldn¡¯t help but stop breathing. ¡°¡­ maybe, we can have a good time today.¡± Jet Frost mumbled, speaking his mind. In the meantime, the two warriors were still ring at each other. Was there any incident between them in the past? Orcs and humans respected each other, and it was even more so like that after the Holy Kingdom decided to take the lead within the continent. And if he was one of the heads of the swordsmanship families or maybe the greatest warrior of the Orc tribe, then he would try to not indulge in issues. But it wasn¡¯t like that now. It was just one warrior versus another warrior. A strong person versus another strong person. It was clear to even the onlookers that the two of them were engulfed in the strong desire to check each other¡¯s abilities. No one moved. They swung their weapons at the same time, and the sound of an explosion reverberated from the training hall. Baaaang! ¡°Kuak!¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± John Drew and Kuvar let out a groan. Although one was a swordsman, and the other was someone who read spirits in his own way, neither of them was strong enough to watch a battle of such intensity from a close range. The two hurried back, and Jet Frost followed them. Ilya Lindsay and Bratt Lloyd stopped their spar and watched the two warriors sh. Swish! Swing! And Swing. It wasn¡¯t a battle where one party wanted to win the fastest. It felt more like they were trying to break the other¡¯s weapon. A barbaric and primal power struggle left the surroundings in ruins. The ground trembled at it. The pace of the battle changedpletely when Joshua Lindsay took a step back. ¡®The Lindsay head was pushed back!¡¯ Jet Frost was visibly surprised. This was the first time he had seen Joshua Lindsay in person. But he had heard a lot about him. It was said that the sword of Joshua Lindsay was like a storm that would devour everything. On the other hand, a person who faced Joshua Lindsay usually felt nk and stuffy, as if they were just foolishly hitting the wind, and more often than not, they had no choice but to step back without realizing it. But that didn¡¯t happen here. What happened was the exact opposite, and at least for a moment, the orc warrior¡¯s violence and mercilessly pressed down the wind. As if to prove it, Karakum¡¯s feet, which seemed to be nailed to the ground until then, moved forward. Pung! The air burst. Bang! The space around them exploded. The intense attacks that followed, seemed to want to erase the opponent from the world. Each time the attack came, Joshua moved back like a frightened animal. Joshua Lindsay kept retreating. Looking straight at Joshua, who was driven to a corner so fast, Karakum grabbed the axe¡¯s handle strongly. Woong! Kwaaang! A force that seemed like it could split the earth in half! However, the attack was a failure. Although he was backed to a corner, Joshua still miraculously kept retreating. When Jet Frost and John Drew saw that, their eyes widened in shock. There was no ce to retreat, so they had thought that this was the end. But that wasn¡¯t the case. He was freely moving. The Lord who flew up to the sky, embraced the art of heaviness and lightness at the same time, took the shock wave that came from the axe, and retreated gracefully. And with that, the fight changed. ¡°Haaaaa!¡± With a burning spirit, Joshua Lindsay swung his sword, and it wasn''t just once. He swung it so many times that one couldn¡¯t count it, and it was from a considerable distance too. It couldn¡¯t exactly be seen. But it could be felt. Those relentless shes which were aimed to strike at Karakum! Karakumughed out under the pressure as if he was facing the sky. He stomped his feet to the ground and adopted a lower posture. For a moment, he took a deep breath and drew his force into his abdomen, and began to wield his axe. Pung! Pung! Baaang! ¡°Kuak¡­!¡± Continuous roars sounded out; each one made them feel like their ears would stop working. No, actually, maybe they had stopped. Jet Frost protected his ears with aura and looked to the side to see John Drew and Kuvar cover their ears. The rest of his party had disappeared from the ce entirely. But not Bratt Lloyd. And Ilya Lindsay seemed calm as well. After looking at them for a moment, he looked at the fight. ¡°Ahhhh!¡± Bang! shes still kept pouring down, each containing powerful aura and strong winds. The area where Karakum stood was soon carved out in a weird way. As if only the stem of the apple was left untouched, the ground seemed to represent a simr situation. No. He wasn¡¯t in danger at all. A powerful typhoon swept through as if it would blow away everything, but Karakum still looked stable. Like a giant tree with its roots buried deep in the ground. ¡®Is it a battle of patience?¡¯ Jet gulped. Jet didn''t know what Karakum had done. But he seemed perfectly fine. The firmness of being able to withstand such harsh winds for such a long time showed how strong he could be. Joshua Lindsay was the same. He still seemed to have a lot of power that he could use. The wind around him continued to grow stronger, showing no signs of reducing. It was a tense moment. However, the fight didn¡¯t go as Jet Frost expected. For a brief moment¡­a very brief moment, Joshua Lindsay¡¯s concentration was disturbed. The momentum of Karakum, who had lowered his center of gravity and was standing there like an ancient tree, changed instantly. From a tree rooted in the ground into a lump of iron. And a zing me that would sharpen that iron. In an instant, the great warrior shot out into the air as if he wanted to tear apart the area. Swish! Bang! Lord Lindsay responded swiftly. He didn¡¯t panic at the sight of his opponent rushing at him through the wind. In an instant, he grabbed his sword with both hands and grunted his teeth as he moved the sword, and dozens of sounds exploded simultaneously. With that, a tremendous shockwave spread out in a circle. Karakum, who was moving in a straight line, slightly twisted to the side. But that was enough. In that short time, Joshua was able to avoid being attacked, and moreover, he also counter-attacked the moment Karakumnded on the ground. Karakum stood there and just collected the energy of me and iron, and epted the energy of water. Ssh! Even Lord Lindsay gentlynded on the floor. It was the moment when the two strong men once again gave out a strong energy in the messed-up training hall; a voice sounded out behind them. ¡°This is enough.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Seeing the face of a new old man, Jet Frost had a nk expression. John Drew went a step further with his reaction. He was drooling with his mouth wide open, and he wasn¡¯t aware of it. However, this was expected. The old man was the Krono Swordsmanship School''s schoolmaster, Ian. One of the three strongest people of the continent appeared here. They couldn¡¯t understand anymore if this was a dream or reality. ¡®Just how did he get here¡­! "Greetings to the schoolmaster." "... it has been long, schoolmaster." ¡°Huhu. Right. It has been really long. In particr. Great warrior, it seems like it has been around 50 years since I havest seen you. Still, I am happy. It is good to see your face like this before I die.¡± ¡°¡­we will deal with thatter. As you see, I have something else to do.¡± Saying that, Karakum raised his axe. And so did Joshua Lindsay. His hair was in disarray because of the battle, but his body was fine. The ferociousness in his eyes wasn¡¯t directed towards Ian, but at the orc warrior. The two stared at each other, clearly wanting to fight again. However, that wasn¡¯t possible. Srng! Ian intervened, and as soon as he drew out his sword, the two of them felt a greater pressure on their bodies, making them step back. ¡°That is enough.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°There is no right reason for you to fight, right? If this continues, the entire estate will be destroyed.¡± ¡°It is already broken, so do they really need to stop?¡±1 ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± This time, it wasn¡¯t just John Drew and Jet Frost who were surprised. Bratt, Ilya, Kuvar, and even Karakum and lord Lindsay who were the ones fighting, seemed startled. It was Khun who had spoken. Another one of the strongest people on the continent. He was someone who wielded the fastest sword, and that great person had also appeared in the Pareira mansion. ¡®I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know anymore.¡¯ John Drew shook his head. He didn¡¯t have the energy to be shocked or speak anymore. His head wasn¡¯t working fine anymore, so he gave up thinking about it. It seemed like it wouldn¡¯t be strange if anyone else came out either, and no matter what the circumstances were, he couldn¡¯t be more shocked. He just seemed slightly lost and looked at the center of the gymnasium. Whether John Drew cared or not, things were getting more intense. Ian was trying to stop the fight. Then Khun appeared and stopped Ian from stopping the fight. The conversation between the two was quiet, but in the blink of an eye, it turned intense. There weren¡¯t any harsh words exchanged, but anyone could tell. Just a little, a small amount of stimtion and¡­ There could be a more intense battle than the fight between Joshua and Karakum that had just ended. ¡®Should I support or not¡­¡¯ Jet Frost thought, unable to reach a conclusion. Honestly, he wanted to see it. He was so moved by the previous fight alone that he couldn¡¯t even properly express his emotions. A battle between the ones in the top 10 of the continent. Wasn''t it something even the richest people couldn¡¯t see? However, even then, the fight between Ian and Khun might not be visible. ¡®Being able to watch their fight closely is a different matter¡­¡¯ Besides, there was a problem. The training hall was shattered, and if the two collided, the mansion could be ruined too. And that didn''t seem like a good thing. It didn''t matter what he thought; he didn''t have the power to stop them. ¡®No, not just me¡­ neither Karakum nor Lord Lindsay can stop them. Maybe¡­¡¯ Even those. Joshua nced at Ilya and Bratt, who were standing there. Right. There was no need to worry. If he didn¡¯t have the ability to lead the situation, he could just go with the flow. Jet, who somehow came to the same conclusion as that of John Drew¡¯s, turned to Ian and Khun. No, he was trying to. However, he didn¡¯t. There was someone walking towards them quietly from afar. He had warm blonde hair and a soft smile as if it was embracing the sun. And evenpared to anyone here, there didn¡¯t seem to be ack of firmness. Airn Pareira, who had appeared, said, ¡°I apologize, but can we end the talks here?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Everyone looked at him. Jet, Kuvar, John, Bratt, and Ilya, who weren¡¯t the main characters of the fight, as well as Joshua and Karakum, who were still giving out pressure because the excitement in their bodies didn¡¯t subside, looked towards Airn. It was the same with Ian and Khun. In particr, Khun didn¡¯t seem to like what Airn had said, seeing his uncooperative expression, which clearly screamed he wanted to see the entire ce shattered. ¡°Hm¡­¡± Airn put on a puzzled expression. And with a firm and calm atmosphere like when he first appeared, making eye contact with everyone around, he said, ¡°I might not be the Lord, but I am the Lord¡¯s son¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I would like for you to listen.¡± His words were spoken in a soft tone. However, the power in his words wasn¡¯tcking. And the result of those words was very surprising. Joshua Lindsay coughed and checked his daughter¡¯s expression. The great warrior Karakum put down his weapon while calming his excitement, and looked at Airn. Ian smiled and sheathed his sword, and Khun just followed. At the peace which had finally arrived, John Drew, who was quietly observing the situation, thought. ¡®I¡¯m afraid¡­ it looks like¡­¡¯ His eyes were full of envy. This mf LMAO.? Chapter 277: The Fifth Energy (3)

Chapter 277: The Fifth Energy (3)

¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± High-profile guests gathered in the lobby of the Pareira estate. It wasn¡¯t nned in advance, but was rather aplete coincidence. They were all people who couldn¡¯t help but want to spar with each other. Ian, the schoolmaster of Krono. And his eternal rival Khun. They were so famous that one couldn¡¯t help but be shocked at the sight of them together. And that wasn¡¯t all. Joshua Lindsay, known to be the best among the five swordsman families in the west, and Karakum, the great warrior who had no rivals. Besides them, there was also Ilya Lindsay and Bratt Lloyd, both of whom led the golden generation of Krono. ¡®Although he might be a bitckingpared to them, Jet Frost was a talented person who didn¡¯t fall far behind them. Airn, you were great at first, and now you have be a true giant.'' Kuvar, who looked at the guests, smiled. It felt good. Although it wasn¡¯t like Ilya and Bratt, who were with Airn during their trainee days, Kuvar had also formed a special rtionship with Airn. It was embarrassing to say it with his mouth, but Kuvar¡¯s influence definitely had had a deep impact on Airn. A few years ago, Airn was someone who was wandering day by day with an uncontroble and unusable piece of metal. That¡¯s what he used to be, but now, he was an entirely different being. He no longer seemed anxious. There was no sign of impatience, and no sight of him suffering from being weighed down by someone else¡¯s will. Had he changed so much? Kuvar didn¡¯t want to think of it like that. It was because Airn was still weing people with a warm smile and gaze. ¡®The bowl of understanding within him turned wide and grew upright¡­ This expression is very suitable for Airn¡¯s growth. I don''t know if it is right to judge Airn now since I was absent for a while.'' Thinking, Kuvar¡¯s smile deepened, and he held out his hand. Airn reached for it and shook it. It was a simple greeting for a meeting after so long. However, no one was feeling sad. Because their feelings that were being conveyed were much deeper than the greeting itself. ¡°Kuvar, it has been so long. Actually, I wanted to ride the Griffin ande to Durkali, but the ns changed.¡± ¡°I see. I am sorry for not saying anything either. I should have at least sent a letter.¡± ¡°It is fine. Meeting like this is better. It has been so long, Mr. Karakum.¡± ¡°Um.¡± Karakum nodded. It wasn¡¯t because he was ufortable, but because there were so many people around that he couldn¡¯t act as freely as he did in the tribe. In addition, there was the aftereffect of the battle being stopped before it was finished, which didn¡¯t sit well with him. That was the case for some others too. Feeling the awkwardness, Kuvar sneakily pulled out something from his bag. An alcohol bottle. ¡°It is a traditional drink from Durkali.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°A light drink?¡± ¡°I agree.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Bratt Lloyd answered quickly, and Joshua Lindsay also agreed. The others didn''t oppose it either. Kuvar nodded and ced three more bottles on the table, and the keen servants quickly brought them sses and ice. And the early drinking started. ¡°Is that so? That happened?¡± ¡°Yes. And then¡­¡± ¡°Hmm. Is it a bit strong? And a bit of carbonation¡­¡± ¡°You, know about alcohol?¡± ¡°Not much, but¡­ I often enjoy it, my Lord.¡± ¡°Airn, why am I not seeing Lulu? And Kirill?¡± ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t see Lulu much these days either. Guess she is doing something else. And Kirill is out to meet Lance.¡± ¡°Ahh¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± As the conversation continued, the awkwardness disappeared. However, Jet Frost and John Drew couldn¡¯t mix in. Well¡­not Jet Frost. He had no close friends, and he wasn¡¯t on the kind side, but he was a drinkerparable to Bratt and Kuvar. Because of that, he was able to spend a decent time enjoying alcohol in this unfamiliar ce. But John Drew felt too singled out. Was it because he didn¡¯t like drinking? If that was the reason, it was fine, but the problem was¡­ the realization he had. ¡®Do I deserve to be here?¡¯ There were now ten guests gathered here along with him. And among them, eight of them were at the Master level. It seemed absurd when he thought about it. Of the Masters who were known to be only 100 in the continent, close to a tenth of them were in this small estate! Of course, there were rumors that the Masters had increased and had exceeded 150, but even considering that, this was an absurd situation. ''Me too¡­ I, too¡­ thought I was pretty great¡­'' John Drew nced across the table. And looked at Kuvar. Like him, he was the only non-master, and was inferiorpared to those here. However, even he felt different. He was the spiritual mentor of Airn, who was today¡¯s protagonist. And above all¡­ the fact that he was the son of the great warrior Karakum and the elder brother of their tribe¡¯s chieftain, Tarakan! The fact that he was such a noble couldn¡¯t bepared with his own background! In the end, he was the only being who had neither nobility nor ability. The only lowly guy. The ugly duckling among swans. No, a frog-like existence. In the midst of the engulfing sadness, John Drew regretteding to the estate. It was then, Airn, who was done with Kuvar, spoke to him with a warm expression. ¡°Mr. John Drew, teacher. Long time.¡± ¡°¡­ Uh! teacher?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you my teacher? I still remember the psychological warfare and the fake battle strategies I learned from the teacher so vividly in my mind¡­ ahh, I must be sounding weird; it has been so long since we met that it felt a little awkward¡­ haha.¡± ¡°Ah, uh¡­ ri-right. You can act the same and befortable like before. Hahah¡­¡± John Drew smiled. He was thankful. Seeing Airn, who cared for him...he, who was a dwarf among the giants present here, made him want to cry. However, he wasn¡¯t going to get swayed by it. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t get excited about such stuff.'' John Drew recalled his past. Especially the memories rted to the women in his life. The other party would smile politely at his jokes, and he would get excited without realizing it and utter more nonsense; his voice would rise, and his words would get faster, and the women''s expressions would be more rotten¡­ But not this time. He had to have a good grasp of the atmosphere now. He had to understand whether the other party was just being friendly or whether they were genuinely interested. Then¡­ ¡°Come to think of it, I heard that you officially opened a school.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°i-Is that not right?¡± ¡°No, it is right.¡± John Drew seemed shocked. It wasn¡¯t a hidden thing. Actually, he even thought that his swordsmanship had advanced, and that was why he had gained confidence. John Drew had bought somend, and most of Eisenmarkt knew of it. However, that was a matter that had urred back in his ce. In order for that information toe to the Pareira estate, which was so far, one needed to put in more attention than just listening to rumors. ''¡­ maybe, Airn is more friendly than I thought.'' Such thoughts began to raise his self-esteem, which was pushed down. And that wasn¡¯t the end. The conversation with Airn continued. It wasn''t just the level of asking about his health and current status, but rather the topic flowed into swordsmanship, and John Drew could speak, and the others listened. It was the moment when his confidence was about to falter seeing so many Masters listening. ¡°As expected, John Drew¡¯s thoughts are more liberal than mine.¡± ¡°u-uh?¡± ¡°Given the same crisis situation, there are many different solutions. Some of them are really unexpected approaches¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Without pretense, Airn truly understood the person¡¯s swordsmanship ideas. John Drew felt moved by it and expressed his thoughts more enthusiastically. And soon, Ilya, Bratt, and Jet Frost, who joined the flow, also began to give their opinions. Watching them, Karakum nodded his head, and he looked at Airn and thought. ¡®Water in addition to metal and me¡­ and even the energy of the earth has been tapped.¡¯ A conversation wasn''t simply the exchange of words, but the exchange of ideas. It was an exchange of emotions, and it was an exchange of the hearts that the other party embraced. And all of the above had the same character as water. They could make it flow, they could smear it, and they could get wet. If it was overdone, it would be a problem. ¡®Losing your own color because you were dyed with other people¡¯s emotions, and bing immersed in other people¡¯s emotions and exhausting your own heart. It could be very confusing. And everyone was closing the door of the exchange since they were afraid.¡¯1 But not Airn. In a situation where just looking straight might be troublesome, he stood proudly in the center. And he led the flow of conversation, and furthermore, he even opened the closed mind of others too. Because of his solid ground. Because it had a different kind of hardness than steel. So, seeing the young hero who generously embraced the feelings and will of others¡­ ¡®¡­ I don¡¯t think I need to help him.¡¯ ¡­ even without teaching him anything, he was convinced that Airn had tapped into the fifth element. Well, in the first ce, he knew that there would be no need for his help. Although the roots were the same, Arin was developing a lot differently from the orcs. So, Karakum decided that he would just watch. So that he could see him sprout. Karakum, who smiled, drank a sip. ¡°You don¡¯t drink?¡± ¡°Not much.¡± ¡°I see. I don¡¯t know if it is because I was alone, but it has been a while since I have been out for a drink and so I refused¡­¡± ¡°You and I, let¡¯s drink.¡± ¡°I like tea more than alcohol. And¡­¡± Unlike Karakum, Ian and Khun didn¡¯t admire Airn¡¯s growth too much. Because they already knew about him better than others. How great he was bing. Not just that, but they were proud of all of the young people who were growing fast. Along with Judith, who wasn¡¯t present now. However, it wasn¡¯t that they weren¡¯t interested in Airn. Ian lowered his voice and whispered. ¡°Those two.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Airn and Ilya. Have you heard of the two? They are lovers.¡± ¡°I heard about it. What should I do about it?¡± ¡°No, isn¡¯t it funny? The fact that young people in their 20s, who have been dating for more than half a year, are still showing such a youthful appearance¡­¡± ¡°Youth¡­¡± Even as he said that, Khun agreed with Ian. Because there were several people in the room, Airn and Ilya didn¡¯t talk much, but each time their eyes met, their expression would change subtly, and each time their eyes made contact, a slight smile would pop up on both their faces. It looked so sweet that even the 100-year-old man found it nice. But¡­ ¡°What is with them? This isn¡¯t some kid¡¯s house game.¡± ¡°Hm?¡± "Am I wrong? They aren''t little kids; how long are they going to act like that?" ¡°Huhu. Look at you. What can they do in a ce where everyone is gathered?¡± ¡°I can tell by looking at them. They must be the same everywhere.¡± ¡°Huhuh¡­.¡± Ian, who had nothing to say to Khun¡¯s words,ughed. Frankly, even he thought the same. But even though he thought that, it didn¡¯t seem like the two could do anything more with each other anytime soon. However, this was just the opinion of the old men. Bratt, who was drinking while listening to their whispers, only shook his head. ¡®One can never know.¡¯ Taking a deep breath, he filled his ss and drank. He was missing Judith. He mumbled and sighed. That time, In order to pursue the devil, the subjugation squad of the Holy Kingdom that had spread out all over the ce had gathered back in the capital. Okay, I realize this might be a little confusing, so here''s what I understood. As it was established earlier, different swordsmen have different methods of swordsmanship (obviously). What Karakum is thinking about here, is how swordsmen seldom talk with other swordsmen concerning matters regarding the core aspects of their swordsmanship. Primarily because (I''m assuming) they do not want to let their swordsmanship get diluted when listening to the theories of other swordsmen. But Airn, on the other hand, is able to connect different types of swordsmanship theories and expand further on them as well because, (again, I''m assuming) he has grasped all the energies. I think that every swordsmanship, in one way or the other, is connected to the 5 energies: metal, fire, water, earth, and wood. Y''all can discuss more about this in thement section hehe.? Chapter 278: The Fifth Energy (4)

Chapter 278: The Fifth Energy (4)

The Holy Kingdom, Avilius, the most powerful nation on the continent. It had the power of over 15 Masters, including the hidden powers, as well as the high-level priests, along with Expert level knights who supported them. All of thesebined made people believe and put their trust in them. It was indeed the most suitable bunch to oppose the Devils. Subsequent to the tragedy that had urred in Rabat at the appearance of the Clown Devil, which was an urrence as great as the Demon Dragon King, the Holy Kingdom began to form subjugation squads. But still, the situation didn¡¯t seem too good. Frankly, it would have been better if an all-out war with the Devils had urred. Starting with Julius Hul, one of the three strongest swordsmen, if the power which had been stored up because of the 160 years of peace was released at once, they would defeat the Devils with ease. But the Devils were sneaky, filthy, terrible, and were too sly. In order to patrol across the wide continent, they had no choice but to disperse their power, and they had now reached a terrible junction. Little by little, the damage piled up. Little by little, the confusion grew. Secrets leaked out, and the people who knew about the increasing number of devils grew. The Holy Kingdom changed its n to move alone, and asked for the help of other Kingdoms. They knew that this decision would fuel more rumors, but they decided that it would be better to annihte the Devils sooner. But it was a mistake. The moment they changed their decision, the devils sank deeper and began to reveal their other lesser beings. The contractors. The number of demons began to explode. ¡°Did you hear it? There is a Demon in the Torban mountain¡­¡± ¡°It appeared on the side of Calben too. Isn¡¯t this bad?¡± ¡°I know. If possible, just stay inside. Sending a subjugation squad from the Kingdom should solve it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. From what I have heard, if the number of demons increases¡­ the Devil hase back¡­¡± ¡°What? For real?¡± A fear swept across the continent. Of course, the fear wasn¡¯t to the extent where the social order copsed. That was because the power of the continent during the peaceful time had grown stronger. The number of swordsmen increased thanks to the schools that hade up, and although it was limited to Runtel, the number of magicians had increased too. The churches of the Holy Kingdom that had spread around, helped stabilize the peace in the minds of the people. So, the direct damage wasn¡¯t too much. It was still a world where there were still far more people who lost lives to poverty and robbery than to the Devils. But¡­ ¡®The seeds of anxiety had already been nted inside the minds of people¡­ and now, it was toote for the Holy Kingdom to try and withhold the flow of information. It was assured that the fight wouldst a long time.¡¯ A member of the Red Knights, Cristobal ckwell, thought with a worried expression. Just like the faith of priests gathered to create miracles, the fear that spread caused confusion. It would destabilize the dimensions and create a hole between Devildom and the Human world. ¡®¡­ I am not afraid to face a Devil with my sword.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t a lie. They knew better than anyone how powerful and terrible the Devils were. It was fine if they could wield their swords for the continent. They thought that their lives weren¡¯t important inparison to the world. However, if hope faded due to the sacrifices of men¡­ if fear of wandering the continent grew¡­it would result in the gates to Devildom opening wider and allowing more terrifying things toe over¡­ When he thought till there. He saw Julius Hul walking by. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± All the knights gathered in the training hall held their breath and looked at him...Julius Hul, who was the most faithful of Avilius and the strongest man in the Holy Kingdom. No. Cristobal ckwell¡¯s heart pounded violently at the appearance of the existence who was undoubtedly the best on the continent. At the age of 50, he had risen to the position of Commander of the White Knights and had been leading the knights from the forefront for the past 40 years. And that person was here in front of them. He was able to summon back all those who were chasing after the devils and cleaning the evil with just a single sentence. For the knights of Avilius, Julius was such a figure. A dependable and hopeful light in a desperate situation. ¡®Perhaps he has an idea we can use for us to ovee the current situation.¡¯ A faint smile appeared on Cristobal¡¯s face. A littlete, he saw something¡­no, someone else. ¡°¡­¡± The Commander of the White Knights started radiating more energy than before. He didn¡¯t know it right away, but as the person got closer, it became clear. The person walking towards them was breaking down the pressure of Julius Hul. As if it were breaking through the sacred white wall, an intense energy rose from that person. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Silence descended upon them. The hall was silent for some time. It felt like a long period of time because of their slow walk, and the training hall''s width. And as if they didn¡¯t care about the time that seemed to stand still, the ck and white knights stopped their march. Meanwhile, the ck Knight Commander, I Crescentia, was facing the strongest sword of the continent with dazzling power. ¡°Let¡¯s start.¡± There was no response. Shhh! A sword was pulled out. nk! The posture was checked. Woong! And a red aura flowed from Julius Hul. Some knights gulped without realizing it. The momentum of the ck Knightmander, who filled the training hall, was drying all their mouths. Woong! Swoosh! And with feet, her movements which seemed like the wind itself, moved like lightning towards Julius for the attack. Julius Hulughed. The sword of the old man looked happier than ever, and a formidable aura came out. Waaahhh. ¡°It¡¯ll definitely work.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Julius Hul nodded, looking at Quincy Myers. It really might. The mindset of the knights before and after the fight did seem different. After pondering for a moment, he carefully said, ¡°Georg, you were right. It was the effect of gathering those who were busy.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°He-he! Ourmander, no, it is only natural for anyone to feel energized when seeing such a face!¡± ¡°That is true.¡± The White Knightsmander stroked Anya Marta¡¯s hair. Like other knights, he had no fear when dealing with the Devil. However, that wasn¡¯t what perplexed him currently. When he thought of the future, 10 or 20 years from now, his worries deepened. ¡®Senior Myers and the Purification squad knights, Ian and Khun¡­ even the Red Knightsmander is here. We are close to leaving.¡¯ Julius Hul was 90% sure that he would win the war against the Devils if it came to an all-out war right now. However, if another 10 years passed, then most of the strongest people would be very old. If 10 more years pass, the top three swordsmen, including him, would be extremely old too, and what would happen then? What would the juniors do? ''That will be the Kingdom''s greatest fear. But¡­'' After today, that fear ispletely gone. Recalling the previous match, he spoke with a happy smile. ¡°There is hope.¡± Right. Today, I Crescentia was defeated by his hands. However, what was revealed wasn''t despair, but rather, it was hope. Even if she couldn¡¯t rise to the 3rd position of the strongest swordsmen right now. He was feeling confident that she could reach that level at a much faster time than expected. No, he was sure that she could go even further. It was his belief that she would be the center of the continent and annihte the demons! Such a heart would make even the hearts of the pdins stronger. ¡°Wait.¡± ¡°¡­ is something up?¡± Quincy Myers asked with a serious expression. He had no choice but to do that. Because Julius Hul, who had had a pleasant mood until now, suddenly had a serious expression. Wouldn¡¯t such a drastic change happen only if there was a huge deal? However, there was no need to worry. No, it was rather good. After a while, unexpected words came out from the White Knights Commander. ¡°Do I only need to show the knights?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The sword of the ck Knight Commander.¡± ¡°Um?¡± ¡°I¡¯s swordsmanship, her skill, the potential she has, and the hope she represents.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Not just us¡­ if the whole continent knew about it, we could create such a ce¡­.¡± To deliver greater hope than the evil that was guing them. Wouldn¡¯t it help to destroy the door to the Devildom? It was when Quincy Myers seemed shocked. One of the knights rushed in and gave them some news. ¡°The ck Knightmander disappeared? What¡­¡± The Red Knights''mander looked around. Anya Marta, who was there with them until a few minutes ago, had also disappeared. "She didn''t seem to be fine¡­" ¡°It will be fine.¡± Julius Hul answered. Quincy Myers looked at him and then at Georg Phoebe, who was the vicemander of the ck Knights. He, too, didn''t seem to have any worries. It was then. The old man, who remembered the face of a young man, nodded and said. ¡°Please, I hope it isn¡¯t too much of a stimulus.¡± ¡°It was really nice to see you after a long time. Will you wee me next time?¡± ¡°Haha, of course. You are wee at any time.¡± Sometimeter the next day, the guests of the Pariera estate gathered. Everyone left, including Ilya, and Airn smiled at Kuvar and Karakum, who were thest ones left on the estate, and they, too, were getting ready to leave. Moments of parting were always sad. But this time, it wasn¡¯t so sad. That was because he knew that he would meet them again. Those were the thoughts in Airn¡¯s head as he watched them leave. It was then that he saw something. Ching! There was a line in the air. It was much brighter than the light of the sun at noon. It soon expanded to a sizerge enough for several people to pass through. It was Anya Marta. Kuvar looked at her with a firm expression. Tak. And then, another person came. An existence with a strong air just like she had before, a strong but lean build, and long ck hair, which was rare on this continent. He recognized that person without having to say it. I. Shhh! p! Karakum began to use the Five Divine Spirits technique. The metal pulled onto the axe. It was because of the story he had heard. ''She went to Ian, Khun, and even Lindsay''s ce.'' The Aura of the Orcs rose like haze on a summer day. But it was wrong. It was true that she was there toe for confrontation, but it was not directed at Durkali. I, who took a step back, passed Karakum. She didn¡¯t even bother to look at the Orc to see whether he was flustered or not. ¡°Airn Pareira.¡± And she said, ¡°Should we have a go at each other?" Woong! She gave out a strong aura. It was quite a sudden remark, but Airn wasn''t too shocked. Without being swayed¡­ ¡­or being nervous. He, who looked at I Crescentia''s state, summoned his greatsword. Woon. And said, ¡°Let¡¯s do that.¡± Chapter 279: The Fifth Energy (5)

Chapter 279: The Fifth Energy (5)

Wheik! A fire burned bright. A reddish aura that seemed to want to burn the whole world, and she seemed like she was a part of the Red Knights more than the ck Knights. I exhaled a hot breath twice. Immediately after, a sword strike was fired in an instant that aimed to pierce Airn¡¯s shoulder. Swish! Airn raised his sword in defense. She kept singing and shing the sword. Although she increased her speed even further, the movement of her opponent was clearly visible to her. And it wasn¡¯t just that. She could see their operation, intention, and even their aura too. She was sure. That her present self had definitely surmounted the wall. A stronger energy emanated from I, who smiled. Puak! For almost a year, she had been fighting the most powerful people on the continent. Masters with exponential strength. Beyond them, there were also other masters she fought. And then, she went to Ian, Khun, and Julius Hul. None of them wereckingpared to the heroes who had cut off the devil¡¯s head in the past. Even for her, it wasn¡¯t easy, but the results were clear. In the endless enlightenment she had obtained, I looked back at her sword andpleted it. And after tearing down the wall, she seeded in taking a big step forward. She was literally ready to be a being in the sky. Who was her biggest inspiration? Was it Joshua Lindsay, the descendent of the Hero who had beheaded the Demon Dragon King? Or was it Ian, the schoolmaster of Krono? Or was it Khun or Julius Hul? I smiled as she had already found her answer. Holding her sword stronger, she moved her body and continued to attack Airn. There was a storm of fire. The answer to the question, however, was the blonde swordsman who stood in the center of that storm without hesitation. Watching his clear blue eyes, I whispered. ¡®Thank you.¡¯ Ever since the mercenary troops and even before that, I had always walked alone on her path. No one came after her, and she didn¡¯t want the help of others either. Actually, she had faith. She had the confidence that she could support everything on her own. She had the conviction that assured her that even if she wore the crown of loneliness, she wouldn¡¯t be weak. However, I knew that it wasn¡¯t the best-case scenario. Even if she could do it alone, it was better to do it together. Even if she had the ability to carry everyone, she knew that being carried was fine. And it was thanks to that thought that she started training even more intensely. It was something her former self would have never understood. The fact that she had wanted to escape from the responsibility of the subjugation and continue her personal training. And the existence which made it possible. He was a young hero who could never be her opponent but had risen to the highest level by exchanging hearts and beliefs with people. Looking at Airn Pareira, she let out a smile. ¡°It feels like my vision has been broadened.¡± Pop! Bump! Puff! I¡¯s sword turned faster. There was a chain of explosions, and that caused the eleration and the angle of the de to change. It was something that would make one¡¯s eyes dizzy. A bizarre swordsmanship that even a decent Sword Master couldn¡¯t catch up with. Airn¡¯s expression was distorted as he stood there. It had been just a minute or so, and there was sweat dripping down already. He didn¡¯t care, though. Rather, he stretched out his sword faster and stronger. She thought that this was her gift for him since he was the one who was the reason for the broadening of her mind. Thinking that, I showed off her new swordsmanship without regret, and as time passed, Airn''s body turned into a mess. Kwang! ¡°Kuak¡­¡± Half an hour had passed since the battle started. It wasn¡¯t a short time. However, considering Airn¡¯s physical and mental strength, it wasn¡¯t a huge time either. However, he wasn¡¯t in a condition to continue. Blood was dripping from his cracked palms, and his clothes were stained red. His breathing didn¡¯t stabilize, and his lower body trembled; it was impossible for him to try and stand. It was a precarious condition, and Airn seemed as if he would fly away with another hit. ¡°He¡¯s done.¡± Karakum said softly. Kuvar thought so as well. There was no more hope. On the contrary, he thought it was great that Airn had managed to endure this long. Even to him, who wasn¡¯t familiar with swords, the current I was too strong. ¡®She was like that when I first saw her, but¡­ I feel like her level as a swordsman has grown exponentially.¡¯ Kuvar recalled the past. He thought of Charlotte and Victor. The scene he had seen then wasn¡¯t like what was happening now, but he remembered I, who crushed the two of them, whom Airn couldn¡¯t handle. The violent and ruthless air from her swordsmanship; tearing, exploding, and burning everything, created a sense of fear in those around her. Now it felt different. The strong presence was still there, but it wasn¡¯t just hot. Now, there was also a warm light, but it was still unable to look straight at the source. It was like looking at a presence one would never be able to reach. As if they were facing the real sun. ¡®She has be stronger.¡¯ ¡­ more than Airn had grown. Even though he wasn¡¯t privy to what had actually happened, Kuvar still felt a great shock and a sense of loss. But the important thing happened next. Kwang! ¡°Kuak¡­!¡± Airn managed to block the opponent''s sword, which had been fired at him like an explosion. It didn¡¯tst long. Using the shock of the block to spread the distance, he took a quick breath and prepared to charge in. However, I didn¡¯t move. Rather, she maintained her form, rooted herself to the ground, and focused on her aura. Wheik! ¡°¡­!¡± Aura waves manifested outside her body like tendrils, and each of them was thick enough to be seen with the naked eye. Her energy burned like an active volcano and gathered in an instant. The Aura Sword, which momentarily stretched out, waspressed and concentrated into the form of a sphere. And the size of that sphere continued to decrease, further increasing its density. Ching¡­ A sound rang out. The ominous sound cut through the air and pierced Airn¡¯s ear. Kuvar could hear it as well, and he moved his body. I had no intention of considering Airn''s well-being. Airn couldn¡¯t even properly stand. He definitely couldn¡¯t stop it. He had to save his friend, and he had to do something quick! However, it wasn¡¯t possible. Kuvar turned his head and looked at his father. Gently, he tried to use the spirits and help Airn, to somehow block I even if it meant his father getting angry at him. However, he couldn¡¯t overpower his father. In the end, he had to watch the fight, unable to move because of his father¡¯s pressure which kept him stuck there. Swosh! There was a momentary noise. Puck! Then there was a calming sound. However, themotion which urred after that was huge enough to blow away the silence. Kwakwakwakwa! ¡°Kuak!¡± Kuvar covered both his ears and almost moved back. But fortunately, because his father was there next to him, the shock was dispersed. Thud! The sound ofnd being hollowed out could be heard. Branches and stones fell like hail as they rained down on them. But none of that mattered. Kuvar looked at his father. Why did he block it only for Kuvar? Why didn¡¯t he intervene for the sake of Airn? Airn was someone who had helped the father and son duo to reunite after decades. So, when his life was in danger, why did his father act so cruelly? As he was about to ask, Karakum spoke first. ¡°Look.¡± It was just one short word. But somehow, Kuvar felt his heart calm down as he heard that voice. There was trust in his voice; he slowly turned his head to look where the red sphere was shot. And to his surprise, Airn was still standing. Kuvar thought his eyes would pop out. ¡°¡­!¡± This wasn¡¯t normal. His clothes were ragged andpletely torn, and his bare skin was exposed with blood flowing down. The dust which settled on his body made him look more wounded. But. He blocked it. Airn had withstood it. Kuvar couldn¡¯t understand this situation. ¡®It was definitely a different attack from before. I know swordsmanship, but I had a feeling that Airn would never be able to stop it¡­'' It was a feeling that was strong enough to bepared to a sorcerer. That was the reason he tried to help Airn. Because Kuvar didn¡¯t want to lose him. However, Airn was unharmed for the most part. He even had a faint smile on his face as he looked at I Crescentia. ¡°Next time¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± That was it. Airn Pareira couldn¡¯tplete his words and fainted. Kuvar ran for him and checked his condition. Fortunately, there were no grievous wounds on him. But that didn¡¯t mean that this wouldn¡¯t turn into trauma. He took out the first aid kit and began to help. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Yes, right away! ¡°You weren¡¯t wrong this time.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t always wrong to say no! yah!¡± Ting! Anya Martha opened the portal, and I stepped ahead. Before she left, she looked back. She paused and then mumbled. ¡°¡­ there is no need to go to the others.¡± It was quite funny. It was the high-ranking Sword Masters who had helped her realize something, but strangely, it was the people younger than her who were more memorable to her. The silver-haired swordsman, Lord Lindsay. The ring swordsman, Khun. The blue-haired swordsman who had sat with Ian of Krono, hadn¡¯t left her mind either. Woong! However, the ce I headed for wasn¡¯t Avilius. As she said before, there was no need to head back there. After all, she was acquaintances with the young man. And she was going to develop through her interaction with him. When she thought of the future, she smiled. ¡®Someday, it seems like it will be fun to hang out together.¡¯ Two years ago, she would have never thought this; I Crescentia was moved to see the White Knights Commander once again. ¡°¡­¡± After she left. Karakum stood where the battle had happened. It wasn¡¯t because she ignored him. He knew it the moment he saw her. For her, who already had a direction,peting wouldn¡¯t matter. She hade here only for Airn. It was to stimte Airn¡­ as a favor to him. ¡®¡­ it was a bit drastic, but it turned out good.¡¯ The Durkali warrior nodded. A circle that was created in an instant. As he recalled Airn''sst appearance, which indicated that he had entered a new realm, he smiled. Chapter 280: The Fifth Energy (6)

Chapter 280: The Fifth Energy (6)

The ck Knightsmander returned from her training session. Julius Hul was still the best. The former Red Knightsmander, Quincy Myers, and the currentmander, Alexis Christian, also showed up. Nevertheless, the Holy Kingdom gained courage when I joined them back. ¡®If time passes and the current leaders of Avilius disappear¡­¡¯ ¡®There will be no problem.¡¯ There was hope for the future. Embracing the new me she brought and represented, the Holy Kingdom went to subdue the devil with a stronger determination. ¡°Even so, they wouldn¡¯t be able to find it.¡± Despite their powerful force, the priest didn¡¯t care about it. This was as expected. He knew the human potential better than anyone, so he was thoroughly prepared. Recruiting the clown was a part of his n. It wasn¡¯t difficult to earn a year or so with his help. The priest turned his head to the swordsman who was peering into the abyss with an expressionless face and said, ¡°Come, Carl Lindsay.¡± At those words, the other devils began to quietly disappear. Carl Lindsay looked back at him. No, he was immersed in his own thoughts with his gaze to the ground. He no longer thought of his broken family. I Crescentia. And Airn Pareira. Recalling their fight a few days back, he slowly closed his eyes. What Airn had was definitely an amazing talent. He had great skill too. However, he couldn¡¯t bepared to I. Just as he suffered a terrible defeat, he, too, lost his mind after being pushed back. But¡­ ¡®He made I look back, made her conscious of her.¡¯ Carl Lindsay¡¯s memory traced the past. He recalled the view of I, who appeared like the wind, knocked him down, and then disappeared uninterested. When the events of that time in the past and a few days back ovepped, his heart swelled. Feeling his chest tighten, he took a deep breath. ¡°¡­ let¡¯s see.¡± He couldn¡¯t stand it. ¡°It will never be that way.¡± He mumbled and continued to mumble. With a relentlessmitment, Carl Lindsay threw himself into the abyss. Looking at the priest¡¯s back, he slowly seeped into the darkness where the sunlight couldn¡¯t reach. How did hee to walk this path? He couldn¡¯t remember when he stepped foot here. But he was certain of one thing, it was impossible to go back to the old days. ¡­ he thought about the other two. The priest in front of him who was drenched in darkness, and the clown who couldn¡¯t be found for a while. A fortnight after the duel with I. Airn fell into deep meditation. He didn¡¯t eat, drink or even sleep for three days. He sat there and continued to think. There was no problem. This time he wasn¡¯t shaken at her sight. He wasn¡¯t nervous like their second meeting. Just how did the new stimulus which flowed in have an effect on him? That was what he was thinking. ¡®I¡¯m still a long way off.¡¯ The first thing which came to his mind was the fact that he was such a great swordsman. The tremendous growth he had achieved in the past few years was shocking. It was a bit flustering to think of it this way, but no one would refute it. Still, he couldn¡¯t take her down. Beyond that, she herself had grown so much that she one-sidedly took him down. Comparing only their talent, he smiled for a moment as the thought that neither he nor Ilya could surpass her went through his mind. ¡®But that wouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡¯ He wasn¡¯t disappointed. The reason he swung the sword wasn¡¯t to be the best swordsman. It wasn¡¯t to defeat I Crescentia. Of course, he didn''t ignore the fighting spirit andpetitive spirit in him. However, if he got caught up in such a fight and forgot what was important to him, that would be an even bigger problem. It was a thought he always had. Whenever things got worse, he remembered his belief that he would forget the most important thing to him if he went down this path. Airn, who remembered that again, finally woke from the meditation. ¡°Brother! Are you up?¡± ¡°Airn! Are you fine, Arin?¡± ¡°You¡¯re fine?¡± Kirill, Lulu, and his mother were all looking at him with worried faces. And the figure of his father standing behind them caught his eye. Their hearts were overflowing with support for Airn. He nodded with a smile. ¡°I am fine. Sorry for worrying you.¡± His gratitude flowed to them. There was an exchange of healthy and clear emotions and a cirction of their thoughts. The days after that were normal. Some days he practiced the sword, and some days he went out on pics with his family. Some days he would spend time with Ilya and some days with Bratt. The time he spent with Lulu became less. He was puzzled since he couldn''t see her in the estate more often, but he figured that there had to be a reason, and he would wait for her to talk to him. ¡®Because we still like each other.¡¯ And that is enough. And time passed. Woong! The seasons changed. Still, Airn¡¯s life had changed little. He spent all of his time either swinging the sword or spending time with his loved ones. Of course, it wasn¡¯t exactly the same. The meetings he had with Ilya and Bratt were reduced from before. It seemed like an important time in their swordsmanship had arrived. But that wasn¡¯t a problem. He regretted being away from Ilya, but it was worth it if she got stronger. The words Ilya told him still flowed in his mind and made his heart flutter. Sharing their love, swordsmanship, and many more things, the flowing water inside Airn swirled. It wasn¡¯t just his heart. The hearts of many people beat for thiszy prince too. A small sprout began to grow from the soil of Airn. Wong! Woo! Seasons changed again. There were no changes. It was the same with his sword. He continued to practice but saw no change. However, he didn¡¯t feel rushed. And he never gave up on it. He was wary enough to not let himself burn himself out, and there was no need to push himself when he had a healthy spirit of improvement and fighting. ¡®How was I¡¯s sword back then?¡¯ The match with I was of great help to him. In the past, the loss would have been difficult to bear. If it had been his past self, he would have bowed his head at the intense pressure and never gotten up again. If he was at the time when he was obsessed with the past and future and neglected the present and his surroundings, then it would have been a problem too. But it was fine now. Because now, he had the wide stream of water. Along with the hardened earth, which was wide enough to embrace the stream. I¡¯s stimtion affected such a heart, and the result of that battle wasn''t like a me that would ruin him¡­ it was more like warm sunlight. The sprout grew slowly and stretched towards the sky. Woo! Whooo! Woo! He wasn¡¯t aware of it yet. To be honest, it was a slow movement each day. Sometimes he felt disappointed, sometimes he felt strong, but in the long run, the time for improvement was too short. Airn moved forward with a heart strong as ever, and swung his sword. And again, time passed. Changes hade to the Pareira family. ¡°Kirill? What is with your clothes? Are you going¡­¡± ¡°Uh? Ah! I have work to do! Well, it isn¡¯t important¡­¡± ¡°Uh? What happen¡­¡± ¡°Ugh! Let¡¯s talkter! Bye!¡± Swish! ¡°¡­¡± Watching his sister cut off his words and fly away, Airn felt puzzled. Considering the old Kirill, this was weird. Even if she was irritated or annoyed, she never had such a troubled expression when she was looking at her brother. She wasn''t the only one; the others were the same. At some point, the parents started neglecting their children who were dating, and Lulu still didn¡¯t show her face. Marcus was the same. Even he, who took care of Airn the most, was now busy managing the new servants. But¡­ ¡®Things like this can happen.¡¯ Airn didn¡¯t take this too seriously. It was because he didn¡¯t consider this as neglect but as trust. In the past, they felt like if they took their eyes off him, something bad would happen to their son¡­ if it was in the past, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to be fine with just this. In the past, they all must have left their work for the sake of looking at him. ¡®Thinking about it that way, even I have changed a lot.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just the others who changed. Airn had changed a lot. It wasn¡¯t just his actions but his thoughts too. He was rigid in the past, and he was rigid when he visited the Lloyd mansion too. He had huge beliefs back then, and although he did have beliefs now, they were more stable. ¡®I am no longer impatient or anxious. I am not even worried.¡¯ There was a time when he was worried about whether he could turn the dream he had into reality. His belief overflowed. Who could support his will when what they saw in the past was his character which was always shaky and wary? It was understandable that Karakum was furious when he decided to walk about the Path of the Hero in Durkali. Right. His goal and dream which could be rebuked for being arrogant¡­ But now, he could speak of it more confidently. ¡°I want to raise my sword.¡± Without a reason, and not because he was drunk from his previous life. He was confident. His beliefs, especially in himself, were much stronger than before. But that didn¡¯t mean that he was perfect. He was stillcking. However, there was no need to hide it and move ahead alone. No, he could just ept the advice and help of others and exchange thoughts with them. In this way, he could find his own happiness, and happiness for those around him, and maybe for the world too. Of course, thest part was a long way off. And Airn had no idea when that would happen, but¡­ He decided to take small steps to achieve it. At least for his belief, this worked better¡­ ¡®Because not just the results but also the progress is also valuable.¡¯ Airn nodded and left the training hall, and went to his room. And he began to meditate. A dream and belief that he always had in the past. However, something felt different. Something new entered his eyes when he entered into the imaginary world. ¡®¡­ a tree.¡¯ And it wasn¡¯t alone. The exchange with people and the water which flowed. The widend and the hard ground created it to be embraced easily. Right. Not one sprout, but numerous of them together. They were strong and healthy and green. Airn smiled. It was because the leaves were refreshing to watch in the sunlight. Shh¡­ With a height that was barely to his waist, the growth rate was slow. But it was fine. Fast is good, but slow wasn¡¯t a problem. Rather than their speed, what was more important was how well they grew. With that, Airn began to start the Five Spirits Divine technique. All five of the elements had finally been established. Metal, fire, water, earth, and wood. The circle which formed was flowing and flowing and was adding depth to the entire ce. Time passed like that; a year passed since the fight with I. A letter arrived for Airn. ¡°Warrior¡­ festival?¡± It was an invitation from Avilius, The Holy Kingdom. Chapter 281: Bratt Lloyd’s Wish (1)

Chapter 281: Bratt Lloyd¡¯s Wish (1)

A few months before Airn Pareira received an invitation from the Holy Kingdom. Judith, who was staying with Khun, was focusing on training as usual. No, it wasn¡¯t just that. Her body was wielding the sword like it had be a habit, but her head was filled with thoughts of Bratt Lloyd, who would soon arrive. ¡®This jerk, just what¡­ Why is he taking so long to prepare?¡¯ It was weird. Not long after she thought he had surpassed her, he suffered a defeat in her hands. When she thought about it, feeling irritated made sense, but she wasn¡¯t feeling bad. ¡®If you lose again, I¡¯ll kill you. The next time¡­make sure to win¡­ and I will give you anything you want.¡¯ That was what was in the letter she wrote to support him. Seeing her lover¡¯s skills soaring because of just one thing she said, she thought that her man who had told her, ¡®I¡¯lle prepared¡¯ with a happy face, would be back soon¡­ it was fun then. ¡®What dog shit is this!¡¯ Judith shook her head. They had been dating for nearly 2 years, and they had known each other for almost 10 years. As they had a rivalry that had been going on for a long time, even before they started dating, she knew what kind of person Bratt was. As she thought that, she wondered about the thing that he would want¡­ ¡®Something that I will feel embarrassed of¡­ would it be a thing like that?¡¯ Thoughts ran through her mind. He might make her yell, ''Bratt Lloyd, I love you! I can''t live without you!'' in a crowded street. Or he might ask her to express affection to him in a crowded ce. Other than those things, she also thought of other flustering things, yet most of them were tant situations that Bratt would like, and that made her annoyed. Her face was red due to her imagination, and she screamed while swinging her sword. ¡°Ackkkkk!¡± Pung! "Ah, shit! What? Is today the day? That onees?" Seeing Judith burst out, Khun, who was meditating, opened his eyes. In the past, he would constantly move his body and swing the sword, but recently, he began to live like Ian. Of course, he didn¡¯t intend to continue doing it forever. He smiled and spoke, teasing her. ¡°I have been concentrating for a year and 365 days, but I need to take this day off. It would be fun to watch my disciple. Ah, I can¡¯t miss this chance.¡± ¡°Shut up, please.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to! I don¡¯t want to!¡± "Shut up! Teacher! Ugh, whatever! I''ll just kill you." ¡°Haha! Do you have the skills to do that?¡± Shhh! Shhh! Swosh! Khun got up from his ce and moved swiftly. It was at such a speed that the words ¡®gale¡¯ or ¡®lighting¡¯ wouldn¡¯t fit. Judith, who was just nearing the level of a Sword Master, couldn''t think of a way to catch up with his movements. ¡®Damn it!¡¯ Feeling something boiling within her, Judith closed her eyes. She was annoyed. She was annoyed at her teacher and at her lover too. However, the one who annoyed her the most, was herself. If she had been a little stronger, there would have been no problem with her taking down Bratt. It wasn¡¯t just that. Airn Pareira, Ilya Lindsay, I, Ian, Julius Hul, and all the other swordsmen on the continent who were known to be strong. She didn¡¯t want to lose to anyone. Charging herself up, Judith let out a hot breath and concentrated on her sword. And it was then. Woong! A griffin began tond softly from the sky. It was Kirill Pareira¡¯s Cherry. However, it was a little different from usual. It has slightly unorganized hair and ornaments to its hair. It also had a fancy ribbon around the neck. After such a shocking griffin appeared, Bratt Lloyd jumped off its back. And it didn¡¯t stop there. Tak! ¡°It¡¯s been long, sister Judith.¡± The promising sorcerer, Kirill. Tak! ¡°Nice to meet you; I heard a lot of stories about you. I am Bill Stanton, the most fashionable person in the Adan Kingdom, and I specialize in socialization.¡± ¡­ Bill Stanton, a nobleman, who made Judith want to attack him as soon as he opened his mouth. Judith, who was staring at them nkly, looked at her lover. As if she was asking for an exnation And Bratt smiled. ¡°Judith.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°There is a ce I want to go with you.¡± ¡°¡­ Uh, where? No, but who are they? Are theying along? Why¡­¡± ¡°Ahh, the ce I want to take you has a dress code. You need to learn some etiquette too.¡± ¡°No, but the¡­¡± ¡°Well, they came to help us with that. Especially this guy.¡± Bratt looked at Bill Stanton and said. ¡°Since he is a master in styling, you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± ¡°What? Styling? What is¡­¡± ¡°Haha, it is fine. Do not worry. We will do our best to preserve the strength of your body and hide the shorings. We also aim to create a more beautiful appearance by using an elegant atmosphere.¡± ¡°I will also work with him, sister. Now, should we head in?¡± ¡°No, no, no, what are you all doing¡­ aren¡¯t you listening to me? Ugh! Ah!¡± The two men approached her and grabbed her by the arms, and took her inside Khun¡¯s residence. It was amazing. Those people did their jobs without even paying attention to one of the three strongest swordsmen on the continent who was standing next to them. Khun, who watched them,ughed out loud. ¡°You have quite entric friends.¡± ¡°Kirill is a bit like that. Didn¡¯t you know?¡± ¡°It is the same with the one called Bill. I guess he is crazy, but his skills are real, and he seems talented too¡­ still, he¡¯s a strange one.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Bratt was a bit surprised. Except for Ian and Judith, Khun wasn¡¯t the kind of person who would be interested in others. So, it was rare to hear such things from his mouth. However, the topic was changed quickly. The old man asked the blue-haired man with a grin. ¡°Where are you nning to go?¡± Bratt didn¡¯t hide it and said. ¡°A ball.¡± He recalled what Kirill said. Last year, before Airn and Ilya became lovers, a ball had happened in the Lindsay mansion. Imagining the romantic atmosphere they had, Bratt wanted to try it. ¡®It is nice to have a date by wielding our swords¡­¡¯ But sometimes, he wanted to enjoy it the noble way. The Gerbera Kingdom, one of the three major powers in the central continent, was peaceful today. Recently, although there were more demons around and rumors had spread that said that the Devils were back, and multiple nations were taking damage for it, this ce was different. Gerbera, which was firmly established, was still going strong with more than 160 years of peace. ¡°Phew, there are a lot of people here.¡± ¡°It is bound to be so since this is a banquet hosted by the Duke.¡± In the midst of all the rumors, there was a ball being held in the Duke¡¯s mansion. Since ancient times, the balls held by high-ranking nobles had always attracted people. And there were a lot of people who hade here to meet other nice people. There was no one who would refuse to attend the banquet of the Duke, who especially loved art, so most of the nobles, apart from the ones who absolutely couldn¡¯t, hade. So that they could enjoy this ce and socialize. And additionally, so that they could meet potential spouses. Young men came knocking on the Duke¡¯s door so that they could find a woman. ¡°Wow, brilliant.¡± ¡°Is that¡­a magic tool of the Runtel Kingdom?¡± ¡°I think so. Wow, it¡¯s moving!¡± ¡°It is different, and look¡­it is moving so smoothly!¡± Men paid attention to showing themselves off to the women there. However, there was nothing that stood out more than money. Anyone would think about it when ites to courting their potential other. In the present age, where the boundaries of status and ss were blurring, wealth was the way to prove their ability. For that reason, it wasmon to attend the banquet with the most luxurious clothes, jewelry, watches, and the most trending items. A vehicle. It was a means of transportation that went beyond mere carriages and was something that could move with magic. Count Spencer¡¯s youngest child, Rogelio Spencer, appeared on the Runtel magic carriage with a proud face. ¡®It was well worth it.¡¯ Honestly, it was an overkill. In order to get this magic carriage, all of his fortune had to be poured out. And when that wasn¡¯t enough, he had asked his father for more money. For that reason, despite being a count¡¯s son, he would have to live poor for a while, but he had no regrets. The gaze of those passing by was enough. The expression of the guards and the nobles who greeted him. Above all, the eyes of the women who constantly nced at him! It was thrilling. The joy of participating in this banquet. ¡®I must be the hero for today!¡¯ Gerbera Kingdom¡¯s 1st ever Runtel magic carriage owner, Rogelio Spencer. He tried to calm his expression, thinking of the amazing things which could happen today. Some people there thought that he was overdoing it, while the others were terrified of his wealth. However, the public¡¯s interest in him didn¡¯tst long. There was something even more morous, astonishing, and mysterious than that. Because something like a myth of legend hade here. "Uh, that¡­" ¡°What is that?¡± ¡°Is it also a vehicle of Runtel?¡± ¡°No, it doesn''t seem like¡­¡± ¡®What?¡¯ The youngest son of the Count, who felt themotion, raised his head, and his expression changed. What kind of man was taking away his attention? How good could his ride be! And as he saw the ''ride,'' his thought faded. A griffin carriage which flew through the sky much softer and elegantly than Runtel''s magic carriage. When everyone, including Rogelio, was shocked, the jealousy that they felt immediately stopped as they saw the person inside it. The being inside it was, ¡®Bratt Lloyd!¡¯ ¡®The eldest son of Lloyd¡­ it was said that he is friends with a sorcerer!¡¯ ¡®The Runtel Magic Carriage was something that they might see again, but this¡­this was once in a lifetime.¡¯ ¡®But who is that next to him? His woman?¡¯ Bratt Lloyd, who rose to the level of Master in his early 20s, and the best groom of Gerbera kingdom! Judith, who was standing by his side, didn''t have her reputation spread across yet. The gaze of those wondered who she was. And the woman didn¡¯t like her. ¡°Uh¡­!¡± Judith was shocked. It was embarrassing enough to stand in a red dress, in an unknown ce, and to top it all off, countless people were staring at her too. She nced to the side and spoke to her lover. ¡°Sorry. I can¡¯t, Ah¡­ I really can¡¯t. so¡­¡± ¡­ can we please change it to another wish? Bratt looked at her. He looked at her with an expressionless face which slowly changed into a stern one that didn¡¯t seem to like what she had just said. Looking at her for some time, he said. ¡°Then you should have won.¡± ¡°Fu¡­ ck¡­¡± Judith¡¯s face turned redder than her dress. Chapter 282: Bratt Lloyd’s Wish (2)

Chapter 282: Bratt Lloyd¡¯s Wish (2)

The time hade. Since it was a banquet Duke ncy had held after a long time, many people had participated. Young people enjoyed the music and alcohol and danced with bright expressions, while the elders smiled while looking at them. The one who was being talked about the most was Bratt Lloyd. ¡°How long has it been since Bratt Lloyd came to a banquet?¡± ¡°I think I saw him a year back, but¡­ he doesn¡¯t seem to go out often.¡± ¡°Yes. If I was a young man who was interested in such things, then I wouldn¡¯t have had a chance to be a Master at such a young age¡­¡± ¡°Even so, I think he tried to do this role.¡± A middle-aged nobleman said with a smile. And the other person smiled too. ¡°Well, no matter how busy he was, he seems to have started dating. It is, after all, something that should be done when you are young.¡± ¡°Right.¡± They weren''t the only ones showing positive reactions; the others were the same. A young man who worked hard enough to build a name for the Kingdom was in a rtionship, and since it was like that, there were very few people who looked down on it. Therefore, the unkind gaze wasn¡¯t on Bratt Lloyd. ¡°Who is that person?¡± Elsa Collins, a beautifuldy who recently made a name for herself in the social circle. She was in a fine mood when she first saw Bratt Lloyd. It was because there was no one better than him. He was known to be a swordsman and a genius, and seeing him at the ball was like a shower of rain in a drought-hit region. But then, her mood soured as a woman she had never heard of was right next to the Lloyd family''s young lord. ¡®Red hair and tall¡­ who is she? Was such a woman there in our Kingdom?'' It didn¡¯t seem like it. It wasn¡¯t just the Gerbera Kingdom; Elsa was sure that the woman wasn''t part of the neighboring countries. And no matter how much she thought, she couldn¡¯t figure out who this red-haired woman was. Was she from another part of the continent? That seemed highly likely. He traveled around the continent to improve his swordsmanship, so maybe a rtionship had formed in such a way. Thinking that, Elsa Collins took a sip of her wine. The jealousy and envy, along with the anger within her, escted due to the wine. She watched Bratt Lloyd and the mysterious woman for close to half an hour. This was because things that were difficult to understand and see were happening in front of her. ¡®W-what?¡¯ She thought that the woman could at least dance, but in reality, she was very bad. The song was being messed up, and her movements were very stiff. It was as if a knight was dancing in his armor. And she yawned without covering her mouth with her hands. She was chatting with food in her mouth. It was difficult for Elsa to understand how the woman was so uncultured. Even if it was someone¡¯s first time at a banquet, they wouldn¡¯t act like this. This was¡­ ¡®Doesn¡¯t it feel like he picked somemoner from the street?¡¯ She kept thinking of it. One of the guards quietly approached; it was for a report. As soon as Elsa Collins became aware of the presence of the uninvited guest, she gave the guards an order to identify her, and it wasn¡¯t that difficult to figure out her identity at all. And one minute passed. And she smiled as she heard the identity of the other person. ¡°Sh-she is amoner, for real?¡± ¡°That, Miss... Despite being amoner, she is an official trainee of the Krono¡­¡± The guard didn¡¯t speak anymore. He lowered his gaze at the sharp gaze from his ward and retreated. Elsa didn''t even look at him. Her stomach was boiling when amoner crossed her. ¡°¡­ huh.¡± An hour passed. Elsa Collins'' gaze still remained on the couple. A few men asked to dance with her, but she had declined them all. Her mind is already full of thoughts on how to disgrace thismoner. And then the chance came. The two of them separated. It wasn¡¯t known what happened, but Bratt Lloyd moved away, and Judith was left alone. And then, with a nk expression, she ate a cookie. ¡®Look at her eating while making a noise. So rude.¡¯ Did she realize it? Themoner who ate the cookie looked around again and moved to exit the room. As if she was going for a walk. Elsa Collins nodded and followed. In response to her actions, thedies who she was with also followed her. ¡°¡­what am I even doing here?¡± Judith, who was eating, mumbled and looked at herself. She was in a gorgeous red dress. She had beautiful ornaments on her neck. There was a faint smell of perfume on her. However, she felt that nothing suited her. Especially this ce and the people in it. Seeing them drink water with a smile, Judith felt a kind of entitlement. A thought that she shouldn¡¯t be here. ¡®¡­ first, let¡¯s go for some air.¡¯ For that reason, she left the room. And then, someone spoke. ¡°Are you looking for a ce to walk?¡± ¡°Ah? Yes, it is a little¡­¡± "I see. This isn''t an open ce, so you might be lost. If it isn''t too much, shall I give the directions? I can take you to a beautiful garden." ¡°Ah¡­ uh¡­ r-right.¡± Judith stuttered. A lot of thoughts came to her mind as she stood there nervously. Was she from the ncy family? No, it couldn¡¯t be. Then how could she know about the mansion? Had she been here a lot? Seriously, looking at the delicate look and elegance of the woman who had spoken, it seemed like she was someone used to these kinds of things. ¡®¡­ how do I look now?¡¯ Rustic? She tried her best to not ruin Bratt''s reputation, but¡­ Judith, who thought that, shook her head. It was such a useless thought. This changes nothing. It would only make her feel bad. What she had to do was to change the flow of her thoughts. Nodding, she went behind this woman, and she thought. ¡®She¡¯s so thin. If I kick her, her bones might break.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t a good idea to have at a banquet. Judith stopped thinking, and decided to follow her. But it wasn¡¯t possible. The blonde woman slowly slowed down and asked with a smile. ¡°Is this your first time at such events?" ¡°Uh¡­ yes.¡± It was ufortable, and Judith wanted to be alone. However, she couldn¡¯t say no to someone who wanted to help her in good faith. Maybe in the past, she would have been honest, but now she started to be considerate to others. She had decided to never fight first, and tried to be polite, unless the opponent instigated a situation. It was something she learned in Krono. Of course, she decided to not participate in the conversation at all. But, The other nobles. The Lady. A slender woman who seemed to be living without a pain in her life. It was like they both belonged to two different worlds. There was no way she could feelfortable talking to such people. It was even more so because most of the things they could talk about would have to do with banquets. Judith couldn¡¯t help but sweat each time the woman spoke to her about politics, economics, culture, or any other simr topics that nobles used for small talk. Well, Judith didn¡¯t have much to say. She¡¯d rather deal with mercenaries in bars. At that, negative thoughts began to settle in her heart. ''This, this isn''t something between the woman and me¡­'' It was something between Bratt and herself. The two of them live in very different worlds than they had initially thought. It was something she had never felt before, something she had never thought about before. However, now that she was aware of it, it wasn''t something that concerned her. Judith¡¯s expression hardened at this, and the words that couldn¡¯t be ignored came from thedy¡¯s mouth. "Ah, right! Look at my manners! I haven''t introduced myself yet. Sorry." "Ah, no, it is fine¡­" ¡°I am Elsa Collins, the second daughter of Viscount Collins. Have you heard of us? The Collins family is famous for their perfumes.¡± ¡°Ahh.¡± ¡°And the perfume you are using is a product of our family.¡± ¡°Uh? I didn¡­¡± ¡°Ah, you didn¡¯t know. Well, it is fine.¡± ¡°Still¡­¡± ¡°Rather, I want to know.¡± Elsa Collins stopped walking and turned to look at Judith. ¡°Your name and who you are.¡± It was a question that asked for her name. No. It was an indirect question so that she could know what family and ss she was a part of. Judith immediately understood the underlying intention of the woman. Many thoughts rushed through Judith¡¯s mind. ¡®What do I do?¡¯ Was she ashamed of being amoner? It wasn¡¯t that. She always knew about her roots. And the way people treated that was the same. Maybe in the past, it did not look like a good thing, but now those who were talented weren''t judged based on their background. But. Strangely, she didn''t feel confident. It was confusing; she didn''t have the confidence to introduce herself. ¡®No, I know the reason.¡¯ It was because of the high-ranking noble with great power, Bratt Lloyd. And she was an orphan from the slums. Although their abilities were simr, the worlds they came from were different¡­ she couldn¡¯t help but feel the difference. It was when she, who suddenly felt the difference, had aplicated face. ¡°I know, that¡¯s a shame.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Am I right? You aren¡¯t saying it because you can¡¯t mention it. It means you are ashamed to say it¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Am I wrong?¡± Judith looked at her with nk eyes. This woman seemed like a different person. The look of Elsa Collins, who seemed as if she had turned venomous, waspletely different from the gentle air around her from before. This wasn¡¯t her. ¡°Is it not? If you were someone who knew about shame, you wouldn¡¯t have been shallow enough to step into this banquet.¡± ¡°That is why. You were wandering around to be an embarrassment to everyone who saw you.¡± ¡°Am I wrong? I don¡¯t think so.¡± ¡°Commoners cannot help it.¡± All of a sudden, thedies gathered around her and went towards Elsa Collins. She knew that there were people around them. However, Judith thought they, too, were out for some wind. But that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. These people followed her with the intention of harassing and insulting her from the start. ¡°Ah, the end is here. See that, Miss Judith?¡± Elsa Collins pointed to one side with an elegant gesture. It was the gate. The path out of the Duke¡¯s mansion. Seeing Judith, who had a ck expression, made Elsa smile, and she continued. ¡°It is pretty hard to be with someone you don¡¯t fit with, especially in a ce you don¡¯t fit in. How is this? Rather than sticking with nobles and their banquets which don¡¯t fit with you, throw out all of that from your head and just walk out¡­¡± Wouldn¡¯t it be true advice for her sake? Elsa wanted to say that, but she couldn¡¯t speak more. It was because Judith had turned and started walking. Thediesughed as they watched her getting farther away. They said she had a strong pride for a lowly person. They spoke all sorts of horrible things and swore at her. But they shut their mouths when Judith stopped in front of a statue. Krack! ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± There was a statue in the shape of a tiger that was carved elegantly in front of the mansion gates. The statue, which was made of iron, and couldn''t be damaged, was cut down. And there wasplete indifference on Judith¡¯s face, as she raised the aura of fire. Suddenly, she moved back. Step Step! Step, step. Clench! Judith walked towards thedy. Her fist was clenching an iron piece of the statue. Amidst the red haze which rose from her body, the tiger¡¯s tail in her hand scorched to the point that it took the shape of a ring. No one moved. No one could talk. Judith arrived in front of Elsa Collins, who was still, and said with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s a bracelet I made as a gift for guiding me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I refuse your refusal.¡± Chapter 283: Bratt Lloyd’s Wish (3)

Chapter 283: Bratt Lloyd¡¯s Wish (3)

Elsa Collins. Despite her being just 19 years old, no one in the social world ignored her. Her beautiful appearance and the elegant air around her were weapons, and the wealth of her family, which was ranked third in the Kingdom, was a background most people couldn¡¯t have. She was good at speaking, and was known to have followers and a strong personality that made even high-ranking nobles reluctant to talk to her. But now. They were of no use. A fistfight? A brawl? It wasn¡¯t such a joke, Looking at the piece of metal which had be a ring and gave out smoke¡­ Elsa felt a fear she had never felt before. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Her followers were the same. No, even her escorts were the same. They knew what that action meant because they were people who had been training with a sword for at least 10 years. They knew what this aura from the woman in front of them meant. Aura manifestation. It flew like a haze instead of the way a Sword Master¡¯s aura usually did, but the fact that she was able to show it off was amazing in itself. Experts could do this, but to sessfully do it meant that this woman had reached the highest level. ¡®Judith¡­ I knew that she was from Krono!¡¯ ¡®I heard that she was active in the Land of Proof, but I thought it was an exaggeration from themoners around¡­¡¯ But that wasn¡¯t it. Far from being an exaggeration, the truth was that the rumors were a level lower! Simr to the pressure felt when facing a volcano, no one could stop Judith. The lives of all those gathered there were now in the hands of the Red Witch. But¡­ Wook! ¡°Go.¡± ¡°¡­? Judith retracted the pressure. With a swipe, she threw the ring made of the tiger tail. Completely calling back the aura, she shouted at Elsa Collins and her followers and escorts. ¡°Fucking get lost. Before I lose it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Those who came to their senses, quickly took a step back. It had nothing to do with being ady or a knight. Even Elsa Collins, the bad-tempered woman, disappeared in fear. It was a fear that wouldst a lifetime! It was something that would be engraved in their bodies, and all those who acted shallow went back to their mansions rather than the ballroom. No one would be crazy enough to party after that. ¡®¡­I¡¯ll leave too.¡¯ Judith sighed. Her mind was a mess. A number of thoughts flowed in. However, it was clear that this ce didn¡¯t suit her. Clenching her fist, she looked at the gate, and thedies disappeared. And a clear voice came from behind. ¡°Hello.¡± ¡°¡­ Judith stared at the person for some time and then returned the greeting. Because it was such a person. The person had no sword, no magic or sorcery¡­ However, Judith felt that it was a person who couldn¡¯t be ignored even though it was someone whom she could take down with just her finger alone. She couldn¡¯t do it since that was the kind of person that was in front of Judith. It was ady in an elegant dress who smiled brightly without looking away from her eyes. ¡®She is someone with¡­ no connection to those idiots.¡¯ Of course, that didn¡¯t mean she would put up with this woman. ¡°Yes, Hello. Then, I need to leave¡­¡± Judith, who gave a short greeting, turned around. She was tired, and she didn''t want to talk. She tried to walk away. It was in the direction where the noble girls had disappeared to. She felt sorry for Bratt, but she couldn''t stay here anymore. She couldn''t grant his wish, and because of that, she decided to apologizeter. But before she could leave, thedy spoke. ¡°I apologize, but I can¡¯t let you leave like this. You need to paypensation.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Judith, who turned around, had a puzzled expression. Thedy pointed to something. It was the statue she had damaged¡­ The moment Judith looked at the tiger, which now didn¡¯t have a tail, she realized who the other person was. ¡°Are¡­¡± ¡°Yes, it is mine.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ah! This is ate introduction. I am Liliana ncy, daughter of Duke ncy.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Judith, Judith¡­¡± Judith stuttered again, clearly, from the burden she felt since saying her name would be tantamount to revealing that she was amoner. She was sorry for damaging the property of the Lord. But why did she have to be ced in such an annoying situation? Various emotions mixed together in her mind, and she couldn¡¯t even figure out what to say. It was fine. Liliana ncy, approached her with a light gait. ¡°Let¡¯s have a small chat.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That will be enough topensate¡­ just for a while?¡± Judith had no choice but to nod her head. ¡°I know! Such a funny one. What an absurd child, ha¡­ pretending like it''s her own Kingdom?" ¡°Um, I don¡¯t think it was fake. Because a person¡¯s behavior can change depending on the situation and mood¡­¡± ¡°No, even then that¡­ ugh, really, really annoying! Ack!¡± The conversation with Liliana ncy wasfortable until the topic of Elsa Collins was brought up. It was strange. Obviously, this was different from before. The atmosphere of the banquet, which she wasn''t familiar with, and a topic that required her to be elegant. Still, she felt easier tomunicate and talk to. After a few minutes, Judith felt that they were close enough to even bring up Bratt. ¡®¡­ but it''s still ufortable.¡¯ However, Judith wasn¡¯tpletely at ease. Was it because she didn¡¯t like Liliana ncy? No. Rather, it was the opposite. Despite her position as a Duke¡¯s daughter, she was considerate and understanding. She had a wonderful personality that waspletely different from Elsa Collins¡¯ dirty personality. Right. That was the problem. ¡®In the noble world¡­ good people and trash ones are also different from me.¡¯ It was that. The appearance of Elsa Collins, who secretly turned on her, was different from hers. The appearance of Liliana ncy, who was kind and considerate of her, was also different from hers. It was not just them. Thinking about the people in the ballroom, everyone seemed different from her. They all had noble births. They were raised in a different environment. As a result, the different thoughts and insecurities she had started umting. ¡­she truly didn¡¯t fit in. ¡®Maybe Bratt and I cannot be together?¡¯ This wasn¡¯t a sudden thought. It was something she had felt even before she had started dating Bratt. However, the people she had met today just pushed the thought into her mind again. And now she was back to thinking about it again. Judith¡¯s expression hardened little by little. ¡°Judith?¡± Lady ncy understood her mood. Actually, she didn¡¯t. The number of words Judith spoke reduced, and her expression darkened as if she was having a troubling thought. It was because Liliana was sensitive to the feelings of others that she grasped this. The other person was feeling ufortable somewhere, and it wasn''t her fault. So, if she asked¡­ Thinking that, Judith, who was silent, burst intoughter. ¡°I, need to go too.¡± ¡°Uh? What¡­¡± ¡°I just don¡¯t think that this is a ce for me. Well, people normally don¡¯t get along with me. And this atmosphere too, ah! I-I what I meant, don¡¯t take it offensively, but this is a little too much for me, for me to fit in here¡­ I have no education, and I have not learned anything either. That was what I meant. Don¡¯t misunderstand.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Uh, so¡­ excuse me. And thank you.¡± Nodding, Judith bowed her head. She knew that Bratt didn¡¯t invite her to tease or harass her. However, she realized it. Being together with him wouldn¡¯t be as easy as she thought. ¡°Ah, finally¡­ excuse me, but could you pass a word to Bratt? It was a bit tough, so I had to leave first.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That¡­ I am sorry. Ah, I already said that. Anyway, thank you for letting the tiger¡¯s tail be forgotten. Then¡­¡± "You know what it means toe to a ballroom with a partner, right?" She wanted to leave, but then she hearddy ncy speak. Judith couldn''t move, and she was curious too. But it was embarrassing to turn, so she stood still, and the other one spoke. ¡°It¡¯s nothing serious.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°In the past, we had to participate in the ballroom together with the one we had promised our future, but now we are free. It is amon sight where the noble scions develop a small liking for each other at such balls. It¡¯s because we are in need of partners.¡± ¡°R-Right. It doesn¡¯t have much meaning¡­¡± ¡°But there are some people who carry the old tradition.¡± ¡°¡­¡± "Of course, even I don''t know if Bratt Lloyd is such a person. Ah, he is here." ¡°Uh?¡± Judith turned to him in shock. He really was, and she saw Bratt approaching them. Rather than approaching, what she saw was him running towards her. ¡°Judith.¡± ¡°Bratt.¡± ¡°Sigh. I knew you were out for a walk¡­ why didn¡¯t youe back?¡± ¡°W-what?¡± "No. Somehow, you look prettier than before. Unbeknownst to me, I just said that." Puck! ¡°Kuak, ah¡­. Wait, that was hard, I wasn¡¯t joking, but this hurts!¡± ¡°Shut up, stay quiet.¡± ¡°What? Is it wrong to say you are pretty when you are?¡± ¡°Ah, stop.¡± Puck! Puck! Judith mercilessly hit her lover, and Bratt received it with an exaggerated voice. Lady ncy, who saw that, smiled. Only then did he stop and bow. ¡°Thank you for spending time with my lover.¡± ¡°Not at all. She is such a nice person.¡± ¡°She sure is nice to my eyes, but I don¡¯t think other people will see her like¡­¡± "Shut up, will you¡­" ¡°Euk. Anyway, I am thankful that you were with her. Then, can we leave?¡± Thedy nodded, and Bratt bowed. And so, the pair moved. Lady ncy looked at the two, who didn''t stop arguing. As the time passed, a lonely voice escaped from her. "I knew it; it is impossible for me to win." No, she already knew it. That is why she said that. But they fit so well together. And the atmosphere between the two could never be alive if one of them was absent. ¡°¡­ now I should stop thinking.¡± Bold, yet elegant, Liliana ncy shook her head and looked at the sky. It was windy, but today was a fine day. After the brief date with Bratt Lloyd, Judith trained more intensely. It was because her mind wasplicated. She kept remembering her teacher¡¯s advice to never let go of anything. Bratt''s attitude, which indicated that he was drawing a future with Judith, was a little too daunting for her. ¡®I¡­ I am not sure of doing that.¡¯ She had the confidence to be the best swordsman. However, that was where her confidence ended. To share a happy future with someone. She was less confident in it than in bing the strongest swordsman. It wasn''t something that could be done alone. It was a two-person task. ¡®¡­ can a selfish and bad-tempered person like me do that?¡¯ She felt feelings that were very unfamiliar to her. Her teacher, lover, and her friends who believed in her more than she did. Although she had all of them, Judith felt burdened. Because she thought she wascking. In all respects except for the sword, she thought she was worse than them. It was for that reason that she focused on her sword. From her troubles, the anguish that she felt, and the thoughts in her head which were difficult to solve¡­ ¡°Damn it!¡± Judith was angry. She knew that this wasn¡¯t the right thing to do. Just like in the past, she had heard from Airn that she was being cowardly in this ce. However, it was difficult to face such thoughts, so she chose to escape from it. Of course, she didn¡¯t run away. Rather, she redirected that anger at herself. Judith used that as fuel, and swung her sword. Time passed quickly, and the seasons changed. ¡°Well? That¡­¡± A letter reached her. It wasn¡¯t different from what Airn received. It was an invitation to the Warrior''s Festival. Right now was the moment when the ce where one could prove themselves more than the Land of Proof was about to open. Chapter 284: To grow the trees (1)

Chapter 284: To grow the trees (1)

The Devils had appeared. Now, there was no one on the continent who didn¡¯t know they existed. It was unavoidable. It was impossible to keep the rumors which had spread due to the activities of the subjugation squad, whose purpose was to kill demons and Devils, for the past two years, stifled. People were terrified in the midst of the crisis which hade after 160 years of peace. The amount of travel decreased, and trade between the western and central parts of the continents was also reduced. Of course, things didn''tpletely turn for the worse. ¡°No matter how terrible the demons are, the Pdins and Priests of the Holy Kingdom can deal with them!¡± ¡°Ah! It¡¯s not just them. Besides, it isn¡¯t just Avilius fighting the demons, right?¡± ¡°Yes! There is also the Runtel Kingdom and the five swordsman families of the west. Moreover, the swordsmen of the current era are a lot stronger than the past as well!¡± ¡°Right! It is said that currently on the continent, the number of Sword Masters is close to 200!¡± This was what people talked about. The present human world was in a state of great power. During the 160 years of peace, Avilius had grown stronger. Although it was closed to the public, the Magic Kingdom of Runtel had umted much power under it. And the Western Kingdom, with the five great swordsmanship families, also boasted a huge power. It was worth it. No, the nation was at an advantage. At least as long as the three famous swordsmen and the top 10 warriors were alive, they had hope. Furthermore¡­ ¡°Did you hear that?¡± ¡°What? Ah¡­ the warrior¡¯s festival?¡± ¡°Yes! The diator contest! I heard that around 20 Sword Masters are participating? Is it not? Was it more?¡± ¡°I heard it too. Besides the famous ones, there are a lot of other strong swordsmen.¡± ¡°Everyone said that the ones participating are young, so I am d.¡± ¡°Right. Actually, I was a little worried. The Masters¡­ especially the top three and top five ones too. Most of them are old as well¡­ so this is a good thing. It must mean that there are a lot of promising youngsters who will support and might even surpass them too.¡± ¡°R-right.¡± ¡°Initially, I was confident in the skills of the participants, so I think that was the case. Well, rumor has it that the level of Count Crescentia already is¡­¡± ¡°They say that the Southern Sword Master is al¡­¡± Even when the subjugation squad was busy taking down the demons, no one thought that this event was useless. However, far more people expressed their displeasure. For the sake of Ian and the pdins of the Holy Kingdom. It was because they were worried about the life of these people who had to support the continent in the future. Therefore, the event was announced with the maximum age of people being 60, regardless of whether they were masters, along with other experts who were strong. It was an event to deliver HOPE. As a result of this tournament, Avilius was nning on erasing the fear of the demons inside the hearts of the people. ¡°Is he going to participate?¡± ¡°Of course. There is no other person who suits this than the young lord.¡± ¡°Right! A ce which represents the future of the continent, and Master Pareira cannot stop here since he¡¯s such a young and talented man!¡± ¡°I wish he could win!¡± ¡°Haha, this person. Winning will be hard. Even if they are Young Sword Masters, there would be people in their 40s and 50s¡­ those who have lived twice as long as them.¡± ¡°It will be hard. There is also Count I Crescentia.¡± ¡°But, there are also rumors that the diator contest is to show the people the skills of the ck Knightmander¡­ well, it¡¯s something we can¡¯t be sure about.¡± ¡°Well! Our Master is also a genius among geniuses!¡± ¡°Haha, it¡¯s been a while since you said the right thing! Let¡¯s have a drink!¡± A festival of heroes, which was scheduled to be held in the Holy Kingdom, changed the somewhat gloomy air that was prevalent across the continent. From the bustling city to the outskirts of the vige, everyone talked about it, but there must have been very few ces as busy and lively as the Pareira territory. Along with I, another one of the top three talents on the continent was Airn Pareira, so everyone was expectant. They hoped that he would get a good spot in the tournament. They wanted to let the world know of the ce of the Pareira Family, and hoped that he would return as a hero. So that the demons and devils could be taken down. Right. Everyone longed for that, and this was something natural. Gerald, a member of the Red Knights, who was grasping the public sentiment in the corner of an inn, thought the same. But apart from that, it didn¡¯t feel right. He had a nervous expression on his face, as he thought of his teacher sleeping soundly in the room. ¡®I know he¡¯s an important person, but¡­¡¯ He knew the purpose of the event was to showcase the future of the continent. And that was why he was here. Because Airn Pareira was the only one who still hadn¡¯t responded to their invitation. The problem was that, for his answer, a sick person hade all the way to meet him. ¡®Sigh¡¯ Gerald Mouser sighed. Until justst year, his teacher was someone who grew enough to be on the Purification team, but now he didn''t act like that. The aging had changed him into less than an expert. Maybe he would die before the festival. Still, he persisted. He had to somehow get Airn toe to the tournament, even if he used his wretched physical condition as a token of sympathy. That was thest thing he had to do before entering God''s arms. That was why Gerald hade here. So that he could take care of his teacher throughout the journey as well as to fulfill his teacher¡¯sst wish. However, the entire time, he had felt ufortable. ¡®What I heard was correct.¡¯ Gerald Mouser nodded. The statement that the Holy Kingdom held the tournament for the sake of showing off I Crescentia. That was true. At least as a member of the Pdins of Avilius, he thought so. Still, thinking about the battle between the White Knight and the ck Knightmanders, his heart swelled. Just thinking about it made his heart swell in anticipation of the future which wasing. Right. He didn¡¯t feel that the others were useless, but he felt that there was no reason to do this. Count Crescentia was enough to change the flow of the world. While he thought that, his teacher came down. ¡°Teacher!¡± ¡°Uhuh, you, why are you so surprised?¡± ¡°No, why don¡¯t you take a break¡­¡± ¡°I can¡¯t. I can¡¯t sleep. I¡¯d rather go now.¡± ¡°But...¡± Gerald Mouser seemed worried. The teacher he looked up to, the man who had raised him when he was an orphan. Rather than being a teacher, he was more like a father. Seeing that he did not care to rest his body and still worked hard for the continent, his eyes welled up. His thoughts on Airn Pareira deepened. ¡°I understand. I will prepare.¡± ¡°Huhu, is there a reason he can¡¯tpete for three days? I hope he isn¡¯t in trouble¡­¡± ¡°¡­ it won¡¯t be much. Teacher will visit him, and I''m sure that he will participate.¡± Looking at his teacher, Gerald nodded. Actually, other than participating, the results didn¡¯t matter much. More importantly, had Airn grown enough to meet his teacher''s expectations, or had he not improved? That was the part. ¡®Please.¡¯ The two pdins mumbled and prepared to visit the lord. Airn Pareira sat in the middle of the training hall and closed his eyes. However, the scenery after he closed his eyes wasn¡¯t darkness but rather, a world he had cultivated for 10 years. It was the same scenery as always. The same atmosphere as always. It was as if he was looking at a scene from his dream. However, it didn¡¯t feel like it had changed and had stayed on the same time axis. He looked up to the sky to see the tree which had grown taller. No¡­looking at his beliefs, Airn thought. ¡®It was unexpected luck that the tree grew so much.¡¯ He could say that. It was initially a journey that he set out on so that he could control the iron stake in his heart. That was all, and even that could only be done with the help of many people. And without realizing it, a me had broken out inside him. And then, water was created to control the me. And finally, the earth embraced it. Right. After therge, hard,nd formed, and water seeped through it, thend was reborn as fertile. Warm sunlight helped the trees grow¡­ It would have been right to view it as something that happened because of luck rather than effort. ¡®Sure¡­ it also doesn¡¯t make sense to think of it as just luck.¡¯ Airn, who sat there, looked up at the tree and got up. And turned to look at the iron stake next to him. No, it was no longer an iron stake. It was now in the shape of a huge sword that had been heated and forged in the shape of a weapon, a great sword. He reached out to it and the sword shrunk to fit his hand. Airn, who looked at it, smiled brightly and then swung it. Swish! Swish! In order for the trees to grow right. In order to cultivate a good belief, the environment was important, but constant effort also yed a role. That was the case with current day Airn. The constantly flowing water, the fertile ground, and the warm sunlight were perfect for the tree to grow, but something had to be done to the branches which stretched out indiscriminately. And that was Airn¡¯s current role. The role of the metal sword in his hand. Swish! Swish! Swish! Airn fell into a trance as he swung the sword and continued to prune the branches. Now, he was no longer in the training hall mentally. Airn suddenly stood up, and in his hand was the sorcery greatsword resembling the sword in his heart. ¡­ after about an hour. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Airn woke up. The pdins in front of him caught his eyes. One of the faces was familiar, and the other was not. However, both of them looked at him with almost simr expressions. Red eyes brimming with tears. The young lord of the Pareira family, who felt the change in their emotions, carefully suggested to his guests. ¡°¡­ would you prefer a cup of tea?¡± Chapter 285: To grow the trees (2)

Chapter 285: To grow the trees (2)

¡°Huhu, let¡¯s head out now.¡± One day had passed after the meeting with Airn Pareira. After a rtively early time, two pdins left the estate. It wasn¡¯t because they were busy. They did make an excuse like that, but the truth was that they cared for him. They left quickly so that Airn could focus on training which would help him to y an active role in the Warrior¡¯s Festival. Right. As Gerald¡¯s teacher wished, the young hero decided to participate. And it was for that reason that his teacher was happy. ¡®He looks so happy.¡¯ In the past, perhaps he would have harbored bitter feelings towards his teacher, who was acting like this. What is so great about that man? Just because he was handsome, his teacher hade such a long way with an ailing body, so he might have grumbled that his teacher was living in fantasy all the way. But not now. The moment he saw Airn¡¯s sword, he realized it. And he was convinced after talking to him. Seeing his master hold a sword after three months, he even shed tears. Smiling, he said to his teacher. ¡°Let¡¯s start. And be careful to not shake it too much.¡± ¡°Yes. I will do my best.¡± ¡°Haha. Gerald. It is fine. I am really fine. You don¡¯t have to be this concerned.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°I mean it. I am in my best shape. I want to enjoy the scenery and move on foot.¡± But he couldn¡¯t. Perhaps it was because of the medicine, but the old man fell asleep right away. The slight vibrations of the carriage shook his body, but it wasn¡¯t enough to break the man¡¯s sleep, and Gerald just sat there watching him. Watching his teacher sleep with a smile, he fell into his thoughts. I Crescentia. Airn Pareira. As he wasparing the two without knowing it, he mumbled. ¡°Did I just¡­¡± Compare the two of them? Woong! Wooong! After the pdins of the Holy Kingdom came to visit, Airn Pareira focused on the sword even more than before. It wasn¡¯t like he wasn¡¯t training before, but it was because he was more focused on the five spirits till now. ¡®I decided toplete it because I want to do well.¡¯ Come to think of it, he participated in a simr event in Eisenmarkt. As he recalled the past, he thought of the meeting a week back. Until they arrived, Airn had no intention of participating in the Warrior¡¯s Festival. He thought it was because he couldn¡¯t find a reason to go there. The chance to make his name known across the world, didn¡¯t it already happen? And he didn¡¯t care much about it now. To be honest, he was burdened by the rapidly rising reputation of his name. A chance to meet I, a wall he still wanted to ovee? That was no problem. It might sound cheeky if he said it out loud, but he was sure that the woman would keeping to fight with him. That didn¡¯t need a special day or stage. What bothered him was that the purpose of the Warrior¡¯s Festival was in line with his beliefs. ¡®There are a lot of Masters who havee up apart from me, so they should be shown to the world as well.¡¯ And if the message got stronger because of Airn''s participation, then it wouldn''t be a bad idea. However, many excellent swordsmen who were known wereing to participate there. The characters were so strong that him not being there wouldn¡¯t even matter. Then, wouldn¡¯t it be better to focus on training the spirits by himself? Wouldn¡¯t it be better to focus on the tree and fill the gaps in the Five Spirits Divine Technique, or maybe even take some time for himself, like he had asked Quincy Myers two years ago? Those were Airn¡¯s honest feelings. However, such thoughts changed after he saw the member of the Purification squade for him. Nevertheless, only the piercing eyes of the unknown hero werepletely unchanged. ¡®You are amazing.¡¯ ¡®Uh?¡¯ ¡®You should probably realize it by now if you aren¡¯t stupid. You have gained notable fame, so there must be many who want to fight with you, and you must hear such words flow out of their mouths over and over again. You have put in a lot of effort not to fall for that. Pride breeds sloth, and sloth destroys a hero. But¡­ you don¡¯t fall. And you don¡¯t put yourself down either.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ ¡®But no matter how high you think of yourself, you are much greater than that.¡¯ ¡®Excuse¡­¡¯ ¡®Ah, no excuses. Just shut that mouth and listen.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ ¡®No, I don¡¯t have to put it in words. Just follow me.¡¯ ¡®Uh? Where¡­¡¯ ¡®The training hall. I¡¯ll show you with my sword, what I felt for you and what you got with your effort¡­. I¡¯ll show you what you can disy for the continent.¡¯ ¡®My mind is still clear.¡¯ With that, the old pdin got up from his seat and left the room. He walked towards the training hall. It looked unsettling. This old man was no longer a Sword Master. As if he had already received the day of his death, he was in a frail state, supporting a broken body with barely enough aura. But the moment they arrived in the training hall, he swung the sword. The moment he answered his questions clearly with the sword, it was no longer possible to discourage the old man or deny his words. ¡°Yours is a sword which gives hope.¡¯ Right. The old man was talking about hope. He was feeling happiness through his sword and singing about the future that coulde as a result of that hope. It was an answer which went beyond the level of speaking. It was about swordsmanship and who was truly strong. Only then did he realize. The purpose and intention of the festival which felt abstract. And the power of the sword which couldn¡¯t be grasped. ¡®¡­ thetter is embarrassing.¡¯ He thought of raising the sword for the world and vowed to devote his life to it. But as time went by, he realized how difficult it was. He now felt the difference from when he used to speak of such things very lightly. The current Airn was waiting for the right time to ripen with a calmer and firmer heart. ¡®Fighting with unfamiliar people is fun, and it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t know the excitement whiches from the crowd. It isn¡¯t that I am not confident in my skills, but rather because I am confident of not being disappointed even if I lose.¡¯ Despite his confidence, his will wasn¡¯t strong because his ideal was higher than this festival. But now, it was different. Like the pdin regained energy after he looked at Airn and his sword¡­ he could give others a little of strength too. With that, maybe he would realize something a bit earlier than now. The festival wasn¡¯t apetition, but a ce for hope to spread. ''Even if I was short-sighted, it would be right to have courage and go there.'' ¡°Good. Should I try again then?¡± Airn got up and clenched his sword. And he showed everything he had learned so far. No matter how high and grand his beliefs were, the means to unfold them was through the sword, and he would never forget that. Wong! Woong! Airn swung his sword. Constantly. The basics learned at Krono, the teachings of Jet Frost, and the mind tactics from John Drew. The sword of heart from I. The sword of the Holy Kingdom from the Purification squad. What he learned from getting beaten by Lord Lindsay and so many others. Finally, starting with the sword of steel, ending with the energy of wood¡­ No, the Five Elements Divine technique started to cycle. Surprisingly, there was an achievement. This progress was so fast that even Airn Pareira, who started training, was surprised. It was natural. He had been the one nurturing them all to flow for over a year, and maybe even more. Like the tree growing in his heart, he was ready to grow up at the slightest chance. The old man''s words acted as a catalyst for that growth. A fire was kindled in Airn¡¯s heart, and it happened one after another. ¡°Young lord, you have a letter.¡± ¡°Who? Ah¡­¡± [See you from the high ce-Bratt LLoyd] [See you in the Holy Kingdom, and keep an eye on me because I am going to win everything -Judith] Two short letters which conveyed their intentions arrived at the same day. Airn smiled. He wanted to see them again. It had been over six months since he saw Bratt¡¯s face, and he missed Judith very much too. Since the beginning ofst year, he hadn¡¯t even seen her. ¡®How strong is she now? I look forward to it.¡¯ A fire rekindled out in Airn¡¯s heart. Bratt showed tremendous progress recently, and Judith showed amazing signs two years back. The thought of having an official fight made his heart flutter. Apart from the purpose of the festival, his heart warmed up to such an extent that he couldn¡¯t understand why he didn¡¯t want to participate before. However, there was another stimulus, far more important than before. It was a letter from his lover, Ilya Lindsay. ¡°¡­¡± The content wasn¡¯t long. There was nothing great. Just like Judith and Bratt¡¯s letters, it just said that they would meet at the festival. And as usual, Ilya¡¯s unique way of expressing emotions felt dry and dark. But he read it over and over again. And started to work harder on his sword and became more passionate too. ¡°Um, love is such a good thing.¡± Lulu, who had been rxing for a long time, fell asleep. Marcus, who was still serving his young lord, despite turning old, smiled. A day went by and then a week passed, and then it became a month. There were now ten days before Airn had to leave for Avilius. ¡°Young lord Pareira.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± "You were training; the cksmith asked if he could meet you." ¡°Yes? Mr. Vulcanus?¡± ¡°Right. It isn¡¯t urgent, so I asked him toe back another¡­¡± To Airn, who was about to leave for lunch, Marcus gave the information. Come to think of it, it had been some time since he met Vulcanus. Although they were in the same territory, it was because the cksmith locked himself in the smithy, working on a sword. ¡®How can I make him wait?¡¯ Airn scratched the back of his head and nodded. ¡°I understand. No need for him to wait. I will go to him.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Marcus bowed and left once Airn was ready to leave for the smithy. As usual, the people inside were working hard. Vulcanus was the same. Kang! Kang! 30 minutes after Airn¡¯s arrival, he opened his mouth while continuing to forge. Chapter 286: Myriad (1)

Chapter 286: Myriad (1)

¡°Let''s go to the Holy Kingdom together.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°You look like you don¡¯t like what I said?¡± ¡°No, it isn¡¯t that¡­¡± Airn was speechless as he heard Vulcanus¡¯ words. Honestly, he was surprised. This dwarf wasn¡¯t such an active individual. He liked staying in his room all day, and except when absolutely necessary, he would nevere out, and recently it had only gotten worse. He couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Vulcanus really wanted to apany him to Avilius. ''Since it is a rare chance where a lot of Sword Masters gather, he is probably looking for inspiration?'' He thought about it, but shook his head. If that was the case, he didn''t have to go with Airn. It has been a long time since Airn went out into the world, and so he wanted to take a leisure walk. It would have been more convenient to ride a griffin with Kirill than deal with this man. Was this man influenced by Airn¡¯s words when he said that he experienced growing up through his experiences in the world? Recalling that, Airn shook his head. He had no idea what the real reason was, but that couldn¡¯t be it. But surprisingly, it was right. "I n to experience the world with you, bump into all kinds of people, and then look back on myself.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It is true that I was influenced by you. You are younger, but you are a man worth watching and learning from. At this point, I thought it wouldn''t be a bad idea to try improving myself using your way.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Brat, why aren¡¯t you talking? What is with your face?¡± ¡°No, that¡­¡± Airn¡¯s expression was perplexed. Vulcanus was someone who set high standards for not just him, but for others as well. And that person was putting away his own path and decided to follow the path of another person, and even acknowledged it out loud. This was unexpected. Even an apprentice in the smithy seemed to be at a loss of words as he heard it. But Vulcanus didn''t care. ¡°Well, it isn¡¯t shameful to say something like this. After spending time with you, anyone would feel the same. I, too, sincerely think so." He knew it. He was the type to not listen to others. That was because of his innate personality and partly because he prided himself on being at the top of his line of work. In fact, no matter what kind of great guy he was, he knew that Vulcanus wouldn¡¯t bow even to a king of another nation. Andplimenting others was somethingpletely unimaginable. That was the great thing about Airn. He was a good and gentle influence which opened a door for Vulcanus, who was the strictest and haughtiest dwarf. Many people paid attention to Airn''s swordsmanship talent, but¡­ this was his greatest strength, ording to Vulcanus. ¡°I¡¯ll be honest. Thank you. You inspired me a lot, and that allowed me to want and experience the wide world outside my narrow mind. If it wasn¡¯t for you, I would have been a mess. So, to say the least, it is a bit much¡­ but now I n to donate my talent.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°For those who participate in the festival. To all the swordsmen working hard to subdue the demon and devils¡­ I n to support them with swords equivalent to numbering swords.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not for my name, Airn Pareira; it will be done in your name. By the way, your refusal is rejected, so don¡¯t talk shit.¡± ¡°Uh, uh¡­¡± The expression of the apprentice who was listening to it grew more serious. Now it looked like his soul was escaping from his mouth. It was worth it because he knew his mentor better than anyone. In fact, even Vulcanus had to think a lot about this before he said it out loud. Right from selecting a master to making the sword, it had been a process that was normally done once every two years. Ignoring it, he was trying to provide his creations to many people on a single asion. Right. All of this was his gratitude to Airn. It was to support a hero who strove for a dream that most others would ridicule. It was to support his will so that it could spread a little more widely and strongly on the continent. Did he feel it? Airn, who couldn¡¯t speak for a moment, smiled and said. ¡°Thank you. I mean it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I feel like I have been given a gift more valuable than anything I ever received. Thank you.¡± ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t think you need to be that grateful.¡± Vulcanus shook his head. This was a human he loved, and he felt like he, too, was finally moving in a better direction¡­ He couldn¡¯t help but feel like Airn was an old-fashioned young man, each time he saw him being calm. No, not an old man. This was the appearance of some high-ranking priest who had been around for decades. Of course, he could do nothing about it. ¡®Well, it would be unreasonable to expect youthful vibrancy in this one.¡¯ Vulcanus sighed as he thought that. And said something else. "Ah, and yes. Ilya Lindsay''s sword isplete." ¡°Uh? Really? For real?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Th-can, I see it? No, maybe Ilya should be the one to see it? Ah, but I am curious, ugh, isn¡¯t it right to control myself? What do I do? Ah¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°How is the sword? It would be nice, right? No, it isn''t that I doubt your skills, Mr. Vulcanus, but still, what is¡­ uh, so¡­ that¡­ I am not able to speak right!¡± ¡°¡­ enough. Stop talking.¡± Vulcanus shook his head. The apprentice behind him also shook his head. And the two exchanged nces thinking the same thing. ¡®Yeah, he is this kind of man.¡¯ ¡®Right, he is like this.¡¯ He looked calm and cool for everything else, like a seer practicing control over his mind. But when it came to his lover, he was stupid. ¡°¡­ I made it so much better than you can imagine, so don¡¯t ask more.¡± ¡°Um, yes, no. but¡­¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you curious how your sword is doing?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s not talk about it.¡± Vulcanus turned away his head in a cold manner. Ten days after visiting the forge, Airn set out on the journey to the Holy Kingdom. With Vulcanus. Normally, he didn¡¯t n on moving with a huge group, and Kirill had a task back at the Duchy. And maybe his family woulde when the festival started on the Griffin. And even Lulu vanished. ¡°Sorry! My sorcery training is going very well. I want to stay in the estate.¡± ¡°I guess so. Do what you feel is nice.¡± ¡°Uh! I wille with Kirillter, so don¡¯t miss me too much! And show me your cool side!¡± After two years of being together, Lulu was now very independent. Unlike before, she spoke a little less and was often in her thoughts. It was heartbreaking to see it. Even when he asked her what was happening, she wouldn¡¯t give him a concrete answer. And yet he knew. ¡®She¡¯ll be fine.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t a huge concern. He knew it. Their feelings for each other hadn¡¯t changed yet. He was sure that she would be fine, not because he was a sorcerer, but because he was her best friend. He knew that if there really was a big problem, she would tell him. Actually, he received a promise that she would lean onto him and depend on him if difficult things came up. ¡®I just hope she gets better soon.¡¯ With that, Airn left the estate. ¡°It¡¯s been some time.¡± ¡°Yes. Really long.¡± ¡°Tell me if you are struggling. I can understand.¡± ¡°What kind of old man do you think I am! Even if a monsteres, I cannot be stopped, so don¡¯t worry.¡± Vulcanus tried to show his muscles. Seeing that, Airnughed. Actually, it was clear that he trained as a cksmith, and he would have much better skills than beginner mercenaries. The battle hammer hanging on his back wasn¡¯t just an ornament. So, the two walked and a week passed. ¡°The atmosphere is different from before.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes, surely¡­¡± He wasn¡¯t talking about the expressions of the people passing by him. Of course, people looked darker than before, but it could just be his thoughts. It was inappropriate to jump to such conclusions just by looking at their faces. However, the number of monsters which appeared much more frequently than before was solid evidence. The world today was closer to darkness than ever before. ¡°At this point, the small merchants should be in a mess.¡± ¡°Yes, they¡¯ll have to hire more mercenaries¡­ I heard that the amount of traveling has gone down. It is dangerous.¡± It wasn¡¯t a worry for them, though. A muscr dwarf who could take down mercenaries. A human Sword Master who wouldn¡¯t back down even if hundreds of muscr dwarfs attacked him. Why would they feel threatened? Even the clown, who was defeated and had fled, would be scared of them. Thanks to that, they had no worries when they were camping at night. Of course, there were those who didn¡¯t think of them like that. A party that discovered them approached Airn and Vulcanus. "No, the two of you shouldn''t be here at this time; it¡¯s dangerous¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± "Ah, right. We aren''t bad people; we saw the light, so we came over, and we were worried since you were a small party¡­¡± ¡°Ethan, introduce yourself.¡± ¡°Ah, this. Sorry. We¡­ are really not weird.¡± ¡°¡­ doesn¡¯t seem to be lying.¡± Vulcanus checked the mercenary card and mumbled. It wasn''t empty words; it was a Gold Card. Of course, not pure gold, just gold-colored, but it meant that he had great ability. Only those who were knights could receive the gold card. Of course, performance was also necessary to get it. This meant that the one called Ethan had the skills of an Expert and the credibility of a Veteran at the same time. Vulcanus, who was alert till then, introduced himself. ¡°As you can see, I am a dwarf. Vulcan.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. Then are you a cksmith¡­¡± ¡°Prejudice that all dwarfs forge isn¡¯t a good thing¡­ is what I want to say, but I need to say you are true. But be careful of your words.¡± ¡°Ah, sorry. I will remember it. Ugh, you people should introduce yourself too.¡± ¡°It has been a while, so it¡¯s awkward? Haha¡­¡± Three humans and one elf sat around the campfire. Naturally, they started to introduce and show the mercenary cards to prove it, and as they showed him the cards, Vulcanus nodded. Since he couldn¡¯t find anything fake, he nodded, thinking they were fine. And then they all looked at Airn. It was because he was the only one who didn¡¯t introduce himself. He nodded and pulled out his own mercenary card, and said his name. ¡°Nice to meet you; I''m Airn Pareira¡­¡± And as soon as he said his name, he realized he was making a mistake. ¡®Oh, I was going to use a fake name.¡¯ As with Vulcanus, Airn¡¯s fame had gone up in recent years. Bing a Master in his 20s, and his rtionship with Ilya was hot news now. The lovers¡¯ story spread beyond the Adan Kingdom, and most of the people on the continent knew of it. In fact, unlike when he was young, and people ignored him, now people were interested in him, regardless of their age and gender. It was inevitable that more attention would be drawn as he climbed up through the ranks of the continent¡¯s strongest. Moreover, he was someone who was known to ovee the trials from the bottom, and was publicly said to be superior to those who had support and an elite path. The problem was that if he revealed his name so openly, he wouldn''t be able to continue his journey leisurely. It was for that reason that Vulcanus called himself Vulcan, and chose the name ¡®Aron¡¯ for Airn. ¡®I should have made another card, but I showed them the silver card I got in Alcantra¡­¡¯ Airn sighed. He regretted it, but the secret had already been spilled. And unsurprisingly, questions were asked. ¡°A-Are you really Airn Pareira?¡± ¡°The rumored¡­ one, right?¡± ¡°The one who reached the Master level at 21?¡± ¡°The one who defeated the Lindsay family¡¯s daughter in the Land of Proof?¡± ¡°UH, uh¡­ yes.¡± In the end, Airn had to admit it. He was never the kind to lie. And it was impossible for him to take back what he said. But¡­ The atmosphere was strange. ¡°Puahaha!¡± ¡°Ugh¡­ no, what is this?¡± ¡°Wow¡­ you are superb at acting. The best Airn Pareira I¡¯ve met!¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°The same hair color and the mercenary badge too¡­. You must have put in a lot of effort, right?" ¡°Uh? Uh¡­¡± Airn was puzzled at their reaction. Watching them, Vulcanus shook his head. ¡®They don¡¯t believe it.¡¯ Chapter 287: Myriad (2)

Chapter 287: Myriad (2)

As it was mentioned earlier, the public preferred life-changing stories about the sess of people who were at the bottom. It was for that reason that I¡¯s story spread rapidly throughout the continent. Her swordsmanship had made a woman take up the mantle of the strongest position in the next generation, and her background yed a huge role in her gaining fame as well. It was the same with Airn Pareira. He came from a noble family but overcame his fear and neglect, which happened for a long time, and finally, he came out as a champion in the Land of Proof. Against his opponent, Ilya Lindsay, who was one of 5 geniuses of the continent. In addition, there was a lot being told about him, and numerous reporters, including Hinz, gave out articles. Those thirsty for gossip continued to pour out stories and wondered for a long time about him even after Airn went back to his family. And beyond that¡­ Impersonations began to appear. ¡®Well, it could be one.¡¯ Ethan and his party thought Airn was another impersonator andughed. Was it because of how he wandered the continent? Or because they thought that Airn was different from other nobles? There were many unique kinds of Airns. Just a year back, many mercenaries in their 20s, who were blonde and handsome, would introduce themselves as Airn. Some even bought a ck cat with them. Of course, since they couldn''t speak, people found out the truth quickly. ¡®Still,pared to all of them, he feels like the best version yet.¡¯ He looked at the blonde young man. Warm blonde hair, white skin, a good-looking face, and a tone that wasn¡¯t harsh. It was the closest to the real Airn. Even the details in the mercenary card. Alcantra was where Krono was located, so he thought this man did a great job ying the role. But¡­ ¡°Young friend, no matter how well you y the role, you cannot be without a cat.¡± ¡°Uh? Cat?¡± ¡°Yes! The sorcerer cat, Lulu! Who would believe you are Airn without a ck cat?¡± ¡°Ehh, isn¡¯t it better to not have it? It would be horrible if the cat couldn¡¯t talk.¡± ¡°That, well, that¡¯s true¡­¡± ¡°Well, the situation cannot be turned if it can¡¯t talk.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Airn looked at them with a nk expression. The three men were discussing among themselves, ¡®How close he was to the original?¡¯ without even listening to his words. And the elf woman seemed tired of the situation. ¡®Something¡­ something feels wrong.¡¯ It is fortunate that his identity wasn¡¯t taken seriously. And he should have been weing it if they didn''t believe him. But strangely, he felt bad. The part where the impersonators increased without him realizing? Even so, he was disappointed that they couldn¡¯t think of him as the real one. ¡°Excuse me¡­¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°What is it, young friend?¡± ¡°That¡­ Lulu is concentrating on sorcery these days¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So, we aren¡¯t together.¡± Tak! Silence. Everything turned still. A heavy silence settled in the air. Neither Ethan nor anyone else spoke. Only the bonfire asionally crackling could be heard. And quickly, that silence was broken.. And Vulcanus, who was silent, softly said. "Like Airn said, he is the real Airn Pareira, and I am Vulcanus, who is out to study the world and make a better numbering sword. The best cksmith on the continent, Vulcanus.¡± ¡°¡­ puah.¡± "Puah... hahaha!" ¡°Hehe, no, this, these people have a great sense of humor. Ah! Right, wasn''t there a rumor that Airn had the numbering sword?¡± ¡°Right. I heard of it. I think I heard that he uses the numbering sword and the sorcery sword alternatively.¡± ¡°Really? I thought that the sorcery sword was made with the help of the cksmith.¡± ¡°Both are wrong. I haven¡¯t been able to make the sword for Airn yet. I am training to make a sword better than the sorcery greatsword.¡± ¡°I see!¡± ¡°Wow, I didn¡¯t know that.¡± ¡°You couldn¡¯t have known. Because I don¡¯t interact much with people.¡± ¡°Wah, this young man isn¡¯t bad, but this dwarf is a lot better, right?¡± ¡°I know. His acting skills are very great.¡± The adventurers eximed. It looked like the cksmith was trying to mimic Vulcanus, since the sorcerer cat wasn¡¯t there! It was truly the best they had seen. And it didn¡¯t seem bad either. It wasn¡¯t known if they were going to profit from this, because they were all considering this as a joke. But it was still an amazing one! ¡°I can¡¯t do it anymore. With such a great party, I shouldn¡¯t miss drinking.¡± ¡°Ehh, Ethan! Did you bring out your favorite one?¡± ¡°If this bastard keeps asking me for more sses, I won¡¯t give!¡± ¡°Brother, I was wrong.¡± ¡°Hmm, if I like the taste, I will show you a sword.¡± ¡°Oh my! Thank you, Mr. Vulcan.¡± ¡°Not Vulcan, but Vulcanus and not Aron but Airn.¡± ¡°Ah, right, sorry. I will be careful of it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Watching them excitedly drink, Airn stayed silent. There were so many things he didn¡¯t have control of. He was now a fake Airn Pareira, and it was the same with Vulcanus. Fortunately, the people didn¡¯t show any negative attitudes. ¡®No, not that one.¡¯ Airn nced at the elf. The elf seemed dissatisfied with the situation and was poking around the campfire with a tree branch. ¡®¡­ right, but there is no problem now.¡¯ Airn looked away and smiled. After letting it go, he, too, listened in to the conversation. ¡°Before I went to the Land of Proof, can I tell the story of the 101st swordsman who helped me train?¡± ¡®Do we need to move together?¡¯ ¡®Then should we not? You aren¡¯t exactly the shy type.¡¯ ¡®How can we believe in people who pretend to be others.¡¯ ¡®No, it isn¡¯t that I don¡¯t know that. And it¡¯s not like they have any bad intentions. Aren¡¯t they just travelers who came up with concepts to joke around with?¡¯ ¡®That¡­¡¯ ''And you know. These days, the central part of the continent isn''t any less dangerous than the other parts. From my point of view, those people don¡¯t know how dangerous the roads are these days. I think it was the first time they havee out so that they could see the Warrior¡¯s Festival, but if they meet the wrong monster in that state, they will die. Do you want them to go through that?¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ ''The destination is the same; let''s just go, okay? If there is a problem in the middle, we can kick them out right away.'' 1 ¡°Tch.¡± The elf magician of the party, Jarin, wasn''tfortable with their currentpanions. Despite understanding Ethan''s words, she didn''t 100% agree with them. She thought that the jokes were fine, but she what she didn¡¯t like was why they were holding on to the fake mercenary cards. ¡®They look fine on the outside, but we never know what they are nning.'' She felt the need to be wary. Of course, she wasn¡¯t too worried. Because she wasn¡¯t someone who would get stabbed in the back like an idiot. And it was the same with the others. Not to mention Sword Expert Ethan, and the other two were also silver grade mercenaries. ¡®Right. If you think that way, I am being too cautious.¡¯ Jarin looked at the blonde man. His physique was good. And to sell the concept that he was Airn Pareira, he carried a great sword that could be used, and despite its weight, it seemed like he wasn¡¯t too bothered. However, looking at his gentle appearance, it didn¡¯t seem like he was bad, and he didn¡¯t seem like the kind of person to have the experience of cheating others. ¡®Rather, if I have to take care of him because of how stupid he is, it would be stressful to have¡­¡¯ But most of her worries disappeared after three days had passed since they were apanied by the self-proimed Airn. ¡°I have been here before. The foot at Katan¡¯s table is good. If that is fine, let¡¯s go there.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pick some firewood.¡± ¡°I will make dinner.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± There was no immaturity in his actions. She thought he was from a city. And being born in the central part, it was natural for people to know more about the cities around. However, she didn¡¯t even dream that he would be able to handle the camping situations and would always find things helpful for the party. And the food was good. Evenpared to Giovanni, who was in charge of the cooking. Ethan, who gulped with a bite, had a brooding face and was wide-eyed. ¡°Eh, what is this? I didn¡¯t know it could taste this well. Did you work on it?¡± ¡°Yes. Around 2 years ago.¡± ¡°Isn''t that tough? Isn¡¯t it hard to carry the spices separately?¡± ¡°I worked hard. There are people who enjoy it.¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Ilya.¡± ¡°Ilya? Ah.. puaha. Right¡­ What am I to do if you joke when eating? I spilled it.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t a joke, but I¡¯ll give you another bowl. Ah, Jarin, another for you?¡± ¡°¡­ I am done.¡± Seeing the fake Airn looking at her and smiling, Jarin turned her head coldly. Right, it wasn¡¯t good to be involved with him. But that joke was so bold that it didn¡¯t sit well with her. But because of how unexpectedly the joke was said, it was hard for her to hold back herughter. ¡®How can he joke around like that?¡¯ He was such an unpredictable human. When she was thinking that, Jarin''s ears moved. And her expression hardened as she used lighting magic. Beings¡­ cursed ones, appeared from the shadows. They were skeletons. They shouldn¡¯t be moving since they were dead, but they were, because of the demons which wandered the world. They had made them unable to rest due to the magi. It didn''t happen much in the past, but in recent times it had been too much. ¡®Those things. I couldn¡¯t even eat properly¡­¡¯ Swish! Swish! Jarin swung her staff to create fireballs, four of them. And others were faster than her. There was no sign of tension on their faces, and they moved swiftly. No matter how many skeletons were there, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem since theirbat power wasn¡¯t too high. There was absolutely no situation where an Expert would be shaken. The problem was the two people who had joined them recently. The energy of monsters was different from the demonic monsters that had appeared. And they saw a lot of people unfamiliar with that, freezing when they came in contact with it, so Jarin looked back. ¡°¡­¡± The dwarf was seatedfortably. It was the moment when she was about to yell at him for acting like that. Tak! The elf had to turn her head again. She looked forward and saw her party members fighting the skeletons. No, it wasn¡¯t just them. Puk! Wok! Wok! One at a time. Despite being unfamiliar with the sword, it seemed clean and disciplined. It was the imposter. While she stared at him nkly, the dwarf just mumbled. ¡°What is so shocking? A Master should be able to do that much.¡± Jarin had nothing to say to the words of the dwarf. 2 This is supposed to be in a hushed tone or something, so I¡¯ve left it in single quotes like the raws.?Really funny chapter. I can''t wait to see her reaction when she finds out who they actually are. Also, I think she''s going to fall in love with him, hahaha. Airn strikes again.? Chapter 288: Myriad (3)

Chapter 288: Myriad (3)

The central part of the continent was known to be the safest region along with the western part, but after the demons came, it had be a thing of the past. This was because the Holy Kingdom was patrolling and dealing with the monsters, and the soldiers and the kingdoms were focusing on the demons. The monsters which appeared in the darkness were a problem every night, and the wild beasts became more ferocious under the influence of it. There was a reason why the number of travelers and merchants went down. However, it was only a story for the strong. For a veteran adventurer party with a Sword Expert who had a gold mercenary card, as their leader, such issues weren¡¯t a concern. ¡°Haaap!¡± Kwang! Ethan, the leader of the party, shed down his sword strongly. The goblin¡¯s breath was cut into two in a single attack. It had boasted a height of 2 meters but still couldn¡¯t withstand the Expert¡¯s sword. Tung! Puak! Tang! Puak! Ethan wasn¡¯t the only one. Giovanni, who was the warm-looking one, also seemed strong. He was steadily blocking the attacks with his shield and handling the mace in his other hand. And when the chance came, he would act boldly and attack. His actions were befitting a silver rank mercenary. And what of the Elf magician Jarin? As well as the wandering knight from a fallen noble family, Kenan Reyes? Both of them weren¡¯t behind Giovanni either. With efficient magic and clean swordsmanship, they were reducing the number of monsters swiftly. ¡°Phew, done. Everyone did well.¡± ¡°It¡¯s now been four days in a row like this.¡± ¡°Ah, so annoying! There¡¯s goblin blood on my de!¡± ¡°Just wipe it then. We¡¯ll be reaching a big city in two days, so let''s rest there for a day or two.¡± Finally, the monsters were done. 20 mutant goblins wasn¡¯t a small number, and it wasn¡¯t a situation where they could rx. And they were too experienced to groan about it. And the elf magician Jarin, was preparing to create fire despite no one asking her to. The others also began to move, throwing the bodies into a fire and cleaning up the area¡­ It was when the cleaning after the battle wasing to an end. Next to Ethan, who was gasping for air, Jarin walked up and asked, ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Uh? What¡­ ah, that friend?¡± ¡°Mm, that Airn.¡± ¡°No, he isn¡¯t Airn now. That is Aron and his friend.¡± ¡°Whatever, what do you think?¡± ¡°Are you talking about the skills? It¡¯s not bad. You saw it too, right? He isn¡¯t scared of normal monsters or demonic monsters, and he doesn¡¯t vomit when he sees blood. He has good bnce and strength. If it is this much, then he is bound to get silver. Even if he wasn¡¯t using that fake badge.¡± ¡°¡­ and?¡± ¡°What do you want to hear¡­ no?¡± Ethan frowned. Seeing his expression, Jarin turned her head. No. Well¡­ she walked away, sulking. The leader who looked at her, burst intoughter. ''No, she can''t think he is a real master, right.'' He could understand it. Although she had been working as a mercenary for 10 years, Jarin was a magician, and she didn¡¯t have much knowledge about swords. When she saw Aron like that, who was calm andid-back, she might have felt like he really was a swordmaster. ¡®It might have been because the first impression was too weird. Actually, even I was shocked¡­¡¯ But this thought was absurd. Ethan raised his gaze and thought of Aron¡¯s Swordsmanship. He minimized his movement, improved on his reflexes, and pressed the opponent with the weight of his greatsword and steady core. It was nice. But not surprising. He smiled and mumbled. ¡°A famous swordsman or from some royal academy.¡± That was all. That, too, wasn''t a background that could be ignored. No, it was flustering. Ethan, who was a mercenary since he was young, didn¡¯t have the qualifications for learning systematic swordsmanship. Therefore, there were times when he asked for the help of Kenan Reyes, the fallen noble, but it was impossible to permanently get help. However, that never turned into jealousy despite whatever the people saw. As much as he envied the swordsmanship of the knights, the knights, too, must be feeling the same for him. ¡®I am an Expert.¡¯ He started from the bottom and had constantly and tirelessly worked before he reached where he was now. And now, he could even teach others, but the swordsmanship he had was only perfect for him. Even the knights of the Western Kingdoms couldn¡¯t ignore him. And that was enough. Although he wasn¡¯t the best, he had lived his life with the sword, and he could proudly look a knight in the eye. ¡°¡­ that¡¯s who I am, Kenan.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That is me, understand?¡± ¡°What bullshit is it? Are you drunk?¡± ¡°How can you talk like that to a leader?¡± ¡°You should act like a leader to be treated like one. Stop talking shit ande eat.¡± ¡°Oh, food!¡± Despite Kenan¡¯s remarks, Ethan¡¯s expression was bright. He couldn¡¯t help but be that way. The food was fine originally, but after Aron joined, the quality of the meal improved. And it never disappointed them. Just one bite, and he looked at the blonde man in admiration. "Wow, really delicious! How can this be! Is it different meat?" ¡°It is because I am good at controlling the fire; you can never cook like that by yourself.¡± "No, I was speaking to Aron; why are you mad?" ¡°Because we did it together.¡± ¡°Together! Hah! Aron must have done it alone. Before Aron came, your meat was tough as the sole of a shoe.¡± ¡°Stop it before I bake a real shoe and put it in your mouth.¡± ¡°Well, this is delicious. Is this the power of love?¡± ¡°Power of love. Ilya and I like beef the most.¡± ¡°Haha, doesn¡¯t Miss Lindsaye to meet you? I heard that the Lord is stupid for his daughter.¡± ¡°I heard it too. Maybe he¡¯lle after you. Just in case your story reaches Adan.¡± ¡°It is fine. This much wouldn¡¯t piss him off.¡± ¡°Puah! This friend has such guts! Eh¡­¡± Aron smiled. They didn¡¯t call him Airn, but he was the kind of person who treated anyone gently. And they liked it. There were no concerns, and he didn''t feel introverted here. He worked for his stay like in the past. ¡®When I arrive at the Holy Kingdom, we will go separately¡­ if it is fine to be together for now. As long as the friend is fine.¡¯ Wouldn¡¯t it be possible to strengthen their bond through a spar? He thought. Their styles and weapons were different, but if they could spar¡­ When he was in the middle of thinking that. ¡°No, I was looking where the meat went, but Jarin ate it all. What is with this elf?¡± "Bullshit. Elves like to live in the forest; they don''t eat meat." ¡°What shit is that? I am good. Where are you goi¡­¡± "Ah, just stop, everyone. Even without a single cup of alcohol, all you talk about is nonsense¡­¡± ¡°Then youe up with some nice topics.¡± ¡°Uh? How about the Warrior¡¯s festival?¡± ¡°The Festival?¡± ¡°Yes. Who will win it?¡± Kenan spoke in a soft voice. Everyone was interested, even Jarin. ¡®Well, there isn¡¯t anything to talk about.¡¯ Ethan nodded his head. They were mercenaries who had lived their whole lives closer to fighting than most others. For them, ''who is the strongest?'' wasn''t a topic that could ever be boring. In fact, there were countless debates over who was the best of the top three swordsmen, and also about whether the Runtel king had fought Ian. In the meantime, a contest was held to determine the best warrior for the next generation. Indeed, for swordsmen and mercenaries, it would be a crazy topic. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be Camrin Ray of the Ray family?¡± ¡°Ugh. He¡¯s strong; Camrin Ray is strong.¡± At Giovanni¡¯s words, Ethan nodded. Since the tournament was to showcase the next generation of the continent, the age limit was under 60. This limit meant that those of the top 3 of the 5 strongest in the continent couldn¡¯t enter the tournament. Considering that, Camrin was a strong contender. He was part of the second generation of the members of the Ray family, and a monster who was known to not be any worse than the people in the top 10. Thanks to that, most of the people from the western part of the continent thought that he would win. ¡°But the ck Knight¡¯smander? There is a rumor that thepetition was arranged to show off I¡­¡± "But isn''t she too young? She is in her early 30s going against Masters in their 50s¡­" ¡°But you can¡¯t let it pass. She is the greatest genius of all time.¡± ¡°Well, I think she¡¯ll be in the top 4. But¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°It is impossible for Camrin Ray and I to win. The victory wille from the southern swordsmen. I am sure.¡± ¡°Tch, back to this, this local pride.¡± ¡°No, I mean it!¡± Kenan Reyes was furious at Giovanni¡¯s sarcasm. Although his family had fallen, he was proud of the southern nobles. That was why he was against the stories of the west and central swordsmen. The southern swordsmencked reputation, but he believed that they were very skilled. ¡°Honestly, there is nothing wrong with old people in their 70s or higher. I admit it too. I heard that old ones are obsessed with alcohol and women and didn¡¯t practice properly. But the younger generation is different. Have you heard of the southern swordsman?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve never heard of it.¡± ¡°Then listen now, brat.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t like I want to listen¡­¡± ¡°First, Jarrot of the Macan Kingdom.¡± And Kenan talked for a long time. Jarrot, the tiger of the south, and Jakuang, the king of the southern mercenaries who were close to him. The legendary story of the two Masters in their 50s. Giovanni frowned. He knew this story very well. ¡®The problem is that this brat is too proud ofing from the south.¡¯ To be precise, it was for this reason that Giovanni didn¡¯t want to talk about this. It was fine that the man was proud of it, but this was too hardcore. He praised just the southern ones and would constantly undermine the people of the other areas. Basically, he hated everything else other than his former ce. Ethan had heard it many times as well. ¡®He¡¯s normally like this, but it is even worse today.¡¯ He sighed. Without realizing that people were losing interest, Kenan kept talking. And no one could stop him. Ethan nced at Jarin. She nodded and tapped Kenan on the shoulder and then pped his chin as he turned. Pak! ¡°Kuak Uh?¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°No, what was¡­¡± "I saved your life three months ago; pay for it like this." ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Nothing to say? Then stay quiet.¡± ¡®No, I didn¡¯t mean for her to do that.¡¯ Ethan was puzzled. Because Jarin was a good support, everyone received her help at least once. That was when she could proudly stop Kenan too, but he didn¡¯t think she would handle it like this. ¡°Such fun friends.¡± ¡°Do you know? Kenan is the best version when he gets hit by Jarin?¡± ¡°Did you hear that? I make you look cool.¡± ¡°Uh? Ah, thanks. But it hurts¡­¡± Still, it was a good atmosphere. The dwarf frowned, and Giovanni was irritated; Jarin pped someone, and Kenanughed despite being pped. It was weird but fine. Ethan looked at Aron, who was sipping the tea. And wondered. Who does this friend, Aron, think is the most capable and strongest person in the festival? ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°The Warrior¡¯s festival. Who do you think will win?¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± ¡°Is it difficult to pick one? Then guess who you think would do well.¡± ¡°Yes, I am curious.¡± "Is he going to say, Airn Pereira?¡± Giovanni told it as a joke. Even if Airn Pareira was one of the geniuses and hottest topics on the continent, his opponents were all on different levels. There were monsters among the participants who had lived twice as much as him. And he was too young of a Sword Master to shine among them despite the numbering being 200. Evenpared to I, he was six years younger. ¡°I Crescentia.¡± ¡°Um.¡± Soon he answered, and everyone nodded. Because of the young age, and what he had been through, she was talked about a lot, and she was the only one participating from the Holy Kingdom, and was getting a lot of support too. Although the winner was vague, she had the qualifications to be a contender for the title. ¡°Ilya Lindsay.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± However, the next name didn¡¯t bring in good reactions. Ilya Lindsay. A woman with talentparable to I and someoneing from the western part. But she was just 22 years old, and too young to take the title, and hadn''t been discussed about too much after her loss in the Land of Proof. And that wasn¡¯t the end. ¡°Bratt Lloyd.¡± ¡°Judith.¡± ¡°And¡­ Airn Pareira.¡± ¡­ three more names. They were all quite famous. Bratt Lloyd, the genius young master from the Gerbera Kingdom, and Judith, who was one among the best in Krono. And Airn Pareira too. But¡­ ¡®Compared to whom Giovanni and Kenan mentioned, they are still too young.¡¯ That ran through Ethan¡¯s head. But why? Aron¡¯s absurd answer. He couldn¡¯t speak that out. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± He wasn¡¯t alone. Giovanni, who seemed to joke around, couldn''t think of speaking anything. Kenan Reyes, who was furious before for ignoring the southern swordsman, stayed silent. And Jarin, who still didn¡¯t like Aron much, looked at him. Like. ¡®He is speaking what he believes is the truth for him.¡¯ Ethan looked at Aron¡¯s face. It was still good and kind. She thought about his strong swordsmanship, which looked like it wanted to hold the burden of everyone. And such a person now, Looked different. Chapter 289: Gate Crasher (1)

Chapter 289: Gate Crasher (1)

¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± There was an awkward air after that. Was it because people they didn¡¯t expect were mentioned? No. Rather, it was the way the person spoke that seemed different from his nature. Everyone, including Ethan, stayed silent for a moment, and looked at the blonde young man¡¯s face. There was a prolonged silence before Airn looked at them, smiled, and said, ¡°It was a joke.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know. People known as the 10 swordsmen and stuff¡­ I don¡¯t know much more than that.¡± ¡°What? Was it all just words?¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t that, but it is a contest where heroes who will lead the future wille. And since they are my age, I support the younger ones.¡± "Ah, the age group of 40-50s have enough Masters. People in the 20s and 30s are like kids." ¡°Kenan¡¯s words are right¡­ but did you just call Masters kids?¡± ¡°No, I didn¡¯t mean it that way.¡± And the group began talking again. The blonde young man smiled, seeing them melt into the conversation. Although he was traveling for some time, the knowledge of the veterans was a wide topic. Actually, the three major swordsmen in the south and the pride of the East were the ones he didn''t know of in detail. ¡®Apart from the Lindsay family, I didn¡¯t know of the others. Camrin Ray¡­¡¯ After that discussion, a few names settled into Airn''s head. The others were interesting, but these stood out. The second son of the Ray family. And on the southern side, Inashio Karahan. A curiosity sparked in him. It was something which hadn¡¯t happened in a long time. ¡°It wasn¡¯t a joke, right?¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°You just told the names of your friends. It wasn¡¯t a joke but the truth, right? You really think that you could all go all the way till the end¡­¡± ¡°¡­ Um, it¡¯s not like that.¡± Airn hadn¡¯t met those who were contesting yet, so he couldn¡¯t predict a perfect oue for it. Airn just mentioned his friends¡¯ names as a way of cheering for them. But if someone asked if he didn¡¯t believe it. ¡®That isn¡¯t true either.¡¯ Airn closed his eyes. He thought of Ilya, making the wind, and Bratt calling the waves. He also saw Judith¡¯s face. Despite not seeing her for two years, the intense mes around her were still etched in his mind. And the scorching heat. ¡®¡­ I have no idea how strong I am now.¡¯ ¡°Still, I am looking forward to it.¡± Looking at Vulcanus, Airn said it. Right. People he hadn''t met like Camrin and Inashio seemed good, but he was looking forward to meeting his friends. And he wanted to show off to the world a little bit too. How talented they all were and how much effort they had put in¡­ no one could know about it but them. ¡°Brat, what are you saying?¡± ¡°Ah, sorry. I was thinking of the past.¡± ¡°A kid who hasn¡¯t touched 30 yet is acting like an old man¡­ enough. I am going to sleep.¡± Vulcanus groaned as he headed in, and Airn smiled seeing that, and heid on the floor. It was rough and ufortablepared to the dorms, but there was no problem because he had been through it in the past. So, he knew someone was eavesdropping on their words. ¡®I thought she wasn¡¯t interested in me.¡¯ Well, it didn''t matter. He used the artifact Kirill gave him to cut off the sound, so his identity couldn¡¯t have been revealed. He thought for a while if he had to conceal himself, but decided that it was better if they didn¡¯t believe who he was. Rather than moving around cautiously, he liked this. But he would have to be more careful in the future. While he was thinking that, the elf magician Jarin, frowned. A few more days passed. In the meantime, monsters and demonic monsters constantly tormented the party. The elf¡¯s ears helped them know when they wereing, and the battle went smoothly. In the process, Airn melted into the party. It wasn¡¯t because of his swordsmanship or cooking skills. Of course, they were of advantage to the party, but rather, it was the atmosphere around him that made everyonefortable. ¡°He is a better friend than I thought.¡± ¡°Right. It doesn¡¯t seem like it, but he has a mild personality, right?¡± ¡°It is better since he doesn¡¯t look timid. It isn¡¯t easy to say what you want to without hurting others, and that is an amazing trait of his.¡± ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± At Ethan¡¯s words, Giovanni and Kenan nodded. Initially, he was a young man they allowed because they could have fun, but it wasn¡¯t like that anymore. The image of Aron now was someone who didn¡¯t stop being considerate to others and made people open up their hearts. It wasn''t just that. Now, he was a reliable person and a colleague. Of course, not everyone is like that. Jarin, unlike others, didn¡¯t like Aron. ¡®Why is the guy pretending to be someone else even acting like this after being caught right away?¡¯ She couldn¡¯t process it. For that reason, Aron¡¯s normal talks and actions were considered to be cocky by her, and she didn''t like it. But she had no intention of asking him openly. It was just that she didn¡¯t want to let the others put down her walls andugh with him. She was grateful for the delicious food he cooked. However, thinking of going and watching the Warrior¡¯s festival together¡­ As she was thinking that, Ethan came to her. ¡°By the way, we will reach the Tamoe Forest after a while.¡± ¡°Right. Ah! Isn¡¯t it dangerous these days?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like the idea of going there.¡± Tamoe Forest, which was thick in the middle, was a ce anyone could pass by. This was because the five nations made a living through the trade deals that urred due the path they had created through it. The toll wasn¡¯t small, but considering how well maintained it was, it wasn¡¯t a waste of money. But it wasn¡¯t like that now. After the demons doubled in number within the Tamoe Forest, the five nations withdrew their men. The Holy Kingdom was asked for help to subjugate them, but no one wanted to risk going through it. Therefore, in order to safely pass, many talented people would have to work together. ¡®The Alhad Mountains were the same.¡¯ Airn thought. It was something simr to the trip he had 4 years ago. The merchants joined forces to protect themselves from the bandits. It was probably the same here. Of course, the opponents here were terrible demons, but¡­ ¡°Do you think there will be enough people?¡± ¡°Yes. There should be a party like ours.¡± Ethan nodded his head. Many people must be moving to Avilius now so that they could watch that contest. There were many people like Ethan who wanted to learn more, and it wouldn¡¯t be weird if they decided to go through the Tamoe Forest. The party organizer was someone that even Airn knew. ¡°Gael Wise? The son of merchant Wise?¡± Gael was the elder son of Toby Wise, who was said to have held all the wealth equal to the continent. He was a half-elf born to an elven mother. That alone left a mark on everyone¡¯s mind, but it wasn¡¯t that which made him stand out. It was his good influence. He provided grain for the poor, established schrships for the uneducated to study, and recently, provided weapons and armor for heroes when fighting the demons at a low price. Before that, they heard a lot of good things about him settling the disputes between humans and other races. ¡®I heard he is talented. Despite there being other merchant unions, it was said that his union would grow much more than before.¡¯ Truly, he was a son that every parent would envy, and a son whose parents would be proud of. It was relieved that such a person was gathering people, and Vulcanus also nodded at it in approval. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± But the atmosphere was strange. Airn looked at his party members'' faces. Ethan, Giovanni, Kenan, and Jarin. Some of them were upset, and thest one looked even worse. With a stiff face, he asked. ¡°Is there any problem¡­¡± ¡°¡­ no, it is nothing.¡± Jarin replied with a smile. ¡°It will be just a week; what can happen?" ¡°Are you really noting?¡± ¡°This jerk. How many times do I have to tell you? It is beneficial for me to train when I am here.¡± ¡°No, your disciple, huh? You said you wanted to y an active part in this Warrior¡¯s Festival when everyone is watching, but you can¡¯t afford to watch it?¡± "No, no, if I had such things to do, would I havee this far? That Ian, seriously." ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Aha, forget it! Now say something and support me.¡± ¡°Good luck, Judith. Let it be I or Airn or Bratt¡­kill everyone.¡± ¡°Uh¡­ I am leaving.¡± Judith bowed, facing Khun, and left. There was no looking back. It was just a brief outing, and he was a face she woulde back to, so there was no need to be emotional. ¡®¡­ still, it would be nice if we could go together.¡¯ That¡¯s what she thought, and it made her sad, but she endured it. She knew the stubbornness of that man better than anyone. Phew, she sighed and ran to the northeast. Khun stood there and looked at her leaving. ¡°Weik!¡± And coughed blood. ¡°Haa, haa¡­¡± His body wasn¡¯t feeling well. It had been this way for a while, but this time it seemed worse. It didn¡¯t matter if it was a disease or the end of his time. It was important to not die before it came for him. ¡®I want to live.¡¯ Khun raised his sword and swung it constantly. He cut and stabbed repeatedly. He did it with a heart more desperate than all the other aspirations he had until then. He recalled the legend which had been passed down since time immemorial. The legend about the level beyond the level Expert and Master. It was said that when one reached that ultimate level with a sword, a new body could be obtained. It was said that one could break free from the old and sick body a mortal had into a new one. ¡®I didn¡¯t believe it before¡­¡¯ Now he believed it. No, he wanted to believe it; there was a reason for it. Of course, he didn¡¯t know it. Even though Ian reached the Master level at 25, he did it at the age of 70. But¡­ ¡®Did I know that and challenge him?¡¯ Hahaha, Khun burst intoughter and swung his sword. He didn¡¯t know. And he was going to do it until he realized it. That was the driving force he had until now. ¡°¡­¡± Khun, who was wielding his sword in a trance, stopped and turned his head. Someone was approaching him. He was wearing a dress that gave off a dark feeling like he was being buried in the shadows. His face hardened. The hair of the person approaching him was waving, and it was hard to tell if it was silver or grey. ¡­ strange. Yet familiar. Khun med his poor memory and asked the opponent who came. ¡°Have we met?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You can¡¯t talk?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. Looks like a bastard with a cheeky attitude.¡± Khun kept saying it. Normally the opponent would be red-faced at it, but the man didn''t seem to care that he was being called that by one of the top three swordsmen on the continent. Slowly, the man drew his sword. He took a calm posture with an expressionless face and stared at his opponent. And said. ¡°Junior Carl Lindsay¡­ I wanted to learn from senior Khun.¡± Chapter 290: Gate Crasher (2)

Chapter 290: Gate Crasher (2)

¡°.. hmm.¡± Khun looked at the man in ck. Carl Lindsay. It was a pretty old name. A genius who once shook the world, and then became an idiot who fell after his meeting with I. Right, people didn¡¯t expect much after something like that. They just handed out ridicule, contempt and sarcasm. ¡®I am someone who understands it.¡¯ One might ask, how do you get so frustrated with just one defeat? However, that was a normal man''s thoughts. Geniuses on the other hand, thought differently. He must have felt it the moment they met. How far apart they were, and he must have been right about it to some extent. But when he was defeated, he must¡¯ve felt like his future had been decided. He must¡¯ve felt the gap that could never be caught up to. Even if they tried for one year or ten¡­He must¡¯ve realized that the difference in talent could never be matched with just hard work. ¡®The real talent, potential and future of I which he couldn¡¯t see¡­¡¯ What made Carl Lindsay even worse was the fact that he too was a genius with brilliant talent. He had the eye to recognize the true worth of other people. ¡®That is why being stupid is sometimes good.¡¯ Khun smiled at the thought. Right. He was a fool, so he didn¡¯t give up. Just like with Ian and Khun, Carl didn¡¯t immediately notice the true difference between him and his opponent either. And now decades had passed. Time that Carl Lindsay would have given up¡­time that Khun would not have stupidly wasted. But¡­ Such foolish feelings overpowermon sense. Only an idiot who wanted to win over life can think about the possibility and chance of achieving a miracle that had a 0.0001% chance ofing true. Like Khun did. And like Judith. Like many unknown swordsmen who were still walking a dark path. ¡°I will congratte you foring back into the race again. But¡­¡± Carl Lindsay¡­ no. Seeing the man who abandoned the Lindsay name, Khun smiled. He felt it. Just like him who gave up everything to defeat Ian, this child too gave up everything that was precious to him so that he coulde here. He could tell just by looking at him. He didn¡¯t have such feelings before, but now that he was over 100, maybe this was what Ian called ¡®the Eye¡¯. However, not everything was to his liking. ¡°Why me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Your opponent wasn¡¯t me but I, right? This isn¡¯t the Holy Kingdom. You should move fast. Meet my disciple on the way and teach her a few tricks. Ah, you might not know who she is, right? Judith. She¡¯s not as talented as you, but she is good¡­¡± ¡°I need guidance.¡± Whoop! A strong energy emanated from his sword. It wasn¡¯t energy. It was something more sharper and suffocating. Something that shouldn¡¯t be revealed when asking for guidance. Killing intent. Khun who felt it went still, and thenughed as he asked. ¡°Do you n to kill me?¡± ¡°I am ready to put my life on the line for it.¡± ¡°Are you capable of that?¡± ¡°I am not the same as before.¡± ¡°Ah, right. You looked easy-going. Well¡­then I am the warm up match before you hit I¡­ haha.¡± Khun smirked. It wasn¡¯t funny. There was anger and bitterness in his words too. Normally he wasn¡¯t the talkative kind, but that wasn¡¯t the case these days. He wondered why this man wanted his life. However, he knew that the man was speaking the truth. After a long pause, he raised his head. He pushed up his chest. He now had a serious expression. The atmosphere around him was different from what he usually had with his disciple. Carl felt it too. The energy was so densely spread¡­sharp like an awl which could break in at any moment! And he raised his sword to stop it. Kang! He suddenly heard the sound of the ground caving in, and he couldn¡¯t see Khun anymore. Bang! Bang! Bang! Pung! ¡°¡­!¡± The sound of collisions in session. The ground which was somehow still intact, sank, and the rocks which looked hard, copsed. Carl focused, trying to sense where the man was. He extended his five senses and inspected around. He couldn¡¯t see though. Nor could he feel. He was fighting the fastest swordsman who could move at incredible speeds, and it was as if Khun had already crossed the human limit! Khun¡¯s voice could be heard despite that. ¡°I know what you are afraid of.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It will be difficult, painful and scary. There will be times when you want to run away just from the thought of facing the other person. But don¡¯t go back. And I am not the one you should take it up with, it is I.¡± He expanded his senses again. Enough to hear the sound of dust falling down¡­enough to count the grains of sand. However, he still couldn¡¯t follow Khun¡¯s movement. He swung the sword with a stiff expression. Swish! Puak! A ck aura created a wind and lifted up the dust. However, it was a failure. Instead of Khun he cut down a tree. Khun¡¯s voice was still audible. He clenched his teeth at the noise. ¡°You worked so hard. I know that. Although it is true that you are stillcking, it doesn¡¯t mean that you don¡¯t have a chance of winning. You are at a point where you can do it.¡± ¡°What if you lose? What if you lose again? With her personality, she will ept the match any number of times that you visit her, so¡­¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Carl¡¯s eyes widened. He could now hear the voice from all around him. But Carl knew that it wasn¡¯t like that. Khun wasn¡¯t in front of him. The reason was unknown, but he could feel it clearly, the tip of Khun¡¯s sword wasing at him from behind. He felt a clear feeling, as if the old man was looking down at him from above. He turned. In a rapid movement, he prevented the opponent¡¯s attack. But he was toote. Khun¡¯s sword had reached his abdomen. Looking at him, who stood still, the old man finished his speech. ¡°¡­ now get lost, kid.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ah! I want to know one thing. Why did you want my life? Tell me and go.¡± Silence. For quite some time. The rising dust settled, and the wind carried some away, yet the youngster and the old man just stood there and looked at each other. No one wanted to speak first. It was Khun who ended it, but it wasn¡¯t his intention. ¡°Cough!¡± He coughed out blood again. Khun¡¯s form was shaken at it as his heart shuddered. The tip of his sword shook and the eyes of the young man who saw that, moved. Woong! Carl swung his sword. Khun also swung his sword. No¡­he tried to do it, but he couldn¡¯t. Clench! The dark aura from Carl¡¯s ck sword was binding Khun¡¯s weapon. This was no ordinary aura. It was different and stronger than before. He couldn¡¯t pull his sword away from the bindings of that dark aura. It was like a giant tree that had been rooted in the ground for a hundred years. The old man smiled looking at the young one...into Carl¡¯s ck eyes. In them, he saw his own weakened image. The sword swung over Khun¡¯s body as he was staring nkly at it. sh! Kwakwakwa! Khun flew away poorly and crashed into his home. Looking at the wood, stones and other items, he exhaled. He wasn¡¯t cut, however. At thest moment before the sword came down, Khun let go of his sword and blocked Carl¡¯s sword with both palms. Thanks to that, Carl¡¯s hand holding the sword was hurt But¡­ Shhh! The wound healed in a couple of breaths. Carl looked down at it with aplicated gaze and looked at the ruined ce. In the dust, a form which looked like it had a strong physique was approaching him. ¡®He¡¯s on the verge of death.¡¯ Khun was known to be one of the three great swordsmen on the continent. However, it was just because of his speed and nothing else about him was great. Considering the amount of aura between himself and the opponent, even if Khun defended, his upper body must have been severely hurt. Carl¡¯s prediction wasn¡¯t wrong. He swung his sword. And removed the dust around the opponent. It didn¡¯t feel nice. The left hand now had no fingers, and his right arm was not looking too good either. Yet, he held the sword. There was no way Carl could defeat him. This wasn¡¯t even the end of their match. As he was approaching, Khun stopped, and blood poured out from his mouth. Cough! It kept pouring out, and it wasing out endlessly to the point where Carl wondered how a human could have so much blood. But the surprising thing was, Khun didn¡¯t have a bad expression. ¡°Uh, a little refreshed. It¡¯s very refreshing. Like¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It seems like something which had been blocked for a long time has opened.¡± Khun stumbled. He staggered and looked up. Carl only looked at him with tense eyes. He was a mess. His skin was pale, and his energy was diminished. His white clothes were now red, and his aura could barely be felt. Even his body seemed small. Yet, he didn¡¯t look weak. Like¡­ ¡®It isn¡¯t that his power decreased, but it¡¯s more like it¡¯s be¡­lighter.¡¯ ¡°Carl Lindsay. No¡­Carl.¡± Hearing Khun¡¯s voice, Carl took a step back. And came forward again. It was because he didn¡¯t like the fact that he had unconsciously retreated. The old man didn¡¯t care. Khun smiled showing his blood red teeth and said. ¡°Enough with the bad things now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You can still do it. It isn¡¯t toote. Get rid of those filthy ones and start over. I guarantee that because I became a Master at the age of 70. You can do it too.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Pang! He didn¡¯t listen. Carl lowered Khun¡¯s sword which was still with him. And then crushed it with his foot which had aura on it, and then took his stance. ¡°Huhuhu,¡± Khunughed. Unlike before, now it had a bitter and sad feeling. ¡°I can¡¯t help it now,¡± Carl Lindsay said. He really couldn¡¯t. Even when he was puzzled by the unfamiliar appearance. Even when he doubted that he was stronger than he thought. Before he knew everything, he wished that he hadn¡¯t crossed the line. It didn¡¯t seem possible now. It was impossible to go back. As Khun stood there, watching Carl, he thought, ¡®Then, I¡¯ll just do it myself.¡¯ ¡®Phew. Breathe out. Forget the taste of iron in your mouth along with the pain and just keep moving.¡¯ Extend the left arm to the side. And then the right to the other side. He could barely feel his right hand now, and yet the sense of the sword he had used for so long could still be felt. It felt lighter than before. He thought that it was possible for him to move faster too. To the right of Khun, who muttered inwardly, a new sword came. Chapter 291: An uncomfortable companion (1)

Chapter 291: An ufortablepanion (1)

¡°No, it''s not that¡­¡± ¡°I cannot say anything else, eh, enough!¡± ¡°Ahaha, you are still a bronze mercenary.¡± ¡°Then you. You are the same as me¡­¡± The trade route in Tamoe Forest, stained with monsters. There were travelers who would normally move with tense faces, but not now. Most of them were now walking with bright expressions on their faces. And they were talking too. No one thought it was strange either. Because arge-scale party had gathered with almost 200 people, so it felt much more reliable than most times. ¡®And if it is the eldest son of Wise, there will be no problem with monsters or demonic beings.¡¯ ¡®It is fine even if a demones. We have a Sword Master on our side.¡¯ ¡®As long as it isn¡¯t too dangerous, I think it will be fine if there is one attack. I don¡¯t want to miss the chance to see a Sword Master¡¯s aura.¡¯ Gael Wise, the eldest son of the merchant. He wasn¡¯t some lucky kid. He was someone who made an impact with his trade skills, personality, and someone who also yed an important role in the harmony between humans and elves. And thanks to that, talented people were with him. And today was the same. There was a well-trained army. Five Experts were among them. Besides them, there was also a Sword Master, Brudie Schaffer, a talented person who looked at them all with a smile. In the midst of the group which resembled a nation¡¯s army, no one felt afraid to enter Tamoe Forest. ¡°Is Gael Wise going to the Holy Kingdom?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Is he going to contest? I heard that he is someone who has handled both sword and magic¡­¡± ¡°What about Brudie Scaffer? Do you have anything to say about him?¡± ¡°Uh, that gentleman is over 70. He cannot do it at that age.¡± ¡°Ah, right. Hahaah.¡± Everyone was able tough in the rxed air. Airn nodded his head. Gael Wise promised to protect the people not only in the forest but throughout their journey to the Holy Kingdom. And the situation was a lot better than having an escort of mercenaries. But not everyone liked it. ¡°¡­¡± Jarin, Giovanni, Kenan and Ethan. Airn looked at the people whose words sharply declined. It had been two days since they entered Tamoe Forest. ¡®It is fine. There is nothing to be nervous about.¡¯ Phew, Ethan, mumbled to himself. Right, it wasn¡¯t forever. It was just a bit of difort and sadness for his party for a few days. All they had to do was to not argue and stay quiet. ¡®But I cannot talk back.¡¯ Currently the main lead for the group was the Wise¡¯s party, but they alone couldn¡¯t handle all the tasks for the entire group. So, the current arrangement was for the leaders of the small parties to ce those roles on the members, thus allowing the main party to smoothly continue the journey. Whether it was arranging for the night watch, arranging the tents and beds, or making meals and doing chores¡­ of course, no one hated it. If not for the Wise group, who would willinglye through here? But¡­ In the process, things continued to happen which made Ethan ufortable. ¡®Well, it is no big deal.¡¯ Ethan nodded his head. Right. At most, their meals were dyed, and there were too many shifts of watch for them and the side to which their beddings were assigned to was somewhat vulnerable to monster attacks. Thinking too deeply about it could be a deep problem, but if they had bold people to talk about it, then it wasn¡¯t much of an issue. Actually, Ethan was about to pass it on, but Jarin stopped him. ¡®Sorry. Everyone is suffering because of me.¡¯ ¡®No, no. Why would it be because of you? This is just a coincidence.¡¯ ¡®But¡­¡¯ The elf had a dark expression all the time. And the entire party was in a slump because they cared for her. Ethan¡¯s thoughts changed however, when it kept happening to them. And it felt burdensome, and he wanted to suggest it. ¡®Actually, Jarin must be overreacting.¡¯ He heard of the story before. However, it was too much to say that what they were experiencing now was because of what happened¡­ It had to be a coincidence, or some bad luck. Right. It was fine. They were all minor problems which could be solved with suggestions. Ethan, who took control of his heart, approached the mercenaries who were ying cards. It was because he thought it would be better to talk to a few leaders of the small parties and ask the main party together rather than asking by himself. But. ¡°Uh? A sorry. I am making an important bet now.ter¡­¡± ¡°Uh? Ahh, yes. Right, we were going together¡­ um! But now, my stomach hurts. Sorry, next time.¡± ¡°Oh my, I don¡¯t think it is right to go now with a drunk face.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ethan¡¯s expression hardened. They were quite familiar with the mercenaries for about 10 years now, and they had helped a lot of them too. So, he thought this request of his was nothing. But he was wrong. It was just his own opinion. After feeling a bit bitter, he exhaled. ¡°Right, it¡¯s not a big deal. I can just go alone. Ah. Right.¡± Chak! Ethan pped himself on the cheek. Right. It¡¯s not a big deal. It¡¯s a suggestion not some protest, it has to work out. He couldn¡¯t back out. He was going to do it. All he had to do was to ask politely. ¡®Besides, who am I? I¡¯m Ethan, the Sword Expert.¡¯ And he smiled. He always thought about it. Despite not being the best, he lived a life where he was proud even when he was in front of the best. It was the same even now. This couldn¡¯t be much. Whether the opponent was a small group or arge one like Wise¡¯s which helped the continent, there was no problem as long as he didn¡¯t make things awkward. ¡°Phew.¡± Ethan controlled his thoughts and moved. There was arge barracks located in the centre of the grounds. That was the ce where Gael Wise had established himself. He slowly approached it. His feet felt heavy, but it wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯t move. It was fine to sweat a little. No one would tease him. He saw a familiar face. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°¡­ there seems to be a minor problem with the distribution of work¡­ I wanted to talk about it.¡± Ethan smiled as he said it, his expression and voice weren¡¯t natural though. ¡®Strange¡¯ He felt strange, his mouth didn¡¯t work as usual, and his heart felt heavy. Although the man in front of him was someone he had known for long, they were not close friends. Because of their history of getting into fights. However, most of them ended with Ethan being victorious, so he thought he could deal with them anytime. But he was wrong. The moment he saw the Wise symbol on the chest, the moment he saw the bald man in therge tent with a rxed face, he felt strangely lost. He seemed big and self like a dwarf. ¡°It cannot be so important, right?¡± ¡°¡­ still, we can talk right?¡± ¡°Yes. We can talk. So, tell me.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Tell me. I will let them know.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to if you don¡¯t want to.¡± Ethan stood silently for a long time in front of the man who smiled with his teeth exposed. He didn¡¯t want to go back. This guy wouldn¡¯t ry his troubles. Considering their past fights that was expected. Rather than telling him, he could wait until Gael Wise came out and he could speak then. But he couldn¡¯t do that. He said that to himself, but it didn¡¯t matter¡­ he felt pressure like he was in front of a demon. No, worse than it, it was hopelessness. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Are you going to keep standing?¡± ¡°How long will you do that?¡± The voice of the man could be heard. It wasn¡¯t a question but a joke, a mockery. Ethan hesitated without saying a word. It wasn¡¯t a huge deal, so maybe was it better to go back? No. Why was he feeling so troubled with such trivial things? ¡­ he didn¡¯t know why. Yet he knew it, better than anyone. Ethan, who finally made the decision, bowed his head. It was the moment he decided to cover his heart and step back. ¡°Can I speak instead?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ethan looked at Aron¡¯s smiling face and made a bewildered expression. He never talked about this to him! No, before that, was he going to speak now? In a situation like this, where he was feeling bad, this man is going to speak? ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°Ah, hello. I am Aron. From Ethan¡¯s party, I have something to tell you.¡± ¡°Mr. Wise is busy.¡± The bald man was shocked at the sudden appearance. It was because the way he was approached was too rxed and it felt alien to him. ¡®Is he the ignorant type?¡¯ the man thought. Well, it was no problem. Woong, He brought out the aura. It was difficult for people to act in the presence of the pressure of aura, but this was enough to make the blonde realize his intentions. It would be enough to drive him away. But now. The young man was speaking with a calm face. ¡°I heard it from behind, that I should speak to you?¡± ¡°Uh? Uh¡­¡± ¡°Thank you. It is no different from what Mr. Ethan said, there seem to be minor problems with the task distribution.¡± Before long, Aron began to speak about it all. It was no big deal, and depending on the person, the problem could change. Right. The content wasn¡¯t that bothered the bald man. Seeing the blonde speak so casually, his expression hardened. ¡®What is he?¡¯ He looked like an infinitely pure kind of man. If it wasn¡¯t for the strong physique he had, one could think of him as a schr. However, the way he spoke was different. The name of Wise didn¡¯t stop him, and the pressure he was releasing didn¡¯t stop him either. It didn¡¯t feel like he was ignoring everything. He was neither timid nor fussy. Seeing Aron clearly convey what he wanted to, the bald man felt his heart shrink. ¡°What? They haveints?¡± ¡°Yes. What is supposed to be just once, ends up ovepping in session for them.¡± ¡°It seems like it is still going on.¡± The story got long and those around began to look at them. Quite a few even nodded to the words of the blonde man. So, the bald man started sweating inside his armor. He couldn¡¯t think straight. And then, as two men came into the tent, the atmospherepletely changed. Shh! ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°T-that¡­!¡± The bald head froze. He couldn¡¯t help it. Except for special events such as the Warrior¡¯s Festival, a being which hardly speaks, spoke to him for the first time. The eyes of Sword Master Brudie Schaffer, who had an aura that an Expert couldn¡¯t handle, swept past him. However, Aron, no¡­ Airn didn¡¯t move back. ¡®That¡­¡¯ Along with that man was the manager of the party, who had a tall stature, good looks and a gentle smile. The half elf, Gael Wise was looking at him. Chapter 292: An uncomfortable companion (2)

Chapter 292: An ufortablepanion (2)

¡®Gulp.¡¯ Ethan gulped, sweat forming on his hands. Sword Master Brudie Schaffer. It was said that he wasparable to the legendary swordsmen of the West. Seeing such a man was like having a star in front of his eyes. Then, why? Oddly enough, this young man didn¡¯t look at him but at the person next to him. Gael Wise. The moment he saw the man who might be someone responsible for the future of the continent, Ethan felt his shoulders shudder. ¡®¡­ of course.¡¯ A Sword Master is great. However, the existence that canmand the Sword Master is greater. Unless someone was a King of a powerful nation, they couldn¡¯t have such a man under their control. In other words, Gael Wise was someone who was considered to be more influential than such Kings. ¡°I heard voices, so I came¡­ what is happening?¡± From the mouth of such a person, came a soft voice. His words were polite and decent. Ethan was more afraid of that somehow. A truly great person who could get his hands on everything he wanted wasn¡¯t barking out order but was speaking softly. A feeling of pressurepletely different from aura rose. He pondered on what words he could use, carefully. However, there were those who didn¡¯t care about such things. ¡°Hello. Mr. Wise. I am Aron, I am sorry for causing amotion in the middle of the night, but I have something to tell you.¡± ¡°Right. Mr. Aron. Is it important?¡± ¡°It is a small suggestion, but I would appreciate it if you could spend some time on it. If you are busy, I cane backter.¡± The blonde young man continued to speak without holding back his thoughts. Seeing this, Ethan, the bald expert, and the ones around were surprised. It was probably because Gael Wise was giving out a regal atmosphere. Seeing the young man be this confident, even Sword Master Brudie Schaffer narrowed his eyes. Only Gael Wise looked indifferent. And said, ¡°I see. Since today¡¯s work is over, shall we hear your story?¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± And Aron recounted the same thing he told the bald man. The manner in which their group was required to do more tasks¡­in such a way that it became inconvenient. At the same time, he refrained from using expressions which might offend the listeners as much as possible. It wasn¡¯t very eloquent, but it was well organized to the point that anyone could understand, and the people around nodded. But of course, no matter how correct the statement was, it didn¡¯t always work. The messenger was as important as the message, so the words from a lower man to a man in a higher position weren¡¯t often epted. However, Gael Wise wasn¡¯t such a man. At least, not now. He nodded and smiled. ¡°I apologize. With a lot of people joining the party, the schedules seem to have gotten tangled up, and as Mr. Aron said, small problems seem to have arisen.¡± The half elf apologized and ordered a few staff to take care of it and after the staff heard what he had to say, they went away, and the half elf looked at Aron again. ¡°I apologize again. You have been troubled.¡± ¡°No. This could have been unpleasant for you as well. Thank you for listening so well.¡± ¡°Of course. Mr. Aron may or could be a guest of the Wise Guild, right? Ah! Of course, I don¡¯t mean to point out that you aren¡¯t one now. But hahah.¡± Gael Wiseughed and turned his head and looked at everyone and spoke in a clear voice. The content was simple. We made a mistake due to the huge number of people, but I ask for the understanding that this isn¡¯t intentional. In the future, we will try our best to prevent this from happening. Lastly, the door to me is always open so please don¡¯t feel pressure and suggest anything to us. Hearing that, the faces of the others brightened. ¡°As expected from the Wise Guild.¡± ¡°He has a good personality and character.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t a big deal, but such sincerity¡­¡± ¡°I know.¡± Peopleplimented him. Ethan, who was standing there, turned his attention to the others. Aron¡¯s face caught his eyes. ¡°You, I didn¡¯t know that you were such a dependable person.¡± ¡°Is that so? He didn¡¯t say anything strange¡­ but not going out would have been better, right?¡± ¡°Ah, what are you saying? You did good¡­ good. Our captain was there saving Aron from trembling.¡± ¡°Well!¡± ¡°What! You brat¡­¡± Ethan just looked. However, Kenan didn¡¯t care and continued to tease the captain. Giovanni grabbed his stomach andughed while Vulcan and Aron just watched them. Only Jarin couldn¡¯t hide the ufortable expression she had as she looked at where Gael Wise disappeared. So, 3 days went by in the Tamoe Forest. Another 4 days passed. Normally, they should have been at the end of the route, but the party was still unable to leave the forest. Although travelling with many people meant being safe on the journey, this was something which made them uneasy. Still, the atmosphere wasn¡¯t too bad. The reason was simple. They had Gael Wise on their side who took the lead and he was also someone who considered the suggestions of the people. ¡°Such a great man, he¡¯s so respectable.¡± ¡°It makes me feel good to be moving with him, since he looks after us.¡± ¡°Well, now I know why people below him like him.¡± He was someone who woke up earlier than others and went to bed after most of them had slept. He spent most of his time for the party, and neither yelled nor showed dislike. He worked so hard that the others even began to feel sorry. As a result, there was something which followed; the negative view of Ethan¡¯s party. ¡°Did they really have to talk about it?¡± ¡°There was no need. It wasn¡¯t such a big deal, right? Just a few coincidences, but they were being so outspoken.¡± ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t he the one?¡± ¡°What? ¡°That young man over there, I heard he is impersonating Airn Pareira¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I heard too, tch. What the hell is he doing¡­¡± ¡°He is doing such a bad job at it too.¡± For Ethan, this was a sad situation. The truth was that the issue couldn¡¯t be overlooked then. But it wasn¡¯t strange to be pointed out now. Weren¡¯t these people different in the start? They nodded their head at Aron¡¯s words at the start, and he clearly remembered that. Aron must be feeling even worse. Looking at the young man doing his job, Ethan felt sad. ¡®Giovanni, the jokes which were supposed to be among us¡­¡¯ Actually, it wasn¡¯t his fault. When they first joined this party, they made a couple jokes about Aron to the others. Because they had memories ofughing and talking with him, they wanted such a funny thing to be known. But they didn¡¯t think that those words would cause such a negative impact. No, he couldn¡¯t even understand this current atmosphere. Ethan mumbled. ¡°How did it turn out like this?¡± He couldn''t figure it out. What was clear is that they didn¡¯t make any mistake. But there was no one who would listen to them. So as soon as they got out of the Tamoe forest, they had to break away from this party. And¡­ ¡®¡­. No, I don¡¯t think it¡¯s possible.¡¯ Ethan looked at Jarin and sighed. Right. It was too big to ascertain with just a guess. The fact that this happened because of bad ties between Jarin and Gael. To be honest, it was a little hard to believe too. It was even more so, considering the gap between the eldest son of a renowned merchant and a silver mercenary magician. ¡®Looking at him in person, h doesn¡¯t seem bad.¡¯ ¡°¡­ phew, I don¡¯t know.¡± He sighed. He didn¡¯t know. Jarin wasn¡¯t an elf he couldn¡¯t believe, but he couldn¡¯t believe her if she spoke a single thing about her ties with Gael. And the opponent seemed too high for her to even talk about. Forget it. Be quiet andy low until they move from Tamoe Forest. With that, Ethan fell asleep. So, after a while, he didn¡¯t see Jarin get up and approach Aron. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°I said sorry. You are getting cursed¡­ because of me.¡± ¡°What¡­???¡± Aron, who was meditating, had a puzzled face. He should have known that he was being criticized for being an impersonator by the others. But it wasn¡¯t Jarin¡¯s fault. It was his own fault for not clearing it and secondly, it was Giovanni¡¯s fault for speaking about it. So why was this elf apologizing for it? And the answer came. ¡°Gael Wise and I don¡¯t get along.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t believe it? But it is true. Ah, I can¡¯t tell you what it is. Knowing it can be dangerous. Even if I said it, you wouldn¡¯t believe me.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Uh, that look¡­. No, it is my fault. What you are being sad¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The excessive negative atmosphere right now¡­ it is because of me. I am so sorry¡­ I just wanted to say that.¡± Jarin closed her mouth after giving that weird story. Aron, no¡­ Airn couldn¡¯t say anything. He knew what happened, but he didn¡¯t really believe her words. ¡®Still¡­¡¯ He looked into her eyes. He was a swordsman but also a sorcerer. This meant that he was more sensitive to the minds of others than normal people. And his powers had deepened after his realization of the energy of water. The ability which he acquired in the process of exchanging feelings. Jarin¡¯s words felt real. She was truly concerned for him. ¡®Then, it is right to tell me something that answers her worries¡­¡¯ What should he say? What could he say to the elf to ease her worries? Fortunately, the trouble didn¡¯tst long. Airn smiled and said, ¡°Would you like to hear the story of my past?¡± Chapter 293: An uncomfortable companion (3)

Chapter 293: An ufortablepanion (3)

Thinking about it, his past self was to me. Of course, he wasn¡¯t iming that he was good and didn¡¯t do anything wrong. It was a terrible thing to witness the idental death of his mother at 5 years old even before his personality had developed, and it wasn¡¯t strange for such a child to lock himself in his bedroom after that. But¡­ ¡®But the reason I couldn¡¯t get out of the room properly for 10 whole years is because of the more frequent winds which came.¡¯ Airn aged 10 or 15 thought so. No matter where he looked, he saw contemptuous nces. No matter where he listened there were voices of ridicule. Thezy prince, the deadbeat noble. Those constant winds. It was so cold that he couldn¡¯t stand it. Airn dug deeper as he experienced it. He dug a tunnel and went inside and tried to evade the reality that was surrounding him by entering the world of dreams. He hoped that the winds would subside. But that didn¡¯t happen. He didn¡¯t realize it right away. When the man from his previous life forcibly made him grab the sword and rise up, he raised his head and the wind flew at him. The eyes of the people weren¡¯t caring. This was until he was admitted into Krono. It continued till he met the Six noble families and it was then that he realized it. The wind will keep blowing. There is nothing that can be done about it. Instead, more importantly¡­ ¡®Rather than clinging onto an environment he cannot change, I wanted to make myself withstand the winds¡­ I wanted to try.¡¯ In a way, it could be said that Airn¡¯s efforts since then were real. He worked to change himself who swayed to and fro with just the lightest wind. To escape from himself who was hiding from the wind, he stood tall and raised his head. He trained his body a little harder. He practiced swordsmanship a little harder. He didn¡¯t just follow the man in the dreams like a puppet, but rather, he did his best to better himself. And then, a slightly stronger wind came and shook his heart. But it was fine. From then, Airn was always in the midst of realizing how to move against the wind. ¡®It wasn¡¯t easy.¡¯ The hot wind at the Alhad mountains. The encounter with I Crescentia. Even after that, questions about himself and his sword coulde. And it was a difficult fight. But Airn didn¡¯t give up. Actually, it wasn¡¯t as difficult as it used to be. After he learned to stand strong in the wind, he was in a state of growth. And there was Lulu who spoke about miracles, and Kuvar who told him about the five spirits. Judith who blew like the me and Bratt who was as calm as water. Then there was Ilya, who loved him. There were thousands of others who gave him lessons and guidance. There was the love and faith they had in him. Right. It wasn¡¯t an ordeal he overcame by himself. He overflowed with the thoughts of others and grew strong. As a result, Airn Pareira, who now raised his head high, wasn''t bothered by the wind. ¡°Rather thank you.¡± ¡°¡­ what?¡± Jarin had a nk expression, and she couldn¡¯t understand his words. However, it wasn¡¯t like she didn¡¯t understand anything at all. The emotions he let out felt as if the flow of emotions were natural. It was a feeling which was conveyed through something a little more intuitive, not throughnguage. Still, the present gratitude that he showed her was something she couldn¡¯t understand. And then the answer came. ¡°You genuinely cared for me and looked after me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°With the strength from that heart alone, I can withstand this current wind.¡± Airn closed his eyes. They weren¡¯t empty words. What Jarin had said was meaningful to him. It was the same in terms of the good intentions towards him, but it evoked something in him. ¡®Compared to the past¡­¡¯ His present self had grown a lot more than he thought. Airn who mumbled that, smiled. His former self wouldn¡¯t have been fine with this. If it was when he was under 15, he would have slept again to escape from this. If it was his 15-year-old self, he would have relied on the man in his dreams and used the sword to not feel anything. But not anymore. The wind which blew couldn¡¯t shake him. And the good intentions that were directed at him made it happen, and it made the power of the energy of wood stronger. Right. The wind was still blowing, but he was the one who changed. ¡°Ah, sorry. I suddenly closed my eyes while talking. I was thinking about¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, I don¡¯t mind. Really. Besides, it takes just a few more days to be out of the Tamoe forest, and after that nothing bad can happen¡­¡± ¡°Why do you hide it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°No, not hide it. From the beginning, you should have just said it. We were all misunderstanding you.¡± Jarin said She seemed to know now. Who the man in front of her was. ¡®I thought it was strange.¡¯ He was always faithful to his work and polite to others. However, he wasn¡¯t submissive and showed a dignified attitude and all of that felt like he was acting in the beginning. It was because of the worst impression they had of him impersonating others. But now she knew. Even though this guy didn¡¯t have the golden sorcery sword which symbolizes that man. Even though he didn''t prove that he had the aura sword of a Sword Master, she was sure about it. ¡°Airn Pareira.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Is there a reason to hide your identity?¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Airn felt a bit embarrassed. There was. But it wasn¡¯t something huge. He just wanted to go around leisurely in the continent and see everything that had changed and understand people in general a lot more. ¡®But I came to focus on my chance rather than the continent¡­¡¯ And that wasn¡¯t bad. No, it was much better. Before leaving the estate, he was surrounded by the confidence of the man of the purification squad. ¡°Airn? No, now I should call you, Mr. Airn?¡± ¡°No, please don¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Then tell me, why did you hide it?¡± ¡°No, it just happened¡­ I missed the chance to speak, and I wanted to travel quietly.¡± ¡°I see. Well, it isn¡¯t like I don¡¯t understand. Being known is tough.¡± ¡°Haha¡­¡± ¡°But, in a situation like this, wouldn¡¯t it be better to talk about it now?¡± ¡°Um¡­ no.¡± Airn, who was thinking about it a little, shook his head. Jarin asked again and he, who was weak under pressure said, ¡°If I speak now wouldn¡¯t the others be embarrassed?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It is embarrassing for me too. To go and speak about it now.¡± ¡­ he had a much more na?ve personality than she thought. Jarin smiled bitterly and returned to her ce with a lighter heart. Five more days passed. Fortunately, there were no attacks and the people came out of the Tamoe forest in excitement and were filled with gratitude for the Wise Guild. Although there was no battle, the people of the Guild showed stability and that itself was a huge help. ¡°Wow, it¡¯s finally over.¡± ¡°I know. Let¡¯s rest for a week when we get to a city.¡± ¡°It would be good to move separately now.¡± Ethan and Giovanni exchanged nces. Except for the few people who had worked in ces other than the Holy Kingdom, most of them were now moving with the Wise party. For Ethan and his party, there was no need to tag along. Although they were safe, their minds were on the verge of being hurt and they wanted to recover their strength. ¡®No, maybe these guys will take a long break too. Wouldn¡¯t it be better to wait?¡¯ Ethan frowned and looked because their image around the group wasn¡¯t good. Especially Aron. The rumors were growing. Most of the group were unkind to the man. No one was openly picking fights, but anyone could see how much it would trouble this young man. Sometimes, they would even spit out taunting words. Fortunately, Jarin was now paying close attention to him. When he took a deep breath looking at the human, elf and dwarf talk. ¡°H-Help!¡± ¡°¡­ what is it?¡± ¡°M-Mr. Wise! We need help! A d-demon has appeared! ¡°¡­!¡± Two men rushed to them on horses. Everyone¡¯s expressions were serious. They told them that they were a party moving to the Holy Kingdom who got attacked by the demon and that many members were taken to the demon¡¯s den. ¡°How can that happen?¡± ¡°Huh¡­¡± They looked into each other¡¯s eyes. Normally they wouldn¡¯t worry. Most of them were adventurers who were well built or mercenaries. There was no one who wouldn¡¯t go. And naturally, the attention went to the manager of the group. Gael Wise had a calm expression and asked the soldiers with a polite smile. ¡°How much power does this demon have?¡± It was a voice that calmed the listener. It was natural. Wise was now the best merchant Guild that could deal with an entire kingdom. There were five experts with them, so he didn¡¯t have to be scared of any demon. Therefore the elites on the ground, including Brudie Schaffer, listened to the man¡¯s report. But. The more the story flowed the more contorted their expressions became. ¡®This¡­.¡¯ ¡®It isn¡¯t just one demon. Many of them, maybe¡­¡¯ ¡®There is a chance of a devil being there!¡¯ They couldn¡¯t help but think that way. ording to what they said, the power of the party going to the holy kingdom that was attacked was high. The party had four experts, but they were still pushed back, and some of them were kidnapped too¡­ It was difficult to consider it the work of a single demon. Gael Wise¡¯s thoughts changed. Normally he would advance without hesitation. It was never a good look for those who want to give hope to people to end up ignoring the misfortune of others. It was a problem if he let the elf woman who was captured die. However, a devil was a different story. An expert, a Sword Master and a high priest. Even with them, he wouldn¡¯t dare enter a fight with a devil. ¡®I can¡¯t help it. Dealing with them should be left to the pdins of Avilius.¡¯ Gael Wise, who thought that, was about to speak when a young man walked and approached the soldier. ¡°What? That man.¡± ¡°Mr. Wise was about to speak¡­¡± ¡°No, why is he going? Does it make sense?¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you mistaken? He is Airn Pareira.¡± ¡°Puah, you think so?¡± ¡°What is with your head these days?¡± There were no kind eyes looking at him or supporting words. Some were swept by the rumors and others stepped on him to elevate the pride of Wise. Some people spoke hoping to hurt him, and some just stayed silent. For those gathered there, this man was Aron. There was only one person who wasn¡¯t like that. Jarin. She asked the man, ¡°Are you revealing it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Weren''t you going to hide it?¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be reassuring for people if I reveal it now?¡± It was an unknown conversation. An unknown opportunity. When everyone¡¯s expressions hardened at the strange atmosphere, and swear words were about toe from their mouths... Swish! ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± From the air, a golden sword appeared. Wooong! And the aura of the sword bloomed. It was an energy which warmed the hearts of others. ¡°Tell me the direction.¡± ¡°Uh, yes?¡± ¡°If you tell me the direction, I will go there right away.¡± ¡°Uh, that, over there¡­¡± Both soldiers pointed to one ce. Aron, no¡­Airn, nodded and nced at Jarin and spoke in a firm voice. ¡°I, Airn Pareira, a graduate of the 27th batch of Krono, will do my best.¡± Thud! Before long, the golden light split the earth Chapter 294: An uncomfortable companion (4)

Chapter 294: An ufortablepanion (4)

¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Speechless. Everyone just stood there and watched. They watched the young man walking away leaving a golden trail, and the people had no choice but to be bewildered at what they had just seen. Airn Pareira. The pride of the Krono Swordsmanship school, the man everyone paid attention to, and the hope of Hale Kingdom. However, because of his many impersonators, no one knew what the real Airn looked like. They could only distinguish him through the many characteristics that were said to be a part of him. For example, the presence of Lulu, the talking cat which apanied him. Apart from the cat, there was also the sorcery sword which emitted a brilliant gold light. Aron didn¡¯t have either, so they ridiculed him. But now things had changed. One by one, they looked at where Airn disappeared, their faces clearly indicating that they weren¡¯t able to process what they had just seen. ¡®I¡­ what do I do¡­¡¯ ¡®No, if he was the real one, why didn¡¯t he say anything?¡¯ ¡®I, I don¡¯t think I said too many bad things!¡¯ ¡®It should be fine, right? It cannot be a huge deal.¡¯ But not everyone was like that. However, there were those among the group who were overly ring at him and those who were admonishing him, holding onto the name of the Wise Guild. They were the people who worried the most. Even if it wasn¡¯t much, Gael Wise couldn''t ignore the influence of a young Sword Master. What¡¯s more, if one thought about the Krono School and Airn, then they would inevitably think about his rtionships with the Lindsay family and the Lloyd family. ¡°We will move as well.¡± At that moment a voice rang out. It was Gael Wise who amplified his voice with magic. ¡°It is good that Sword Master Airn Pareira went out, but unless we know how powerful the demon is we can¡¯t rest assured. A devil might be lurking around.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°T-then¡­¡± ¡°I will not force you. But we iintend to follow the young hero. If you share the same feeling, prepare yourself.¡± With those words, Gael Wise called the others, grasped the situation and prepared to face the enemy. The travelers were stuck with the situation. They had to face the devil. It wasn¡¯t because they had the courage to perform such noble deeds. It was because some of them were afraid to break away from the crowd, and others didn¡¯t have the courage to look at Airn. There were many among the group who would follow and watch the situation before deciding to fight or run away depending on how things turned out. ¡°I think Gael Wise thinks the same.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Airn ran to the hostage by himself to save them, but if the entire group heads there, there is a chance for Airn to be burdened and disturbed. They will pretend to follow along now. We will move slowly and look at the condition¡­ if there is a devil there, we will have to run. If we stay, it¡¯ll just be an unavoidable sacrifice.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Vulcan¡­ no. Vulcanus?¡± ¡°Vulcanus is correct.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t like Mr. Vulcanus much, Ethan?¡± ¡°Whatever¡­¡± Ethan looked at Giovanni. Vulcanus waved his hand. ¡°You must have heard from the elf, it is what it is.¡± ¡°Then he really is¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I don¡¯t know.¡± Vulcanus silenced them as he didn¡¯t want to speak. Ethan had wondered just how impossible it would be to treat Airn the way he did before, but it was difficult to deal with this dwarf too! Wasn¡¯t this man the best cksmith on the continent? The one who made the Numbering Swords? Thinking about it, it had already happened. They made mistakes. They yed too many jokes and might have said words to make them feel bad¡­ As he thought, Jarin approached them and asked. ¡°As Mr. Vulcanus said, we will move slowly, okay?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I am talking about Airn. It looks like he went straight to their den, would he be fine there?¡± Ethan, Giovanni and Kenan¡¯s expressions hardened. Right. They forgot it for a while, but this was the most important thing. Even if he was a Sword Master, even if he could handle the demons, if a Devil was lurking around, it would be a bigger problem. They didn¡¯t have the time to bezy. But they couldn¡¯t move on their own either. Despite their party having experts, they couldn¡¯t handle this situation alone. ¡°It is fine.¡± But Vulcanus seemed calm. He took a cigarette out of his pocket and lit it. ¡®Phew,¡¯ and exhaled it as he said, ¡°Let me tell you something in case you sufferter.¡± Most of the devils had awakened in the present human world. But they couldn¡¯t help but be puzzled¡­especially the ones who had vague memories of the past. It was because the strength of the humans was much stronger than expected. The number of their kind that was subjugated without even being able to hurt the humans was exceeding double digits, and if that wasn¡¯t enough, they continued to be pursued persistently. The Devils had to hide their nests more secretly and act more cunningly. However, there were those who didn¡¯t do that. Such was the case with the recently revealed devil. He was nning to grow while enjoying the human world splendidly, rather than living his life in vain, avoiding the pdins. ¡®Let¡¯s enjoy it to the fullest!¡¯ But he didn¡¯t openly go to ces. Like most devils, he didn¡¯t like moving much from his home. Instead, he focused on contracting with humans and chose to exert his influence on the outside world through the demons under hismand. This helped the army of the Veil Devil to confuse the surroundings around them and gain power. After abducting the humans and corrupting them, they were transformed into servants. The good news for the veil devil was that the pdins were recently called back to the capital of Avilius. He, who should have been subjugated right away, was holding onto life a little longer and that was why he thought he could create a kingdom of his own and take up the position of the Demon King. Confidence arose within him the faster he created his servants! A single human man attacking such demons of his was nothing more than a weak mosquito. ¡°Hmm, hmm.¡± He didn¡¯t care in the beginning. Even though the monsters were quickly falling, they were just consumables to him. The demons who sensed the intruder, were already moving there, so the situation would be resolved in a while. The veil devil continued to do what he was doing. He nced at the torture tools he arranged in a meticulous manner. Wheeing- ¡°Um¡­what is that?¡± ¡°It seems like the intruder is pretty good.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°H-He will be dealt with right away.¡± Seeing the demon leader who left to handle it immediately, the anger of the veil devil softened. He felt like he wanted to blow up his men¡¯s heads. But the demon which left now was the most useful of the ones he turned, and he looked after most of the matters regarding the veil devil. His mind was full of thoughts on how to corrupt the 4 experts he captured and how to make them his own. That was why his response to this intruder was dyed. After a while, the veil devil sensed something strange and clenched his fist. Chh! The tools for torture, which he had carefully maintained, were distorted. But he didn¡¯t have the time to worry about it. Thendscape within the nest, along with the state of his contracted humans and his servants conveyed it. They were not there anymore. More than half of them were gone! It was when the veil devil thought it was absurd, and looked at the demons who were left. Whooo! ¡°Ugh!¡± The devil frowned. Putting his hand on his trembling head, he recalled the human man he saw from his subordinate¡¯s view and remembered the blow. The golden great sword which seemed to be capable of breaking through anything. He saw the aura sword which tightly covered the surface of the great sword. Confirming the presence of the Sword Master, rage flowed in his ck eyes. ¡°How dare that bastard try to take over my kingdom¡­!¡± Woong! The veil devil stretched out his arms on both sides. And an eerie darkness wrapped around him like a veil. The devil who grew three times its size in an instant sharpened his ws. He was in the middle of creating a kingdom! At this rate, he was going to build an army to tackle the pdins! However, a certain guy hade and stood in his way and messed up all his ns. He couldn¡¯t tolerate it. What this man did was a sin which couldn¡¯t be repaid even in death. ¡®I will turn you into a demon.¡¯ The devil had an evil smile. It is difficult to corrupt a human with a strong will,especially so if it was a human with excellent skills. This was because they were confident that they could achieve everything without giving up on anything. To sign a contract, a human would have to need a desire for it. They needed to be frustrated about something he could never reach. That was the specialty of the veil devil. He would cast a veil of darkness over the minds of others, causing a feeling of extreme frustration and deprivation. Thinking about it like that, he thought that today¡¯s happenings weren¡¯t too bad. A single Sword Master had entered his nest. So, it was unlikely that the man who came was a fool. But, ¡°¡­¡± The moment when his eyes met the human swordsman who finally appeared in front of him. He saw the will of the swordsman in his eyes. The moment the man came face to face with the devil with a firm sword and faith¡­ The veil devil had to change his thoughts. Tung! Kwakwang! The devil stomped his feet. His body vertically shot up and flew upwards for a long time after breaking through the ceiling. And he wasn¡¯t falling. The veil of darkness around him was acting like wings. He realized that he had no chance of winning after he saw the eyes of the man. The devil¡¯s speed of running away was as fast as Kirill¡¯s Griffin. ¡®It will be difficult to catch up.¡¯ But it is fine. Airn looked up at the sky and raised the greatsword above his head. A ck existence which seemed to melt the light of the sun was fleeing farther and farther away. But he wasn¡¯t worried. He didn¡¯t hesitate, and there was no fear that he would miss the devil. Before long a golden aura was shot out from Airn¡¯s Sword. ¡°¡­!¡± Whoop! Whoop! And that was it. Airn, whopletely erased the devil¡¯s body as well as the curse of it, mmed the sword into the ground. Thud! He came here to take down the devil, but also to rescue the innocent ones who had been kidnapped. The energy of good intentions flowed through the sorcery great sword. Seeing that the devil¡¯s nest was slowly being purified, Airn rushed to check the physical condition of the hostages. And it happened really quick. The work was done too. For that reason, none of the people of the merchant party could appreciate Airn¡¯s work. But no one doubted his strength. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± A bright warm light was creeping in the twilight. At the center of it was the hero who was taking care of the hostages, and the people watching it without a word. Chapter 295: Neither Human nor Elf (1)

Chapter 295: Neither Human nor Elf (1)

The devil was subjugated. Demons and monsters under it were controlled. Although the darkened earth still gave out disturbing energy, it was purified by the power from Airn. The head of the Wise party used holy water generously and the priest who woulde at ater time would solve the rest. Those who were kidnapped were rescued. Upon hearing the news, the lords around the devil¡¯s nest expressed their gratitude to Airn and the Wise heir and treated them nicely. The adventurers were the same. Of course, there were very few people among them who had confident expressions on their faces ¡°Hmm, ahem.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The reason they headed to the Holy Kingdom was to see something interesting. It wasn¡¯t for a noble cause. And the reason they were with the Wise head¡¯s party wasn¡¯t to punish the demons. It was because they were afraid to act separately and to look at Airn Pareira in the eyes. Although they didn¡¯t know who he was, most of them ignored him. They mocked and ridiculed him. Even the nicest ones, just stayed silent and didn¡¯t talk to him. That was why no one could raise their voices at the decision. After a while. Admiration flowed for the young hero from the adventurers who were served alcohol and meat from the lords of nearby territories. ¡°Great. Very great.¡± ¡°I know. To take down the devil while protecting the hostages, is that even possible?¡± ¡°That sorcery sword too! The golden light which defeats the darkness¡­ looking at it, my courage swelled up.¡± ¡°Right. It was as if I had received a blessing from a priest.¡± ¡°The talent in swordsmanship to be a Sword Master and the sorcerer talent which has the mysterious power to clear out magi¡­¡± ¡°A blessing to the continent. Ah, right!¡± The expression of the person who spoke was quite flustering. However, it was only for a while. Those who had uneasy hearts rushed to speak good things about Airn in an effort to erase their past mistakes and they praised him repeatedly. It wasn¡¯t an iprehensible act. However, it wasn¡¯t a pretty sight either. Ethan grumbled gulping down a ss of wine. ¡°Tch tch, how quickly things change.¡± ¡°I know. When was it that they were speaking shit for the sake of the Wise heir?¡± ¡°It¡¯s so funny. They moved slowly because they didn¡¯t want to deal with the devil, but they are all enjoying the drinks and the alcohol.¡± Giovanni and Kenan agreed as well. Of course, they weren¡¯t in a position to be proud. Somehow, it felt like they didn¡¯t know Airn Pareira anymore. They treated him as a joke, and they had also yed a huge role in him being ridiculed. So they thought they weren¡¯t any better than the other mercenaries. Even before his identity was revealed, Airn seemed the same. And even after he didn¡¯t change much. ¡®It isn¡¯t just the swordsmanship which is great.¡¯ ¡®A person who is a lot better than the rumors¡­¡¯ ¡®I wish he ys an active role in the Warrior¡¯s festival.¡¯ It was amon thought for all three of them. In their ears, the stories of the others were heard. ¡°But the Wise heir is also great.¡± ¡°Right. To be honest, it wasn¡¯t a business, and it was sorge¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t the holy water used to purify the area worth a huge deal?¡± The person who was at the centre of the topic was Airn. However, Gael Wise¡¯s story could also be heard. It was because of the holy water which he used. And it wasn¡¯t just that. The Wise heir went out of his way to heal and give care to the kidnapped ones, especially the elf. Considering how difficult it would be to transport those affected by Magi to the Holy Kingdom, and how burdensome it would be to take responsibility if something happened in between, it was truly great. Something like this could truly be called a great act. ¡°Hmm.¡± However, Vulcanus¡¯ expression on hearing it wasn¡¯t good. A strict cksmith who drank one ss after another. Seeing him like that, Ethan thought of what to say and then didn¡¯t speak. As he said before, it was difficult for him to treat them kindly now because of what they did. ¡°Where did Jarin go?¡± ¡°Well.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe the washroom?¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Instead, they thought Jarin was better in this situation, but they couldn¡¯t find her. Of course, it wasn¡¯t a huge deal. Having lost his appetite, Ethan drank again. Humans, Orcs, Elves, and Dwarves. These four intelligent races lived in the world but they didn¡¯t get along very well. However, as time passed and they faced a powerful enemy called ¡®devils,¡¯ they grew closer. Humans and dwarves first became friends. Dwarves made things humans wanted and humans recognized the value of dwarves. And now there was no need to search for dwarf tribes. They had be a part of the human world. The rtionship between the humans and orcs wasn¡¯t bad either. Although they were warlike and impatient, the Orcs knew how to acknowledge their opponents, and they had been steadily building friendships with human warriors. It wasn¡¯t as much as the rtionship of humanity with the dwarves but I travelled to the northern part, so such things could be seen often. But¡­. ¡®Not elves.¡¯ Compared to the two, elves had mild personalities. They weren¡¯t fighting spirited like orcs, nor stubborn like dwarves. Even then, until just 100 years ago, things between humans and elves weren¡¯t on good terms. It was because of the difference in beauty. The appearance of the elves was superior to humans, and illegal ve traders aimed constantly for them. If it wasn¡¯t for the efforts of the Holy Kingdom, which was sensitive to the conflicts of races, it would have never changed. And¡­ ¡®It was Gael Wise who brought the two races together.¡¯ Gael Wise. A being born between a human and an elf. A half-elf. He made political use of his very birth and it served as a bridge between the two races, and they also received protection from the Holy Kingdom. The chaos on the continent decreased, and peace prospered. The dimension opening was stabilized, and the future everyone wanted had been achieved. From that point, it could be said that Gael Wise took the lead for the peace between the two races and had great influence. Right. The elves were curious about the human world which Gael Wise was a part of, and Gael Wise embraced them all. He spared no effort in helping the elves adapt to the human world. He helped them learn the humannguage and human culture and also arranged jobs for them. Furthermore, he also offered a helping hand to those who want to start a family¡­ ¡°¡­¡± From there it was a problem, however. Going down to the basement of the castle in darkness, Jarin remembered the words of an old acquaintance. ¡®Strange. It¡¯s so unnatural.¡¯ ¡®What is?¡¯ ¡®There are too many elves who have ties with human nobles. It¡¯s only the women, and it¡¯s always only through the Wise Guild.¡¯ At first, she didn¡¯t think of it as strange. How many doors had opened for the elves in the human world? Most of it had to be because of the Wise side. In a way, it could be said that it was natural to form rtionships through them. It was a little weird for elves who sought freedom to be pushed into the rigid noble life, but it didn¡¯t seem impossible. The past that was biased towards women wasn¡¯t taken seriously. However, as time went on, the investigation of her acquaintance deepened, and she heard more stories. After a while though, her fate turned obscure as if she had been erased from the world. ¡®Stop.¡¯ ¡®Father?¡¯ ¡®It is dangerous¡­. Stop. Stop.¡¯ Her father, who was the leader of the race, applied pressure on her, who continued the investigation by following in her friend¡¯s footsteps. Jarin¡¯s doubts were no longer doubts, and she was certain. It had been 7 years now, since she ran from her home. ¡®¡­ there was nothing I could do about it.¡¯ Right. Although running out was reckless, there was nothing she could do. Compared to the Wise head, the power she had was as small as a firefly in front of the sun. And she had no evidence. To say that Gael Wise used female elves as political and business means was horrible. But she herself couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡®Which is why¡­ it is strange.¡¯ Jarin exhaled. It was strange. Really strange. She didn¡¯t know why. There was no reason. Yet, Jarin continued to descend. And her heart kept telling her to move. Could it be a magician''s sense? Her head was messed up, yet she didn¡¯t stop moving. A few minutes passed, and her confidence grew. There was a sense of impulsiveness too. Even the artificial smells rubbed her nose. All other inexplicable information pointed to here. And she looked at the basement door. Without any hesitation¡­ Jarin drew out her staff and began to use magic. Pan! Puan! ¡°Kuak!¡± A groan. It was natural and expected as she concentrated so much of her magic into her wand which broke. And blood gushed out from her mouth. Even so, the noise wasn¡¯t loud at all, and the strangeness made Jarin more anxious. And then her anxiety became a reality. ¡°¡­¡± Five elves were lying on beds. There was an unidentified flower in the centre giving out a strong scent. When Jarin, who felt dizzy, retreated back, a person wearing a mask appeared. It was Gael Wise. ¡°Hello, Jarin.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You seem to have something to say.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It is not the right time. Shall we talk inside?¡± ¡°¡­shut up.¡± Jarin said. There was blood in her mouth. The scent of the blue flowers which seemed to be mixed with herbs had a sweet smell and disturbed her head. ¡®Don¡¯t lose consciousness.¡¯ She vowed to herself. ¡°Stop right now.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°This shit. Remove those damned flowers and release the elves in here.¡± ¡°Let me clear it up, this is definitely a misunderstanding. I never forced them, and no one was harmed. Rather, they are just working hard for a quick recovery and stability. I can¡¯t entrust elves to humans who don¡¯t know much about us.¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t an elf.¡± ¡°I¡¯m a half-elf.¡± Step. Gael Wise moved, and Jarin stepped back but she couldn¡¯t run as she saw two humans appearing from behind her. ¡®Damn it. they are experts.¡¯ That wasn¡¯t a problem. It was difficult to breathe. Unlike the others who had masks on, she was constantly exposed to the scent and she felt her strength fading to the point where she couldn¡¯t even stand properly. However, someone helped her hold her ground. She knew that the experts wereing, and she felt her will breaking. But after a while. Wheik! ¡°¡­!¡± Jarin, who felt the heat rise suddenly, came to her senses. And she looked down. She clenched her fists and opened them. It seemed fine. Every nook and cranny of her body which had been weak a moment ago suddenly seemed fine. It felt as if the dust in her body was purged in the fire. ¡°¡­¡± But she couldn¡¯t speak. Yet her eyes moved, Jarin¡¯s eyes focused on the young man who supported her and moved ahead. Aron. No, Airn was walking towards Gael Wise. ¡°W-wait¡­¡± The half-elf stuttered. It was different from before. Despite the face being covered in a mask, his eyes could still be seen. They were clearly flustered and shocked. There was anxiety and hopelessness in those eyes. Puck! ¡°Kuak¡­!¡± A pain he would never forget all his life. Gael Wise lost consciousness after a single hit and fell down. Swish! Thud! Airn couldn¡¯t ept it. He looked down at the monster who fell to the floor with cold eyes. Chapter 296: Neither Human nor Elf (2)

Chapter 296: Neither Human nor Elf (2)

¡®¡­ how did he get here?¡¯ Until Jarin came to the basement, Gael didn¡¯t think much of it. Although she was the daughter of an elf race¡¯s tribe head, it had been long since she broke ties with them. And there were enough ways to deal with her, and he decided that even if he didn¡¯t take an extreme choice now, he could take her down first and slowly decide what to do with her. Of course, he was curious about how she knew about this ce. But first of all, the task at hand had to be finished. ¡®I can ask herter.¡¯ That thought disappeared in an instant due to the presence of the other person. ¡®Airn Pareira.¡¯ Gael Wise¡¯s eyes widened. Airn Pareira. The young hero of the Hale Kingdom who wielded a golden greatsword as if it was as light as a branch. As a merchant, rather than an item he had to have, Gael felt that he had to make the acquaintance of this existence for life. After his identity was revealed, he thought a lot about how to build good ties between them. But it didn¡¯t matter anymore. Now that person was standing there and softly radiating his aura with a stiff expression. The moment he saw him, Gael knew. ¡®He knows about this!¡¯ He didn¡¯t know how much. However, it was a feeling that he felt deep in his bones, and it wasn¡¯t good news. Of course, considering the influence of the merchant guild and the position he had, it wouldn¡¯t be a huge deal¡­ Was what he thought. Gael Wise put on a puzzled expression as he watched Airn approaching him. ¡°W-wait¡­¡± Puck! ¡°Kuak¡­!¡± ¡®He hit me? Me?¡¯ That was Gael¡¯sst thought as he lost consciousness. Thud He fell. It looked like he was lying on the rough floor. And no one came to take care of him. The two men behind Jarin thought. ¡®What do we do?¡¯ ¡®Should I run away? No, I can¡¯t do that¡­¡¯ When they faced Jarin, they could handle it, but now they couldn¡¯t. They were experts, and that meant that they could subdue one silver card mercenary magician in an instant. However, strength was always rtive. In front of a Sword Master, who numbered only 200 on the entire continent, they felt small. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Silence. An eerie silence continued in that dark basement. The experts neither said anything nor did they try to run. All they could do was hold their breath. Even Jarin couldn¡¯t move. She was on the verge of exploding out of her body like an active volcano of anger and hatred. But even bigger emotions could be felt from this blonde young man. ¡®Why?¡¯ Airn looked at Gael Wise. He heard it from Jarin, but honestly, he didn¡¯t want to believe it because of the good things about him. Even when he was in bed for 10 years, he had heard about this man. He was someone who supported the poor and provided education generously for those who did not have the opportunity to learn. Other than that, he was a person with a good name who helped a lot of people. But the moment he got here he knew. There was evil and malice all around. It was impossible to not know because the dark and ugly malice was so deep inside that it was pointless to control it froming out. It wasn¡¯t as if he tracked the darkness and investigated it. Airn was just walking in the darkness that the half-elf spread. ¡®¡­ No, now he cannot be called a half-elf.¡¯ He closed his eyes and remembered the past. He had seen something simr to this. Yprene Slick. Although his abilities and position were great on the continent, he was an ugly old magician who held no respect for others. And that wasn¡¯t the end. He left the Hale Kingdom with a deep sense of revenge and had brought up more malice which piled up in his heart. It wasn¡¯t known what magic Yprene was using at that time¡­ ¡®¡­ if it had beenpleted, my family would have gone through a lot.¡¯ Recollecting that, Airn opened his eyes. The dark basement. The scent of flowers inside. The dark malice between them. Even though they knew all this, the two experts agreed to this. Finally, the half-elf who nned this. No. He was now neither human nor elf¡­. He¡¯s like a devil. ¡®What do I do?¡¯ Phew, he sighed. There was no need to worry when dealing with demons and devils, he could just kill them. There was absolutely nothing wrong with that. The only thing he feared was if a devil he couldn¡¯t ovee appeared. But what about now? Even though he was a human, Yprene Slick had a heart as terrifying as a devil¡¯s. Gael Wise, a half-elf, who was believed to be a bridge of peace between humans and elves, was actually someone who benefited from them in the ugliest way. They were both members of society and they couldn¡¯t be punished ording to Airn¡¯s will. He wasn¡¯t saying that Gael didn¡¯t deserve what wasing. ¡®If I punish Gael Wise here, then diplomatic problems will ur, and that will lead to racial conflicts and social chaos.¡¯ Thinking about all of that made it difficult to judge. It was like when he was in the Alhad mountains. It was a painful question without a clear answer. No matter which path he chose, it would leave behind regrets. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Worry. Agony And consideration. It was even more than when he faced the devil, and Airn entered the endless darkness holding the sword. It was then. ¡°Are you fine, Mr. Wise?¡± Three men appeared. There was an unusual force. Seeing that the atmosphere grew stronger somehow, someone who was at the expert level or more had to havee. But they weren¡¯t important. The oldest of three. Sword Master Brudie Schaffer. The experts behind, along with Jarin, revealed darkened expressions. ¡®This, we should have ended it quickly and left!¡¯ She didn¡¯t underestimate Airn Pareira¡¯s skills. Who in the world could ignore a Sword Master? However, if the opponent was another master, it is a different story. And it has been more than 20 years since Brudie reached Sword Master. Her eyes moved. Airn Pareira and Brudie Schaffer Jarin¡¯s face darkened as she looked at both sides. ¡®Not matter how much I think about it, it has only been 5 years since Airn turned into a master, so he cannot win¡­¡¯ She didn¡¯t miss his actions. Maybe she waste, but she knew that he defeated all the demons and purified the earth infested with magi. That scene was still engraved in her mind and probably would be for the rest of her life. However, a devil and a Sword Master are different things. Moreover, Brudie had two people, and another two came over now. Did he also know about this? Although his expression right now was worrisome, the corner of his eyes showed confidence. ¡°Young lord Airn Pareira, please stop.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°There seems to be some misunderstanding, please calm down. And don¡¯t worry. If you stop, we are also willing to have a conversation. So¡­¡± What Brudie Schaffer said was true. Even if he couldn¡¯t capture Airn, he was confident in defeating him. Considering the difference in experience, it was natural. The part he was concerned about was the status of Airn Pareira on the continent. ¡®To bring on the Lindsay family and Lloyd family and the Krono school as our enemies if we touch him¡­¡¯ So, this had to be solved in a moderate way. That was his idea. However, there was one thing that Brudie didn¡¯t know. The true skills of Airn Pareira. The sight he didn¡¯t see because they had arrivedte. If it wasn¡¯t enough that he defeated the demons and devils, the power with which he destroyed the curse of the devil at once¡­ he couldn¡¯t have imagined that this man could do it. Clench! Airn raised his left arm. Everyone was startled, and they all clenched their fists. The energy of the flowers scattered through the room was sucked into his hand. Kwaaakkk! ¡°¡­!¡± Brudie¡¯s eyes fluttered open. He couldn¡¯t understand. Was it swordsmanship? Or was it sorcery? One thing was clear. It was impossible to leave this opponent alone. Clenching his teeth, he pulled out his beloved sword from the sheath. At that moment, Airn, who was looking up, looked at him. Wheik! ¡°Ahem!¡± A suppressed groan escaped from Brudie Schaffer¡¯s mouth. At the same time, he took two steps back. He couldn¡¯t believe it. Was he backing up just from looking at the eyes of a man? It wasn''t a dream. Nor was it a lie. Airn Pareira¡¯s eyes were still staring at him with the same heat as a volcano. Wheik! Meanwhile, the mysterious phenomenon continued. The sweet smell of the herbal flower continued to be sucked in. The darkness was sucked in, and an ugly maliceparable to the devil¡¯s desire was also sucked in without leaving a single drop behind. The spheres gathered in Airn¡¯s fist had an unpleasant aura which made them frown. Woong! The blonde hero touched his ne with it. The ne that was taken a long time back from the treasury of Durkali. Itsplete potential wasn¡¯t revealed yet, but it was partially known. It was the result of abined study between Lulu and Gorha. Eventually, the power of the five spirits appeared in the world. Fire, water, earth, metal and wood. A new space, a new dimension created by the foundation which made up the world. Airn, who sealed the malice, looked at the Wise head. Brudie Schaffer was moving towards him. Papak! But he wasn¡¯t flustered. Without stopping the malice sealing, Airn stretched out his right hand. And the gold sword appeared. The light from the sword was bright enough to fill the entire basement. The highlight was the Aura Sword. An aura of surprisingly high density which grew more and more! Arin swung the sword to the floor. It was right in front of where Brudie Schaffer was going to put his foot. Shhh ¡°¡­¡± The old swordsman stopped walking. He regained his bnce, stood still, and looked at the floor which was cut. ¡­ and, he didn¡¯t move. It was when Jarin who had been watching, was about to say something. ¡°No, you aren¡¯t trying to kill everyone here, right?¡± Gael Wise came to his senses. Airn looked at him and hit him, and Gael didn¡¯t avoid it. His face contorted with pain and he started breathing heavily. However, his intense eyes didn¡¯t give up. And he red at the young hero. ¡°If there is a punishment that I deserve, I will sweetly ept it in the Holy Kingdom. The punishment of elves is forbidden unless it is by elves themselves or Avilius.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You might not want to break that and¡­¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Swish ck! Kakaak! Airn swung his sword. ordingly, the swords of the other swordsmen split in half. Brudie Schaffer was no exception. Gael Wise¡¯s expression was distorted. To him, Airn said. ¡°On the way, youe with me.¡± Chapter 297: Neither Human nor Elf (3)

Chapter 297: Neither Human nor Elf (3)

¡°Kukuku, do you know how funny the brat was back then? Totally¡­¡± ¡°No, you shouldn¡¯t bring that up! Then, you were¡­¡± ¡°Shut up! We decided to not bring it up!¡± ¡°What! Did something like that happen? Fine, let them both go.¡± ¡°Haha, idiots. Well¡­¡± ck. ¡°Yah, something is wrong!¡± ¡°Uh? What is it?¡± ¡°What now? Have the demons attacked?¡± ¡®Haha,¡¯ the mercenaries were joking about it, and everyoneughed. There was no way that would be the case if a demon appeared, but they weren¡¯t worried. Didn¡¯t they have two Sword Masters? Besides, they had experts who would support them. Considering the people with Wise, worrying was foolish. The strange thing was that even the one who came in to speak something knew it. ¡°What?¡± ¡°What is wrong with you?¡± Looking at those who had a serious expression, everyone began to sense something was seriously wrong. If he said a joke in this atmosphere, he would get hit so they knew something was up. ¡°It is difficult to exin¡­e and see. The atmosphere is bad.¡± ¡°Bad? What¡­¡± ¡°Between the Wise head and Airn Pareira.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°They don¡¯t seem to get along.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Silence fell and the fun atmosphere turned cold. All of them were under the grace of Gael Wise and were indebted to Airn. The two could never be forgotten. So, the drunken travelers went out to see the situation. And they encountered an unbelievable sight. Four experts were standing there disarmed with bewildered expressions. Brudie Schaffer had his sword broken and Airn was facing them with a face of anger. Gael Wise, the head of the group and the head of Wise merchants was also there, and he looked beaten, and¡­ and Airn seemed angry at him more than ever. Everyone gulped in that air and a firm voice came from Airn. ¡°Those who wished to head to the capital of Avilius under the protection of Wise... I feel sorry for you, but we will have to part ways now. Because these people don¡¯t deserve it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you still want to move together, I will not stop you, but the atmosphere in the party will not be the same. Be mindful of that.¡± Saying that Airn Pareira disappeared. People watched him nkly for a long time as he left, taking away Gael Wise, holding him by the neck. What happened? How big was the fight for the son of Wise to be like this? And what of Brudie Schaffer? A person who had been a master for 20 years? Why did he fight? ¡°What is this¡­. Ah! Jarin!¡± Ethan, who was bewildered, saw Jarin. Giovanni and Kenan approached also her. Only Vulcanus sat in peace. Unlike those who were restless, he was savoring the beer. ¡°What? What is it?¡± ¡°Did they drink and fight?¡± ¡°Fool, Aron, no Airn, ah, Mr. Airn? Ah, shit, what should I call¡­ whatever, he isn¡¯t like that!¡± ¡°That is true. Gael Wise is also not like that.¡± ¡°Then what happened¡­¡± ¡°He kidnapped the elves.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And¡­ as I said before, Gael Wise is an ass.¡± Elf Jarin, who talked till there, began to pour out words with a cold face. ¡°I¡¯ll say it.¡± A few days passed. In the meantime, the number of people who were in the Wise group fell. They all wanted their own safety and didn¡¯t want to be in the middle of a conflict. There were no more dangerous ces after Tamoe Forest, so it was natural. And Ethan¡¯s party was the only one with Airn and Vulcanus. To be honest, Ethan too didn¡¯t want to get involved in this, but considering his rtionship with Jarin, he couldn¡¯t turn his eyes away. ¡®Since we have been together for 5 years, there isn¡¯t a single one of us who doesn¡¯t owe it to her¡­¡¯ Jarin might not know, but they thought of her as a sibling. Adding to that was the guilt of not believing her. ¡°Even if we die, let¡¯s die together and if we live, then let¡¯s live together.¡± ¡°Right, fuck! What is that man?¡± ¡°I know. No, those who do wrong things in the first ce shouldn¡¯t act proud!¡± ¡°Right. But what is with your voice? Why is it as small as a mosquito¡¯s?¡± ¡°Well.¡± ¡°Hehehe¡­¡± Jarinughed. It was understandable that they couldn¡¯t speak about it. No matter how guilty the man was, he was still the head of Wise. It was a group with a huge influence on the world and no one would deny it. They had power greater than a nation. ¡®Airn is great.¡¯ Jarin looked ahead. She saw the back of Airn. Ethan, Giovanni and Kenan were walking at a distance thinking he would feelfortable. However, despite being far away, his presence was felt. And with his presence, they also felt the trust, faith and reassurance that seemed to withstand any pressure anyone could be in. ¡®It isn¡¯t good to just have such goodwill, but¡­¡¯ Jarin looked to the other side. He saw the experts of the merchant guild who had troubled expressions. More frightening than them was the face of Brudie Schaffer. Looking at him who was ring at Airn, she thought, ¡®Can we arrive without problems?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t just Jarin¡¯s thoughts. Everyone along with Ethan had the same thought. And that evening. Among the party which camped outside because there was no city, an existence moved. Brudie Schaffer. He was sharpening the sword in his mind for the entire day watching for Airn¡¯s gaps and was finally able to act. However, such an attempt was stopped in a few seconds. ¡°Whatever you do.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Flinch ¡­ Brudie Schaffer¡¯s body stopped. He couldn¡¯t move. His hand was holding the sword and his footsteps had been muffled. He couldn¡¯t even dream how he was found out. His breathing turned rough. And in his eyes which barely moved, appeared the form of a blonde man. ¡°Whatever gap you aim for, whatever method you choose, I can handle anything.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Try it if you are curious.¡± Saying that Airn closed his eyes. Silence fell on the group again. But no one could sleep. Not the master. Not the experts. ¡®¡­ damn it!¡¯ His body trembled. He wanted to rush in, use the aura sword and shove it into Airn¡¯s neck. If that was impossible, he wanted to cut off a few limbs of that elf. He wanted to ridicule and humiliate her for doing this. But he couldn¡¯t. Because he knew. It was impossible. ¡­ in the end, all he could do was calmly put down his weapon and go to bed. ¡°Airn Pareira.¡± At that time a person broke the silence. It was Gael Wise. While everyone trembled in fear, Ethan¡¯s party too was holding their breath, he was calm, and Jarin thought it was absurd. Airn opened his eyes again. Gael Wise epted his gaze with the darkness within him and spoke. ¡°Do you know how I became the head of Wise and the best merchant on the continent?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Because I have a lot of friends. Friends who are far more capable and powerful than you can even think. Of course, in Avilius too.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You seem to have nothing to say.¡± ¡°Hihihi.¡± Gael Wiseughed at it. Everyone had bewildered expressions on their faces. Some looked at him with shocked eyes. Surely, he had influence but right now, Airn had him by the throat. How could he show such boldness? ¡®He must see it.¡¯ Gael Wise smiled. He knew. He knew very well what Airn Pareira was. As long as he epted walking down to Avilius, he wouldn¡¯t harm him despite what he said. Because he had such a personality. A young man with the heart of a hero who was better than anyone. ¡®Conciliation is impossible, but¡­ there is no need to be afraid. After all, he moves within his set lines.¡¯ If it was I, Gael would have stayed silent. If it was the hot-tempered Khun, Gael would have been silent. But now it was Airn. A being who was said to be the kindest, and someone who never crossed the line. The half-elf smiled and said. ¡°I know. Your connections are great. The Krono Swordsmanship school, the Lloyd family, and the Lindsay family which is considered as the best¡­ all of them are good. Even if we are the Wise Guild, they cannot be treated lightly. But...¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­even if you add all of them up, you cannot exceed the power of the Holy Kingdom.¡± The values of order and the continent¡¯sw that was set by them couldn¡¯t be undermined. Gael¡¯s words ended there. After he finished, he went back to bed and silence fell. No one fell asleep. Some smiled while some trembled in anger and most of them were confused. ¡°¡­¡± Meanwhile, Airn was calm. Until the morning, he didn¡¯t get up. A month after the subjugation of the Veil Devil. Finally, Airn arrived in Avilius. Of course, it takes about 5 more days to reach the capital, but it felt strange to have set foot here. It was like something big was about to happen. And those thoughts turned to reality. A group of horses approached them. Gael Wise, who checked the g, discovered them to be to the Pritchard family, and he clenched his fists. ¡®Count Pritchard moved quickly as promised.¡¯ Esteban Pritchard was his customer and a family in the Holy Kingdom whose power couldn¡¯t be ignored. As long as he moved, this problem could be solved. The half-elf looked at Airn with a sly smile. However, after a while. Gael Wise¡¯s expression began to harden. ¡®¡­ it isn¡¯t Count Pritchard who is in the lead?¡¯ It was strange. The g was of the Count, but the vassals weren¡¯t. He knew the Count wasn¡¯t leading them because he could see the Count, with his handsome mustache, in the following the Vanguard. Then that man is? With white fluttering hair, and a physique stronger than anyone... The old man approached with a strong air around him. ¡°¡­!¡± Gael¡¯s body stiffened. He discovered the identity of the man. He was a powerhouse of the previous generation known to have died, but he had reappeared during the insurgence of the devils. The former Red Knightsmander, Quincy Myers. But the identity of the man didn¡¯t matter because of what followed. ¡°Long time no see.¡± ¡°Long time no see.¡± Airn Pareira and Quincy Myers exchanged greetings with friendly faces and seeing the two who seemed to be close, Gael Wise and the others of his group became extremely confused. Chapter 298: Hero’s Promise (1)

Chapter 298: Hero¡¯s Promise (1)

The power of Avilius, the Holy Kingdom, wasrgely divided into two. The first was the Pdins. The White, Red, and ck knight orders were led by Julius Hul, who was the strongest on the continent and had the biggest reputation. Then came the priests¡¯ side, led by Ashrin Godeberta, the highest priest, another force that couldn¡¯t be ignored. Since the priests were the ones who solved most of the problems of the citizens and were also the ones who spent more time with the people, they could be seen as the group with the greater influence. It was thetter that Gael believed in. ¡®How many donations have I made?¡¯ The money donated by the Wise head to the Holy Kingdom was astronomical. The number of people who had benefited from that was innumerable too. Most of the temples spread across the continent were helped by him and in some ces, the temples couldn¡¯t even operate without his funds. That was why Gael Wise was praised. In other words, the priests would be on his side. Considering the special position he had as a half-elf, he was confident that he could get away, no matter how severe the issue was. He became more convinced of it after the pdins became busy with the devils. But¡­ ¡®Quincy Myers is here?¡¯ Quincy Myers. The formermander of the Red Knights Order who was publicly known to have died more than 10 years back. He was actually alive. Not only was he working for the continent, but he was also still working hard for the devils¡¯ subjugation. Right. Right now, he was a nobody. His authority, which was higher than anyone, was now a thing of the past. However, by letting everything go, Quincy Myers was reborn as a being more noble than anyone else on the continent. Neither the Pdins nor the priests could ignore him¡­ the influence he had was no exaggeration. ¡°Long time no see.¡± ¡°Long time no see.¡± ¡­ with that great person, Airn Pareira was talking warmly. They both had soft expressions, and anyone could see that they were friendly. ¡®This is bad.¡¯ This wasn¡¯t good. Gael Wise struggled to analyze this situation and tried toe up with solutions. But nothing came to his mind. No, he didn¡¯t even know how this was happening. If he was like this, then what of the others? Each of them looked at Quincy Myers and then at Airn with eyes wide open. Only Vulcanus is nonchnt about it. Tak. Quincy Myers jumped off his horse and walked ahead. And he pulled out the long sword on the back of the horse. It was an action that made both the Wise party and Ethan shudder. Despite the fact that he was 120 years old, the flow of forceing from him was unbelievable. Swish! In that heavy atmosphere, only Airn was rxed. He was holding the golden great sword which was his trademark in his hand. He didn¡¯t retreat a single step and moved ahead. And he faced a pdin as great as Julius Hul. He smiled. And so did the old man. The two exchanged smiles and the aura swords soared the next second. Woong! Woooong! ¡°No!¡± ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The crowd was shocked. It was something unexpected. It was hard toe to their senses, but were they going to fight now? With aura swords? This was no ordinary aura sword. Greater and denser light grew outwards from the sword of Quincy Myers, and Brudie Schaffer who was watching it felt helpless. It was truly a ray of light only a mythical hero could have! It was swung towards the young hero. Kwaang! ¡°Kuak!¡± ¡°Ugh-!¡± There was a huge roar and a shock wave pushed back everything. Those who were weak groaned and backed away, and those who weren¡¯t pushed back couldn¡¯t even see what had happened. Still, they tried to look. Airn Pareira, the blonde young man, was still standing there without losing hisposure. Kwang! Kwang! Kwang! There were no superfluous movements. The swords of Quincy Myers and Airn Pareira were honest. Swords kept shing left and right without any respite. It seemed more like a hand-to-hand battle. However, no one ignored it. No one felt bored. Although the attacks were honest and blunt, the massive power behind them could be felt. Shh! It came from the two swordsmen and was intense enough to make their skin tingle! Bang! Kwang! Kwang! Chak! Chak! They heard the sounds of the swords colliding, but there was also another sound in between. It was the sound of the two of them affecting the surroundings. Cracks were forming on the ground, and it was as if an earthquake had urred because the ground couldn¡¯t withstand the impact. As if there was a difference in strength, the ground on the right side was caved in. But Quincy Myers didn¡¯t stop there. Rather, he swung his sword more wildly. Then the Aura Sword gradually fell. Rather than losing its strength, he increased its power bypressing the aura. It was no exaggeration to say that it was a technique which used aura to the extreme and showed the essence of the Avilius swordsmanship. ¡°Haaa!¡± Kwang! But Airn, who confronted it, wasn¡¯t defeated. The ground he was standing on was caved in. The cracks were getting bigger, and now, he was receiving the attack. Yet, he overcame it. Even if he was being pushed, he didn¡¯t step back. That meant that Airn Pareira¡¯s aura sword surpassed the ordinary Aura Sword. The first to realize that was the Sword Master, Brudie Schaffer. ¡®How!?¡¯ he thought to himself. He couldn¡¯t believe it. No, he didn¡¯t want to believe it. He thought Quincy Myers would be strong. It wasn¡¯t wrong since he could be called the 4th great swordsman on the continent. He thought that it would be possible for him, who had a ridiculous aura, to refine it and hold it during battle. But, it was possible for Airn Pareira as well? Wasn¡¯t he just 25? ¡°¡­ sigh.¡± What he felt wasn¡¯t anger; it was confusion. Yet he understood. He realized why he withdrew earlier every time Airn warned him. ¡®It is the difference in levels.¡¯ Right now, at this moment. Brudie Schaffer was not a member of the Wise party, but a person who admired the two swordsmen''s battle. Kwaaang! And after a while, the battle was over. Was it a battle? All they had was an honest spar till the end. However, everyone was surprised by it. Ethan was practically drooling from his mouth. ¡°¡­ you learned it a lot better than I thought. The swordsmanship of the Holy Kingdom.¡± ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Your control is good, but what of the aura directions? What happened with that?¡± ¡°I had some help from others.¡± ¡°What the¡­¡± ¡°Haha. To exin briefly¡­ will be a little difficult.¡± Airn smiled brightly. It was not a lie. After realizing the sword of water, he took care of his other rtionships. To win their love, to win their hearts, to win their beliefs and reciprocate their feelings¡­ The energy umted through that process had formed a cycle. And the ground had formed to contain it. A tree had firmly taken roots on the ground and it had grown little by little and it made the current Airn. It would take a long time to exin. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t want to. They were close and his rtionship was much deeper than just friendship. Airn couldn¡¯t be reluctant to have a conversation with such a person. And said, ¡°If you give me time, I will tell you what happened.¡± ¡°It is truly interesting, but now is not the time.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Someone important wants to see you.¡± Airn, along with everyone else who heard that was surprised. Who was Quincy Myers? The highest knight after Julius Hul and Ashrin Godeberta, the highest priest. If this man was greedy, he could have unlimited power in his hand. But he was saying that there was a more important man than him? No¡­ ¡°The King is interested in seeing you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°He is a gentle person so he didn¡¯t want to force you, but he¡¯d like for you to ept the invitation.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Airn had a puzzled expression. The Holy King. As the most faithful servant of God, he had given up his own name and was the holiest of people. Airn didn¡¯t really know it since he was an outsider, but there was no one who could ignore the Holy King. Airn¡¯s mind burned with tension. Most of all, he wanted to handle the matter of Gael, and he wasn¡¯tfortable letting this man go. Did he read his thoughts? Quincy Myers asked. ¡°I heard there is something about the head of Wise merchants?¡± ¡®Damn it.¡¯ Gael¡¯s expression worsened. Things were a lot worse than he thought. Gulping, he lowered his gaze. ¡°¡­ I understand.¡± Airn nodded. Quincy too nodded and looked back. Anya Marta appeared from the crowd. ¡°Yap!¡± she suddenly shouted. Ching! And a golden portal opened. Phew, Anya pretended to wipe sweat off her forehead and said, ¡°Come in, young lord Airn Pareira.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why are you looking at me like this?¡± ¡°No, um¡­¡± Was she 14 years old? She wasn¡¯t old enough to be more mature than before. Airn mumbled and looked at the portal. Several thoughts were running through his mind. What was the reason the king wanted to see him? How would he view what the head of the Wise guild did? Was he really unaware of the evil deeds this man had done? What did he think of the devils which were spreading? What did he think of the people who were worse than the devil? And¡­ ¡°Stop thinking and just go.¡± His thoughts were broken. Vulcanus, who was next to him, patted him. ¡°The Holy King is in the capital of Avilius, right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Can Ie with you? Walking is troublesome.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you are reluctant to have a guest other than Airn, just drop me somewhere else.¡± They were bold words, but Anya nodded her head. ¡°It is fine, probably.¡± ¡°Probably?¡± ¡°Yes. Because the King isn¡¯t so particr ah, will those brothers and that sistere too?¡± ¡°Uh¡­ us?¡± Ethan looked puzzled when Anya nodded. ¡°Yes. Regardless of the number of people who enter, the price for the portal remains the same.¡± It was because of the sorcery which needed gold. Airn nodded and finally said to Quincy Myers. ¡°It was nice to see you.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s meet again.¡± ¡°Then¡­¡± With that, Airn entered the portal. Vulcanus followed without hesitation followed by Jarin, Ethan, Giovanni and Kenan who slowly moved. Woong! And the portal closed. Quincy Myers and Count Esteban and the Wise group were left standing there. ¡°Let¡¯s do what we need to do.¡± ¡°¡­¡± At the words of the old knight, Gael Wise¡¯splexion darkened. At the same time. In front of Airn Pareira, two figures appeared. Chapter 299: Hero’s Promise (2)

Chapter 299: Hero¡¯s Promise (2)

Anya Marta''s portal, which connected two regions through space, was mysterious. The moment they passed through the gate, for a fleeting moment, all kinds of strange emotions could be felt, and at the same time, it also seemed like a long time had passed. Everyone felt it, but the reactions of Ethan''s group were more intense. Even though they were able to grasp the concept of the sorcery gate that led to the pce in Avilius, that didn''t make it feel any less mysterious. ''They say sorcery is greater than magic¡­'' Harboring a thought that most magicians hated, Giovanni walked through the portal. The others were also going through different feelings for the first time. However, Ethan had a slightly different opinion. ''¡­ avoid the Holy Kingdom.'' It was a thought which made his mouth go dry. Ethan''s stomach felt a burning tension. Of course, it wasn''t like he did something wrong. Although he worked as a mercenary and was teased for throwing everything away for the sake of his name, he had never lived his life in shame till now. The gold-ted mercenary que he had was an achievement that was possible because of his skills, his character, and leadership. Ethan''s life was his greatest pride, and it was something that many adventurers would envy. Right, pride¡­ ''Is the pride still there?'' Ethan''splexion darkened. Honestly, he didn''t have much pride or confidence like he used to. He had no choice but to feel that way. When he saw the bald expert whom he should have defeated long ago, working with the Wise group, it made him back down. The moment he saw Brudie Schaffer, he felt cold sweat run down his back. Even if he couldn''t be the strongest swordsman, that was the moment when he felt that his proud life was in vain. What about after that? That too was pitiful. He thought a lot about the situation and the evil deeds of Gael Wise. He was afraid of harming himself. He was afraid that the aftereffects would touch him¡­afraid that he would be swept away by the opponent¡­ ''I am not as strong as I thought.'' For Ethan, who was aware of his position, meeting the current Holy King, the head of the most powerful nation on the continent, was a burden. "Hha!" While he was in thought, the scene changed abruptly. He was now in a spacious and clean ce. It didn''t have much furniture, and only arge table was seen. There were enough chairs for everyone to sit. Across the table, there was an ordinary old man who seemed like a vige head. And he knew who that was. It was the Holy King who led the Kingdom of Avilius. ''Wow, what should I do¡­ no, can I even speak?'' Ethan gulped. No¡­he pretended to gulp. It felt like his mouth had turned dry. Only his eyes moved, and when he looked at the others, he saw that even the perpetuallyid-back Vulcanus had a tense expression. On the other hand, the old man seemed rxed. It wasn''t known if he was rxed. He was just looking at them without any emotions, like a stiff man. And there was a woman in her early 30s next to him. ''Who is that person?'' When he was thinking, his thoughts broke. Needless to say, the woman next to the King seemed to be even more terrifying. Even though she wasn''t wearing any makeup, her impression still felt strong, and her presence was very intense. Of course, the eyes of the woman weren''t on him. Airn Pareira. The eyes of the old man and the woman were looking at the young hero. "¡­" "¡­" "¡­" The silence continued. None of them dared to speak. They were sweating under the pressure, and they tried not to faint. Was it because they were giving out such strong momentum? No. The existence next to the Holy King, and the Holy King himself. The position of the Holy King was given by the people. The pride and prestige they had because of their high position were oozing out. And Ethan felt it. Airn Pareira was the only one who was calm. He was the only one who didn''t get discouraged by the status and the prestige of the others. This was what made him shine even more than his swordsmanship, personal connections, or background. "I heard you wanted to see me." "¡­" "¡­" "Is there something you would like to say?" "¡­" "¡­" "Then, I will speak what I wanted to say. It is¡­" The story of Gael Wise. ¡­ Airn, who started speaking about it, proceeded to unravel the story without interruption. He didn''t miss a single thing, and it was not a sloppy delivery. The contents were arranged smoothly as if his mind had prepared for it for a long time. When it came to Gael, it was clean and detailed that even Jarin didn''t have anything to add. So, quite a bit of time passed. The empty space was filled with Airn''s firm voice and convictions. However, when the young hero''s words were done. The mouth of the King, who hadn''t said a word till then, opened, and everyone got nervous. "The head of Wise merchant guild, we knew that Gael Wise was up to something bad." "¡­" "Well. No matter how clever that sly half-elf is, he cannot escape the eyes of Avilius. Even if he can avoid it once, if he tries to do it twice or thrice his tail will get trampled on. Still¡­" Contrary to his old-fashioned appearance, the King raised his crude hand and pointed to Airn. "I didn''t know that he would get harassed by a kid like you." "If you knew, why did you leave him alone?" "It was for the peace of the continent." "Brainwashing innocent elves, breaking their minds and selling them to ugly human nobles¡­ is that the way to attain peace on the continent? You even helped him broaden his influence through that. Why did you leave it unattended?" "Do you know how many donations that man gives us a year?" "¡­" "Even I can''t dare to say the precise figure. It is an amount that is too high, beyondmon sense. Let me kindly exin it to you. So that it is easier to understand." The King got up and cleared his throat, and closed his eyes. It seemed like he was trying to sort the thoughts in his head before speaking about it. But, he couldn''t. Because Airn Pareira spoke first. "I don''t want to hear it." "¡­!" "¡­!" "¡­!" "No matter what the reason was, even if you make excuses for it, even if you have reasons for it, there is no justification for the sacrifices of the elves." At his resolute remarks, everyone was surprised. Ethan, who could barely stand there, wanted to scream, and Jarin, who was most sensitive to this matter, had gone pale. Above all, the woman next to the Holy King, who hadn''t shown any change in expression, smiled. She shook her shoulders, and her earrings and ne moved. The silence of the room made her actions stand out even more. "I know. Even if I don''t listen to His Majesty''s exnation, I am well aware of the support that man and his guild gives to the continent. The food he provides for those in famines, the schrships he gives to themon people''s children who want to learn,and the libraries he has built. Recently, I heard he was even providing weapons and armors to help handle the demons and devils." "It is all true. You seem to know about it well." The King nodded his head. His expression was gentle, unlike before, and he seemed to be curious about what conclusion Airn would draw. He asked. "Right. Then, what are your thoughts? Tell me. The Guild of Wise is arge one which supports the current continent from copsing on itself. How can you say that Gael Wise should be punished after knowing that?" "There is no value in promoting peace if you are condoning the damage dealt to the elves and gaining support through that. The act of sacrificing something valuable for a gain is no different from the contract with the devil." "That is your own opinion. The world isn''t filled with people like you. There are countless people who are ready to risk their lives for a piece of bread. They are also just people. Are you saying that they are ready to make a pact with the devil and that they aren''t worth saving?" "That was your idea. I didn''t add the other part." "Putting aside the ideals. Tell me." "¡­" "In this world full of chaos, what do you think is the solution?" Woong, A silver light rose from the King''s body. It was different from before. This momentum was now radiating, and it concentrated so that it only pressured Airn. It was powerful enough that he unknowingly took a step back. "Ahem." But he didn''t back down. Giving strength to his stomach, Airn raised the aura in his body and managed to withstand the foreign aura. Rather than a long and eloquent reply, an absurd and empty answer came from Airn''s mouth. "I don''t know." "¡­?" "I have been thinking about it for a long time, but I don''t know." "¡­" "So please. Wise majesty, the Holy King, unravel the chaos and theplexity of the present." "Are you pulling my leg?" "It isn''t like that. but¡­" He could honestly admit that his abilities were too weak to solve this problem. Airn, who said that out loud, took a deep breath and proceeded with his story. The incident with Gael Wise wasn''t much different from the trouble he went through when he was traveling four years ago. What happened in the Alhad Mountains, and what he learned from Durkali. The other things he saw, heard and felt while traveling¡­ things that didn''t have concrete answers. Difficult and painful events where one would have to give up one thing to gain something else. Things that caused him to sink and be in a slump. Just two years back, he was obsessed with a wall. He felt he couldn''t solve anything on his own, and that wall seemed impossible to break. There was no way he could solve the problem by himself and uplift the entire continent alone. "Lord Lloyd told me this." "¡­" "Since your dream is one that cannot be achieved only with brief effort, with individual efforts or with a single generation''s efforts¡­ don''t worry if you can''t get it right. Don''t obsess over it." "¡­" "It is as he said. I don''t have to force it. As a kid with ack of experience and knowledge, it isn''t required of me toe up with a solution to a big case like this by myself. The only thing I can say is that peace is built on the basis of someone''s sacrifice, wealth etc¡­ It is an ideal theory that anyone can say with their mouths, but it will copse one day¡­ in this regard, I would like His Majesty to enlist people, those who are wiser than me. Please do not be angry at my shorings." "Then¡­" "Instead, I can try and do my best." Airn interrupted the King. It was rude, but no one mentioned it. Instead, they watched Airn emit a huge golden aura. They just stared at him. Woong! Amid the blooming aura, the hero said, "The Warrior''s Festival. I will win it." "¡­.!" "¡­.!" "To show you the skills worthy of that, so that hope can bloom in the hearts of everyone on the continent and so that the fear can disappear. I will do my best. That is¡­" "¡­it''s the only thing I can do right now." Airn''s face, as he finished speaking, was filled with determination. Chapter 300: Hero’s Promise (3)

Chapter 300: Hero¡¯s Promise (3)

"Phew¡­" "I-I feel dizzy¡­." "¡­ obviously. I was choking." "Most people who have seen His Majesty say that. No¡­I still feel nervous." After a brief conversation between the King and Airn Pareira, the party hade out of the room and took deep breaths. Vulcanus and Anya were faring better, but Ethan and the other party members were exhausted as if they were in a battle. ''Even so¡­ I feel that Airn is more amazing.'' The elf magician, Jarin, who regained herposure, looked at Airn. The young man looked at them with a polite smile. And a smile broke out across her face. It wasn''t because Jarin thought it was weird. Such a gentle-looking guy who felt like some runaway from a noble family¡­ looking and speaking to the King like that. ''How can this be?'' She couldn''t understand it. Of course, other than that, she thought it was cool. It wasn''t because of the aspiration to win the Warrior''s Festival. It was because of the belief and the meaning behind the words he spoke. It wasn''t for the sake of personal achievement but for the sake of all the people on the continent¡­ there wasn''t a word more suitable for him than ''hero.'' ''And we never know. Maybe he will win it.'' At first, she thought there was no chance. No matter how strong he was, he couldn''t win such apetition. Despite having an age limit, there were monsters twice as experienced as Airn in the festival. Even Carmin Ray, who was a great swordsman and considered to be one of the most powerful figures of the next generation, wasn''t expected to win. So how could a man in his 20s win? No, it wasn''t that. Jarin remembered what happened a few days back. She remembered it clearly. The sight of him defeating Brudie Schaffer, who was the best in Wise Guild, with one strike. Even though it wasn''t a full battle, he was not pushed back by Quincy Myers, who was known to be one of the continent''s best. Of course, he didn''t show 100% of his ability, but it had to be the same with Airn. Maybe he really could win. No¡­she wanted him to win. It was when Jarin, who had unwittingly be a fan of Airn, mumbled to herself. "Isn''t it great?" "Yes? Ah, right. It is great. A person who says everything he wants to say in front of the King, of course¡­" "No. Not that. No¡­ surely that is also great. But¡­" Ethan pointed to hisrades. Kenan Reyers was standing there bluffing that he wasn''t nervous, and Giovanni was joking to ease the nervousness. It felt ordinary, like any other mercenary troop. The party leader who watched it quietly spoke his thoughts. "I did think so at first. Ah, it''s not Aron but Airn. Right. Because he''s such a big person¡­ so, even when we were making fun of him, he didn''t show embarrassment and said everything he wanted to say in front of Brudie Schaffer and Gael Wise too. And it was the same even in front of His Majesty too." "¡­" "If you think about it, Airn was always the same with us. No matter what the opponent''s position was, no matter how great they are or no matter how insignificant they are¡­ he talks to all of them with a smile and always speaks politely. So that he doesn''t offend others¡­ and still, he speaks with confidence and belief. See, he is still the same here. To Airn, we might be mercenaries who amount to nothing, but I don''t feel that from him. He sees Giovanni as Giovanni and Kenan and Kenan and me as me. Seeing that, Airn is¡­" Shouldn''t it be a feeling of being firmly centered on himself instead of others? After talking, Ethan continued. "Hm, I don''t know if the meaning was conveyed right. So, what I was saying is¡­ it is true that he is a great person. But it is great that he is in a high position but doesn''t seem to use it. He¡­" "¡­has a strong heart." Jarin nodded her head. She seemed to know what Ethan was trying to say. What he wanted to convey. A leader was a leader. And his current attitude towards learning and grasping all of this was important, and this proved that Ethan was a good leader. "Then, can I guide you all now?" As the chaotic air calmed down to some extent, the royal guide, who was silent till then, opened his mouth. Giovanni and Kenan had slightly red faces. It was because they realized that they had been talking for far too long here. Jarin shook her head seeing them and Ethanughed. It was the moment when he was about to nod his head after looking at Airn. Vulcanus opened his mouth. "Wait." "Is there something else?" "Um, Yes. I should have said this inside, but I forgot for some reason. Sorry, but could you give this to His Majesty?" "Of course." "Ah, then me as well¡­" "Um? You too?" Vulcanus looked at Airn with a puzzled expression. In front of the Majesty, who was the most powerful person in the nation, didn''t he say that he woulde out as the winner of the festival? He had something more to say now? It wasn''t to say something, however. Airn put his hand in his pocket and took out various things. The people around were watching him with a curious expression, wondering what it was. Even Anya, who wasn''t usually interested in anything, was looking at him. "Um, can you give these?" "¡­ You want me to just pass them on? Is there anything to say?" "Umm¡­" Airn pondered for a moment and then said with a smile. "It is a donation for the church." "¡­" "It will be smallpared to the amount the Wise Guild donates, but I hope it will still help the continent." "Huhuhu." "Stopughing old man." "Huhuh. How can I notugh? I saw such a thing. I have never seen such an energetic young man! Huhuhuhu¡­" The Holy King seemed to be in a good mood. He knew it the moment they met. The fact that Airn wasn''t an idiot who just knew to swing the sword well, but a real hero who had been honing his will and dreams for a long time. So, he acted rudely. He didn''t simply put pressure on him with holy power but sought an answer by referring to a huge andplex problem an individual couldn''t answer thoughtlessly. It wasn''t easy. It really wasn''t easy. ''However, to breeze through that difficult situation was extremely good.'' He acknowledged his own shorings. Although the process was cumbersome, he didn''t lie. As a result, he showed confidence in what he could do, so the King had no choice but to look forward to the future of the young man. He smiled and said, "Haha, I am really looking forward to it. It''s a pity that I don''t have a knack for swords. What kind of performance will we see? Till the 8th or 4th level? Maybe even the finals too. I am already curious. What will he do against that friend Dame I?" "Are you a kid? Is watching a fight so fun?" "It is fun. How could it not be fun to watch the ce where new hopes of the continent bloom? You are strange. Why are you being so crooked?" "That''s because they don''t live up to my expectations." "Your expectations are¡­ does it make sense to ask a swordsman to be a magician?" "True." The Queen of Runtel, Jia Runtel, made a sad expression. Of course, she was well aware that Airn was a swordsman. She knew better than anyone just how difficult it was to achieve greatness in both swords and magic, and that it was close to impossible. And Airn was someone who showed talent in sorcery. Expecting one more thing from someone who excelled in both fields seemed like a greedy act. But¡­ ''I got a report and was asked to witness the magic flow by myself, so how can I ignore it?'' Right. She had been searching for a natural talent in magic. It was a talent that wasn''t inferior to a sessor, the Heir to the Runtel family! That was what Jia Runtel wanted to confirm. It was the reason she came here after 30 years. And directly looking at Airn, she observed that he had no talent for magic, and that made the Queen of Runtel sullen. "Ah, Came here for nothing. Nothing. I came all the way here, but it just wasted my time." "There has to be a lot to do. Was itst year? He is the one who stopped that Yprene from running around." "Look here. Runtel is a kingdom, not a union of three families! You know that right? Even as its Queen, it is difficult for me to intervene in the affairs of other families." "Then get down from your throne." "I don''t want to." "Why?" "It''s a cool title." "You know something? Sometimes I envy you for how crazy your mind is." "If you are envious, then change your life." "I can''t. Because I am the person you think I am." The King, who said that, started to work on his papers. As said earlier, he was different from Jia Runtel. He had a sense of responsibility. Contrary to what he had told Airn, he was already looking into the case of the Wise guild. Even with two of the top three people together, they would not be able to resolve this chaos. ''I hope something more difficult than this doesn''t happen.'' With such thoughts in mind, when the guard in charge of Airn returned, his heart pounded. It wasn''t a huge thing. But it was a good thing. The best cksmith on the continent provided armor to him. "The best news I''ve ever heard." "Really." The Vulcanus Numbering Sword. They wereparable to hero''s relics which were found in tombs or mystical objects with sacred power in them, which could only be found in ancient dungeons¡­ The items of Vulcanus were that precious. And to pledge that he would be making such things for not just the Commanders and Vice Commanders, but to all of the soldiers was great. ''The quality of the weapon will be low, but the symbolism the item holds will help boost the morale of people. It is a very nice thing.'' Moreover, there was another thing. Airn''s offering. It wasn''t as great as the gift of Vulcanus. No matter how expensive the gold and silver treasure he gave was, it couldn''t bepared to a numbering sword. It couldn''t bepared to the donations of the Wise guild either. However, since he knew better than anyone why he donated now, he felt the warmth of his heart. ¡­ an embarrassing thing happened after a while. "¡­ Jia?" Jia Runtel. But she stayed silent. No¡­ it was as if she didn''t hear him call at all. Jump. The Queen of Runtel rose abruptly from her seat. And then she approached right in front of the table and took the golden goblet which was in Airn''s offerings with careful hands. She had a very serious expression. When the Holy King had a nervous look as he looked at her actions, she spoke in a trembling voice. "This pattern on the goblet¡­ no, the text¡­" "¡­ is ancient text?" Immediately after, a faint blue light began to glow from the pattern. Chapter 301: Hero’s Promise (4)

Chapter 301: Hero¡¯s Promise (4)

The Ancientnguage. The Ancientnguage, which wasn''t used by the people of this time, referred to thenguage used by a minority of people at least 400 years ago, or thenguage that was prevalent during the ancient kingdom 1000 years back. ¡®Quite interesting.¡¯ The Holy King also paid attention to this. In order to uphold the word of God, which had existed since the beginning, constant study was necessary. Even now, many theologians were still interpreting the ancient texts through constant research, so the current situation was more than weed. ¡®Of course, the Queen of Runtel may not be looking at ancient tests only as a humanistic value, but¡­¡¯ Among the scripts were special ones. It was something that ordinary people couldn¡¯t understand, and even great schrs who were full of historical knowledge and literacy couldn¡¯t make sense of. Being able to grasp and understand ¡®magic¡¯¡­ a special power that only those with the qualification of magicians could feel. ¡®Magicians can understand the Dragon Language, and the sorcerers can feel the power of dragons? It seems as though it is a real thing. As soon as it was touched it glowed naturally.¡¯ A silentugh escaped from the King¡¯s mouth. In his heart, he wanted tough out loud, but if he did, he was sure to get a stinky eye from the bad-tempered woman standing across from him. He didn¡¯t want to do that because the concentration on Jia Runtel¡¯s face was now truly amazing. Her eyes, which seemed to have forgotten everything except the thing in her hands, and the ancientnguage which was engraved on it, gave him chills. An hour passed. And two. The Queen of Runtel said nothing, and the Holy King couldn¡¯t wait longer. So, he asked. ¡°Did you find out anything?¡± ¡°¡­ no.¡± ¡°No?¡± ¡°Right. Truthfully, it is older than what I know of, and there are a lot of older characters. Perhaps¡­¡± Jia Runtel, who was silent, continued to speak in a voice that couldn''t hide her excitement. ¡°¡­ it¡¯s not just a ¡®word¡¯ anymore, it has convinced me that it might be the real dragonnguage. Look here.¡± She turned her head. Her eyes seemed to be on fire. It was zing as hot as the sun. ¡°This, sell this to me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You need money. How much do you need? How much will be needed to give me this?¡± It was a desire she couldn¡¯t hide. An indescribable desire. The intense emotions she had were enough to shake the heart of anyone but not of the Holy King. After being silent for a while with a deadpan expression, he said, ¡°I have a proposal.¡± ¡°Phew, it was hard.¡± Airn mumbled as hey on his bed. He couldn''t help it. To others, he might have looked normal, but he was truly nervous there. It wasn¡¯t because it was the Holy King. Rather, there was a real opponent that he had to ovee. ¡®I Crescentia.¡¯ Recalling his goal, he closed his eyes. The memories from a year ago were still vivid in his mind. Above all, he saw her figure radiating heat like the sun. It felt like she wouldn¡¯t lose no matter how much he tried. So, he thought about it even further. If he didn¡¯t want to lose to her, then he would have to climb higher. ¡®Of course, I cannot ignore the others.¡¯ Bratt Lloyd, who hasn''t been around him recently, must have grown beyond imagination, and it must be the same with Judith, whom he hadn''t seen in two years. The me she showed was purer than I¡¯s. He couldn¡¯t even guess what the result would be. Whether she would be able to burn everything, including Airn¡¯s own brilliance. In addition, many strong people wereing here to participate. Some wouldn¡¯t be as good as the rumors, but for the most part, he thought that it would be better to think of them as better than himself. A person¡¯s name wouldn¡¯t be well known for nothing. ¡®In the end, to win, it can¡¯t be like this. I need to get stronger.¡¯ After thinking about it, Airn got up from the bed and opened his eyes. He was going to put the thoughts into action, but then he heard something. ¡°Someone is here for Airn Pareira.¡± ¡°¡­ for me?¡± ¡°Yes. They are waiting in the training hall¡­ may I guide you?¡± As soon as he heard that, another emotion rose in Airn¡¯s heart. ¡°Ilya! Did shee here already?¡¯ Right. The reason he wasing here wasn¡¯t just to participate in the festival, but to also visit his lover, Ilya Lindsay. And if it was said that his lover was waiting for him, how could he not go? In an instant, he was ovee with intense emotion and opened the door, which startled the guide. And said, ¡°Guide me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Quick. Quickly please.¡± ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± The guide, who was a bit shocked, calmed down and nodded. Then he started to walk at a faster pace. Of course, Airn wasn¡¯t satisfied with it. But he couldn''t make the guide run, so he quietly followed him, and a little while after leaving the building, he reached the training hall. And someone was there. ¡°¡­¡± Without a word, Airn looked at that person. He saw the silver hair and a body that was stable. Wielding the sword harder than anyone else and manipting the wind around¡­ the pride of the Adan Kingdom. Ilya Lindsay, ¡­ no¡­it wasn¡¯t her, but rather, it was her father, Joshua Lindsay. And he spoke in a cheerful voice as he looked at Airn. ¡°Nice seeing you here, Airn Pareira.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you talking? Did you expect someone other than me? My daughter maybe?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Looking at your face it looks exactly like that. It is sad but Ilya is training. And it is her important moment, so you won¡¯t be able to see her for another two weeks, understand?¡± ¡°¡­ I understand.¡± ¡°It sounds like you are unhappy with it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It is strange. Seeing you like that, strangely makes me feel very good. Haha, hahaha!¡± Woong! Wooong! Woong! Joshua Lindsay swung his sword. As if he was really excited and happy, he exuded a light and refreshing feeling. That deepened the disappointment of Airn. Swosh, He summoned his greatsword and applying aura on it, he said, Woong! ¡°I hope it isn¡¯t rude, but can we spar?¡± ¡°Oh, a spar? Fine. But only a spar?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°To call this a spar, your eyes look so bitter. I don¡¯t think any father of your lover will like seeing¡­¡± ¡°I wille then.¡± Airn responded briefly. Thud, as soon as Airn said it, the next sight that Joshua saw was of a man ferociously advancing towards him. It was something he normally didn¡¯t see from Airn. ¡°Hahaha. Hahaha!¡± Joshua didn¡¯t care. No, on the contrary, this was more enjoyable for him. And he burst intoughter. Although this was more annoying, Airn could do nothing. ¡­ there was no choice but to wield the sword in anger and disappointment. ¡°Haha, Hahaha, Hahaha¡­¡± Kw-kwang! Kwang! Hearing Joshua Lindsay¡¯sughter that resounded endlessly as they shared the sun, Airn shed tears of blood inside. ¡°Your senses are dull.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Is it because you haven¡¯t been in a spartely?¡± ¡°It isn''t like I can deny it.¡± Joshua nodded his head at Airn¡¯s words. Although he had criticized Airn, Joshua was surprised. Airn had grown tremendously over the past couple of months. He didn''t mention it because he didn''t want to, but the spar they had now wasn¡¯t something Joshua could do in a rxed way. Which made it unfortunate. The things that he pointed out were separate from his growth. It felt extremely practical and methodical. ¡®The rotation was slow and the tip of the sword was slightly disappointing.¡¯ Airn seriously thought of what was being pointed out. Actually, it wasn¡¯t a huge deal. His goals of increasing the amount of aura and aura operations were difficult to achieve in the short term. However, it was easy to give strength to the rxed body and mind. If there was a fight in a series of fierce battles that were close to actual battles, Joshua would be able to feel the cells in his body wake up, and his vision would be widened. The problem was that this wouldn¡¯t work with this opponent. ¡°I cannot. I cannot do anything good for my daughter''s rival.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Was it too rude? Well, let me phrase it nicely¡­ Ilya doesn¡¯t have enough time for her training. As I said before, it is a huge moment for her.¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Airn nodded his head. A father cannot help but say he will work for the sake of his daughter¡¯s growth. He wasn¡¯t thoughtless enough to make an unreasonable request towards such a man. ¡®But I have no partner.¡¯ He heard that Bratt and Judith arrived in the Holy Kingdom, but they, too, like Ilya, seemed to be working hard on their own training. It was possible to go and ask them, but it was difficult to ask them to spar with him. Has Khun, Ian, or Karakum arrived? If so, asking for their help would be the best¡­ Various worries popped into his head, and Joshua stared at Airn with an expression that seemed to understand him. The same was true for a woman in her early 30s who was next to him. Without a word, she watched Airn with a face that seemed to be thinking about him. ¡­ Joshua, who felt the presence btedly, took a stance. ¡°Not you.¡± The woman said softly. Like him, Airn, who recognized itte, turned. His eyes were full of surprise, and his hands tensed, ready to summon the greatsword at any moment. Clearly not caring, she said with a calm expression. ¡°No matter what you think, it isn¡¯t you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I have no idea that you would even know the value of it. It isn¡¯t something you bought yourself. Someone else must have gotten it.¡± Or was it maybe luck? She mumbled when Joshua asked. ¡°Who are you?¡± And the answer was short. ¡°Runtel.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The two swordsmen were ovee with emotion. Runtel. The name of the most powerful kingdom only second to Avilius, and the first of the three major magic families. There was only one person on the continent who could use such a name like that. Jia Runtel. The Queen of magicians. Even Joshua, who was sober and calm, gulped. ¡°Tell me.¡± Her voice rang. ¡°Tell me how you got this item, without omissions.¡± It was in a calm voice that contained neither magic nor strength. Yet, Airn felt a pressure on him. It was a feeling simr to his first encounters with swordsmen. Fortunately, she offered a deal. ¡°Then I will grant you a wish. Of course, it should be within the limits of what I can do.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°However, the limit of mine is wider than you think.¡± Now, say it. Urged the Queen. Joshua stepped back, realizing that this wasn¡¯t his ce to speak. It was an act of consideration, but the pressure doubled on Airn. Without realizing it, sweat ran down his back. But it was fine. Taking a short breath, he looked into Jia Runtel¡¯s eyes. Suddenly, what she wanted to hear came out of Airn¡¯s mouth. Chapter 302: Hero’s Promise (5)

Chapter 302: Hero¡¯s Promise (5)

Just like the strong pdins it had, the training halls of the Avilius also showcased its might in its own way. Moreover, since the biggest event on the continent was being held, it was necessary to provide the best amenities to the participating guests. Therefore, Airn Pareira was also assigned a fairlyrge independent training ground. The problem was that the training center that he had received was reduced to almost ruins in a week. ¡°It is fine. It isn¡¯t too bad.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Then, shall I go once again?¡± Dddd! Wheik! Crackle! The Queen of magicians, Jia Runtel, was the one who had just spoken. As soon as she said that, a shrill noise rose all over the ce, and Airn gulped at it.1 A stone golem which seemed to have swallowed the floor of the training hall, rose up. There were dozens or maybe even a hundred fireballs floating in the sky, and there were countless thunderbolts mixed into the fray too. They all seemed to be ready to fire at him. In addition to the fire and lightning magic, various other aspects of magic that were unknown to him unfolded simultaneously below the ground and in the air. As if each attack had a will of its own, they were all waiting for a chance to strike at him. And despite being nervous, Airn wasn¡¯t scared. He smiled brightly. He raised his sword that represented his family¡­ the sword he swung for his loved ones. Furthermore, he was an aspiring hero who had the steel sword to protect the continent. ¡®Because I want to be faithful to the sword and swordsmanship.¡¯ Right. He had been training for more than ten years and was a real swordsman who enjoyed the sword 200%. Crackle! Shortly thereafter, The Runtel Queen¡¯s attack began. The first was lightning magic. Thanks to the barrier that was ced around the training hall, the majority of her power could be unleashed without holding back. Airn knew that it would be toote to react solely by seeing, thinking, and then reacting. In order to respond quickly, he had to rely on his instincts. He had to clear his head. He had to clear his mind, expand his horizon, and mobilize his senses even beyond what was normally capable. The new form of Airn, who seemed as though he could see the dust in the air and even feel its weight, disappeared in an instant. Phat! Airn appeared 20 meters away and swung his greatsword. Papapang! The fireballs that approached him exploded. The bundle of lightning fell on him through the gap, making Airn take a few steps forward to avoid it. And those he could avoid through minimal movement were avoided by moving his shoulders. Dhhh! The lightning that descended on him copsed, and the Queen of Runtel who watched it made an interesting expression. ¡®He is a lot more fun than I thought.¡¯ She realized that Airn was a great guy. It wasn¡¯t that unusual when she remembered him talking to the old king confidently. Besides, it was just two years ago that he was able to defeat Yprene Slick, and during that time, he must have gotten even stronger. So, it wasn¡¯t strange that he was able to endure these attacks. ¡®But¡­ his method is unique.¡¯ Jia Runtel recalled the situation which happened before. Fireballs and lightning magic. Since it wasn¡¯t a physical attack, there was only one way to handle it, either dodge them all or destroy them with the Aura Sword. At least that was what she thought. But Airn didn''t do that. He dodged some and smashed some, and ''blew'' some away. He would bring his sword close to his shoulder and bounce the attack away, using it as a spring of sorts. ¡®Like¡­ for a moment his entire body turns into a lump of iron.¡¯ And things like that kept happening. Shhh! When he blocked the next mes that came upon him, he showed cool and smooth movement like water. Phew¡­ Airn would show a standard response when dealing with the earth golem, which was constantly chasing after him. He would block, stab and cut without getting the least bit flustered. Of course, just pouring water into the situation and repeating his actions wouldn¡¯t work. As long as Jia Runtel¡¯s mental power was rxed and fine, the damaged parts of the golem would recover. The important thing was that Airn didn¡¯t seem to be tired. Kwang! Chhhh! She had felt it. The moment the golem¡¯s fist touched Airn¡¯s attack, a considerable amount of energy was sucked in through the greatsword. At that moment, he seemed like a tree. It felt like he was putting down roots into the ground and absorbing the golem¡¯s nutrients. After observing for a long time, she finally realized what Airn was using. ¡®This kid¡­ he is using the spirit technique of the orcs.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t like she hadn¡¯t heard of it. The method that was unique to the Orcs'' race which utilized the spirits of the world, the five elements, and used it like Aura. Although it waspletely different from magic, Jia Runtel knew more about it than others. So, it was even more surprising. She knew how difficult it would be to use it, the time and the concentration required to draw energy into a single ce¡­ ¡®In such fast situations he is able to use that?¡¯ Beyond that, he was even able to strengthen himself at the same time? It was confusing. But interesting too. Contrary to the indifference she had initially, she was now interested in him. Of course, she didn¡¯t mean to hurt him just because she was curious. Jia Runtel increased the output a little more, and the number of magic spells increased. Still, Airn got through it pretty well. Moreover, as if his body was getting used to it, he was showing sharper responses. But that didn¡¯tst forever. As the Queen¡¯s expression turned more serious, Airn¡¯s form suddenly copsed. It was because he was deceived by illusion magic which had risen from the floor and made him lose his bnce. Thud! ¡°Phew, haahaa, ha¡­ thank, thank you.¡± ¡°Well. This much is enough for you today.¡± Jia Runtelughed. It was sincere. She was determined to do her best against Airn. And the Queen of Runtel did say she would grant any wish of his. And he had asked her without any greed. ¡®Please help me to raise my senses of battle.'' Considering that she wanted to meet the cat sorcerer, it shouldn¡¯t be a huge deal. So, she said alright. ¡®Rather than being greedy, what he had was an honest feeling of achieving something. I felt it when he was inside the room meeting the king, but¡­ he was really a good fit for this contest.¡¯ Simply put, right now, this guy was uninteresting. But considering his potential and abilities, other than hisck of talent for magic, it was difficult to ignore him. In any case, until the Warrior¡¯s Festival began, and until that cat sorcerer arrived, her duty was to get along with him, so she acquiesced and observed. It was time to look at the ancient characters again. ¡°But is that a magic tool?¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°That golden cup. It was given to me by Lulu, the cat sorcerer, so I thought it held sorcery powers¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ah, if it¡¯s hard to exin, it is fin¡­¡± ¡°Whether it be magic or sorcery, as the realm rises there are ovepping sections.¡± Jian Runtel opened her mouth and answered Airn. What was surprising was the content. Magic and sorcery ovep? It was shocking because the Queen of Magic was saying this. Comparing magic which worked through countless calctions and procedures, with sorcery which had no rules¡­ For magicians, it wasn¡¯t such a nice thing. But the Queen didn¡¯t seem to hate sorcerers. She continued. ¡°High level magicians can technically use magic without spells, but most of them don¡¯t. We get help from something. And the same goes for the great magicians too. In order to create effective magic, there is a need to have something which helps you focus. And the mostmon ones are words and spells.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Language is a tool for thinking, and thoughtse from the human mind. From that point of view, it cannot be said to be necessarily different from the sorcery which changes through aspirations. Of course, the process is different¡­¡± Jia Runtel, who thought for a moment, mumbled in a small voice. ¡°¡­ everytime I see an ancient character that seems to contain magic and sorcery¡­ I wonder whether it is possible to fuse the two, or maybe even whether the two were one from the start.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hm. Did I get too absorbed in it and kept bbering?¡± ¡°N-Not at all.¡± Airn shook his head, and Jia Runtelughed. ¡°Well¡­ to be honest, swordsmanship, holy power and spirits are simr too. Like the sword of the ck Knight Commander, the holy power is a miracle which burns through the individual¡¯s heart because of his love or reverence for gods. Even¡­.¡± Considering that even the devil¡¯s contractse with destructive forces. Everything in the world can be considered to be the oue of the mind. Talking till there, she smiled and said. ¡°Of course, it would be difficult to study the mind from the magician''s point of view and analyze it and find an answer which is clear enough to exin it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Fine. The talks end here. Do you want to go again?¡± ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± Airn got up and nodded his head. However, his concentration wasn¡¯t the best. The contents of the talk he had with Jia Runtel lingered on his mind for a long time. Everything that made up all the things of the world, all the powers and abilities of the humans were¡­ maybe from the mind and heart. ¡®Somehow, I like it.¡¯ He didn¡¯t understand it, but it made him feel better. He finally cleared his head and said to Jia Runtel. ¡°Please.¡± Airn raised his sword. And he took his stance. It wasn¡¯t just the stance that had be sharp. It was the same for his mind too. He would win. He had to stop focusing on the results, and had to show the appropriate process to the people and spread hope to everyone on the continent. From the sword of the hero whose heart had bloomed anew, a light began to rise with firm belief. ¡°Phew, phew¡­¡± He was tired. He also felt sensitive. And it was confusing. Even after drawing the power of darkness, which he had promised not to use, it didn¡¯t feel too overpowering. As a matter of fact, he was being pushed back. The one who abandoned his family name, Carl, looked at his opponent with tensed eyes. The old man still looked like a monster with his arms blown away, and only a handful of Aura left. An unknown question flowed from the mouth of the fastest swordsman, Khun. ¡°Do you know the story about the two wolves which live in the human heart?¡± For some reason, the author is adamant about referring to Jia Runtel as the King of Magicians. I have changed almost all of them, but just in case I''ve missed any, this is why, hahaha.? Chapter 303: Let’s meet again (1)

Chapter 303: Let¡¯s meet again (1)

To capture the castle, an attacker would need more than three times the defending force of the castle. This saying has been established since time immemorial. The defending side can observe the opponent even from a seated position, i.e., there was no need for them to overdo it. Various preparations could be made before the attacking side struck, so to break through, the attackers had to charge under pressure. This phenomenon also applied when it came to fights between swordsmen. There was a saying that offense is the best defense, but it is not easy for someone with rtively weak skills to take the initiative. Before starting the fight, Carl had made a level-headed decision¡­to endure. No matter how fast the opponent would be, he thought that he had to be calm to break through the attacks, and have a solid defense to inflict a critical blow. ¡®Ultimately, I have to move ording to the gaps in the attacks. The opponent has to take several steps to change directions, but I can tackle it with one step.¡¯ So, he blocked. He kept blocking again and again. He thought that if he could endure until the old and sick body of Khun got tired, he would ultimately win. If it was when Khun was in his heyday, Carl wouldn¡¯t even dare try attempting such a thing. But he realized that it was still a mistake. He looked at the old man who coughed blood and had his arms blown off. There was no evidence of tiredness or exhaustion in his eyes. Rather, he began to handle Carl¡¯s sword of darkness with faster movements than before. Shhh. Even his footsteps couldn¡¯t be heard. There were no traces of it on the ground. It was as if the man didn¡¯t even exist. Shh! ¡°Kuak!¡± A figure appeared on the right of the opponent, and a sword cut through. Woong, As the sword fell on him incredibly fast, he groaned in pain. It was a ruthless and powerful attack which most sword masters couldn¡¯t react to. Khun, who appeared a dozen meters away, burst intoughter and blinked. He passed by again, this time cutting the right thigh of Carl. ¡°Kuaaak!¡± He was angry. Although there were cuts on his body, no blood flowed from them. His body, after he had made a deal with the devil,, had already transcended the realm of human beings, so wounds of this size would regenerate in a single breath. Even if the opponent continued to threaten him with such attacks, he could very safely live through this. Unlike him, blood was flowing down continuously from Khun¡¯s body. But Carl knew that he couldn¡¯t drag it on. He didn¡¯t want it to. The aura. The Physical strength. The sharpness of senses and the swordsmanship. All of these were superior to Khun¡¯s. The only thing Carlcked inparison was speed. But he was being pushed this far back because of one difference? Like a child being teased by an adult? ¡°Ahhhh¡­!¡± Chu¡­. The 15th time he was hit by Khun¡¯s attack, Carl changed his form. And as a result, darkness began to grow from the dark sword he was holding. 3 meters, 5 meters, 7 meters¡­ The aura sword which soared about 10 meters high resembled a devil which returned to the earth from the realm of the Devils. Hellfire shed in the eyes of the demon andva gushed from his mouth. But Khun was calm. Even if the opponent¡¯s hair changed from silver to grey and grey to ck. Beyond that, even if the entire body of the opponent was dyed in darkness, he didn¡¯t stop smiling. And he said. ¡°¡­ do you know the story about the two wolves which live in the human heart?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Carl didn¡¯t answer. A question which he asked him even before, but Carl felt no reason to answer it. Carl¡¯s only purpose was to take Khun¡¯s life and secure his body. He had no interest in doing anything else which was why this was even more annoying. He wanted to tear the old man¡¯s mouth which kept forcing him to answer things. His sword which was filled with darkness seemed angry too. Khun looked at him. Simr to the actions of his longtime rival Ian, Khun looked at the heart of the other person. Even in the burning heat, the abyss he saw within seemed endless. The moment he was going to talk about the ck wolf. Kwakwakwak! Carl¡¯s attacks poured in. A sword strike descended upon him with such tremendous power that it seemed it could change the flow of the match. Carl was filled with anger, and his sword wanted to cut him down right away. Khun¡¯s ce, the trees and the rocks. Even the animals in the sky couldn¡¯t escape it. The shock wave which spread far and wide, all but erased the surrounding areas. Haaa, haa. After that, Carl, whose emotions had subsided, made a worried expression btedly. Killing Khun didn¡¯t matter, what was important was that he had to secure Khun¡¯s body. ¡®Well? If Khun¡¯s body is hurt bythe attack, then¡­¡¯ ¡­ such thoughts didn¡¯tst long. Standing tall, Carl¡¯s steps stopped. And he looked with disbelief. There was an old man slowly walking towards him through the scattered stone and dust. He had a rxed form and a smile on his face. ¡°Like I said¡­ a man is born with two wolves in his heart.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°One is a ck one which represents the negative energy. The self-burning anger, guilt and the inferiority which grabs the growth of that person by its ankles¡­¡± Staggering a bit, Khun continued to walk. The sword of the opponent didn¡¯t move like before. It was due to the excessive consumption of power. But what was more worrying was the appearance of the opponent. The footsteps of the old man seemed lighter than before or maybe it seemed like he was free from the weight of the world. That in turn, weighed on Carl¡¯s heart. Hesitating, Carl took a step back. Not caring, the old man kept walking. The story didn¡¯t stop, and his mouth kept talking about the white wolf. How it represented joy, generosity, bravery, and how it united with the spirit of improvement and fighting spirit. How it shines as beautiful as the white snow on top of the mountain. ¡°¡­ the two wolves I spoke of are close friends, so they fight with each other without missing a day. Sometimes it is the ck that wins and sometimes it is the white. But even those two who fail once and win other times, still win and lose permanently one day. The loser is kicked out and the victor remains in the heart and settles there. And it keeps getting bigger.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Which side do you think will win?¡± ¡°What is the¡­¡± ¡°It is the one who feeds them.¡± The old man didn¡¯t listen to Carl and continued. He stopped after that and looked at Carl with cold eyes. ¡°¡­ I can¡¯t fully empathize with what happened to you or the pain you went through.¡± Khun raised his right arm. No, it wasn¡¯t even an arm. His body didn¡¯t seem normal anymore. But it didn¡¯t seem weird. ¡°But¡­ after all, it was you who fed them, and it is you who fed that ck wolf.¡± Uhh. The aura sword which grew changed. The light wasn¡¯t strong, and it seemed faded. Even fainter than the lightest stars in the night sky. The color of the sword, which could only be seen at the outlines, was like ss. However, somehow, the unsightly sword felt even more terrifying than before. All of a sudden, he moved and took a stance. It was different from before. The ck aura from Carl¡¯s sword which was focusing on defense, didn¡¯t soar up like before. It blocked the front as if it was a shield. No, it went beyond just that and tried to move around Carl so that it could block any attack. It looked as if a huge ck veil was around Carl. In a way, it was a bigger sight than the aura sword he used before, but Khun''s face was filled with regret instead of surprise. He mumbled. ¡°This is it, but you didn¡¯t even have the courage to be scolded.¡± ¡°Hahah, hahaha¡­¡± Cough! The old manughed and then coughed blood again. The amount of blood was less than before. But that didn¡¯t mean his condition improved. He felt it too, there wasn¡¯t much time left. But it was fine. There were no empty words nor pretentiousness. It wasn¡¯t a feeling of desperation, nor was it an apology for the wretched Carl. He looked back on his own life. The obsession he couldn¡¯t shake off even when he thought he had escaped from it. ¡®Ian.¡¯ He didn¡¯t feel inferior to him. He wasn¡¯t jealous of him. What made Khun terrified to the end was that he had used his entire life devoted to taking down Ian¡­ what made him terrified was the fear which came from being worthless. ¡®No more.¡¯ Heughed. It wasn¡¯t a loudugh. It was a light one and it seemed more like a smile. Two years back he realized that there were so many more important things in life. Nevertheless, he acted lukewarmly to everything. Khun thought till there. Taking a deep breath, Khun stopped walking and looked ahead. He took the stance of holding the sword and gave strength to his body. His aura was insufficient, his aura operation was like he was inexperienced, and the power of his sword was less than Carl¡¯s¡­ then was speed all that he had? It is fine. That is enough. He took one step at a time. All people on the continent had said it. They had all praised him who had reached the Sword Master level. However, there are areas where even such great people like Sword Masters couldn¡¯t reach. A title no one had ever climbed. There was no guarantee that it could happen in the future either. Grand Sword Master. It was the moment when the sword of the old man finally cut through the ck sphere. Woong! Khun¡¯s expression hardened. Not because the opponent¡¯s life was at stake. Although alive, he knew he would be the first to fall instead of Carl. As long as he moved and ended this, he thought the problem at hand would be solved. But it wasn¡¯t possible. A priest and a clown approached in pitch darkness. And the old man looked at the priest with a disappointed expression. ¡®The ck wolf which I thought was driven out and disappeared¡­¡¯ ¡®It hase back¡­as a greater evil.¡¯ Chapter 304: Let’s meet again (2)

Chapter 304: Let¡¯s meet again (2)

Khun became a Master at the age of 70, and even after that, he worked tirelessly to defeat Ian. It was a story which fueled dreams and gave hope to all of the people on the continent. But few people knew how much of a facy that one sentence was. It wasn¡¯t just trying for a single year. Furthermore, trying for 5 or 10 years, or decades together, wasn¡¯t something which could be done with ordinary mental strength. The prospect of walking down a single road for the rest of their life without a hope that they would reach their goal, without knowing whether they could advance or had to back off¡­it was close to torture. It was darkness. And hell. To get out of that, Khun did everything he could. It was to the extent where he took more time to control his emotions, than improving his swordsmanship. Fortunately, there were results. The ridicule of the world, the pity they had for him, the sadness he felt and his loss of self-esteem. To escape from the negative energy, Khun went on a long journey to build trust. A healthy fighting spirit dispelled the feelings of inferiority he had and instilled in him a hope for the future. He had spent 40 years for it. Finally, the ck wolf in Khun¡¯s mind disappeared. ¡®No, it didn¡¯t disappear.¡¯ ¡°Huhuhu,¡± Khunughed. Right, it didn¡¯t disappear. The ck wolf was alive even though he hadn¡¯t fed it or even looked at it. It was still alive. Even though the skin on his stomach turned shabby and it stuck to his body, the wolf didn¡¯t crumble and disappear. He just escaped from one mind and found a new one. How many people did it get food from? Khun couldn¡¯t dare to guess. What was certain was that the former Carl Lindsay was too young and inexperienced to ovee the ck wolf who was this well grown. So¡­ ¡®¡­ rather, I see hope.¡¯ The old man looked at himself. Both his arms were busted, and neither of them had a single finger anymore. Blood was dripping down from what felt like everywhere, and he felt dizzy too. All of his big and small wounds were still open. With the number of injuries he had, he should have died. But what was worse was that the ck wolf turned into a devil and another monster in the form of a clown appeared in front of him. He knew it right away. The level he has reached now couldn¡¯t be expressed with words, and it was a point far beyond the miracles of sorcerers. Originally, he felt like it would have been possible to reconstruct his body by gathering the surrounding energy, and thus have a new body again. But it was impossible now. If he tried doing it with the evil in the air around him, it would only give birth to more evil. So, Khun realized that this was the end. Then, what was the hope the old man saw? Smile. The corners of his lips rose. Seeing that, the priest looked at him. The clown also looked at Khun with vignt eyes. ¡®We need to be careful. We need to have him!¡¯ It wasn¡¯t because of the recent losses that made him lose his confidence. It was because of the beep in his mind which kept ringing. He recalled the old man from long ago who had torn his mask. The clown remembered the eyes of the old man and the terrible energy in them! A forceparable to that was flowing from Khun. ¡®¡­ has to be a thing when they die. Ah, I am scared!¡¯ The clown trembled without realizing it. He didn¡¯t want to get too close to him. He even hoped the man just died quietly without creating any more of a mess. As quietly as a candle melted away¡­ It was then. Wheik! ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Eik!¡± The strongest swordsman of the continent, Khun, stretched out his right arm. It wasn¡¯t exactly an arm anymore, but an aura was formed on it. It was as if the ss was shining in the moonlight with enormous power! The priest¡¯s expression hardened even more, and the clown backed away. The wound behind the mask was throbbing even now. However, the power of the old man wasn¡¯t directed at them. Khun mumbled something slowly, pulling the young man who was on the floor to stand up. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was an extremely low voice. No, there was no sound at all. Neither the clown nor the priest could hear the words because the mouth barely moved and only Carl knew what he was saying. Swish! Thud! The end of the story. The sword of Carl was released from his grip and it was the same with Khun. As if exhausted, he staggered back andy down on the floor. Neither the hand nor the aura sword could be seen. After a short time, a voice which was clearer came out from the old man¡¯s mouth. ¡°Hey, friends.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Friends, are you deaf or something? Or are you scared? Cough, haa¡­ are you still going to be scared when you see me like this? Especially you over there, aren¡¯t you the one in full swing in Rabat?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°To say that she struggled with you, I has a long way to go.¡± ¡°Bastard¡­¡± The clown looked at Khun with bloodshot eyes, but he didn¡¯t end it. ¡°Bastard, idiot, eunuch, stupid¡­.¡± Mumbling that for a long time, Khun then said. ¡°I wille back.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That bastard pretending to be a priest might not know, but you do. Devils live a long life, don¡¯t they?¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± ¡°The legend of an existence that has surpassed the realm of a Sword Master. The great realm that everyone longs for, Grand Sword Master. The story that says when you reach that point, one can escape from the old sick and worn-out body and can be reborn as a new being¡­ have you ever heard of it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I am sure. I broke the wall of Master, and I will be back. In any way.¡± ¡°And¡­ My rival Ian too. My wife, Kiera too. My disciple Judith, who has a bright future¡­ I will be back to see them.¡± Khun mumbled as he chuckled. It was an innocent smile with no regret, obsession, anger or sadness. An unstrained voice was enough to even scratch the pride of the devil and it was the end. A minute and two passed. The old man held his breath until a time and even made the devils uncertain of his death. The clown finally let out a sigh, and spewed out abusivements and walked towards the corpse of the old man. ¡°Ha, you bastard, you fucking bastard! What the hell were you saying?¡± ¡°The legend of a Grand Sword Master, you believe in such shit?¡± Ha! The clownughed at it. Of course, he knew about the legend. And he never thought of it as nonsense. No matter what field one is on, there is an ultimate level one can reach, and miracles like sorcery could be performed. ¡®As I expected, in order to receive the aura which springs up as soon as the Master¡¯s wall is broken, and to receive the energy pouring from outside¡­ in order to make a stronger and wider vessel to hold it, the body will be closer to evolving anew.¡¯ But that is a story when the man is alive. Such a thing couldn¡¯t happen after they die and fall like Khun. Karen Winker, a former swordsman, had a dignity simr to Khun, but he too disappeared into dust. He never showed himself in front of the clown¡­ ¡®¡­ wait.¡¯ The clown¡¯s mind went stiff. A thought went through his mind. The little boy who woke him from his long sleep and gave him another bitter wound. When he felt the anxiety of that, he felt stupid. ¡°Kuaaaaak!¡± A sharp energy flew from Khun, who was thought to be dead and the clown¡¯s upper and lower body were separated from the sh. The clown screamed and roared in pain! The old man savored it with a satisfied expression. ¡°You bastard, you should have been on the edge till the end.¡± ¡°Fuck, fuck, fuck!¡± ¡°There is no use swearing now¡­ then, I am going for real.¡± It was the final time. Khun really stopped breathing, but a smile still lingered on his face. ¡°¡­¡± Of course, the clown wasn¡¯t done. The torn body of the devil merged again. But the pain was unavoidable. He felt exhausted because the blow which hit him was from a Grand Sword Master. In order to resolve the anger, he wanted to hurt the dead body. But it was impossible. ¡°Move,¡± The priest pushed the clown and appeared in front of the body. Then, he ced his hand on Khun¡¯s chest and began to chant something. ¡°¡­¡± The clown stayed silent. Normally he would have stayed still. Although they were together, he was being treated as an assistant to the priest and he wasn¡¯t someone who was fine with such unpleasant treatment. This was the first time he was being treated like this. But¡­ ¡°¡­¡± He had to reach a higher level. The clown didn¡¯t let the anger reach the figure who was born from the darkness. Shudder. Chhhhh Khun¡¯s energy flowed into the priest¡¯s body. The wolf who was wandering for a long time was finally happy toe back to his home. It rejoiced. It shed tears and evenughed. After a while. The clown who was standing in front of the priest who regained his power, said, ¡°Congrattion to the new Demon King.¡± ¡°No, don¡¯t call me that.¡± The devil denied the words. He took a deep breath, and he clenched his fists and straightened his legs. After examining the body for a long time, he defined his own self. ¡°Heart Demon.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°From now on, call me Heart Demon.¡± ¡°Yes,¡± The clown answered and Carl bowed. However, despite facing the priest who was reborn as a new Heart Demon, his thoughts were flowing in another direction. ¡®Go to the Holy Kingdom. Go and look at the Warrior¡¯s Festival and those taking part in it.¡¯ ¡®You are not enough¡­stillcking. You need more suffering and losing. You need to still rise up again¡­ if you see them, you might get another chance in the darkness.¡¯ Judith. Bratt Lloyd. Ilya Lindsay And Airn Pareira. In the smothering darkness, Carl remembered the names the old man spoke of. Chapter 305: War of Nerves (1)

Chapter 305: War of Nerves (1)

It was now September when the cool breeze flows. Finally, the 128 swordsmen who would participate in the festival were confirmed. Of course, not all the people were invited to the Holy Kingdom. Since Avilius only offered participation letters to the people who were known to everyone, unknown swordsmen were separated and had to prove their skills through a screening before the actual tournament. Surprisingly, even those who didn¡¯t have an invitation came and many of them were Masters. It was a chaotic continent due to the devil¡¯s rise, but currently, the situation regarding the power of humanity seemed to be the best. And as expected, a banquet was held for the people. It was meant to reflect on the purpose of the festival and to promote friendship between the swordsmen, but everyone guessed something would happen. The Warrior¡¯s Festival was a contest. In other words, there was a possibility for the participants to be eliminated at lightning speed. Therefore, most of the participants who entered the banquet were quite stiff. Even those who normally had smiles on their eyes and lips were stiff. Of course, there were few who weren¡¯t. ¡°Huh, little boys.¡± It was a loud voice, and the tone seemed to be a bit condescending too. Some participants frowned while the others turned their heads away. A bulky physique as if the person was made entirely of muscles,rge and small scars on the skin like worms, and a bloody face that would make anyone whisper. It was as if a giant who seemed to be advertising ¡®I am a mercenary!¡¯ was going around the banquet hall. A few who knew his name mumbled. ¡°Southern Mercenary King Zakuang.¡± ¡°Frankly, that force¡­¡± ¡°Look at him, his eyes are like a hawk¡¯s.¡± The man was arrogant and bold. And due to his personality, there were times when he was ignored by people. This was because his appearance was intimidating to normal people, but people with certain skills thought he was exaggerated and funny. Actually, when he was young, Zakuang was engulfed in quarrels every day and suffered many defeats too. However, after bing a master at the age of 42, all of that disappeared. Now, no one could ridicule him as an idiot, or curse at him either. The appearance of Zakuang walking around the hall gave off an atmosphere that he didn¡¯t have to be evaluated to enter. ¡°So, you are here. You¡¯re easy to find because of your height.¡± ¡°Y-You are here! My brother, Jarrot!¡± Another giant appeared. Tiger Jarrot. Like Zakuang he was born and raised in the southern part of the Macan Kingdom and was known to have great strength. As a monster who ughtered vicious bandits that even kings and lords couldn¡¯t handle, he was close to the Southern Mercenary King. And definitely a contender for first ce in this contest. When the two of them were speaking normally, the atmosphere began to calm down. It was burdensome. No matter how high the level of the participants were, there were more sword experts here than Masters. Most of them wanted to stay away from the two monsters. And even some Masters didn¡¯t want to stay here. The voices of the giants filled the banquet area. However, it was only for a while. As soon as the new main characters appeared, their mouths stopped. Step. White hair fluttering and pale smooth skin. An existence whose age couldn¡¯t be determined moved towards Zakuang and Jarrot as if it had been nned before. The two looked at the white-haired man. The man didn¡¯t avert his gaze and then stopped walking. There was a silence whichsted for a while. In that air, someone mumbled that the three strongest swordsmen of the south were gathered in one ce. ¡°Seniors, I hope you won''t continue to speak so loudly.¡± Wasn¡¯t this a ce for everyone to enjoy? The southern deity, Inashio Karahan spoke in a polite tone. But neither his gaze nor his form was polite. Rather than acting like a junior speaking to a senior, it was a gaze of a predator looking down on prey. Jarrot didn¡¯t like it. It was the same with Zakuang. But unlike Jarrot, Zakuang had the impression that he was ready to fight. Woong¡­ Grey aura bloomed over his fists which were clenched. It wasn¡¯t the aura of an expert, but the power which had gone through the stages of concentrating, strengthening and hardening properly like the aura sword. The crowd gulped at the sight of it. Unleashing a refined aura with bare hands was more advanced than an Aura sword and it was something which most masters wouldn¡¯t dare try. Even the magnitude of that action revealed a force which couldn¡¯t be tampered with. Just like not all experts were the same, it was a sight which showed the differences between masters. But that was all. Wheik! Paaah! ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Zakuang, Jarrot and Inashio, who were facing each other, looked around with a firm expression. There were sharp energies pouring out from here and there. They couldn¡¯t ignore that, and it seemed to be a warning to them¡­as if to not cross the line. Right. They were mere ¡®candidates¡¯ for the contest. That meant that few others had the same skills as them. In fact, all of the people who radiated the same amount of force are regarded highly by the public and are considered to be the ones who led the continent. In such an atmosphere, even the three strong masters of the south couldn¡¯t act recklessly. Furthermore... ¡°Camrin Ray!¡± ¡°The second-inmand of the Ray Family¡­¡± ¡°The top swordsman of the next generation!¡± Camrin Ray, a member of the 5 great noble families appeared at an amazing time. When the one closest to the winner was revealed, the people¡¯s attention was drawn to it. All three of them felt it. The fact that what they did seemed like it was just a tease, made themugh. ¡°Then, I need to go now.¡± ¡°Tch.¡± ¡°Get lost. don¡¯t pick fights anymore.¡± And the fight ended before it started. The servants watched it nervously and went back to serve, and some participants enjoyed the food in a rxed manner. The same was true for the reporters who were attending the banquet to promote it. One of the veteran reporters exhaled as the situation passed. ¡°Phew, terrifying.¡± ¡°It really was. Even though I spent 20 years travelling around with swordsmen and writing articles, the atmosphere here is hard to handle.¡± ¡°Well, this is expected. How many Masters have gathered here? Even if you don¡¯t count those who haven¡¯t arrived, it''s over 20, right?¡± ¡°But everyone seems to be on the edge.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s an understandable sight. They are so close to attaining the prestige of being the future of swordsmen and the continent now.¡± ¡°Right. In fact, there must be more interest in that than the purpose of the contest.¡± The other reporters mumbled at it. As they said, the people gathered were all rtively strong and skilled enough to not be ignored. Still the world¡¯s attention was focused on the existing talented people like Ian, Julius Hul and the 5 swordsmen families for more than 15 years, so it was inevitable for swordsmen to be driven by an unquenchable thirst to be noted in the minds of people in the same breath as the existences that led the continent. Such a thing was particrly strong for the southern and eastern people. From generation to generation, the best swordsmen on the continent usually came from the west and central part of the continent. The northern part was for the Orcs. Therefore, the other two areas have been sharpening their swords for a long time. ¡®Actually, they are skilled. It is known that the skills of the three swordsmen of the south, especially Inashio Karahan, are unparalleled.¡¯ ¡®The East cannot be ignored either. Devan Kennedy is famous but maybe Ralph Penn could be the dark horse¡­¡¯ ¡°Phew! Maybe not Carmin Ray but another one will win?¡± ¡°That''s an odd thing. But I will vote on Inashio Karahan.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go for Devan Kennedy.¡± ¡°Um, me¡­¡± ¡°Look at you all.¡± At that moment a voice broke through the bustle of reporters and none of them could ignore it. It was because the person who spoke was the reporter Hinz, the chief reporter for Weekly Arena. However, the silence was short-lived. The moment the elf muttered the following words, the reporters allughed at the same time. ¡°You call it an unexpected situation, but you go after people who are extremely talented. Well, if you ask who will win it will be hard to pinpoint¡­ I would anticipate the young people winning though.¡± ¡°Younger people? In this contest¡­¡± ¡°Not the ones in their 40s or 50s. Real young people. Like¡­ Ilya Lindsay or Airn Pareira.¡± ¡°¡­ Ha.¡± ¡°Was that a joke?¡± ¡°Exceeding the expectations?¡± Everyone shook their heads at it. Recently they would admit that young people meant real young ones in their 20s and 30s, but they didn¡¯t seem to be in that great of a shape. They were people who reached the Master level earlier than Ian, so no one called their reputation an exaggeration, so technically, calling them the future of the continent wasn¡¯t wrong. But that would be a story for the future. Not right now. No matter how much they are called geniuses, they couldn¡¯t surpass the experience of those 20 to 30 years above them. Even I Crescentia wasn''t expected to be the winner. ¡°Really? Then, you keep thinking that.¡± Hinz took a step back. Yet, he smiled. Taking a sip of cocktail, he thought of a few things. A miracle like I Crescentia. And Ilya Lindsay. And the splendid moment presented by Airn Pareira whom he had he met in person. ¡®And they aren¡¯t the end.¡¯ Thanks to his contact with Airn in the Land of Proof, Hinz was able to know about Airn and the people in his life. He didn¡¯t know the full details but somehow, he couldn¡¯t shake the thought that another miracle might happen. And then came amotion in the banquet hall. It was Zakuang. He was crying out in an angry face. ¡°This brat. What did you say!¡± ¡°Are you deaf or something? You must have clearly heard it by now.¡± ¡°Brat¡­¡± ¡°Well, I can tell you one more time if you want to hear.¡± The woman with red hair and a sly smile. Judith said, ¡°Go away.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± In the harsh air, many people spread back. Only the blue-haired young man next to Judith, Bratt was supporting his lover. A truly mind-boggling sight. Hinz, who watched it,ughed and mumbled. ¡°I don¡¯t know the skills, but I think she¡¯ll pass for confidence?¡± Chapter 306: War of Nerves (2)

Chapter 306: War of Nerves (2)

¡°Funny. A kid like that gets invited to Avilius? Did something go wrong?¡± Seeing Judith enter the hall, Zakuang mumbled it. It wasn¡¯t that he wanted a fight¡­he just truly didn¡¯t understand why the Holy Kingdom made this decision. ¡®Bratt Lloyd next to her is fine but I cannot understand why someone who looks below us all is here.¡¯ Apetition to present the strong people who would lead the continent in the future. Unless there was another objective, Zakuang couldn¡¯t understand why an expert with red hair was walking around so boldly. Actually, most of the people who were here were people he knew, except for the kid, and all were Masters or on the edge of bing one. What could be the reason? Did the red-haired woman reach the Master level? It didn¡¯t seem like that. So, was it through her connections? Did shee here through her connections to the Lloyd and Lindsay family? ¡®I cannot know.¡¯ What was clear was that she didn¡¯t seem important. ¡°What are you looking at, kid?¡± Zakuang asked with a smirk. And he was a bit shocked since her eyes looked straight at him. Considering that she was in her early 20s, that seemed amazing. At 30 or so she might be one the giants supporting the continent. But not now, so¡­he had to figure out what her deal was. It was when he turned away his gaze. ¡°Get lost.¡± ¡°¡­brat, what did you say?¡± Whooo! A terrifying force exuded from his body. It felt like hundreds of horses were running around wildly. Most of it was concentrated on the red-haired woman. But she didn¡¯t back down. She didn¡¯t even seem scared. Rather, she said the same thing again. ¡°Fucking get out of my way.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The hall turned silent. People were asking what happened, and even the musicians who were ying music went silent, while the reporters who were doing their work just watched it. ¡°Hm. So that happened.¡± ¡°Are you disappointed?¡± ¡°No. Not at all.¡± Judith¡¯s question was answered by Bratt Lloyd with a smile. ¡°You¡¯ll get sick if you hold back your words. So, speak whatever you want.¡± ¡°¡­ what. Why do you suddenly feel bad?¡± ¡°Would you like me to stroke your hair?¡± ¡°Shut up. I don¡¯t feel like joking.¡¯ She cut off her lover¡¯s words and looked at Zakuang. She looked at his rough appearance, his ragged size and the scars on body. But Judith didn¡¯t seem scared of it, rather it only made her fire burn stronger. ¡®¡­ something makes me feel bad.¡¯ Besides, she hadn''t been feeling welltely. Nothing bad had happened. The journey to the Holy Kingdom was smooth and she also had another achievement in the meantime. She had a good time with Bratt whom she hadn¡¯t met in a long time, and was confident of achieving good results in the festival too. In other words, her current mental health was good enough to ignore this level of provocation. But¡­ ¡®I don¡¯t know.¡¯ Judith thought of her teacher and shook her head. She was a bit upset; she couldn¡¯t understand why he wouldn¡¯te with her. But she thought that she was being overbearing and then she spoke. ¡°That, sorry.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Sorry for swearing. Are we done here? It isn¡¯t like you have said something nice, either.¡± ¡°What is this crazy brat even¡­¡± ¡°Ah, I did it again. I cursed another time. Fine, I will let this one go, so let¡¯s end it nicely. Look everyone is staring at us¡­ right?¡± ¡°Kukuku¡­¡± Someone¡¯sughter came from behind. Inashio Karahan, who watched thismotion with an interesting look, cheered for Judith. He thought it would be better if she riled up Zakuang a lot more. Even he didn¡¯t dream things woulde this far. Seeing the face of the Southern Mercenary King on the verge of exploding, he shouted. ¡°Act in moderation, junior and seniors. It is a ce where the people gather for the well-being of the continent¡­. Ah, sorry. I will stop.¡± Inashio Karahan stepped back. It was fun to watch, and he didn¡¯t want to be involved in it. And gently passing by, he disappeared into the crowd. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± There was silence again. No one intervened in the situation between the two. Those whocked the skills were pressured under the force of Zakuang, and those who could handle it thought this was bothersome. However, they had amon thought. ¡®¡­ she is too calm.¡¯ ¡®¡­ how.¡¯ ¡®¡­is she still holding on?¡¯ The expression ¡®killing people with force alone¡¯ isn¡¯t just an expression. There were experts who could apply the force of their energy on their opponents through aura. Not to mention that once they became Masters, no matter how talented an opponent expert would be, they would crumble in the face of that force. But she was calm. Amazingly calm and silent, and admiration for her burst from ces, and everyone seemed shocked. ¡®This child! Of course, Zakuang didn¡¯t like it. However, there was no other way. If he wanted to take her down now, he would have to ask for a real fight which would be a mark on him, a Master who represented the south. No matter how great he was, no one would be happy if a southerner wreaked havoc in Avilius. The aura which he showed Inashio was for intimidation, not to cause a fight. ¡®But if this keeps going on then¡­¡¯ He frowned and he realized that a sweat was forming on his head, and not Judith¡¯s. He couldn¡¯t walk away. However, it was burdensome to continue doing it. He didn¡¯t know why, but this girl was able to handle him rather well. But it didn¡¯t seem like she had reached Master level yet, but she was capable of doing iprehensible things. Just like that, time went as he worried, and he sense something from behind him. ¡®Jarrot?¡¯ Zakuang looked back. He thought he was lucky. But when he looked back¡­ ¡­it wasn¡¯t Jarrot. I Crescentia. The ck-haired swordsman who was in charge of an entire Knight Order of the Holy Kingdom was looking at him with nk eyes. ¡°¡­!¡± Zakuang stiffened at it. The sweat was starting to drip down faster now. He didn''t know. He was so distracted with this girl that he didn¡¯t notice I approaching him. At that moment he heard a voice. ¡°Stop. Judith.¡± Another young swordsman caught his eyes. The genius of the Adan Kingdom, Ilya Lindsay. His expression hardened. He didn¡¯t feel her either. The fact that she was this close to him. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± And the atmosphere was weird. Up until now, the fight between Zakuang and Judith was the biggest source of tension. Jarrot and Bratt Lloyd who were by their sides should have acted up, but there was no denying the fact that this war of nerves between those two had brought in great people. Even Inashio, Devan Kennedy, Ralph Penn and Camrin Ray couldn¡¯t take their eyes off them. And that wasn''t all. I Crescentia. Ilya Lindsay. As they watched the two swordsmen''s faces, the crowd felt a strong sense of pressure on them. ¡°¡­ unusual.¡± ¡°Right. This¡­¡± ¡°A lot more than I thought.¡± From a distance, the reporters mumbled. It was interesting, beyond exciting. Unlike Zakuang or Judith, who had no specific contact points, I and Ilya were entangled because of a famous story on the continent. And the fact that thetter entered Krono to catch up with the former and went to the Land of Proof was well known. ¡®However, no matter how good she is¡­ it is no use if you can¡¯t take down the opponent.¡¯ A tall reporter remembered the past. Unfortunately, unlike Ilya who was overly cautious of her opponents, I never cared. Not just that, but with the look which seemed like she was far, it felt like I was saying ¡®She and I are not in the same ss.¡¯ But that wasn¡¯t it now. The silver haired swordsman looked at her opponent. And the ck-haired swordsman didn¡¯t avoid the gaze. She even had a faint smile too. They weren¡¯t using aura yet. Yet the tension which rose from the two was tingling the skin of the others. Even the swordsmen who wereingte had no chance but to gulp at it. But there were others who didn¡¯t care. Step step. The sound of footsteps resounded. And this drew the attention of the people. It was a little strange. Little by little, despite seeming insignificant, the heads of the swordsman turned and all their gaze were fixated on that one person. It was really weird. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Zakuang and Jarrot. And Judith and Bratt too. Even I. Some people noticed that. With eyes which were deeper than when she looked at Ilya and people saw that , they knew it. This was instinct acting up. And the distance grew closer. Step step. A small pace. Right, it felt like a slow movement. There was no need to keep an eye on him. People looked at the ck-haired woman and the blonde-haired man. Why is she so focused on him? Is something going on between them? They couldn¡¯t know. What was clear was that this young man had immense power to him. ¡­ when they were all quietly holding their breath. The blonde swordsman passed by I. ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Everyone had a puzzled expression on their face. Some went stiff at what they saw. It something different from what they expected. But he didn¡¯t care. Airn Pareira, who stood in front of his lover, smiled and said. ¡°I missed you.¡± ¡°I missed you more.¡± Ilya Lindsay smiled. Seeing those two, I Crescentia put on an absurd expression. ¡°Ha?¡± Chapter 307: War of Nerves (3)

Chapter 307: War of Nerves (3)

It was nothing special, just a few words to show their love for each other. An ordinary sight anyone could see anywhere. It wasmon for such young people to whisper sweet nothings to each other. Even if one went to a banquet, this was amon sight. If one decided to look in a more secluded ce, then they would find people in a more intense skinship rather than just words. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± However, it is all a story which corresponded to an ordinary ce at an ordinary time. Dozens of Sword Masters and Experts were gathered here¡­ they couldn¡¯te to their senses with the sudden soft change in the air. Just five years ago, wasn¡¯t the situation bloody enough for their swords to be drawn? Such was the case with the confrontation of I and Ilya. They were looking at each other but now, it felt colder, and yet, sweat was breaking out. It was like an illusion. As if nothing had happened before. Looking at Ilya Lindsay¡¯s happy face and eyes which were soft, no one could think of anything else. In that quiet atmosphere, Judith asked Bratt. ¡°.. what is that?¡± ¡°I told you. A lot has changed since before.¡± ¡°Yes, but¡­¡± Judith mumbled. She knew the two were now lovers. Because she heard Bratt say their full story. Actually, to some extent she expected this to happen. She wasn¡¯t quick-witted, but she too was able to know the warm atmosphere between the two when they were all together. ¡®But I didn''t think it would be like this.¡¯ They weren¡¯t kissing in public ces or doing something weird. But she knew. Contrary to the assumption that they were in a romantic rtionship where they constantly look at each other as man and woman, they shared a deep love. ¡°Hu, I thought they were babies.¡± ¡°Yes? Our ki¡­¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, it is amazing. I am so moved by this.¡± Bratt grunted in a low voice, but Judith didn¡¯t care. She looked at Airn and Ilya with a happy face. Of course, there were those who didn¡¯t know. No, most of them didn¡¯t know. Those who couldn¡¯t adjust to the sudden change in the air, and one among them was I. ¡®What?¡¯ She couldn¡¯t understand. She was a woman who received the attention of many people. Whether it be envy, jealousy or hatred, it was intense. But now, she felt nothing. It was because it felt like no one paid attention to her. And it felt weird to be ignored by the one she started to be interested in. In the midst of the unknown, an unexinable feeling of difort and weirdness crept in. She was getting grumpy. She raised her aura for the first time after she came to the banquet hall. Swish! It wasn¡¯t wide, but the sharp energy was only directed at the two swordsmen. It was as sharp as a needle, and it pierced the bodies of Airn and Ilya. I gulped, expecting a reaction from them, and she felt tense for some reason. ¡°¡­¡± However, the two were still looking at each other. As if they were away from the world. With a poignant expression that seemed to say that no one could destroy ore between what they have. I was silent for a long time. In a state of silence, she seriously contemted whether or not to raise it more. It was the moment when she was nning on raising it more. ¡°He is here.¡± ¡°Julius Hul!¡± ¡°The Commander of White Knights!¡± ¡°Next to¡­¡± ¡°Is it His Majesty?¡± Amotion broke out in the hall. It was because of the existence that appeared in the hall. One of the most powerful people in the Holy Kingdom, and themander of the White Knights. An existence whose aura was mixed with holy power, which made people nod their heads feeling refreshed and calm. And it felt good to be in it in that presence of the man, the most powerful person in the Holy kingdom. However, there was an existence which drew even more attention, the King. Although he hadn¡¯t appeared officially for a long time,and although he didn¡¯t give out any emotions, everyone knew of his identity. How they figured it out wasn¡¯t exinable. It just felt like him. ¡®But¡­¡¯ ¡®The existence which has guided Avilius for decades cannot be normal.¡¯ ¡®Why is heing here?¡¯ ¡®Does he have something to say?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t want to be bored by a speech¡­¡¯ The Holy Kingdom. The Elderly man. Supreme power. It was abination which indicated that there was a boring speeching, so there was a hint of concern in the people, even though they were wondering when the speech woulde. That was especially the case with Zakuang and Jarrot who hated being a part of such things. However, contrary to all their expectations, the Holy King wasn¡¯t a boring person. He stopped walking and smiled. ¡°Nice to meet you all, the swordsmen who have talent. You are all destined to spread hope in the continent. Without further ado, I will show you the schedule.¡± ¡°..!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Thud! Woong! He hit the cane in his hand on the floor which made a silvery, almost translucent surface with texts form in the air. It was the timetable for the contest. It wasn¡¯t just to show the swordsmen. The servants had paper in their hands and were quickly writing it down for the contestants. The participants confirmed their matchups and gasped. There were no different matches for strong and weak. Everyone was mixed in a single table. It would be the worst if one met a master and it would be good if they met an expert with good skills which would help them move on to the second round. And in the process, if they could show off their skills, then there was a high chance of standing out in the eyes of the nobles. Most wandering knights had such thoughts. The match was important to the master ss, and those wanting to win looked at everything. Whoever the opponent was, they had to defeat everyone and get to the top, even if they met a strong one, they would have to win. A stuffy groan escaped from those who were matched with strong opponents in the starting match and those with smooth matches smiled. ¡°Um¡­¡± In the case of Zakuang, it was the former. It was fun in the beginning. A lot of the people who couldn¡¯t even pull their swords out were lined up for him, but at the Round of 16 came the opponent I, themander of the ck Knights. ¡®From the Round of 16, only the Sword Masters will be left, and it is a lot better than meeting Jarrot and Inashio, but¡­¡¯ He frowned. This was something he should be epting with a pleasant face. It was nice that he didn¡¯t meet Camrin Ray who was likely to be the winner in this contest. It wasn¡¯t that he was ignoring I, but he didn¡¯t think he would lose to a 30-year-old kid. That was what he thought 10 minutes back. And then he witnessed her presence. And that made Zakuang feel threatened. ¡°What? Are you worried? Are you that worried?¡± ¡°¡­ worried my ass! I was thinking about how to handle all of them.¡± At Jarrot''s question, Zakuang answered. Enough. Despite ignoring it, the ufortable feeling in his heart didn¡¯t die down. Well, he had avoided meeting Camrin Ray so it was fine. And Inashio, along with the worrisome western people were on the other side as well, so he liked it. The most enjoyable part was¡­ ¡®Judith, I can kill that witch with my own hands. Ah, I shouldn¡¯t kill her.¡¯ He grinned looking at the opponent for his first round. Judith. No one could guess that this name would be the one riling him up. Haha, Zakuang burst intoughter and looked at Judith who was checking her opponents. What kind of expression would she have? ¡°Yah, Airn. You are as bad as ever.¡± ¡°Uh? No, what¡­¡± ¡°Even if Ilya was here! It has been more than two and a half years since west met, how can you not even look at me? Wah, seriously¡­¡± ¡°I agree, our Judith is a very delicate woman, so she gets hurt rather easily¡­¡± ¡°Yah, you crazy bastard, just shut your mouth!¡± ¡°¡­¡± She wasn¡¯t watching. She didn¡¯t care. Seeing herughing and talking with the people around her made Zakuang feel like she wasn¡¯t normal. He clenched his fist in anger and his face flushed red. The moment when an aura burning likeva was about to appear from his body, he looked back in surprise. ¡°¡­¡± His eyes met with a supreme existence. It was Julius Hul. The moment he saw him, the aura in his body and his faith in himself copsed. Shhh¡­ Zakuang¡¯s energy faded away as if nothing was there. ¡°¡­¡± At that moment, seeing the old pdin looking at him, Zakuang mumbled. ¡®Let¡¯s hold back.¡¯ Just a little while and then he could feel the joy of crushing down that woman. Of course, Judith didn¡¯t care about this. For her, what was more important than the match was the friends she hadn¡¯t seen in so long. ¡°What is love?¡± Jjkk! Georg Phoebe was training the sword all day only to drop it when he heard that question. It was impossible for a Master ss swordsman to let go of the sword. But now he did. Because it wasn¡¯t someone else, but I Crescentia who was talking about love. ¡°What is love?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Again! He didn¡¯t hear it wrong. After thinking, he picked up the sword and looked at the eyes of hismander. Competent in everything, and ahead of everyone else. It was she who had made people listen to her. However, the field of love didn¡¯t go well with her. It was because she wasn¡¯t ever interested in it, and now she was at the age of 31 with no experience in dating. So, he was even more curious. What? Did something happen at the banquet? Did some strong one woo ourmander? Or did hismander get her heart stolen by some hunk? All sorts of delusions ran through his mind. This was because love stories were always an interesting topic. However, after a long thought, the conclusion which came out of I¡¯s mouth was¡­pletely different from what Goerg Phoebe expected. ¡°Love is¡­. Unpleasant.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll break them down. Both of them¡± I didn¡¯t say anything after that. A sophisticated energy escaped from her. Seeing themander show a different kind of look, Georg thought. ¡®Why did youe to such a conclusion?¡¯ Chapter 308: War of Nerves (4)

Chapter 308: War of Nerves (4)

The banquet was over. No, to be honest, it was brought to an end. It was because most of the participants had left since they were excited about the matches. Those who were assigned opponents equal to them were now regretting their time there. And those who were underperformers were thinking of methods which would make them perform better, and even those who were considered to be among the potential winners couldn¡¯t stay silent since they had opponents who were strong. They now had to train the sword and focus their bodies. But there were those who didn¡¯t do it. It was because of the reunion after a long time. Including Judith, the four swordsmen of Krono had gathered together for the first time in 2 and a half years and were talking. And there was alcohol present too. It was because Bratt wasn¡¯t the kind of person to leave it out. ¡°Ah, this is like poison!¡± ¡°Take this opportunity and get used to it!¡± ¡°How can one get used to this?¡± ¡°Just drink it. There is a saying that alcohol is like a cold fire. Maybe it will help your swordsmanship.¡± ¡°¡­ I can''t tell if that is a joke or fact.¡± Judith stared at the ss in front of her with wide eyes and then took it down with courage and regretted it right away. She felt a hot, bitter sensation running down her throat! There was also a strong scent which continued to linger on the top of the mouth! It wasn¡¯t something she couldn¡¯t bear but she finally understood why this was called ¡®cold fire¡¯, yet she couldn¡¯t enjoy it. Kuk, After coughing a couple of times, Judith turned her head. She was going to ask Ilya Lindsay for a match, but now they were friends and she seemed busy getting her ss filled with water by Airn. She was constantly looking at Airn Pareira! ¡°¡­¡± Bratt silently got up and brought water for Judith. Slowly, until the ss was filled with water, Ilya¡¯s gaze didn¡¯t leave Airn¡¯s. It had been like that since they first met today. When Airn would asionally talk, Ilya would still never look away from his face, and it was like she could only see him and Airn was also like that¡­ Now, it felt like both of them didn¡¯t care about others. ¡®How can people change like that?¡¯ ¡°Is it because they are drunk?¡± Judith shook her head. Although she improved a lot, Ilya from before didn¡¯t show even a slight change in her expression, and it was as if she had a mask on her face. As if her being in a rtionship wasn¡¯t enough, she was actually making soft affectionate expressions now. Even if Bratt didn¡¯t inform Judith of all this, this was shocking to see with her own eyes. At that moment, Ilya slowly turned her head to Judith and said, ¡°I am not drunk.¡± ¡°Right? Then¡­¡± ¡°I am drunk on Airn.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The silver-haired swordsman said with a slight smile. Judith¡¯s face after Ilya turned her head away was nk. It was the same with Bratt. Even the good-natured, funny man was wide-eyed. And it didn¡¯t end there. Airn Pareira, gently touched his lover¡¯s face and turned her to his side, and said, ¡°Where are you looking at? You only get to look at me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ah, ah¡­ Bratt, pour me a ss. No, just give me the full bottle.¡± Judith lowered her head as if muttering in a daze. She knew that they were trying to pull her leg. But despite knowing that, it was so embarrassing to actually be there and feel that. It was even more shocking because both of them didn¡¯t have this kind of personality. Rather she would find it normal if Bratt was the one saying it¡­ The moment she thought that, a hand suddenly reached for her. Bratt pulled Judith close to her by touching her chin and spoke with a soft gaze. ¡°I also want to get drunk on Judith.¡± ¡°¡­ stop it before I destroy you.¡± ¡°Um? I did nothing?¡± ¡°Stop, please stop¡­¡± Judith mumbled in distressed expression, and the rest of them burst intoughter. Right. Even though they hadn¡¯t seen each other in so long, they were still good friends. They still had afortable air with no awkwardness, and they could talk about various things. The first thing they spoke about was the story of Airn and Ilya. Judith knew the two had feelings for each other, but she didn¡¯t know how they started dating. As long as the two people in front of her didn¡¯t feel shy, she wanted to hear all of it. Fortunately, this time Airn and Ilya didn¡¯t joke around. Rather they were flustered hearing Bratt exaggerate the story. ¡®No. It is wierder if you make fun and then they act more affectionate! I can''t handle it!¡¯ Judith, who thought till then listened to Bratt¡¯s words and the love story safely ended. However, the story that followed the love story was. Because Bratt and Judith were a couple, Airn and Ilya had to know about them too. ¡°Everyone be careful. Fill the ss with water.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°I am warning you in advance, because hearing a story that is too sweet can burn your throat. Okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Again, it was Bratt who led the conversation. He made Judith¡¯s face blush by speaking of every single thing. Of course, she was the only one feeling that, and the other person was rather happy talking about it. ¡®It is amazing, really.¡¯ Airn thought that as he looked at his friends. Even when he first entered Krono, he didn¡¯t think that he would have such a rtionship with them. Because he thought their genders, personalities, and backgrounds were too different for them to be with him. ¡°It reminds me of the past.¡± ¡°Right. This bastard when I first saw him was far worse than now.¡± ¡°Puah!¡± ¡°W-what! Why are youughing? You were!¡± ¡°Uh? Me?¡± ¡°Right. She was in first ce, but didn¡¯t get along with others and always moved alone. Ah right. Didn¡¯t you take care of Airn even then?¡± Airn wasn¡¯t the only one having such thoughts, the others too brought up the old stories one after another, and they reminisced the old times. A story from when they were trainees in Krono. A story from the 5 years Airn was stuck in the sorcery world. A story on how they met again after that and how they travelled. After going about all of that, they moved to the present. The Warrior¡¯s Festival. Judith spoke about the big event. ¡°How is everyone?¡± ¡°Uh? What do you mean?¡± ¡°This contest. Everyone, what is the goal?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that the participation is what¡¯s important and something like if the purpose is good, then the result isn¡¯t important. You aren¡¯t cooking up some bullshit like that right?¡± As Judith was speaking, she looked to her right side. What she was saying was being directed at one person. Of course, she too was aiming to win. She was the kind who didn¡¯t like losing to anyone, even if they were stronger than her. In the case of Ilya, she could guess that I Crescentia would be the target. No matter how much of her hatred and obsession had vanished, there would still be a need for healthypetition. ¡®And that is probably like saying I will aim to win.¡¯ No one else but Judith knew it. No, actually, all four of them knew. The level of I was a lot higher than what the public knew. They knew the fact that she was much closer to winning the Festival than Camrin Ray. And if one is aiming for her, then it means that they are greedy for winning. At least Judith thought so. ¡®Bratt¡­ I don¡¯t know about Bratt.¡¯ Judith looked at her lover. In a way, she couldn¡¯t understand this guy any more than Airn. When they were young, he was someone raging to be at the top, but as an adult, he seemed to be freed from such concepts. Of course, it wasn¡¯t that he was weak, he was skilled and good at what he did and climbed to a high level too¡­ As she was thinking that, Airn opened his mouth. Right. What he spoke of was something great enough to be called an aspiration. ¡°I want to win.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I want to show off the best of my skills, so that people can continue to live their lives in peace. I want to be able to do that, and I want to win with a bigger form than anyone else. That is what I want. That¡­ is the most effective and realistic way I can help the world right now.¡± The air suddenly turned heavy. In a way, his beliefs and goals are what best fit such a contest. However, for most participants, it could be just a remark. But Judith wasn¡¯t going to argue with this. Because she had watched him. The noble, hardworking, and sincere side of Airn. It wasn¡¯t just empty words but effort which was put in toe this far. Is that why? Even though Airn was looking at her like apetitor, Judith didn¡¯t feel angry. If it was someone else Judith would have yelled at them for not considering her as an equalpetition. However, then came an unexpected reaction. ¡°I don¡¯t even care.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t? From the map, it is sure that we will meet in the quarterfinals. If you were conscious of that, it means you should have been speaking of the word winning already.¡± ¡°Hm, that¡­¡± Airn was bewildered. Both Ilya and Judith too were shocked. The remarks said now weren¡¯t with the intention of ignoring or insulting anyone. It was simply a promise to himself in front of them that he wanted to achieve the best results. It wasn¡¯t something which had to be taken badly. Even more shocking was that the person who said that just now was Bratt. Judith didn¡¯t understand why the most mature person in the group was acting like a child. This was out of character. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Sorry for breaking the atmosphere.¡± Gulp gulp. Bratt poured the rest of the drink and gulped it at once. And got up. He appeared slightly drunk and after getting up he nced at Airn and said, ¡°Then, I need to go practice.¡± Neither Airn, Ilya nor Judith stopped him as he left the room. In such an awkward atmosphere, the drinking party came to an end. ¡°Huh, what the hell was he doing?¡± After their talks ended weirdly, Judith didn¡¯t stop grunting as she headed to her private practice room. This was something the Holy Kingdom did for all the contestants, and this made it an inconvenience for her to see Bratt. ¡®No, now isn¡¯t the time to worry for others!¡¯ Right. She acted confidently but she wasn¡¯t someone who couldn¡¯t understand the reality. She will not be the winner. And Airn and Ilya aside, the first opponent she would meet in the round of 16 would be I. She didn¡¯t have time to worry about others. ¡­ still, she was concerned. ¡°Phew.¡± Judith sighed. At some point, she felt she had changed. Like she wanted to feel the emotions of needing help, worry or encouragement from others. The world she had was enough for her, and she had to rise to the top with the poison which was gathered from the others and inside of her. And now she was smiling. The pain from her childhood faded. Thinking of Khun who didn¡¯te, of Bratt, and her precious friends Airn and Ilya. And the slightest quarrels they had. Everything wasplicated. Her head felt soplicated with the new changes that it felt like it would explode. ¡°Oye.¡± ¡°¡­¡± In front of her came a muscr giant with a grin. It was Zakuang. And he spoke with a smile. ¡°There are ten days till the fight, right? But I have a quick temper so I cannot wait that long.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ah, don¡¯t be afraid. I didn¡¯te here to tell you what to do, a casual fight is¡­¡± Wheik! The energy grew from Judith¡¯s body, it wasn¡¯t bright enough to be considered a master¡¯s, as she was still an expert, but it was still strong. And the intense heat it emitted was second to none. She, who was like the embodiment of a red me, drew her sword. ¡°Good¡­¡± ¡®Well done.¡¯ Judith smiled wildly and stepped forward. Chapter 309: Dark Horse (1)

Chapter 309: Dark Horse (1)

¡°Uh, is it finally starting?¡± ¡°I would have never been able to see such a sight in my lifetime¡­¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be so excited already!¡± ¡°Well, I came all the way from the east to see this!¡± Right now, on the morning of the first round of the Warrior¡¯s Festival, the 128 selected people were contesting. People from all over the nation were anticipating great things. Since ancient times, the most interesting spectacles have been centered around fighting. Even those with the lowest level coulde and see people like experts and Sword Masters, and thispetition was truly grand enough to attract the entire continent. Thanks to that, the capital of the Holy Kingdom was now overrun with tourists, and even though amodation was prepared beforehand, due to the influx of people, the unfortunate urrence of homelessness urred. In addition, support from the Runtel Kingdom was also asked for, and those who couldn¡¯t enter the stadium were given a magic screen to see the match. ¡®Shouldn¡¯t as many people as possible be able to see it? That way, the words will spread more widely and swiftly and everyone on the continent will be able to engage in their livelihood with peace. They¡¯ll start realizing that they don¡¯t have to be afraid of devils anymore.¡¯ For this decision, everyone praised the Holy King. The purpose of this festival was that, but the most important thing was that those who came from afar would inevitably be upset. And because of that, the magic screens were ced for those who would be sad or upset. ¡°I am saying, Camrin Ray¡­¡± ¡°Inshio Karahan¡­¡± ¡°Uh, are you ignoring the people from the east? Devan Kennedy and Ralph Penn¡­¡± ¡°Considering that the Holy Kingdom proudly held the contest, the ck Knightmander cannot be ignored¡­¡± Of course, most of them only had their own preferences. They couldn¡¯t know much more than what they heard. They could only guess based on the information given so far. And that trend would probably continue until the end of the match. It wasn¡¯t known if it was intentional, but most of the matchups were rather odd. ¡°The opposing swordsmen are also strong, but since they are experts¡­ they cannot bring out the skills of the winning person.¡± ¡°Right? It takes a certain amount of trouble for the true skill to be brought out, so the first day seems too obvious.¡± ¡°Well, it''s exciting to be able to see dozens of Sword Masters.¡± ¡°Right. We should be satisfied with that¡­ ah! It is up!¡± All the procedures were done, and the matches seemed like they were beginning. 8 swordsmen were up on the stage. The first and second rounds had a lot of people, so four matches would be done at the same time. Therefore, the audience focused their eyes on the screens. And most of the attention was directed to the 3rd stage. It was because Camrin Ray, the most promising winner was there. ¡°The Aura of the Ray family changes color, right?¡± ¡°I did hear that. And he is famous for that ir of his. Not just in swordsmanship, but the operation of aura too¡­ It is said that the reason the color of the aura changes is because of that family¡¯s vision. Well, idiots like us don¡¯t have the eyes to see it.¡± ¡°Still, for us to finally see that swordsmanship is more than good enough.¡± ¡°Ahm, don¡¯t be like that¡­ ugh, it is starting now!¡± As the hand of the referee went up, the matches finally began. Camrin Ray¡¯s opponent was a Sword Expert. Perhaps it was because of the fact that a formidable man was in front, the expert seemed nervous even on the magic screen. Of course, there were a few people whose hearts went out to him. But most of them were looking at Camrin Ray alone. However, something unexpected happened. Camrin Ray continued to fight without using the Aura sword. ¡°Winner, Camrin Ray!¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Why didn¡¯t he use the Aura Sword?¡± The audience was puzzled. Of course, as the man in a swordsmanship family, he surely could defeat the opponent easily. However, those who were expecting a stylish appearance had no choice but to feel a bit disappointed at this sight. And after that, this continued. ¡°Winner Devan Kennedy!¡± Devan Kennedy was known to be the ¡®light¡¯ of the eastern part of the continent. ¡°Winner, Ralph Penn!¡± Ralph Penn, his rival, was strong too. All the other veterans who were called ¡®winners¡¯ didn¡¯t show off their aura swords and they obtained victory through their swordsmanship alone. It was then that the audience began to feel something strange. The fact that this was done to give their opponents a chance. No, it was a kind of bluff to show the gap between the swordsmanship of a Master and Expert. What was all that? Actually, the difference was surely huge, and everyone could understand that, and it was natural to think they were confident or looking down¡­ And such opinions began to flood in. The 101st swordsman, no Sword Master Jet Frost who was listening to it, thought. ¡®They aren¡¯t wrong.¡¯ A Master is Master because of the Aura sword. And it was right for them to be proud of it. The fact that with the aura sword a Master could knock down the opponent with a single hit is what differentiates them. But is that all? There were those among the participants who built a name for themselves as a Master for 10 to 20 years. And all they were going to do was just show off their swordsmanship? No. Jet Frost nodded as he watched the new swordsmane up. He was much younger than the previous people, and it was an age at which it was safe to say that he was younger than all the participants who had appeared so far. The genius of the Gerbera Kingdom, Bratt Lloyd. ¡®Bratt Lloyd¡¯s first¡­¡¯ He looked up at the screen. Right. It was a provocation thrown at the young Masters by the old ones. Saying that they had the ability to overwhelm the opponent without the help of Aura Sword. And what about this one? Luckily, this young man had reached the Master level, andpared to his swordsmanship, he wasn¡¯t much different from the experienced ones, right? Maybe the older ones will have a hard time? Honestly, the provocation of the older people was rather childish, but it would be difficult for Masters in their 20s like Airn to ignore it. Because the flow was tilting in that way. ¡°What will you do, Bratt?¡± Jet Frost mumbled and then he smiled. The answer was clear. This wasn¡¯t something he even had to worry about as he knew this young man¡¯s abilities. The middle-aged people might be shocked now. A confident voice came out and the match started. And Kang! Kang! Kwang! ¡°Kuak¡­!¡± ¡°¡­ winner, Bratt Lloyd!¡± For the first time since the matches began, something close to shocking happened. ¡°What!¡± ¡°In three strikes¡­ he won?¡± ¡°Without the Aura sword?¡± ¡°What, how did this happen?¡± ¡°I was blinded for a while, but it is already done?¡± ¡°No, wait, I didn¡¯t even see¡­ what happened?¡± The audience was shocked. They knew it. It was close to impossible for an Expert to defeat a Master, but if a young Master Swordsman came up and didn¡¯t use the aura sword to defeat the opponent, then things were different. Even if the young one didn¡¯t win, it would leave a mark in their minds. Everyone thought so. But¡­ Bratt defeated the opponent in an instant as if ridiculing everyone¡¯s thoughts and left casually. His gaze, as he descended down, was bitter, which was something Jet Frost didn¡¯t understand. ¡®It isn¡¯t his usual form, but now I expect more because of that¡­ something¡­ it¡¯s like a gap has been filled.¡¯ Feeling something like a poison blooming, heughed. This was good. The others must be feeling the same. Bratt Lloyd¡¯s skills were greater than he thought. The fact that the young Sword Masters were people they couldn¡¯t ignore. And it was the same for others. ¡°¡­ lost.¡± ¡°Winner, Ilya Lindsay!¡± Even the youngest Master, Ilya Lindsay defeated her opponent with a single strike. Kwang! Kwang! ¡°W-Winner, Airn Pareira!¡¯ The pride of the Hale Kingdom, Airn defeated the opponent with two attacks. Neither of them used an aura sword. Ilya won a clean victory with a fierce sword and Airn did it with a heavy sword. At that point, amotion broke out in the audience. It was about the Sword Masters in their 20s who had showcased their great talent. Initially, it was apetition they thought would be difficult for young people, but the young ones were dominating. And the aftermath after the fight was that the next matches felt boring inparison. ¡°This, is a lot bigger than I thought?¡± ¡°He won¡¯t be pushed, right? To a master in 50s?¡± ¡°Ah, that is too much. He just won over an expert¡­¡± ¡°Huut, it looks a lot better than the others, right?¡± ¡°Right. I am curious. How far can these young people go?¡± It wasn¡¯t just the audience. Even the middle-aged swordsmen who finished their matches couldn¡¯t hide their shock at the progress of Bratt, Ilya and Airn. ¡®I did feel that they were skilled in the banquet, but¡­¡¯ ¡®They are even more amazing than what I felt.¡¯ ¡®Still, there is nothing to lose¡­ and I shouldn¡¯t be careless.¡¯ They were growing vignt. In a somewhat sharper atmosphere, the matches proceeded and the most anticipated fight came. Zakuang vs Judith. Most of the swordsmen were looking at this match which was nerve-wracking. The result was obvious, what they wanted to see was the process. Due to the flow of the matches, Zakuang wouldn¡¯t be using an aura sword and Judith¡¯s swordsmanship was considered to be amazing. In that case, maybe Zakuang would struggle more than expected. ¡®This will be fun.¡¯ Inashio Karahan smiled. Zakuang¡¯s fight style focused on aura. He liked to press down the opponent with force, making total use of his aura. In that sense, if they were fighting with pure swordsmanship, then he would have a chance of being disgraced. So, he watched with malicious eyes. Zakuang would being up soon. A few others too were muttering to themselves. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± But the man didn¡¯te. No, in the first ce he wasn¡¯t even in the waiting room. Since there were 100 people no one noticed his absence. What? A look of curiosity rose on the faces of swordsmen and the audience, and they all looked at Jarrot. Because they thought he would know it. But he too seemed confused. Frustrated he said, ¡°Damn it, why is he noting?¡¯ Everyone had the same question. 1 minute passed. Then it became 5 minutes Even after 10 minutes Zakuang didn¡¯t show up, and the official matches were happening fast and the referee began to look troubled. ¡°What is this? Zakuang will get eliminated from the match like this¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t bother.¡± At that moment the red-haired woman quietly stood up and spoke on the stage. And the referee looked at Judith. Thinking about it, it was odd. Even though the opponent didn¡¯t show up, she was standing still with a clear expression which was difficult for others to understand. Yet Judith stood there. The expert grinned like a child and said. ¡°Seems like he must have run away because he was afraid.¡± Chapter 310: Dark Horse (2)

Chapter 310: Dark Horse (2)

The first round ended. Although a lot of attention was received since they saw a lot of strong people in one ce, it was difficult to say that the people were anticipating something even now. The really exciting matches would be from Round 16 or so when the battle between the masters would start. However, if someone asked if there was nothing to see now, then that wasn¡¯t the case. Starting with Camrin Ray, who began the contest with the first fight, and the Sword Masters who weren¡¯t using their aura. The flow that started there was new. ¡°Did you hear?¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°The Masters didn¡¯t use their aura at all. There was a talk that they were doing that on purpose to test the young Sword Masters.¡± ¡°Ah! Right! I heard that too! At first, I thought that the reporters were exaggerating things again, but after asking around, it turns out it wasn¡¯t nonsense!¡¯ ¡°Right? Even in the banquet hall, the mood seemed weird.¡± A day after the first round, all the conversations in the bars and pubs were about the same topic of something happening in the banquet hall. The fact that Zakuang was not fighting against a young person like Judith who wasn¡¯t even a Master made the stories of the quarrel that urred during the banquet spread around. ¡°Well, even if Zakuang did that, Judith acted too harshly. And it seems like the pride of both of them was hurt.¡± ¡°Actually, it might be difficult for the old people to see them as contenders, I mean, they are juniors by several years, they¡¯re like children.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this the attitude of a Kkondae? If you are in yourte 40s and 50s, they are young Masters.¡±1 ¡°In a way, it is like that. And what is being done is weird, right? So, should she have decided to bow down and greet Zakuang who pissed her off? That is hard to do, isn¡¯t that why thepetition was kept¡­¡± ¡°Eh, no one really knows if what happened was intentional¡­¡± ¡°Anyway, the important thing is¡­¡± A drunken man knocked on the table and smiled. ¡°¡­ the point is that some of them who were reasonably expected to fall in the round of 32 seems to be much stronger than we thought.¡± At that, everyone looked at him and nodded their heads. It wasn¡¯t just one thing. Everyone remembered what happened yesterday. How strong Bratt Lloyd, Ilya Lindsay and Airn Pareira were and how they took down the opponent Experts. The styles were different, but all three of them were youngsters who showed off their impressive skills and proved that they weren¡¯t inferior to the other Masters. In particr, the change in Bratt Lloyd was shocking. A genius who was the fastest Master in the Gerbera Kingdom. But he wasgging inparison to Airn and Ilya who were at the height of their fame. In fact, most of them thought that Bratt Lloyd was the weakest of Masters. But such a person showed such a wonderful performance¡­ ¡®It is still early to make a hasty decision, but¡­¡¯ ¡®These three young people can make a real difference.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t know. We will have to watch more to know.¡¯ ¡®It seems clear that those guys are the dark horses of the tournament.¡¯ It was truthfully a battle between the existing veterans and the young ones with ambition. Atthe unexpected match-ups, people felt their excitement inte and they wanted the next day¡¯s matches toe faster. However, there was something they overlooked. Judith¡¯s existence. ¡°Judith? She is lucky. Zakuang was injured during practice¡­¡± ¡°But it seems nice. She won¡¯t meet a Sword Master until the round of 32? Maybe she will go up higher.¡± ¡°But to be honest, she felt a little unfriendly. If you are lucky, you should be humble but did you hear her speak? Saying the man was scared and ran away¡­¡± ¡°I heard that too, Jarrot¡¯s reaction to that was amazing, right? Well, they won¡¯t be facing each other yet.¡± ¡°It''ll be a huge thing when they meet. If it is that kind of person, then the match would be huge. Even the priests would be waiting by.¡± ¡®As expected, everyone will think that way.¡¯ Jet Frost, who was drinking, burst intoughter. He too wasn¡¯t sure what happened. He only knew that Zakuang was down after an injury during training, at least that was what was said. However, it is clear that¡­ ¡®Just because she isn¡¯t a Master yet, doesn¡¯t mean Judith is an easy opponent.¡¯ He closed his eyes and recalled the past. Her mes were stronger and hotter than the Aura sword of Masters. Just the thought was terrifying. It was someone he never wanted to face. ¡®Maybe, Zakuang was lucky¡­¡¯ Jet Frost, who thought that, got up and left. It was so much fun to have more information than others. Mumbling that, he was full of anticipation about Judith. As time passed, the second round was done. And this time there were no shocks. The winners continued to win, and the young Sword Masters also secured easy wins. To be precise, everything was decided by one strike of the sword. This is because, unlike in the first round with 128 people, everyone showed off their Aura Sword now. Woong! Jjkk! ¡°Winner, Camrin Ray!¡¯ ¡°Ray¡¯s aura sword came out!¡± ¡°Grey? Isn¡¯t that silver? What does that mean?¡± ¡°Well? It is the most basic color? It doesn¡¯t seem like anything great has been shown so far?¡± As the audience said that, the opponent expert was defeated in the blink of an eye. It seemed difficult to expect something from the Expert who was standing with a bewildered expression. People thought it would take a little more to bring out Camrin¡¯s real skills. It wasn¡¯t just him. Woong! Wooong! Wong! A feast of aura swords kepting out! As if waiting for the moment, the audience began to cheer at the Masters for showcasing the skills they had and that left the Experts frustrated. Some Experts were ones who were unable to ovee the wall of Master, so the sight pissed them off. And for some it represented hope and they thought they could learn something and cross the wall. But every few people paid attention to the losers. Whatever the purpose was, this was an arena where only the winners could survive and climb up and win. They cheered for the ones who had the skills to win right now, and not for the future. It was amon thought that those who made it to the round of 32 would have. And¡­ Finally, the match between two Masters took ce. ¡°Finally.¡± ¡°Who? Ah, Devan Kennedy and Bratt Lloyd?¡¯ ¡°Right! Devan Kennedy the strongest of the east and one of the contenders for the winning role and the star of Gerbera, the dark horse of the contest!¡± The man who was eating a chicken leg spoke with excitement. The saliva sshed all over, but no one cared. It was because they too couldn¡¯t hold back their anticipation because of the match. Of course, very few thought that Bratt would win. Devan Kennedy wasn¡¯t strong like Camrin Ray. It was also said that he was slightly weakerpared to Inashio. However, that also meant that he was closer to winning over this man. People¡¯s attention was now focused on Bratt Lloyd, and it wasn¡¯t to know his results but the opponent¡¯s level. And it wasn¡¯t just the audience. Even the contestants who were close to winning paid close attention to Devan. Through the two, they tried to infer the power of the young Sword Master and create a new n for future matches. All of a sudden, the young people became the centre of attraction of the contest. ¡°Devan Kennedy and Bratt Lloyd are on the stage!¡± And the third round started. From the round of 32, only one match would happen at a time, so all the concentration was just on that match. Anyone would feel nervous about it. So did Devan Kenndy. He was an experienced veteran, and he was familiar with noble people. Even if he had an ordinary bloodline, he was treated like a noble, but the amount of pressure he felt was weird. His gaze then turned to the young man. There was a brief silence before he spoke. ¡°I''ve heard stories of the Lloyd family''s eldest son boasting a brilliant power. But I didn¡¯t expect that to spread across the continent so quickly.¡± ¡°It is an exaggerated thing.¡± ¡°It is always a pleasure to meet good juniors. However, winning is different. Don¡¯tin about theck of mercy in my sword.¡± ¡°I will do my best.¡± After the formal conversation, the signal fell. And the fight began. Immediately afterwards, Bratt pulled out his sword in an elegant motion and stepped forward. It was a gesture to strike the swords lightly, and it also meant that he wanted to have a good match. Devan Kennedy too did the same. Unless it was a junior like Judith who changed the flow of the banquet, Devan didn¡¯t have any ill feelings for a junior like Bratt, who was a well-known noble. A warm smile formed on his lips. However, that expression was easily broken. A sharp aura from the sword flew past his sword. Wong! Swish! ¡°¡­!¡± Devan Kennedy, who was startled by it, took a step back. It was an unstable posture as if he had not anticipated this at all. Bratt was the opposite. As if he nned to do it front the start, he naturally continued the follow-up attack. The blue aura moved like a snake and tenaciously, sullenly, it aimed for the opponent¡¯s vital point. Woong! Kang! Kang! The aura sword exploded from Devan¡¯s sword as well. A brilliance of white and blue auras collided three times and both of them retreated 5 meters. The middle-aged man who gained his form used his aura sword again. And he was prepared to counterattack the opponent¡¯s advance. Spit! ¡°¡­!¡± An unexpected move! Startled by the spit towards his face, he turned to the side. He was more afraid of this than the swording at him, and his bnce was broken once again. Thanks to the fact that he widened the distance between them quickly, he got out of the attack zone, but there was still a setback in his counter and a lot of aura seemed wasted. There was an unpleasant silence. Devan Kennedy whose face went stiff said, ¡°I thought you were a polite junior, but I was wrong.¡± Bratt Lloyd answered right away. ¡°If you care too much about manners rather than victory, I will end up winning.¡± His face was full of venom and earnestness as he prepared his form. Kkondae is an expression used in South Korea to describe a condescending person. The ng noun kkondae was originally used by students and teenagers to refer to older people such as fathers and teachers.? Chapter 311: Dark Horse (3)

Chapter 311: Dark Horse (3)

Kwang! Tang! Kakaka!... Kwang! There were a series of deafening roars one after another. It wasn¡¯t a natural disaster. It was a sound made by the swords, that too wielded by humans. Of course, they weren¡¯t ordinary humans. They were monsters called Sword Masters, especially Devan Kennedy who was known to be at the highest level. And Bratt Lloyd, who wasn¡¯t being pushed back by such an existence, deserved to be called a monster too. So, the audience held their breath and focused on the match. In fact, to be precise, it wasn¡¯t Bratt who was being pushed, he was just struggling and Devan Kennedy was the best in the east. No, he was stronger than what the public expected. Another strong person who they would soon meet next was Ralph Penn, whose expression hardened. However, the young Sword Master didn¡¯t give up. Uh! He deflected the elite swordsman¡¯s ruthless upper sh. Tata! Their Aura swords collided in the process, and the stage had been shed vertically. The audience from the east frowned. Unlike the west and the central part of the continent which put a lot of emphasis on the movement of the body, the east was solely based on swordsmanship. Which was why Bratt¡¯s tricks were being criticized as shameless. ¡°If it is the Lloyd family, he should act nobly and perform dignifiedly but he is so crude.¡± ¡°Right. As it is a battle between bloodlines, I expected something more, but this¡­¡± ¡°I hope Sir Devan Kennedy wins.¡± ¡°Of course, he will. In terms of dignity and skills, he is far ahead of others.¡± Bratt was being criticized for his rude actions from the start. Therefore, those who supported the dark horse and the excitement in the crowd changed to support Devan Kennedy. However, there were those who didn¡¯t change their opinions. They weren¡¯t part of the audience but were people who knew swordsmanship. Those who were of a higher level than the contestants of the festival, were surprised at Bratt Lloyd rather than Devan. ¡°¡­ amazing.¡± ¡°Right. Truly shocking...¡± ¡°Um.¡± The strongest in the Holy Kingdom, Julius Hulplimented, and the Red Knight Commander Rigoberto rk agreed to it. Even Quincy Myers was shocked. Unlike the others, he had met Bratt Lloyd and had even taught the child. So, he knew him better than the others. Which was why it felt unusual. Bing a swordmaster in his 20s in itself was shocking, but the growth he was showing today was even more surprising. He mumbled with a faint smile. ¡°Maybe, something unexpected will happen in the first match,¡± It wasn¡¯t just them. Ian, and the other swordsmen of Krono too were happy looking at Bratt. Still, the fighting style was messy. And he did a lot of things without hesitating, but it was still all right. Blocking the view of the opponent by throwing the powder from the ground which was smashed, widening the distance to escape the crisis¡­all of them were actions which made several people boo him. But Ian, who was also watching, didn¡¯t me Bratt Lloyd. How could he criticize his disciple who was doing his very best right now? Especially going against someone 30 years older than him? ¡®Besides, it isn¡¯t about dignity.¡¯ Who is Devan Kennedy? Even though he was from the east, he had a reputation which didn¡¯t fall short of the 5 swordsman families of the west, and he was someone who had practical experiences more than Bratt. So, he was someone who could tackle Bratt despite the tricks he used. Still, him backing down meant that Bratt was doing a good job. It also meant that Bratt wasn¡¯tcking by much. ¡®Normally the odds had to be 60-40, but thanks to his wit it is a 50-50 maybe even a 40-60 too.¡¯ With this level, if he tried hard, it wouldn¡¯t be weird for Bratt to reverse the situation. So, what will the result be? Is this the end? Or will there be more to see? Ian¡¯s smile grew wider. And it was the same with Keira Finn and the other swordsmen around Ian as they looked at the stage. Meanwhile, the matchsted almost 20 minutes. ¡°Huh¡­ huh¡­¡± ¡°Huh, huh.¡± It was an intense match. Bratt cleared his breathing and Devan checked his condition. Everyone watched them, holding their breath. Even the ones who booed Bratt were now silently looking at him. The audience was no longer swearing despite the flow of the fight and the difference in skills. Rather, they wanted to apud the son of the Lloyd family who showed such a great performance despite being in his early 20s. Of course, not now. The match wasn¡¯t done yet. It was a phase where Devan could take advantage of the situation. Devan Kennedy knew not to be careless now. ¡®Do your best.¡¯ Ching! ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± A suppressed groan. The light was brighter than before. Just as it shone when they first came up the stage, a strong pressure filled everything around. It was an action which meant that Devan was ready to deliver the final blow. And Bratt Lloyd¡¯s aura, on the other hand, looked shabby. The soft, light water-like aura covered the blue sword which didn¡¯t seem to be glowing too much now, and it seemed that even handling the aura was difficult. It couldn¡¯t be helped; how can a Young Master Swordsman cover the gap of 30 years of experience? Right. Everyone thought that. But the fact that this young man in his 20s performed such things for so long meant that he had the skill to outshine even Devan Kennedy. So¡­ ¡®I will do the finale.¡¯ Bratt''s eyes lit up as he kicked the floor. Kwang! The stones below crashed, and he swung his sword. Devan was already nervous and moved his sword as well. And a boulder turned into powder in an instant. Bratt held the sword onest time and the aura spread around like it was blurring the entire stage. Facing the unexpected situation, Devan mumbled. ¡°The final attempt¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t understand this. To take away the view of the opponent like this meant to obscure his own vision. And did the young man have the skills to recover and attack? With one swing of the sword, Devan could wash away all this. Nodding his head, he readied his sword to create a strong wind. Woong! ¡°¡­¡± It didn¡¯t disappear. The achromatic wave flowing in front of his eyes was blurry and it was blocking his senses. And it wasn¡¯t just the sight. It was all his senses. A high-level swordsman like him would have a great aura which could enhance his senses and presence but now, nothing seemed to work. As if he was submerged in water, all his senses were dulled. It was a moment when something shed through his mind. Swish! Kwang! ¡°Kuak!¡± A boulder flew at him in a sh! Devan managed to block it easily but since his senses were dull it was a bit difficult to pinpoint the exact location it came from. And he thought. ¡®Water! No, a water-like aura¡­! This bastard has been secretly spreading out his aura like this!¡¯ Right. Bratt, who knew that a head-to-head fight wouldn¡¯t work, was secretly releasing his aura all around little by little not to tip off the opponent. And by the time he realized it, his senses were already blurred like he was inside water. The reason the stone dust was moving weirdly was because Bratt¡¯s aura was all around the air. Because of that, Devan was getting exhausted faster. But it didn¡¯t matter. Because he had a much better advantage than that! Whooo! Swish! Kwang! Bang! ¡°Kuak!¡± Devan Kennedy swung his sword. His form copsed little by little as if the attack was right in front of his face and with heavy steps, he staggered back. Bratt didn¡¯t miss it and kicked the stage again. He was nning to hit through therge boulder that was approaching it and he was sessful until Devan began to realize it. ¡°¡­!¡± He was deceived! Devan acted like he was copsing and retreated. It was to show a gap for Bratt to jump in and when he saw things were going as expected, he was ready. Ching! Immediately came an aura sword as if it was hoping to cut through the stone and the opponent behind it at once and Bratt didn¡¯t stop. It was a long rage stab with two hands on the sword, and he was moving his waist and keeping his spine straight, all from behind the stone! This was a gamble. However, it was an attack which could cut down the opponent too. ¡®This crazy bastard¡­!¡¯ Devan Kennedy¡¯s eyes widened looking at the face of the opponent. He was sincere. Bratt had no intention of backing down and was ready to win even if it meant death! The moment he realized that, Devan moved back. And the offense turned to defense, and he suffered losses due to that. But the important thing was that he was alive. It was the moment when he was about to yell. ¡°Huh! You lost.¡± ¡°What¡­ Um!¡± ¡°You are off stage.¡± Devan checked the floor. It was true. In the process of avoiding, it he dide down the stage. And he had a bewildered expression. ¡°Huh!¡± ¡°Referee, am I right?¡± ¡°Uh, uh¡­ ri-right.¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± ¡°This match winner is, Bratt¡­ Bratt Lloyd!¡± The dust sank down and the words resounded throughout the stadium. Bratt sat on the floor, no, hey down on the crumbled stage. He was tired and waspletely opposite to Devan who still had a lot of energy left. However, he was on the stage and his opponent was not. The people of the east couldn¡¯t hide their disappointment. ¡°¡­ haha.¡± And Devanughed. He walked up and raised Bratt up. ¡°You win.¡± ¡°Phew, Phew¡­ I apologize for the rude behavior. I did quite a lot of things to win.¡± ¡°It is a privilege a junior has. I don¡¯t mind, rather¡­¡± He looked at the audience and said. ¡°Wave your hand. Everyone is equally shocked with your performance.¡± ¡°¡­ yes.¡± Phew, phew. Bratt continued to take deep breaths. It was painful. His body felt like it was failing him. He wanted to lie down right away. Maybe rest for a week too despite receiving the healing from priests. But that won¡¯t be possible. He wasn¡¯t done yet. One more victory was needed before he could get what he wanted. He looked at the audience and raised his hand up. The magic screen was showing itpletely. Those who supported him, and those who cursed this young man, everyone cheered for him with one mind and one heart. ¡°Wow!¡± ¡°Bratt Lloyd! Bratt Lloyd!¡± ¡°Star of Gerbera!¡± ¡°Hope of the continent!¡± It wasn¡¯t just the audience. Most of the contestants too, especially Ralph Penn couldn¡¯t hide his nervousness looking at Bratt. ¡®It won¡¯t be easy.¡¯ ¡®Damn, he is still a kid in his 20s¡­¡¯ ¡®The other young ones are going to be tough!¡¯ A Dark horse. It was a title the young ones were called in the start, but eventually, the one who doesn¡¯t manage to cross the wall and loses turns out to be the real dark horse. The moment when everyone saw this, they readjusted their evaluation of Bratt Lloyd. ¡°¡­¡± It was the same even for Ilya and Judith. All of them, including Airn was now looking at Bratt from a slightly different perspective. Chapter 312: It’s different (1)

Chapter 312: It¡¯s different (1)

Airn Pareira. Ilya Lindsay. Judith. Bratt Lloyd. Among the many young people who walked the path of the sword, these people were the brightest stars. Of course, it wasn¡¯t like they were without any shorings. They all suffered simr yet different wounds and had emotional scars like normal people. All of them were moving forward for a better future, and it was no wonder that they, along with Bratt, were at an age when they faced numerous ups and downs in their lives. ¡®Still, he picked himself up¡­¡¯ ¡®Bratt. Bratt is the most mature.¡¯ ¡®Bratt¡­¡¯ Looking at their friend on the magic screen, the three people had strange expressions. It was a little different. Unlike his usual rxed atmosphere, Bratt was now staring somewhere with a slightly more intense and focused look. Unlike the other contestants and the public, the three of them looked at his inner side rather than his outer appearance. After he came off the stage, they kept thinking about him. but it wasn¡¯t like that for long. Airn, Ilya and Judith were all contestants in this contest. They couldn¡¯t sit there with intrusive thoughts messing with their heads. And the first one among the three who was called up was Ilya. The genius who reached the level of Master fastest on the continent. Kwang! ¡°¡­ Winner, Ilya Lindsay!¡± It was an easy victory. Woong! Spak! ¡°Winner, Airn Pareira!¡± It was the same with Airn. The moment the opponent saw the golden aura, they lost their fighting spirit. His opponent thought that he was lucky to have reached the Round of 32 as an expert. The middle-aged man, who kept retreating without a will to win, reflexively swung his sword at Airn and that was it. The swordsman who was waiting in the room, mumbled looking at the opponent who was leaving with a shattered sword. ¡°¡­ certainly looks stable for his age.¡± ¡°Who do you mean?¡± ¡°Both of them. You are asking such an obvious thing.¡± ¡°Right. So anyway, we will see the three of them again. The young ones.¡± ¡°Um.¡± The Masters were chatting as they nodded their heads. It wasn¡¯t known how skilled Airn and Ilya were. Their match-ups till now weren¡¯t that great and they would only face a true Master when they advanced to the Round of 16. However, the wless movement he disyed, and the well-refined Aura he wielded were confirmed in the brief second, he defeated his opponent. More than anything else, Bratt Lloyd¡¯s propaganda made them even more wary. The star of Gerbera, who was considered the weakest among the 20s Masters, showed a great level¡­ ¡°Karahan cannot help but be nervous, right?¡± ¡°Right. He must have thought that he would keep winning until the quarterfinals.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Has he heard about it yet? Inashio Karahan who was staring at the screen turned away. Of course, it didn¡¯tst long. It was because he had no intention of arguing with the words which were true. ¡®¡­ if possible. I want to protect my real skills.¡¯ Of course, he didn¡¯t think he would lose. However, the more cards he had up his sleeve, the better chance he would have to face Camrin Ray, the strongest candidate. From that point of view, it was inevitable that Airn Pareira, who had now been reborn as a more intimidating existence than initially expected, was constantly shining. ¡°Huhu, feeling a little nervous?¡± ¡°It wouldn''t be easy for a senior right? And¡­¡± Jarrot was also nervous. Of course, there was nothing people could say. Jarrot was going to meet Ilya in the quarterfinals. Above all, there was one more hurdle for him. Inashio smiled. He mouthed out Zakuang, and Jarrot¡¯s expression turned harsh. However, this didn¡¯t lead to a fight either. Their eyes turned to the magic screen that showed the stage. From there, they heard a terrifying roar. Kwang! Kwang! ¡°Kuak!¡± Whoop! ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The expressions of the contestants changed again. It was because this was I¡¯s match. As soon as the match started, she strode ahead and kicked. The opponent blocked it with their sword and that was it. The man flew back with a broken sword and even knelt on the ground coughing up blood¡­and this man was a Master, not an expert. ¡®Even the aura sword was¡­ stopped?¡¯ ¡®It wasn¡¯t stopped, but it broke the sword that had aura on it?¡¯ ¡®A master in one blow?¡¯ ¡®This¡­¡¯ Silence befell the stadium. Everyone, even Camrin Ray who wasn¡¯t shaken by Devan Kennedy¡¯s defeat now looked nervous. The face of the ck Knightmander was shown on the screen. Her lips were firmly closed. However, her voice could be heard by everyone who was watching. ¡®What do you think is the reason the Holy Kingdom is conducting the Warrior¡¯s festival?¡¯ Rumors spread around. However, no one believed it because of the gap they thought existed between the generations. Even the contestants who realized the truth were anxious. It was to the extent that no one brought up such topics. ¡°Hmm. My next opponent is pretty strong.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Judith¡¯s lively voice resounded in the heavy air. And after a while. ¡°Winner! Judith!¡± ¡°Okay!¡± She won cleanly against the top expert. That was the day that marked the real start of the festival and the contest. ¡®What is the real level of the ck Knight Commander?¡¯ ¡®No, the winner has to be I, not Camrin.¡¯ ¡®Her state is already at the level of the 5 strong swordsmen¡­ and the oue is already more or less decided.¡¯ It was the day after one person, Devan Kennedy suffered a shocking loss. The hottest topics that began to flow around included the reevaluation of the contestants in their 20s like Bratt Lloyd as well as the real skills of I. It was natural. Even though Bratt didn''t win easily, he still had the skills to take down one of the strongest people and his reputation rose up because of that. On the other hand, there was Karim Jenkins from the north, who made the orcs go silent with his strength. The man wasn¡¯t as witty as Bratt. But his power was strong, and it was a sight that would rattle even the strongest people. But such a man was taken down by I effortlessly Ilya had the youngest Swordmaster title, but the title of the greatest talent belonged to I! With such a public opinion, Ilya, Airn and Bratt had little attention. But Judith was different. It was because her next opponent was I. And this caught a lot of attention. It was the fight between the one who was considered the closest to Camrin Ray, and the only one who didn''t have the Master title among the contestants. How could people not expect a great battle! ¡°She won¡¯t die right?¡± ¡°Eh, she is themander of Holy Knights, why would she do that? It will be fine. Even Karim, who was defeated yesterday, was fine.¡± ¡°But Zakuang was strange. What was that injury which made him unable to fight? There are so many high priests waiting¡­¡± ¡°Enough talk. Let¡¯s continue with what we were talking about before¡­ uh? Since the gap is so wide, it can be very painful for an Expert to even attack a Master¡­¡± ¡°Well, it could be so.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem weird to have a nice fight.¡± ¡°But it is funny. A battle of the strong and weak¡­¡± ¡°It would have been fun if Zakuang had been there¡­¡± People felt bad for Judith. Apart from that, those who expected something more provocative from the fight didn¡¯t like this. But the red-haired swordsman didn¡¯t care. For the first time, her heart didn¡¯t move for her. It was strange. Judith, who had only lived for herself until then¡­ was now concentrating on others. She saw Bratt Lloyd and her expression hardened. ¡®¡­ it is like back to the old days when we were prospective trainees.¡¯ To be precise, there couldn¡¯t be better a example than that. At the time, Bratt Lloyd had a strong obsession with Ilya and he was always excessive during the evaluations. However, it was also true that his will to break past the limit shone in his eyes. This was why, after the final evaluation in Krono, he admitted to Judith that she was better than him. ¡®If not for pride, I would admit that Bratt was great.¡¯ But it was different now. In terms of obsession and tenacity, it was more pronounced in his eyes now rather than hers. It was like looking at her reflection in him. No, it was like seeing Ilya in the Land of Proof. That was the problem! The pain she suffered because of her obsession with I was too high. If Bratt was suffering under the pressure to defeat Airn¡­ then Judith couldn¡¯t stand it. ¡®Why is he being like that all of a sudden?¡¯ ¡®You are Bratt. You aren¡¯t me!¡¯ ¡®Why are you hurting yourself and getting caught up?¡¯ ¡®More than anyone, you are someone who walks your own path.¡¯ ¡®Then why¡­¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ As Judith thought of various things, Bratt was in front of her. He was wielding the sword. He was meditating. His face, sitting in the centre of the hall, was serious. What was he thinking? She was curious, but¡­ ¡°¡­ it won¡¯t work if I disturb him.¡± Judith turned back. She wanted to go to him¡­approach him. She wanted to ask him why he was acting like this. But she didn¡¯t have the courage to do that. Seeing him so different from how he normally was, she could barely hold tears back. She patiently moved away ready to leave him alone. Well, that was what she was trying to do. ¡°Judith.¡± The voice of her lover stopped her. She took a long breath and pushed down her emotions. After that, a voice came but trembling couldn¡¯t be avoided. ¡°Continue the training, why¡­¡± ¡°I heard the voice of the person I love, why are you here?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Did you feel it?¡± ¡°Ha, hahaha.¡± Judithughed. It was strange. She didn¡¯t know why, but his words felt reassuring. Just like that, the voice of Bratt blew away her worries. She sighed and turned around. Then approached him and hugged him tightly and then kissed him. Taking a step back with a slightly red face she said, ¡°Tell me why you are being like this.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t just simply say it. You have to make me understand it, entirely¡­ and don¡¯t think of deceiving me. Tell me everything.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­ was that too selfish?¡± ¡°Uh.¡± Bratt Lloyd,ughed and said, ¡°But it is fine. I knew you¡¯re like this when we started to date.¡± Chapter 313: It’s different (2)

Chapter 313: It¡¯s different (2)

¡°Just like that, that thought went to my head.¡± At a bench in the corner of the training hall, there were two people sitting there, looking ahead. Bratt Lloyd continued his story as he drank some water and Judith just listened to him. ¡°What I am looking for isn¡¯t to be the best swordsman, but rather, a good Lord. The sword is just a means, so I do not want to suffer from the concept of it. I do not want to be swept away and lose myself because of this unnecessarypetition. I don¡¯t want to lose my way but¡­¡± At some point, he wondered if such a thing could be used as an excuse. Bratt¡¯s voice was calm even though his mind wasn¡¯t. It was for this reason that he ruined the meeting with his dear friend, Airn. He knew very well that Airn wasn¡¯t ignoring him. But he still wanted to hit him. Even if it was too much, he too wanted to be drunk with a fighting spirit. As a swordsman, he wanted to closely follow the guy who was ahead of him and whom he never even thought of catching up to. The purpose of this contest? That was good. Family honor? That was good too. The more active he was in this contest, the greater hope he would give to the people on the continent, and that would lead to the people having positive emotions. Both his parents and brother would be proud of him. All of that was important to Bratt. But. ¡°This contest. I want to fightpletely for myself.¡± ¡°..¡± ¡°Even if it feels cowardly and undignified¡­ I want to meet Airn. And I want to win too.¡± ¡°¡­ how do you n to do that?¡± Judith mumbled the words with a sad expression. Didn¡¯t it sound like Bratt would lose? ¡®Of course¡­¡¯ He thought that it was more likely. She felt it the moment Airn stepped into the banquet. He had changed, he had really changed a lot. And it wasn¡¯t some conclusion she came up with through logic, but something she realized instinctively. He was a monster. Even if they search the entire continent there would be very few who could defeat Airn today. So, she was curious. What was Bratt¡¯s n to fight Airn? Did he have a chance to win? Or was it to just hold the sword against Airn and to feel proud? As her confusion grew, Bratt opened his mouth with a soft smile. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°¡­ ¡°Whether I win or not¡­ it doesn¡¯t matter. He and I¡­ we will always be best friends. Just like we are now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So, don¡¯t worry too much.¡± The moment she heard that, Judith realized. What was she being so anxious about? How could she be restless and impatient throughout the festival ande to Bratt''s training hall? And have a conversation like this? It was because she was worried. Because she was afraid that the rtionship between her lover and her friend would be ruined. And it was so frightening that she couldn¡¯t stand it. Embracing Bratt, she thought. ¡®¡­ I changed a lot.¡¯ Her former self wouldn¡¯t care about this. It was always her and her alone. No matter what other people said, she didn¡¯t focus on anything other than herself. So that she could be the strongest swordsman on the continent and so that she could stand on top of everyone. So, she ignored everyone around her. The thought that she was supported by others made new feelings bloom in her heart. ¡­ and as that happened, she realized that she couldn¡¯t even hold her sword when she felt concerned for others. More than anything, it was Bratt, Airn and Ilya and the hope she had that they could keep sharing a harmonious rtionship in the future. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°¡­ thanks.¡± ¡°I think it was because of you that I was able to have this courage.¡± ¡°I think I was more influenced by you.¡± ¡°Huh. So fight without regrets. This is a contest we participated in, so I need to do my best. At any cost, I need to go up till the quarterfinals. And win.¡± ¡°¡­ I will support you.¡± Several thoughts were running through her mind. However, the only thing which came out of her lips was the clich¨¦ answer of ¡®I will support you¡¯. And Bratt liked that. He stroked his lover¡¯s head with a smile and said. ¡°But why did youe here?¡± ¡°Uh? Well?¡± ¡°You should prepare for the Round of 16. Your opponent¡­ is I.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± Judith looked at Bratt. His eyes were full of concern. He had no choice but to be that way. Even if the others didn''t know, the four from Krono knew the true extent of I¡¯s skills. Because they kept meeting her. Her image like the sun in the sky was vivid in Judith¡¯s mind. ¡®And now it is stronger than ever.¡¯ But it was fine. She finally felt at ease. When the problem which kept bothering her had been resolved, it felt like she could take on the match confidently. ¡®Rather, I think I can do better than I would¡¯ve before.¡¯ Judith grinned. It was a smile to make Bratt feel confident. As her lover did for her, she too tried to do the same for him, and when she was about to say something nice. Bratt said, ¡°Get yourself together.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What is with you today? Get yourself together.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± She looked at Bratt who answered her. ¡°You had a strange expression on your face, so I hope you get it together.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t that.¡± ¡°¡­ Up.¡± Judith, who lowered her voice, grabbed her lover¡¯s hand and got up. ¡°Let¡¯s spar.¡± ¡°¡­it was just a game between us two. So please, calm down.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡¯ Wheik! With a spark of anger in her chest, she raised her sword as she looked at the blue-haired man. ¡°Come on.¡± Violent sounds of metal shing could be heard throughout the training hall in the corner tillte at night. It was mainly Judith who attacked, and Bratt just took her blows. It was an incredibly bloody date. However, in the midst of that dreadful date, both of them felt connected. Judith brushed off the burden she was carrying until then and created a purer spark, and Bratt¡¯s advice even helped her sharpen her movement. ¡°Then, bye.¡± ¡°Uh.¡± And the two of them parted in the morning. The greeting wasn¡¯t too brief nor too long. It was because they knew this wasn¡¯t the end. Because they knew they would be together forever. There was clear joy in Judith¡¯s face as she shed the worries she had for Bratt who looked different now. The curtain rose for the Round of 16. Of course, from now on all the contestants were superhumans with skills which would shock anyone, but the faces of those who reached this point after winning three victories were different from the beginning. While listening to the speech from a high priest, the audience chattered. ¡°Isn¡¯t it amazing?¡± ¡°What? Ah, right. All of them are great. They are a lot different from what I initially expected, but it is more fun this way.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± The biggest surprise was the Sword Masters in their 20s. The total number of the Masters were 24, who were participating. And most of them weren¡¯t those who reached great heights, but were those who had built a reputation for themselves for 10 to 20 years. Therefore, it was safe to say that few people expected much from Airn, Ilya and Bratt Lloyd who had made it to the Round of 16. ¡°Bratt Lloyd¡­ is quite great.¡± ¡°Right. I didn¡¯t know exactly what all happened but after listening to the exnationter I understood it. How did he manage to get such an aura at this young age?¡± ¡°Bratt Lloyd isn¡¯t the only one who can use an aura which feels like water, but he is definitely using it in a refreshing way.¡± ¡°Is Ralph Penn his opponent? Things might be a little tense.¡± ¡°Right. Devan Kennedy lost because he couldn¡¯t fight. On the contrary, seeing that Bratt¡¯s evaluation had changed now, Ralph Penn must be under a lot of stress, and¡­¡± ¡°And?¡± ¡°Inashio Karahan, that man must be under pressure as well.¡± ¡°Um.¡± ¡°That is true.¡± ¡°Probably so.¡± Everyone nodded. Inashio Karahan. Considered to be the god of the Southern part of the Continent, he was a very strong man who rose to the rank of Master at the age of 28 and had been standing tall for 20 years. The initial atmosphere of his in the tournament made people think that he would dominate over Camrin Ray and win the contest. However, Devan Kennedy¡¯ believed his own skills were a lot better. And yet he was defeated by a dark horse, Bratt Lloyd. Thanks to that, the evaluation of the young Master rose. This meant that the road to the winner position was going to be tough. ¡°We don¡¯t know how strong Airn Pareira is, but he has to be pretty strong. Even if he takes down this opponent, he would have to fight the winner of the match between Ralph Penn and Bratt Lloyd and then he might even meet Camrin Ray. And¡­¡± ¡°Right. What awaits would be I in the finals.¡± ¡°She kicked a master and took him down effortlessly¡­¡± ¡°Um, if I was Inashio I would be under stress too.¡± ¡°Right? There are no more easy matches.¡± ¡°Still, it will be fun for us to watch. It might be a little ufortable for the Southerners.¡± ¡°Right. We get to see interesting matchups and it is a good thing¡­. It¡¯s starting!¡± As soon as a person said that, everyone looked at the magic screen. On the stage, there was one middle-aged swordsman and one young swordsman. But neither of them could be ignored. It was the same with Inashio Karahan who was more prideful than anyone else. As he looked at Airn Pareira standing on the other side he thought. ¡®¡­ I made a mistake. I was prejudiced.¡¯ His gait. The breathing. And his look. His sleek movements, his facial expressions, the air around him and the other things that only a Master could effectively disy. All of that was telling him that this opponent was no child. ¡®I cannot afford to hide my skills.¡¯ Phat! ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± An intense energy poured out from his body and the eyes of those in the waiting room went wide. They couldn¡¯t know for sure since they were all watching through the magic screen, but it still felt surprising. They could feel the pressure despite not facing him directly. The power of Inashio Karahan. The unique holy power which the Karahan family had which was known throughout the continent. No, it was the strength of the person who was the strongest in the southern part of the continent! So they couldn¡¯t help but feel surprised. Phat! ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Inashio shocked the viewers with his disy and Airn¡¯s momentum seemed to be erased. Woong! There was now a golden aura soaring out from Airn¡¯s sword. A callus studded hand was holding it tightly, with the wielder¡¯s lower body and free arm stretched out wide. Finally, Inashio looked at his deep unwavering eyes that seemed to embrace everyone. ¡°¡­ you monstrous bastard!¡± The eyes were looking at someone other than Inashio. And despite knowing that, Inashio couldn¡¯t yell at the opponent who was acting cocky. His opponent who was the new dark horse. No, another winner candidate¡­ Airn Pareira finally began to show off his skills. Chapter 314: It’s different (3)

Chapter 314: It¡¯s different (3)

The capital of Avilius, the Holy Kingdom where the Warrior¡¯s Festival was being held. ¡°Will it be fine¡­¡± Amelia Pareira, Airn¡¯s stepmother, whispered. Even she, who was a novice to the sword, knew his strength well. But his opponent was Inashio Karahan. While all of the people Airn dealt with so far were experts, Inashio was a man who had been a Master for more than 20 years. As a parent, it was a situation which would cause worry. And not surprisingly, Harun Pareira was also concerned because of it. ¡°Since he worked this hard, we have no choice but to support him.¡± He managed to say those words. But it was unavoidable that his heart was feeling weak. He had no desire for his son to gain more fame or rise to a higher position. Rather, his only desire was for his son toe out of the contest without getting hurt. ¡®It was fine to lose, so don¡¯t get hurt,¡¯ was what he wanted to say. When both the wife and husband were looking at their son with the same thoughts. ¡°What are you talking about! Of course, he will win.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Kirill! You¡­¡± ¡°No, I am not saying this just to lighten the mood, but because brother will definitely win! Okay? No, don¡¯t look at me like that!¡± Kirill had a frustrated expression. It was because both her parents were looking at her as if she was a child. But, she was sure. She wasn¡¯t really aware of swords because she was a sorcerer, but it was also for that reason that she understood and was convinced that her brother would win. And it was the same with her brother. Her brother¡¯s swordsmanship was special which required mental training as much as physical body training, and in a way, it also happened because he was half sorcerer. So, she knew. Because she could feel it. Because they were close, she was more certain of this than anyone. Her brother was now really strong and was iparable to any ordinary Master. Paht! At that moment, a golden pir erupted from Arin¡¯s sword. The force from it leaked out for everyone to feel, and the expression of the audience changed as they felt it. Their faces were dark, but it was not because they were under pressure. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°..¡± It was the same with the Pareira couple. Even though the distance between the stage and the ce where the audience were seated was far, even those who didn¡¯t know about the swords¡­ ¡­they could feel it. Their son, the son they were proud of. The fact that he was stronger than they thought. ¡°I told you! You don¡¯t have to worry!¡± ¡°Um¡­ sorry, Kirill.¡± ¡°I too, you are normally always like this so¡­¡± ¡°Mother! What do you mean by saying I¡¯m normally¡­ I am no longer a child! And when I was younger, I wasn¡¯t doing such things either!¡± ¡°I cannot agree with that.¡± ¡°Sigh, father¡­¡± Kirill bowed her head. And immediately looked back up so that she didn¡¯t lose sight of her handsome brother. She mumbled, with sparkling eyes. ¡°If the stupid cat was here, she would have been better at this.¡± Where did that brat go? Surely, Lulu promised toe on time. Kirill grumbled a little more. But soon stopped. So did the Pareira couple. All three of them looked at the match as if they were possessed. Everything happened so fast that they couldn¡¯t see anything, yet they couldn¡¯t take their eyes off him. And it wasn¡¯t just them. The first match of the round of 16. Everyone who was watching the match gasped without even breathing properly. Wong! Woong! ¡°Phew.¡± There was wind. A powerful, terrifying, and heavy sword which seemed like it would destroy everything was being used to defend against the attacks which came pouring in. Although the attacks were heavy, there was no gap. Even an ordinary person, no, even an expert could perform difficult movements which were difficult to digest and understand, but they all would reach a point where their bnce would copse eventually. But now, even though the attacks were heavy, Airn¡¯s movements were slow and steady. The appearance of Airn was simr to a giant in molten iron expanding his territory by pushing inside forcefully. ¡®Crazy! He is really crazy!¡¯ Inashio thought. He thought that this match wouldn¡¯t be too hard. He had rebuked himself for being deceived by the age of his opponent and when he saw his skills, Inashio even tried to adjust to it. Even if he was stronger than Devan Kennedy, he was convinced that it wouldn¡¯t be too surprising, and went on the stage with a firm heart. But¡­ Airn¡¯s sword and his eyes which were focused on him, kept advancing towards him like a steel giant as if he was fulfilling his desire to deliver the promised ruin onto him. Inashio Karahan felt that it was difficult to handle. His form moved left and right continuously. Woong! Tung! Kwang! ¡°Ack¡­!¡± He avoided, hit, and blocked. In that small duration, he tried to not give in too much space to the opponent. Instead of stepping back, he tried to turn to the side, all the while ring at Airn to figure out his weaknesses. His movement wasparable to how a swift snake would move through the bushes. In fact, his swordsmanship was known to be like that. Moving secretly and swiftly, neutralizing the enemy¡¯s attacks at the right opportunity. While slipping away by a slight difference, he would cut the body of the opponent with his sword which swiftly brushed past them. He would cut them. Continuously. It didn¡¯t have to be a fatal wound or something. Because even small wounds which get umted would eventually bring defeat to the opponent. It was better to go safe and steady instead of rushing in recklessly. ¡®Everyone knows that.¡¯ Taking a heavy breath, Inashio Karahan thought. Things aren¡¯t going well. He resisted the heavy pressure of Airn and was busy moving his body trying to not back down. He tried to make up for the loss of space, and even tried to bring in more space by trying to move forwards. However, everything was in vain. He had no choice but to admit it. This young man¡¯s movements were better than his own. He was being pushed back just by the basics that the man possessed! That too, it was by someone who was 20 years younger than him! He felt heartbroken, and he thought that it was horrible and a great injustice. Something he hadn¡¯t felt in a long time. But he still had a trump card which could turn the situation around. ¡®My sword¡­ is a snake.¡¯ Inashio took a step back and mumbled to himself. Right. It was the snake. He didn¡¯t care one bit if others looked down on him as someone who was sneaky and untrustworthy or if people spread things about him. On the contrary, he attained enlightenment. Beyond the simple slippery evasive movement of a snake, the deadly poison of the snake was also put into his sword. The moment his sword cuts the opponent¡¯s skin, the aura which entered the body would quickly spread and crack the body. ¡®It doesn''t matter if the wound is deep or shallow. All I need to do is touch them. Right. As long as I can touch¡­.¡¯ And that was the problem. Inashio Karahan looked at his opponent. He did his best to find the gap in the opponent¡¯s movements¡­even the slightest gap could be taken advantage of. But NO. The opponent¡­the way he moved and the way he stood, it was full of bnce and stability, and he continued to firmly block the attacks. It seemed that the opponent wouldn¡¯t be shaken even if Inashio gave his all to every attack of his. The moment he made up his mind regarding that, the snake seemed to take root on the ground and show a tougher appearance. Yes, it is not in the usual way of a snake. If the fangs of the snake couldn¡¯t approach the enemy in a normal way, he would try using the body to reach them. The man who had a poisonous heart began to pour out a formidable power into the sword¡­ Tsuuuu! An unusual and unpleasant sound resounded throughout the stage. It wasn¡¯t just strengthening the Aura Sword. And when he gave more energy to the sword than he could handle, the sword of Inashio changed from green to ck-green. The de trembled with a scream and gave out a dangerous feel. ¡°Phew.¡± Airn didn¡¯t feel impatient despite seeing that. He didn¡¯t push ahead to corner the opponent nor did he retreat back in fear. Slowly, using the spirit of the tree and earth, his energy took root in the ground and turned into a thousand-year-old giant tree. And it didn¡¯t end there. The energy of steel filled his greatsword. It wasn¡¯t an energy refined by fire. But a clunky, heavy energy which represented in full the heaviness iron would have and with that, he drew a circle. Kwang! Immediately after that, Inashio¡¯s attack flew in. His sword, which couldn¡¯t handle his own energy, was destroyed and the metal fragments scattered with aura on them. In the process, the hand which cast the technique was injured, but the power of the de shards which was shot ahead was extreme. Tatatata! A loud roar which seemed to tear the ears apart swept through the stage. Everyone In the ce covered their eyes, and those who were watching the match on the magic screen frowned. Some talented people jumped up from their seats to stop the flying fragments. Jet Frost was one of them. But the result. There was no need for that. Woong! Not a single fragment went through. The slightest aura. Everything from the opponent was blocked by the golden shield through which even the fragments couldn¡¯t break through. Seeing the aura energy of Airn made up of such densely refined aura, Inashio burst into a chuckle. He drew the spare sword he had on the back with his left hand, but he had no courage to wield it. And he said, ¡°I admit defeat.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s my loss. You have won, Airn pareira.¡± After being polite, the man left the stage without another look to the back. The referee, who came upte, called out the winner¡¯s name, and at the same time, the audience who were too engrossed in the match, started chanting Airn¡¯s name. ¡°Airn Pareira!¡± ¡°Airn Pareira!¡± ¡°Airn Pareira! Airn Pareira!¡± ¡°Woahhh! Ahhh!¡¯ It was truly madness. For those who didn¡¯t know of the sword and for those who knew the sword too, the result of this match came as quite a shock. In addition to being stronger than expected, he even blocked Inashio¡¯s trump card. It wasn¡¯t just overwhelming the opponent with the basics, but Airn showed off the Aura Shield which is said to be exclusive for the Holy Kingdom¡¯s Pdins! This was a much more difficult skill than Aura Sword. Unlike putting energy into the sword, it was several times more difficult to form a refined Aura in the air. It wasn¡¯t just that. Compared to the Aura sword which had a shape close to a line, the Aura Shield was round. In other words, the amount of aura required was vastly different. So, everyone was shocked. It was an unprecedented event which was bound to make the audience excited! However, for Airn Pareira who did all that, he wasn¡¯t excited by their reaction. At first, his gaze was focused on one person, and he didn¡¯t let himself get disturbed. It was upsetting, but the person wasn¡¯t Inashio, who was his opponent for the match. Rather, it was his close friend, Bratt Lloyd. ¡®Do you know what bothered me the most when I was obsessed with I for a long time? Even if I was coughing up blood, the fact that the other person wasn¡¯t conscious of me hurt the most.¡¯ He remembered what Ilya told him the day before. The first thing he felt was awkwardness. For him, who still had a long way to go ording to his thoughts, the fact that he was bing someone¡¯s target didn¡¯t feel right. But. ¡®But Bratt is being serious, and I know that.¡¯ And that was the reason Airn was showing his best. Inashio Karahan was indeed a formidable talent, but more than that, it was proper to respond to Bratt¡¯s sincerity. He raised his sword in the hope that he could do his best for his precious friend and continue their rtionship in the future. He was firm-hearted. ¡®I see you, Bratt.¡¯ That was the only thing he could tell Bratt with the audience watching. He must be watching Airn too. And he hoped that he would feel the sincerity that Airn¡¯s eyes held. It was when he was trying to ry that. ¡°Move away, bastard.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°From now, this is Miss Judith¡¯s stage.¡± Another precious friend of his, who climbed onto the stage, talked with a smile. Chapter 315: The Limit (1)

Chapter 315: The Limit (1)

¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The contestants who were waiting in the room were filled with silence as usual. They couldn¡¯t help it. During the first and the second rounds of the contest, nothing too special happened, but after that came continuous surprises. The result of this match was also surprising. Inashio Karahan, who became a Sword Master in his 20s, and was famous in the Southern part of the continent had copsed. Was it because he showed poor skills? No, it wasn¡¯t that. Simr to the match of Bratt Lloyd vs Devan Kennedy, was he swayed under the pressure of the opponent¡¯s spirit? It wasn¡¯t that either. Did he sumb to their skill? Was he pushed back by the opponent¡¯s force? The pure gap between the two. It drove the Southern deity into defeat and led Airn Pareira to victory.1 Camrin Ray of the Ray family, closed his eyes to remember the final part of the match. ¡®Aura Shield¡­¡¯ Aura Shield was an advanced technique that most Masters couldn¡¯t do¡­even the pdins who were blessed by the Gods have a tough time pulling it off. Something like that was done so effortlessly. It didn¡¯t take a long time for Inashio Karahan to use his trump card. In that brief moment, the amount of Aura Airn raised and refined was¡­ ¡®It won¡¯t be easy¡­¡¯ He closed his eyes and then opened them to look at the screen. He looked at the face of the young Sword Master. However, the eyes of that person weren¡¯t that of an inexperienced Master. Who were those eyes looking at? Was it for him or I? If not¡­ As he thought about all those things, he heard the sound of someone jumping up from their seat. Judith. Among those who made it till here, she was the only one who was still an Expert. And with a cheery voice, she said. ¡°Now it is time for me to show myself!¡± It didn¡¯t feel like she was shocked by what she saw or burdened by her own opponent. With that, the red-haired swordsman left the waiting room and went up the stage. And the magic screen showed Airn Pareira having a flustered expression. It was a funny situation. However, no one could smile at it. ¡®What is she up to?¡¯ ¡®¡­ I am curious.¡¯ ¡®Seems like a weird kid?¡¯ Where the heck did that confidencee from? Although these were themon thoughts of most of the contestants, they weren¡¯t ignoring the skills of Judith. At the age of 22, she reached the limit of Expert. Considering that most Masters reached the Master level in their 50s, she had a bright future. It could also be said that these young people were showing the purpose of the contest. However¡­ ¡®Even if that was the case, to show that face in the Round of 16¡­¡¯ Maybe it is because she has something hidden? It was an absurd thought. No matter how strong an expert was, it was still an expert. And clearly, the difference was felt in the 1st round. Although the Sword Masters didn¡¯t use aura, the Experts couldn¡¯t hold a candle to them. Yet, the reason why the contestants were curious about Judith was because she was different from the others, and she was here despite the gap between an Expert and a Master. And especially because her opponent was the ck Knight Commander, I Crescentia. Step step. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The woman got up from her seat. Wearing the ck knight''s armour as usual, she looked unshakable. However, something felt different. I¡¯s expression in this match was different from the matches she had before. Seeing the back of her walking away, Jarrot mumbled. ¡°Damn it. What was that¡­¡± He didn¡¯t like it. Judith, whom I Crescentia seemed to consider at a high level, and the contestants who were concentrating on the screen seeing her that serious. Even more annoying was that they could be one of the contestants who would go against her. Jarrot was looking at the situation wide-eyed. As he looked at the young swordsmen climbing onto the stage, he thought. ¡®Zakuang, what happened to you?¡¯ ¡®You are a fool.¡¯ ¡®Sorry?¡¯ ¡®Fool. A fool. A person full of shorings.¡¯ ¡®Wait, why are you suddenly swearing?¡¯ ¡®Compared to the other talents. Like I, Ilya and people like¡­ Airn.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ ¡®If you are aiming for the position of one of the ten swordsmen, you will be furious when you hear that, but if you are aiming to be the best in the continent, learn to ept defeat humbly. Compared, to the impable swordsmen whock nothing in any way, you on the other hand, arecking in every way. You don¡¯t seem to know that you are a fool because you are too proud of yourself. So, I will have to exin it to you one by one.¡¯ The words which came after that were enough to break Judith¡¯s heart. Too proud of herself? That was true, but rather, she realized that everything her teacher Khun said was true. Not to mention the 6 steps of Aura operation, there were many more things which Judithckedpared to real geniuses like the sophistication of her swordsmanship, and the stability in movement. Evenpared to her lover Bratt, right now, she was desperately running for a position at the top. ¡®However, just because you have a lot of ws doesn¡¯t mean you are weak.¡¯ ¡®What? You have been swearing at me all this time¡­¡¯ ¡®It means that you don¡¯t have to try and be perfect in all aspects. Humans whock talent but are greedy like you and me should know this. We should know what we are good at. No, not what you are good at, but what you are the best at. And without listening to another, we should grind it, polish it further and further, and cling to that one thing.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ ¡®One strong advantage which can hide all your ws. That is the direction people like us should pursue.¡¯ ¡°That is right.¡± Judith remembered her teacher¡¯s words and nodded. At first, it was hard to hold back her anger. She wanted to talk back to him and tell him that the biggest weakness was to give up on something without even trying. However, she couldn¡¯t¡­ It was because she realized how desperate her teacher had to be to use his speed as his main trait. It was something which no one in the continent could do or match up to¡­ his extremely sharpened skill in that area. ¡®Your limits are above mine, no, it is safe to say that you have no limits.¡¯ ¡®There is a limit to the speed a human body can achieve. Physical limitations. As long as we are tied to it, it is inevitable.¡¯ ¡®But you are different.¡¯ ¡®What is ring within you.¡¯ ¡®The me.¡¯ ¡®It has no limits. You can get it all the time and forever.¡¯ The words from her teacher the day she was defeated by Airn Pareira. It was then that Judith began to focus on the mes within her. Even before that, she was defining her style with the me, but this was the first time she wasmitted enough to focus on one thing alone and abandon the other things. She couldn¡¯t be a Master. And that was why she didn¡¯t need to follow the path of a Master. There was no need, and she couldn¡¯t afford it right now. What she could do was concentration and manifestation. ¡®No¡­ diffusion.¡¯ Judith thought to herself, and a fierce fire erupted. Wheik! Judith continued to kindle the fire on the stage until she heard the call from the referee. She fed it with the sadness and resentment she had since her childhood. She fed it with things like the joy of entering Krono and used everything she could as firewood. There were many things which would help her ignite the fire. The sense of inferiority which had built up within while she looked at Airn and Ilya during that time. The fighting spirit she obtained because of the sense of inferiority, the poison, the obsession, and the madness which fueled her. ¡®Of course, the road you are walking is unstable, and you probably won¡¯t be able to have the same heart against every opponent.¡¯ She epted that. Judith couldn¡¯t act the same way to a child on the road. Pouring the heat towards a weak person wouldn¡¯t satisfy her either. It was because her heart wouldn¡¯t agree with such actions. From that viewpoint, Zakuang was the best opponent to show off her strength. Every time the man threw out curses by looking at her face, the me in her heart doubled and tripled. Looking back now, fighting him was the time she felt like she was the strongest. Looking ahead, Judith nodded. Wheik! At that moment, the me within her grew bigger. I was such a person. She was someone who emitted such intense light that it made it impossible for the other person to lift their head around her. But it was something which also set fire to the hearts of those who could endure it. The sun in the sky burns so intensely that anyone who looks at it, might chase after it or even want to touch it. It was the best match-up. From Judith¡¯s body, an unrefined force burst out like an explosion. ¡°St-start!¡± The referee who was scared, fell on his butt and got down the stage hurriedly as he announced the start. At the same time, mes rose from Judith¡¯s sword. The energy that had umted and was suppressed was released at once. The sword in red, which contained immense power turned yellow and white like the sun. ¡®I don¡¯t need an Aura Sword or things like that!¡¯ Aura? Shecked it. Aura refining? She didn¡¯t know it well. Not to mention the hardening and the blooming of the senses, she was short of everything that a Master needed. She was too busy taking care of her own body condition to care about the senses to look around. And to be honest, just controlling the energy which was running wildly. Compared to the Masters who were ustomed to handling the Aura from their hands to their feet and more, her Aura operation wascking. But it was violent¡­ and shocking. The ignorant and savage heat radiating from her harbored emotions along witht the fear that she could destroy everything. The wild and fearful energy which went against the history of swordsmanship that had been refined over the course of thousands of years, made everyone tremble. It was the same with I The moment she saw what was happening on the sword, every little carelessness she had flew away in an instant. This had to be stopped! She hardened her face and put strength into her feet. However, she didn¡¯t move right away. ¡°¡­!¡± There was a huge overbearing fear of mes which could be felt right away. The time it took for the me to spread to her was very short. Judith¡¯s sword with extreme heat collided with I¡¯s Sword. Kwaaaang! ¡°Kuak!¡± ¡°Ack!¡± ¡°Kuk¡­!¡± There was a terrifying roar around them. Jia Runtel who was anxious opened a magic barrier ahead and yet, the sound was hurting her ears. Holy King sighed in relief and said, ¡°Thanks.¡± But the King of Runtel didn¡¯t respond. What caught her eye was I Crescentia who had barely stopped at the end of the stage, leaving a long trail in the ground. And then she looked at Judith, the only expert in this round who had now copsed onto the floor from exhaustion. ¡°¡­ the world of swords is quite interesting.¡± Several people had entered her vision. Most of them were the old Masters, who had been joking about the juniors in the tournament and making fun of them. All of them were now standing up. Not a single person was sitting anymore. Referred to as deity because he is the strongest in the Southern part of the continent and thus considered a God.? Chapter 316: The Limit (2)

Chapter 316: The Limit (2)

¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The room where the contestants were waiting turned a lot quieter than at the beginning of the contest. There, the contestants who were watching the match remained silent at the unexpected sight that unfolded before them with serious expressions. Who was the luckiest among the 128 swordsmen who were participating in the contest? Most people thought it was Judith. Although it was true that she had great skills for her age, she was still someone who couldn¡¯t enter the Master stage. They thought it was natural for her to fall immediately after meeting a Sword Master. In the midst of such thoughts, the first master she was supposed to face, Zakuang, was absent due to an injury. It wasn¡¯t just that. She came into the Round of 16, and as if she was blessed by the Goddess of Luck, she didn''t meet a single Master the entire time. So everyone thought that she would undoubtedly fail during her match with I. And the results were simr to what everyone expected. Judith, who copsed in the middle of the stage from exhaustion, couldn¡¯t get up. It seemed like she had lost consciousness, and even when the referee approached her, she didn¡¯t move. If somebody saw her state now, they would think that she suffered a one-sided defeat, but in reality, that wasn¡¯t the case. One step. Just one more step. If Judith¡¯s blow had been a little stronger, I would have been pushed out of the stage. It didn''t matter if she was the protagonist or not; that was the rule of this contest. An attack strong enough to push back a Master to such an extent. It wasn¡¯t a power that originated from Aura. It was an unknown power that even the contestants who had made it to this Round had never experienced. Even Camrin Ray didn¡¯t understand this situation. ¡®Even though she didn¡¯t reach the Master level¡­¡¯ ¡®Giving out an attack stronger than a Master¡¯s.¡¯ ¡®A me? It was like a me. It was unrefined but it was exploding wildly¡­ like a volcano bursting!¡¯ ¡®It was just a little short of reaching the sun in the sky¡­¡¯1 It was genuinely something that was so close toing true. Next time, once she had grown more, it could actually happen! And that possibility left a strong impact on everyone. Seeing the Expert who broke through the limits the world had set, even Jarrot gulped. ¡°Haha¡­¡± ¡°Wasn¡¯t it said that she was a disciple of Khun for about 2 and a half years? Amazing.¡± ¡°I did feel that her sword was different from general swordsmen, but¡­¡± ¡°I think we were all too stuck following stereotypes.¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± The level of swordsmanship in the continent had been raised, and the western swordsmen mumbled. Right. They were more than spectators, more than contestants; they were all equally shocked at Judith''s performance. What is swordsmanship? Furthermore, how many stages were swordsmanship divided into? Such things didn''t exist a thousand years back, but they surely existed now. It was standardized to a point where anyone with an interest in swords could recite it by heart. Beyond the level of a beginner who uses a sword for the first time, a sword beginner was one who knows how to use their body properly. A sword user was someone who deals with mystical powers of their inner universe beyond just physical aspects like their sword and body, and is at a stage to learn the first half of the six steps in aura operation. ¡®After that, if one can widen their senses through Aura and freely manipte the energy of their body through refining their five senses, then the path till the end of a Sword Expert will open. If on walks till the end of that road andpletes it by maximizing the six concepts, especially centering on manifestation and concentration¡­ then it can be said that one has reached the level of Master.¡¯ This is the way of the sword and the way of a swordsman made by the heroes who lifted the dark veil from the continent over a thousand years ago. Although it was known that the Orc races trained their Aura in a different way, it wasn¡¯t much different. In the end, it is all Aura. And the Aura Sword, which contains highly refined energy that a swordsman can give out, reigns above all the other techniques. And everyone believed it without a doubt. No one thought of searching for a different path. Except for one person. One of the best swordsmen on the continent and someone who personified the word ¡®entric.'' Khun. ¡®Now¡­ there are two irregrities.¡¯ The Masters, the ones who held their faith in their swords, looked at the unconscious Judith with trembling eyes. The total amount of Aura within her was insufficient, and the strengthening and hardening steps were also below a satisfactory level. It must have been because the blooming step was iplete. Because in order to control the Aura, one needed all their five senses to work at the extreme. In her situation, it was difficult to control her own self, so the woman simply didn¡¯t care about the others. It could be said that what Judith did now was something that involved a lot of risk. But the cost was clear. The intensely ¡®concentrated¡¯ heat which was capable of melting everything in the world. The energy which exploded so violently. It was the representation of a barbaric force that couldn''t be refined. Her swordsmanship was her unique identity that couldn¡¯t be disyed by the modern swordsmanship, which had been polished for over a thousand years. ¡°Senior Khun raised a monster.¡± ¡°I thought he wouldn¡¯t be able to raise a disciple because of his personality, but I guess that wasn¡¯t the case.¡± ¡°Breaking past the limits of modern swordsmanship¡­ will that be exaggerating what we just saw?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t this mean there is another person who deserves the title of the best teacher in the continent?¡± ¡°Hm, I don¡¯t know about that.¡± One of the swordsmanship school¡¯s masters objected. There was no need to further exin. It was because everyone knew where the person who fought the first match in the Round of 16 belonged to. ¡®Airn Pareira¡­¡¯ ¡®That kid is amazing.¡¯ ¡®An existence that has already reached a realm that even I cannot evaluate.¡¯ ¡®I have no choice but to just watch and admire.¡¯ The young Sword Master, Airn Pareira, who proved that he was strong enough for others to give up on evaluating him. There was a period of silence among the people as they thought of him. Bang! On the stage, the sound echoed. Bang! Bang! Kwang! Bang! It continued to ring and echo. It was Judith. The sound of her smashing her fists into the floor. It wasn¡¯t too loud. Having exhausted most of her energy, she didn¡¯t have the strength to even properly clench her fists. Blood was running down her fists, which subsequently turned the stage red. It was like a child throwing a tantrum. However, the contestants who saw that, felt goosebumps on their bodies. ¡®She was really¡­¡¯ ¡®¡­thinking of winning.¡¯ ¡®Crazy girl¡­!¡¯ Thepetitive spirit, the fighting spirit, her longing for victory, and her anger from defeat. They were all essential elements for the growth of a swordsman. Of course, there were some people who were free from it, but most swordsmen practiced to rise above others. And this was an incredible motivator for people. However, such emotions were nothing in front of some existences. Beings who were far above them in skill and power. Ordinary people would fall into despair when they see a huge mountain that was impossible to climb. Since such existences lived in a world different from theirs. She bowed her head and didn¡¯t look up. ¡®Damn it!¡¯ Judith couldn¡¯t do it. Rather than giving up because the tree was tall or the mountain was impossible to climb, she thought it would be better to climb one mountain at a time and then look at another mountain to climb after that. She truly believed that. To do that, she couldn¡¯t be bowing down like this. ¡°Phew. Phew.¡± The red-haired swordsman got up and walked ahead. Her hand was still dripping blood, and a red haze was rising from her shoulders and above her head. Even the sword she was holding was making her look scary. In fact, some people even trembled as they watched Judith on the magic screen. ¡°Next time¡­ I¡¯ll reach you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So, be on your toes.¡± It was a cheeky remark thrown at the candidate who was expected to be the winner of this festival. But no one was taken aback by it. ¡°¡­ I look forward to it.¡± I Crescentia epted it with a smile on her face. Judith passed by her with an expression that said she wasn''t happy and went down the stage slowly. However, the ce the red-haired swordsman headed for wasn¡¯t the treatment room. It was the ce where the contestants who were waiting for the next match were sitting. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Why here?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®That brat, what is she up to?¡¯ All the contestants were on their toes. It was even more so with Jarrot. Jarrot was close to Zakuang, so he was concerned about this Expert that they made fun of. The one who was walking towards him, looking so different from the past. It was strange. Of course, there were a lot of people who were worried. She was the only Expert in the Round of 16, and they were all on edge after looking at her formidable attack. And Judith''s appearance right now wasn¡¯t normal. She waspletely exhausted, and just one bump on the shoulder would send her falling. But no one ignored her. They were even embarrassed to make eye contact with her. Then there was the heat. It was still burning wildly, and it seemed like a me that wanted to cover the whole world. Only Bratt Lloyd could handle it. ¡°Win.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Whether it be a cowardly move or something which makes othersugh¡­ don¡¯t mind it. Win. Round of 16 and the Round of 8 too." ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Then, bye.¡± Judith left the waiting room after tapping Bratt on the shoulder. Despite that, the room stayed silent. And Jarrot¡¯s face was clearly shocked, but he said nothing. Instead, he released his anger on his next opponent. ¡°Jarrot, Winner!¡± ¡°Winner, Ilya Lindsay!¡± ¡°Winner, Camrin Ray!¡± The rest of the matches finished quickly. Jarrot and Camrin Ray won easily, and Ilya, too, defeated her opponent without much effort. Her match was great, but not many people were surprised by this anymore. At this point, it felt obvious. Three of the four people in their 20s did an amazing job, so it was strange to feel shocked at just her performance anymore. And then came the final match of the Round of 16. Ralph Penn, a man from the east, vs. Bratt Lloyd, the best dark horse. The audience looked forward to this unpredictable match, and Ralph Penn was also burdened with the interest of thousands of people. He wasn¡¯t able to calm down. It was because of Judith. He was sure that even he, who devoted his body and mind to the sword for decades, couldn''t beat her. It felt like his stiff body couldn¡¯t rx. ¡°¡­¡± Bratt was the opposite. A stream of water that flowed calmly and leisurely. It didn¡¯t work even if he tried to force the speed of the water down, and sometimes it felt like a frustrating wave. All that was thanks to what Judith told him. Whop! His wildly exploding emotions created multiple waves before finally resulting in a tsunami. The eldest son of the Lloyd family had a determined expression on his face and raised his sword. ¡°Come on.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± A lot of time passed, and the result was out. Bratt Lloyd won. I Crescentia, who was watching it till the end, headed to her training hall with a strange look. Referring to I.? Chapter 317: The Water Sword (1)

Chapter 311: The Water Sword (1)

A swordsmanship contest that attracted the attention of people since the event was confirmed ¡ªthe Warrior''s Festival. It wasn''t enough that more than 20 Sword Masters were participating in one ce, but even those who were likely to be in the top ten of the future had gathered here. People from all over the world flocked to the holy kingdom to see their wonderful performance. The Ray family member, Camrin Ray! The southern deity, Inashio Karahan! The elite swordsman of the East, Devan Kennedy! And the pride of the Holy Kingdom, I Crescentia! The audience would quarrel over the swordsman who would make it to the top and make their hearts pound. Who will win, and who will advance to the top? It was a contest held in the interest of the people of the continent. The roster for the quarterfinals were fierce contests and showed very different things from what the public thought. ¡°To see three of the contestants in their 20s make it here¡­¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we say that it is four people? I is still in her early 30s, right?¡± ¡°Judith¡¯s situation was a bit unfortunate. If she hadn¡¯t met a winning candidate, maybe she would have made it here too¡­¡± ¡°I know. Wasn¡¯t she just an Expert? Just what was that blow?¡± ¡°Right. From what I heard, it wasn¡¯t an Aura Sword.¡± ¡°Well, it was still amazing. This ispletely different from what we expected.¡± Right. It was entirely different. However, if this meant that people weren¡¯t looking forward to the next matches, then that wasn¡¯t true. Rather, it was the other way around. The dazzling performance of the 20-year-old swordsmen who were defeating people in their 40s and 50s! It was something that best worked with the purpose of the contest. If one was curious about the future of the continent, then now, it wasn¡¯t too difficult for people to look up to these youngsters. People were enthusiastic about the performance of the young ones who were gifted enough to be part of the ¡®Golden age of Swordsmen¡¯ in history. Stories of Airn, Bratt, Ilya, and Judith were constantly written in articles. And at some point, people began to consider the fact that I would be winning instead of Camrin Ray. And¡­ ¡®There is one more person who has grown in poprity as much as the young people these days.¡¯ Elf reporter, Hinz put his pen down and took a sip of coffee. The article he was writing was about that person. Although the person didn¡¯t participate in the contest, he had a greater influence on the contestants than others. He was already pretty famous, but with everything that was happening, he was gaining even more fame. ¡®School Master Ian¡­ what kind of monsters did you raise?¡¯ The Master of Krono, Ian. A famous swordsman, but even more famed as a teacher. Krono Swordsmanship School is regarded as the best in the world, beating the swordsmen in the west, and consequently, Ian gained more fame for it. Considering the good influence he had cultivated and spread across the continent, it wouldn¡¯t be an exaggeration to call him the best teacher of the continent. ¡®And his fame¡­ will soar to an all-time high after thispetition.¡¯ I Crescentia. Ilya Lindsay. Judith. Bratt Lloyd And Airn pareira. Among the five people who were the hottest topic of the continent now, none of them were swordsmen who didn¡¯t pass through the hands of Ian at a point in their career. Although I and Ilya were only in Krono for a year¡­Judith too was under Khun now, but it couldn¡¯t be said that they didn¡¯t receive Ian¡¯s help. In fact, all three of them, including I, who had great pride, had mentioned that they were indebted to Ian. Not to mention Bratt and Airn. They were the geniuses who represented the 27th Golden Batch. A lot of people were looking forward to seeing what the two of them would disy in the quarterfinals, having defeated Devan Kennedy and Inashio Karahan. ¡®Well¡­ most expected Airn to win, but¡­¡¯ One can never know, especially with this contest having too many surprises. Hinz mumbled while drinking the coffee. What are the thoughts of the teacher who is watching this happen? Is he happy with the way his students grew? Or was he feeling sorry for the fact that one side would have to fail? It was unknown and couldn¡¯t be imagined. Grinning, Hinz picked up his pen. He still had many things to write. ¡°¡­¡± At the same time, under the deepening night of the Holy Kingdom. The old man who was about to go to his favorite disciple¡¯s training hall was unable to do so, and turned away. ¡®Will it be fine?¡¯ As Sword Master Ian dyed meeting his disciple, Ilya didn¡¯t stop moving towards Bratt¡¯s hall. His exact condition was unknown, but she could guess it. Because it had happened once before to her. ¡®The thought of wanting to surpass someone turns into an obsession¡­ and there is nothing more painful than that.¡¯ Ilya recalled her past. There was a time in her life when all she wanted was to be on the top. She thought that she couldn''t win against I unless she reached such a stage. She remembered walking on that thorny road, shunning away helping hands. And she remembered the figure of her lover who stopped her. ¡®¡­ I cannot be as good as Airn.¡¯ She lived most of her life with a narrow mind. She didn¡¯t think that she would be able tomunicate with others with such gentle and innocent feelings like a child¡­she didn¡¯t think that she would be able to understand the feelings of others. But she was going to try. Even if she woulde out as inexperienced, she was going to do her best for Bratt. Her friend. In order to alleviate the suffering he must be going through¡­ ¡°¡­!¡± When she was thinking about that, the atmosphere changed suddenly. To be precise, the air around Bratt¡¯s training hall changed. It was like being stuck in a thick fog. But it wasn¡¯t real fog. It couldn¡¯t be since it was currentlyte autumn. It was an artificially created environment. In other words, this was Bratt¡¯s doing. ¡®I saw it once before.¡¯ When she thought of the fight with Devan Kennedy, everything came to her mind. It was a surprising technique that blocked the opponent''s senses by mixing the soft muddy Aura into the air. ¡­ no, it wasn¡¯t just that now. This time it was a bit different. It spread out in the same way as then, but¡­ at that time, it only acted to block information; it didn''t create such a feeling. Right. What Ilya was feeling right now¡­ It felt strange¡­as if the swordsman called Bratt Lloyd had filled the space around him with his senses and his entire being. As she stood there with a cramped feeling, it felt like he was looking at her from all sides, and it was increasing as she moved to the training hall. Swik! Wheik! The flow changed. The energy which filled the room vanished. No, it was more focused in the center and spread quickly. It was like water being spread out as thin as paper. Ilya could feel it. The speed of water increased little by little along with the density. ¡®¡­ maybe I was worried for nothing.¡¯ Ilya Lindsay smiled, approaching Bratt, who was sitting still. She thought it was funny that she was concerned. Why did she think that the most mature person of the group would be suffering? He wasn¡¯t suffering. And it was the same with him in the past as well. No, maybe it was a little painful, but he was leading himself into a healthy direction for his own growth, unlike the fragile Ilya of the past. And that gave her a sense of relief. ¡®¡­ but just in case, I will keep an eye on him.¡¯ The silver-haired swordsman smiled, and quietly looked around and used her senses to guard all her sides. It wasn¡¯t easy with Bratt¡¯s energy all around her, but she did it with her best effort. So that her precious friend could be safe in his world of enlightenment. So that the match was fairer. Until the night deepened, the sun rose, and the dawn hit. She stood still, sweating profusely. At the same time. Airn, too was immersed in his own meditation. Instead of swinging his sword, he was wrapped up in his thoughts. Bratt Lloyd. One of his best friends and an opponent who was stronger than Inashio Karahan. He couldn¡¯t afford to be distracted. Even if he was publically known to be stronger, an unknown variable could arise. In his head, he nodded, ying the simtion with Bratt. ¡­ ironically, that began to change little by little, thanks to Bratt¡­thanks to the teachings he received from Bratt¡¯s father. Shhh. What Bratt had done in the previous match¡­ his Aura that spread wide. The extension of his energy and the wider and more diverse change it had on the area around him. As his stagnant heart pounded, he began to feel frustrated. Airn, who regained a sliver of his clouded self of uncertainty, began to harness the energy of the Five Spirits again. It wasn¡¯t that he was ignoring his friend. He respected him. So, he tried to bring out the emotions that were buried in him and return to his usual routine. Just like how he didn¡¯t stay stuck on I. He couldn¡¯t cling to Bratt to defeat him. Airn Pareira, who took the center spot, searched for enlightenment in the various things which passed through his mind, and his actions followed where his mind took him. Wooong! Flowing¡­ moving. It was growing up, getting bigger and bigger. The tree that was growing in the constantly circting and expanding water. It was just a span, just one span, but it couldn¡¯t be called meaningless. It was because those little growths gathered were what made him who he was today. 1 ¡°Phew.¡± The blonde swordsman finally woke up. He raised his head and looked at the red-haired woman in front of him. Apparently, it felt like she was staying here to protect his enlightenment. He smiled, asking. ¡°Why are you here? Won¡¯t you go to Bratt?¡± ¡°It¡¯s a strategic n.¡± ¡°Strategic?¡± ¡°I came here to find out if there are any weaknesses.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Yes, well.¡± Was she really here for this reason? Airn couldn¡¯t know. The important thing was that she stayed here and protected him. Airn smiled deeply and stood up, saying, ¡°Then, shall we go?¡± ¡°¡­. slowly.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t an opponent I can beat if I move slowly.¡± ¡°I guess that¡¯s true.¡± There was no weird expression or grumbling on Judith¡¯s face. And after a while. The Round of 8 of the Warrior¡¯s Festival began. Span - the distance from the end of the thumb to the end of the little finger of a spread hand. Honestly, I''m not sure how this makes sense logically because, if I recall, the tree is already much bigger. It might be grass that is growing rather than a tree which would kinda make sense given the length.? Chapter 318: The Water Sword (2)

Chapter 318: The Water Sword (2)

Swish! ¡°¡­ lost.¡± ¡°It was a good match.¡± ¡°Winner, Camrin Ray!¡± The first match, which started with everyone''s attention, ended briskly. Camrin Ray¡¯s opponent couldn¡¯t hold out for more than a minute and had a sword to his throat, a fatal move that could have cost him his life. Although it was a refreshing result, the excitement didn¡¯t rise since this was something the audience expected. Camrin Ray was still one of the best swordsmen on the continent, even if he was pushed out of the possible winner ce by I. The people¡¯s eyes lit up as they saw the Pride of Avilius who came up to the stage. ¡°How will this turn out?¡± ¡°No idea. Her appearance in the 32nd and 16th Rounds werepletely different¡­¡± ¡°Um, if we look at the interview with the masters, Judith seemed the best¡­¡± ¡°But she¡¯s an Expert, so isn¡¯t that overrated? Ah, I don¡¯t know, let¡¯s just see.¡± ¡°Uhm.¡± When I cornered Karim Jerkins in the Round of 32, no one doubted her ability. The sight of taking down a Master with one kick shook everyone. However, their trust in her shook at the Round of 16. During their interviews, several Masters stated, ¡®It isn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t live up to the expectations, but because Judith was simply too strong for an Expert.¡¯ But normal people wouldn¡¯t understand it. It felt absurd that an Expert who cannot use Aura Sword pushed a Master who was supposed to be the winning candidate, just by in force! And this was the opinion of the masses. People who understood what had actually urred, gave up on convincing others. The stereotypes of the world were too strong for a few people to change it. So¡­ Pang! ¡°Kuak¡­.!¡± ¡°W-Winner¡­ I Crescentia!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was right to judge her by looking at her performance. After just two sword shes, the audience had a nk expression as they watched her opponent, who was kicked, grabbing his stomach as he flew away. Even if it was luck, everyone made it this far into the contest. And it was only when they saw this that they knew that the Commander of the ck Knights was indeed strong. And their thoughts about Judith vanished. Some people looked at the article written by Hinz, ¡®The Sword of an Expert which is greater than the Aura Sword.¡¯ Despite the content being simr to what everyone said, this particr article was deeply engraved in their mind. But that wasn¡¯t for long. After a 30-minute break, the third match started. The Southern Tiger Jarrot vs. The Youngest Sword Master, Ilya Lindsay. The moment the two masters entered the stage proudly, the cheers became louder. ¡°Jarrot! Jarrot! Jarrot!¡± ¡°Show them the power of the South!¡± ¡°You are the only one left!¡± People were cheering their hearts out... like he was the only hope of the South. ¡°Ilya Lindsay! Adan¡¯s Pride! No, the Pride of West!¡± ¡°The Greatest genius in history!¡± ¡°What? I is the greatest genius¡­¡± ¡°Ilya Lindsay Ilya Lindsay! Ilya Lindsay!¡± ¡°Ilya Lindsay! Woahhhh!¡± People kept cheering for the one they liked. To be honest, there were more people who supported thetter, but this was only because of her young age and beautiful appearance. The majority of the opinions were that the skills of the two were almost the same. That was why there were more cheers than during the previous two matches. Because this was going to be an unpredictable match, making it much more fun to watch. ¡°Damn it.¡± Jarrot didn¡¯t like this. Compared to himself, who was known to be a contender for the winning spot, his opponent was a kid who had been a Master for just 4 years. Of course, they couldn¡¯t be treated like kids anymore, and this girl showed some impressive things too¡­ ¡®But it cannot be like this.¡¯ Kwang Jarrot stomped his feet and looked at his opponent with raging eyes. The ferocious energy made the spectators go silent. Everyone just stared at him in shock. Right. A person who became a Sword Master during his early 30s and faithfully walked down the path of the sword after that. That was who Jarrot was. That was what he embodied. He spat to the side and stomped again, and the referee, who was scared of his actions, went to the bottom of the stage, and yelled. ¡°S-Start the match!¡± The third of the four matches. Jarrot strode ahead. With every step he took, it felt like the energy was filling the stadium. People wrapped their arms around themselves as if they were protecting themselves. Some felt goosebumps rise, and some were sweating, but Ilya was calm. She stayed calm and poised. The tip of her sword, along with her eyes which were watching her opponent, began to flutter like a butterfly made of steel. ¡°Winner, Ilya Lindsay!¡± ¡°What!¡± ¡°What is this! Jarrot! Do it right!¡± ¡°Ahhh! I lost 150 gold!¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this a scam? How can he lose so quickly?¡± ¡®This is bound to happen.¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t have eyes for such things, but it¡­¡¯ ¡®Wasn¡¯t Jarrot¡¯s fault, Miss Lindsay was too good.¡¯ Unlike the southern people who were watching, the swordsmen of the west looked at Jarrot, who was being carried away since he fell unconscious. It wasn¡¯t known in the Round of 32, but it became clear in the rounds after that. The skills of Ilya were amazing. Not to mention, even Inashio Karahan lost to a Master in his 20s, so Jarrot was nothing to her. The old swordsman who thought that, looked to the other side. At Gerbera¡¯s Star, Bratt Lloyd¡¯s expression... Another dark horse, who was walking with Airn. It was difficult to predict the flow of the battle. But thetter will win. And they were all sitting because they were curious about the process, and not just for the result. ¡­ There were way too many surprises this time. ¡®What will be shown this time?¡¯ ¡®Bratt Lloyd, it isn¡¯t like you areing up without a n, right?¡¯ The eyes of the people looked at Bratt Lloyd and the School Master of Krono. Both the contestants, Airn and Bratt, were Ian¡¯s disciples. But everyone knew that it was thetter with whom Ian had worked with the most. So, they were curious. The blue-haired young man who had been educated under the best teacher of the continent and won each Round¡­ What will his current form be like? Will a miracle happen? Or will the obvious resulte? With the audience in deep thoughts, the two young men stood facing each other on the stage with the referee who was checking the stage while sweating and looking at them. ¡®Why is he sweating so much?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t strange. Considering the identities of those who have been on the stage today, it was natural for him to be anxious and exhausted. Considering the fact that the stage was holding thest match for the day now, it was inevitable that he felt weak. He looked at the blonde swordsman, Airn. There was no emotion on his face. It was like he was a person walking by on the street. Strangely it was the kind of person one wouldn¡¯t bother looking at. And on the other hand. Ahhh¡­ It was flowing. Seeping out. No, it was pouring out. The referee had a bewildered face. It wasn¡¯t some loose energy like how Jarrot did. If the opponent was openly trying to suppress the opponent on stage, then the referee would have stopped it. But nothing of that sort happened. How can this even be regarded as an attack? It was too ambiguous to call it an Aura Sword, and it didn¡¯t feel like the energy was directed at the opponent in particr either. To put it bluntly, it felt like Bratt was painting the stage in his color. ¡°Wait, myces are out. Can I tie them?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± Taking advantage of the flustered Referee, Bratt Lloyd tied hisces. The movement of bending down very slowly. It was as if he was doing that on purpose, and even at that moment, an unknown strange sensation continued. ¡°¡­ hurry up.¡± ¡°Yes, sorry.¡± Contrary to his answer, Bratt was moving slowly. Even when the referee who went down the stage was ncing and telling him to make it faster, Bratt seemed like he was purposely trying to extend the time he was taking to tie hisces. Right. Bratt was spending more time making the stadium his own. ¡®If I go in headfirst, I cannot win. I need to draw out all my power at once.¡¯ What skills are needed to defeat an opponent who is stronger than him? A one-shot kill. Hecked the strength in his body to show sophistication in Aura and defeat Airn, so he needed to be able to overwhelm the opponent. Like Judith did with I. ¡®Unfortunately, I don¡¯t possess such power¡­ but I cannot give up.¡¯ The trick he came up with was what he was doing now. Instead of openly releasing his energy, he had to judge the highest level of the opponent and make the surrounding space vaguely into his own territory to the extent that the opponent wouldn¡¯t be able to counter it. He had to be more receptive to the water-like energy. For quick absorption and expulsion. He had to expel the water into tiny droplets in the air, which was hard to feel. And¡­ ¡°.. the match starts!¡± Kwaaang! As soon as the match started, the energy in his body was expelled as quickly as possible. And then? His Aura instantly colored the stage. The waves which filled the stadium towered over Airn. As if he was facing the gaze of a giant, he could see the opponent¡¯s eyes in it. ¡®Sorry, Airn.¡¯ Right. It could never be used in realbat, and it was a cowardly act to attack from behind a wall of waves. However, this was his best bet. He couldn¡¯t think of any other way to beat Airn. At least not for now. So¡­ ¡®This time, I¡¯m going up.¡¯ After finishing his thoughts, Bratt Lloyd lowered his sword, which was as blue as the ocean water. Kwakwakwang! The waves crashed down. The Aura of water contained in the stadium, which was in a stage of bnce, poured out violently as if a dam had copsed. Like a tidal wave, it smashed onto Airn. Seeing that, Bratt smiled confidently. In the past, he tried to control this huge power. And there were times he would cough up blood and other times when his body suffered too. To be honest, the skills that the Durkali tribe showed Judith were the same as now. And it was only recently that Bratt realized that he was doing things wrong. ¡®I don¡¯t have to control it.¡¯ He just had to use a little bit of force, as if he was tapping the first domino standing up in a sequence. There was nothing to worry about after that. He just had to jump onto the waves... like riding a tsunami. Leaving himself to flow in the stream, his own sword danced. ordingly, it was the moment when the Aura from all directions attacked the human in front of it. Uh- The blonde swordsman swung his sword. There was nothing there. The refined aura sword that made the Golden Great Sword more dazzling, and even the savage, violent explosion that Judith showed... nothing like that could be felt. However, that ordinary sh ripped the waves apart. The tsunami was cut. The water was cut. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± It was exactly like the miracle Ian had shown in the past. It was the moment when the miracle of cutting theke happened with Airn¡¯s sword. Chapter 319: The Water Sword (3)

Chapter 319: The Water Sword (3)

¡°Ha, Ha¡­¡± In the western city of Lation, Carissa Floyd burst intoughter as she saw what happened. She wasn''t the only one. From the time Bratt Lloyd unfolded his sword of waves, all swordsmen had stood up. The swordsmanship of the blue-haired young man was shocking. It wasn¡¯tcking anythingpared to Judith in thest Round. ¡®No, rather than Judith¡¯s sword, which was made of sense and instinct, this child¡¯s sword was unfolded under more meticulous calction. If we focus on that point, then he is more amazing. It might be like this in the present, but it¡¯s development can only be imagined.¡¯ It was a move that could overwhelm all the performances shown until now! But unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t because of Bratt Lloyd that Carissa Floydughed. Her gaze looked at Airn Pareira. Naturally, someone else came to her mind as she looked at him. Floyd looked at Ian¡¯s chair and remembered the past. ¡®A Sword which cuts through water. At such a young age¡­ crazy.¡¯ Now that she had reached a mature age, she wouldn¡¯t leave Lation, but when she was young, she too was out wandering the world. There were times when she heard about such things happening around her, and there were fights too. All of those stemmed from the pride of swordsmen. ¡®Go to Krono Swordsmanship school and see.¡¯ To her, Joseph, who was both her rival and friend, suggested that. His intention was obvious... it was so that she could act ordingly. To show her that there was a sky above a sky...so that she could understand that and calm down. Of course, Carissa Floyd didn¡¯t stop. She knew that the fact that her opponent was one of the ten swordsmen on the continent, a monster that had reached a much higher level. The fact that he was someone stronger than her. But did that matter? She would eventually climb to that stage too. Even if she couldn''t reach Ian''s status now, she thought that by mastering the basics, she could rise higher. From the beginning, she had a talent for looking at others'' skills and making them her own, so she looked forward to meeting the owner of Krono. ¡®Just wait. Because I will go to Ian and take him down.¡¯ Just like that, she spat out bold words and went to Alcantra years ago. After witnessing Ian¡¯s sword cutting through theke with a normal sword, Carissa Floyd truly realized that there were things that were hard even for a Sword Master. ¡®I haven¡¯t been able to understand that sword even now.¡¯ Even now, she couldn''t do it. In front of the waves and the tsunamis that came copsing like they were disasters. It would be reckless to not consider it a natural disaster. Although it was a technique that could be treated as foul since it was prepared before the start of the match, the power it held had to be acknowledged. If it was her, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to stop it. Even if she could block it, she would¡¯ve exerted herself too much. To the point where her body would have felt exhausted. But the blonde kid blocked it with a normal sword, without Aura, or any tricks. ¡®¡­ perhaps, the ordinary thing isn¡¯t the sword of Airn, but his eyes.¡¯ Carissa Floyd had a bitter expression on her face. She worked for decades to replicate what she saw Ian doing. She struggled to make it her own and practiced to the point where she felt miserable. In a good way, it was a driving force, and in a bad way, it was an obsession. Now she knew. The sword was a power that only the selected could wield. And she wasn¡¯t the chosen one. ¡­. It was the same with the blue-haired swordsman who was silently looking at his opponent. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The stadium was enveloped in silence. The audience didn¡¯t know what exactly was happening. As Judith showed in the Round of 16, they understood that a huge force went towards Airn, but most didn¡¯t realize how that energy evaporated that quickly. Yet, they could read the air. One of Bratt Lloyd¡¯s cards failed...possibly his only card. It was a situation where his defeat was confirmed, and in the air, which turned pitiful, everyone looked at the stage with sad faces. Even the referee, who had to be neutral, looked sad. Whik! Whik! ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Come.¡± In such an atmosphere, the blue-haired swordsman took a stance that startled Airn. Others might not have noticed it, but he had a more precise reading of what was happening. His eyes which had awakened through sorcery, could see the Aura remaining in a person¡¯s body, and Bratt had very little left. But he wasn¡¯t looking down on Bratt. The words he heard weren¡¯t empty words. He looked into the eyes of his close friend, which were swirling wildly, and it was as if he was facing Judith rather than Bratt. It was to the point where Airn was sweating. ¡°Come. It isn¡¯t over yet.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Or should Ie at you?¡± ¡°No, I wille.¡± Airn shook his head, and his energy rose. Kiiing- His body, with the energy inside it, was creating a solid atmosphere. It was the Aura of steel. A power that was more familiar andfortable for his body than before. Into that¡­ Wheik! He added me. The figure of Airn which was red-hot and golden. Bratt Lloyd, still had aposed face, and looked at him. Judith, Ilya, and I, too, watched it silently. Camrin Ray closed his eyes and thought about something, and the audience was holding their hands together in anticipation, looking at it. ¡°¡­All.¡± In such a crowd. "¡­All of them did well." They were Ian¡¯s words. His voice was so small that only Keira Finn and Ahmed, and Karaka could hear. All the four matches were over. There was no change. Camrin Ray and I Crescentia easily defeated their opponent, and Ilya, too, had an easy victory. It may have been surprising for the audience, but the real strong people knew that she was stronger than Jarrot. It was the same with Bratt Lloyd and Airn Pareira. Although the former did surprise people with his unprecedented actions, the result was obvious. ¡°Bratt Lloyd!¡± ¡°Bratt Lloyd! Gerbera¡¯s pride! Gerbera¡¯s Star!¡± ¡°Cheer up! We will continue to support you in the future!¡¯ ¡°Smile! Bratt Lloyd!¡± However, the audience¡¯s reaction to the blue-haired swordsman''s loss was different from the previous reactions. Everyone cheered and encouraged him. Even the people who cursed him for his attitude against Devan Kennedy were cheering for him. ¡®Well, anyone would...Seeing that form.¡¯ Hinz nodded. Everyone knew that it was certain defeat. It was a situation where the attack was destroyed right away, and the shock of the attack being nullified like that was inevitable. But Bratt didn¡¯t give up. Rather, he was ready. He provoked his opponent as if he wasn¡¯t feeling down and fought back with the best. He managed to block Airn¡¯s sword 13 times. ¡°It was great.¡± ¡°Right. That mind power is no joke.¡± ¡°He is great now too. I look forward to what he will show in the future.¡± ¡°Right.¡± The reporters around Hinz praised Bratt. But they were all falling short in their knowledge of swords. However, thanks to being in the Land of Proof for years, it was possible for the reporters from there to know that this guy, Bratt Lloyd, would grow. From the reporter''s perspective, Bratt Lloyd was someone who would continue to grow stronger in the future. ¡°Bratt Lloyd! Bratt Lloyd!¡± ¡°Bratt Lloyd! Bratt Lloyd!¡± ¡°Bratt Lloyd! Wohhhh!¡± Gerbera Kingdom¡¯s high-ranking noble was leaving the stage with the respect of almost everyone in the audience. Seeing his form, everyone supported him with fervor. The same was true for those from the East, whose contestants all failed, and the people from the South, who were all depressed with Jarrot¡¯s loss. With that encouragement, Bratt never looked back. And he quietly left. ¡°Haha, it is fine.¡± ¡°No, but you fought so fiercely¡­.¡± ¡°The priest said I am fine. Airn too took care of the situation in the end¡­ don¡¯t you know my character? It will say I am hurting if I am hurting.¡± ¡°Your character, I only know the bad things¡­¡± ¡°¡­. What a joke, mother.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not joking.¡± ¡°If you are worried about your son¡¯s health, wouldn¡¯t it be normal to not offer me alcohol?¡± ¡°Alcohol is medicine. Disinfectant.¡± ¡°Ah, it isn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Mother and father are right, brother.¡± ¡°¡­. Anyway, I should go.¡± On the day he was eliminated, Bratt had a small party with his family. Right, it was something to be celebrated, not something to beforted on. Of the 128 swordsmen who participated, Bratt was in the top 8. And if he had to be ranked, he would be in the 5th position. ¡°Of course, I cannot be satisfied with that.¡± He was Bratt Lloyd. A man who worked hard. He mumbled to calm himself, yet he felt gloomy as he moved to the training hall. It was to rey what happened in the match and make a better n. Swish! ¡®What if I left a little more leeway? I think it would have been better if I had charged when he aimed for the waves.¡¯ That was the thought he had as he swung his sword. Swish! ¡®Or, I think it would have been better if I attacked several times. Because I don¡¯t think I can hold on longer after doing that. I was in a hurry this time.¡¯ He was reflecting back. Right. Maybe he could have created a better situation. Thoughts filled with regret swirled in his mind. They were getting wilder and more violent. And the sword, too, seemed to change violently. ¡°Drain it out.¡± ¡°¡­¡± They were the words from his lover who had appeared. They were familiar words. ¡°Drain it out. Pour it out. All the unpleasant, difficult, and useless emotions. Take away the painful things which are holding you back¡­ to be you again, and walk your own path.¡± Bratt suddenly stopped swinging the sword as Judith hugged him from behind. He couldn¡¯t see her face, but it was fine. For now, it seemed better than the both of them couldn¡¯t see the other¡¯s face. ¡°I will always be by your side.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Embracing Bratt, whose eyes were filled with negative emotions, and to make him move ahead with a lighter heart. She leaned her face on her lover''s back. Judith stood there for a very long time. I Crescentia vs. Ilya Lindsay. Camrin Ray vs Airn Pareira. The lots for the semi-finals were drawn. Chapter 320: To Watch Out (1)

Chapter 320: To Watch Out (1)

The matches for the semis were decided. There were 128 swordsmen who would be responsible for the future of the continent, participating in this tournament. The brightest stars, ultimately, came from the Western and Central parts of the continent. ¡°In the end, this is it?¡± ¡°I thought it would be different this time¡­¡± ¡°Tell me about it. Devan Kennedy and Inashio Karahan were good, right? But the Sword Masters in their 20s is so strong¡­¡± ¡°The swordsmen of Krono prove it yet again. That they are the best on the continent.¡± ¡°The Macan Kingdom will be bittersweet now. Jarrot was a mess and Zakuang¡­¡± ¡°Shhh. The man there is from the south. Quiet.¡± Right. Although Camrin Ray was a contender for the first ce, it was apetition that showed the worth of East and South swordsmen. And young people were the ones who overturned the expectations that the people had. From the standpoint of other regions, they had to be disappointed. However, if someone asked if the semis would be boring, then the answer would obviously be NO. ¡°I look forward to it. It will be great.¡± ¡°So. If possible, I would like to see one from central part and one from the western part go up¡­¡± ¡°That would be the best. There are a lot of people who want the young side to win. For Airn to win the semis and reach the finals, that would fit for the purpose of the contest, but honestly, it seems unlikely.¡± ¡°Well, I think it is worth the fight¡­. Everyone will have their own opinion. So, I just look forward to it.¡± ¡°Right. I have nothing to say.¡± ¡°As a native of the West, I want Camrin Ray and Ilya Lindsay to go against each other.¡± ¡°Me too¡± ¡°Me too, but¡­ wouldn''t that be tough?¡± The atmosphere of the capital city was of excitement, and the public opinion was moving more towards the recognition of power from the central part than the western part of the continent. In terms of gambling odds, I, Camrin, Airn, and Ilya Lindsay were close to winning...in that exact order. ording to this, it meant that the finals would be between the central region participants. ¡°Huhu, sorry. There was a time when the western part of the continent had ranked swordsmen¡­¡± ¡°Right.¡± Some old men had bitter expressions. Right. With Legendary hero Dion Lindsay, who beheaded the Demon Dragon King, the western world dominated swordsmanship for 400 years. No matter how deep the history was for the Holy Kingdom and pdins, it was difficult to ovee the five great swordsman families from the West. But not now. Ian was now the best teacher on the continent. And his rival Khun was strong. And Julius Hul was revered as the greatest pdin of all time. From the moment that these three hade into prominence, along with the fact that they came from the central part of the continent, people couldn¡¯t see the swordsmanship of the West as pridefully as they did in the past. In addition to that, I Crescentia was also showing a great performance, so the old swordsmen who recalled their past glory were feeling bitter. ¡®It won¡¯t be easy.¡¯ Such a thought was running around the heads of the five great swordsmanship families of the West. No, they knew this a lot earlier. It meant that the status of the ck Knight Commander was beyond their imagination. Unlike the general public, they knew this once they looked at the Round of 32. It was because that was the time when she changed her style. ¡®¡­ even if nothing had improved since that round, she wouldn¡¯t have a problem winning.¡¯ Joshua Lindsay recalled what had happened earlier. The image of the ck-haired swordsman preparing to climb a higher mountain than him, who ruled the sky, was vivid in his mind. It wasn¡¯t just his thoughts. All the five swordsmanship families of West who faced I looked at her growth rate. But they weren¡¯t discouraged. They didn¡¯t feel depressed because their generation was over. Instead, they looked at the genius of the West, rising as steeply as the Sun of the Holy Kingdom. Right. Why were all the heads of those families gathered? What was the reason they were so enthusiastic about this? It was because they were teaching none other than Ilya Lindsay. Bang! Bang! Kwang! ¡°Get yourself together! Your left is open!¡± ¡°Kuak, Yep!¡± Swish! ¡°Where is your answer to get yourself together? I don¡¯t see a change!¡± ¡°Uh¡­!¡± The head of the Clifford family, famous for his aggressive onught, shouted as he swung his sword. His appearance, which resembled a massive tree, was even greater than the pressure emanating from Airn, who was famous for his greatsword. And it wasn¡¯t just him. There were two other people. The head of the Preston family, who was known to have the fastest swordsmanship after Khun''s, was also moving while observing Ilya Lindsay''s movements. ¡°Do not be bound by the restrictions in this ce. Don¡¯t be bound by gravity. What you deal with is winning. Think of it as a space, rather than ground, which is constantly changing for you, improvising. That way, you can have more space for your movements.¡± And that wasn¡¯t all. Paige was constantly teaching from a distance. He was a person who was known to have never been defeated in his knowledge of swordsmanship. It wasn¡¯t outdated knowledge of just theory or of the one focusing on some kind of breakthrough. His guidance, which came out without a break, was sharp and on point, along with the heads of the two families helping Ilya. However, Ilya listened to everything. There was no sign of suffering or desperation on her face. It was an unusual thing for her, who was sweating. She turned her head and awakened her instincts. It was a special thing that even the heads of the 5 families who were called geniuses rarely felt. n Ray, the head of the Ray family, said. ¡°She broke the wall.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°It is simr to when I saw I. It is difficult for us.¡± ¡°Sad, for you, but I could always do that.¡± ¡°You are as cocky as ever.¡± ¡°But it is true. Come fight me if you don¡¯t ept it.¡± ¡°How about you treat me as a senior if I beat you?¡± ¡°I really don¡¯t understand where you get such an idea¡­¡± ¡°Enough. Talk more and I will go to your wife and tell her about this.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Calm down now.¡± Lord Ray let out a soft sigh. Joshua wasn''t silent because of the quarrel. But because he was looking at Ilya, whom he hadn''t seen for long, and her growth. The growth wasn¡¯t just with her swordsmanship. ¡®She grew as a human.¡¯ Carl Lindsay and his disappearance. The fact that the young man, who was known to be one of the most talented people to lead the West, disappeared from the world brought despair to their family. And that event had shut the heart of Ilya Lindsay, the second genius of the family, and at times, it seemed like she was declining too. However, it was slowly passing. Now she looked ahead with a clearer gaze. Clearing the darkness caused by Carl Lindsay and freeing herself from the obsession with I. So, Joshua looked at Ilya Lindsay, his daughter, who came out of her shellpletely. And he wasn¡¯t just looking at her present state. He was looking at her past, present, and future. It was when a faint smile was forming on the face of the father, who was looking at a true genius who might surpass Dion Lindsay. ¡°But, can you stay here too?¡± ¡°Um?¡± ¡°My daughter isn¡¯t the only one who made it to the semis. Sir Camrin Ray will be sad¡­¡± ¡°Hm, he will be fine.¡± Lord Ray looked at Joshua. He had always been an expressionless person, and it was the same now as well. However, was it an illusion to feel some kind of confidence in the midst of this? ¡°¡­ I see something.¡± ¡°It must be his achievements.¡± ¡°Tell him to not be careless, because Airn isn¡¯t an easy one.¡± ¡°Haha, you, are you openly taking care of your son-inw now?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Uh? Why are you looking at me like this?¡± ¡°¡­he isn¡¯t¡­ son-inw¡­ yet¡­¡± ¡°Well, okay then.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°I am d Ilya doesn¡¯t look like you.¡± n Ray mumbled that softly, and Joshua Lindsay, clenched his fists as he heard it. Even though it was left unsaid, they knew that Ilya Lindsay would do her best in the match. ¡°Wowwh!¡± ¡°I! I! I Crescentia!¡± ¡°Ilya Lindsay! Adan Kingdom¡¯s pride!¡± ¡°Incarnation of Dion Lindsay! Woah!¡± ¡°Show us the pride of West!¡± ¡°Glory to the Holy Kingdom!¡± ¡®I¡¯ll go then.¡¯ The silver-haired swordsman mumbled, and Airn smiled brightly as he lightly kissed her. He stroked her cheeks slightly, and Camrin Ray mumbled. It was looking good. This was thest time one of them would see the waiting room. As they made their way to the stage where the cheers wereing in, Ilya mumbled. ¡®I have grown up now. Quite a lot.¡¯ ¡®I wasn¡¯t alone.¡¯ She was stating it as it was. If it was her former self, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to say this. She wouldn''t have slept a day before the match and worried herself to exhaustion, and would have had a cold expression on her face in the waiting room. She wouldn''t have asked for the help of the 5 lords and wouldn¡¯t have kept herposure like now. ¡®¡­ If I had to correct it, it is fair right?¡¯ Facing her opponent, Ilya thought that. Right. It seemed that they weren¡¯t equal. But she didn¡¯t have any negative thoughts like she did in the past. The burning obsession caused by her pride that had fallen to the ground had disappeared, and a healthy sense ofpetition was shining from her body. Is that why? I was also looking at her. Thus, it was different from the past. In the past, I never looked at her. It was as if she had no interest in Ilya. ¡®Let¡¯s do my best.¡¯ Phew, the silver-haired swordsman sighed and swung her sword. A cool breeze blew around her. Right now, it was a breeze, but it had the potential to turn into a huge typhoon and devour her opponents at any moment. With such an aura, she was ready to let the sun fall. And the other party didn¡¯t stand still. Ilya was thinking of the aspects in her head while looking at I shining like the sun. Wheik! ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Something felt strange. It was the energy of her opponent, and I¡¯s eyes that were getting hotter. It wasn¡¯t energy. It was as if she wanted to destroy the hateful beings in front of her by giving out fear. It was a strangely desperate feeling. ¡®What? Suddenly? What?¡¯ Ilya was shocked. It was said that they were bound to have a bad rtionship with each other, but in reality, it was an unfortunate ident. There were no ill feelings between them. At least Ilya thought so, but seeing how I was looking at her without reason, it was¡­ But. It was all Ilya¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Love is¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± I mumbled softly. Until then, Ilya hadn¡¯t noticed. What the hell was she talking about before the fight? That too while staring at her eyes! But the moment she heard the next thing, she realized. ¡°Couples in¡­ love¡­ are unpleasant.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I will break you. Both.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± It felt like the affectionate act that she and Airn shared in the waiting room had provoked someone. Chapter 321: To Watch Out (2)

Chapter 321: To Watch Out (2)

¡°Um¡­ what¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Seeing the people on the stage mumbling, the audience was confused. Some of them hade a long way from Eisenmarkt to see the festival, and the match between such strong people. There were people who loved the two of them on the stage and watched all the matches they had participated in so far, looked at them with loving eyes, and enjoyed them with pounding hearts. Of course, not all of them equally supported them. They say that the world is one, but the West was prouder! If possible, people hoped that the West-based swordsman would win and that they would ultimately be the strongest swordsmen. It was the same today. Objectively they knew that Ilya Lindsay was inferior, but regardless of that, the people were determined to support the genius of the Adan Kingdom. Their support was disyed by writing the phrase ¡®Ilya Lindsay Fighting!¡¯ on a paper and parading it for everyone to see.1 But¡­ With a bang! ¡°Yah! What is that?¡± ¡°¡­ well.¡± A big-nosed viewer had an absurd expression. The person whose paper was pushed down didn¡¯t understand the reason for the man¡¯s actions. But the other man didn¡¯t regret it. He looked at the contestants on the stage and spoke while looking at his friend. ¡°I will cheer for I.¡± ¡°What? What are you¡­? Ugh! Have you lost it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know. I just, I just think it should be that way.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I-I! I Crescentia Fighting!¡± With a timid attitude and then with a loud voice, he cheered for I. The other man looked at him with a dumbfounded expression and heard another voice from behind. ¡°I! I! Win!¡± ¡°Win! Defeat Ilya Lindsay!¡± ¡°I! I! I!¡± ¡®No¡­why are they all¡­¡¯ The big-nosed man looked at the back, unable to understand. They weren''t acquaintances, but he knew they were people supporting the West. It was because he picked up on their interests on the way here. Rather, they were a lot more ardent supporters of the West than he himself was But now, they were all supporting I and not Ilya. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°What happened suddenly?¡± ¡°Why are so many people supporting I?¡± ¡°Yah! Why did you change?¡± ¡°I-I don¡¯t know. The thought just popped into me¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was a change for no reason. Without even knowing the reason, people were shouting for the victory of the ck Knight Commander. In the midst of that, Anya Marta, a sorcerer who was calmer than in the past, mumbled. ¡°I am touched by the captain¡¯s heart.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The displeasure of love. Her anger towards lovers. That spark must have ignited people¡¯s hearts.¡± ¡°¡­ is that even possible?¡± ¡°It is my first time seeing it too, but I cannot exin it any other way.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Probably the people who are cheering for the captain now, they must not have lovers.¡± ¡®What nonsense is that!¡¯ That was what Georg wanted to say. But Anya¡¯s expression was too serious. The face of his captain facing Ilya Lindsay was even more serious. Looking at the eyes of his captain shining more brightly than ever, he mumbled. ¡°What is this¡­¡± Pop! Kwang! Kwaang! ¡°Kuak!¡± Dash and strike! Ilya, who blocked I¡¯s sword, frowned and stepped back. Using her sophisticated aura control, along with the wind, her speed was amazing. However, I''s advancement was even faster than that. Puah! Kwang! ¡°Kuak!¡± Sparks rose. This was a phenomenon that took ce at I¡¯s feet, as she was using the resulting repulsive force of their shes, and as a result, she was moving at a faster pace. It wasn¡¯t just on her feet. Puak! The explosions which came from the swords shing were used to elerate all her movements. Kwang! There were sparks rising in session, which in turn changed the path of the sword. It was a rough and crude method, but the effect was clear. With unpredictable movements, terrifying speed, and chaotic power, I overwhelmed her opponent. ¡°It is like seeing a fire burn constantly, senior.¡± ¡°Right. It has been a long time since I saw her so fierce.¡± Julius Hul and Quincy Myers were talking while looking at the match. They couldn¡¯t understand why I looked so determined. It was difficult for them to know that her heart was being influenced by her decision to give up on dating or loving someone decades ago. But that didn¡¯t mean that her emotions were influencing the effectiveness of her sword. Rather, she was able to show her emotions through the sword. ¡°I will win.¡± ¡°That is a known truth. Still¡­ she has grown so much. Ilya Lindsay.¡± ¡°Umm.¡± Julius Hul nodded. It was true. Right now, all the people were dazzled by the performance of I, which was wild, splendid, and violent. All their attention was focused only on her, who was growing like a wildfire and constantly ring. ¡®But the reason she was able to show such extensive power was because of her opponent.¡¯ Julius remembered the matches till now. They all ended in an instant. It was to the extent that I couldn''t even properly warm up. Victory and defeat were decided in a short time, and the ck Knight Commander didn''t have a chance to show her true skills. In that sense, Ilya''s ability to defend was something that deserved apuse. Puak! With the wind, Ilya blocked the ferocious swording for her side. Swish! She dodged the stab aiming for her neck by bending her upper body, and then widened the distance between them. Sometimes to avoid the fire of the opponent, she would throw herself off the stage into the wind and thene back into the stage. ¡®Her free movement as if she is part of the sky. This isn¡¯t a realization of just swordsmanship.¡¯ Quincy Myers thought that. Right. If she had been immersed in swordsmanship and ignored other things, then maybe her sword skills would have been sharpened even more, but she wouldn¡¯t have been able to show such creative movement. The present Ilya seemed to have relieved the burden she was carrying in the past. It felt like her heart had changedpletely. ¡°It¡¯s good to see.¡± ¡°Right.¡± The two old pdins smiled. Some thought that the matches were only to show off the skills of the ck Knight Commander, but this was the true purpose. Weren¡¯t there so many young talents who shined as bright as I? For the old people...the old knights who were going into the arms of God, this was good news. They felt so happy and blessed, and they wanted tough and cry and watch the fight all day. All the old pdins were feeling this. But that wasn¡¯t the end. The match extended for five minutes, and then it became ten. Ilya Lindsay, who had been focused on defense all this time, opened the distance, and mumbled something. ¡°What?¡± ¡°What is she saying?¡± The audience looked puzzled. It looked like the two were talking, but the voice was so low that they couldn''t hear what it was. However, their curiosity was resolved. As if the match started then, an even more intense energy emanated from their bodies. It was as if this was the start of the true battle. Ian, who watched it, nodded. ¡°The agreement has been reached to settle the matter in a single move.¡± ¡°The ck Knight Commander has an advantage then.¡± ¡°Right. It is a battle which has already been won.¡± ¡°I already see I winning.¡± The other schoolmasters agreed with Joseph. As he said, if the flow was going this way, it was obvious which side would lose. However, I showed consideration to the opponent so that everything could be shown, so winning or losing was rather irrelevant now. And Ilya knew it too. ¡®I lost.¡¯ The silver-haired swordsman mumbled. It was great. Amazing. I was stronger, burned hotter, and was more ferocious than she had imagined, and she was different from the one who defeated her brother mercilessly. But she wasn¡¯t shaken. The anger didn¡¯t rise within her. She thought this could happen, and when they met, it felt strange. Ilya recalled the past. ¡®The thing I hated... I wanted to get rid of I. It was a lie¡­ it was me I wanted to get rid of.¡¯ But not anymore. There was no need to lose herself and go after another. There was no need to hurt herself by being caught up in bad emotions. She was going to love herself. Everything starts from there. She had to love, cherish and acknowledge herself and look straight at others, and then ept herself and others without any distortion. The cool breeze suddenly blew in her mind. Pah! Woong! ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± The energy from Ilya Lindsay increased her speed and added even more force. It was no ordinary aura. The wind was so fierce that it could be considered a typhoon or even a gale, and her eyes opened. The secret Sky Sword from Dion Lindsay. It wasn¡¯t perfect, but she was able to use it in this opportunity. Looking at her opponent, her body trembled as she thought of her future. Puah! At that time, a rough energy exploded from I¡¯s body. A me soaring high enough to catch everyone¡¯s attention. Itpressed further and further. First into the sword and then into the tip of the sword. Wooong! The moment the red aura formed with a subtle vibration, the audience gulped. And then the sh came. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­ thanks again.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± This time too, Jia Runtel brought out a magic barrier. There was no other sound than that. Everyone stayed still and waited for the dust to settle. Everyone looked at the magic screen without closing their eyes. ¡­ and the expectations didn''t fail them. I was standing, and Ilya was off the stage. It was clear who the winner was. ¡°W-Winner! I Crescentia!¡± Cheers followed along with the announcement. Some shouted her name loudly, and some apuded gently. There weren''t many who shouted the name of Ilya, who fought well. I, who looked at her sword and Ilya''s sword, said. ¡°That sword, did Vulcanus make it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It is really nice. It didn¡¯t break even with my sword.¡± Hearing that, Ilyaughed and coughed and said. ¡°You can be honest.¡± ¡°Um?¡± ¡°It is because you liked the sword that you didn¡¯t break it, right? Breaking a sword is possible with someone of your skills.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Forget it.¡± The silver-haired swordsman got up and brushed off the dust. She had a calm expression. She wasn¡¯t trying to fool people, but she was actually confident in herself. The ck-haired swordsman looked at Ilya, who didn''t seem to care about her. ¡°Hahah. Hahaha¡­¡± And burst intoughter. So did Ilya. As if unwilling to lose inughter, bothughed, and Ilya continued tough despite coughing blood, and this was bizarre to the audience. Camrin Ray, who watched it, asked Airn. ¡°Your lover, is she fine?¡± ¡°¡­ she will be fine.¡± Other than that, he had nothing else to say. ''Fighting'' (pronounced hwaiting) is used in Korean to cheer on someone and to wish someone good luck. It is used to express encouragement and to show support for a person''s actions. The term ''fighting'' in Korean is simr to the English expressions ''Good luck!'', ''You can do it!''? Chapter 322: Unshakeable (1)

Chapter 322: Unshakeable (1)

¡°Phew, it is over.¡± ¡°As expected.¡± ¡°Ilya Lindsay is stronger than I thought, but it¡¯s indeed hard to defeat the ck Knight Commander. There is an age difference of 9 years. And it isn¡¯t like I would lose to a guy 20 years younger than me, but¡­¡± ¡°I am 30 years older than you.¡± ¡°Ah,e to think of it, everyone is the same. Don¡¯t get me wrong, I wasn¡¯t meaning to make fun of seniors.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ralph? Why are you silent?¡± ¡°¡­ my head is a bit confused.¡± Ralph Penn gave that excuse to Inashio Karahan. After dropping out of the tournament, he hung out with Devan Kennedy and Inashio Karahan. They were evaluating the game with an objective perspective with regard to talent and styles and were discussing the good things of the contestants, so he was having a good time even with his shy personality. ¡®But I cannot understand what just happened.¡¯ It was possible to support one side. Maybe it was an acquaintance or a person they were fond of. But in the previous match, the two people were strange. Really strange. The appearance of Devan Kennedy and Inashio cheering for I as if they were possessed by something felt so bizarre to him. ¡®Sir Inashio¡¯s actions can be exined with his attitude, but Sir Devan is a gentle person¡­ what happened to him?¡¯ The urrence where the two of them were initially coughing up angry words about I, and then suddenly started cheering for her... Ralph Penn couldn¡¯t figure it out. This was because he married as soon as he turned 20, and he was in a happy marriage. Airn and Ilya¡¯s love, which everyone frowned at, was something nice to him. ¡°Ah, now everything is sorted out.¡± ¡°Um. What more to expect¡­ Senior, what do you think?¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°About who will win? I wonder if Airn¡¯s energy would undermine Sir Camrin¡¯s skills¡­¡± ¡°Things like that can happen. But I have a different opinion than you.¡± ¡°Do you have any reason?¡± ¡°Yes. Both of their styles are simr. Being faithful to the basics of swordsmanship and continuing to hone it¡­¡± ¡®¡­ it is really weird.¡¯ Ralph Penn shook his head. Devan Kennedy was back to his calm form, and Inashio was listening with a serious face. Either way, something exciting would happen soon. Ralph turned his head to the sky and thought. ¡®Honey, I miss you¡­¡¯ About 30 minutester, the second match of the semi-finals started. Normally, it would have taken longer. This was because the fight between I and Ilya was so fierce that the entire stage was a mess. But thanks to Jia Runtel, the Queen of magicians, the stage was repaired and ready to use sooner than expected. ¡°Seeing something like this makes me want to learn magic.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t feel that too?¡± ¡°Just training with the sword is hard enough.¡± ¡°That is strange for someone who uses sorcery to say.¡± ¡°Haha, is that so?¡± Camrin Ray and Airn Pareira. The two of them were chatting on the stage. It waspletely different from the previous match. Needless to say, I and Ilya were entangled in a rtionship that everyone on the continent knew about. However, there was no connection between these two currently on the stage. As gentle and good people, they had no reason to argue with each other or say harsh words. ¡°Be careful. Looking at how things have gone till now, I might over-exert myself.¡± ¡°I would prefer it if you did that.¡± That didn¡¯t mean that the matches till now were meek and soft. Following the referee¡¯s guidance, the two of them raised their heads with bright eyes. The audience looked nervous as they watched the two people. Unlike the first match, where a lot of weight was ced on one side, the second was dominated by the opinion that anyone could win. Of course, in the midst of that, there were advantages and disadvantages. The public viewed Camrin''s victory in high regard, and those who participated in the Warrior''s Festival also had simr opinions. However, Inashio Karahan didn¡¯t think that. ¡®He¡¯s a monster.¡¯ He remembered the match he had in the Round of 16 and frowned. The basics of swordsmanship, the body, and the aura... it was all different. It was as if a 70-year-old man had be younger; he could feel the skills of an experienced man. His senses were sharply forged, so he wondered what Airn had to go through to develop like that. Airn will win. Camrin Ray is strong, but he¡¯s not strong enough. When they both were facing each other, thetter seemed likely to win. It was the moment when he was concentrating on the match. Pong! ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­!¡± There was a wave strong enough to cause cracks in the ground. With that, the middle-aged man stepped forward as if he had be a new being. With one step, he approached Airn and swung his sword. Kwang! ¡°¡­!¡± Airn clenched his teeth, and the hand holding the sword trembled. If it wasn¡¯t for the calluses on his palm, his hand would have bled, but the speed of recovering from it was fast. He stopped the attack again. And then shed. Watching the attacking from the side, Airn used the energy of steel. Chik! A deafening sound echoed throughout the area. The people watching it from close by had to cover their ears, and those far away were frowning. They couldn¡¯t take their eyes off them. A more splendid movement urred right in front of their eyes. Swish! The yellow aura sword, which flew at a frightening speed, turned grey when it was struck. At the same time, the pressure of the strike flowed through Airn¡¯s sword. He let out a groan and stepped back. The sword, which spread out, showed another color. It was blue when retrieving and purple when attacking. Fighting Camrin with his ever-changing aura and swordsmanship was as if he was dealing with a person with different personalities. Airn too tried to utilize the five spirits to handle it. Shhh. The swords collided again, and there was a force that added weight at the moment of striking and also a force that wanted to drain the attack with water. Pat! Tung! Without losing speed till the end, Airn let out a stab. The ever-changing aura turned ck and then blue, and it was taking center stage with the intention of letting the energy expand its territory. Then came the purple swordsmanship which had a certain re to it. It was as if several swordsmen were taking their turns to show off their skills, and the talented people in the audience were shocked. Just mastering one style was tough, so how could he have learned so many types? And they weren¡¯t being used individually. Just as Camrin Ray was using heavy and quick movements, Airn too was maximizing his abilities by using various elements. ¡°It is like watching Karakum.¡± ¡°Um¡­¡± Clifford and Preston nodded at the words of Paige. They knew of the Spirit techniques, and there were times when they practiced them. This was why, even if it was not as great as Orcs, they were able to feel what this young man was doing. So, they felt sure. That this was unbelievable. Surely his skills were great, but against Camrin Ray, he didn¡¯t seem like much. And after a while, he began to prove the reason why people showed support for Camrin Ray. Swish! ¡°¡­!¡± An attack flew in by surprise, and Airn turned his head to avoid it. It was not a fatal blow. It even felt inferior to the high control Camrin was showing till then. The problem was that it wasn¡¯t a one-time thing. Swish! Puak! Puak! Woong! A sharp, gloomy energy, sometimes as heavy as a rock, locked on to Airn. And it kept going for him. They were afterimages. That was the part Airn hadn¡¯t paid attention to. So, it was shocking. Camrin Ray swung his sword, and the faint energy that was left in the ce he previously stood wouldn''t disperse, but rather, it would work with him to attack Airn. And this was just the start. The attack, which wasplicated and difficult to understand, flew colorfully. It started to move more and more. Airn''s expression went stiff in a situation where it felt like he was dealing with several Masters, and the expressions of those supporting him also changed. Inashio Karahan looked at Devan Kennedy and asked. ¡°Did you know about this, Senior?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°Then how were you certain? That Sir Camrin will win¡­¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t certain. However, in the contest of weaving,bining and linking skills together¡­ I just thought that the experience of the middle-aged man would be more important than an ambitious young person. See, that is the result, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Camrin Ray knows the best way to use his versatility, and Airn doesn¡¯t.¡± It looked like the match was decided. Devan Kennedy spoke with confidence, and Ralph Penn nodded beside him. ¡°Maybe¡­ it depends on how long he willst.¡± The swordsmen of the west were under the same conclusion too. Inashio couldn¡¯t refute them. He was feeling angry. But he couldn¡¯t say anything. Camrin¡¯s sophisticated way of going for his opponent¡¯s gaps...it was as if Bratt Lloyd¡¯s technique was being used in a more flexible way, and Airn had no counter for it. Airn was getting exhausted, and his breathing became rougher, and even Inashio thought. ¡®It will be tough.¡¯ ''It might be difficult.'' It was the same as what the others thought. People weren¡¯t saying it out loud because Ian was right next to them, but they all decided that Camrin Ray would win. The skills Camrin had were greater than expected. The figure he was showing now, with a little exaggeration, could be said to be one par with one of the five strongest swordsmen. ¡°¡­¡± The swordsmen of Krono fell silent in that atmosphere. As if they were epting their fellow disciple¡¯s defeat. They weren¡¯t looking at the disciple''s swordsmanship. What they were looking at now was the heart of the disciple. From the past 10 years ago, when this child had nothing for himself, to now when he found something and made it bloom and nurtured it till now, along with the countless times he suffered¡­ Everything is different from the previous life of their disciple. He wasn¡¯t someone who was obsessed and stayed alone. He was never cold nor cruel, or ruthless to people. He was in the hearts of many. He was like a huge tree that inherited the hearts of many people and grew solely with his own dreams and beliefs. It wasn¡¯t brought up alone, and it wasn¡¯t lonely. And so, he could be stronger. Ian mumbled. ¡°Finally, he found his sword.¡± 10 minutes passed. Then it became 30 minutes. Camrin Ray kept attacking him throughout this time. He was like an unstoppable wind and rain, constantly tormenting Airn. But Airn didn¡¯t fall. He wouldn¡¯t wobble or stagger. ¡°Phew, Phew.¡± ¡°Phew, phew¡­¡± On the stage where the both of them were breathing in a rough manner. Camrin Ray realized that his sword would never break the will of this young man. And right after that. ¡°Huhu¡± With his sword brought down, he looked at the referee below and said. ¡°I lost.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I will admit defeat. The winner is Airn Pareira.¡± That was the moment when the participants for the finals were decided. Chapter 323: Unshakeable (2)

Chapter 323: Unshakeable (2)

¡°Airn Pareira!¡± ¡°Airn Pareira! Airn Pareira!¡± A battle thatsted almost one hour was finally over. The winner was Airn Pareira. Cheers flowed in for him, who showed off his skills despite the prediction that Camrin Ray would win. There were people who were skeptical about it. The offense of Camrin Ray was fierce and sharp. A feast of Aura, which roared like the wind and rain. It was as if several swordsmen with different styles were working together at the same time. If they were down there, could they have stopped it? It was a powerful swordsmanship that made people look back on their skills. ¡°Is there no energy left?¡± Jet Frost mumbled. He couldn''t figure out the fight between the two people who were on a higher level than him, but he thought that Camrin Ray wasn¡¯t in a situation where he was being pushed back. He was sure that Camrin had enough stamina to fight. If he felt an overwhelming sense of stability from Airn, it would have been better to lead a fight in a different direction. For the experienced Camrin Ray, it wouldn¡¯t be impossible. ¡°Why surrender?¡± Airn Pareira had a simr question. He asked that question to himself as he looked at Camrin Ray descending down the stage. Of course, he himself might not have thought that he would lose. Because who would? Instead of running and crouching in fear of the wind, Airn seeded in growing a thick tree that was strong enough to be not swayed by external factors. ¡®Besides, it wasn¡¯t just wind and rain.¡¯ It could be felt. It wasn''t just the Aura of Camrin Ray which was being felt. Families praying for the safety of their loved ones. The friends who supported them with warm hearts. The teachers who were rejoicing at the growth of their students. Even the people of the Holy Kingdom who were responding to their fight for the sake of true peace and the well-being of the continent. All of their wills were conveyed in their hearts, and that gave him strength. Even in the border between sorcery and swordsmanship, which was blurred, it miraculously made him stronger. However, that didn¡¯t mean he was the only one who managed to show something. ¡®Sir Camrin Ray, there are things he didn¡¯t show.¡¯ He was curious, and he couldn¡¯t stand it. So, he asked him. It was a rude question to someone who had made such a decision, but he was too curious. ¡°Isn''t this a contest for the future of the continent?¡± Camrin Ray opened his mouth and said that in reply. His face was serious, but it was softer than before. He looked at Airn with warm eyes and spoke. ¡°Belief, will, future¡­ from every point of my view, you seem more suited to bring hope to the continent than me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Of course, that doesn¡¯t mean that I gave up on a match I could win. You, you still have a card you haven¡¯t shown right?¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t even think about lying. Just as I hid one move, you have something you are saving up, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Of course, if I had done my best, you wouldn¡¯t be able to hide it any longer¡­¡± Showing a clear smile, Camrin Ray said. ¡°¡­ I want to see that in the finals.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Thest time. He was defeated. However, he was leaving the arena with a dignified and confident walk, and Airn looked at him for a long time. ¡®¡­ thank you.¡¯ In the sight of his departure, his heart was fully conveyed. Another tree in Airn¡¯s heart, which inherited the will of another swordsman, grew one more span. [I think I Crescentia will win. There is a misconception that people have, but Ilya Lindsay¡¯s skills were never inferior to Arin Pareira or Camrin Ray. Although she isn¡¯t at the level of Dion Lindsay, who ruled the skies in the past, she is blessed by the wind. Anyone who reached the Master level will agree. How great her steps in the wind and her sword movements were. I will tell you again. Ilya Lindsay isn¡¯t weak. It¡¯s just that I Crescentia was incredibly stronger. Perhaps the stronger the opponent, the more her mes burn -Ralph Penn] [Want me to make a prediction? Ha, is there any other contest where predictions are meaningless, as in the Warrior¡¯s Festival? Both the good and old Masters who spoke up initially picked Camrin Ray, me, and Devan Kennedy as the contenders for the title. Some idiots even looked forward to Jarrot and Zakuang winning. And what happened? Most of us lost miserably in the Round of 16, and so did Devan Kennedy and Ralph Penn. Camrin Ray, too lost as a result. Ah, sorry. When I was talking about the loss to a 25-year-old kid, my voice rose, and my words turned more intense. Haha¡­ so, what I want to say is, we won¡¯t know until we watch it. Airn Pareira might not have shown us his full skills yet, or maybe in the match with Camrim Ray, he attained enlightenment. Maybe he will grow up when he is fighting with I. Well¡­ if I had to bet on one side, I would be tilted towards Airn. Still, the person who defeated me has to win to make me look better, right? -Inashio Karahan] [Airn Pareira. -Ilya Lindsay] [I Crescentia. -Devan Kennedy] [I Crescentia will win. -Karim Jenkin] [I will not speak of it. What is clear is that no matter who wins, it will be a good match -Camrin Ray] [Both of them are great young people who will rewrite the history of swordsmanship, but looking at it now, I want to support the ck Knight Commander -Lord n Ray] [Whoever wins, I will break them the next time. -Judith] [Judith, I love you -Bratt Lloyd] ¡°Is this part of Bratt Lloyd saying this okay? If we leave it as it is, Judith mighte and break my head. Umm, I was thinking of trying to include a special corner¡­¡± ¡°If we get a special couple interview, it would be amazing right? There was something ring, but also the subtle feeling of being wanted¡­¡± ¡°Ehh, a double couple interview? Bratt and Judith, Airn and Ilya¡­ a rare love story of Master level people. Let¡¯s try our luck. If not, we cannot help it.¡± ¡°But it seems like people are leaning towards the ck Knight Commander.¡± While scanning the interview, Hinz, the elf chief reporter, smoked a cigarette and mumbled. What stood out was the high chances of I winning. No one could deny it. Except for one match, the ck Knight Commander had one-sided victories. Thanks to that, people''s thoughts of Judith changed. They slowly epted that Judith didn¡¯t move up because of luck but because of her skills and her ability to be a runner-up, too¡­ people were saying that she could have moved to semis. ¡®Then¡­ whose side should I take?¡¯ Hinz, who spewed out smoke, looked at the two names. In fact, the opinions of the reporters weren¡¯t important. No matter how good the participants looked in their eyes, the interviews they got were the ones people would look at. Aren¡¯t they Masters who had made names for themselves? There were probably not many people who cared for the opinion of the reporters. ¡®But apart from that, I want to say something.¡¯ Moreover, in his case, his words were better than other reporters. This is because his articles always put Bratt Lloyd, Judith, Ilya Lindsay, and Airn Pareira as strong contenders from the start. Thanks to that, the fame of Weekly Arena had increased not just in the west but the entire continent. Thinking about the bonus he could getter, Hinz felt better. But¡­ ¡®This time, I¡¯ll go with my heart.¡¯ Eventually, the elf wrote down the name ''Airn Pareira'' for no apparent reason. He just wanted to see a miracle happen once again. He rubbed off the cigarette butt and wrote the articles. Finally, when he had finished everything, he stretched out his body. ¡°Though other people don¡¯t know¡­ What do the parties think of each other?¡± There is no special case between the two, like Ilya and I. At least that was what they knew. But somehow, it was a hunch that made him think that they were strongly conscious of each other. ¡®Maybe there was something special that the public didn¡¯t know¡­ fine. After the match is done, I¡¯ll have to ask Airn for a favor.¡¯ He remembered Airn''s warm smile. He had risen so highpared to before, but he still treated everyone the same. That was why he felt closer to this hero, the greatest young man in his entire journey as a reporter. ¡°¡­ I hope you win.¡± A word of support flowed from Hinz¡¯s mouth as he pulled out another cigarette. A personal exercise room for just themander-level people in the Holy Kingdom. Of course, the ce wasn''t used alone. Themander of ck Knights, Georg Phoebe, and Anya woulde to see the training matches. She was quite calm in front of others, but she was foolish and loud in front of these two. However, that wasn¡¯t the case recently. To be precise, it had been that way since the Round of 32. It was because her captain was taking the training more seriously, and it was the same today too. In the center of the training hall, both Anya and Georg stayed silent as they looked at themander meditating. It had already been more than 5 hours, but they didn¡¯t seem bored or weirded out. Rather, they looked at her with a curious expression. It was the silver-haired swordsman who broke it. Ilya Lindsay. ¡°I request a spar.¡± ¡°¡­ now? you want it now?¡± I opened her eyes and asked with a puzzled expression. After the match, she told Ilya that she coulde to see her whenever she wanted. But didn''t expect it to be this soon. And also, the finals were tomorrow. ¡®We didn¡¯t talk much, but she isn¡¯t a rude child.¡¯ So, this didn¡¯t feel like there was some intention behind it. So, she thought that there was an important reason for her to act like this. But she didn¡¯t like it now. Things wereplicated for her presently. Before this, she didn¡¯t want to face anyone. After further thinking about it, she decided to refuse. ¡°That¡¯s too bad. I am so full of energy since I was hugging and kissing Airn all this time. Okay then.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°I thought if I had to fight in full strength, I would have a higher chance of winning¡­ I can¡¯t help it. I wille another time.¡± With that, Ilya turned away. I, who looked at her, got up as she drew her sword. ¡°Come.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Come at me, you bastard.¡± There was burning anger in her eyes which clearly indicated that she forgot that she was a noble now. Chapter 324: Unshakeable (3)

Chapter 324: Unshakeable (3)

Kwang! Kwaaang! Kwang! Continuous roars resounded as if the heavens and earth were vibrating. It wasn¡¯t a natural disaster. It was a sound made by humans. Anya Marta had a nk expression on her face as she watched the battle of these superhumans who were above normal Masters, and Georg had his mouth opened wide in surprise. It was stronger. The sword of Ilya Lindsay he was seeing today was more powerful than thest match. She escaped from the area and freely moved between the sky and earth. When the wind¡¯s power was added to her silver hair and her silver aura sword, it made him think this wasn¡¯t reality. Ching! The silver-haired swordsman, who had a fairy-like beauty, was struck by the red aura. But that wasn¡¯t the end. Ilya, who couldn¡¯t ovee it, flew away and was pursued by I. Approaching at a frightening speed, she swung her sword to cut her opponent in half. Kwang! Tung! Tung! Ilya barely stopped it. However, as the sword swung swung down to the ground, she had no choice but tond on the floor to avoid it. Bouncing to the ground like a swallowtail, she stood up. Despite the pain, her posture was agile, and her attitude was one a knight should have. Puck! ¡°Kua¡­!¡± I approached her with her presence hidden and kicked her in the side, and that attack turned her agility meaningless. Kwakwakwang! Ilya, who had left holes in the training hall, staggered and stood up. And copsed after coughing up blood. Georg thought this alone was great. Although it wasn¡¯t an attack with a sword but her foot, he knew how strong it was. The Sky Sword was great, but it wasn¡¯t strong enough to bring down the sun. I mumbled, looking at the dust and stone falling down. "From now on, think before speaking." ¡°Cough, Cough¡­¡± ¡°¡­ and know this. The fact that I, a Commander, don''t have a lover was not because I couldn¡¯t date, but because I didn¡¯t want to. It is because I am busy. After 160 years, the Devils have arrived, and the world is a mess. Love? As a Commander who should be an example to the pdins, there is no way I can act like that.¡± ¡°Haa, haa, phew¡­¡± Ilya Lindsay didn¡¯t say anything. She couldn¡¯t help it. She endured it well, but she was defeated. She was even more messed up than in semis. The pain in her lower back was so severe that she couldn¡¯t breathe. If she didn¡¯t want to get beaten more, being silent would be better. However, her curiosity kept stimting her. ¡®What if I say one more thing?¡¯ ¡®What can I say to make I more pissed off?¡¯ ¡®Everyone is dating, married, and having children even in war, right?¡¯ ¡®If not¡­ shall I say, I feel sorry for you who doesn¡¯t know the beauty of love?¡¯ Thinking about it a little more, Ilya decided to not say it. This time she thought she would die for real. The remarks she had said before the fight itself had crossed the line, but the words which she might say after could blow up I¡¯s mind. Most of all, she came here to make fun of her opponent. She took a deep breath and slowly opened her mouth. ¡°¡­ it is weird.¡± ¡°¡­.?¡± ¡°To end it like this, I don¡¯t like it. Maybe you were hiding your strength for the finals, but I showed everything I had right on the stage and left with no regrets¡­ but that makes it even sadder. You haven''t even been able to prove your true abilities." ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So, I provoked you a little harder. Sorry. Phew. I am a little shocked. If I was a little stronger, I wouldn¡¯t have to resort to this, but this was the only way I could think of for you toe at me with your true strength. Ugh.¡± Ilya coughed three to four times as she got up. Blood too came once in a while, but she didn¡¯t care. She had a cool expression as if the burden in her heart was lifted. With a refreshed appearance, she approached I, who was standing awkwardly, and sat down. She saw an enemy who looked at her with curious eyes. No...As she looked at the person she wanted to be friends with, Ilya said. ¡°Our story, will you listen to it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Neither Georg, I, nor Anya spoke. They just stared at the silver-haired swordsman. She didn¡¯t care. The young girl of the Lindsay family continued the conversation with a smile. ¡°¡­ um, you don¡¯t want to?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Well, then listen to me. If you don¡¯t like it, kick me out or throw me out despite the mess I¡¯m in because of you.¡± ¡°Were you always this shameless?¡± ¡°You are not kicking me out. Then, you must want to listen. So I will start.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Okay?¡± ¡°¡­ do whatever you want.¡± ¡­ the story of Ilya Lindsay thus began. She talked about I, a witch she met when she was 9 years old, and Carl, who was defeated by her. Even before she left, her brother, who slowly copsed, failed to recover, and the darkness in her heart piled up because of it. She talked about the light which came from Krono. And the darkness that soon arrived took away her light. Endless darkness¡­ She talked about the time when she was wandering under the pitch-ck night sky...the time that her lover, friends, and teacher helped her ovee. And finally, she confronted I, her enemy, as well as her teacher. ¡°¡­If I had to describe how I feel right now, I am not confident.¡± Ilya Lindsay mumbled. She was feeling calm throughout the time she talked. Perhaps, before she came here, she had sorted out her foolish parts. At least for Georg, it looked like that. Those who struggled with self-righteousness, obsession, pain, and frustration were weak, and weak people couldn¡¯t show their ws to others. That was the case with him. As a child, he was born into a poor family, and he was ashamed of it; he used to adorn himself with pretentious words in front of children from wealthy families. ¡®¡­now that I am pretty old, I can no longer act like that.¡¯ Right. Ilya Lindsay wasn¡¯t weak. She was strong. That was why she was here confidently bringing up her past, which was the most painful topic for her. Especially to the person she hated the most. As a show of promise that there was no more hatred and anger. ¡°Huh, I am feeling a little sad now. My sight feels clearer.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Maybe that is why, even if it is you, I feel like I can get to know you a little more.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Um, you can continue to be silent. There is nothing you can say right now.¡± Phew, exhaling, Ilya Lindsay got up from the seat and smiled again. Her face, which showed no remnants of her burdens from the past or the darkness inside, shone brighter than her silver sword. And she shook hands with I. ¡­ And I, who was silent, didn¡¯t refuse it. "I wille to see you often." "¡­ I am busy, so I cannot hang out with you. Amander is not an idle person.¡± ¡°I know. I can¡¯te too often either. I already have less time with Airn as it¡­¡± Clench! ¡°Uuk¡­ sorry, sorry! Sorry!¡± Ilya pulled back her hand in surprise at I¡¯s reaction. Her strength was no joke. And that expression too. So, she decided not to provoke her any longer. However, there was still more to be said. Taking three steps back, she put the sword in her sheath and said. ¡°Do you know?¡± ¡°About what?¡± "I am not looking at you with prejudice; I am looking straight into you. I had the courage to tell you my story and put things I wanted into practice. It is because I am different from before. If I had been obsessed with the bad things of the past, I would probably look like the devil.¡± "But then suddenly, a thought urred to me. I''m facing this right now, anding out¡­ it is nice, right? It is nice to be able to have a conversation in a calm atmosphere¡­ I, I think it is because you have changed too." ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Um, what do I do¡­ I have to say that you feel like you are looking around more. Of course, my pretty appearance is enough to turn people¡¯s heads anywhere and¡­ I fell in love with Airn too¡­ Ah, sorry. I didn¡¯t do it on purpose this time¡­ well, excuse me!¡± That was the end. Turning around, Ilya ran away from I, and I was frowning hard. Georg and Anya stopped her from going after Ilya. It was because they were scared she would create a mess if she went out. ¡°¡­ It isn¡¯t like we are stopping you.¡± ¡°¡­ No. You are directly stopping me.¡± ¡°No, I-I feel like themander has misunderstood it.¡± ¡°¡­ Enough.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± I Crescentia sighed and sank to the floor. She closed her eyes, and the other two sighed in relief as they saw her returning to her meditation. Even if the storm hade and gone, she looked less than bothered. ¡®More¡­ I began to look around more?¡¯ I was thinking about it. It was a simr thought to what she was having but also different. Her opponent, Airn Pareira, and the conversation with Ilya...both of these things were widely revolving in her head. Airn Pareira. Ilya Lindsay. Bratt Lloyd. And Judith. Right. In the past, she wouldn''t have paid much attention to them, but now, their images kept popping up in her head. They were always in her eyes. And it wasn¡¯t because of the contest. It has been happening even before the festival. Perhaps even longer, considering that she couldn''t forget their names. ¡®I am looking at them?¡¯ The existence which reigned above everyone else was looking at other people below her? A me as hot as the sun, and a huge wave which was threatening such a sun. A wind that exerted an influence just like she did, and a tree that rose endlessly and managed to reach her. After a really long time of agony thinking about someone other than her, I spent a long time meditating. Two nights after that. Airn Pareira had a dream. Chapter 325: Coexistence (1)

Chapter 325: Coexistence (1)

After the semis of the Warrior¡¯s Festival, Airn Pareira chose to pay more attention to his mind rather than his sword. It was to escape from the ever-growing me within him. It wasn¡¯t an easy task. Contrary to how others underestimated her, Airn had never dhat. He knew that through the spar a year ago, and he knew it through his ¡®Aura Seeing Eyes.¡¯ ¡®There is nothing that I iscking in. She is nearpletion in every aspect.¡¯ That thought was more certain after he saw her match with Ilya, his lover. How can he take down I? How can he win against her, who seemed to be blessed with the sword, and win the festival? His worries only deepened, and his time spent in meditation lengthened. In the meantime, he realized something. The surroundings had changed. ¡®¡­ dream.¡¯ The familiar sky. The familiar wall. The familiar yard. And a familiar man in the center with a stance. It was the dream. After being taken care of by Gurgar, he hadn¡¯t seen his former self for a long time. That is until now, and the old man was still fiercely wielding the sword. Airn¡¯s expression brightened at it. Right. This was possible. If it was the man in his dreams who helped him whenever he needed big achievements, he might be able to solve this current problem too. Maybe he would teach him how to face I too. Nodding his head in thought, he went to the corner of the yard and sat down. And carefully, with shining eyes, he watched the man in his dreams. Karen Winker didn¡¯t care. As always, he was wielding his sword with a lonely and sad face. ¡®¡­ it¡¯s different from what I thought.¡¯ Not a lot of time had passed. The man was there, and Airn was still there. Swinging the sword. Everything else remained unchanged. There was no need to eat in a dream, and no one woulde for them either. Even the asional wind felt normal. What had he learned from his past self? Nothing. Unfortunately, Karen Winker was inferior to the current Airn in every way before awakening. His body? It wascking. There was nothing special about the body of a being who hadn¡¯t reached the Expert level, let alone the Master level. His Sword? It felt weird to Airn. All it had were vertical, diagonal, and horizontal cuts. He couldn¡¯t even think of stabbing, and just carried on repeating the three movements, and itcked sophistication. Seeing the bnce constantly shaking made Airn want to teach him. Then his Will? That was the only thing he could learn from Karen, but he already had it. Where did he achieve the five elements from? It all started because of the will of steel he obtained from the man in his dreams. ¡®In the end, what you get from dreams¡­ cannot be used now.¡¯ Airn had a sullen expression. It was an unfortunate situation. Karen Winker, who he was watching now, was someone who helped Airn every time in the past. He was the tree that continued to generously help him. He had higher expectations because he had a dream in a situation where he wanted to get something, and then when he realized that he had nothing to learn from the dream, his disappointment doubled. Such a heart made Airn not want to leave. ¡®Let¡¯s stay just a little longer.¡¯ In his mind, he wanted to get out of the dream. It was possible for him to do it too. The moment he focused his mind, he was convinced that he could break through the fantasy he was in and return to reality. However, Airn didn¡¯t do it. With desperate eyes, he looked at his previous life¡¯s incarnation. Woong! Wooong! Karen Winker was the same. As always, he swung the sword with a cold and sharp expression. It felt like his former self was suffering. In this limited space. In this limited world. With his narrow vision and tightly closed mind. In the midst of this, the image of Karen Winker wielding the sword, spending his days without any thought of his growth or the future, touched Airn¡¯s heart more than the perfect swordsmanship he sought. Airn¡¯s eyes changed. He didn¡¯t have anything to gain, and yet he was once again immersed in looking at the man in his dreams. But at some point, he couldn¡¯t. Thinking of the man who had lived in that utter loneliness for a long time, he regretted the feelings which were flooding into him. ¡®¡­ even this is a ce no one else cane visit.¡¯ Airn, who looked at him, got up and looked around. There was nothing there. Was it because this was a dream? There was nothing there other than the man wielding the sword. No matter how much he used his senses, all he could feel was the wall and the blue sky. ¡®All his life, he lived suffering.¡¯ There would be no girls walking around. No childing in, or a single flower he would receive. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t be given a chance to reflect on it either, and the realization of his death would be more horrible. He was naturally drawn to it. He took a final look at Karen Winker, who would soon copse and regret his life. ¡°¡­¡± Airn looked over the fence, not over the ce closer to him. It was bleak. Forget flowers; there weren''t even any trees there. It wasn¡¯t known if this was like this for just one day or whether it was like this from the beginning. The important thing was that there was nothing that could divert the gaze of the man. At that moment, a thought shed through Airn¡¯s mind. There was a moment¡¯s hesitation as he thought about it. But he didn¡¯t give up. Phew. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes as he focused. Then, as usual, an imaginary world unfolded, and there was a huge tree towering in it. He stretched out his hand. And with that, came power. More than half of the strength he had nurtured so far. Leaving behind the rapidly declining tree in his world, Airn stood in front of the man. Karen Winker stopped the sword for the first time and looked at what Airn was holding. Airn smiled at him and said, after nting the seedling in the yard. ¡°It is a gift.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°It will grow quickly, so please practice while resting under its shade.¡± The man didn¡¯t answer. Airn didn¡¯t say much. But the intention was conveyed. The goodwill passed into Karen Winker the way the flower from the child did in the past. It brought a ray of light into the heart of the deste man. ¡°¡­ then, I will go.¡± There was no need to stay any longer. Airn closed his eyes and focused, and then he escaped from the dream into reality. Of course, just because it was a dream, he didn¡¯t think the actions he did were meaningless. Karen must have felt exhausted. It is absurd, but it was true. Wasn''t Airn a sorcerer? He could see something beyondmon sense. ¡®But I don¡¯t regret it.¡¯ No, rather, he felt much better now. With a brighter expression than he had in the beginning, he clenched his hand. Crack. The world made of illusions copsed. ¡­ ¡­. ¡­ But Airn couldn¡¯t immediately return to reality. Woong Woong! Karen Winker swung the sword. It was the same as always. His hurting body. The memories of his past that were painful even now, and the face which was turning distorted as he kept thinking of it. However, the man was forced to hold a calm expression. It was because he didn¡¯t want to show any weakness that the clown devil couldtch onto. ¡®¡­ it is a littlefortable.¡¯ But these days, he had a hard time managing his expressions. He looked up. The tree with green leaves. It was protecting him and giving him shade. ¡°¡­¡± Karen Winker swung the sword quietly. His body was still exhausted. His muscles and joints screamed from the excessive training, and his hands bled at times. They were painful days. Still, it made him smile. ¡­ he was no longer afraid of the masked people pointing fingers at him. Karen Winker, who received the tree as a gift from an unfamiliar man, attained enlightenment as he died, and inflicted damage to the ugly devil. As a result, the clown retreated. Thousands of people who suffered under it were liberated and led their lives peacefully. Those who had been liberated were singing for a hopeful tomorrow. Those who had fallen to the pain were now nurturing great dreams. Many of them were frustrated by hardships, and others weren¡¯t. Some of them became sorcerers, swordsmen, and heroes and defeated the devils and demons. Thanks to that, the world became a little more peaceful. ¡­ a very long time passed. Now, no one remembered Karen Winker. Not even the people who respected and cursed him in his estate. He saved the world despite being in his own form of pain, and many of the people he had saved spread their own goodwill and help to others. Those who received their grace did the same to other people as well¡­ Airn, who was about to go away from the dream, clearly recognized that he was born in a world of peace. ¡°¡­¡± His mind feltplicated. Was the past Gurgar showed the real one? Or was what he was seeing in the dream real? If thetter was real, how could the world have changed if he had really nted that seed? Dion Lindsay, who was a hero 400 years back, wouldn''t have been born, and Airn wouldn''t have been able to taste the sweetness of peace that continued for 160 years, and even Airn''s birth couldn¡¯t be guaranteed¡­ It wasn¡¯t known. He couldn¡¯t figure it out. It was a very important question, but he decided to stop thinking about it. There was something that was more important. The reason he was participating in the Warrior¡¯s Festival. The reason why he was out on a journey, seeking instructions, and walking the path of the sword. ¡®That¡­¡¯ ¡®¡­ is not to defeat I Crescentia, but to spread a good influence throughout the continent.¡¯ Green energy shone from Airn¡¯s body, as he finally regained control of his wandering mind. Duduk! With that, the tree in his heart that had shrunk to half its size grew up again. Just like before. No, it was now bigger than before. It was natural. His good intentions came back with double the effect, and just as he helped spread out the greater good, it eventually came back to him. It was the right cycle and the secret of coexistence. ¡°Phew.¡± Airn, who thought that, opened his eyes. His heart was light. He felt morefortable now, as he returned to reality. And he wasn¡¯t alone. "Now, let''s go." Three precious people were protecting him. Judith. Bratt Lloyd. And Ilya Lindsay. Looking at them, Airn stood up with a smile. ¡°Right, let¡¯s go.¡± The festival of warriors, the tournament for heroes to bring hope to the continent. Thest day of that event had finally dawned. Chapter 326: Coexistence (2)

Chapter 326: Coexistence (2)

¡°Ahhh¡­ did I drink too much yesterday?¡± A bearded mercenary came out of an inn and mumbled. Normally, he had no intention of getting this drunk. But the moment the stories about the finals started going around, he couldn¡¯t control it. Since he was a native of Avilius, he couldn¡¯t get over the words spoken by the people sitting near the table next to him. They kept going on about Airn and how he was really good. ''He did well, though. He just cannot get past I. Ah, right.¡¯ Rxing his stiff shoulders, he thought about it. Of course, he knew that Airn was a great swordsman. Although he made some concessions, he was also victorious against Camrin Ray and showed an amazing performance against Inashio Karahan. But he wasn¡¯t there yet. Having reached close to the level of perfection, he stillcked experience and other aspects whenpared with the ck Knight Commander, I Crescentia, who actually fought against demons for the continent. ¡°Anyway, it is only because there are so many people that have no idea about how great Miss I is¡­ uh?¡± The bearded mercenary spoke to himself, recalling the conversation the people had earlier, and an unexpected figure entered his eyes. It was Airn Pareira. One of today¡¯s main characters, a blonde swordsman, appeared on the road with his friends. ¡®What? Why is he walking¡­.¡¯ All the contestants were given a carriage to move to the arena. Such a service was provided because it was unavoidable to not attract attention otherwise. The moment a contestant revealed their face, arge number of the audience would engulf them. Considering the behavior of Airn Pareira, this wasn¡¯t a good way of handling it. Because if the people came rushing towards him, and he didn¡¯t push them away, the condition would deteriorate quickly. However, surprisingly, no one approached him. Those who supported Airn. Those who supported I... usually they would all be around this ce. Those who were cheering for the contestants from the South and the East, and those who had lost interest in whoever won. They all just looked. The beard mercenary did the same. ¡®Why?¡¯ It reminded him of his childhood. The time when he went into the forest excitedly with the wooden sword his father gave him...the time when he met a monster. Its teeth protruded out of its wide-open mouth like des, and the foul smell of saliva dripped down its teeth. At that time, he couldn¡¯t even think of escaping as his body went stiff. Chak! ¡®Are you alright, kid?¡¯ The image of a wandering knight who protected him then was engraved in his heart much deeper than the fear and horror he experienced from the monster. It was for that reason that this mercenary took on quests saving small children at a small price, and sometimes it was free of charge too. ¡®Why am I suddenly thinking of that?¡¯ After he thought that, he looked at the blonde swordsman again. Airn waspletely different from the wandering knight in his memory. He was just a young man of a different age, height, and face. All of Airn¡¯s characteristics were what he had only seen on a magic screen. ¡­ but strangely, a feeling simr to the warmth he had felt in the past flowed through his heart. ¡°Should I follow him?¡± ¡°Will that be fine? Won¡¯t it be a hindrance?¡± ¡°Eh, I am not bothering him; I will just watch quietly. That should be fine, right? It doesn''t look like it will affect his condition; that is why he is walking here." ¡°Right. But¡­¡± ¡°Yes. The atmosphere makes me want to walk with him.¡± ¡°Right. It is a bit strange, but¡­ what you¡¯re saying is true.¡± The bearded mercenary turned his head at the words which came from behind him. They were familiar faces...the people who were cheering for Airn yesterday. They were now following the blonde swordsman. The man was dazed for a moment as he watched Airn walk by with a warm expression on his face. "¡­ I, too, have to follow him.¡± Likewise, he, too, moved. And he wasn¡¯t the only one. More people came. Feeling the warmth that came from Airn, they felt swayed. And they didn¡¯t stop. The crowd drew the attention of the people around them, and as a result, even more, people looked at Airn. And after feeling something, they too joined the others and walked with him. The soldiers guarding the entrance to the arena were startled. ¡°Wow! T-this is¡­¡± ¡°Did theye all the way here? Is this fine?¡± ¡°If anyone fights or acts rudely¡­.¡± ¡°There is no such person. Sorry. I seemed to have caused amotion unintentionally.¡± Airn had an apologetic expression. However, he didn¡¯t regret his actions. He smiled and looked behind him. All the people looked at him. ¡®Let¡¯s not forget... what I am trying to do by winning, is to give hope.¡¯ He forgot it for a while. Winning the contest was just a means to an end, and it held no special meaning to him. He realized that once again, thanks to his previous life, and walked down the street to remind himself that. He wanted to look at all their eyes. So that he wouldn¡¯t forget it. The reason he came into this world, the reason he picked up the sword. Airn mumbled a little as he looked at his lover and his friends. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°For what?¡± ¡°Foring here with me. For helping me and guiding me and being with me.¡± Airn answered Judith¡¯s question. Bratt smiled arrogantly, and Ilya held her lover¡¯s hand. She said. ¡°Should I give you a kiss?¡± In an instant, the warm air broke. The handsome blonde looked back. Some of the people who heard Ilya were ring at Airn with resentment. He smiled and said, ¡°If I win, then I¡¯ll take it.¡± ¡°It¡¯s starting.¡± Inashio Karahan mumbled. His voice was full of tension and excitement. Seeing Airn slowly ascending onto the stage, he mumbled again. ¡°He will win. He can win. He is different from the time he fought with me; he is different from the match with Sir Camrin. You are watching, right, seniors? This is really possible.¡± ¡°¡­ you, you are aware that you keep talking faster and faster?¡± Devan Kennedy of the East pointed it out politely. At first, it was thought that Inashio was like a sly snake, but it didn¡¯t seem like that. Contrary to the first impression, he was honest and clear with what he liked and disliked. Ever since he was obsessed with Airn, he constantly supported him. Even when most of them sided with I, he would refute their words. Even today, on the day of the match, he was being restless and supporting Airn faithfully. Thinking about it, Devan thought that Inashio¡¯s way of speaking was to control himself. ¡®Besides, it isn¡¯t all nonsense.¡¯ Devan Kennedy looked at Airn, who was on the stage. Something definitely seemed different. Today, he seemed more rxed and gentler than usual. But he didn¡¯t look weak. Rather it was a feeling that was hard to exin with words... ¡°¡­ the atmosphere of the audience is different.¡± Ralph Penn whispered. Right. Perhaps they weren¡¯t the only ones feeling this bizarre change in him. Despite it being the moment when it would¡¯ve been the noisiest, the stadium was gentle and calm. But everyone was silent, including the ones who supported I and the ones who supported Airn. ¡°Perhaps...¡± Ralph Penn mumbled and then shut his lips. There was no need for words...both Inashio and Devan felt the same thing. Perhaps the final surprise of the tournament will take ce in this match. As such, amid the growing tension from both sides, a figure dressed in the ck Knights uniform appeared. I Crescentia. A swordsman with ck hair climbed the stairs with her usual expressionless face. And the force that she exuded was different from the past matches. Pah! ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­!¡± While making eye contact with her opponent, she showed off her power without any regrets. And the three people, including Inashio, jumped up with bizarre expressions on their faces. So many emotions flowed through the people who were watching and couldn¡¯t be expressed with words. Because it was that shocking. It wasn¡¯t just them who experienced this. ¡°This¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t fully understand things.¡± They were the words of a famous swordsman of Lation city. It wasn¡¯t just her who had this thought. The heads of the 5 swordsman families also thought the same. The individuals who possessed the title of the top 10 swordsmen on the continent also looked at I with wide eyes. They stared at her with a dark gaze. As that happened, the atmosphere changed, and the referee of the final match gulped. ¡°Match¡­ start!¡± Wheik! Shhhh! Immediately, mes rose on the body of the ck Knightmander. They were as hot as the scorching sun, and they had a reddish aura that looked like Judith¡¯s, but it was different. Unlike Judith¡¯s mes which were savage, I¡¯s mes were more refined. One, two, three, four, ten, twenty.1 They were the number of aura beads that were quickly forming on her body. mes exploded behind her, and there was no way that even a Master level swordsman could stop such violent beads. The audience screamed as they watched the bombardment of the aura beads. Kwakwakwang! But it couldn¡¯t be heard. The sound of screams was buried because of the enormous power she controlled. Only the facial expression and eyes of the people who were scared of the mes exined the terror they faced because of the situation. Wooong! I had no intention of stopping. In the midst of pouring out those beads of me, her power was constantly being concentrated on her sword. Her own swordsmanship, which she figured out after 31 years of living, along with the teachings of the Holy Kingdom, melted into the sword. A great momentum could be felt. Swish She swung the sword without hesitation. Another aura was shot out from a downward swing of the sword where Airn was standing. Kwakwakwang! ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Dudu Duduk. Heeing The violent aura wave I released was cut off, and silence befell the stadium. The fragments of the stage floating in the sky began to fall down. The result of the fight couldn¡¯t be seen even after the wind blew. And the aftereffects the exchange had on the stadium were stopped because of the precautions that were taken by the priests and magicians... the audience would have been hurt if they had made even a small mistake. That was how strong of an attack it was. ¡­ and that wasn¡¯t the end. In the midst of all the explosions and the heat, Airn Pareira used the energy of five spirits. ¡°Phew, Phew.¡± Steel, me, water, earth, and wood were not in the right order. It was now in the opposite direction from usual. No, in the right direction.2 The blonde hero, who rode on the flow of coexistence and led the energy, gazed at the sun with shining eyes.
  • Numbers ?? ??
  • It is the order in which Airn fulfilled the Five Spirits Divine Technique. ??
    • Chapter 327: Coexistence (3)

    Chapter 327: Coexistence (3)

    No one had the ability to excel at something from the start. This was something that had nothing to do with their talent. Although there is a difference in the speed at which a bandit, a criminal, and a genius umte their know-how, their starting from 0 is no different. But Airn was different. At the age of 15, through the dream of his previous life, which came to him like a sorcery trick, he possessed an energy that he couldn¡¯t handle before he even touched a sword. ¡®It was great luck.¡¯ Things weren¡¯t always good, however. The energy of iron that he had built for decades in his previous life gave Airn the will to use a sword. Because of that, he was able to grow his body and his skills much faster than others and learn swordsmanship. Aura also built up quickly in his body. It was at a speed that people couldn¡¯t understand. However, that too was because of Karen Winker¡¯s will and not his own. He had to go on a long journey to deal with the heavy, crude, and gigantic energy within him. A journey to find a me to refine the metal in his body into a form that he could handle. ¡®But, even after finding fire, it didn¡¯t end.¡¯ Right. The fire was just a passing point, not an end. The me, sparked by Ilya Lindsay and ignited by I, spread out of control. In order to control that, Airn had to learn the Sword of Water. He couldn¡¯t stop even after achieving flowing water... something that surpassed the stagnant one. Airn was no longer alone, he interacted with people, and argend...an earth of his own that could handle the wide streams of water he produced was now needed. Metal, fire, water, and earth. Andstly, his straight and moral beliefs like the ¡®tree¡¯ which sprang up in his imaginary world. The ¡®Five Spirit Divine Technique¡¯ which he knew about since his time in the estate to the concept he learned in Durkali, all of it waspleted after 10 years. ¡­ However, that wasn¡¯t enough. Airn Pareira, who reunited with I, felt it. He came to the conclusion that he had to operate the energy in a different flow than he did in the past. ¡°Phew.¡± ¡®I can do it!¡¯ The blonde swordsman looked ahead. me flew all around him. He looked at the bombardment of Aura beads which seemed like a disaster in itself, and felt the heat and sheer power that came with it. He wasn¡¯t scared. But he didn¡¯t move. Rather than being scared and backing away, he saw this as a chance to grow. As he looked at her, different memories came to his mind. Four years ago, he remembered the shock which came from meeting her for the first time. It also reminded him of the depth of the struggle he felt in the dungeon he faced two years ago and the resentment he felt a year back. The moment such a heart met with the Aura bead bombings, it caused even more explosions. A roar resounded inside Airn. Kwang! That wasn¡¯t the end. A strong me raged through Airn¡¯s imaginary world. The raging mes were scorching the ce. Neither did it hurt nor was it painful. If it had been the past, his body and mind would have taken damage from this, but Airn was different today. To him, who had built a wide and stablend, the current mes were like a blessing. Woong The me which was received by the earth turned into a stylish vessel. It was strong enough to handle anything. Chhhh! After earth came iron. Metal bloomed from the wide and deep cracks in thend. Airn¡¯s heart didn¡¯t falter like it did in the past. Rather, it was as if he wanted more...like this attack was nothing. Airn felt like someone was smiling at him. Thinking of Karen Winker, he mumbled. The blonde man, with a smile on his face, concentrated on the next energy that was within him, water. There was an unexpected change as soon as Airn did that. Drops of water formed in coincidence with the energy of metal. It wasn¡¯t just on the inside, but it was like that on the outside, too... in the audience. From a distance, it began to flow violently, and even those who were watching it on the magic screen could feel it. Kulkulkul! Airn was puzzled, but that didn''t mean that this was bad. This came with both disappointment and joy. There were people who supported him. Among them, there were people who were in a special rtionship with him. The people of Krono Swordsmanship School that he spent time with. The merchants from the Alhad Mountain he had once walked through. The people who fought with him against the bandits in the orc territories. The adventurers, including Ethan and Jarin, who were on their way to the Holy Kingdom with him. In addition, he felt the sincerity of those with whom he was entangled with in small situations, and he smiled more deeply as he thought about it. He had no intention of forgetting any of them. Just like when he embraced the mes of I, Airn embraced the emotions he felt from everyone without spilling a single drop of their intentions. The stream got wider and deeper turning into a river, and a tall tree stood in the center of it. The giant tree that this blonde man had carefully nurtured achieved another growth. ¡°¡­!¡± Immediately after, a strong energy that couldn''t bepared to the energy before flew in. And it wasn¡¯t an aura bead. It was sharp and ferocious and seemed to want to split the world. It came crashing down in the shape of a half-moon crescent. It tried to rip through the space and bring Airn down. But he wasn¡¯t scared. There was no need to panic after the effort he put in. He knew that this attack wasn¡¯t going to break him down. A golden energy shone from Airn as he felt confident in himself. The aura on his greatsword increased along with it, and in the meantime, the five elements cycled and coexisted with each other. The energy continued to flow. ¡­ Airn Pareira ...swung his sword. Kwawakwang! ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Duk! Duk! Duk! Wheing! Silence befell the stadium again. The Aura beads were like an active volcano. Ordinary people went speechless as they saw it, and the Masters were even more surprised. Everyone looked at the devastated stage without blinking. He didn¡¯t fall. The golden light which came out from the dust was warm enough to touch the hearts of the people watching, and it still had the strength to it. Before long, Airn Pareira, who was now visible to the audience, opened his mouth and clearly said, ¡°From now¡­¡± Bump! Pupupung! He didn¡¯t get to finish what he was saying. More and more aura beads, which now looked more like spheres, came out of I¡¯s body. And they weren¡¯t just flying at him randomly, but rather, were targeting some specific parts. This looked more lethal than any attack they had ever seen. Even the old Masters wouldn''t dare to face it. But Airn did. He gently rotated his greatsword. There was no Aura shield this time. It was simr to Inashio Karahan¡¯s situation, but Airn was facing a much more powerful attack than him. And if they crossed swords with each other head-on, it would be a huge thing. But Airn focused on the flow. As if he was circting the five energies so that they could coexist, he simply focused on the flow. He focused on his own world and ignored everything else. And the shards of aura which wereing in to crush him lost their strength. His will to defeat his opponent with equal force neutralized the attack, and it was incorporated into the flow of Airn¡¯s circle. The stronger me made thend hard again, and the metal shone brighter. As a result, even more, water formed and the trees grew bigger, and the mes increased. I smiled. She had to admit it. The present Airn Pareira was apletely different personpared to a week before. He was such a strong person and appeared in front of her. ¡­ it was a lot faster than she thought. ¡®¡­ let¡¯s focus.¡¯ I cleared her breath. She didn¡¯t learn the technique of five spirits. But she knew the basic principle. Fire, earth, metal, water, and wood. It was a method that specialized in dealing with the five elements of the world from the Orcs'' point of view. On the one hand, it restored bnce by suppressing excessive energy, and on the other hand, it encouraged weak energy to grow bigger. Most of its operating method catered towards harmony and cirction. ¡®It is a lot different from what I thought. Is this the essence of that technique?¡¯ She felt regret now. A year ago, when he was fighting powerful people to gain experience, she didn¡¯t challenge the Great Warrior Karakum. It wasn¡¯t that she looked down on him, but because she believed in herself. She still thought that she was stronger and that she wouldn¡¯t be shaken by Airn¡¯s monster-like appearance. She looked at him, who was still absorbing the shards of aura she deployed. Then she came up with a n to destroy his bnce. ¡®I need energy powerful enough to break the flow, energy so powerful that it cannot be controlled.¡¯ In other words, she had to pour out a huge amount of energy to win. As she thought that, she once again let the energy in her body flow freely and took a deep breath. Wheik! ¡°U-Uh?¡± ¡°She is flying?¡± The audience roared as they saw the sight in front of them. It was because the ck Knight Commander was soaring in the sky. Only Ilya Lindsay, who wielded the power of wind, had shown something like this. But this surprise didn¡¯tst long. Since her disy seemed natural. As if it wasn¡¯t unusual for the sun to float in the sky, the people went silent at the sight of I rising up. And then they looked to the side. ¡°Phew.¡± This time Airn couldn¡¯t shake off the nervousness he felt. But he endured it. He entrusted himself to the flow of coexistence and looked at the sun. His body radiated as bright as his opponent¡¯s. The audience couldn¡¯t even look at the man who was glowing golden, and the magicians who saw that, began to sweat and put up the shields preemptively. In the meantime, the pdins of the Holy Kingdom and the Masters moved to the bottom of the seating area. Julius Hul and Ian looked at each other and nodded, and said, ¡°Just in case¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s do this¡­¡± In the meantime, the energy of the two swordsmen continued to grow. The figure of I Crescentia, who was floating high and perfectly, and the figure of Airn, who was on the ground and dazzling. The elderly people felt their eyes strain as they watched the scene in front of them. And after a while. A sh came. ---! A huge shock and noise rattled the entire arena. Fortunately, no one was harmed. Magicians, priests, and even the Queen of Runtel added more power to the shield. An unfortunate ident wouldn¡¯t happen since she was here. The roar that the sh caused was blocked by the shield and was halved. The ears of the people watching still hurt, but not enough to cause pain. However, the light that spread everywhere due to the sh couldn¡¯t be blocked. Everyone turned their heads away, and people shut their eyes tightly. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± There were no sounds or explosions after that. Slowly the ray of light disappeared, and the dust cleared. The faces of the two were revealed. One was standing tall, and the other was unconscious in the arms of the victor. Gulping, Jet Frost managed to open his mouth. The name of the winner of the Warrior¡¯s Festival was said in a low voice. Chapter 328: Coexistence (4)

    Chapter 328: Coexistence (4)

    ¡°I!¡± ¡°Oh! Ohoh!¡± ¡°She won! I Crescentia has won!¡± ¡°Is he fine? Is the opponent fine?¡± ¡°There doesn''t seem to be any problem. Maybe he fainted¡­¡± ¡°Uh, where¡¯s the stage?? No, it looks like the ground itself had flown away, hasn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Seriously, they¡¯re monsters, both of them¡­¡± With Jet Frost¡¯s mumbling leading the way, little by little, the reactions came from the audience in quick session. Some were happy, and some were sad. However, there was no disagreement between the final contestants. The shattered stage proved their strength. Without the protection of Jia Runtel and the others, the entire stadium would have been blown away. Despite such a relentless and fearsome match, no one was injured. The one who lost, Airn Pareira, was now knocked out in the arms of I Crescentia. Kirill¡¯s reaction proved that Airn was fine. Even in the midst of the disappointment, cheers wereing for Airn and apuding him for doing his best. ¡°Airn, you did really good!¡± ¡°Airn Pareira! Airn Pareira!¡± ¡°I Crescentia! The pride of the Holy Kingdom!¡± ¡°Both of them are great! The continent is safe!¡± ¡°Look at that, you bastards from Devildom! They¡¯re the hope of the continent!¡± ¡°Get lost now, devils!¡± Enthusiasm. And Hope. The final wasn¡¯t just a match between the two strongest swordsmen of thepetition. What the audience saw from the match was the hope and future of the continent. Seeing the atmosphere which matched the purpose of the tournament, the Holy King smiled happily, and Jia Runtel also smiled as if agreeing that the match wasn¡¯t bad. It was the same for the other top figures of the Holy Kingdom. However, not everyone was the same. Julius Hul, who was watching the fight between the two from the start, thought. ¡®¡­ it was really dangerous.¡¯ It really was. Others must have sweated, wondering who would win, but Julius Hul wasn¡¯t nervous about the result. The victory was clearly I''s, and the key to it was how well Airn would handle it. ¡®To be honest¡­ I didn¡¯t think he could ept the attacks. I thought it wouldn''t be strange if he felt swept away by I¡¯s aura.¡¯ So he tried to move. He was horrified by the final blow of I, which was stronger than what he had confirmed a month back, so he tried to stop the match. The more talents the continent had, the better. No matter the purpose of the contest, he couldn''t stand to risk that. But as he was about to run in, Ian stopped him. And in the end, that decision was the right one. Whooong! Julius Hul, was someone who didn''t know much about spirits, let alone the Five Spirits Divine Technique. However, he could still clearly feel the energy of the spirits. However, they moved organically rather than running wildly and isting themselves from each other. The spirits, through the technique, coexisted, and sometimes they contradicted each other, and they did their best to relieve the external force. And the result of achieving mastery in that was shown today. The spirits seeded in dispersing the shock and me which came directly from the sun. And after smiling at doing that, the man who did it copsed forward. I moved gently and caught the man before he hit the floor. Julius Hul sighed in relief. He, who had spent a considerable amount of time in silence amidst the cheers and shouts, looked at Ian and asked. ¡°Why did you stop me?¡± Ian didn¡¯t answer right away. Even he couldn¡¯t urately grasp his own mind. It wasn¡¯t just one thing that made him do that. A lot ofplicated things which couldn¡¯t be exined were running through his mind. But if he had to put it into words. ¡°Faith.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Faith in my disciple. There is no other way to express it.¡± ¡°That sounds irresponsible¡­¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s call it the sense of a person who has lived as a swordsman for 100 years and as a swordsmanship teacher for 50 years. The bond between Airn and me must have yed a part in it. You don¡¯t understand, but I knew that he would do fine. Isn¡¯t it too much for me to act in that situation and throw away the chance for my disciple to gain recognition because of my old age?¡± ¡°¡­¡± "The talk about Airn is over; let''s talk about the ck Knight Commander. How was it?" Ian asked in a low voice. It was because I Crescentia was different from usual. Julius Hul, who was asked about it, looked at her. It certainly was. She, who would normally be cold to her opponent, approached and supported Airn first. And she wasn''t crying, smiling, or grimacing, but she had a strange expression on her face. Obviously, this match was confusing. But¡­ ¡°I have no worries.¡± Julius Hul replied with a smirk. Now it seemed like he knew why Ian stopped him. Just as he believed in Airn. Julius Hul, too trusted his subordinate and disciple I. He was convinced that the current turmoil would serve as a stepping stone for her. In that sense, Ian stopping him was quite meaningful. The best knight of Avilius, who seemed to have a new change, made even the oldmander respect her. ¡°Thank you. For stopping me from halting the growth of the ck Knight Commander.¡± ¡°¡­ huhu. I don¡¯t know about swordsmanship, but I do have more experience in teaching. If you are indebted, then let¡¯s have a drinkter.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t normally drink, but I would be happy to do it with you. Sure, but¡­¡± Julius Hul looked at something. The dark beings who were hiding insidiously outside the arena. The old pdin who felt it said. ¡°¡­ after we wipe out the filthy evil ones.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Ian, too solemnly, responded. Right. The future of the continent was indeed bright, but that didn¡¯t mean that the darkness had disappeared from the present. The two people who were leading the present era gave hope to the people. Seeing the audience cheering with bright faces, they vowed to sharpen their swords even further. And¡­ ¡®¡­ Ilya, what is she thinking right now?¡¯ Looking at her lover in the hands of I Crescentia. Bratt Lloyd had some delusions run through his mind. The Warrior¡¯s Festival, which started with huge expectations, came to a grander end. Finally, thergestpetition on the continent, whichsted for a month, was over. However, even after a week since it finished, the Holy Kingdom was buzzing. It was because the aftertaste of the tournament still hadn¡¯t washed away. The people who came to see the hope of the continent, those who came to see the strong swordsmen in the world, and finally, those who were swept away by the excitement. The story blossomed every day with stories of the contestants who showed their own color. Inns and restaurants were full of people talking about it. The hearts of people changed as if the devils had never existed, and the guards of the capitals felt rxed. The contest was over, but the festival was going on and warmth spread through the entire continent. And it wasn¡¯t just for the audience. The contestants too. After being convinced that the minor wounds the contestants received were all healed, Avilius hosted a grand after-party banquet. Although the winner didn¡¯t attend for personal reasons, there were still many people who enjoyed it. ¡°Sir Airn Pareira! What an amazing sword!¡± ¡°I heard that he learned the Five Spirits Divine technique from the Durkali tribe, and its chief, the great warrior Karakum helped him¡­¡± "Karakum has given up his position as chief. The current chief in Tarakan. That has to be said right. Schoolmaster Ian''s teachings and advice and the words from my friends were all great help to me. It seems like I was only able to reach this far because of the help and grace of the people around me.¡± ¡°Huhu, how can you be this humble¡­¡± The contestants gathered around Airn, the Pride of the Hale Kingdom, who overcame everyone¡¯s expectations and emerged as the runner-up. Judith nodded. It wasn''t strange for people to flock to Airn, who had a gentle nature. ¡°Dame Ilya Lindsay! Thest skill you disyed in the match between Dame I¡­ it was the skill of the Lord¡­ right?¡± "Yes. It is still unfinished, though." ¡°Uh? No. I guess it is true then¡­ Wow! Come here and see! Oh my! Excuse me for being this excited¡­ I can back off if you are burdened by the noise." ¡°No. It is fine.¡± ¡°T-then let¡¯s talk a little more¡­¡± ¡®Ilya doesn¡¯t look shy either. Well... these days, she isn¡¯t the same as she was in the past.¡¯ Judith nodded again. In the past, Ilya avoided people so much that it felt like she had social phobia, but now she showed no sign of it. Rather, Judith was worried that she would be rubbing off on Airn too much, but it wasn¡¯t a huge problem. She smiled and looked at her lover, Bratt Lloyd. Like a high-ranking noble, he got along with many people with a gentle smile and polite manners. And that was a good thing. Suddenly, she felt lonely, and she looked down and thought. ¡®No matter how I see it, this ce doesn¡¯t suit me.¡¯ Bratt Lloyd was a sociable person who got along with anyone. Airn Pereira made a good impression that anyone would like. Although she looked coldpared to the two, Ilya Lindsay had a wonderful family background. They were all different from her. Her personality was the odd one... with no family and of humble birth. Of course, since she was acquainted with the three, no one would ignore her, but it was inevitable that she was feeling cramped. It was as if she was in clothes that didn''t fit her. ¡®I¡¯d rather have a fight than a banquet.¡¯ She remembered her argument with Zakuang. It felt bad then, but she felt better in such a situation. This friendly atmosphere didn''t suit her except for when she was with her friends and Khun. At the time she was thinking, she felt a sense of energy behind her and turned right away. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Huk!¡± ¡°What? Are you talking to me?¡± ¡°Uh, Uh¡­¡± Judith asked bluntly. Are you talking to me? Well, it was a pure questioning statement, but a ferocious expression on the outside showed her bad mood. Dwight, who was eliminated in the first round, felt nervous. However, he overcame it. He felt that she was attractive as a swordsman. I in her 30s...the greatest genius on the continent, with strength on par with the top ten swordsmen on the continent. And Judith, the strongest expert who pushed her into a corner! As he recalled her form, a hot me rose in his chest. Dwight looked at Judith and said. ¡°D-D-D¡­.¡± For a moment, Bratt Lloyd suddenly turned to them. Chapter 329: Coexistence (5)

    Chapter 329: Coexistence (5)

    ¡°I want to apologize¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Sorry. Before the contest began, I doubted your skills. I was one of those who criticized you behind the others for being given an invitation¡­ I formally want to apologize for that. My actions may have offended you¡­ um.¡± Dwight, who was eliminated in the first round, was trembling, trying to say all that he wanted to say. And it wasn¡¯t because of Judith but because of Bratt Lloyd¡¯s pressure. The sight of Bratt looking at him with those eyes was bewildering and stressful. ¡®W-why is he doing that?¡¯ Fortunately, nothing bad happened. After a moment, Bratt continued to have conversations with those around him as if nothing had happened. And despite the entire situationsting a brief moment, Dwight felt exhausted. ¡®The force a quarterfinal contestant possesses¡­¡¯ After reconfirming the skills of the Dark horse of the contest, Dwight wiped his forehead. And embarrassment bloomed in his mind. Although she was knocked out, Judith was known to have skills that were on par or higher than Bratt Lloyd. To such a person, somebody who lost in the first round was nothing to look at, and embarrassment slowly sank it as he realized it. ¡°Um, so, so¡­¡± Dwight stuttered. Then he apologized over and over again. However, he was in an awkward spot as he missed the chance to have a good conversation with her. Meanwhile, Judith stared at him constantly, and the pressure he felt rose. It was the same with the other contestants behind him. They, like Dwight, ignored Judith in the beginning, so there was no way they couldn¡¯t regret it. They weren''t the first to apologize, but they didn''t mind jumping into the conversation and asking for forgiveness. Judith looked at them. She wasn¡¯t giving out aura or her fiery energy. Rather, she looked at her opponent with cold eyes and opened her mouth after 30 seconds passed.1 ¡°Enough.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk about swords.¡± ¡°..?¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to if you don¡¯t want to.¡± Judith turned her head. It looked like she was upset, but she was actually just shy. This was her first time going through something like this. Of course, it was true that people who mistreated her without knowing anything about her made her annoyed, but as she saw theme with their heads down and apologize to her, she felt something. But she wasn¡¯t the kind of person tough it out and say it was fine. But she had no desire to shout at them either. In the end, there was only one topic that could break away from the weird atmosphere. Something she had worked on all her life and what she loved. The Sword. Of course, if there was no interest from the other side, they could walk their separate ways¡­ ¡°I-I like it.¡± ¡°R-right! It isn¡¯t that we don¡¯t like it! Rather we are d to talk to talk about it with you!¡± ¡°Right! I am someone who likes stories about swordsmanship the most in the world!¡± ¡°M-me too¡­ a-and I haven¡¯t said it yet, I am sorry. I am Colt Smith, whopeted with you in the second round and lost¡­¡± ¡°Ah, right! I-I am Dwight¡­. Anyway, this is good. Please give us an in-depth story of swordsmanship¡­¡± ¡°¡­ r-right.¡± Judith took a step back and answered. It was a little burdensome to see these swordsmen excited, but this was much better than how it was a minute ago. Above all, they all loved swordsmanship. Although the first impressions weren¡¯t good for any of them, they had simrities that made it good enough for them to overlook the past. ¡°So, this is¡­¡± ¡°Um, what did you do? Ah, right. Like this¡­¡± ¡°R-right!¡± ¡°Ahh, this seems like it, but it feels confusing.¡± ¡°Huh, I thought you were more of a person who focused just on instinct, but you are amazing in theory too.¡± ¡°Ah, so far, I have been leaning towards the old way¡­¡± The story continued to bloom in a friendly way. Andughter blossomed too. Having discussions about swords with people stronger than them. It was an experience that was difficult to obtain even if a person was ready to give a thousand gold to the contestants who had participated. Their voices turned stable, and their emotions rose. Over time, the conversation turned into one way rather than two ways and the discussion changed into teaching. The swordsmen who had their path blocked would ask Judith multiple questions, and Judith would answer them all with sincerity. The swordsmanship discussions she had with Bratt proved helpful now. Seeing her conveying her know-how in ways easier for the others to understand, the faces of the middle-aged ones brightened. Of course, there was a limit to things. The discussion itself was a huge thing for them, but it was probably not as good as experiencing through a match. Everyone wanted to see Judith''s swordsmanship, which was different and unique. They wanted to fight and see the red-haired swordsman¡¯s movements and attacks. ¡°Uh, that is unfortunate.¡± ¡°Right. If this had been a training hall instead of banquet¡­ huh.¡± Was he too outspoken? Dwight, who said it out,ter realized it, and immediately shut his mouth. His words could have been considered rude. Just being taught itself was amazing, and now he wanted something more? Judith giving her knowledge to them without asking anything from them was something they should be happy about. He didn¡¯t have to pay her anything or owe her any favors, and yet he wanted more? His face reddened in embarrassment. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± However, the words from Judith were unexpected. Everyone was surprised. It was even more so for Dwight, who went stiff. The other contestants were a bit worried that he might end up in bad shape because of the words he just said, but instead of being kicked out, she suggested going to the training hall? And the answer came right away. ¡°Let¡¯s go right now!¡± So it wasn¡¯t just empty words. In case she changed her mind, they all quickly followed Judith to the training hall. Watching Judith in the center of the crowd, Airn, Ilya, and Bratt felt curious. Woong! ¡®A lot has changed. Even for me.¡¯ Judith, who moved from the banquet hall to the training hall, thought that as she was teaching the others. Her normal self wouldn¡¯t be like this. She was someone who was selfish. She had been like that ever since she was a child in the slums. If she identally got a loaf of bread, she would eat it by herself till her stomach exploded. If she couldn¡¯t eat it, she would hide it, and if she couldn¡¯t do that, she would rather throw it away than give it to someone. She had changed since she entered Krono, however. During the mid-term evaluation, she remembered Airn, who gave up his lead for her. After bing a formal trainee, she remembered the face of Bratt Lloyd, who first approached her and suggested sword training. She remembered Ilya Lindsay, the first one to reach out to Airn, whom everyone ignored. That was how they became friends...all of them. It wasn¡¯t just because she was good. It was because her heart opened for them, and theirs opened for her. ¡®Someday, I hope I can do something for those needlessly good-natured bastards.¡¯ She didn¡¯t say it, but Judith always thought about it. And now, that kind of heart was reaching out to others. Whoo! Whooo! ¡°Uh, right. A refined movement is good, but rather, we will take a lot of damage if we get caught up in it. The reason we want to develop the Aura Sword is to eventually be stronger, but it feels like the main things have changed at some point.¡± "Right. I get stuck, and my field of vision gets narrow. Uh, Judith, thanks to you, I learned something." ¡°Thank you! Thanks!¡± She couldn¡¯t understand it. The debts she had to pay were to Bratt, Ilya, and Airn. Along with Ian, Keria, Finn, Khun, Kuvar, Lulu, and other people from the swordsmanship school who had opened their hearts to her. The middle-aged swordsman in front of them now, gave nothing to her. Still, she was giving to them. ¡­ and oddly enough, it felt good. ¡°Hmm, it is good to have a ce.¡± ¡°A training hall is more suitable than a banquet hall.¡± ¡°Right.¡± It wasn¡¯t just Judith¡¯s party. All of a sudden, the training hall was filled with contestants of the Warrior¡¯s Festival. Devan Kennedy and Ralph Penn were the first, and they were followed by the eastern swordsmen. Soon, the sound of swords being exchanged could be heard from various ces in the training hall. ¡°No! You cannot do that!¡± ¡°Look here! Right! Right! No¡­ ha, this is frustrating!¡± ¡°Look carefully. Here¡­¡± Inashio Karahan didn¡¯t stand still either. At first, heined of being diforted by people generously passing their know-how, but now he was teaching more passionately than others. Ralph Pennughed at the harsh words and the warm deeds. Despite the raging wind, the atmosphere in the training hall was warmer, and, in the meantime, Bratt, Airn, and Ilya also shared their experiences. And the others too. All of a sudden, the contestants were all sharing each other''s knowledge and skills without concealing anything. ¡°¡­¡± Judith quietly looked at the ce. She still didn¡¯t understand it. Why did she show favor to people who weren¡¯t lovers or friends? Why did she help others? Why did Airn smile looking at her? It wasn''t for her, but for her good intentions. ¡­ just like that, she watched the flow of the training hall despite her confused mind, and felt something behind her. She turned back and frowned. Jarrot. The friend of Zakuang, who had a tangled rtionship with her. It was the moment when Judith¡¯s expression was turning into a frown. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The rude words and actions that Zakuang and I said and did to you. I¡¯m apologizing for them.¡± Jarrot bowed his head politely. It was an attitude through which she could feel the sincerity. It felt like she was hit on the head. Tears flowed from the eyes of the red-haired swordsman.
  • ¡®opponent¡¯ TT TT ??
    • Chapter 330: Coexistence (6)

    Chapter 330: Coexistence (6)

    ¡®Damn it.¡¯ Jarrot, the Southern Tiger and one of the predicted winner contestants, was standing in the corner of the banquet hall with an ufortable expression. The reason was clear. It was because of the four people, including Judith. He had no choice but to do so. His brother-inw Zakuang didn¡¯t even appear in the first round and withdrew. Although Jarrot advanced to the quarterfinals, he showed an unsightly appearance in his match against Ilya Lindsay. Judith, on the other hand, showed an incredible performance. She pushed I, who ultimately became the winner of the contest, to the end of the stage. ¡®¡­ it was not luck.¡¯ Looking at Judith, walking around the banquet hall, Jarrot sighed. He couldn¡¯t help but admit it. She was a strong one. Despite being an expert, she was fully qualified to receive the invitation from the Holy Kingdom. It wasn¡¯t just that. Even if she faced Zakuang, the red-haired swordsman would have been able to defeat him without much difficulty. Zakuang would¡¯ve definitely been in trouble. No, it would¡¯ve been impossible for him to win. He was arrogant during the contest, but now that it was over, he felt sober and thought about it reasonably. Judith was much stronger than them. Bratt Lloyd, Ilya Lindsay, and Airn Pareira, who were all her age, were also stronger than them. And the fact that the juniors who were 30 years younger than them were surpassing them caused unbearable frustration and anger within him. He could understand the emotions of Zakuang, who had left without a word. Despite the fact that they were the ones who picked the fight, Jarrot felt angry each time he saw Judith. Even so, he stayed in the banquet hall because he was afraid of people ridiculing him for running away if he left. The southern tiger looked at the red-haired swordsman with a vicious gaze, as if he was looking at a life-long enemy. What started to change his attitude was the conversation between Judith and the contestants who lost in the first round. ¡°Well. The people there, where are they going?¡± ¡°Are they going to the training hall?¡± ¡°What? Training hall?¡± ¡°I heard it too. A swordsmanship debate is in full swing¡­ No. it would be correct to consider it as a one-sided swordsmanship lecture.¡± ¡°Is that so? It¡¯s good to be humble. Those people all cursed each other behind their backs.¡± ¡°Yes. But that isn¡¯t important. If the exnation cannot be done with words, then going to the training hall is better since that means they¡¯ll be learning properly, right?¡± ¡°Um, yes. Is there anything wrong with it? Judith won¡¯t know until a lotter that those idiots had looked down on her.¡± That was what he said, but the man who had been eliminated in the 3rd round couldn¡¯t hide his expression. Shouldn¡¯t people stay hidden? Like... shouldn¡¯t their skills be hidden for them to be considered interesting? If the ones who were learning could understand how an Expert pushed a Master to the end of the stage, then they would receive a gift that was bigger than anything that they had ever gotten. ¡°¡­ Ahem, the air here is stuffy. I should go for a walk.¡± ¡°That so? I was thinking the same thing¡­¡± In the end, all the swordsmen went to the training hall with various expressions. Among them, Devan Kennedy, Ralph Penn, Inashio Karahan, and even the young ones like Airn were present. And all of them were sincerely sharing their know-how. Lavishly, without hiding anything. Jarrot, who initially followed them with a smile, looked at the people in the training hall with a nk expression. And then looked at one person. He kept looking at that person, and suddenly said¡­ ¡°I am sorry.¡± Without realizing it, he approached Judith and spoke politely. He felt ashamed. He was someone who had lived twice as long as this girl. As if arguing with her wasn¡¯t enough, despite the misunderstandings that urred, he kept getting angry at the sight of her because of his pride. He kept thinking about avenging Zakuang. But Judith wasn¡¯t like that. She offered forgiveness to those who mocked her. That goodwill spread among the 120 swordsmen, breaking down the thick walls in their hearts. Everyone was smiling. Everyone seemed happy and joyful. It was all thanks to Judith. It was a miracle and a gift that the youngest contestant here, a 22-year-old girl, had done this. ¡®I had a heart of trash.¡¯ As soon as such good intentions reached his heart, he couldn¡¯t stand by his previous actions anymore. It was pathetic that he had such a heart and intentions that were inferior to someone who had lived in the slums. He wanted to run away in shame. But he couldn¡¯t do it. In order to not be the same as Zakuang. In order to not turn into a coward, he lowered his head and said. ¡°The rude words and actions that Zakuang and I said and did to you. I apologize for them.¡± ¡°¡­¡± At that moment, tears flowed from Judith¡¯s eyes. It was an apology from the guy who had been growling at her throughout the contest, but she knew that it couldn¡¯t be a lie. She also knew that he said it with sincerity. She realized that the good intentions which came from her would return to her like a harmonious cycle. She understood then why Airn would constantly smile. It was good to pass such feelings on to others. It was okay to give things to the world. Things that he shared would go round and round, and, one day, they would flow back to Airn. At that moment, a spark shed in Judith¡¯s eyes. Pah! Suddenly, people entered her field of vision. Some of them were vigorously wielding their swords, and some of them were giving others advice. There were people who were smiling and watching the others, and people who were contemting it alone. Some of them were looking at the interaction between Jarrot and herself, and a few others were looking at Jarrot with anxious expressions. All of it these scenes felt precious to her. Her mind might change in a few days, but for now, she believed in it. As she felt the warmth from them, the me made her heart hotter. ¡®Don¡¯t let go.¡¯ ¡®Uh?¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t let go of your rtionships.¡¯ ¡®¡­¡¯ ''Take a different path than me. Don''t let go of your friend and lover. Don''t let go of the bond you have with the people in Krono, and don''t sacrifice all your ties for the sake of the sword. Be greedy. But do not let go of anything; hold onto them all with greed.¡¯ The intentions of her teacher...the words she thought were from a greedy man, came to her mind. His words meant something different now. Her blurred vision was cleared. Judith smiled, and there were more and more intense tears. ¡°Uh? Uh?¡± ¡°What? You, what did you say to make her like that?¡± ¡°No, I just apologized¡­ really, I didn¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡°Then the reason to cry¡­ no, she isughing.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I cannot understand. It is hard for me to understand.¡± Jarrot put on a puzzled expression. Bratt Lloyd, who had been running in a hurry, tried to grab him by the neck, but he saw Judith''s weird expression and asked a question. His lover seemed different, and he couldn¡¯t jump to conclusions. Either way, Judith smiled. And it didn''t stop there; she began tough. Most of the swordsmen there looked at her. She wasn¡¯t embarrassed. She gently wiped away her tears with her sleeve and reached for Jarrot. ¡°Let¡¯s shake hands.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I spoke a little rudely at that time. Sorry.¡± "¡­I am really sorry. If I meet Zakuang, I will let him know it too. I hope the two of you get along too.¡± ¡°I hope so too.¡± She felt the warmth in the hand she was holding. The me in the training hall, which made people forget the cold weather, was a lot better than the heat and pain she grew up with. Seeing Judith standing in the centre, Airn thought about coexistence again. The banquet was over. At some point, the venue became the training hall, but now it was over anyway. The contestants of the Warrior¡¯s Festival went their separate ways leaving behind their regrets. Of course, the rtionships they had made there wouldn¡¯t end like this. ¡°Will you reallye?¡± ¡°Why would I lie? I have no enemies either. And I was thinking about going to the East Coast for a while.¡± ¡°Well, nice.¡± ¡°Haha, fine. Don¡¯t forget to introduce me to a nice woman.¡± ¡°No, when did I even say¡­ besides, isn¡¯t she a bit too young for you?¡± ¡°Ahem, maybe¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Inashio Karahan, Ralph Penn, and Devan Kennedy seemed to want to continue their friendship, and they exchanged friendly conversations and disappeared. It looked like they were heading out to drink. It wasn¡¯t just them. The others also seemed to gather three or five of their close friends and moved. Jarrot, the only one left, went to his room, and it seemed like he would leave Avilius the next day. He was looking for Zakuang, but his mood was like the others. He was happy but was a little remorseful too. ¡°I think it is morefortable for us to be together after all.¡± ¡°Hm. Right.¡± Airn, Ilya, Judith, and Bratt. These four people greatly contributed to the sess of this contest. The training hall was now quiet since all the people had left. It felt like the truth that the contest had ended was sinking in. ¡°I don¡¯t know if there will be a ce like this another time¡­ but, if there is one, I think I want to do better.¡± After a brief silence, Judith said that. It wasn''t her usual harsh tone. While she was proud of her strength, this time, her heart felt warm. There was no doubt that Judith was different. The first thing she did was to try to get along with others and to express her thoughts honestly¡­ ¡°I feel like I caught on to something like half-enlightenment. Perhaps there will be an achievement after meeting a Master; what should I do?" ¡°What?¡± ¡°If I get stronger here, if I grow this quickly¡­ can this world handle me?¡± ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate. If the contest was held a yearter, the winner would have been different.¡± ¡°The lovers are starting to resemble each other.¡±1 ¡°Right. Bratt, did you do something to Judith?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± Airn and Ilya looked at Bratt after they Judith¡¯s confident words. Bratt felt bad because of it. It was Judith who spoke, but it was him who was getting attacked. It was so absurd that he couldn¡¯t say anything. But there was no need to worry. The rebuke for their questions came from a ck-haired swordsman who approached them. ¡°That will be impossible.¡± ¡°Um?¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Impossible?¡± "Right. One year isn''t enough, and Bratt Lloyd, you are a cheeky one. Not calling me with thest name the Holy King gave me, do you have a death wish?¡± ¡°No.¡± ¡°No?¡± I, who spoke to Bratt, sat down. Until she spoke, they could hardly feel her presence, but the moment they looked at her, they could feel her pressure weighing them down. But they didn¡¯t feel burdened by it. Bratt Lloyd. Judith. Ilya Lindsay, And Airn too. Everyone looked at the ck Knight Commander without feeling any pressure. Smile. She smiled and said something that didn¡¯t sound like her.
  • AHAHAHAHAHAHA ??
    • Chapter 331: Coexistence (7)

    Chapter 331: Coexistence (7)

    ¡°It is unreasonable for you to catch up with me in such a short time. However¡­¡± ¡°In five...or maybe ten years.¡± ¡°Or if a little more time passes, it will be a different story.¡± ¡­ at the calm voice of I, the four were shocked. Especially Ilya Lindsay. It was because the ck Knights Commander was someone who would never speak lowly of herself. She was an existence who was expected to overtake everyone, including the senior swordsmen who had legendary achievements in the near future. No...she was already was basically in the top 10 swordsmen of the continent and was evaluated as someone who could stand shoulder to shoulder with the top three swordsmen within 10 years. Such an existence had said those words. To be precise, she admitted it to people who had started trainingter than she did. Everyone was quiet as they heard her words, and the silence continued for a while. Only one person could remedy the situation. I smiled once more and continued. ¡°Honestly, I couldn¡¯t understand it myself. A year ago, I had already seen you when I came to face the strong ones. I was surprised, and it was fun. I never dreamed that I would turn my head for people behind me, but for some reason, my eyes kept looking as you got closer to me. Even more than the top three swordsmen who defeated me, and the rest of the top ten swordsmen.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But that is all. Your footsteps were quickening, but I wasn¡¯t feeling tense. I think it would be more urate to say that it was just a matter of interest in you all. But¡­¡± ¡®...you exceeded my expectations.¡¯ When she met them just a yearter, Bratt Lloyd, Judith, Ilya Lindsay, and Airn Pareira had improved far beyond what she thought. The blue-haired kid who had barely crossed the entrance to the Master level created a huge wave that covered the sky. Judith, who had a me she couldn''t control, was now controlling it. It was still wild and savage, but she managed to face the sun by finding a way that suited her better than anyone else. It was the same with the silver-haired swordsman and the blonde one too. Everyone had greatly narrowed the distance between her. Everyone had grown so high that they could reach the sun in the sky. Because of that... The reason she couldn¡¯t appear at the banquet immediately was because she didn¡¯t clearly understand why the gap had suddenly narrowed. ¡°That means now you understand.¡± ¡°Indeed¡± Bratt asked, and I nodded, and the others only looked at her. Unlike before, there was no awkward silence. Without hesitation, she answered. ¡°Coexistence.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You people were soaring high together, making up for your shorings and boosting yourselves with each other¡¯s help.¡± That was what I couldn¡¯t understand the most. In the final, she won against Airn. However, it was apletely different victory than she expected. It was breathtaking. Considering the fight they had a year ago, this was something she couldn¡¯t understand since the difference from then was too much. Why was it like that? Was the gap shortened due to effort? No. It wasn¡¯t guaranteed that he trained more intensely than her. Because she knew Airn was already aware that her persistence and passion were second to none. However, since she was confident that she worked harder than anyone in the Holy Kingdom, she thought the difference shouldn¡¯t be much. A gap in talent? That couldn¡¯t be it either. On the contrary, she would be the one on the higher end of the spectrum when it came to talent. No, there was nothingcking in her. In terms of physical strength, mental strength, and everything else, she was the best. ¡­ with such pride, she nevermunicated with anyone. She never admitted that she was a weak person and tried to hide it by standing in front of others, showing her good sides alone. I Crescentia finally realized that this was where she was different from the four people in front of her. ¡°What I feel for you now isn¡¯t at the level of simply being happy for the growth of my juniors. Fear is lingering around me now. There is an anxiety that you will surpass me at any moment. I now have the fear that I will not be able to rise to the top.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The reason I can now confide openly about this shameful and weak heart of mine is because of you.¡± With her eyes closed, she thought of the four juniors in front of her. She thought of their actions of encouraging and supporting their friends during the festival. The eyes they had in the waiting room when their friend or lover would walk onto the stage. After the match was over, the way they would frankly speak andfort. Although she saw all of this only for a few moments, it was strange because it was different from the way she saw them in the past. The thoughts about the bonds they made, which had been strengthened as they sat down and talked about everything, were still lingering in I¡¯s head. It was something like sorcery. She finally opened her eyes and looked at them. At the four juniors looking at her with deep eyes. The ck Knight Commander bowed her head to them said. ¡°I was proud of myself for working hard to break free from my self-righteousness. But it isn¡¯t easy. To those who think they are the closest to it and to those who think it doesn¡¯t matter at all¡­ it wasn¡¯t easy for me toe and say this. As of right now, I only have you to show my weakest parts.¡± ¡°So please...¡± ¡°So that I can talk with you and be with you here.¡± ¡°To learn how tomunicate honestly and openly with others¡­ would you please allow it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± While everyone was looking at this unexpected situation with serious eyes, Airn remembered what happened two years ago. After the match between Joshua Lindsay and I Crescentia. He didn¡¯t know about it then. About why she got enlightenment through his words. Now he knew. A more unrestrained mind than then and a humbler heart. To I Crescentia, who was truly prepared to ovee the only shoring of being perfect, Airn was the first to speak.1 ¡°Can I start at when I was 15¡­¡± It was a story he had spoken of several times in front of his friends. And for I, he said it once more. But no one stopped him. I listened to him with a different expression than she had in the city of Derinku and Rabat, where the Clown was hiding, and epted his words with her heart. Not a lot of time passed, and the story came to an end. However, the talk wasn¡¯t done. Next up was Bratt Lloyd. ¡°Um, there will be a lot of ovepping content, but let¡¯s talk from when I was a prospective trainee of Krono.¡± A high-ranking noble from birth, Bratt Lloyd. His story was no different from Airn¡¯s. Jealousy, useless anger, and empty frustration which originated from simple things. Overall, the weak parts stood out more than the good parts. However, at the end of the story, it felt like he wouldn¡¯t give up. The point was that he hade this far by honestly acknowledging his shorings and asking for help, and sometimes giving help. ¡°Hmm,¡± I nodded her head and looked at Ilya Lindsay. Smiling back, she started talking about her own story. ¡°When I was seven¡­¡± She brought out the painful story of how she used to burn herself because of the darkness. It was even more detailed than when she spoke before, and she told the story in its entirety, without hiding and leaving out her lowest and darkest moments. It was fine. Her heart wasn¡¯t burning like it had been in the past when she hid things. Ilya felt that, and so did I. A deeper sympathy was established between the two than in the past, and the atmosphere continued when it became Judith¡¯s turn. ¡°Ah, shit. I am not good at this¡­¡± I watched her continue to speak with many details, listening to all the stories and reflecting on them, embracing their heart and her own. I closed her eyes, and she finally told hers. ¡°¡­ I too started in an unnamed alley in a slum.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Airn¡¯s eyes changed. He had already heard of her past once. The memories from Rabat¡¯s training hall were still fresh in his mind. Perhaps, her heart began to change since then and had bloomed into a flower now. Was she trying to prove that? The content changed. Contrary to the past story, which was dry enough to be called hopeless, this was different. She now included what she thought and what she felt then. And what she thought now. She talked about what she regretted and feared back then, the things which hurt her, and what her weaknesses were. It was a story that was much more candid and unfamiliar than the one Airn had heard in the past. Airn thought about it quietly as he looked at I, who was finally speaking her story without hiding it. ¡®¡­ it came down.¡¯ It came down. The sun wasing down. She, who had been loftily floating up alone, came down. Some may think of it as regression, and others may say that her lonely but strong past is more suitable for the position of a king like her. But Airn liked this one. ¡®Rather than when floating in the sky far away¡­ she looks bigger now.¡¯ And warmer too. The sunlight that wasing down made Airn smile. And it will be a lot better. At the end of the story, a thought popped into the minds of the four at the same time. And no one was afraid. Being embarrassed about others'' growth, and jealous of others'' achievements. They couldn¡¯t say that they hadn¡¯t been through such a time. However, there was no one here who would be weak enough to lose themselves in those thoughts. The five young people were reborn as new beings while listening to each other''s stories and sharing their thoughts. They became better people. Time went on, and the dark night passed, and morning came. The time for parting ways hade. ¡°Thank you. I will never forget today¡¯s help.¡± ¡°I felt a lot too.¡± ¡°Hmm, let¡¯s exchange stories more often in the future. If it¡¯s possible.¡± ¡°¡­ let¡¯s train together.¡± Airn, Bratt, and Judith spoke in turn, and Ilya nodded her head in eptance. I said. ¡°Do you have anything to say?¡± ¡°Nothing. I spoke all that I could.¡± ¡°Right. Ah. Right.¡± I looked like she suddenly remembered something, then made a gesture of walking towards Airn and touched his ear. What was this suddenly? Thinking that, Airn put his ear close to her, and everyone looked at them curiously. It felt like they were exchanging secrets after the nice talk they had openly, so everyone was interested. But that wasn¡¯t it. Kiss.2 ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Eh?¡± I Crescentia kissed Airn on the cheek and moved back. And then she looked at Ilya and not Airn. With an evil smile, she said. ¡°I heard that kissing and hugging Airn gives energy¡­ so I did it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Indeed, the effect isn¡¯t bad.¡± Tak! Saying that, the ck Knight Commander disappeared quickly, and Bratt Lloyd mumbled. ¡°As expected, the greatest talent of all time. She has learned tomunicate faster than anyone else.¡± ¡°Shut up.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± As Ilya Lindsay growled, the innocent Airn looked nervously at his lover.
  • I literally suffering from sess. ??
  • Harem Mode activated. ??
    • Chapter 332: Reunion (1)

    Chapter 332: Reunion (1)

    ¡°Then let¡¯s meet again.¡± ¡°Right. I hope to see you more often.¡± A few days after the festival was over, the contestants left the Holy Kingdom and went their own ways. It was the same with the four young people. The Pareira family, who was riding on Cherry, were the first to depart, and then Ilya Lindsay returned with her family. However, Bratt and Judith didn¡¯t separate that soon. Unlike the others, whom they could see often, Judith would enter a really long training period after she went back. Bratt, who was sad to let her leave like that, decided to apany Judith to Khun''s residence, and the Lloyd family didn¡¯t stop him. ¡°Go safely.¡± ¡°Come back safe too.¡± ¡°Be careful, brother.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Nothing, I can understand mother and father, but you¡­¡± Seeing Gerard Lloyd¡¯s grim expression, Bratt sighed. It had been a while since they met face-to-face like this, and since his younger brother was boarding at the academy of the Kingdom to study economics, they rarely met. And it felt natural for him to act like this. Of course, he was the one who decided to let go of his brother so that he could be with his lover, but seeing hime here with that expression made him feel a bit bitter. ¡°I wille back and show you my dignity as an older brother.¡± ¡°When youe back, I won¡¯t be home.¡± ¡°Then I wille to the capital.¡± ¡°Outsiders aren¡¯t allowed¡­¡± ¡°Ah, you are treating your brother as an outsider¡­¡± ¡°Bratt, take it easy and go. Miss Judith, thank you for being with my son.¡± ¡°Y-you don¡¯t have to say that¡­¡± Judith answered with a shy expression. The warm gaze of a mother. As an orphan, it wasn¡¯t something she could feel or understand. And when she experienced it, she realized that it wasn¡¯t a bad feeling. With the warm goodbye from the Lloyd family, the two began to leave Avilius and started their journey. ¡°It is unfortunate. Contestants are contestants, but that old man should havee. He would have gotten something from it. I wish teacher was there at that time.¡± ¡°To see his disciple in action? That sounds nice. The practice that he does every day must be getting boring. At times like this, watching their disciple grow will make one feel really¡­¡± ¡°Phew, knowing the teacher''s personality¡­¡± ¡°Ah. I don¡¯t know. I need to go and ask him for a match.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t he be shocked? I definitely feel a lot stronger than before.¡± ¡°Hm. Right.¡± ¡®This isn¡¯t what I was imagining.¡¯ Bratt Lloyd thought. How long had it been since the two of them were on a date? He wanted a sweeter time than usual... with a soft air between them and maybe have a secret conversation that lovers usually had. However, most of the words Judith spoke about were of her teacher. He could understand it. If Krono gave roots to her growth, then Khun was someone who acted as her father and looked after her.1 What other meaning could she have ced on her teacher, who looked after her well? How precious would he be for someone who had always been alone? ¡®She might be quite sad.¡¯ And she might be missing him too. Bratt nodded and listened to her talk. Sometimes he agreed with her, and sometimes he had different opinions. Sometimes she looked sure about something, and sometimes he wanted to whisper sweet nothings to her. In the meantime, their pace increased, and their destination was approaching. Looking at the dry winter fields in the distance, their speed increased. Longing. Disappointment. Joy. Judith had all those expressions on her face, and when they got closer, what they saw was an unfamiliarndscape where everything was different. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± For a long time, there was no word from her. Neither of them could speak, and Bratt looked around seriously. Broken trees. Shattered rocks. There were craters everywhere and¡­ Khun¡¯s residence waspletely shattered. Bratt nced at his lover. Judith¡¯s eyes were mixed with shock, sadness, despair and anger. She was struggling to understand the current situation. It was then. Phah! Lightning struck down from the sky, making their instincts stand up. It wasn''t a cliched expression. It was more like someone who could use sorcery struck their heads and forced information into them. There was a devil who was wearing a mask and was giggling and a swordsman with a jet ck sword. In the darkness where nothing should be seen, the two individual¡¯s faces could be seen clearly. ¡®¡­¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s them!¡¯ And they immediately realized. Logic or rational reasoning was of no use any further. It was them. They were the culprits who made Khun¡¯s home like this. A gigantic intuition led them to the truth, and a cry of anger erupted from Judith. ¡°Kill them. I¡¯ll kill them. I will surely find them and rip them to pieces and cut them down.¡± Bratt stayed silent. As he watched Judith, who was turning hot and violent enough to not listen to him, he thought¡­ ¡®¡­ let¡¯s go back!¡¯ ¡®We have to return to the Holy Kingdom! To Avilius.¡¯ The three devils had appeared in the darkness, and the existence which confronted them had disappeared. He assumed worse, but he didn¡¯t want that to be true. Perhaps, Khun had already fought the clown devil and the two unknown ones. The problem was with the unknown ones. From what he heard from Airn, the clown was a devil, which was at a level Bratt couldn''t handle. But now, there were two others with the clown. And right now, Bratt and Judith couldn¡¯t be their opponent. Judith might rush ahead, but he had to stop her. He had to restrain her from fighting and make sure that they brought in the power of the Holy Kingdom to fight them. Fortunately, the location of theirir wasn''t known, even if the sorcery power was used. Thinking that, Bratt looked at Judith. She was crying. And she was sinking deep into despair. An infinitely deep puddle of water rose as the mes went out. He embraced his lover, who was sinking into a hole of sorrow and regret. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the Holy Kingdom.¡± They had to think, act and execute. Despite the words from her lover, Judith was unable toe to her senses for a long time. ¡°Dame I Crescentia is missing¡± ¡°The opponent was the clown devil, and a greater evil than that. We consider it to be stronger than the Demon Dragon King.¡± ¡°Finally¡­ the being holding the jet-ck sword¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± After hearing the brief exnation from Julius Hul, Bratt Lloyd nced at Ilya Lindsay. He dared not turn his head. Just a nce was enough. Carl Lindsay. The rare genius who was supposed to brighten the name of the Lindsay family, but due to an unfortunate incident, his wings had broken¡­ and as if that wasn¡¯t horrible enough, he disappeared from the world and had been forgotten from the memories of the people. ¡­ but it was a name which would forever remain in Ilya¡¯s heart. When she heard of her fallen brother¡¯s appearance after 15 years, her heart was so hot that it couldn¡¯t even bepared with Judith¡¯s. ¡®To say disappearance and not death¡­¡¯ Bratt managed toe to his senses. No one there fully understood the situation. A total of five people had sorcery powers used on them. They were Judith, him, Ilya and even Georg and Anya. Fortunately, Anya was able to find out more about the situation using her Sorcery Gold Coin. The fact that I was alive. The fact that the devil she faced was more powerful than the clown devil. ¡°The only problem is¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Despite using two years¡¯ worth of sorcery Gold Coins and all of Anya¡¯s earnings, she couldn¡¯t figure out their location. And a joint operation of Avilius and Runtel Kingdom was unreasonable. Maybe if the location could be found, it was a reasonable cause, but they knew nothing about their opponent. It was because of the thickly scattered magi and the horrible things that were happening all around. And because of that, they couldn¡¯t borrow much power to make sure each Kingdom had enough forces to defend themselves in case anything happened. Bratt bit his lower lip. He could understand it, but he almost said out loud that the entire situation was too self-sacrificing. The only thing that managed to calm them down was the information which came at the end. The most important piece of advice they got from Anya Marta. ¡°The key to solving this¡­ is in the hands of a blonde hero.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°This is the best advice I could get with my gold coins. It is also why we aren¡¯t running around.¡± ¡°¡­ Airn.¡± ¡°Airn Pareira.¡± The name came from the mouth of Judith and Bratt at the same time. And no one denied it. But that wasn¡¯t important. With a deeper frown, Bratt Lloyd thought. ¡®Why¡­ why didn¡¯t youe, Airn Pareira.¡¯ Just as he and Judith came to this ce as soon as they found out about the sorcery, Ilya, too, made her decision immediately. Maybe anyone would. People gathered in the center of the continent, Avilus, so that they could confront the mysterious and enormous evil together. But Avilus had the highest chance of being hit with this weird sorcery. And Airn, who was the most sensitive to all of this, hadn¡¯te? Even his sister, Kirill Pareira, was here. Bratt looked at her with a questioning look. And the young sorcerer who didn¡¯t speak till then spoke in a solemn way. ¡°I don¡¯t know where he is. For a moment... exactly for a moment, within a few days into riding the griffin to the Cesar Duchy, he disappeared. Without a word, not a single word, he left¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Bratt didn¡¯t bring up the fact that it might be Airn¡¯s sorcery insight acting up. If that were possible, Kirill wouldn¡¯t be here alone. Perhaps the most frustrated one here was Kirill Pareira and not Judith, Anya, Ilya or Georg. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was a silence that was as heavy as though death had fallen on them. The Holy King, the White Knights Commander, the pdins, the priests, Ian, Joshua Lindsay and other powerful people on the continent. No one could speak. Sadness, anger, frustration and hatred. In the capital of Avilius, which was full of hope not long ago, dark emotions descended like the night mist. ¡°¡­ Where? Where is this?¡± Ilya Lindsay, Judith, and Bratt Lloyd. Some time ago, when the people involved in the matter gathered in the Holy Kingdom. I Crescentia, who came to her senses in a familiar, yet awkward and confusing space, mumbled to herself with a voice full of doubt.
  • The author really screwing with the readers at this point. ??
    • Chapter 333: Reunion (2)

    Chapter 333: Reunion (2)

    ¡°¡­¡± It was a luxurious interior. But it wasn¡¯t too shy. I Crescentia woke up to see a table in front of her with hot tea served, and looked around. It was a difficult situation to understand. She was in the middle of meditating in a secluded mountain near Avilius, and when she came to her senses, she was here. The space around her changed even though she hadn¡¯t realized it. What was more shocking was that this wasn¡¯t the first time she was seeing this ce. The familiar furniture. A unique tea scent that caught her nose. It was the drawing-room of the Lindsay family. This wasn¡¯t how it was like currently, however. But it looked like this when she was 16 and came looking for a match against the Lindsay heir. Thispletely confused her senses. This couldn¡¯t be happening. I nodded her head. When she saw that something outrightly absurd was happening, her thoughts calmed down. ¡°Sorcery.¡± However, it wasn¡¯t as if sorcery had suddenly taken birth in her. She could feel it. All the things in this ce... the air and sunlight outside, and everything else that was in this ce was made for watching her. So that they could look at her. The being who brought her here. The man who hoped for a reunion with I so much that he made a miracle happen. ¡®This is fun.¡¯ She smiled for a moment. Suddenly the door opened. A person without eyes, nose, or mouth entered, and bowed its head, and began to guide her. I didn¡¯t hesitate to follow. After drinking the hot tea in front of her, she quietly followed the guide and left the ce. The scent of the blooming flowers made her heart flutter, unlike before. ¡®I have definitely changed.¡¯ Feeling everything around her, I nodded to herself. She really had changed. If it was her former self, she wouldn¡¯t have felt so moved by this reunion. But now. Recently, she watched Airn Pareira¡¯s growth. She also watched Ilya Lindsay grow. She remembered Judith¡¯s performance and Bratt Lloyd¡¯s struggle. It was unexpected for her to see such people who could soar so high so quickly. Airn, the sword nerd who constantly swung his sword with a stake in his heart, and Ilya, whom she had no interest in until they met in Rabat. Not to mention the other two. She didn¡¯t even care about them before. Arrogance It was a mistake. What wascking wasn¡¯t in them, but in her. It was her own perspective that fell behind. Realizing that, I recalled the disappointment of her old rtionship. ¡®It will be different this time.¡¯ She nodded. It would be different. She wasn¡¯t perfect enough to judge someone¡¯s potential. She was far from perfect, and she was nothing more than a weak person who was afraid of the speed at which her juniors were following her. So, she had to show them. That she was wrong. She had to prove that the judgment she had made in the past was absurd and rude. With that thought, she stepped into the training hall. ¡°¡­¡± And was reunited with the person she wanted. No. This wasn¡¯t what he looked like. He lookedpletely different. ¡°Phew.¡± Taking a deep breath, she sighed. The fierce fighting spirit cooled in an instant, and the fluttering heart calmly subsided. With a cold gaze, she looked at her opponent and then to the left. I looked around at the surroundings and spoke to herself. ¡°This is strange. Then it means that this space wasn¡¯t made by sorcery. Ah¡­¡± She frowned and looked at the training hall. She tried to tap in, hear and use all her senses to figure out where she was. However, she wasn¡¯t given the time to do it. Puah! An energy so great that it was impossible for her to capture, flew to where she was. Wooong! A ferocious aura flowed through the sword. The ck de of her opponent quickly formed into a weird creepy fleshy one. ¡°¡­ I.¡± Kwang! Carl, the owner of the ck aura, disappeared, leaving behind a huge crack on the floor, and opened his mouth. He swung the sword with a shout, and I received it. The shock was so much that concentric circles of wind spread out with them at the center. With their swords facing each other, the two swordsmen looked at each other. ¡°I will make you look back.¡± ¡°I am not interested.¡± Her voice was as sharp as her sword. But there was no passion. The voice of I was indifferent. The person who heard that became unable to stand it. To go through with it. From the ck sword of the gray-haired man, an aura that was unstoppable in power poured out. Kwang! Kwaang! Kwaang! Roars like thunder resounded throughout the ce. The ck aura that constantly poured down was violently sweeping away I. It was a force that was swung with the aim of blowing her head off. Kwang! A lower left sh aimed to immediately attack after a block, and it then proceeded into a constant flurry of shes and stabs! Most of them were blocked, and several strikes were stopped, but nothing was in favor of I. A ck vortex formed in the ce where the sword had swept through. Hoong! Woong! The Sky Sword. Feeling the strong wind that filled the ce within a minute of the match starting, I tilted her head. It wasn¡¯t because she was doubtful of her opponent. She mumbled "It is strange. As themander of Holy Knight, I couldn''t notice that skill you used. It isn''t even sorcery; how is it possible¡­" Pung! Pupupung! Before she could even finish, the Sky Sword fell down on her. Continuous storms flew in, destroying the floor of the training hall, and it kept roaring towards her, wanting to tear I down. But it didn¡¯t reach her. She swung her sword to the floor, and an explosion urred. The sword of light blew away the darkness and turned it into nothing. ¡°Phew.¡± Carl wasn¡¯t disappointed. No one knew better than him how great the opponent was. She was the winner of the Warrior¡¯s Festival, but she was different now. Looking at I, who was much more observant than in the past and constantly studying the things around her, he raised his sword. Kwaaaaaa! The darkness which had been scattered by the light came to a halt in its ce, and another energy was added. Aura, which was filling the ce even before I arrived, turned into a tsunami and pushed into the center. The ck Knight Commander stared at the wavesing in from all directions and lowered her body. Tuk, Her thighs swelled like a wild cat. Kwaaang! A tremendous sound with speed. Pung! The wave, which felt crueler than a metal wall, exploded with a roar. The aura fragments smashed into the spaces around them again, making I suffer a blow. But it worked fine. Her appearance, leisurely letting go of the aftermath of the power she witnessed, was like looking at a hero from the myth. But it wasn¡¯t over. Carl wasn¡¯t as inexperienced as Bratt. Despite already using the aura as waves, he was still full of energy and anger and me. The hatred which wasn¡¯t quenched for 15 years reconciled to a ck me and ripped through his body. Kuak. He groaned, but it didn¡¯t stop. He couldn¡¯t stop it. Wheik! Carl, who had the appearance of a fallen star from hell, red at I as he grew stronger and got more emotional. He stared at his opponent with his sharp eyes. ¡°¡­ it wasn¡¯t I.¡± ¡°Carl Lindsay.¡± She looked straight into his eyes for the second time after their meeting. ¡°Not you, but I am the creator of this space." ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It is interesting. A ce which can only be discerned only if a person in the Holy Kingdom concentrates his or her whole mind into it.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± When he realized that she was still looking at someone other than him...when he was faced with the cruel reality. Carl felt everything within him explode. With a loud scream, he smashed his surroundings in anger. ¡°Why are you not looking at me!¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why! Why, is Carl Lindsay¡­ not being looked at!¡± He trembled in anger. It was a mistake. He wasn¡¯t Carl Lindsay. He was Carl, the incarnation of revenge born from throwing away the name of his family. Of course, it wasn¡¯t important now. More importantly, despite the reunion after 15 years, I was still standing with an expressionless face in front of him. He hade this far with one thought in his mind: To cut off all his ties with the world and defeat I Crescentia, who destroyed him. He was standing here after enduring immense pain, suffering, sadness, and frustration. But. The opponent wasn¡¯t looking at him. ¡®Why¡­!¡¯ It was strange. It was Carl who took down the fastest swordsman and one of the top three swordsmen of the continent, Khun. Because of this, he even ignored the Demon Heart1 that was further corrupting him before the match. He had to check it for himself. What the other contestants looked like in their fight against I Crescentia, the monster, who was born with perfect talent. What kind of swordsmanship they used? It was for that reason that Carl showed the Sky Sword, which he hadn¡¯t used till now. It was for that reason that he made sure that his aura was filling the training hall before I arrived. It was for that same reason that he had a spark burning within him. Because they did it. Ilya, Bratt, and Judith. It was because their swordsmanship interested I and made her look straight at them without ignoring them, unlike him. Yet. Yet! That damn ck-haired swordsman was never looking at him. She was never dealing with him properly. He couldn¡¯t stand it. He couldn¡¯tprehend it. It was the moment when Carl, who once again ignited a strong dark me, was about to scream. ¡°Funny guy.¡± ¡°What?¡± At the sudden sneer which came, Carl went wild. Even though it wasn¡¯t a huge thing, he wanted to kill. I, who thought it was funny,ughed. ¡°Tell me! Why! Why am I a funny¡­¡± ¡°How can I not call you a funny one when you introduce yourself as Carl Lindsay when you have been gone for over 10 years without saying a word to your own family?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Of course, that isn¡¯t the only funny thing. Whether you want to live as Carl Lindsay without abandoning the name of your family or if you want to live as Carl and give up your family name¡­ none of it holds any meaning now. You idiot.¡± ¡°What did you just¡­¡± ¡°Look at your sword.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Cool your head for a moment and look at the de of your sword.¡± I had a serious expression on her face. It was also a very pious one. When this existence, who seemed to be clothed in a cloak of dignity, was saying it, even Carl couldn¡¯t ignore it. It hurt his pride to listen to his opponent, but in the end, he looked at his sword, the de shining in obsidian. ¡°¡­¡± On it, he saw himself. His reflection was on the surface of the de that was as smooth as a mirror. But he couldn¡¯t see his face. There was a mask that had unknowingly grown on his face without him even realizing it. Looking at him, who was a bit taken aback, I said. ¡°You are no longer Carl or Carl Lindsay... you are a demon.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Should I, who is a Commander of the Holy Knights of Avilius, feel favoritism towards a fallen being who lost himself?¡±
  • Literally meant evil within. ??
    • Chapter 334: Reunion (3)

    Chapter 334: Reunion (3)

    ¡®You are an idiot who hasn¡¯t experienced the suffering and harassment that they had to go through¡­ if you see them, you might get another chance even in the darkness that has consumed you.¡¯ That was what Khun had said to him. Because of these words, Carl became interested in the Warrior¡¯s Festival, and he began to pay attention to the four people, including Airn Pareira. However, he didn¡¯t feel anything. There was no difference between him and them. Like himself, they were born with a one-of-a-kind talent, and just like he was, they were frustrated and hurt by people superior to them. Even so, they stood up bravely and moved forward, right? ¡®I am the same.¡¯ The gap between him and his opponent was clearly felt even though they were both geniuses. Rather than narrowing it down, it was understandable that the difference in their talents would continue to widen even further. However, he didn¡¯t give up. He forsook his family, turned away from the light and set his feet into the darkness without knowing anything other than the sword, and faced his enemy like this. He was able to raise his head proudly in front of I, who was a being in the sky that he thought he could never catch up to. Or so he thought. ¡°Look at your sword.¡± ¡°Cool your head for a moment and look at the de of your sword.¡± ¡°You are no longer Carl or Carl Lindsay.¡± ¡­ at his opponent¡¯s cold words, Carl looked at his sword. Confirmed his appearance. Only then did he realize how he was different from the four. Bratt Lloyd. Judith. Ilya Lindsay and... Airn Pareira. Even if they stood up holding someone¡¯s hand, they stood dignified. Even though it might have been painful, hard, and depressing despite leaning on someone, they still didn¡¯t lose themselves. That was the reason they couldugh despite losing in the Warrior''s Festival. Carl Lindsay. He wasn¡¯t like that. He despised and denied himself for beingcking. When he was tired, he didn¡¯t lean back to rest but got back up and was drawn to the devils from the start to the end. Carried by that darkness, he appeared in this ce, hiding behind the same darkness. Wearing that pitch-ck mask. Without even revealing his face proudly. The moment he realized he was standing as a demon and not himself, he was able to fully understand the message of Khun. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Silence fell. He looked at his sword and was in deep thought and was unable to take his eyes off it. No, he looked like an ursed being. And as themander of the ck Knights, he was a target who had to be subjugated right away, but I Crescentia waited for him. She gave him time to reflect on himself. She wouldn¡¯t have done it in the past. The change that urred within her led her to show mercy... to give Carl another chance. So that he could have hope to escape from the darkness ande back to the light with a new life. Time passed. It continued to flow. So much time passed that any normal person would feel impatient, but I waited. Like the four juniors who broadened their view in swords and life through themselves, this existence in front of her also had to break out of his shell. At least, that was what she hoped for. She hoped that he could get out of the dark and build up the courage to face the light once again. ck. But her heart didn''t reach him. As he took a step ahead with a fighting stance, disgusting magi flowed from his body. Tttttttssssssss¡­ A ck haze rose over his shoulders. They were so thin that they looked more like strands, and it was soon reborn into a new form as they entangled him. The magi went down his shoulder and wrapped around every nook and cranny of his body, and a wing-like cloak appeared on his back. p! Even if someone tried, they wouldn¡¯t see a single inch of human skin. Now the being in front of her was a demon with ck armor. No, something it was something more demonic than a demon, and it was looking down at I from a higher position. ¡°I will trample you.¡± the devil said. ¡°I will crush you, trample you and subdue you.¡± It continued to speak. Right. This was the right tone. To be an arrogant and disrespectful existence who didn¡¯t pay attention to those below them... they were the ones who would rise to the top. In order to make I look back at him, he had to be stronger than her. He had to look down at her from a higher position. If he hit his opponent with an overwhelming difference in power, then she would have no choice but to look at him, no matter how arrogant she was. And not with her usual arrogant eyes, but with more deep and intense emotions! ¡°I will make you look back... No, I will make you look up.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s check, if the space you had till now can be taken over by me.¡± ¡°Phew.¡± I Crescentia sighed. The devil was dering his victory by hiding behind a mask and armor. It felt sad. And pathetic. Of course, apart from that, the momentum he was giving out was amazing. The power of his sword, which had transcended over demons and entered the true realm of devils, was a disastrous one. Even if her current ability was simr to the top ten on the continent, this devil wasn¡¯t an opponent she could ovee. If the situation continued in this way, she would be defeated. But she wasn¡¯t worried. She wasn¡¯t afraid or scared. ¡°But it is annoying.¡± ¡°¡­ bluffing till the end!¡± Carl shouted. There was no leeway. He was looking down from the top, but his heart still held the same emotions from 15 years ago. How she thought he was boring and insignificant. That only added more darkness. And the darkness was the most important thing in this situation. ''If he was in human form, I don¡¯t know what the result would have been,'' thought I. If it was Carl Lindsay or just Carl who trained like a human... I didn¡¯t know, but she thought that she could have lost to him as she wasn¡¯t perfect. She learned from Airn that she couldn¡¯t always win. Despite their fears, the four of those friends still had the courage to move ahead. But this current fight had nothing to do with that. She had to win. Unconditionally. ¡®I do not want to lose in a ce like this. I didn¡¯t want to use it, but¡­¡¯ Tch, I Crescentia clicked her tongue and raised her sword, and struck it into the ground. The devil flinched but didn¡¯t move. In an instant, a mysterious energy flowed from the sword, which was now embedded in the ground. Wooong! It wasn¡¯t aura. It wasn¡¯t holy power. It was something she had been harvesting for a long time... it was cultivated from the dream she had to create her own Kingdom. It was another miracle created by her will... her desire to protect those who entered the fence of darkness. ¡°Sorcery, territorial deceleration.¡±1 ¡®¡­!¡¯ A low voice flowed from her lips. The borate fantasy that had been created showing the room in the Lindsay family mansion from 15 years ago was shattered. Two years before the Warrior¡¯s Festival, swordsmanship wasn¡¯t the only thing I Crescentia developed. She was preparing to be a King at any time and create a nation for people to live in peace. The moment the boundary against a devil was oveid, her inner will would be materialized as an external power. Territorial deration. A sorcery-basedmand which she could use only once in her lifetime, which designated the desired ce as the King''s territory. In that designated ce, the abilities of the subordinates and the King would increase slightly¡­ Crucially, it exerted great power against demons and devils. That was the reason why I was sure of her victory. If Carl Lindsay had appeared here as a human without losing himself, then it wouldn¡¯t have made much difference to her. No, she wouldn¡¯t have even used it at all. Because this was something she was aiming to use in the center of her Kingdom when she became a true king. However, as long as they were facing such evil, there was no need to spare it. Since Carl appeared as a greater evil, there was no hope for him anymore. ¡°This is bad, devil.¡± ¡°¡­¡± In a space dyed bright like the sun, I Crescentia opened her lips. The devil flinched. And then it looked. Seeing his opponent rise to a higher ce than him, his shameful defeat from 15 years ago shed through his mind once again. He didn¡¯t want to remember it. He didn''t want it to repeat. It had been his goal his whole life to get away from that poor form and look at I confidently. He wanted to look straight into his opponent''s eyes and hold the sword. Unlike in the past, he wanted to fight in a cool way. But he couldn¡¯t. The devil¡¯s shoulders dropped. Even the wings on his back that were giving out ferocious energy lost their strength, and the dark armor that dominantly covered his body was losing its power. His sword fell to the floor, along with darkness flowing into it. Tuk! A groan escaped from his mouth. It hurt. It was painful, and worst of all, it was scary. Without the armor of darkness, he dared not raise his head against I. The devil covered his face. After realizing that the mask was there, he sighed in relief. He didn¡¯t have the confidence to receive themand from the King with his bare face. ¡°R-run, I need to run.¡± ¡°I need to hide.¡± ¡°I need a dark ce. A ce to hide from the light¡­¡± ¡°¡­ really pathetic.¡± Seeing the devil looking for shadows to escape from the light, I put on a bitter expression. It was unavoidable. The four of those friends had set such high expectations that this scene looked odd. It was for that reason that she looked down on him. Until the very end, the four of them were the only beings who moved ahead without losing their dream... they were people who protected their surroundings and their people without forgetting their intentions. ¡®I need to thank Georg and Anya as well.¡¯ I felt grateful to the two of them and looked at the devil with a nod. It was truly a depressing sight. She looked at him, crawling on the floor in shame, forgetting what he came here for. No matter how much assistance she got from the sorcery, he wasn¡¯t an easy opponent. If the devil had fully demonstrated his abilities, then I would have suffered considerable damage. ¡°So futile.¡± I raised her sword. It wasn¡¯t the best oue. She couldn¡¯t find the existence which made this illusion, and the situation had also made her waste her territorial deration. However, she came to know about the fact that there was another unknown evil that was corrupting the continent. It was fortunate that she survived, and she wasn''t being arrogant about it either. Considering how the Warrior¡¯s Festival changed her, she was thinking a lot more rationally. It was the moment when she thought that and was about to lower the sword. Kwaang! ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Oh? Hello? Hahaha. Long time no see? Ah, Carl Lindsay! What is this! I will look after you!¡± The barrier shattered with a roar. Through themotion came the voice of the clown. After looking down at the creature with a frown, I saw him walking towards Carl. She didn¡¯t stop it. She couldn¡¯t afford to do it. A devil in the dress of a priest was walking behind the clown. The moment his eyes met I¡¯s, I moved with her best force. And the same so did the priest... no, The Heart Demon. Kwang! Kwaang! A King. And The Devil King. The moment the two giants with overwhelming power collided. ---! A deafening roar resounded all around them.
  • OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! ??
    • Chapter 335: The Bet With The Devil (1)

    Chapter 335: The Bet With The Devil (1)

    ¡°Oh, child. Such a pitiful child.¡± They were words said by the darkness holding Carl in its arms and embracing him. The Devil, who finally escaped the light, bowed his head and crouched. The clown¡¯s singing voice was constantly ringing in the air. ¡®It was worth it.¡¯ The clown who confirmed the condition of the human swordsman, smiled in satisfaction. He knew that there was no way this man could defeat I. And that was what the Heart Demon wanted as well. He wanted to induce even more frustration within Carl which could then be used as a new driving force. Thinking that, the clown healed the wounds of the swordsman in an instant using the darkness supplied by the Heart Demon. ¡°Haaa¡­. Nice. Real nice. Oh, this child! Don¡¯t keep trembling. I¡¯ll continue to sing.¡± The clown stroked the man¡¯s head. He possessed a strong body, but his mind, in contrast, was too insignificant. There was no better human to y with than this. The human swordsman would be their masterpiece and traverse the continent. By the side of the newly born Devil King. He would be next to the demons and not the humans. Kwang! ¡°Ohh! Oh!¡± The clown screamed exaggeratedly at the aura pieces which passed by him. After reading the room, he widened the distance between them once again from the two beings fighting each other. But he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off him. The Heart Demon was strong, but I Crescentia was also strong. As he watched her tear apart the darkness with her sword, which was shining bright like the sun, a story passed down by the devils came to his mind. ¡®It is possible to confuse the human world, but we can never destroy it. That is the fate of beings who are not born there.¡¯ It was a message that was in line with the myths and legends of heroes handed down between the humans, which said that whenever a great crisis urs, a hero would surely be born to stop it. But this time, it was wrong. The current Demon King, despite being a devil, wasn¡¯t born in Devildom. ¡°Goodbye, Pdin.¡± Feeling the mask that had cracked before being restored back, the clown spoke with a happy expression. Chang! Chang! Bang! The sound of metal colliding with metal, and things exploding and reverberating could be heard throughout the sky, and I, who had been strengthened by sorcery, swung her sword. Seven crescent-shaped auras were fired out at once. The opponent moved his body to avoid four, struck two down with his arms, and thest one was caught with the mouth. Tat! And he spat it out. Fragmented auras were shot back at I, but that didn¡¯t work on her since she had already disappeared, leaving behind just an afterimage. Suddenly, she appeared behind him. The Devil quickly turned, and simultaneously I¡¯s red sword de fell like a shooting star onto his raised arm. sh! But the sword couldn¡¯t bepletely cut through. It was now deeply stuck onto the Devil¡¯s body. I, smiled in relief and retrieved her sword, and tried to attack again. But she was unable to do so. Tentacles of darkness grew from around the wounded area and wrapped around the aura sword. Although the Devil was constantly bleeding, it seemed like the Devil wanted to take I¡¯s sword even if it meant losing his arm. His intention was to seal I''s sword. The Heart Demon chuckled. Puck! I immediately gave up her sword. She smashed the opponent¡¯s body with her left hand and pretended to pick up something with her right hand. And to their surprise, a sword of light sprang up from her empty hand. Puck! I mmed it right into the torso of her opponent. ¡°Kuak!¡± Puak! ¡°Ack?¡± Puck! Puck! Puck! Puck! Puck! Puck! Puck! Puck! She constantly stabbed him without stopping. A groan escaped flowed from the Devil''s mouth, who now had turned into a hedgehog. With a smile, I looked at her sword. Even if the Devil was weakened due to the light, he would be able to recover from it with time. ¡°¡­¡± Puck! After stopping her thoughts, she kicked the Devil and then used her own force to back away. It didn''t matter. Either way, the Devil seemed too immersed in her actions. Shhh! Kwang! From the wound where the sword of light had been stuck, the hand touching it groaned. The sword where the aura disappeared was smashed by him in anger. And I¡¯s expression turned sour. Jjkkk! From the crack on the other side, something ferocious was revealed. Maybe it was going to be tentacles again or a wolf¡¯s mane. She suddenly thought that it was an erged bundle of human blood vessels. Well, whatever it was, it was disgusting. Suddenly, the priest''s skin and clothes werepletely torn away, and the Devil, who threw away the annoying pieces of flesh, spread its back and stood high. It was arger form than the normal physique of a strong male. But the face was familiar to her. I Crescentia, who checked the opponent''s appearance, mumbled. ¡°¡­ Khun?¡± ¡°Call me Heart Demon.¡± Tung! Kwaaaang! ¡°Kuak¡­!¡± A huge crater formed. It wasn¡¯t caused by an attack, but because of the Heart Demon crouching and getting ready to jump. It was a testament to the power behind his jump. After the great leap, a ferocious attack followed it. The attack was nothing more than a simple punch, but I groaned in pain as she received it. Despite using the sword of light to defend herself, the shock still reached her body. Woong! Woong! Woong! Woong! As she flew back from the blow, she raised her left palm. A brilliant sphere of light bloomed, and speedily shot towards the Devil. And it seeded. But it wasn¡¯t a huge attack. She frowned at the effect it had and tried to hit him constantly, but the spheres of light were only the size of an egg. Bewildered and shocked, I mumbled. ¡°What is this?¡± It had no effect on humans, but for demons, these spheres of light were as powerful as the Aura Sphere she used in the Festival. Even after 10 of them were used, she couldn¡¯t see any significant damage on the Devil. The opponent was truly a monster, no... a Demon King. Of course, she couldn¡¯t give up. As I raised her palm, three times as many Aura Spheres as before were used. And with her right hand, she wielded the sword of light. And that sword fell from the air like a streak of sunlight. All of them were shot towards the Heart Demon. But they were all ignored. The Heart Demon no longer stood still and started defending himself by going for the offensive. Taking moderate damage, he sprinted at I like an angry wolf. The crude, savage, and ferocious appearance was difficult to avoid even with the most versatile movements. In order to escape, she constantly used attacks of light. Pupupupupu! The Heart Demon kept chasing I. The swords and spheres were constantly being dispatched at the target. It was like a scene from legends. No, this fight would be a legend itself. Even the clown devil who lived for a thousand years had never seen such a spectacr fight. To put it bluntly, Karen Winker, who split his mask, was surely amazing, but this was different from that. ¡°Huhu, Hehehehe. This surely is exciting, but no. Wouldn¡¯t there be a limit of what can be endured?¡± There were worries on the face of the Devil. The clown smiled and looked around without a care. The Clown Devil confirmed that the space which had been filled with light until then was gradually turning into darkness due to the sorcery they used. This was the Heart Demon¡¯s ability. It didn¡¯t just pursue the opponent blindly, but also corrupted the surrounding space. Each step he took brought in darkness, and each time he punched, he brought in the night fog. All of a sudden, the surroundings were filled with dark and gloomy energy. It was to a point where it was enough to be called as the domain of the Demon King. Clench! And then something strange happened. As she retreated frantically from theing attacks, she stepped into the realm of darkness instead of the light, and something immediately grabbed I¡¯s ankle. It was a dark hand. Just like her, the Heart Demon also used his powers. Smile! Khun¡¯s face was stained with a cruel expression. He crouched again. The muscles in his lower body were bulging and screaming. It was over. The clown trembled as he realized that this was going to be the end of a hero. The excitement and anticipation stirred up emotions inside of him, and an unknown liquid flowed down from under the mask. But there wasn¡¯t one change. Dark clouds filled the sky due to the ability of the Heart Demon. But the sun was still hovering at the top of those dark clouds, and created a crack of light in the dark barrier. Push! ck! ¡°¡­!¡± The Heart Demon put his head down. Feeling the pain, he tried to look up as he retreated. Puak! Kwak! ¡°Kuak!¡± And as scary as the first one was, another ray of light fell upon him. And it wasn¡¯t the end. Rather, it was just the start. Throughout the retreat, countless swords of holy dazzling light from the sun which had been created continued to pour down upon the Devil. Kwang! Kwag! Kwang! Kwang! Kwakwakwakwang! It was an indiscriminate bombardment. Without a break, it continued to break down the barrier of darkness and descend. And it was fired to destroy the Heart Demon. I Crescentia didn¡¯t stand still. Shsh! * Jjjjj! She cut off the dark hand holding her ankles and pulled out a sword of greater light than before. A Sword of the Sun No... it was more like a Spear of the Sun, since it looked to be more suitable for throwing. The Holy attack shed through the air in an instant wanting to burn away the demons that stood in its path. -----!! A huge sh of light spread out with a force that seemed to erase all the darkness that had umted around her. ¡°Ack! Ack! Ack!¡± The Clown Devil trembled and retreated. He took Carl along with him as well. He couldn¡¯t throw just away from the material which would be the greatest masterpiece of his life. Fortunately, there was no major damage to either of them. It was a shame that he had to watch from this far, but if he had made a mistake by going closer, then he could have taken serious damage, which would throw him into recovery time. And it wasn¡¯t without worries anymore like before. The clown gulped and looked at the battle with wide eyes. His eyes hurt because of the rays of light which kept falling, and the water from his eyes was blurring his vision. But he smiled. The Clown Devil saw his wounded body. It heard his exhausted breathing. Yet, the Heart Demon was still standing, and had the most innocent smile on his face. ¡°Hehe, hehehe! Nice! I like this! It is over! It is finally done! I like this child! I really do!¡± This wasn¡¯t a guess. The clown then turned his eyes from Demon Heart to the other side and looked at the figure of I Crescentia. He saw her exhausted body and how she was still standing as if she could copse at any moment. She had exhausted all her power, and the strength and the sound of her breathing were too low. There was nothing more to see. Even the child in his arms could nowe and stab her with a sword, and she wouldn''t be able to defend herself. ¡®Of course, there is no way that this heartbroken child could do it.¡¯ Well, it didn¡¯t matter. The clown smiled. However, his expectations were cut short. He looked at the Knight of the Holy Kingdom with a gloomier gaze than before. He got closer... a little closer to appreciate her dying form. He saw her holding the sword in her hand... a hand which wasn¡¯t moving. She was dragging it along with her. In his ears, I Crescentia¡¯s voice was heard. ¡°Would you like to make a bet with me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± In front of the Demon King, who made people¡¯s hearts still with fear. A human offered a bet for the first time. Chapter 336: The Bet With The Devil (2)

    Chapter 336: The Bet With The Devil (2)

    ''Why don''t we end it in a draw?'' Recalling what she had said in her moment of crisis, the Clownughed. It was because I Crescentia, who tried to avoid the unfavorable situation she was put in because of them, said something that was simr to everyone else in such a situation. But he could understand this. And it wasn''t like he wasn''t interested in her words. Unlike human conflict, which usually ended with death, the devils wanted more. They wanted to feed off the negative emotions such as frustration, emptiness, and fear. They especially liked the darker emotions that blossomed from trouble and anguish. That was the driving force that kept the inhabitants of Devildom alive. He was like that two thousand years ago. Despite the fact that it was an ordinary rural estate that he could destroy by himself, he made an offer to the lord there and made him suffer greatly. He did it because that suffering was more valuable than just reckless ughter. ''I don''t know what it will be about, but if we win the bet the pdin suggests, we will get a lot out of it.'' But the Clown shook his head. He told the Heart Demon, "There is no need to ept it." A deal with the devil. A Contract with the devil. A bet with the devil. It was known throughout the world that only destruction awaited at the end of it and that humans could never defeat the devil at his own game, but that wasn''t entirely true. It was just close to the truth. There was no way that people who wanted to be carried on the back of the devil because they didn''t have the confidence to live their lives independently were righteous. Taking advantage of them was easier than sitting down to eat food. But in I''s case, it was different. The Clown looked at I. Her aura was quickly running out, and her muscles and joints were screaming in exhaustion. Even if I screamed out loud and had her will broken, it would be understandable, but her spirit was still shining bright. Her eyes were a testament to this. Her eyes, which were staring right at the Heart Demon with the dignity of a King, were different from the trashy humans they normally dealt with. All of this indicated that they should proceed cautiously. "I don''t see the need for this. This human is the hope for the future of the continent. Kill her and be done with this. Rip her head and limbs off and throw her into the Capital of the Holy Kingdom and the world will be filled with chaos¡­" "You idiot." "What?" The Clown snapped his head and looked at the person who talked to him. He saw I looking at him with a sullen face and frowned as he opened his mouth. "Hehe. I all praise you for being able to stand against a devil. But doesn''t it look too easy? A Devil. A devil is a being that throws the world into chaos and ys with the hearts of the people to their whims and fancies. There is no way you can be confident that you can win by betting with such being. You are only struggling to live longer¡­" "You are such a funny one. Did I offer the bet to you?" "¡­" "With that mask on, you went and hid yourself before, so why are you showing that filthy form to someone higher than you now?" "Hid? Who? Me? Ha! What nonsense¡­." "It makes no sense." I smiled and continued to speak as she looked at the Clown. "I heard it from Airn Pareira. It is no wonder that you are scared. Since you haven''t defeated a human in millennia. I fully understand." "¡­" The Clown had nothing to say. What she said wasn''t wrong. A thousand years ago, a human swordsman called Karen Winker, who he was ying with, made the Clown run away after cracking his mask. It was a time of shame and hardships for the Clown Devil. Nothing fun had happened after that. He was defeated by the subjugation squad thatprised of I, Arin, and Ilya after that. Despite the curse, he was chased away by the Holy Knights, and he couldn''t do much damage either. It was the same when he appeared in front of Airn and made a bet which he eventually lost. The Clown, who realized his secrets were out, trembled. "Heart Demon. I don''t know why you are listening to this trash, but it seems like nothing good wille from you listening to it. This Clown in ipetent when fighting, and only shows talent when running away with his tail between his legs... Seriously! You call yourself a devil. Don''t take him seriously, as he will be the one who will throw you away sooner than anyone else if his safety getspromised." "I know." "Uuh?" "But it doesn''t matter. There will be no risks for me, and the Clown will live under my feet forever. In return, I will let him watch the destruction of the continent by my side." "¡­" "Why, don''t you like it?" "¡­ I like it." The Heart Demon, who was silent till now, opened his mouth and the Clown was shocked. It was because he didn''t know how he could just meekly admit it. Of course, there was nothing else he could do. He just nodded with a sullen look. Seeing this, the Heart Demon turned his head to I. And asked. "What is the content of the bet?" This was the most important thing. Although he was ready to listen to it, the Heart Demon had no intention of epting the bet unconditionally. The bet had to be appealing to him. It had to be a bet which gave him a satisfactory profit. If he didn''t like it, then he wouldn''t ept. The future of the continent would then lose her life, and the human world would fall into greater chaos than ever. I''s voice then entered his ears. "Can you corrupt my heart?" "¡­" "In other words, the bet is on my existence." Umm The Clown groaned. This was a bet that any devil would want to make. Because corrupting humans was their most favorite entertainment. ''Moreover, it would be even more appealing for the Heart Demon since he was born from a human heart.'' But this was an unfavorable bet. The Clown shook his head. Ordinary people didn''t know it. No, even if they had a clear and hard mind, there was a lot of potential for corruption as long as a devil aimed for the gaps. It would be like what had happened a few years ago. Wasn''t even Yprene Slick, the great magician of Runtel, made into a demon? ''¡­ Carl Lindsay is shaking like this now, but he wasn''t like this at first.'' Perhaps, the most stable corruption was from the Heart Demon. But that didn''t mean I wasn''t strong. She had the spirit of a pdin. The heart of a hero. And a King''s majesty. She had all the elements which made it difficult for a devil to attack. Even during the moment, she was staring at the face of death, her heart was shining brightly like a diamond. This meant that not epting the bet would be better. It wasn''t something one could easily jump into. Of course, the bet wasn''t made yet. And he didn''t want to say something which would embarrass him like before. It was because the Heart Demon was also dissatisfied with the content of the bet, and a change had urred in I at that time. Wheik! She hadn''t manifested the aura, nor had she done anything physically. At least, on the outside, she was no different than before. But the Clown and the Heart Demon knew. The walls that protected the heart of this human were strong. When they were confronted with the unknown. When they were confronted with something unpleasant. Other than that, she had her vignt spirit protected her from the things that tried to shake her heart. I was breaking past all of her doubts. "¡­" "¡­" It was a provocation. It was an act of ridicule and condescension at the devil, who still hesitated to ept it. And then she opened her lips. "''Heart Demon.'' It is a name which indicates that you are very confident in dealings with the human heart." "¡­" "I am also a person who has a knack for taking control of my heart. So, how does it sound?" She proposed topete against each other in what they were most confident about. ¡­ this time, no one could refuse. The devil made a twisted smile on Khun''s face and nodded. "Let''s do that." ''It is something which benefits us unconditionally.'' Looking at the Heart Demon and I Crescentia, the Clown Devil thought. I was clearly just a woman who was too tired. It didn''t matter if the heart of the pdin who was firmly defending would win over the devil. If her walls were broken, then that meant that the devil won. Although there would be a slight difference considering which moment the attack happened, the fall of humans was something set in stone. And it could be said that the world would end in unconditional darkness. ''Even though he took Khun before, he was still a corpse. But it is different now. Now he can fully digest the heart, mind and the body of the pdins who are noble enough to bepared to the heroes of the past¡­'' And with that, the fate of the nation would be decided, leading to the triumph of the devils. "Crazy brat. That pride of yours is as high as the sky... Hehehe." The Clown Devil insulted I andughed. However, she didn''t respond. Despite the constant ridicule which was directed at her, she didn''t waver. Slowly and surely, she watched the attacks that the Heart Demon made in an effort to grab her heart. And she did her best to not lose herself. The ce they were heading to now had to be the den, and when they arrived, she would be filled with anguish that would be iparable to what she was feeling now. She couldn''t show any weakness. She nodded and thought of what the Clown said. ''Am I prideful?'' She might look like that in the eyes of other people, but I didn''t think of herself like that. Because she was no longer overconfident in her abilities. Because she didn''t intend to fight the Demon King alone. Today''s bet wasn''t a one-on-one match¡­ ''¡­. It is a battle between the Heart Demon and all that I trust.'' At that moment, six beams of light shot out from the field not far away. Embracing the faint energy of sorcery, she moved quickly, avoiding the darkness which was trying to take her down. She thought of Anya Marta and Georg Phoebe, who were by her side till the end. Bratt Lloyd, Judith, and Ilya Lindsay who gave her the best realizations. And¡­ Airn Pareira. ''With the power the continent has right now, it will not be easy to defeat this guy.'' There was a reason why I chose to never use her sorcery attack on the strongest people, including Julius Hul and Ian. It wasn''t like they werecking, but because she thought that she needed to gain more power than them. And it was possible with the four people. She was going to believe in the future that the four people could bring and endure this as long as she could. If only she could survive the darkness this devil brings... Then there will be even greater hope. Even the Heart Demon wouldn''t be able to do anything if he was preupied with winning her over. And from a devil''s point of view, she was indeed a nice and attractive target¡­ Throbbing. "Kuak." "Oh? Hahah, hahahaha? How is that? Do you regret it already? It must be difficult. It has to be difficult. Betting with the devil is always difficult. You need to think before you speak. Did you even think before you speak?" "Phew, phew." I didn''t answer. She was just going to do her best. And after a while, her heart split into six and floated to the sky. Pah! Pah! Pah! The news was delivered to six people. Unfortunately, the information wasn''tplete since she didn''t have enough energy. Which was why Ilya Lindsay and the others couldn''t track her down right away. Of course, I didn''t want them to rush to her either. She wanted them to build more power. "¡­" But there was someone else. Someone who had a bitter rtionship with the Clown, which had been around 1,000 years ago. And even more dangerous than that, someone who sensed the appearance of the demon king who would lead this world to ruin. Wooong! The tip of the great sword in which Karen Winker''s beliefs were melted in, pointed to the direction he was supposed to go. And because of that, unlike his three friends who went to the Holy Kingdom, Airn Pareira moved to the eastern part of the continent. Chapter 337: Link With Evil (1)

    Chapter 337: Link With Evil (1)

    "Please wait a little more, daddy ising. I''ll be home soon¡­" A middle-aged man hastened his steps. He had journeyed to the temple for his daughter, who was suffering from a sudden fever, and thanks to the priest''s mercy, he was able to get some holy water despite the fact that it wascking. And now, all that was left was to head back home. The face of the man was full of impatience. He saw a crowd of people blocking the path in front of him as he kept walking. It was a passageway made from expanding an abandoned mine. A huge boulder blocked its way. Seeing the boulder, the startled middle-aged man asked in surprise. "W-what is this?" "I don''t know. It might have been because of the typhoon which happened a few days ago, or maybe arge monster appeared and¡­" "Monster? Monsters in this ce¡­" "In a world with such cruel times, how can we know what happened here? There are devils and demons in the continent now, and they appear all over the ce." "True. but¡­" "It isn''t important. The problem is that we can''t use this path for a while, and everyone needs to clear out. Phew, how much longer will it take if we go around¡­" "¡­" At the old man''s answer, the middle-aged man turned his head and looked at the tunnel. Just looking at it took his breath away. His heart turned impatient at the size of the boulder, which would be impossible to get rid of even with 30 men gathered. He remembered the face of his daughter suffering from anxiety. And he wasn''t the only one thinking of something simr. Theid-back ones took a step back, but those who had to move right away were unable to do that. "Another one ising¡­ tch, that young man also has a dark expression on his face, he must be in a hurry." The old man clicked his tongue with a sad expression. He didn''t like the expression of the young man. He knew that the man had a heavy heart. Even the middle-aged man couldn''t take his eyes off this young man. Seeing someone in a simr situation like him made him feel stuffy. But. A miracle happened. sh! Crack! "¡­!" "¡­!" "T-thi¡­!" Arge sword that they didn''t see before was pulled out and swung. They didn''t know how he did it. The sword disappeared again, and it didn''t even make a sound. However, they knew two things. The boulder was split in half, and it was the young man who did this. Looking at the smooth split on the obstacle that had stopped everybody there, all of them had their mouths wide open. Tup! Jjjjkkk! It didn''t end there. The young man put his hands on the split boulder and put force into it, and the pieces were being pushed with a huge sound. The space was wide enough for a carriage to passfortably. "Then, I''ll head in first." "¡­." "¡­." "¡­" The young man in the robe quickly went into the tunnel, saying a word to calm them down. People began to move in one after another, along with the middle-aged man with holy water. The expression on their faces couldn''t help but shine at this. "¡­ as the number of monsters went up, so did the number of hidden heroes." The old man standing still mumbled. Clearly, the world was changing more dramatically than ever before. When he felt the power of sorcery from I Crescentia, Airn couldn''t think of anything else. Without even thinking considering joining the Holy Kingdom or borrowing the Griffin from Kirill, he just left the estate right away. And without hesitation, he ran in the direction that his sorcery greatsword was pointing to. Of course, he wasn''tpletely panicking. He was impatient and nervous, but not as much as the first time he got the news. And it was enough to find some reasoning in his mind. Yet, the reason he was heading to the eastern part of the continent and not the Holy Kingdom, was because of his greatsword, which was constantly signaling him. ''The clown and the other devils keep moving. If that isn''t it, they are trying their best to mislead the chase.'' If the distance was too far, he couldn''t chase them. He couldn''t look away even for a moment, so he kept moving. He had to control himself and think about the direction each time the sword signaled it to him. And that was why Airn chose to move alone. Fortunately, unlike at the start, he was more rxed now. It didn''t matter if he could do it or not; it HAD to be done at all costs. At the same time, it was something he couldn''t fail at either. To fight the crafty demons, he had to be in his best condition. No... he would have to take higher steps and build up skills like never before. He had to attain enlightenment within this short period of time and rise to a higher level. And what was his condition now? He was anxious. And unstable. And fiercer than ever. He was unable to control the anger within him, and because of the hostility which was rising, even the energy of the five elements was cut off. ''I need to start dealing with this. Without the energy of the five elements¡­ I cannot even deal with the clown.'' This was the reason Airn was training in his spare time. He used the element of water and controlled the mes. Meanwhile, he would constantly use all five of them to build and nurture their coexistence. A cycle. One good intention begets another good intention, and that will bring another good one. And that would ultimately make the continent a bright world full of hope and happiness. And this was also rted to the ''Will to protect'' and opposed the ''Desire to destroy'', which was the tendency of the devils. ''Let''s never forget the basics. Let''s not throw away the will, beliefs and aspirations that we have built till now.'' The reason he was carrying the sword. The driving force which came to his mind. In order to not forget any of it, and to get rid of this anguish dwelling within him, Airn sank deeper and deeper. The current mediation was to continue until his sword signaled him again. Tup! But now, that n was broken. Airn looked up with his eyes. He saw the face of a little boy whose hand he was holding. He was probably a child of the slum. The ce where he fell into meditation was a dark alley. As he tried to calm the boiling anger within him, he found himself in a ce he didn''t fit in. And thinking that, he said to the child. "No..." "Uh, Uk¡­.!" "This is a precious thing. Besides that, stealing is not right." Airn released the item from the boy''s hand and took the ne of five elements which had almost been stolen, back into his hands. This was an item he hadn''t figured out yet; he couldn''t just let other people take away his things. And the reason he held the hand of the child wasn''t because of the ne. Looking at the boy struggling to get out of his hand, he asked. "How did you get into pickpocketing?" "¡­" "This may be a silly question, but is there no other way than this?" "¡­ spoken like a true idiot. What else can I even do in this fucking dog shit town?" "Hmm." "You didn''t think about it right? Enough, fuck. If you don''t n to kill me¡­ just let go¡­ euk., go!" The kid struggled to escape. And hearing his words, Airn nodded. His words were right. Although Airn had an unhappy childhood, he was born into a wealthy family. And that meant that he couldn''t escape from this noble mindset. Doing chores at an inn or in the countryside, and doing small errands like delivering goods. These might be na?ve to him. And even if this kid did try to steal from him, his fault wasn''t too huge. ''If this is the only thing I have seen ever since I was growing up alone... If there were only people who did bad things around me¡­'' Airn thought of his own life. He was lucky. There was no other way he could say it. A loving mother, a strong father, and his lovely sister, Kirill. His lover Ilya, and his dear friends Judith, Bratt, Kuvar, and Lulu. And countless people other people who were like his mentors. The environment around him was full of goodwill and kindness. And the reason he was here was not just because of his own hard work, but also because of the help he received from others. Then what about this child? From the time he was born, he must have been exposed to unfavorable and harsh environments. He must''ve been stained with evil, malice, hostility, and every other negative energy. This child probably didn''t even realize that his actions were wrong. And he realized at that moment. Why he was angry at I''s sorcery message. Why had he been pouring out hostility towards demons? ''They are the beings who create the chain of ill-will.'' For Airn, who realized the concept of coexistence and the virtuous cycle, good and bad couldn''t be under the same sky. "Ah! Please! Stop it¡­" "¡­" "Sorry! I was wrong! I will never do it again. I mean it¡­ so, please just forgive me this once¡­" Airn, who was back to reality, turned his head. And saw the face of the little boy repeating the same thing, saying he wouldn''t do this again. It was a lie. The boy didn''t think he was in the wrong, and he wouldn''t stop this either. But he couldn''t get himself to hate the young child. The one he was hating was someone else far from here, someone whom he wanted to push the end of his sword into. He took a deep breath and put his other hand into his robe. "Ack! Uh¡­ uh?" ck! The boy closed his eyes, thinking that the man would hit him with something. Instead, something small appeared. And with a sweet sound. Hearing the sound of money ttering, the boy gulped. "Eat your fill tonight." "¡­" "But can you promise me something?" "¡­ what is it?" The child looked wary. It couldn''t be helped. There was no unpaid favor in the world, and the child never felt anything wrong with it. The little boy with the money pouch gulped. If it was something dangerous, he was ready to say no. But it wasn''t that. The voice from the man in the robe was much warmer than it was at the start. "If there is a child you know who is hungry, please help them too." "¡­" "Please?" The child didn''t speak for long. This was the first time he received goodwill from someone since he was born into this world. He was wary, doubtful, and shocked by the ray of light that fell onto his emotionless heart¡­ "¡­ okay." But since the time hadn''te yet, he nodded his head. Airn smiled and got up and gently stroked the little boy''s hair. He didn''t look back. He couldn''t say anything more. The signal hade. ''Let''s take the sword out in a ce where there are few people and check the direction once again.'' His head was full of thoughts about chasing away the devil, and his heart felt warmer than at the start. ¡­ it wasn''t bad. He concentrated on the signal without hiding the smile on his lips. Airn hastened his steps. Puck! Crack. "¡­" And he stopped. It was the sound of a blow that came from far and a suppressed scream. It was a small sound that couldn''t be heard by normal people. But with his senses as a Sword Master, he didn''t miss it. His breath turned anxious. Step step. He walked. But he couldn''t walk fast. He was afraid of the bad feeling he had, bing a reality. He was afraid of how angry he would be if what he thought was turned into a reality. Yet he still continued walking, and he reached the alley where he had left the boy before. "¡­" Many elders were surrounding the child''s body, and were looking at the body with eyes full of malice. Chapter 338: Link With Evil (2)

    Chapter 338: Link With Evil (2)

    There was a saying that said, ''Shared sadness is halved, but shared joy is doubled''. At first nce, this wouldn''t make sense. For it to be doubled, it would mean that not only the recipient of goodwill would have something to gain, but the one giving would feel joy as well. But how could that be? But that is the truth. It wasn''t painful at all to give kindness. There might be some pressure in sharing it, but greater joy springs from it. The smile of the child in the slum who received it was more valuable than the bread someone bought him. It was the same principle as to how joy spread on the faces of the other people when the blocked road was opened by Airn. Minor hassles were nothingpared to the good intentions, which would grow bigger. ''¡­ I had to do it this time too.'' Airn Pareira looked at the boy who had fallen on the cold alley floor. He was dead. There was blood flowing from his head, and his chest didn''t move. The child had died. He held the money pouch Airn gave him in his arms. No one cared. No one cared about the child''s circumstances, but Airn couldn''t think about anything else apart from that. Rather, he looked at the child''s body and the hand of the man who was going to touch his body. His actions were as if the man was going to turn over a fish on a grill... Grabbing the money pouch, he checked inside. "Oh, looking good?" "This much? Oh¡­ it will work for today''s drinks." "We are lucky." "Right. It was easy to earn." "I wish everyday was like this." ''Wish everyday was like this?'' ''Easy earning?'' ''Luck?'' Airn stopped breathing after hearing the words of the men. He couldn''t understand, and he couldn''t ept it. It wasn''t much money. But it was still enough to fill the stomach of the child for a few days. And as they said, it was enough to get drinks for a day... But money couldn''t bepared to people''s lives. No, in the first ce, no amount of wealth should be exchanged for life. Airn was like that, and his friends who stood by his side were the same. His parents who raised him were the same, and so were Airn''s teachers. Then how could these people take a child''s life so easily? Was it because of difficult times? Was it because the situation they were in was so unbearable that they had to do this? ¡­ it didn''t look like that. Still unable to take his eyes off the child''s corpse, Airn constantly searched for justifications. "Uh. Jack. You said it right." "What? That we will get too drunk?" "No, you idiot. You said today is lucky. Today is surely our lucky day." The man with a long scar on his cheek looked forwards and said it. The rest of the elders, along with Jack, nodded while chuckling. The man with the scar was right. The prey they were trying to chase after came to them with their own feet. And it seemed cute that the man had his head bowed down and didn''t even move because of the shock. They really liked these kinds of victims. "Hey, brother. Hey heyy!" Jack said as he approached the man in the robe. Their prey still didn''t raise his head. His smile grew stronger. With great expectations, he stretched out his index finger and pressed onto the man''s chest. Even if it was just one finger, it wouldn''t be easy to withstand this strong man''s physique. However, things turned out different than he expected them to. The man wasn''t pushed back. Nor did he groan. He didn''t even look terrified of him or his group. He just stood still in the same ce, without moving. The figure of the man that kept looking down with the heaviness of a rock was something¡­ "Yah, what is it?" "¡­ Uh?" "No, it isn''t like you are groping your wife or something, taking your sweet time there." "Leave him alone, that bastard is a pervert who enjoys such things." "Oh fuck, don''t say that... it''s nothing. Move." "Uh? Uh?" "I said move." The man with the scar who was standing behind, walked forward and pushed Jack and the others away. And he stood in front of the man in the robe with a ferocious expression. Originally, he liked to torture their prey slowly and have fun, but now he was in a hurry to go and get a drink. He had no intention of staying next to that dead corpse any longer. Shhh. A dagger came out from his arms. It was a weapon that could easily deal with a person in a single blow, and it gave out a gloomy feel in the moonlight. Neither did he hesitate, nor was he nervous. His hand swung quickly, and no one among the people standing there thought it was strange. Chang! "Kuak! Kuak¡­ ack!" "Uh?" "Ha?" "¡­" Their excited reactions from before died down right away. The man with the scar staggered back in pain, and blood was oozing out from his hand, and the others were shocked. They had clearly seen him swing the dagger at the other man''s neck. There was no reason for their man to stumble back. It should''ve been the one in the robe who was supposed to bleed. But they didn''t know. That the young man wasn''t reluctant to talk because he was scared. The reason Airn bowed his head and was in thought was because he was struggling to understand them. It was for their sake. "Now I understand." Airn, who was silent, spoke for the first time. And he raised his head. Tears flowed from his eyes, and no one thought he was weak because of it. Something strange was happening. They couldn''t move. They didn''t have the courage to run. In this suffocating atmosphere, the young hero with spoke with a wounded heart. "You acted like this because there are such people around you." He remembered that boy. It wasn''t because the child was born with a bad heart that he was making a living in the wrong way. It was because that was the only thing he had seen and learned. It was because, rather than being a cycle of good intentions, it was a continuous cycle of evil. And it was the same with the older men as well. Since they were only exposed to evil, they had all learned to do evil. They grew up only with hostility and anger towards the world. These people were the more vicious adult version of the kid. ''It wasn''t without sin.'' However, he couldn''t say that this was entirely their fault. That was the reason Airn didn''t draw his sword yet, and that was the reason his hand was showing mercy. He took a deep breath and turned his head to the right. "They killed the boy." "Uh, huh?" "Please take care of it now." Airn nodded his head. It really was fortunate. If the guards hade this way anyter, Airn would have killed all of them. It couldn''t be denied that they hadmitted a terrible sin no matter what the circumstances they had to go through were. However, it would be better if the guards took care of it rather than himself. ''Because I am unstable.'' Managing his emotions was difficult for him right now. He was not in a position for calm deliberation and making correct judgments. Airn sighed and said, "Please¡­" "Um. Um¡­" A man who appeared to be the captain of the guards looked at the men. And then walked away with an impression. Seeing that, the young hero nodded. Right, this is how it is supposed to happen. He passed the responsibility onto the others because he wasn''t stable enough toe to a decision, but that didn''t mean that it was a bad choice. Considering that the situation was urgent because of I, it was safe to say this was the right decision to make. But he told himself to not forget. To not forget what had happened today and to keep it in his heart. Just like before, he had to keep moving and thinking to find a better answer. It was the moment Airn, who had reached a conclusion, was about to step back. "Stop." "¡­ what is it?" "I told you to stop. Quietly raise your hands and get close to the wall." "I asked what is going on." "Uh." Contrary to the gentle impression Airn gave, his voice sounded cold. The young guard, shocked by it, stepped back, and the captain sighed and approached Airn. "You have killed an innocent child, so just obey the orders." ¡­ Airn looked back at the captain with a nk expression and then looked at his surroundings. The guards avoided his gaze in embarrassment, and the group of men responsible were pointing their fingers at him and giggling. And the man with the scar was cursing him. And the old guard was holding a bag of money. Shhh. He couldn''t stand it any longer. He couldn''t continue to have heroic worries about these people. He couldn''t make a rational judgment either. He felt disappointment. And uncontroble anger. Airn Pareira''s greatsword, which was filled with such emotions, was swung in a circle. "Uh?" Swish! "¡­" "¡­" "¡­" The sullen voice of the guard was no more. As if time stopped... as if the space froze, it felt bizarre. And between them... The head of the old guard, who still had a smiling expression, fell. Thuk. Thuk, tuk, tuk. Tuk. And that was just the start. The rest of the guards who had turned their faces away, and the men who wereughing out loud. Jack, who thought that something strange was happening, was ready to run. He immediately fell down without a sound. And his head and body separated, making the floor a mess. "Kya, Kuaaaack!" Btedly seeing the cruel sight, a woman who was walking through the alley screamed, followed by a few more, and everyone was running back with terrified expressions on their faces. After that, silence fell. Was it the thick smell of the blood, or did the story spread? There were no more people approaching the scary alley. Woong! "¡­" Airn, who had been standing there quietly, heard his Sword''s Order again. It was the signal. Feeling the howl of the sorcery greatsword, the hero bowed. "¡­ still, I have to do what I have to do." He picked up the dead child and hugged him close to his body. He left the city like that and dug the ground under arge tree, and buried the body along with the money pouch which he handed the child. ''I, I hope this doesn''t happen in the future.'' And then Airn Pareira, who showed respect for the dead, moved again. After that, Airn faced many wicked experiences as he continued his journey. None of them could threaten the hero, but none of them went without having an effect on the young hero''s mind. Was it because the security of the east wasn''t good? Or had he been too lucky in the past? He didn''t even want to know. At least for now, he couldn''t afford to dig deeper into this. Little by little, he lost his speech and expression. After some time, he arrived at the ce the sword was leading him to. "¡­" The City of Freedom, Godara. Some called it Godara, the Dark City. Airn Pareira entered the ce, which appeared to be morous and bright from the outside, with clenched fists. Chapter 339: Link With Evil (3)

    Chapter 339: Link With Evil (3)

    If someone asked what the most chaotic region of the continent was, the mostmon answer would be ''The South''. Using the peace treaty as a shield, nations continued to engage in civil wars and ughter. There were numerous thieves who were spread throughout the nation amid the copse of public security, but the situation showed no sign of improving as the nobles just strived to protect themselves. Inparison, the East was considered to be a rtively peaceful ce. However, there was one ce that even those who had been through the harsh environment of the South were reluctant to go to ¡ª Godara. No matter how heinous of a person they were, they wouldn''t enter this ce. Even those who were blinded by the strong desire for revenge wouldn''t follow their enemies into Godara. While passing through the Eastern continent, it was a story that Airn had heard countless times since there were too many rumors surrounding it. Even if only half of them were true, it would still have been a living hell for people. "¡­" But the atmosphere inside Godara, which he personally checked, wasn''t too different from other cities. People were walking by normally. There were normal people everywhere. He saw merchants who no one would consider strange and customers who were bargaining with them. And the streets looked rather clean, so Airn genuinely thought that this city was better than other ces. But Airn couldn''t release the stiff expression he had on his face. All around him... He could feel it. Everyone was looking at him. A man with a strong physique and ady who seemed to be tired of life. The children in the alleyway and the elderly couple with smiles on their faces. It was as if the whole city was watching him. It was a strange feeling that he had never experienced anywhere else. Puck! Rumble- "Uh-Uh! Sorry! Sorry! Ah, this¡­" "You fool¡­ sorry." At that time, one of the men walking by while talking, bumped into Airn. A bunch of fruits rolled on the floor, and both men looked at him feeling apologetic, and they left right away after picking up the fruits. It was no different. "So, this is how this ce is like." Airn mumbled in a voice that had no expectation or disappointment and moved. He didn''t look around anymore. I''s exact whereabouts weren''t clear, but he moved without hesitation as if his destination had already been decided. And he continued to keep moving. After a while, he reached a vacant lot. He stopped in the middle of the lot and took a sip of water as he watched a group of people approach him. They were on a different level from those he had met in the East. Among them, a man in his early 40s opened his mouth and said. "I know you are confident in your skills. I can tell by looking at your gait and your gaze when you walk. You seem to have noticed us following you right away. You are no ordinary person. It usually best to not touch such people if possible." "¡­" "But we cannot help it. There are people who want to taste you. Look at me¡­ you are so my type. It is unfortunate for the others." "¡­" "Right. Sorry for the long talk. But you probably won''t be able to perform to your best right now. I used a powder on you. It was because I am afraid, so I hope you understand it." After the exnation, the man drew his sword. It seemed like a good one. It wasn''t as good as a numbering sword, but it was in such great shape that any swordsman would want it. But what was remarkable was the presence. The defensive presence of following that one wouldn''t feel in an alley with so many people. Yet, Airn''s skin tingled. Shh Shhh- The others were also weird. He saw a gigantic man with his heavy hammer raised, and a skinny man who was ready to throw a sharp dagger. Everyone else there was giving out their momentum to pressure Airn. Little by little, the distance between them decreased. Airn didn''t draw his sword. Instead, a monster that sprang from behind the ground attacked the boss. Puck! Stumble "¡­" "¡­" "¡­" "Are you Mr. Airn Pareira?" Airn still didn''t say a word. However, everyone knew that this wasn''t a positive sign. And what they heard terrified them. Without even holding the weapons in their hands tightly, they froze like stone statues. It was because of the name they had heard. The other man had also exploded their boss''s head in one blow. It wasn''t something they could handle. "Someone wants to meet you." "¡­" "They probably have the information that Mr. Pareira wants." There were no more talks. The man moved right away and swiftly sheathed his sword. And Airn followed his steps into the darkness. Neither the monster nor the hero had changed their expressions. After a while, the suppressed breathing of the group resounded throughout the empty lot. "Phew!" "Phew, pheew¡­" "Ha¡­Airn Pareira? That was the real Airn Pareira?" "Insane¡­. Why is he here?" "I don''t get it." They were fortunate. No matter how crazy they were for money, it wasn''t more important than their lives. Even though they made a wrong choice, they were holding their breath, and now they were sure that luck was following them. "Let''s stay quiet for a while. If we all don''t die in theing days, then we can move like usual." "Yes." "Yes." "But what about this?" "Hm?" The second person turned his head and checked the floor. He saw a corpse without a head, and then they remembered what they had forgotten. Their boss. And immediately after, the man said. "Sell what we can sell. Let''s go." "Are you fine? With the smell?" "¡­" "The general public are unaware of it, but a Master''s heightened senses can smell the stench¡­" "¡­" "¡­" The guide went silent. The power which was spread on Airn''s body when he collided with the passerby was supposed to be odorless, but it couldn''t deceive the sense of smell of an elf or a Master. If it was this much, then even he wouldn''t like it. However, the man who was most likely the most unhappy with the whole incident didn''t even respond, so there was nothing further the guide could say. So, he just did his duty. He led Airn to an ordinary inn, spoke some words, unarmed the traps, and walked into the secret passage. After a few more procedures and little time had passed, an old wooden door caught their eyes. Seeing this, the guide nodded and said. "Well then, have a good time." "¡­" Airn didn''t speak even then. Just like when he first arrived in Godara, he entered the basement room with an expressionless face. Kik Tak! "I will tell you the prerequisite for giving my information right from the start. The hero cannot go out for 24 hours from now." "¡­" "As you can see, everything had been made ready for you. Delicious food, alcohol, beautiful women, historical antiques, and world-famous paintings¡­ if there is anything else you want, just say it. I''ll get it to you in 30 minutes." "¡­" "So, can''t you enjoy just one day with me and go out tomorrow. After that, will not stop whatever you do." Unlike the unsightly door, which wasn''t even oiled properly, the room inside was spacious. It wasn''t just wide. The soft lighting from the magic tool was even more beautiful than natural light, and the air inside was so clean that it was hard to believe that it was a basement. It seemed so great that it didn''t fall short of an actual pce. No wonder the guide looked confident. The old man in the room seemed bold as well. If it was Zakuang, he would probably enjoy the food and the ce without a singleint. But not Airn. After being silent for a long time, he said. "It smells bad." "Uh? That... The air quality here should be better than usual since there are air fresheners imported from the Gerbera Kingdom¡­" "Where is it?" "Uh?" "Where is it?" "¡­" The old man in the room went silent. He knew what the young hero was asking him about, but he had no intention of giving an honest answer. It was his mission to keep the hero tied in this ce for 24 hours without showing it. And he didn''t think it would be difficult. The heroic figure in front of him was a far cry from what he saw on the magic screen a few days ago. Staring at the young man, who must''ve lived apletely different life because of the path he took, the man snapped his finger. Tak! Phat! A magic screen appeared on one side of the wall. Suddenly there were more than one hundred screens on which each and every angle of the Godara city could be viewed. "If the hero leaves this ce in the next 24 hours, an innocent citizen will be killed." "The same goes if you try to harm me." "And if you try to get information by force." "...someone will die. For your purpose, people who have nothing to do with it will get killed without even knowing the reason. They will be dumped on the side of the road, and will be subjugated to torture and harassment." "If you want that to happen, then you can do whatever you want." "¡­" Facing the young man who was looking at him, the old man grinned. Right. The young man was a kind one. And that would serve his purpose. And it would give him lots of fun. He wasn''t the kind of person to sacrifice someone else. He was stronger than anyone in Godara, but at the same time, he was a person with the most fatal weakness. ''He is the easiest to deal with.'' The old man smiled. He wouldn''t have to hold him too long. He just had to make him wait until 24 hours had passed. No, maybe everything would be done much sooner. His current actions were probably just insurance for those people. He looked rxed until his eyes widened abruptly. Shhh Movements that were hard to feel even with the senses of a Master. Kwang! "¡­ Kuak!" There was a roar and a cough. The old man, with his eyes wide open, shouted. "W-what!" "Tell me." "Did you not hear me? A person will die. If you move further¡­" Kwang! "¡­." Another subordinate in the room lost his life. It was the guide. His expression as he was pierced by the sword, was one filled with shock. It was the same with the old man. This was different from what he had expected. In his opinion, this hero should have stayed still. He shouldn''t be trying to get out of this room or even trying to do anything. He snapped his finger, and 5 people on the magic screen lost their lives. For the old man, these deaths meant nothing, but for the hero, they must have hurt. That was how it should be. "¡­" However, the young man with the golden sword still had an expressionless face. And he said, "I cannot stand it anymore." "W-what?" "The smell." Airn closed his eyes, and the stench tingling his nose became more distinct. It wasn''t the powder that was used on him earlier. It was the human malice. The citizens of Godara, who had lived in the bondage of long and deep feuds for as little as 10 years and as long as 100 years, gave out a painful odor that wasparable to that of the devil. That said. It was the same... With the old man. And the old man''s people too. They were people who wanted to kill for fun, and they would all die. They were even worse than the people who killed that child. ¡­ In Airn Pareira''s eyes, they weren''t people to be protected. Kwang! Kwang! Kwaaang! "Uh, ah¡­!" The roaring continued. Whenever Airn''s body blurred, one of the subordinates hiding in the basement would die. And they all epted that as if it was their destiny. The old man was in the same situation. He was Sword Master and the man who controlled the city of Godara from behind the scenes, but it wasn''t enough to stop the burning anger of the hero. His existence felt insignificant here. He needed support. Help. Closing his eyes, he thought of the great magicians above him and made the decision. Shhh- "So, he''s there." A signal went out from the heart of the old man. Airn Pareira, who confirmed the ce it stretched out and reached., stomped on the ground. Kwakwakwakwakwa! A huge fire broke open the ground like a meteor crashed, and Airn shot out towards the darkness. Chapter 340: Link With Evil (4)

    Chapter 340: Link With Evil (4)

    "Fuck?" "Why are you swearing all of a sudden?" Hearing the other man on the same floor swearing, the man sighed. It wasn''t because the work was hard or because the bloody smell on his clothes was disgusting. In the slums of Godara, this was the norm. If the day passed and they had their stomachs full, then they should be thankful. However, there was something unpleasant about even such a positive thing. It was a huge building that stood tall in the center of the slum. It was a tower built by an unknown rich man, and it was more splendid than a royal pce. The absolute wealth that was required in creating this building... the man wouldn''t be able to achieve it, even if he worked for 10,000 years! Every time he looked up at it, all kinds of negative emotions would rush into him. "Idiot, again¡­" Seeing his expression, he was given another pint. However, even the man who gave him the pint couldn''t help but feel envy. Why were they here? Well, there was no reason to be here. Why would a man wealthy enough to even have a magical garden, swimming pool, and all sorts of things in his building live in thisnd filled with beggars? "It is on purpose. That bastard is doing it on purpose. Is he trying to look down on us?" "¡­ be careful. What if the Guard hears us?" "Sigh." The other man with a disability said it. No good woulde from talking about this. And the man nodded as he started to work. He had a gloomy face that looked like he had been buried in the ground. And his thoughts continued. ''I want to kill him.'' He felt endless hatred and jealousy. Such feelings flowed outside his body without his knowledge and moved to the sky and mixed with the malice of the other people in the ce, and then all of it concentrated on the top floor of the tower. To be precise, it gathered inside a beautiful ss. "It is fine." The individual who was using a human woman as a chair, nodded, savoring the malice that was gathering in his ss. Another being who was watching it spoke in a displeased tone. "Do you really think this would work?" "¡­ Um." The presence, which was overflowing with malice, turned its gaze onto the devil. It had eyes that couldn''t be felt... because there was nothing but darkness inside the empty armor it was wearing. It was such terrible magic that any ordinary person would lose their mind by just seeing it once, but the man still looked inside the helmet without being swayed. The devil, which felt the displeasure oozing out from the man in front of him, also released his energy. But it wasn''t always like this. The magician who hadpletely directed the hatred at him, muttered. "Pretty much." "What do you mean?" "Just two years ago¡­ I thought that the devils were a different being. As a human being, no matter how much I tried to understand the devils, it was a race I couldn''tprehend." "¡­" "But looking at you I don''t think that is the case. Maybe it was just a fantasy created by the 160 years of severance from evil." "You¡­" The ss te moved with a creaking sound from the devil. And the flowing energy from the top floor spread around, and the humans who were acting like the chairs, quickly rotted and crumbled. The magician also fell to the ground since his chair had crumbled to dust, but he didn''t stop smiling. This was fun. The appearance of the devils that clung to power, coveted positions, and induced envy and resentment in people, very much resembled the ugly side of humans. ''Is he the only one? Or is it that humans and demons aren''t that different?'' He wanted to know. Even though he was now an old man, and even though he had been stained by the devil, he was inquisitive. It was difficult for him to restrain himself from his curiosity since it was the root of all magicians. But he wouldn''t do that as he stayed here under the orders of the Demon King. He smiled and sat. "You''re maybe right. If it was the Airn I knew, he wouldn''t be able to move, but people change even in the shortest amount of time. Like me." "Such irresponsible words¡­" "It isn''t that. Isn''t it all dependent on us and our decisions? I took the most probable method, but it might fail too. And that is why we are waiting here." "¡­" "Huhu¡­ stupid helmet, if you don''t like it, go after him once he leaves. Neither the King nor the Clown would want to lose their power due to an idental collision." With those words, the magician closed his eyes andy t on his back. He could still feel the energy of the devil from before, but he didn''t care. Examining the face of the enemy through his minions, the demon Yprene Slick smiled faintly. ''He doesn''t look that good.'' And he liked that expression very much. It had been 2 long years, and all his interest was on Airn Pareira. He wished pain and suffering onto him. And for Yprene Slick, the struggle of the Hero trying to choose between his personal goal and the greater cause was amazing. ''Enjoy the finest delicacies 24 hours from now.'' Joy shed on the old magician''s face. Uncontroble anticipation and excitement built up as he thought about it. It was an unfamiliar pleasure he was feeling after almost 30 years. But. An unexpected situation urred. sh! Kwakwakwang! The young man broke through the ground after taking down the Master of Godara with one hit. Feeling the deep mes in Airn''s eyes, Yprene Slick went stiff. "They could only stop him for 2 minutes." The devil said with a sneer. He didn''t like this n from the start. Although he was of human origin, he was sitting on the top floor of this tower and receiving orders directly from the Demon King and winning the favor of the Clown. This was one of the reasons why he stayed still. And, of course, the n of the great one shouldn''t be disrupted. That was another reason. Crushing the human with force was enough. Feeling the fast-approaching Hero''s energy, the devil pulled out his dark sword. It was then. "Hu, huhu, huhahahahaha!" "¡­" "Haha, huha, ha, hahahaha¡­ kuahaha¡­." "Have you lost it?" Seeing the demonugh, the devil mumbled. He couldn''t understand. This half-baked bastard was being trusted more than the demons by the Demon King, and that was why he would bear more responsibility for this failure. Then why was this manughing so happily? ¡­ this was the limit of the Dark Knight. He didn''t know what it was like to have malice towards humans. However, at least the terms of hatred and anger towards Airn that Yprene felt could be understood by him. This was also why the Demon King and the Clown put Yprene on this case. ''The best results havee out!'' The demon thought as heughed. He wanted to harass Airn. He wanted to put him into despair. And the best way for that? It was to break the will which had supported him until now. To negate the beliefs that had guided him. And that wouldn''t be easy. From one perspective, it was honestly impossible too. It was by what Airn did... i.e., letting go of him who had done disgusting things resembling the devils which gave Yprene his answer. His goodwill towards the world. Because it is impossible to break that¡­ Yprene went for the next best thing. Yprene tried to avenge himself and kept observing Airn as he crumbled under the pressure of not being able to change the world with his goodwill. He watched how it had affected the growth of the Hero who had once defeated him. And now. "You stand before me in a way that betrays the sword which makes you shine." "¡­" "This is a sight that the King and Clown have been waiting for. The fall of Hero¡­ there is nothing sweeter than this to a devil. Right?" Yprene Slick asked. There was no need to exin further. Even he knew it. Because of his unbelievable sensitivity to malice, he had already understood every single thought this demon had. It was shocking. Even a being chasing after evil for thousands of years wouldn''t have such emotions. But that wasn''t important. Corrupting Hero was an even greater achievement than blocking the path of a hero. In order to fully carry out the orders he had received, Yprene constantly released curses filled with malice. ''In this ce, is the one who kills and they one who dies are all of the same nature? Of course, they are. For the people that live in Godara, whether it is deep or shallow, they are all immersed in evil.'' ''But are they all bad ones which cannot be controlled? Are they all so dark as the demons that they shouldn''t be given a chance?'' ''I know. You know too. That it isn''t right. Because you were the one who gave me a chance to live for the sake of your father. And even when the half elf was selling his own people to increase his name and influence you didn''t kill him... it was all because you are the one closest to a true hero.'' ''But.'' ''What now?'' Smile. Yprene''s smile grew stronger. He was sure. Airn Pareira hadn''t started killing the people in the cer because the acts of the people who were being held hostages were unforgivable. The judgment he had enacted on them didn''t stem from the Hero''s cause. ''Personal hatred.'' ''Personal vengeance.'' ''You took the lives of others lightly in order to save those dear to you. You didn''t act the same way as you usually do. Relying on your impatient selfishness topromise, you backed off.'' ''The beliefs you have built up.'' ''They have alle down.'' Kukukuku. Theughter of the demon resounded on the top floor in a gloomy way. He was now so close to being a demon... to the extent that even the devil who was standing there looking at him and trembled. Yprene was close to being truly evil. The curse continued. The darkness that came from his heart made the Hero suffer. It hurt even more because Airn was able toe this far holding the hands of good people. The bad ties he had with Yprene, and the repercussions of the evil deeds that he had seen while traveling across the eastern continent umted, and created a link. It made a circle that waspletely different from the shape shown in the Warrior''s Festival. The devil focused on it. The demon was pleased with this. ¡­ right. But the current situation was so fun that Yprene Slick overlooked something he shouldn''t have. And now. Shhh. The result of that carelessness was revealed in the next second. Chak! "Ku¡­ ack¡­.!" A groan escaped the devil''s mouth. It couldn''t be felt. Nor could it be avoided. Its body split in half as a crescent-shaped aura and flew for him. Seeing that, Yprene Slick thought with a sad face. ''Right! I shouldn''t have given him enough time to prepare!'' The sword of that man grows stronger as time goes! Realizing thiste, Yprene took his stance. The devil also increased the magi around it and pieced back its previously cut body, and raised its sword to prepare for a counterattack. "¡­" And suddenly, Airn was right in front of the devil. It was the moment when the dark knight opened his mouth and was looking at the shadow of the Hero covering his vision. Kwaaaaang! The devil''s head was mmed down with the side of his sword as if he was using a blunt weapon. And its head shatteredpletely. It was now erased... unable to attach itself any longer. ck. Only a few fragments rolled on the ground. And when Yprene Slick saw the eyes of Airn Pareira, which looked at him, it made him gulp. Chapter 341: Sword Of The Continent (1)

    Chapter 341: Sword Of The Continent (1)

    Kwang! "He, hehe!" Seeing the golden shing for him, Yprene Slickughed. He picked up his cane, and suddenly, obsidian-like crystals exploded from the cane and were directed ahead at Airn. But Airn didn''t back off. The blonde hero quickly drew a circle around him, making an aura shield and put more force into his lower body. The sound of something burning could be heard. This was simr to the match he had with Inashio Karahan in the Warrior''s Festival, but it was much more intense. However, Airn Pareira today was different from the past. The hatred which was surging in him was being used to increase the output of his power. Normally, he would step back and then strike, but he didn''t do it this time. Rather, he was taking an offensive approach to pierce through Yprene''s front. Pung! Bang! Bang! Bang! There were mes swirling on his body, and they exploded. It was painful, but he was bearing it. He was using the chain of explosions as his force to move ahead, and resistance was reced with speed! "Huh!" Shocked, Yprene Slick swung his cane, and the curse energy swirled around Airn, but it didn''t seem to do anything else. He approached the face of Yprene in a moment and swung his sword. Chhhhh! Yprene''s lower body was sliced, and his upper body flew away. This time, it was the sword and not the blunt side of the de that was being used. It wasn''t because he was concerned about the unique nature which made up the demons or devils. He just wanted to make Yprene feel more pain. And there was something more important than the Devil''s death. Airn asked, raising Yprene, who had only the head left after the attack, to his eye level. "Tell me." "Kehehe." "I said tell me. Where is I?" "Hahaha" "Speak already!" "Haha, you have gotten a lot stronger than I thought. Airn. Hahahaha!" Yprene''s head exploded as he fell into madness and ck liquid constantly came out of his eyes and mouth and the severed throat. Still, he spoke without showing that he was in any pain. Of course, no one cared. As if asking him to answer quickly, Airn strengthened his grip on the head. And was ready to rip the hair off. But theughter didn''t stop. Rather it kept turning louder and louder inside the top floor, and the result of it was the eyes were shaking. Thinking he was making fun of himself, Airn pped the demon with a stiff expression. But it was unchanging. The demon keptughing like a broken rm. "¡­!" It felt strange. He moved a couple steps away from the head, and the head immediately explodedpletely. A crack appeared on the top floor, and it still gave Airn a bad feeling, but the crack wasn''t huge enough to destroy the tower. Rumble¡­. Phhhhh- phhhh Woong! "¡­" Dust, darkness, and magi. Airn swung his sword. However, the situation remained the same. The dark Aura that obstructed his senses was still floating near him, and it grew thicker and darker. The dark barrier. Despite his disgust for it, the hero didn''t close his eyes. He didn''t cover his nose either. This wasn''t good. His instincts kept signaling him that this wasn''t good, and there was a weird energy piercing through his skin. His chest was pounding, though it wasn''t unbearable. The fast pumping of the blood due to this was making Airn feel lighter. It was making his nerves sense things quicker. 1 second. 2 seconds. ¡­ When 5 seconds passed, An attack came from an unexpected ce. Crack. Thud! "¡­!" A hand came up through the ground and grabbed Airn''s ankle. No, to be precise, he avoided it right before it happened. Crack He used his sword, but the opponent had already disappeared. There was no evidence of the opponent even trying to touch him. ''It can move freely through the ground¡­.'' He couldn''t keep up with it. A lump of muscle approached him with a loud thudding sound and swung arge hammer with a scream. The atmosphere wasn''t right. Not daring to underestimate this being, Airn moved to the side with his left foot as the center. Woong! He avoided it. Wooong! He avoided it again, but he didn''t want to do this anymore. The speed and power of the attack were good, but the motions weren''t connected smoothly. Honestly, it was full of gaps, and if it hadn''t been for the existence being below ground, Airn could have countered it sooner. Airn, waiting for the perfect timing, swung his sword. It was checkmate. He could see the Hammer Devil''s eyes wide open and unbnced. And then came a very faint sound. Chak! Kwang! "¡­" It wasn''t just the Hammer Devil. A devil resembling an octopus appeared, and it had traces of an eerie smile. And that was it... something resembling octopus tentacles turned his perfect chance to defeat the Devil into nothing. Airn nodded and thought. ''This will be tricky.'' Crack! Wheik! The being under the ground, was aiming for a crack in his form, and was intimidating. Until now, there were numerous times when he was aware of the opponent being behind him, but he had no experience fighting an enemy under his feet. Consciously doing that alone consumed a lot of mental energy. Crack! Kwang! Papat! "Such a shame." "Right. It is such a shame." "Let''s try again. We have an advantage." "Right. We have an advantage." Fighting the dumb-looking Hammer Devil and the disgusting Octopus Devilbined wasn''t easy. The former was full of gaps but was strong and used attacks that took full advantage of its strength. The missing part was filled by thetter. The Octopus Devil''s actions were focused on attacks without the intention of protecting its ally. Perhaps, if it could injure Airn at the cost of Hammer Devil''s life, Airn felt like it would do it without another thought. And this style of fighting didn''t sit right with Airn. Phhhh! Pung! Puhh! The bigger problem were the 3 devils and the 16 demons surrounding him. They seemed to have been the disciples of Yprene, and as they expected the battle to take ce, they had received the full help of magic tools and magic circles. The physical and magical attacks that were raining on him couldn''t be ignored even if the three devils were taken down. Wheik! Kang! "Haha, are you shocked? No matter how much we get hit, it won''t hurt us!" "Great! Amazing!" The attack which came from behind was by the Octopus Devil, which aimed for Airn''s neck. He had to raise his sword to block the attack. Although the demon was unharmed, the ck magi touched Airn''s body, and it felt different. It wasn''t known whether this was the effect of the magi, or if it was something else. The important thing was that the situation was a lot worse than it was at the start. And abination of attacks that showed that the devils weren''t on the losing side. They openly went for Airn''s gaps, and the fight waspletely different from before. Finally, the 16 demons who were firing shots at Airn without being concerned for their allies, showed off their strength which was on par with a devil. "Phew." Take a deep breath. In the midst of nothing but darkness, only Airn''s breath felt like the light. It wasn''t clean or soft. The heat he endured until he came here was exposed to this new world. And in that instant, the demons flinched. They saw the anger and determination of a wounded hero which couldn''t bepared to his tattered appearance. The Hammer Devil clenched its hammer as he felt fear, and Airn didn''t miss the opportunity. He moved. Kwaaang! He used his feet with inhuman force and kicked the ground. There was a heavy roar that even suppressed the killing intent of the Devil under the ground. This showed the difference between their strengths. At the same time, Airn approached the Hammer Devil in an instant and made a full swing from the bottom to the top. Woong! sh! "Kuak!" The Hammer Devil narrowly managed to avoid a fatal injury. To be precise, it took ample damage and then retreated back. But he wasn''t angry. There was a smile of joy as the attacks of magi continued to rain down on him. Its body was still stumbling back because of the sudden attack. In addition, with Airn bringing his sword to the top, his hands were raised up, and his lower body was open! This was a gap. Even if he didn''t know, this was the right time for all the demons there to attack him and the Devil clenched his fist. The octopus and the demons would turn this human into nothing in front of his eyes. Crack! Kuahh! "Uh?" However, the situation went differently from what he thought. Airn wasn''t aiming for the Hammer Devil alone. Swish The sorcery greatsword, which moved from his hand, flew far and annihted the demons. The 16 demons desperately tried to use shield magic, but it was too much for them. If only the Aura was used, then it wasn''t known what would happen, but now at the sudden attack which came with throwing the great sword itself, a formidable power made its way to them. ''Is he crazy?'' The opponent''s attack was indeed effective, but he had lost his sword in the process. No matter how many demons he took down, his actions didn''t seem like a gain. But it didn''t matter to them. The Octopus Devil grinned as it attacked the hero with all its might. It didn''t care about defending itself. It was better to think about running away than to prolong the fight with a hero. It had tentacles ready to block Airn''s path of retreat as well. And that was a mistake. After letting go of his sword, Airn was able to move freely and took a stance. He stretched out his hand and aimed for the Devil''s arms. Swish! "Uh?'' Puck! The sword, which was far away, was recalled and stabbed the octopus. The bewildered Devil shrunk back its tentacles and aimed for Airn''s back. It was no threat. sh Airn immediately ran up to the Octopus Devil and used his body as the center of gravity, and swung his sword. After the Octopus Devil fell, the Devil from below the ground appeared again. Hundreds and thousands of attacks fell from the sky. Wheik! Kwang! Kwang! Kwaang! Avoiding the attacks from the surviving demons which were trying to kill him, Airn moved constantly and pressed hard on the head of the Devil. And its head broke. A shock wave spread around the Devil, which then disappeared without a shape. The ground rose like a wave of mud and created a huge barrier that shielded him from attacks by the magicians. Coincidentally their views were blocked as well. Confused by the sudden wall of mud, they used detection magic, and naturally, the frequency of the attacks decreased. Shortly after, a half-moon-shaped Aura flew past the barrier and took down 15 demons immediately. Thud! Thud! Thud! The demons fell down and turned to dark red petals as they crashed. Airn didn''t care. His attention was on the ground and not the sky. There was a more ferocious energy than before. The cruelty he felt from it couldn''t bepared to anything! Airn felt it and raised his sword high before mming it into the floor as hard as he could. And the ground, which was the enemy''s territory, kept getting pounded again and again. Pung! Bang! Bang! And then came the answer. The giant body which had been hiding inside the ground of the tower and was aiming for the chance to take down the hero at the right moment. Kwaaaah! Roar! The buildings around the tower, which had managed to stay fine till now, copsed. Blood gushed from the orifices of those who were close by, and even some people who were far from the ce fainted. The residents of Godara were running away in fear, and some of them were heading back to steal the items of others. Others were attacking people and killing them as they ran away. All the ill-will and negative emotions were absorbed by the Devil and made its body bigger. Eventually, it became even bigger than the legendary dragon, and a 100-meter-tall devil appeared! When its head was hit by Airn, he took the remains of the demons and Devil on the ground and gulped them. As a result, the energy of magi within it grew stronger, and Airn, who was looking at this, exhaled roughly. "Haa." This wasn''t going to be easy. The fact that this new enemy was powerful was something that even a deaf and blind person could recognize. Although he had fought twice with a much stronger clown, the situation here was different. The first one was a fight he won with the help of sorcery. The second one wasn''t a battle of strength either. But there was still a chance. Wheik! Airn Pareira, who aimed his sword at the Devil, used an aura sword that was shining in red. Chapter 342: Sword Of The Continent (2)

    Chapter 342: Sword Of The Continent (2)

    ¡°Haa¡­ Haa¡­ Haa¡­¡± Facing the giant Devil with such enormous height, Airn took a second to catch his breath. He was lucky. This is a battle of the mind and heart. If this was a battle between the corruptor and the endurer, then he might have been defeated. Because right now he wasn¡¯t his normal self. Forget the five energies, right now, he couldn¡¯t even properly deal with a single energy. He could feel the strong mes within him already consuming his body and mind. But it was fine. At least, for the current fight, he was fine. Ching¡­! Anger. Enmity. Hatred. The current aura that Airn was using came from all kinds of negative emotions and was clearly different from the path he took. And this was the unweed result of his fear of thepletely different future that mighte... the future that was nothing like what he had initially imagined. But it was necessary. For this moment, he desperately needed this energy. Tah! Airn Pareira, who leapt into the sky, swung his sword. In order to cut down the devil, he used the Red Aura instead of his golden one. What he was using wasn¡¯t the Five Spirits Divine Technique. It wasn¡¯t harmonious, nor did it have any goodwill towards him or others. On the contrary, even before he realized the Sword of Water, his heart wasn¡¯t as bad as it was now. But. His technique was more powerful and violent. The sword of Airn Pareira right now, in terms of strength alone, was the best he had shown ever in his life. ¡­ after a while, an intense light shone. ---! Tah! ¡°Uh, huh, haa¡­¡± Hended on the ground as he continued to breathe heavily. But the gigantic devil still didn¡¯t budge. Its very form was nightmarish. It looked so terrifying and desperate to win this fight that any normal human would back away from the fight. But not Airn. Despite his state of exhaustion, he continued to stare at the opponent. To be precise, he looked at the top of its head. On it there were cracks so small that even a single sheet of paper couldn''t fit into them. Suddenly, a breeze blew through. And a miracle happened. An unfamiliar sound came from the gigantic devil which had been silent till now. ¡­crack. Jjkkk, jjjkkkk. The sound became bigger and bigger, and soon it was loud enough for anyone to hear. The sound continued thundering around the hall, and it was as if it had the power to destroy the world. Nevertheless, Airn didn¡¯t use his Aura to protect his ears. It was because he didn¡¯t have any energy left to do it, but even if he could, he wouldn¡¯t have done it. Die. Fall down. The cry that came from Airn¡¯s heart became his will and it went for the giant devil. It hit the devil which was still trying to recover its body. But it couldn¡¯t stand the sound any longer. Kwaaang! Kwaaang! Finally, the gigantic evil fell down defeated. It was split into half and it couldn¡¯t move. The corpse which hadpletely lost all its strength and power, copsed around the tower as if it was a mountain that was created to bring about the destruction of the tower. The entire scenario was truly an scene that was worthy of being written down in the history of the continent! Had there been a singer or a historian present to witness the scene, they would have said this: He has surpassed I Crescentia. The reason he lost in the Warrior¡¯s Festival had to be because he was young. If the tournament had been held a monthter, the oue of the match would have beenpletely different. ¡­ but Airn couldn¡¯t smile. Because he couldn¡¯t find out the whereabouts of I or the clown. That was just one of the reasons he couldn¡¯t rx. A bigger problem remained. Right. The fight wasn¡¯t over. Clench! ¡°Huk, huk¡­¡± He thrust his sword into the ground and leaned on one knee. It was good, but not good enough. Thinking that, he looked up at the sky. The evil was gone. It was absurd to even think about, but he really did ovee it. But if he hadpletely won against the evil, then the sky which was being covered by the clouds and the dark shadows should have disappeared. But he still couldn¡¯t see the light. The sky was still dark. The dark barrier that had formed around the tower seemed to be working fine even now. Rather, it looked like it was even stronger. The curses that kept attacking Airn mocked his vision. Moreover, his nose was still picking up on the disgusting stench. He couldn¡¯t help it. Two devils, bothrger than the other demon he had defeated a while ago were looking down at him and walking towards him. And at their feet, there were over 50 demons. They didn¡¯t seem to be rushing towards Airn, but each of them possessed a strength that was simr to the Hammer Devil and Octopus Devil he had faced before. ¡®¡­ how can this be? Even with the power of the Clown, this shouldn¡¯t be possible¡­ perhaps, it is the power of the existence which confronted I.¡¯ Despair began to sneak into Airn¡¯s heart. But he immediately stopped it. In this situation, he relied on his anger to help him. Even if it was going to burn him down, it would help him shine in front of this darkness. From among the devils who were watching this, an unpleasant sound came. p, p, p. ¡°Woah, amazing. Really amazing. I admit it. I made make a mistake. We shouldn¡¯t have given you time. It has been a while since I saw you, so I forgot it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And apart from that, you got incredibly strong didn¡¯t you? I was constantly watching you on the magic screens during the Warrior¡¯s Festival, and I prepared all of this, but it seems like you are much stronger than that time. How can this be?¡± Yprene Slick, with a smile on his face, stepped ahead, boasting his new body. This was only a small distance between where they stood ring at each other despite being exhausted. But Airn didn¡¯t move. He wasn¡¯t giving up. He knew it. He knew the fact that the body Yprene was using to talk to him right now was not a real one. As if it read his thoughts, the demon continued to speak. ¡°Anyway, I made a mistake. But there is something else I had forgotten too. It is unreasonable to go head-on-head against you. It is stupid to go alone against you as well. You are someone who goes beyond the expectations, so it is always possible for things to change in your favor again. Which is why I have to do my best.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°That is why I prepared all this. The devils of this world... I have collected all of them. Just for you. In order to not disappoint Young Lord Airn Pareira, who will be one of the heroes responsible for the future of the continent.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Oh, you can¡¯t think of an answer? Or are you gathering your energy to strike me? That crazy one strike? Do you want to show off your power which will wipe out all the people in here?¡± ¡°But that is impossible¡± ¡°Right. It cannot be done.¡± The two devils reacted to Yprene¡¯s words. Boasting huge bodies, one of them was red and the other was blue. Their colors, red and blue... they were very simr to Judith and Bratt. Of course, the atmosphere that the two devils gave out waspletely different from his friends. The one on left just had blood and organs on it figure while the one on right looked like disease and poison. Both of the devils looked terrible. It was like a collection of the most horrible things in the world. It was the same even the demons below Yprene Slick. They were all made up of evil. But apart from their appearance, they didn¡¯t feel dangerous and ferocious like devils normally did. They were weird enemies who couldn¡¯t bepared to the normal demons... it was as if they were of a higher level. To them, the old magicians said. ¡°Thank you, great people. Thanks to you I was able to carry out the orders of the King.¡± ¡°There is nothing to be thankful for. The Demon King¡¯s longing is no different from ours.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to say much, but this is better than not doing anything.¡± ¡°Right. The fall of I Crescentia is the best way to turn the human world into Devildom.¡± ¡°Aside from that, it is also exciting to taste the blood and fear of a young hero.¡± Fwoop The giant on the left took a deep breath. And a few demons along with Yprene stumbled. Yprene managed to bnce himself, but three weak demons were sucked into the mouth of the devil. Ahhhhh¡­. And the sound vanished immediately afterwards. But nobody cared. In the darkness that descended on the Eastern part of the continent, Airn tightly shut his eyes. ¡®¡­what should I do¡­¡¯ He had to think of a way to break through the current crisis and find I. But it was tough. The seething rage helped to keep him away from the darkness of the demons, but it wasn¡¯t helping him think rationally. No, maybe such a thing was useless in the current situation. It might have been better to swing his sword without another thought. He exhaled and extended the sword which was in his hand. Intense eyes. The energy of his greatsword was much stronger than that. His power burned again, despite him using it a lot previously. Some of the demons coughed at it. Although they were enemies, they showed respect to Airn for standing up. But not a single one feared him. The heat was so intense that it should have melted them the moment it touched them. But the demons present there were the darkest beings on the continent. Evenpared to the devils of 400 years and 1,000 years ago, these ones could be called real devils. And it wasn¡¯t just that. Godara¡¯s malice The Clown¡¯s mask. And the Demon King¡¯s hope. It was impossible to deal with these demons. These demonic creatures had be incredibly strong because of such advantages, and no matter how much he was considered as the future of the continent on par with I, it was not possible. Even if he was dragged to the Demon King now, he wouldn¡¯t have had the power to fight the devils off. But he didn¡¯t give up. He didn¡¯t sit down. He kept holding his sword and manifested his Aura. The scene wasparable to the me on a candle wick in a night sky, and the devils allughed as they saw his futile attempts. Even those who acknowledged Airn couldn¡¯t help but get bored at this sight. The blue and red devils looked down and nodded. There was no reason to watch anymore however. One of them was about to trample the young hero with its feet... Ching! ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­.¡± In the darkness of Godara, a portal opened. Shimmering golden waves. All the devils¡¯ eyes were focused there. Depending on who came out, it was something they had to be wary about. The one who appeared there, gave out an old fashioned and sacred feeling as if he had popped out of a sculpture in a temple which was a hundred years old. And that wasn''t all. The devil mumbled with an unwavering re. ¡°Julius Hul¡­¡± Julius Hul. Avilius, the Holy Kingdom, the strongest power on the continent and the eternal rival of the devils. And this man was the one who stood at the top of that ce. At the same time, he was one of the three strongest swordsmen on the continent and the devil was bewildered. ¡°This¡­¡± Wheing! Wheing! Wheeing! And that wasn¡¯t the end. Heroes kepting out of the portal. It wasn¡¯t the heroes who were considered the future of the continent, but rather, the heroes of the present. The people who were widely known for their swordsmanship and personality. Living legends began to appear and they kepting out of the portal. There were other strong swordsmen of the continent, and even Joshua Lindsay was there too. Along with him, the most elite swordsmanship teachers of Lation stood there. The southern swordsmen, who were criticized for being selfish were now standing there for the protection of the world and the swordsmen of the east who were also present were not speaking down on them. Jia Runtel, the Queen of magicians, and Karakum along with the orc warriors under him were all there. And in the eyes of Jia Runtel appeared the sorry sight of Yprene Slick who immediately went stiff. Wheing! Whing! And more human powers continued to pour out. The members of the young generation who were sure to shine in theing times. Ilya Lindsay, Bratt Lloyd and Judith. Jet Frost and the other Sword Masters who were inspired by the Warrior¡¯s Festival. The Holy Knights including Quincy Myers and the highest priests of Avilius were there too. And finally. Wheeeing! Shhh! ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Huhu. We are here. There is no need to be scared anymore.¡± The headmaster of Krono, who was famous for being the best in swordsmanship in the whole continent had appeared. The expressions of the devils distorted at this sight, and the two great huge devils showed signs of shock. Shh Shhhh And two swordsmen disappeared immediately and appeared in the sky the next moment. To be precise they were aiming for the red and blue devils. Woong! Jingggg! Ian. And Julius Hul. The strongest swords of the Continent,parable to the heroes of legend, splendidly brought on the start of the Great War. Chapter 343 - Sword Of The Continent (3) Chapter 343 - Sword Of The Continent (3) Shh Shhh ¡®What!¡¯ ¡®They vanished¡­!¡¯ Ian and Julius Hul, the two swordsmen who were known to be the best on the continent, moved. Their speed was as fast as lightning. Most of the devils had missed their movements and it was the same with the Masters gathered there. However, the enemies covering the sky were different. ¡®We need to deal with them.¡¯ ¡®We need to be prepared.¡¯ From the moment the humans appeared, their eyes were solely focused on them alone. The Blue Devil focused on Ian and the Red Devil on Julius Hul. The Devils who tacitly came to an understanding of their opponents stretched out their hands. Wong! The spell which waspleted was half a beat faster than the leap of the swordsmen shot out. 13yers of shields were formed to weaken the attack of their opponents and caused fear and confusion. A disgusting aura emanated from the eyes of the Devils that had no whites. Julius Hul didn¡¯t stop. Without hesitation, he swung his holy sword strongly. Aaahhh! Wheing! ¡°¡­?¡± The Red Devil fell to its knees after being hit in the left cheek by the sword. It couldn¡¯t understand how he had been struck. It was an iprehensible power. The protective shields that had been prepared since the portal had appeared, were broken in session. The Devils felt a tremendous force and lost bnce. ¡°The pdins of Avilius aren''t afraid of anything.¡± ¡°¡­ die!¡± The red giant swung its right hand at the old man who stood with his head held high. Tat. The White Knights Commander avoided the attack with a short dy and narrowed his eyes. Immediately after he followed through with subsequent attacks. As if a whole garden was flying, he fired off a menacing Aura punch. Kwang! The opponent¡¯s hand bounced off the devil¡¯s body but resulted in its upper body being out of bnce. Pung! Of course, Julius Hul also bounced back like a stone thrown into a river, but he stopped immediately, and reset his stance by using Aura on his foot. ¡°The Pdin of Avilius is strong.¡± ¡°Uh!¡± This time, the devil didn¡¯t waste any time and regained its stance and attacked. Wong! Woong! Woong! At an unstoppable speed, the ce was bursting with attacks being traded back and forth. And it wasn¡¯t just punches. Despite the seemingly gigantic and slow body the Devil had, it was able to put pressure on Julius Hul. However, it wasn¡¯t a problem for the old Knight. The body of the pdin shone intensely. Julius Hul, whose entire body and sword was dyed in white light, avoided the attack of the opponent very cleanly and struck the Devil. Even the blood curse that was attempted to be used on him, was broken with holy magic. ¡°The pdin of Avilius is swift.¡± ¡°The pdin of Avilius always shines in the darkness.¡± ¡°The pdin of Avilius doesn¡¯t back down.¡± ¡®Mortal bastard!¡¯ Whining, the red devil recovered his fist and tried to grab the opponent and smash them down. He wanted to catch the humans and smashed them into the ground. But it was a failure. The old knight skillfullynded on the palm of the devil and rushed to its face. The devil summoned its family. Ghouls and skeletons appeared from the skin and flesh of the devil. However, Julius Hul didn¡¯t stop. He kept walking up and used the Aura Sword to the best of his capabilities. ¡°The pdin of Avilius¡­.¡± Swish! ¡°... will not stop at this!¡± Papapapng! After a while, a half-moon shaped aura flew parallel to the devil¡¯s arm. It took down hundreds of the Red Devil¡¯s summons down in one blow. The furious knight running with his sword pulled down smashed the devil¡¯s head. Chang! Kwakwanwag! ¡°You fucking trash!¡± ¡°A pdin isn¡¯t trash. You are trash...¡± ¡°Die¡ª!¡± The Red Devil bounced back leaving a huge burrow on the floor and intertwined its palms to use it like a hammer. He hated this guy who kept calling himself ¡®The Pdin of Avilius¡¯ time and time again. Ching! ¡­kwakwakwang! But the devil¡¯s attack didn¡¯t reach the sword of Julius Hul. Its opponent¡¯s aura hit the devil in the face. Immediately after, there was an unbelievable spectacle of a Devil as high as a mountain falling from the sky! Julius Hul who watched it turned back and said. ¡°On behalf of the pdins of Avilius. I thank you for the help.¡± ¡°That is the line you are going with these days?¡± ¡°It is because that fallen bastard hates it. I think I will use it until the battle stops¡­¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± There was no further conversation. The Red Devil stood up with hateful eyes, and the Blue Devil was still chasing Ian with its sharp teeth. The killing intent from them was very clear, and the two humans looked at each other and nodded. ¡°Then¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s show them the end.¡± Pah! Pah! Just like at the start, the two took a huge leap and swung their swords. Whether it was by kicking, pushing or jumping, the other human forces were keeping their distance from the demon units so that they didn¡¯t overwhelm them. This was a mythical battle to the extent that even the terrain changed by each hit. As the two lifted off the great evil, the darkness around the tower faded. And with the holy magic of the priests, the dark streets began to light up. Of course, it wasn¡¯t still at a stage of reassurance. There were many devils left and they were powerful too. Receiving the attack from a Skull Devil, Jet Frost caught his breath. ¡°Heh¡­ hee¡­.¡± It wasn¡¯t easy. Even though he was working with another Sword Master he couldn¡¯t get the upper hand. The devil in front of him was powerful and terrifying. Kwang! ¡°You bastard, take this sword¡­!¡± Tung! ¡°You blocked it?¡± Crack. ¡°Ugh, the sword I got from Vulcanus¡­¡± ¡°Here! Take this!¡± Inashio Karahan, Devan Kennedy and many other people who had participated in the recent contest were also struggling with the devils. The devils had bodies which surpassed Masters, and they also had a special racial feature where they didn¡¯t have vital points. Everything about them differed from a human swordsman. It took them less than 10 minutes to fully understand why the devils made people lose hope. The Masters raised their voices saying that the world was small, and that they had to stay humble in front of these cursed creatures which were stronger than them. But there were those who didn¡¯t care. Crack. Kwang! Kwang! Kwang! ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­ as expected from the best orc warrior.¡± The power of Karakum could be seen in an instant as he crushed the heads of the devil! Quincy Myers, the formermander of the Red Knights was also roaming around taking the devils down! And the members of the 5 swordsman families were feasting on the devils and tearing them apart. Jet Frost managed to catch his breath and clenched his fists. Now, he was sure. This was their victory! Human victory¡­ Pung! Bang! ¡°¡­¡± But after a moment of happiness, his expression went stiff. He looked at Judith who was holding her red sword. Her eyes were more red than the sword as she was engulfed in mes. And it wasn¡¯t just her. Since they were still in the darkness, it couldn¡¯t be seen clearly, but he could feel a strong energy on par with her me far from here. It was the energy of the wind. Wind that was strong enough to induce fear into beings with darkness in their heart. The wind scattered and oppressed the surroundings. The existence standing between the two wasn''t normal either. Jet Frost thought as he looked at the waves devouring the devil. ¡®¡­ right. It isn¡¯t over.¡¯ He heard that I was missing. A demon that was powerful enough to capture her who was brighter and stronger than Airn had appeared. And not just that, they had taken the life of Khun, who was the fastest swordsman. In a short period of less than a few months, that demon was able to reap the life of one of the greatest hopes of te continent. ¡®Why isn¡¯t it showing up in this situation?¡¯ Did it admit to being weak and take a step back? Or was it developing new ns? Was that the reason why Khun¡¯s body was taken and I was captured? He didn¡¯t know. He couldn¡¯t. The fear of the unknown nted inside him gave him anxiety and reminded him of someone. Jet Front looked around. ¡°¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t find him. He couldn¡¯t feel him either. Judith was burning her surroundings, Ilya was ughtering Devils with her wind, and Bratt Lloud fought with a stiff expression as he drowned the Devils. Realizing that Airn who was here until a second ago had vanished, he tried to convey it to Jia Runtel. Since Julius was the top knight of the Holy Kingdom, she took the role of managing the group. ¡®Where are you?¡¯ ¡®I don¡¯t see you!¡¯ ¡®What do I do? Do I tell Quincy Myers?¡¯ In the midst of the anger and anger for his friend, the anxiety and fear within him grew thick. And the Devils never miss a chance to take advantage of the chaos. Since they were sensitive to such weak human emotions, they held their breath and they felt this. They savored the scent of blood and anxiety that the humans exuded. Those who were hiding in the shadows gathered their strength with the malice that was growing. But their wish didn¡¯te true. After a while. A huge force which couldpletely change the situation of Godara fell onto them. Dududududud! ¡°What!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°This¡­!¡± A wide and thick wall rose around the ce they were fighting. There was an illusion barrier around it, and it also had all kinds of movement spells. This wasn¡¯t aura, or a holy power, this wasn¡¯t the energy of darkness either. It was also different from the five spirits technique of the Orcs too. It was magic. Extremely close-knitted magic. Only a few people knew exactly what it was. The mysterious and powerful ability that allowed the Runel Kingdom to gain its name as the second powerful nation on the continent was revealed. ¡°You must know, Yprene Slick.¡± ¡°Uh, uh¡­.¡± ¡°How much power a magician can exert in an environment.¡± The demon trembled at the voice which resounded everywhere. Even though he was someone who had transcended the level of humans by entering theke of darkness, he still feared two things. The Lord, and Kayden Slick. Everyone nced at them, and the eyes of Yprene Slick that was confident until now, shrunk. It was because of the fear which had been imprinted on him since his childhood... something which couldn¡¯t be erased unless he was born again. And there was one existence which couldn¡¯t bepared to any fear¡­ Tch, ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The demon looked up. The devils also looked up. Far higher than the tall and soaring wall, there was a woman in the air with a robe around her. A magic circle. And magic tools. With the help of the high-ranking magicians and potions she created ample time to construct this. The Queen of Runtel Kingdom who met the required conditions ¡­ Looked at the magician and said. ¡°Dark magician.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Die.¡± With the harsh judgement, lightning fell upon Yprene Slick. Chapter 344: Sword Of The Continent (4)

    Chapter 344: Sword Of The Continent (4)

    Magicians were precious and good magicians were even more precious. Of course, good magicians were a rare breed but since most magicians who had reached a high position have stayed close to the Runtel Kingdom, witnessing real ¡®high ss¡¯ magic must have been difficult for normal people. So, most people didn¡¯t understand it. Magic was a mythical power. Unlike swordsmanship which required a strong body, magic was a skill which was difficult to understand. But that wasn¡¯t all. Yprene Slick, who had been in the world of magic all his life, thought that magic was the most transparent of all abilities. It was because of the so-called ¡®calction approach¡¯ that he had towards the subject. ¡®Sensing the mana spread around the world, collecting it into the core of the body, converting it into a desired form, then processing it into the desired form and then expressing it out in the world in an appropriate way.¡¯ urate and hassle-free calctions are required to do all of that. An error-free procedure along with careful inspection was needed. Simultaneously they could receive the help of the magic tools and magic circles along with calction forms which have been verified beforehand. It was just like substituting an already proven form. ¡®But, why¡­¡¯ Gulp Yprene Slick gulped. He saw the figure of Jia Runtel in the sky. He analyzed not only the visual information, but also the technique she would have used and the various conditions that supported it. And he, originally a genius, had epted the darkness and broke through the limit. With that power he could guess how strong the lightning of the Queen would be. It was impossible to follow, but he assumed that it was possible to calcte and predict. That was what he thought a while ago. ¡°Die. Dark magician.¡± It was a sentence so simple that it seemed like an order. The moment it was said, something iprehensible happened. An ability that transcended magic. Mana beyond understanding. An amplification of power whichpletely denied the world of magic that he had learned... something that seemed to destroymon sense and history! ¡®Sorcery? No. Magic? It¡¯s not that either.¡¯ ¡®Wait... Both of them together? Is that possible?¡¯ ¡®It cannot be. No, it cannot be.¡¯ ¡®Ancient texts and tools.¡¯ ¡®Intuition which transcended the realm of calction and understanding. A level that allowed you to reach ces which couldn¡¯t even be touched through magic alone in an instant.¡¯ ¡°Speech power! No¡­¡± ¡°Dragon¡¯snguage¡­¡± ----! Yprene Slick couldn¡¯t speak anymore. He couldn¡¯t run away, nor could he resist it. The lighting which fell across the sky struck him and annihted him. His body and the dark energy within him disappeared at the same time. It was as if he didn¡¯t exist in the first ce. Like that was natural order. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The devils couldn¡¯t even move as they saw that. The devils that were going against the Masters, felt strange and prepared to hide. There were those who were fearlessly focused on the magic. None of them could move. Silence. Stillness. Through it, Jia Runel¡¯s voice resounded out again. ¡°Disappear, darkness.¡± She calmly dered, as if it was amand which couldn¡¯t be disobeyed. And the lightning bolt, which was even more intense than the previous one, spread out in all directions, burning down the inside of the earth wall that had been previously created. Kwakwang! Kwakwang! Kwakwakwakwang! No one could escape. No matter how powerful and terrible the darkness was, no one could escape from this magic. A blue lightning which couldn¡¯t be prevented or avoided fell upon them, and one after another the devils were erased from existences. Even their ursed bodies. Their filthy malice. The curse from their deaths. Nothing was an exception. Avilius¡¯s high priest who saw it mumbled. ¡°We don¡¯t even need to purify it.¡± ¡°It really is¡­¡± Darin Horton, the high priest who had spoken first nodded at it. He couldn¡¯t understand how it had happened. But this was from the point of view of a priest. What Jia Runtel saw wasn¡¯t a simple force to defeat the devils. It was something more than that. As proof of that, the lighting destroyed not just the devils but purified the darkness as well. As if it wanted to send back the entire hell which spread out into the Human world back into Devildom, the mysterious magic continued to sweep through the slums of Godara. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± No one raised their swords anymore. The Magicians, healers and priests. The same held true for the sorcerers who had joined themte. Without taking any action they looked at Jia Runtel who was descending to the ground. All their eyes were looking for an exnation. But even Jia Runel couldn¡¯t anothing. Even she didn¡¯t fully understand it. ¡®What just happened?¡¯ She just couldn¡¯t forgive Yprene Slick. She just wanted to direct her anger at the demon who abandoned the pride of a magician. And such will was poured into the magic she had used. It happened unconsciously and was a mistake. She epted that it was a force that she couldn¡¯t understand, and regardless of it being good or bad, if she couldn¡¯t control it, it would have been a failure. ¡®But, it didn¡¯t stop.¡¯ Rather, it was the opposite. Expanding her intent to destroy Yprene Slick, she directed it to the darkness. She didn¡¯t even have the time to process the situation and just did it. With words, she transcended hundreds of steps and arrived at the answer. It was something like a transcended spell. ¡­ and then she remembered the existence she had met before. The ancient text she had read in Avilius must have caused this. To understand this better, she had to meet the ck cat. She had to meet and ask questions to get answers. The Queen of Runtel who had thought this far, turned her head and looked around. She was so exhausted that she could copse and sleep right away, but she had to look for the blonde young man. He was the key to reach Lulu. ¡°¡­ where is he?¡± ¡°Who are you talk¡­¡± ¡°Airn Pareira.¡± ¡°Ah!¡± ¡°Um.¡± ¡°Thinking back¡­¡± Those who realized it looked around. But they couldn¡¯t find him. He was nowhere to be found and Ilya¡¯s expression began to get worried. ¡°Let¡¯s search for him together.¡± Quincy Myers quickly gathered his thoughts and gave out orders. There was danger probably still lurking around. The clown, Carl Lindsay and the greater evil were still alive and yet to appear. It wasn''t a good idea to let people scatter in such a situation. ¡°¡­¡± In the middle of the battlefield where they still couldn¡¯t let go of the tension of the battle even though it was mostly over, Ilya Lindsay closed her eyes. The devil. The demon. All of it made her heart heavy. ¡®Airn.¡¯ But it was nothingpared to her feelings for Airn. And she whispered. ¡°Airn.¡± She clearly felt it after saying it out loud. Nothing else mattered to her, not even her brother. A wind ruffled her hair. When the heroes of the continent came from the portal and went against the devils, Airn Pareira left the ce and moved towards Godara. It wasn¡¯t known whether it was the signal from the sorcery greatsword, or the feeling of something foreboding he felt, or whether something else was happening. He just knew that he couldn¡¯t hesitate. If he didn¡¯t move, he was going to miss it. Forever. And so, the hero moved his exhausted body with the thought of getting closer to that ¡®something¡¯ and stood in front of a magnificent building. This ce couldn¡¯t bepared to the tower but it was splendid as well. And he could feel the disgusting stench. It was unlike anything he had encountered. ¡°¡­¡± Airn Pareira took a step ahead and went inside. He could see the banquet hall light up with colorful lights. Various kinds of food were prepared on the table. As he passed that, the kitchen appeared and the scene in the kitchen caught his eye. It was a sight that went beyondmon sense. If it was his normal self he would have stopped, but Airn didn¡¯t do that now. Going down the open basement, Airn fell into agony. ¡®You took the lives of others lightly in order to save those dear to you. You looked yet didn¡¯t act on the same standards as usual. Relying on your impatient selfishness topromise yourself for your goal, you backed off from your justice.¡¯ Yprene Slick wasn¡¯t wrong. Airn no longer hesitated to kill. He could no longer find himself as he struggled to solve a problem which didn¡¯t have an answer. Relying only on the mes, he was following the clown with a burning heart. He had thrown away all the good intentions which supported him and was fueled only by hatred and anger. It was because of that reason that he didn¡¯t stop despite the horrible scene in the kitchen, and the reason he ignored everything inside this ce. It wasn¡¯t bad. And he didn¡¯t think of it as a problem. At least, for now. By surrendering himself to the me, he was able to defeat that giant devil and arrive here without dy. Right. He wasn¡¯tte yet. Airn, who was constantly going down the steps, turned to the right. It was a ce with nothing but darkness. But he didn¡¯t miss it. Far away, a terrible hateful existence was looking at himself in front of a dimensional gate which was vibrating like it could disappear any moment. ¡°Clown!¡± Paah! Looking at the clown waving at him, Airn summoned his sword and manifested the aura and light. It wasn¡¯t golden but red. However, the force of it was much stronger than before. He was stronger than when he defeated the giant devil. Amidst so much exhaustion, it wasn¡¯t known from where he was able to bring in such strength. To be honest, even Airn didn¡¯t want to know. Tung! He stomped his feet hard. Whup! He swung his sword vigorously. Due to that, his bnce shifted forwards but he didn¡¯t care. The fact that his body was being dragged by the sword meant that his movement was wrong, but also meant that the power was tremendous. The light from his sword went for the evil. The gaze of the clown who was watching it lowered. It was the moment when he was about to put on a smile to show the hero that he was falling into darkness. Whup! ¡°Ugh¡­?¡± Airn Pareira, who was struck by an unexpected blow, was pushed back. In the meantime, the gate was narrowing, and now it had been reduced to a size where a human couldn¡¯t enter it. It wasn¡¯t the clown. It wasn¡¯t the demon which was next to it either, and it wasn¡¯t even someone with evil. I Crescentia. She said with a smile as the gate closed. ¡°Get stronger ande back.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I will wait. This is bearable, soe back slowly.¡± Shhh¡­ And that was it. The portal shrunk and then vanished slowly. In between, the sound of the clown¡¯sugh could be heard. It would have died if Airn wasn¡¯t pushed back. As he was now, Airn would have copsed the moment he entered the dimensional gate. In other words, I was protecting him. But he couldn¡¯t protect I. And this didn¡¯t give him faith. ¡°Airn!¡± ¡°Airn, are you here?¡± ¡°This ce¡­ phew, I don¡¯t think he is here.¡± ¡°But, um¡­¡± How long was it? Two lights came down tearing down the darkness. Ian and Julius Hul. After checking Airn¡¯s expression they didn¡¯t speak. They wanted to ask what happened here, but it didn¡¯t seem like he was in a good condition. At that moment, a question came from Airn¡¯s mouth. ¡°To be strong, what do I have to do?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°A lot more, a lot faster¡­ to get stronger. What should I do?¡± Ian was silent. Julius Hul was speechless too. He couldn¡¯t speak as he heard the gloomy voice that came from his young hero. ¡°¡­.¡± Airn didn¡¯t speak anymore. He closed his eyes and remembered what I said. Get strong. Before the sun sets in this darkness. Somehow, he had to break through his current limit. Chapter 345: Great Existence (1)

    Chapter 345: Great Existence (1)

    On a winter day with stinging wind, there was a fierce battle the world didn¡¯t know about. More than 50 powerful devils along with countless demons appeared. The city of Godara had also weed legendary heroes into itsnds. Would hell unfold in such a ce? After the battle, the appearances of the city was revealed, and the ce looked so terrifying and dirty that ordinary humans wouldn¡¯t have a choice but to puke. ¡°Now I understand why the devils were so strong here. The whole city¡­ is like the realm of the devils. No, wait¡­ it would be more urate to say that the Devildom had manifested itself into the human world.¡± ¡°Right. Since we fought so much in a ce so simr to Devildom¡­ it is a miracle that it ended with just this much damage.¡± ¡°Right.¡± The Chief High Priest, Ashrin spoke and the Holy King nodded. Several high priests and several sword masters had been wounded, and many people even lost their lives. The orcs and the members of the Runtel Kingdom had taken damage as welll. But it was a miracle that they were able topletely sweep away the roots of evil from this city. It wouldn¡¯t have been possible with the power of Avilius alone. Recalling the heroes of the other nations who had given their lives here, the Holy King offered his prayers. ¡°May the heroes who gave their lives to save the world find rest in God¡¯s arms¡­¡± All the priests present there bowed their heads. They couldn¡¯t celebrate the sacrifice of those heroes. All of them wished that the dead would find peace with a united heart. Because this wasn¡¯t the end. Knowing that an even greater threat was going to show itself, the Holy King went silent. ¡®The advent of the Demon King.¡¯ Demon King. It wasn¡¯t a term which was used to represent the being with the strongest darkness. But rather, it referred to the individual with the will, charisma and ability to take control of the devils and demons. It was for this reason that the clown that had lived for so long couldn¡¯t be called a Demon King. In terms of strength alone, he could fulfill the qualifications , but his character didn¡¯t have the dignity of a King. Among the devils in history, the closest to the Demon King was the Demon Dragon King, who led his subordinates andid siege to the entire Western continent. And. The only other one was this demon that had now appeared for the first time after 400 years. The existence that took away the body of Khun. The creature that kidnapped the continent¡¯s future, I. None of this was for personal pleasure. And with what happened in Godara, the Holy King was able to understand the Demon King¡¯s intentions. The demonization of the human realm. Their goal was to create another hell. ¡°¡­ any solutions?¡± ¡°Right now, we don¡¯t have any.¡± Julius Hul answered the question. It was as he said. The reason Godara had been tainted so much by the devils was because this ce gave power to them. But their real purpose was to create a rift in the dimensions. Unbearable chaos that was urring throughout the continent had destabilized the human world. It was very difficult to follow the Demon King who was creating gaps in dimensions. ¡°Of course, it won¡¯t be easy for the Demon King to enter the human world again¡­¡± ¡°It might not be easy, but he will surelye back. That is what history tells us.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Besides when theye back, they will be in a much stronger state than now.¡± Julius Hul didn¡¯t deny it. The words of the King were right. Through the Warrior¡¯s Festival, everyone came to know of I Crescentia and the message she wanted to deliver. The ck Knight wasn¡¯t just a single Master. She was truly a symbol of stability and hope for the continent. And that would make people hope for more. But as a result of that, when the expectations were not met, despair would begin to bloom. He thought of the Demon King who made and executed this n. During the 160 years of peace, if he had to write down when the human world was in risk the most, it would be now. ¡­it won¡¯t be easy. The moment when I¡¯s heart breaks. That would be the beginning of hell. ¡®I am sorry, but you need to hold on.¡¯ This was the only message the White Knights Commander could give to his disciple. There was visible sadness on his face. ¡°It doesn¡¯t mean that there is no way at all.¡± Quincy Myers, who had been silent till then, spoke. And everyone looked at him. In the current situation where nothing but despair could be felt, is there something that could help them? It piqued everyone¡¯s interest; however, their expressions were all cold like Julius Hul. It was because the words which came from the Red Knightmander were absurd. ¡°Anya Marta, Georg Phoebe, Ilya Lindsay, Judith, Bratt Lloyd and¡­ Airn Pareira.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If only they could grow strong¡­¡± ¡°¡­Enough. Don¡¯t.¡± The king cut off his words. He sighed as he touched his forehead. He could understand this. Problems rted to dimensions that even the Runtel Kingdom couldn¡¯t handle were urring. And that was the reason why they couldn¡¯t advance to the Demon King right away. They had no idea of knowing how long it would take for them to reach the Demon King who could potentially be hiding in any of the gaps of the dimensional gate between the human world and Devildom. It wasn¡¯t impossible, but it felt like it would be a waste of effort and time going after him now. However, there were those who werepletely free from such thoughts, the six people who had received the signal from I. For them, if they wanted, they could reach the Demon King¡¯s den right away. It was a strange thing that they couldn¡¯tprehend, but with the power of sorcery it made sense. In other words, if the young heroes could build enough strength and defeat the Demon King before they broke I¡¯s will, then¡­ ¡®It means that the current crisis can be resolvedpletely. But¡­¡¯ Holy King sighed. He couldn¡¯t understand it. Why did I entrust the future of the continent into the hands of such young heroes and not to the strongest of the continent? 10 years. 20 years. 30 years. She would have to endure this suffering maybe even longer. How could she decide that they had more potential to grow even beyond Julius Hul, Ian and Jia Runtel as they were now? Did she just rely on anyone during the crisis without a thought? He couldn¡¯t figure it out. But, it was clear¡­ ¡®I, in that other dimension is going to have a much tougher time.¡¯ The gambles she had made put her in a position where she had very low odds of her winning. And moreover, she was in an unknown world which even God didn¡¯t embrace, so for her to hold on to her sanity there¡­ And it wasn¡¯t easy for the young heroes to reach the level of Julius Hul in a few days. They were running out of time. They were strong, but not strong enough. No one spoke in the silence that was filled with anxiety and worry. And thus the season that was filled with hope, quickly turned into despair. Woong! Aftering back from his journey where hell had spread into the world, Airn devoted himself to training every single day. He was someone who normally worked hard even before but now he was swinging his sword as if he was broken on the inside. 1 He didn¡¯t eat nor sleep for ten days straight. He knew that it wasn¡¯t good, but he couldn¡¯t stop himself. He had to be strong. He had to get stronger quickly and advance into that dimension. He had to free Carl Lindsay, y the clown and defeat the Demon King. Only then could he save I and the continent. 2 ¡®I am bing too impatient.¡¯ With a sudden thought, Airn stopped everything he was doing and closed his eyes. Ian had told him this a while ago and he was right. The person he was now waspletely wrong. At the end of the Warrior¡¯s Festival, the five energies of the spirits created a bnce within him. The energies of fire, earth, iron, water and wood that constantly coexisted with each other took him to a higher state. But not anymore. The reason for that was clear. The me. His anger because of his inability to save I. His anger towards the devils that were hurting this world. Although he had set out to correct all of this, the fiery anger, hostility, jealousy and malice from the people he had met inted the me of Airn Pareira and he was losing control of it. Right. This wasn¡¯t just impatience; this was much more than that. The world looked too different to him. It was iparable to the bright days he had when he was supported by people. It was more painful than the dark days when he had confined himself to his room. And he couldn¡¯t help but admit. He was a flower in a well-kept garden. And he had only seen good things happen. But... there was no need to be ashamed of having grown as a tree in a warm environment. Airn opened his eyes. The world he saw through his eyes was red as blood, and all the trees in the world were also red... as if the fire was spreading more and more. He had to manage it. He had to calm down. But it was impossible. He constantly came up with rational solutions in his head, but in the end, it was his heart that controlled him. And now his heart was burning. There was no way out. Neither his teacher, his friends or his lover could stop this fire. Without a miracle, it would be impossible for Airn to ovee the Demon King in a short period of time. Tuk. ¡°¡­!¡± And. A miracle happened At the sudden sound, Airn turned his head and ran somewhere with a stiff face. It was a mouse. A glistening golden mouse that was smiling brightly like a human. Picking it up, he raised his head. ¡°¡­¡± A long line of light escaped from the mouse and pointed ahead. Looking at it, it felt like it was a line guiding him somewhere, and Airn trudged down the path. He moved towards the ce without a thought ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Sorry. Did you wait for too long?¡± As the person said, he had waited too long But he couldn¡¯t hate or me them. Because it was his old friend. Lulu, holding a colorful wand and had a much more livelier pose than before. ¡°The sorcery girl has arrived!¡±
  • I feel you Airn. I feel you. ??
  • Yes it says Carl Lindsay. ??
    • Chapter 346: Great Existence (2)

    Chapter 346: Great Existence (2)

    ¡°Lulu¡­¡± Airn had a nk expression at the appearance of his friend, who he was familiar with. However, somehow she seemed different than before. The ck battle sorcerer outfit, the horns on her head, and the bat-like wings on her back were telling him that the person in front of him now was Lulu. But it still felt different somehow. The moment he saw her, who had gone from a a girl to an adult, with a more mature figure than before, a ray of light shone in Airn¡¯s dark heart. ¡°Ah, Uh¡­¡± Airn stuttered. He wanted to tell her so many things. Why was she sote? What had she been up to until now? Why did her appearance change? Did something good happen to her? But that curiosity was ovee by an even greater joy and relief. With tears in his eyes, he approached and hugged Lulu. ¡®I missed you.¡¯ ¡®Thank god.¡¯ And the sorcerer, who was embraced by her friend, smiled brightly. ¡°I wanted to see you too. I mean it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You must have been through so much.¡± Lulu patted Airn on the back and Airn felt a bit embarrassed at this. She was definitely strange now. Like a sage, she would give advice to him which would stay with him for a long time and then she would turn into a naughty girl who would make him smile. But not now. Now, he only wanted to lean on her, and it was as if he was beingforted in his mother¡¯s arms. He wanted to always be in her arms. Just as he thought that, Lulu peeled away from the hug and put some space between them. Of course, it wasn¡¯t too much. The sorcerer looked at him and asked. ¡°Can you tell me all that happened while I wasn¡¯t here?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It is fine if you don¡¯t want to get into it immediately. We have plenty of time. So, think carefully and start when you feel alright.¡± At first nce, one might have thought that this was tofort him. But Airn felt weird. He felt something more just sharing his experiences. After a long time, he felt like it wasn¡¯t toote and felt that maybe he could solve the situation now. ¡°¡­¡± No. It was no illusion. Airn looked into Lulu¡¯s eyes and stayed silent and then began to speak while stuttering. He talked about his journey with participating in the Warrior¡¯s Festival and the realization from the contest and the bad things which happened after that. He talked about everything he saw, felt and heard. ¡°Ugh. I see. You had a tough time.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You aren¡¯t weird. You¡¯re no weak or stupid either. A lot of bad things kept happening to you at once, but I believe that as always Airn will be able to shake it off. I believe that you will be able to grow into a much better figure.¡± Lulu¡¯s voice which he heard was warm and eased his heart and mind. It felt good. But Airn couldn¡¯t feel happy. How can you know that? He wanted to ask how she could trust him so much? A man who only grew up with love and encouragement had copsed when he only had his feet dipped in darkness for a while. He didn¡¯t ask about it. He didn¡¯t want an answer like ¡®I just know¡¯. Airn was just hoping for some form of confirmation. Even after hearing the same words offort hundred, and even thousands of time, he was still longing for another answer. And Lulu who looked at him, swung her staff. Pah! Light shone. The light was so bright that even Airn couldn¡¯t handle it and as he closed his eyes, his anxiety grew. What if Lulu disappears again? What if after seeing his pathetic face and his foolish words and actions, she decided to leave him? Of course, that wouldn¡¯t happen. Airn quickly opened his eyes as soon as the light went out and sighed in relief. She was still there. Lulu who changed into her ck cat form floated up and said. ¡°I am a ck cat.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And a ck cat is a sign of good luck.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Remember what you said? You would believe that more strongly than those who think ck cats are a symbol of bad luck and then do your best to change it. To change a ck cat into a symbol that brings in greater luck, you told me to think of it like that.¡± The ck cat flew and went for Airn¡¯s chest and Airn embraced it. The supposed sign of good luck which enjoyed the touch, said. ¡°After the ups and downs that Airn went through and the pain you went through, I will support you even more now.¡± And he didn¡¯t doubt her. He couldn¡¯t. Even if he didn¡¯t believe in himself, he couldn¡¯t help but believe Lulu who trusted him. And in their long reunion, the two felt each other¡¯s warmth after a long time. That afternoon, the heroes of the continent gathered in one ce. The Holy King ,Julius Hul, Jia Runtel and her kingdom¡¯s forces and the Northern Orcs and the 5 major swordsman families and the Masters of Krono. A collection of people who were worthy of leading the continent. ¡°I am going to do sorcery!¡± The ck cat which gathered the people spoke proudly. Watching Lulu tap the ce with her little paws, people thought she was cute. Of course, a single question remained in their minds. Sorcery? No matter how absurd it was to understand, most people believed that it was the only thing which could cause miracles more miracles than holy power¡­ ¡°Isn''t that too vague?¡± ¡°Be more specific please.¡± ¡°So. What about the sorcery? Yah, the Demon King is dead! Are you going to make that wish?¡± Inashio Karahan spoke with a frown. Lately he tended to be irritated a lot. It was because he had seen the performance of the senior swordsmen in Godara. ¡®Not everyone are monsters like them.¡¯ He recalled Ian and Julius Hul who took down the huge devils and the 5 Lords of the swordsmanship families who sliced down devils that had been strong. Of course, it wasn¡¯t just them. He thought about Jia Runtel who was able to clear the devils and demons for them. It was a sight that was beyond words. Because of this, his confidence which was at the peak before participating in the Warrior¡¯s Festival had now fallen to the bottom. Still, the reason he raised his voice was because this situation felt meaningless. It was because this made no sense, and it was because he didn¡¯t like being gathered with everyone. A cat sorcerer? That too a ck cat which brings bad luck? He couldn¡¯t believe this. Superstition was one thing, but it was questionable if it could spread right in front of the King of the Holy Kingdom, the Queen of Runtel and the Orc warriors. But. ¡°I want to hear more.¡± ¡°Same here.¡± ¡°Continue.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The three of them spoke and Inashio didn¡¯t speak anymore. Jarrot who approached him said. ¡°Idiot.¡± ¡°¡­ Uh, aren¡¯t you too rude, senior?¡± ¡°Shh, quiet. That cat is speaking¡± Jarrot moved ahead and looked at Inashio with a frowning expression. Inashio didn¡¯t like this. But more than that, he expected something from this. Everyone whom he thought was great were all looking at this creature with great interest. And they all waited for the ck cat to speak. But there was something in the air. Feeling that, Inashio also gave up his pride and looked at Lulu and then their eyes met. ¡°¡­¡± And his expression changed. A little, he felt like he knew a little. He could feel something which he missed before, and his realization came as soon as he looked at the cat¡¯s eyes. It was something which couldn¡¯t be understood, but for a moment, he had the impression that he was looking at something more than a cat. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡± And it wasn¡¯t just him. The behavior of those who didn¡¯t like this, especially the magicians and priests who had their extreme prides, all changed when they looked into Lulu¡¯s eyes. It was all because of Lulu. There was no more ufortable attitude regarding the ck cat. And the cat suddenly took a stance which could intimidate everyone. ¡°¡­ that cat, is Lulu?¡± After hearing news, Skina Keaton of Ceaser Duchy asked her student. After thinking about it a bit, Kirill answered. ¡°Right. But there is something different.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± ¡°Yes. Its feelings for my brother are the same as before. So it is Lulu. Of course¡­¡± There were some things about Lulu she felt strange about. Hearing Kirill¡¯s words, Skina Keaton nodded. She didn¡¯t know much about Lulu so she couldn¡¯t say anything about it. Sorcery was nothing like swordsmanship which had a system built for it, so it was natural for one sorceror to not understand another¡¯s power. But the energy which wasing from Lulu¡¯s eyes was so unique that it was hard to even think of anything else. It was that powerful. And Jia Runtel felt the same way. ¡®I want to ask it right away.¡¯ Not just about the ne. She wanted to ask the cat everything regarding sorcery. It was strange, but she had so much faith in this cat. This cat looked so simr to the teacher who taught her when she was young... like it was someone to look up to. So, she didn¡¯t feel anything weird when she heard Lulu¡¯s next words. ¡°Through sorcery, we will create a space where people who have received a signal from I can practice.¡± ¡°The space provides everything they need to be strong, and everything the person wants is there in that space.¡± ¡°And it isn¡¯t about things and ces they want.¡± ¡°It will be everything. For example.¡± ¡°Even time. To some extent that will be possible.¡± ¡°¡­ so, there is no need to rush.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Judith who looked at Lulu felt startled. Because it felt like she was caught. Like it or not, she was going to break through the dimensional gap following the link which came from I. She didn¡¯t think about it anymore. If what Lulu said was true, she didn¡¯t have to do that. A ce where time, space and other limitations could be ovee. She couldn¡¯t think of a better ce to train. ¡°It is not possible.¡± ¡°No! There is no way that can happen!¡± Well, not everyone had a positive thought towards it. Several magicians and priests expressed their doubts. Even though they were suppressed by the intimidation from Lulu¡¯s eyes, they couldn¡¯t deny the truth. No matter how powerful sorcery was, no one in history had guaranteed to control the flow of time. There were instances where some distortion had urred, but what Lulu said was something which had been judged to be impossible. ¡°Right.¡± And Lulu slowly said. She didn¡¯t speak loudly. It was the amount of sound at which no one could even hear her voice. Still, seeing her mouth move everyone had turned silent. And looked at the ck cat. Paaah! * Dududud¡­. Light poured out. And something was growing. Everyone went wide eyed as they looked at Lulu transforming into somethingpletely different from a cat. The intensity of the light grew stronger and stronger and even Jia Runtel couldn¡¯t look at it and turned her head away. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± And the light dimmed. But it didn¡¯t disappear. There was a strange atmosphere because of the change in her body and Lulu was still shining. People looked dismayed. There was no mention of status, experience, age or ability. All of them, like kids, couldn¡¯t hide their true emotions. ¡°Dragon¡­¡¯ Said the Queen of Runtel. She couldn¡¯t even speak right as her mouth was shaking but the other people were mouthing the same thing. The dragon. The legendary being, Dragon. Those who believed Lulu¡¯s words and those who denied it also were looking at her from a different perspective. Everyone could tell that everything had changed now. But Lulu didn¡¯t care about any of that. The dragon nced at Airn Pareira and said. ¡°No, I am a ck cat.¡± Chapter 347: Great Existence (3)

    Chapter 347: Great Existence (3)

    ¡°I did feel something different each time I saw her¡­¡± ¡°Right. I just cannot get used to this.¡± ¡°Right. Isn¡¯t she something that is older than even the devils here? To be honest, she¡¯s closer to a God¡­¡± ¡°Shh, be quiet.¡¯ One of the Masters stopped the others from speaking any more. No matter how great the existence in front of them was, they were talking in front of the priests of Avilius andparing the creature in front of them with their God. ¡°Um, right. I will be careful.¡± The person who spoke, meekly admitted his mistake. But no one corrected it. Because even the priests were dumbfounded, and Jia Runtel who watching the entire situation unfold was also shocked. ¡®For magicians, a dragon is a being that isparable to a god¡­¡¯ She couldn¡¯t be sure since she had little knowledge about it, but it was a legend amongst people everywhere. There was a story that said that even the greatest magicians of all time could not even mildly beparable to dragons, so there was no need to exin what Lulu¡¯s current status was. Maybe that was why she showed herself. A dragon¡¯s words were heavier than that of a ck cat which can do sorcery. It was undoubtedly thanks to Lulu¡¯s presence that the heroes gathered here. ¡®A fusion of magic and sorcery, something that even I as a swordsman think is absurd.¡¯ A special training ground which can be created by controlling the flow time to prepare the young heroes to challenge the Demon King. And the necessary power for that woulde from magicians and sorcerers. This was what Lulu had told them. This wasn¡¯t something which couldn¡¯t be understood with just words, but with all the magicians and sorcerers on one side now, the priests were bound to face bacsh if they didn¡¯t join. Gathering the hearts and wills of many for a single purpose can produce miracles. It was no different from the power of God to grant grace through prayer. It was a major event which could shake the foundation of the Holy Kingdom, and there was a rumor that the Chief high priest Ashrin didn¡¯t want this to happen. ¡®Do what the ck cat wants.¡¯ But the Holy King had dismissed all theints. Since he wanted to avoid all problems that could potentially ur in such a serious situation, he used his authority to stop such things. Julius Hul and Quincy Myers also supported him on this and so the priests were no longer stubborn. The Holy King¡¯s directive to ¡®Help the ck cat¡¯ yed a huge role. A dragon was a legendary being that could transcend the level of a God. That was a far cry from the ¡®ck cat¡¯ that they thought they were supposed to help. If it was a dragon, then the story was different. So the little bacsh cleared up quickly and now a month had passed. And the current atmosphere and scenes in the grand hall of the royal pce felt mysterious and majestic even to the eyes of the passing Sword Masters. Wooong¡­ On one side, the best magicians including Jia Runtel, Kayden Slick and Ramon Korkoran were doing magic circles in the middle. Shhh¡­ Pop! * Kwakwang! ¡°Yah! You brat! Can¡¯t you get it right?¡± ¡°Eh? This can happen when using sorcery, why are you yelling at me?¡± ¡°Ugh, people like you create prejudices against sorcerers. Everyone! Quiet!¡± ¡°¡­¡± On the other side were sorcerers like Skina Keaton performing their role. At first nce it seemed like a task of nothing more than creating a sorcery training hall, but Lulu was encouraging them to do their best. ¡°The magic circles are fine and the casting spells are fine too. Even the sorcerers have their own ways. No matter how horrible the situation is, please use your talents to your heart¡¯s content.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter where it ising from.¡± ¡°The power to protect the world, your concern for I, your wish to support the heroes and the future of the continent¡­¡± ¡°Whatever it is, do it from the heart and all that will be epted and processed by this cat sorcerer, Lulu!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to want to be called a dragon even if it dies.¡± Looking at the dragon lying down in a cat-like form, Jarrot mumbled. Even if he understood other things, he didn¡¯t get why she insisted on calling herself a cat. This was something everyone questioned, but it was inevitable unless they knew the conversation between Airn and Lulu. And the eyes of the dragon which were closed moved towards the sound. ¡®Ugh!¡¯ Jarrot felt nervous. He was a shining figure in the Warrior¡¯s Festival, but he didn¡¯t dare to do that in front of this great being. He lowered his eyes and kicked the ground until he heard. ¡°Jarrot¡­¡± ¡°Uh? Ah, yes?¡± ¡°¡­and the other swordsmen gathered here! Come!¡± ¡®Wow, thank god I am not the only one being called.¡¯ Jarrot breathed a sigh of relief and walked to the dragon. So were the others. Who could say no to the dragon? Everyone gathered at the dragon¡¯s call with curious expressions, and then she continued. ¡°Manifest your aura.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay for you to not be very confident at the start, but do it with your heart. Use your heart and open up your powers. Like the magicians and sorcerers here!¡± ¡°What is¡­¡± Most of them were confused but not Georg Phoebe. Taking a breath, he quietly closed his eyes and used his Aura Sword. It wasn¡¯t for cutting something, but rather with a heart that longed to reunite with his captain. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡± But this time he wasn¡¯t only feeling the intense aura on the sword. He felt something more than that. Georg Phoebe¡¯s wish was transmitted through his sixth sense, no, with all his five senses. And the others too did the same thing. Woong! Jet Frost, who had be incredibly strong over the years, did the same thing for the future of his disciples. Woong! Julius Hul also manifested his aura as he prayed for the well-being of the continent. The others were the same. Jarrot was hoping for forgiveness from Judith. And Ian, like Jet Frost, was trying to support his disciples. Other than that, everyone was different but they all had a simr heart. And seeing that, Lulu closed her eyes, and the three energies which couldn¡¯t be mixed, surprisingly yielded and came together inside a mysterious circle. ¡°Ugh!¡± ¡°That¡­¡± ¡°Concentrate.¡± They all became shocked when they saw a sphere floating above the dragon, but Jia Runtel and Julius Hul calmed them down. Even the sorcerers were looking at it and talking, but it was fine. In that noisy time, Kirill recalled her conversation with Lulu. ¡®Thanks.¡¯ ¡®For?¡¯ ¡®For helping my brother.¡¯ ¡®What is there to thank for that? It is an obvious action.¡¯ ¡®If it were your current ability now, wouldn¡¯t it be possible to directly head there to the dimensional rift and defeat the Demon King? Still, you chose the long way¡­ I thought this was to help my brother¡­ isn¡¯t that why you are doing this?¡¯ ¡®No. I might look like God or something great to others, but I am the same as before. We shoild do well with our heart and mind, because if both of them are hurt, then nothing will work. And guiding Airn is the best thing I can do.¡¯ ¡®That is what I really appreciate.¡¯ ¡®Uh?¡¯ ¡®Because you have a heart bigger than anything when ites to him. It is weird¡­ to the extent where you want to perform miracles which would be called absurd even for a dragon.¡¯ ¡¯¡­¡¯ ¡®Are you¡­ going to make a sacrifice?¡¯ At Kirill¡¯s words, the ck cat didn¡¯t speak for a long time. But Kirill was sure. Superstition, pain, faith¡­ There were so many means to enhance sorcery. However, there was nothing as effective as sacrificing yourself. There was no other way to receive a more certain and clear payment. And she knew that better than anyone. Unlike before, Kirill really liked Lulu. Nevertheless, Kirill had greater affection for her brother¡­ and the silence that fell continued for a while. ¡®It is fine!¡¯ ¡­ after a brief pause, Lulu spoke in a cheerful voice. She said it was fine. It indicated that she understood Kirill¡¯s concern. Lulu even affirmed that it wasn¡¯t going to be a huge deal. She loved Airn and Kirill too. After they passed, Lulu would meet their children as well. And things would continue fine in the future too. It was a remark which was something she couldn¡¯t shake off despite making her feel relieved, but Kirill didn¡¯t ask further questions. Either then or now. ¡®¡­. I hope everything turns out well.¡¯ Consequently. She prayed for the well-being of her brother, Lulu and the continent with all her heart. Three days had passed in preparation for thepletion of the ritual. Finally the mysterious sphere was whole. The feeling one has when they see an insurmountable mountain. The miracle Lulu made conveyed the same sentiment. The heroes that had been gathered in the hall looked at it with different thoughts, and then they looked at the four young people. Ilya Lindsay Judith. Bratt Lloyd Airn Pareira. They weren¡¯t the strongest four now but there was no doubt that they would be the strongest in the future. Georg Phoebe and Anya Marta approached them. ¡°¡­ please.¡± ¡°Cheer up.¡± These two were also chosen by I, but they couldn¡¯t enter the sphere. Anya decided that it would be better to collect sorcery coins from the outside and Georg had no faith that he could further increase his power with the talent that he had. So, he decided to help maintain this sphere with his best effort and good intentions from the outside. ¡°¡­ We will do our best.¡± Airn spoke on behalf of the four. A few others, including Ian looked at him with worried eyes. Although his state had improved after meeting the dragon, the wounds on the heart of the young hero hadn¡¯t healed. ¡®Still, I heard that there would be an increased efficiency of almost ten times with the years there¡­¡¯ That must be enough time for the wound to heal and new flesh to grow. And that was why no one said encouraging words anymore. It was like a quiet farewell to those who had toe back here. ¡°¡­ then.¡± ¡°We will go.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°We will work hard.¡± Airn, Ilya, Judith and Bratt looked at all of them. They looked at each one of them and preserved the precious moments they had. Woong! Immediately a blue light shone from Airn¡¯s five spirits ne creating a path. Gorha¡¯s eyes widened at it. The five spirits, before the five elements, and the Universe. He knew roughly the ancient power forgotten by most spiritualists had a rtion with time and space but this was his first time actually seeing it. However, it didn¡¯tst long. The path to miracles had opened up in front of them. And on this not-so-smooth road, four young heroes entered a new world. Shhh¡­. The path of light disappeared, and so did the four of them. The sphere was the only thing left and it was suspended up in the room looking down on everyone else. People also looked up there for a long time. And after a while. ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ A space familiar to one and unfamiliar to three appeared. Chapter 353: Prepared For You (1)

    Chapter 353: Prepared For You (1)

    ¡°Very simr, I meant it.¡± Seeing the Demon Dragon King who appeared in the darkness, Lulu mumbled. Although she had pictures and books to refer to, this was the first time she actually saw it too. So, she was surprised. The great evil that was created by her sorcery was much closer to a dragon than the cat had thought it would be. Was it a pact with the devil? Just as some humans on the continent epted the darkness and turned into demons, did this one also follow a simr path? She was worried. And after thinking for a while, she looked at the appearance of the Demon Dragon King and engraved it into her head. ¡°¡­No.¡± The doubt she had was lifted. But an even more terrifying thought reced it. Lulu remembered the devils and demons, and the fact that those who resided in Devildom since birth had simrities with humans. Then she dismissed the thought and shook her head. Too much spection wasn¡¯t good. ¡®Well, it shouldn¡¯t be a problem¡¯ She could still feel the flow of energy. The sorcery sphere could unleash much greater power than she had expected, and even greater miracles could happen. Lulu, who held the hopes of many people in her shoulders, mumbled. ¡°Please.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Dion Lindsay spoke, and she nodded her head. The mental attack of the Demon Dragon King damned people into despair and drove them into a situation where it would ensure that they couldn¡¯t set their feet anywhere or rely on anyone. That was something way more terrifying than the will of a man. But it was fine. The ck cat opened the portal and conveyed he best wishes to her friend. Coveting a beautiful thing was amon human emotion. The soft skin of a child making a mother smile, and a young man who falls in love with a beautiful maiden. It was the same with the boy. As a child he felt his heart race whenever he saw the cherry lips of the girl next door, and so, he made them his. What set him apart from others was that he was only interested in collecting human body parts. Like when he cut off the nose of the young nobleman. He recalled the time when he cut out the wise eyes of an old man in the vige. As he continued collecting these parts, there was a bounty ced on the boy. Most of the mercenaries were poor and even knights were weak contrary to their titles. It was the same with the Experts and Masters who had arrived. They were all toote. A deep aura had been cultivated inside the now grown-up boy and his pockets never went empty. He was a collector. He was neither a devil nor a demon but the people around him feared him more than anyone else. Just like that, a monster-like being looked to the side. There were three swordsmen. One was covered with the skin of others. One had long arms reached their knees. Thest one looked ordinary, but their eyes were special, and it glistened in the color of fresh blood. All of them were strong enough to leave a mark in history, and they were all vicious viins. But¡­ ¡°Shall we start?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Not one of them was able toe ahead and talk to the young man who spoke with a rxed face. A few seconds passed. ¡°You won¡¯te?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Should I start then? It would be better to move first.¡± The silence continued. Everyone knew. They knew that this blue haired young man¡¯s words were true. However, they couldn¡¯t move. To win, you needed someone to lead the way forward. However, that person had been unconditionally destroyed right from the start. The collector who had thought about it frowned. This was a mysterious and convenient ce where youe back to life even if you died. There was no need to be afraid. But he was scared. He couldn¡¯t move. He held his breath and he could feel the growing anxiety in his chest. It was when the four wicked men were fiddling with their swords¡­ Bratt Lloyd who stood there moved. Step Step ¡°Shall I start with you?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± He walked towards them slowly. It was a leisurely movement as if he was out for an evening stroll. The long-armed monster went stiff as Bratt approached it little by little. He got closer. Closer and closer. Considering the long reach of the monster, it was something it could stop just by swinging its sword. However, its confidence was crushed, and it chose to defend instead of attacking, and instead of advancing it retreated. With the three of them standing still, only Bratt and the long armed monster moved from the centre of the hall. And after a while. Bratt, who was right under its nose, quickly stabbed his sword into the monster. ¡°Hap!¡± Kang! He had missed. Although the speed wasn¡¯t that fast, he was almost killed. The monster broke out into cold sweat. The attack it had made just now was to blow away its opponent¡¯s sword. But it was stopped. Bratt¡¯s sword drew a small circle in the air and aimed at his opponent again. The monster protected its face with its left hand. With his long sword and shield the monster responded to each attack. It was a strategy that enabled many people to secure victories. Just like this little boy who was in front of him right now, he had trampled over such people a hundred times. Crash ¡°¡­ Kuak!¡± But not now. The moment the sword struck the shield, it pierced right through and cut into his left hand and torso. But he wasn¡¯t satisfied. Bratt, who lifted his opponent, quickly turned his body. The three viins attacked him one beatter. Bratt moved towards the one leaning closest to him. ¡°¡­!¡± The collector stopped walking and took a defensive stance. He felt the force of the opponent who was rushing towards him with arms. It made his throat run dry. He was nervous and prepared for the moment they shed. Shh Pung! ¡°Kuak!¡± The collector¡¯s calctions were wrong. Half a beat before the direct collision, Bratt¡¯s sword moved. The bnce was disrupted by the aura flying everywhere, and immediately a huge impact hit the collector. The other two increased their speed as they saw him tangled up with Bratt and flew back. Wong! Swish! Pung! Bratt¡¯s form reversed. Without looking at the side he threw the collector towards, he shot the aura forward and smiled. They were not existences that would quietly sulk and stay behind because one of them had suffered from serious injuries. After a little dy they woulde back to attack. And then, it would be a 4 vs. 1. It wasn¡¯t easy to deal with them all at once despite being a Master, so it was smarter to first reduce their numbers and then deal with them. Tak! But he didn¡¯t. As Bratt snapped his fingers, the mysterious sorcery power descended on the collector¡¯s body and the long armed one. Seeing their bodies recover in an instant, they got up with shocked expressions. The other two looked at the blue haired man unable to understand his intentions. ¡°Should we go again?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± They would have a proper fight this time. Looking at their opponent who had arrogant and cheeky eyes, the viins felt ashamed. And their hearts began to beat in frustration. However, even if all four of them could fight together, they couldn¡¯t ovee the feeling of defeat that was engraved deep into their hearts now. And after 30 minutes. Bratt Lloyd, who had triumphed in a bloody way,y on the floor panting. ¡°Phew, it was tough¡­¡± It was hard. But it was worth it. If he was being honest, he felt regretful. He had defeated four opponents single handedly. Although it was overwhelming at first, even when it was one-on-one, now that he had defeated them all, Bratt was left unsatisfied. He wanted even more intense training, and he wanted a even greater growth. The enemies he had to face someday were really strong, but his desire to grow even stronger was because he was concerned about the condition of the other friends. ¡®I need to get my mind in sync with the training.¡¯ With Airn who lost his faith. With Ilya who had lost her brother. And Judith who had lost her teacher. He was the only one who was still sane, so it was his duty to carry the heavy burden this time. Bratt who thought that, stood up. A change was needed. A harsher training had to be done. It was the moment when he nodded and was about to speak out. Prorng! ¡°Customized service thates for you first!¡± ¡°¡­ can you read other people¡¯s thoughts?¡± ¡°It is possible at times but not now! But it isn¡¯t strange! I can understand the extent to which Bratt is feeling dissatisfied from the previous fight.¡± ¡°Um, right.¡± Bratt agreed with Lulu. In fact, he had a simr experience. When he defeated the collector who cut off his eyes and nose each time he would win, and when the 2v1 fight became rxed¡­ Both times, Lulu hade to him and said thatshe would increase the number. But that wasn¡¯t enough now. Even if a few people increased, it didn¡¯t seem like it would be of much help. To overwhelm someone. Someone who was strong enough to be a member of the vanguard in the war rather than a nameless nobody. He wanted a being as strong as Ian or Julius Hul. ¡°Yes, I think so too.¡± ¡°Then?¡± ¡°I will upgrade the training hall so we can bring someone more helpful to Bratt.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Bratt smiled seeing Lulu say that looking so confident. Just the words excited him. Anticipation ran through his body. An existence which he couldn¡¯t handle even if he had to give up his life. It was a refreshing answerpared to adding more people. And Lulu disappeared after nodding a couple times. Nung! A moment a great vibration ran through the hall. The energy could be felt. At the same time, he could realize this was nothing like before making his smile grow bigger. Who is it? The first school master of Krono, Jacob? Andres Caio, the pdin who founded the Holy Kingdom? Or Dion Lindsay? Countless people shed through his mind making his heart flutter. Enjoying it, he slowly moved. And he opened his eyes trying to confirm the identity of the person in front of him. But he couldn¡¯t help but make a strange expression. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Well, it is surprising. To see your perfect self in reality. It must not look like much, but the blessing you will receive from now will be huge.¡± ¡°Huh.¡± Bratt looked at himself in dismay. However, the feelings didn¡¯tst. ¡®This is right?¡¯ He was born with the dignity of a high ranking noble. And he was nevercent, and he was someone who had never done anything to besmirch his dignity and was a true noble through his efforts. There was no way the words of a being who looked exactly like him would be nonsense. No, it didn¡¯t matter anyway. That was how the world worked. Even if the same thing was said, the reaction changes depending on who said it. Bratt Lloyd nodded and said. ¡°Indeed, it is a blessing.¡± ¡°Right. As expected of me. epting it so quickly.¡± ¡°It is nothing. You are amazing too.¡± The two Bratt Lloyd¡¯s began to praise each other. Lulu who watched it mumbled. ¡°Truly a spectacle.¡± Chapter 354: Prepared For You (2)

    Chapter 354: Prepared For You (2)

    ¡°Hmmm, I slept well.¡± Bratt¡¯s room shortly after Lulu¡¯s surprise appearance. As usual, after waking up after three hours of sleep, Bratt got up from his bed. The residents of the sorcery world didn¡¯t actually have to sleep. It was because this wasn¡¯t a ce bound bymon sense and reality. It didn¡¯t make any sense to normally say that the time would flow slower than reality and that people from the past could be summoned here. Nevertheless, the reason he slept was because it helped him in his training. ¡®Sleep is important. Both physically and mentally.¡¯ It would have been different if the time allotted to Bratt had been a short number of days. If that were the case, he was ready to even give up eating so that he could swing the sword a bit more. However, at least 10 years of time was guaranteed to him, and quality rest was essential for him to seed. At least that was what Bratt thought, the concept of rxation in itself was included because of it. ¡®In that sense, Lulu¡¯s gift has been great.¡¯ He thought about it as he washed his face. At first, he was curious as to what the hell this was, but as a result of his clone joining, his training efficiency had greatly increased. And it wasn¡¯t just at swordsmanship. The clone helped with a lot of things. It was now possible to y chess together, and also discuss about things like food while having a meal. ¡°Are you up?¡± ¡°Yes. You were waiting for me?¡± ¡°It is a sin to have such nice alcohol alone.¡± ¡°Aged ones sure taste good¡­ I would have surely been upset if you drank first.¡± And when it came to a drinking buddy, there was no one like him. So, Bratt Lloyd and his alter ego had a good time with each other. The topic of conversation wasn¡¯t public. At first, it started with history and then to art, music andter changed to politics and economy. The two shared their thoughts on everything with alcohol in hands. He really enjoyed it. It was fun. Some would find it terrifying and even disgusting to spend time with their own self like this, but not Bratt. ¡®Which is why it is even sadder.¡¯ After taking thest sip, Bratt Lloyd thought about his clone. It was a shame that today was thest day. Because today was thest day before he entered a new level. It wasn¡¯t a brilliant realization like when he went up from Expert to Master but at the same time, it was something that was superior to it in many ways. It was to an extent where his other self felt insignificant. That said, the clown was no longer simr to him now. ¡®Bratt, I will give you a quest too. It is to defeat your clone who has equal skills, equal conditions and talent as you.¡¯ ¡®Break my clone?¡¯ * ¡®Yes. If you can do it, there will be a reward which you cannot believe.¡¯ * Snap! Recalling his conversation with Lulu, Bratt snapped his fingers. With that, the alcohol in the body disappeared. Mentally and physically, he was in perfect condition as he looked at his clone. The two looked at each other without a word. The two of them stood in the center of the training hall and slowly drew their swords. Wooong. Aura leaked out from the swords. ¡®Let¡¯s not hesitate.¡¯ Bratt made up his mind. The entire experience was veryfortable, and he enjoyed it as if he had got to spend time with his friends. But he couldn¡¯t let this sword go blunt. He had more precious people to protect. Woong! The power of aura rose. Bratt¡¯s aura rose in response to his will, and his senses turned sharper. His blue eyes shone. Aside from his confidence, he had also grasped a lot about his opponent. ¡°¡­¡± So, he was able to realize something much sooner. The fact that his clone also looked different from yesterday. Kwang! Explosive speed. His clone charged ahead, and it was intense enough to make a hole on the ground. But Bratt focused on something else. His thoughts were elerated by the tension and the realization which hadest night, and it made the time seem to flow slower. He clearly captured things he couldn¡¯t normally see. The Aura sword. At first nce, it looked simr, but his opponent¡¯s blue light beam seemed much morepressed than usual! He couldn¡¯t draw his sword. He couldn¡¯t pull it out. 1 Before long, his clone¡¯s sword pierced through his head. Puck! There was a shocking sight of a head bursting open like a watermelon. Bratt Lloyd scattered everywhere. His body which had lost its head copsed and soon turned to mist and water. Right. He didn¡¯t copse like meat. The clone turned around. And Bratt who was back to his normal form, said. ¡°¡­ youpressed the energy.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just that. The energy waspressed to the limit and then released at the moment of impact.¡± ¡°It is a bit moreplicated, but you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°Since when could you do it?¡± ¡°From yesterday. Since when could you do it?¡± ¡°This?¡± Bratt looked at the clone who asked the question and moved sideways. A doll simr to himself was there looking at the clone. There were many clumsy things when it came to the form, but the level of energy alone was hardly different from the body. ¡°Yeah, right.¡± ¡°I too managed to get it done yesterday.¡± ¡°Seriously. Such a sophisticated skill, such speed¡­¡± ¡°¡­ it is absurd for me too.¡± And Bratt shook his head. Even increasing the density of Aura wasn¡¯t surprising. A lot of people who dreamt of being a master had tried this and they too could do it to some extent. What was shocking was that the clone was a step ahead of him. ¡®It was like piercing a rock with a strong pressure.¡¯ The concept made sense to him. However, it was just theory and putting it into practice was different. Bratt respected his clone for that. ¡°Clone, you are so cool¡± ¡°Clone, you are tough too.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, may I ask about the aura?¡± ¡°Of course. I am your goal, and I am your helper too.¡± ¡°Good. I will let you know. So, let¡¯s try again.¡± The two nodded and sat down and spent time admiring each other¡¯s improvement. There was no question of how the two who were every simr had different paths of growth. Despite having the same personality, even if they were in the same environment, they epted and understood information in different ways. Considering something like the pping of a butterfly¡¯s wings could cause a typhoon, it wasn¡¯t surprising that there was a slight difference. 2 And that was what Bratt Lloyd had misunderstood. He was under the illusion that he and the clone would always be the same. The illusion that he could be above the clone and that taking it down wouldn¡¯t be so tough. And he had put in the subsequent effort. He had done his best living under that illusion. ¡­it had been two years since he figured out that something was wrong. ¡°Haa, haa¡­¡± ¡°Uh,, uh¡­¡± ¡°Again.¡± ¡®Again.¡¯ He hated it. He couldn¡¯t stand the frustration anymore on such days. It was inevitable because he thought that today he would have the upper hand. But it was a mistake, just like the first time. And the second and third and fourth realizations¡­ the clone was making greater strides than he was. And he was just¡­ himself. To the point where it was impossible to differentiate between superiority and inferiority. He didn¡¯t think he would lose, but he didn¡¯t think he would win either. Maybe because of the fear that the current staleness wouldst forever, Bratt realized how difficult the quest was. ¡®I have to go beyond myself.¡¯ That¡­ That was the task given to him. To transcend himself. It was a task which went beyond the possibilities given to him and it was only possible by breaking the limits that bound him. He finally realized that it was close to impossible to do it. So, he felt disappointed and sad. But it had to be done¡­To face the clown and the demon king. ¡®¡­ in order to stand proudly by the side of Airn and his friends.¡¯ ¡°So cruel¡± Bratt mumbled and the clone heard it. He understood it. But no words of constion were given. Because the clone knew that it would just make it more brutal. ¡°Would you like to have a drink?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Bratt looked at the clone and moved. The clone followed him. The two went to the break room and drank in silence. ¡®I need to ovee it.¡¯ Even if he got drunk, he kept worrying. How could he ovee himself? What could he do to surpass himself even after putting his best efforts into it? It wasn¡¯t an easy question, but Bratt didn¡¯t give up. He never, never gave up. ¡°¡­did I fall asleep?¡± Judith raised her heavy eyelids and mumbled softly. It was strange. Although it was a world of sorcery which didn¡¯t require them to sleep or rest, there were times where she had fell asleep unknowingly. What did she dream about? It was such a stupid question. There were neither demons nor darkness in front of her. She wasn¡¯t in the City of Godara anymore. She shook her head violently and freed the smell of blood on her with a snap. ¡®I don¡¯t have time for this.¡¯ For sleep¡­ Or for rest¡­ Even a moment¡¯s rest was a luxury to her. Everything that could be burned had to be burned now. She couldn¡¯t be sure if even the me which was raised by burning everything would reach her enemy. She was strong yet weak at the same time. But even so, she wanted to get her revenge. After thinking that, Judith shed her skin with her red sword to wake up from her sleep. ¡°¡­¡± But she didn¡¯t. After a long time, she felt the fresh air and the warm sunlight falling on her exhausted self. As a result, the unseen turned visible, and a forgotten scenery came to her mind. ¡°¡­¡± Judith stayed silent. With her mouth firmly closed she held onto the red sword which now seemed like her hand and walked towards the horizon. And the house in the middle. ¡°What? Where are youing from?¡± There¡­ ¡­was her teacher. No, she had a family. Someone she thought she would never see again. She thought it could never happen again. The existence she desperately wanted to see onest time¡­ She tried calling the man with grey hair with a trembling voice. ¡°¡­Khun¡± Judith didn¡¯t want to wake up from the dream this time.
  • That¡¯s what I said hehe ??
  • in reference to the Butterfly Effect ??
    • Chapter 348: Choice Of The Four (1)

    Chapter 348: Choice Of The Four (1)

    ¡°This is¡­¡± Ilya Lindsay mumbled as she checked the sorcery space. It was an ordinary house. It was a bit old, but there seemed to be nothing special in the house which weed her. ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Bratt Lloyd and Judith had simr reactions. They were told that they would be moving into the sphere, so what did this mean? But Airn was different. He still had a stiff expression on his face, but there was a feeling of longing. And seeing him like that, Ilya nodded her head. ¡°The things you told us before¡­ the ce you trained for 5 years¡­¡± ¡°¡­ yes. And the ce in my dreams too.¡± Snap. Airn snapped his fingers. And a delicious dish appeared on the empty table. Judith was a bit startled and Bratt shook his head after not seeing any alcohol. Airn looked at that and snapped his fingers a couple more times. And this time, their clothes changed. From fitness clothes to pajamas and back to the first one. And the rest of them looked at the entire scene curiously. It definitely felt like a sorcery sphere now. ¡®It is¡­.¡¯ ¡®It cannot be just this.¡¯ ¡®There must be something greater that we can do.¡¯ Bratt, Ilya and Judith thought together. It was surprising to see foode onto an empty table and clothes changing with a snap, but this wasn¡¯t important. They were here to grow stronger. In the case of Judith, she was anxious for the perfect moment so that she could move her body and train. ¡°This isn¡¯t the end, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± At Judith¡¯s question, Airn who was absorbed in his emotions stopped walking. And slowly, he opened the door of the house and walked out. The three of them followed him. A blue sky. An old wall. There was a spacious yard but there was nothing special about it. Overall, this made Judith frown at the ce which didn¡¯t meet their expectations, but with a loud cracking sound, someone appeared. Prong! ¡°Lulu, the cutest sorcerer on the continent has appeared!¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Lulu?¡± ¡°How are you here?¡± Ilya, Judith and Bratt were all started and then looked at Airn. He was also looking for an exnation since he didn¡¯t know why she was here. However, based on the expression on Lulu¡¯s face he could guess the answer. ¡°It isn¡¯t the real Lulu.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°It happened before too. You people appeared in the sorcery sphere to help me with my training, but it wasn¡¯t the real you. Maybe it is the same this time with Lulu too.¡± ¡°Right! I am here to help you to grow into great and powerful heroes.¡± Lulu put her front paws on her waist and puffed up her chest in a cute way. However, no one could enjoy it. And Airn just looked at the ck cat with aplicated expression. Airn had already experienced this once before, but neither Ilya nor Judith could ept it. Bratt on the other hand was fine, but he wasn¡¯t his peaceful self. ¡°Tch, okay. Wait a minute.¡± The ck cat didn¡¯t like it, but it didn¡¯t care. In any case, Lulu stood there to help the four of them, and she needed to do her best to make her friends grow. ¡°Yap!¡± With a strong cute voice, a sorcery staff came out. And Lulu grabbed it with her front paws and pointed to the air. And four portals opened. It was a rectangr door of blue, red, silver and gold. ¡°¡­Do we have to go in ording to our hair colors?¡± ¡°Yes! But you cannot just go in.¡± At Ilya¡¯s question, Lulu answered and looked all four of them in the eyes and continued. ¡°The space beyond this hasn¡¯t been fully created. It hasn¡¯t beenpleted not because you don¡¯t have the strength for it, but because your will hasn¡¯t been absorbed by it yet.¡± ¡°There can be no such thing as a training center that everyone likes a 100%.¡± ¡°But it is possible to create a space to an extent that is very close to their wishes.¡± ¡°If there is a training ce which suits you or if there is something that you have always dreamed of, think about it in your head and disy it in your heart. And then, you can move into the portal, thinking that you¡¯re stepping into that ideal ce.¡± ¡°Of course, there is no rush. If you think carefully¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ve decided.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°I said I¡¯m ready to go.¡± Bratt raised his hand and looked at the blue door. And Lulu stared at it. She saw his unshakable eyes, which were clear and deep like ake. The cat which looked into the heart of her friend nodded and said. ¡°Yes, Bratt looks ready to me.¡± ¡°Right. I am ready.¡± ¡°Good. Draw the image in your mind as if disying it onto a paper and go inside. The ideal training ground for Bratt will be present there.¡± Bratt nodded and took a step forward, The door which was in the sky descended to his feet as if to greet him. The blue-haired swordsman nced back and then swung his blue sword. ¡°I am leaving first.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Get strong, and let¡¯s meet again.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Judith, I don¡¯t know about the others, but shouldn¡¯t you say something to your lover¡­¡± ¡°Come back strong. If you don¡¯t meet my expectations¡­¡± ¡°You won¡¯t love me? Yes, I too love you. Judith.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Bye.¡± And that was it. Bratt Lloyd turned his head with a cool smile and disappeared. The portal which engulfed him disappeared like the sea with a woosh sound. ¡°¡­ I too, love you.¡± Thinking no one could hear her, Judith lowly mumbled under her breath. ¡°Again, don¡¯t feel pressured by this and think slowly.¡± Lulu looked at them with kind eyes. Swish! ¡°Uh!¡± Bratt Lloyd who appeared in a new ce sighed. He had umted a lot of experience for his young age, but it was difficult to get ustomed to a new ce which had suddenly changed after a couple steps. Of course, those feelings disappeared after a while. Seeing the ce from his memory in front of him, Bratt smiled like a child. ¡°It really is the swordsmanship school!¡± He wasn¡¯t talking about the one in Alcantra. He was referring to the ce where he used to talk and fight with his mates when he was just a prospective trainee. Was it because this was the ce where he had met the most precious people in his life? Bratt had often thought of going back to this time at least once. Even though he couldn¡¯t be with his friends now, just being in this ce of memories was nice. ¡®It is not as much as Judith, Ilya and Airn but¡­ but it is true that I was a little shaken.¡¯ Judith had lost her teacher. Ilya had lost her brother. And unlike Airn, who had to go through many ups and downs in the process of helping I, Bratt had faced little impact. Nevertheless, there was a lot of pressure on him because of the unstable future of the continent. For him, this ce which had helped him grow externally and internally, gave him some stability. ¡°Of course, that alone isn¡¯t enough.¡± Nodding, Bratt moved. Correct. The atmosphere was good, but he wanted a more perfect ce. His body, aura and spirit had developed beyondparison with his 13-year-old self¡­ in order to train it and break through his limits again, a suitable training environment was needed. But it wasn¡¯t a problem. Once the Warrior¡¯s Festival was over, he did enter a better training facility, but it wasn¡¯t like this sorcery sphere. It was for this reason that Bratt was able toe here again¡­ because the sorcery sphere had granted his wishes. ¡°Um, good.¡± The running course, which originally only had slopes and sand obstacles became much harsher. He was able to control the temperature and use all kinds of conditions he wanted to temper himself. ¡°Um! This, this is great!¡± The indoor training center was amazing too. He created a space where gravity could be controlled just like Jet Frost¡¯s facility. The physical training center was full of equipment which could train all kinds of body parts and he could increase the weight as much as he wished. There was a special ce to understand the attacks of others, sharpen his own reflexes and everything in between. From all kinds of curses of the devils to the mental training to tolerate them. There was nothing missing. In addition, the conviction that he could create additional space if he wished for it blossomed in his mind. ¡°Right, I guess that is important too.¡± Mumbling, he looked at the vacant space. And a building splendid enough to satisfy a noble like him rose and he entered with hope. And he had a happy face. There was afortable bed with better recovery magic than the high priests of Avilius. All kinds of music could be yed for him and the table in the room would create what he wanted to eat. And Bratt looked around as he nodded. ¡®I cannot keep running around. Rest is important too.¡¯ Such an environment could be toxic for some. If an ordinary person whocked willpower and waszy came here, he would waste 10 years to have afortable life than to train in that room. But Bratt was confident to not ck off in his training. He wasn¡¯t going to be swayed by the temptation to rest because of the fear of the future. He wasn¡¯t just the eldest son of the Lloyd family. ¡°Who am I?¡± A high-ranking noble of the Gerbera Kingdom, Bratt Lloyd. With a slightly burdened face, he had a smile. A faint smile. Like that, he proceeded to the corner of the house¡­. Swish! ¡°Hello, Bratt!¡± ¡°Um?¡± Suddenly Lulu popped up. ¡°What? Did you leave them ande here?¡± ¡°No. I am there as well.¡± ¡°Is that even possible?¡± ¡°Yes. And everyone has made up their minds. Now, Ilya is getting ready to go in too.¡± ¡°Well, so you can exist in multiple ces at the same time.¡± Bratt barely understood it. But it was foolish to question the master of this sorcery sphere on how this worked. ¡°Right Bratt is smart!¡± ¡°I was always like this.¡± ¡°And a cheapskate too!¡± ¡°That is debatable.¡± ¡°Anyway, it will take a while for thest ce to turn active. So, in the meantime, how about we talk?¡± ¡°Um, can we just not skip it?¡± ¡°Uh. It isn¡¯t that. We are looking for the best fit for Bratt¡¯s current situation!¡± At her words, Bratt nodded. The only ce missing from his training ground was the sparring room of Krono. No matter how he trained alone, there were limits one couldn¡¯t achieve alone. He thought so, and he wanted a ce where he couldpete with someone and grow. ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter if it is good or bad.¡¯ A great hero who made a name on the continent. Or a terrible killer which the nation had to hide. As long as they helped with his swordsmanship, he didn¡¯t care. ¡®I am curious as to who the first opponent will be¡­¡¯ It was something he could find out if he waited for a little while, but he wanted to know something else. He looked at Lulu and asked. ¡°Can you tell me where the other 3 went?¡± Chapter 349: Choice Of The Four (2)

    Chapter 349: Choice Of The Four (2)

    Judith was on the way back to her seat after her match during the Warrior¡¯s festival. In the past, she would have been filled with emptiness and depression, but Judith wasn¡¯t like that presently. Was it because of Bratt Lloyd who was by her side? Right. But more importantly than that, it was because she had a ¡®home¡¯ to return to. ¡®Right, that ce is now my home¡¯ Thinking of Khun who would be waiting for her return, Judith smiled. Of course, it wasn¡¯t like she didn¡¯t have a ce before this. The Krono Swordsmanship Academy. Compared to her childhood when she lived in dirty alleys, Krono was a ce full of her friends as well as helpful seniors and was like heaven. However, as she watched the people around her head back to their own homes during the breaks, she could feel something cold in her heart. ¡®What the hell are you thinking? Stop thinking such nonsense! Swing your sword more!¡¯ ¡®Ah, crazy!¡¯ But that ce held immense value to her. There was a loneliness in her heart that she could never shake off despite pretending to be strong, and that heart that had been shaken precariously would make anyone raise their eyes. But the old man with a broken personality allowed her to shake off that distraction with just one swear word¡­ because of that Judith thought of him as ¡®family¡¯. ¡°¡­¡± However, now she couldn¡¯t go back. A house that was destroyed could be built back. Even thepletely devastated fields could be brought back. Because she didn¡¯t care about all of that in the first ce. She was satisfied with any ce as long as the two of them could wield the sword there. But she was unable to do that anymore¡­ Judith was unable to return to Khun¡¯s residence. Instead, she stood here. Entering the slums of Godara, with a disgusting atmosphere, Judith drew her sword. Puck! sh! And widely swung it and cut apart one of the slum dwellers. Blood sshed. The de of the sword which was already red, was now even more red, and the smell of blood lingered in her hair. The people who were surrounding the area under the copsed tower instantly turned to blood and fell to the floor. Kuahahh Hehehehe Of course, that wasn¡¯t the end. The sky of Godara where the moon didn¡¯t rise was still dark with countless beings appearing. Among them, there were beingsparable to Masters and there were those that were even more terrifying than the lords of the five swordsman families. Even a high-ranking demon didn¡¯t blink its eyes against them and kept watching Judith. ¡°Phew.¡± It was time. Rather this was better. It didn¡¯t have to end. Even more darkness was needed to calm her burning heart. It wasn¡¯t known if her heart would give out after tearing this ce apart, but it seemed better this way. ¡®I will burn it all.¡¯ She didn¡¯t care anymore. Judith, who had a goal in her mind moved fast, and her sword was even faster. By her attack filled with rage, the demon¡¯s bodies disintegrated away. The Clown. The dark swordsman. And¡­ An even intense anger spread as she thought of the three creatures. It was so hot and painful that it burned not just the devil but herself too. But she didn¡¯t care. She held on. And kept killing. After a while, the training which was more desperate than before began again. ¡°¡­¡± Airn who checked the training space of his friends was troubled. Bratt¡¯s was rational but Judith¡¯s was dreadful and was drawn to the darkness. He, too, wanted to nurture the uncontroble anger in his heart. He wanted to create a me which would consume all the darkness. But he couldn¡¯t. Because he knew it wasn¡¯t a path which would suit him. ¡®The reason I picked up my sword.¡¯ ¡®The reason I was able to grow trees.¡¯ Airn, who remembered his origins, took a deep breath. After that, there was a moment of worry and conflict, but it was also decided soon. He nodded and told Lulu. ¡°I am ready.¡± ¡°Did you decide?¡± ¡°Yes. I will head in.¡± ¡°Great. Whatever your choice is, I will support you. Fighting!¡± Lulu went beyond her talents and encouraged him. Airn, showed a forced smile and turned his head and looked at his lover, Ilya. ¡°Then,ter.¡± She didn¡¯t answer. He entered the golden door with onest word and entered a new world. No, it wasn¡¯t a new one. Airn who had entered his imagery world mumbled. ¡°¡­ it¡¯s all red,¡± It really was that. As always, the steel sword was there. However, the mes which filled the world around him were different from before. There were mes everywhere his eyes could see, and it was even hard to breathe in the heat which was ripping open his skin. ¡°¡­¡± Walking through the world of his mind, Airn looked around a little more. The wide river that had once flowed and circted freely was now dried up and there were only small puddles. The vast expanse of thend had shrunk down considerably. The tree that had once grown tall, now looked miserable. He was appalled at what he saw. ¡°¡­ I need to put out the fire.¡± Airn, who was standing in front of the deepest puddle, soon scooped up water with the gourd in his hand. And began to scatter it to douse the fire. Shh Shh Shhh! But it didn¡¯t happen. He couldn¡¯t imagine how long it would take for him to manage the world inside his heart and restore the broken flow of the five energies and recreate the circle to how it was in the past. The good news was that he was less anxious and rushedpared to before. Phew Airn went back to the puddle again to get water. And¡­ ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hello?¡± Seeing the unexpected existence in front of him, he was puzzled. ¡°Ilya? How¡­¡± ¡°Why? Can I not be here?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Airn was silent for a moment. This wasn¡¯t impossible, Lulu did say that they could go wherever they wanted to. And if Ilya wished for this, there was no reason it wouldn¡¯t happen. But¡­ ¡°Are you fine?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Regarding the training. I came here to control my mind¡­ to find the broken flow and achieve coexistence of the five energies¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t this the right ce for me then? What do you mean?¡± Airn went silent and Ilya smiled. She approached her lover and kissed him lightly and said. ¡°Since I picked up the sword, do you know when I got stronger?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Airn, it was when I was with you.¡± If she hadn¡¯t met Airn at Krono¡­ If she hadn¡¯t met Airn in the Land of Proof¡­ If she hadn¡¯t gone out to journey with him¡­ if she hadn¡¯t realized her feelings for him¡­ ¡­ if she hadn¡¯t been able to hold his hand and walk together with him, she couldn¡¯t imagine where she would have been. And Ilya really thought that. ¡°I won¡¯t disturb you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Would it be more helpful that way? Mind training is important, but sparring is important too, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Airn, are you not going to talk?¡± ¡°¡­ no, wait.¡± Airn closed his eyes. And without a word for a long time, Ilya just stood there. Calmly, he looked at his lover with the same warm eyes as the first time. The fire around them subsided. And the water in the puddle rose. He was still surrounded by the mes, but the silver-haired swordswoman looked at the blonde swordsman with a soft gaze as if nothing had happened. As a drop of tear fell from his eyes, Airn said. ¡°¡­ thanks.¡± ¡°It was nothing.¡± Soon, both of them started training. ¡°¡­¡± The blue-haired swordsman, Bratt Lloyd, who confirmed his friends¡¯ choices, stayed silent. As if he had been nailed down and rooted in the ground. And Lulu had a puzzled expression at the man who turned stiff as a stone. ¡°¡­ why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°Uh? What?¡± ¡°That you can move to the training ce that someone else has chosen and practice together¡­. Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡± ¡°¡­ Um, uh, sorry?¡± Lulu said cautiously. But Bratt¡¯s angry expression didn¡¯t go away. ¡®I am angry!¡¯ ¡¯Angry And sad.¡¯ As much as Ilya loved Airn, and Airn loved Ilya, he too loved his lover. He wanted to be with Judith and wanted to wield his sword with her. Fighting terrible beings in the dark 24/7? Or to efficiently practice and rx and develop strength by throwing away their tension and worries? It didn¡¯t matter! For him, being forced to stay apart from Judith was more painful and ineffective. ¡°Send me there.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear? I said send me there. I too want to be with Judith!¡± ¡°Sorry, but it isn¡¯t possible now.¡± ¡°Damn it, of course not. If it was, I would have been there now.¡± ¡°Uh¡­¡± Lulu looked apolegetic. This was a sorcery space created by gathering the power of dragons and the hearts of the heroes of the continent. From all that power, there were four portals made. One more door couldn¡¯t be created now. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t have the power, but making such an arrangement now wasn¡¯t an easy thing to do. Lulu exined that and Bratt nodded with a sad expression. ¡°We can¡¯t help it then.¡± ¡°Thanks! Thank you for understanding!¡± ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for me here, it wouldn¡¯t have ended this easily.¡¯ ¡°Yes! Right! Bratt is the best!¡± The ck cat smiled and answered. It was a half-joke, but Lulu really thought Bratt was great. It was said that there was no direct damage, but in a situation where the continent was in crisis, it was certainly great to be able to have this time on hand. ¡®It is fine. The most mentally stable person here is Bratt.¡¯ But Bratt¡¯s anger didn¡¯t go away. He was angry and wanted to vent it out somewhere. To be precise, he wanted an opponent onto whom he could direct his rage. ¡®Did the sorcery ce read my mind?¡¯ From the inside of the indoor training hall, which was quiet till then, a thudding sound came. Stroking his chin Bratt stepped inside without hesitation. ¡°¡­ Not bad.¡± He pulled out his sword with a wide smile as he looked at the opponent. It had old clothes which didn¡¯t fit the current times, and there were scars on its faces, and many more things which were out of ce. Its cool eyes were observing everything. There was a leather patch on its waist that seemed to give out a disgusting smell. Lastly, the brutal energy from it made him sweat. Without turning his head, Bratt asked Lulu. ¡°It is better to have a bad guy than a good one. Now, rather than having a spar, I want to fight it out. But¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°Is this one the right person for me?¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°No matter how much I think, it looks to be two levels above¡­¡± It was before his words were finished. Woo A sword came at him before he could even blink. Terrified, Bratt titled his head and counterattacked. Pop! * Popopo! He dished out five consecutive stabs in his half-bnced state! The monster didn¡¯t back down. Shaking its upper body like a ghost, it quickly approached and grabbed Bratt by the neck. Grab! ¡°A noble?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I, am quite fond of nobles who smell sweet like¡­¡± Puck! Before the stinking mouth could continue, Bratt attacked again. After vigorously kicking its groin, he used the force to widen the distance between them and regained bnce to his form. ¡°¡­ it hurts.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°But it is fine. I like that too.¡± ¡°¡­ Lulu?¡± Sensing his anxiety, Lulu said ¡°This is a sorcery sphere where you can be resurrected no matter how injured you are. Which means¡­¡± ¡°¡­ what was it?¡± ¡°The more difficult it is, the more helpful it is for Bratt.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Sorry. See youter!¡± Prong! Lulu disappeared with a slightly sorry expression on her face and the two of them were left there. Seeing the pale-faced monster lick its lips, Bratt mumbled. ¡°¡­she¡¯lle back.¡± Immediately, the training began. Chapter 350: Sky Sword (1)

    Chapter 350: Sky Sword (1)

    Sky Sword 1 An individual who understands themselves is the best version of themselves. It couldn¡¯t be helped. No matter how close and friendly you were to other people, you cannot be as close to them as you are to yourself. You are the only one who can truly understand your thoughts, feelings and worries. It was for this reason that Lulu had given them their choice. If it is like that, then does it mean they don¡¯t need help? No. The ck cat, who was watching Airn, Ilya, and Bratt training thought. ¡®Well, it¡¯s the right time to intervene now.¡¯ Again, the person who best knows oneself is their own self. However, the more one sinks into their worries and thoughts, the narrower their field of vision bes and the less sounds you hear. They might even miss things that were clear even for a seven-year-old child, and Lulu¡¯s eyes were looking for such a situation. ¡®The power is enough¡­¡¯ Fortunately, she had saved her power just in case. And it wasn¡¯t just that. The four of those people including Kirill Pareira. Along with Georg, Anya, Kuvar and Lance Peterson, among the others¡­ the desires and aspirations and wishes of these people. They delivered a much greater power than she had expected. And Lulu¡¯s task was to process all of them in the most effective way. And¡­ to entrust this power and hope for a better future. ¡°Right, you did well.¡± ¡°You did enough.¡± ¡°Now you can leave it to us.¡± ¡°You only have to worry about holding that space.¡± ¡°Uh¡± The ck cat wagged its tail and looked at the four new arrivals. Their actions were reassuring and she was convinced that these people could lead her precious friends in the right direction¡­ towards a healthier and brighter direction. ¡°Then, who will be first?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it fine to just split up and find them?¡± ¡°No! This time I want to move on my own instead of others¡¯ words. Um¡­¡± Lulu looked at the people who were looking into the training space of the four. And she was someone moving forward firmly. There was a zealot engulfed in me. On the other hand, there were others drowning in heavy and deep water, and while others were restless. ¡°I think that one is the most urgent case.¡± ¡°Huhu, I agree.¡± ¡°¡­yes, same here.¡± The cat sorcerer nodded and swung her staff in the air. Pa! The portal opened. Looking at the three who were heading into one portal, another mumbled. ¡°Idiot, I want to see you soon.¡± What does one need to control the raging fire? Water. It would cool the heat and make the body calm down. It would ease the anger and nervousness in the mind and lessen their pain. If one could contemte and govern their mind, they could even kill the uncontroble mes that were rising higher than their body. This was, of course, if the water suppresses the fire in a heathy way. Cha. Shhh! Airn Pareira sprinkled water on top of the fire. He kept spraying water over and over again. In order topletely control the raging mes and extinguish them, he focused on the water without stopping. Ilya Lindsay looked at this with sad eyes. ¡®It is too much.¡¯ She didn¡¯t know much about the five spirits. Unlike Judith and Bratt, who had great affinities in fire and water, she only had one energy which she could control. But even she could tell that the Airn¡¯s current actions were in the wrong direction. Ilya called out her lover in a cautious voice. ¡°Airn.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Airn.¡± ¡°¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t reaching him. It couldn¡¯t be helped. The ce they were in was significantly different from the beginning. The fire had subsided, but the amount of water it had taken to put it out was too much. Ilya and Airn became the residents of this world and couldn¡¯t escape from this without handling itpletely. They couldn¡¯t even remember when the conversation stopped. ¡°Airn¡­¡¯ Even knowing that, Ilya didn¡¯t give up on calling her lover¡¯s name. She couldn¡¯t give up. Just as he didn¡¯t give up on her, she had to awaken Airn. And somehow help him walk in the right direction. ¡°Phew.¡± She took a deep breath. It was water and not air which wasing in and it made her heart ache, but she didn¡¯t stop. Without Airn, there was no her. It was the moment she was trying to call him again. Pach! ¡°Hello?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Lulu!¡± Ilya who saw Lulu who had her usual cheerful voice weed her and even Airn stopped what he was doing and turned back. Was it because of sorcery? Even in a world full of fire, Lulu¡¯s voice could be heard. But Ilya¡¯s voice still hadn¡¯t reached Airn. ¡°Must be tough.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°This happened before. When he met I, Ian and the clown¡­¡± ¡°¡­it is different from then.¡± ¡°No. I think it is the same.¡± ¡°Lulu? Lulu?¡± Lulu and Airn proceeded to talk, and Ilya didn¡¯t intervene. It was because Airn¡¯s voice couldn¡¯t be heard and her own couldn¡¯t reach him. Of course, with Lulu there it wouldn¡¯t be a problem but the ck cat didn¡¯t have any intention of doing it. ¡°I think it is the right way to put water on fire to control.¡± ¡°However, problems arise because the emotions aren¡¯t cleared up despite the effort.¡± ¡°Airn in the past continued to think about his sword in order toe to terms with all thepetition, impatience, and nervousness caused by I. This eventually led into bing an obsession. It was to bury¡­¡¯ ¡°All of a sudden, I was overwhelmed with deep and heavy emotions I couldn¡¯t handle.¡± ¡°Do you think the Airn from then and now are really any different?¡± ¡°¡­¡± After hearing Lulu¡¯s words, Airn didn¡¯t say anything. He couldn¡¯t object to it. In order to control his anger, he tried to calm himself. He tried to cool off and for this he reflected on his journey to Godara and thought about it over and over again. ¡­he looked around. The puddle of water from before had risen to eye level. At that moment he realized that he was engulfed in feelings of regret and sadness. Airn realized that had had kept making a mistake over and over again. ¡°¡­ I need to let it go.¡± ¡°Yes. You need to let it go.¡± ¡°What do I do?¡± ¡°There is a way.¡± Swish! Tsss¡­. Lulu swung her sorcery staff and a portal simr to the golden door opened. The ck cat opened her mouth looking at Airn who looked at her like he wanted an exnation. ¡°Airn must now enter the portal and fulfill a Quest.¡± ¡°Quest?¡± ¡°Yes. It is your job to protect everyone from the devils invading the territory.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Airn had a displeased expression. He couldn¡¯t help it. In the young hero¡¯s mind, the images of those men killing the boy for the money pouch, and the guards who moved only for the money rather than for the boy were still vivid. Considering the person he was now, he would never be able to go back to his past self. ¡°Airn¡¯s helper is inside the portal.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to go?¡± ¡°Right, I will go.¡± Airn answered with a troubled smile. It was impossible for him to feel as bright as he looked. But there was no need to fool Lulu. ¡®Protect thend and destroy the devil.¡¯ Airn, who remembered the contents of the quest looked at Ilya. ¡®I will be back.¡¯ The blond hero disappeared, leaving a silent goodbye by just mouthing out his words. Shh¡­ The portal disappeared. And the silver haired swordswoman who stared nkly at this, shouted in an angry voice. ¡°Lulu!¡± ¡°Yes Ilya.¡± ¡°Why did you do that?¡± ¡°Why did I do what?¡± ¡°Why did you ignore everything I said, and as if that wasn¡¯t enough, you separated Airn¡­ Ugh, no, let¡¯s not do this.¡± Ilya shook her head. Right. There was no need to talk about what had happened. It would just waste their time. She looked at Lulu and said. ¡°Send me to Airn.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Airn needs me. Just as Airn helped me, I will help him.¡± ¡°¡­ there is someone else who can help Airn.¡± ¡°Who is¡­¡± ¡°Ilya.¡± Ilya stopped talking when she heard Lulu¡¯s firm voice. It wasn¡¯t the voice that had stopped her though. The eyes of the cat seemed to have concern for her. and she was startled by this. Soon after, Lulu¡¯s voice resounded ¡°Ilya, it is important to be considerate of Airn, but to Lulu, Ilya also needs help.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It is obvious. You aren¡¯t as severe as Airn, but¡­ you need help.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And I brought in an assistant to help Ilya be stronger.¡± ¡°Ha, what no¡­¡± ¡°Nonsense, is it?¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Suddenly, an old voice was heard. Surprised, she turned around and in an instant the environment had changed. There was a vast and red colored drynd. And the blue sky that was high enough to embrace everything. And there was an old man looking at her. ¡®Who?¡¯ As Ilya narrowed her eyes, Lulu¡¯s voice could be heard from above. ¡°He¡¯s the one who will help Ilya.¡± ¡°¡­ he will help me?¡± ¡°Yes, an amazing person! Ah, there is something I haven¡¯t told you yet! I¡¯ll give you a quest too. Ask him and he will tell that to you.¡± ¡°Wait¡­¡± ¡°Bye! I am a little busy!¡± Prong! With thosest words, Lulu disappeared. Ilya had no choice but to stare at where the cat had vanished with sad eyes. ¡®I need help?¡¯ She couldn¡¯t understand. It wasn¡¯t like she was just talking to Airn. While trying to control the mes in her lover¡¯s heart, she was doing her best to develop her swordsmanship as well. It wasn¡¯t just hard work. She would brainstorm constantly, and she was convinced that she was on the right path to be several times stronger than she was now. With that thought in mind, the silver haired swordswoman turned to the old man and drew her sword. Pang! ¡°Hmm.¡± An intense wave broke out. The old man stroked his chin.as he felt a huge sphere of air centered around Ilya Lindsay and the bitter wind that was approaching him. It was a reaction which said he was shocked. At the same time, it was as if he was looking down on her. Ilya, who was already in a bad mood, opened her mouth while pointing the sword at her opponent. ¡°You! Draw the sword.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Prove that you are capable enough to help me¡­¡± Paaang! ¡°¡­!¡± Before Ilya could even finish, a strong wave burst from the old man and Ilya became shocked. The energy from the opponent was very strong. The aura on the opponent¡¯s sword was sharp. However, what surprised her the most was that the energy¡­ the pressure from this old man was very simr to her¡¯s. ¡°Huhuhu¡­. Beforepeting, shouldn¡¯t we exchange our names?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me?¡± ¡°¡­ the one who wants to know should say first.¡± ¡°Um, true. That is the polite way.¡± The old man nodded. And Ilya¡¯s expression hardened. She seemed to know who he was. Even in the midst of a typhoon which violently devastated the surrounding areas, his calm voice, his eyes, and his silver hair made her certain of her doubts. ¡°Dion Lindsay.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Look at this child who doesn¡¯t even know her ancestor.¡± She was right. Clench Ilya who was holding her sword, gripped it tighter. Chapter 351: Sky Sword (2)

    Chapter 351: Sky Sword (2)

    Dion Lindsay A true legendary figure. Among the numerous devils in history, there was one who was known to be the strongest¡­ the one called the ¡®Demon Dragon King¡¯. The creature, who¡¯s head this man had cut off by himself with no help. He was the reason why the Lindsay family was considered as the best swordsmanship family despite its rtively short history of 400 years. And now, that person was standing in front of her. With his silver hair fluttering¡­ like it was the symbol of her family. He gave off a familiar yet unfamiliar energy. But¡­ ¡°¡­really, are you the first Lord¡­?¡± Ilya Lindsay was skeptical. It was because Dion Lindsay¡¯s appearance was different from what she had thought. ¡®A little¡­ No, a lot.¡¯ 400 years ago magic wasn¡¯t as developed as it was now, so there were no magic pictures taken. However, since there were many famous painters, the face of Dion Lindsay had been splendidly captured and widely known to this day. However, this old man in her eyes, no matter how good he might be, looked mediocre. Despite his age, he had a dignified air, but that was all. She looked at him and said, ¡°So, Um¡­¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°The portraits left in the family, well a little¡­ I made them do it so I look a little handsome¡­ huhu¡­¡± ¡°¡­a little?¡± Ilya had a shocked expression. She wanted to ask if this man had any conscience. As a matter of fact, even though she hadn¡¯t said anything, those thoughts were conveyed through her eyes. But Dion Lindsay didn¡¯t feel discouraged. Rather, with his chest puffed up, he said. ¡°It couldn¡¯t be helped.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Did you know that even the same person looks different depending on the mood, emotional state and their achievements?¡± ¡°What are you suddenly¡­¡± ¡°Answer the question. Am I wrong?¡± ¡°¡­Yes¡­ but no.¡± Ilya nodded her head; Dion Lindsay was right. On the days when she felt she was in good shape, her reflection would looked better in the mirror, and on the other hand, there were times she looked like a mess if she thought otherwise. It was the same when she saw others as well. Bratt, who usually spoke nonsense looked like an idiot, but at the Warrior¡¯s festival he looked like a hero with a dignified appearance. As it was, there was a clear difference in appearance depending on the mood she had. But how was that relevant here? As if reading her thoughts, the old man continued. ¡°I am a hero.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°A great hero who appeared in the most difficult of times. A great hero.¡± ¡°Um, yes. But¡­¡± ¡°In other words, there needs to be a natural charm that a hero exudes. However¡­ unfortunately, there was no painter who couldpletely transfer that into a painting, at least not in my time.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°And this is it.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°It is as you said¡­ the reason I look a little more handsome in the portraits.¡± ¡°No, what are you even saying?¡± ¡°If the full charm of Dion Lindsay, the greatest hero of all time, couldn¡¯t be captured, it means that I had no choice but to make my appearance look a little more handsome to make up for the loss of it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t seem to understand, huhu¡­¡± It was a pity, if only I was a few years younger¡­ Seeing the old man mumble, Ilya shook her head. This was a mess. The respect she had for this man until now was crushed in an instant. However, that wasn¡¯t the only thing. ¡®¡­ obviously, the first Lord is right.¡¯ The momentum that spread just from him talking was unreal. The more she looked at him, the more his sword resembled her father¡¯s¡­ the more his aura embraced the wind. Dion Lindsay was right. She finally cleared her doubts and nodded. ¡°Ilya Lindsay greets her ancestor.¡± ¡°Huhu. Right. I greet you too. I am Dion Lindsay, one of the greatest heroes in history that was powerful enough to remove the darkness of the continent.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What is with your eyes? ¡°No. Nothing.¡± Ilya rubbed her eyes and spoke. ¡°So, what is the quest I have?¡¯ ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°Do I have to defeat the first Lord?¡± Whoop! Ilya Lindsay asked with a confident expression as the aura engulfed her body. It wouldn¡¯t be easy, but she didn¡¯t think it would be impossible ¡®I am strong.¡¯ What she told Lulu wasn¡¯t a bluff. She was stronger now. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean she could take it easy against Dion Lindsay. He was the creator of the Sky Sword after all She felt enlightenment¡­ it was something gained through a much richer and deeper conversation than the content that was conveyed through books. But. ¡®I cannot leave Airn alone.¡¯ This was more important to her. Ilya Lindsay nodded and said. ¡°I think that is right, let¡¯s get started right away then.¡± And she took a charging stance. There was no fear nor hesitation. Ilya Lindsay didn¡¯t waver, even when she came face to face with the man who was known to be one of the best in the history of the continent. For her lover. For Airn Pareira. She couldn¡¯t fall apart here. ¡®Quest¡­. Defeat Dion Lindsay.¡¯ If she achieved that, Lulu would no longer be able to separate her from Airn. Thinking that, the silver haired swordsman gained some confidence. It was that moment. The other silver haired swordsman took a leisurely pose. Shh ¡°¡­!¡± She didn¡¯t even know the wind wasing towards her until it touched her skin. Such was the skills of the first Lord. Even though it wasn¡¯t fast, he abused Ilya¡¯s gaps too easily during the match. Of course, she wasn¡¯t victorious. She grasped the situation even if it waste and swung her sword. Swish! A hundred times, a thousand times, a million times. It was an oblique cut which had the effort of numerous years melted into it. And it wasn¡¯t a result of mere effort. One of the best talents of the continent was doing it, and the history of her family only proved to raise the fame she had. The sword strike which gathered all of it, was sophisticated and powerful enough to elicit a sense of ecstasy beyond admiration. Kang! And it reached her opponent. However, it didn¡¯t work, and was intercepted right away. Ilya had a stiff expression as she looked at the opponent who seemed to be a lot stronger than she expected. Dion Lindsay smiled. He retrieved the sword and said. ¡°When do I get to see the skills of my descendant?¡± ¡°How¡­¡± Pung! Before she could speak, he stabbed his sword forward. Ilya quickly retreated as she saw the iing stab which seemed like it wanted to pierce through space itself. She frowned. A few strands of her hair were cut and flew in the wind in front of her. If she had been a little¡­ just a little slow, a brutal hole in her head would have been waiting for her. It was something which struck awe in the young hero¡¯s heart¡­ ¡®Was this the first time since the Warrior¡¯s Festival?¡¯ But it didn¡¯t happen. Rather it was the opposite. She had practiced for a long time. And had remained stressed for a long time. But now, she was feeling a sense of excitement and exhration after a long time! Along with that, came the responsibility that she could never lose and a little desire to win was also added. Because of all of this, her senses were activated to an unknown level. Atst, the talented girl of the Lindsay family found her original mindset. Pung! ¡°¡­ who!¡± A stab was fired at a speed which was as powerful as the previous attack. Maybe it might¡¯ve been even more powerful than that. Dion Lindsay admired it as he saw it. His eyes shone as he stepped back but Ilya didn¡¯t stop. Tung! The amount of auraing from her was enough to crack open the ground itself, and a powerful hit followed that. Then two more and then even more! The first Lord of the family also quickly swung his sword. If someone saw the force with which she swung the sword¡­ it was as if she was wearing the wind itself on her body. Bang! Whoop! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Dozens more strikes were carried out in the blink of an eye. But they were all defended against. It wasn¡¯t just a simple fight with just attacking and defending. The two would move in the most unpredictable directions¡­ left and right, backwards and forwards¡­ and thend around them was being terribly damaged. Gigantic boulders were being crushed because of their force. Apart from themselves, absolutely nothing around them could withstand the aura and the enormous force that wasing from their bodies. And a minute passed. It was very short time. But the number of shes they had exchanged was innumerable. Pat! Pat! As if they had discussed beforehand, both of them put distance between themselves. And then there was silence. Amidst the silence, Ilya stared at her opponent who was still rxed. ¡®¡­a lot easier for him than me.¡¯ That was very much true. She was sure that he didn¡¯t seem too different from when she first saw him. Although she was inferior regarding the aura she could produce, the situation shouldn¡¯t be that desperate considering she was superior physically because of her age. Yet¡­ ¡®I never should¡¯ve thought I could win over him easily.¡¯ Phew Ilya sighed. She couldn¡¯t beat her opponent straightforwardly. She had to use a more powerful technique. But she didn¡¯t like it. The inevitable gap that was between that that forced her to use her best ability. But she couldn¡¯t miss the chance. Knowing that, she didn¡¯t change her choice. Wong! Woong! Woong! Thest resort of Sky Sword. It resembled Joshua Lindsay¡¯s aura when he was trying to take down Airn Pareira. The technique that let them rule over the sky. But the momentum from Ilya¡¯s body right now was more terrifying than that. However, the momentary instability it had was clear to the eyes of the one who was higher than her. ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Dion Lindsay looked at her. He nodded as he waited. Despite the intense aura from the opponent¡¯s body and sword, and the vicious wind caused by it, he was rxed. Ilya Lindsay didn¡¯t like it, but she endured it and didn¡¯t stop. If she had to let go of her pride for a win, she would do it. And if she could solve the quest, she could return to Airn¡¯s side again. If only she could¡­ ¡®¡­ I can do anything.¡¯ Woong! A storm raged. It was a much bigger storm than Joshua Lindsay had summoned. It was like intense and huge windstorm which seemed to swallow everything around, and it was lifting Ilya Lindsay to the sky. She looked down. The first Lord. The old man still seemed rxed, and the young hero was fixated on breaking that attitude. After a while. A more powerful blow than anything from before unfolded from Ilya Lindsay. ¡ª¨C! The wind rose. A roar followed it. The woman¡¯s power was unstoppable. Everything in her path was being crushed way too easily. Nothing¡­ not even a single boulder could stand in front of it unscathed. But Dion Lindsay¡¯s sword was an exception. Woong! Wong! Woooong¡­. ¡°¡­¡± The wind stopped. The fierce wind which swept through the heavens and earth lost its strength and Ilya¡¯s charge to destroy her opponent lost its speed too. And then came silence. But it wasn¡¯tplete silence. The Lindsay family¡¯s child stared at the sword she had witnessed. Woong! It was a silver sword with a brilliant aura. But it wasn¡¯t in Dion Lindsay¡¯s hands. She saw an iprehensible spectacle of a sword emitting a sharp force while floating solidly without any extra support. Ilya Lindsay unable to contain her curiosity, asked ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°What what is?¡± ¡°How¡­ can the sword move without you holding it? And to block thest form of the Sky Sword¡­¡± ¡°Huhu, that wasn¡¯t thest one.¡± ¡°¡­ then?¡± ¡°What you are seeing now. Being able to wield the sword without using our hands.¡± Dion Lindsay nced at his sword. The sword that was brilliantly shining in silver moved in air with a graceful path. It was a scenepletely different from her sword. And this man looked more free than any swordsman she had ever seen. The old man¡¯s words resounded in her ears as she looked at the sword. ¡°This is the final stage of the Sky Sword.¡± Chapter 352: Sky Sword (3)

    Chapter 352: Sky Sword (3)

    Sword Master. The desire of all swordsmen. From a kid who yed the role of a swordsman in a countryside alley to a veteran mercenary who overcame life threatening situations. Even the nobles of powerful countries with enviable reputations would dream of bing a Sword Master. It was like clinging onto an unrequited love. Of course, there were other people as well. Existences who had already reached such unattainable heights. People who wanted to leave their mark on the entire continent with their talents which a single kingdom couldn¡¯t handle. Beyond that, there were other giants who wanted to make a mark on history. These so-called geniuses among geniuses dreamt of going beyond the levels of expert and master. To a realm that had never appeared even in history but was known to exist. In order to reach the ¡®Grand Master¡¯ level they continued to grind their bones even in extreme pain. ¡®¡­ Even me.¡¯ Ilya Lindsay thought. It wasn¡¯t just her. If the first wish of the Lindsay family was to surpass the name of the first Lord, the second wish was to be a Grand Master. Even now, although they were emitting the most brilliant light on the continent, it wasn¡¯t enough for them because of their desire to rise to that unique position This was the case with others as well, the beings who had reached simr heights were trying to ovee the great wall after master through their own ways. The pdins of Avilius sought enormous power through holy power and aura. Even a person like Khun would sacrifice the bnce within him to achieve mastery in just a single field. The orc warriors, and even Airn used the support of the five elements to unleash their own mysterious swordsmanship. And in the case of the Lindsay family, they intended to conceive a new power called ¡®wind¡¯ through aura and utilize its freedom to transcend the limit of the existing swordsmanship of the world. ¡®Land and gravity. The moment you arepletely free of such obstacles that bind a swordsman, and dominate the sky, the sword of the Lindsay family isplete.¡¯ In that way, the ultimate sword of the Sky Sword was born. The sword Ilya had seen before. It would raise the body with the power of strong winds and would let them fly in an infinitely free orbit while continuously attacking the opponent on the ground. The invincible swordsmanship that she thought no one could stand up against if it was disyed to its full potential¡­ Despite there being gaps in her learning¡­ ¡°¡­ the swordsmanship I showed isn¡¯t thest move of the Sky Sword?¡± ¡°Right. You will know it if you are seeing the truest move.¡± Wheik Dion Lindsay gently waved his hand for the descendant who was shocked. And his sword moved smoothly again. Judging from the senses she had as a Master, it was too slow. But Ilya couldn¡¯t smile. To transcend gravity. To transcend their own body. To be infinitely free. The sword of the first Lord which moved without being bound to the human body, made her very confused. ¡°¡­ please tell me.¡± ¡°Um? What?¡± ¡°That move.¡± Ilya Lindsay raised her sword and pointed at the opponent¡­ at the sword of the opponent. ¡°The true final stage of the Sky Sword. Please teach it to me.¡± ¡°Huhu, You were just biting down on your teeth and trying to win against me just now¡­¡± Dion Lindsay burst intoughter and looked around. Thend was a mess. Even if a hundred giants were set free, such destruction wouldn¡¯t have ured. Most of it was due to Ilya¡¯s Aura. After all, she did use the sword to cut him down in any way possible. In other words, his descendant was very brazen. And she continued. ¡°Aren¡¯t you here to help me?¡± ¡°Juhu.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t smile like that. Lulu was saying it. That you¡¯re someone who will help me. Someone who will help meplete the quest. If so, do your duties fast. For your descendants, for me who is living in the present and for the continent¡­¡± ¡®¡­ and for Airn,¡¯ ¡°Please, could you pass the true Sky Sword to me?¡± ¡°¡­ you are lying.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± Ilya Lindsay was a bit shocked as she heard that. She could admit that she was a bit cheeky, and she had no intention of denying that she had acted nothing less than a wild boar towards the first Lord who had deserved her utmost respect. But she didn¡¯t lie. However, Dion Lindsay didn¡¯t seem to change his thoughts. The old man said with a more stubborn expression than at the beginning. ¡°Aside from that, it is good. As you said, I will teach you the final form of the Sky Sword. To achieve that, shall we review the previous match?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°My beautiful descendant, what do you think is the biggest difference between you and me?¡± Ilya who was receiving his sharp gaze shook her head. It wasn¡¯t easy to give him an answer. The words she had said to him, the disastrous defeat she had suffered, and the skills of the first Lord which were beyond her imagination. Her mind was confused, and her thoughts didn¡¯t flow well. But they all subsided quickly. She struggled to seize the chance given to her by the first Lord. It was the best and fastest way to return to Airn¡¯s side. Fortunately, she could think of something. Space. It didn¡¯t simply refer to the sense of space between two swordsmen, but rather, the concept that only a few powerful people in the world could understand. Ilya, who had thought about it a little more, recalled the right word for it and said. ¡°Area.¡± ¡°Right. Huhuhu.¡± Dion Lindsay grinned widely at her answer and recalled his sword. p. His clothes fluttered as a strong wind blew. It wasn¡¯t just wind randomly moving around, it was deeper and broader than that. Ilya nodded, feeling the old man¡¯s energy seeping into the area she was in. ¡°Right. The wind¡­ it is the beginning and end of the Sky Sword. Spread it as wide as you can and put your will into it. Build your own world.¡± Hearing that, Ilya closed her eyes. The manifestation of aura wasn¡¯t just about making an aura sword. It didn¡¯t matter as long as she could release the aura outside her body, as long as it came from her. Bratt Lloyd did something simr to that in the Warrior¡¯s Festival. He scattered his aura like a mist to aid his movement. At the same time, he also interfered with the opponent¡¯s movement. ¡®Judith was the same. She would release those menacing mes to create fear in the opponent¡¯s heart.¡¯ After being pushed back by the first Lord now, she could understand it better. It was because this was a fight with the sorcery realm. The opponent¡¯s aura had spread more deeply and secretly than her¡¯s and it made her body heavy while it gave wings to Dion Lindsay. Ilya bit her lip. It was something she should have noticed right away, but she didn¡¯t. That only meant that the gap between the two wasrger than she had expected. But. ¡°Phew.¡± With one breath she let go of those feelings. And she put on a bright expression. Seeing that, Dion Lindsay looked at his descendant with the same face. ¡°You seem more rxed now?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°May I know the reason?¡± ¡°Now that I know the direction, I just need to work hard. Thank you for your teaching.¡± ¡°You speak as if you¡¯ve realized everything.¡± ¡°Are you worried?¡± ¡°Of course. Of course I am.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry. Putting you will into the sword and your aura¡­ I am used to it.¡± Ilya answered with a confident expression. It was true. She had mastered the Sword of the Heart through I¡¯s teachings. Through that had realized how to create an aura with her will and induce it into her swordsmanship. Of course, it was much more difficult to spread it over arge area whenpared to a narrow object like a sword. But this was a matter of effort and efficiency. In other words, it could be solved with time. ¡®Maybe, if it is difficult for me to make it as smooth as the first Lord¡¯s¡­¡¯ ¡®Would making the sword float in the air be fine?¡¯ Thinking that, Ilya took on the challenge. She concentrated on her mind and manifested her aura. After creating her own world with her will, she slowly released her hand. The sword flew into the air as if a fish had been released into water. Tuk. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°A-again.¡± Embarrassed, Ilya tried again. She had to manifest her will through her aura. She had to think of it with her heart. She had to fill the vast sky with her own color. Although it would be invisible to others, a silvery and splendid world of her own would unfold as if she could hold it in her eyes. Making her sword float wasn¡¯t problem. With a confident expression she released her hand around her sword. Tuk. And failed Once again silence came. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°This is embarrassing for me too. Should I say something?¡± ¡°¡­ what are you saying?¡± Ilya looked annoyed at him. At first, she didn¡¯t know, but now she could feel it. She could feel the energy of Dion Lindsay that was in her area. In order for her sword to fly, she had to create a stable world, so it was much harder to do if another aura was there obstructing her. However, the first Lord was a proud person. He opened his mouth with a serious expression. ¡°You are dumb.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°I said you are stupid.¡± ¡°How¡­¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t that important to make your own world sorge. If the world you create is swaying back and forth even with a slight stimulus, would it be called yours?¡± ¡°Then, the aura can be made more¡­¡± ¡°The aura isn¡¯t the problem her. The problem is your fundamentals. What do you think?¡± ¡°..¡± ¡°Are you unable to answer because you don¡¯t know? Or because you don¡¯t want to admit it?¡± ¡°¡­ are you hinting that my heart isn¡¯t strong?¡± ¡°I guess you know then.¡± ¡°No. The first Lord is mistaken.¡± She looked at him as if she was trying to say that her heart couldn¡¯t be weak. Right, it couldn¡¯t be. It wasn¡¯t like she was strong from the start. The bad rtionship she had with I and the disappearance of her brother. There were times she had wandered aimlessly. Times she felt lost and shaken and afraid of the world and the rumors that spread around in it. But not now. Her family Her teachers Her precious friends. And a person who had helped here out of that darkness. ¡®Airn Pareira¡¯ It was when she was about to speak with a confident voice after recalling her lover¡¯s name. ¡°You must not realize the problem.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Well, you are young. And must have been through a tough path once.¡± ¡°What are¡­¡± ¡°But in that state, it is unreasonable. Never do it. If you cannot build your own healthy and unshakable world, it will be impossible to defeat your quest opponent.¡± ¡°Uh? What are¡­¡± What was this man talking about? The one she had to deal with was someone other than herself. There was no need to listen to this man. But Ilya frowned. A harsh and fierce wind came from afar. And feeling the hair on her body stand, she looked up at the sky. ¡°¡­¡± She could feel it. It was her first time seeing it, but she could immediately recognize the identity of the opponent. With a huge body, it was an existence that induced fear onto the onlookers. No, it was even greater than despair. To the young hero who was nervous about the appearance of the Demon Dragon King, the old man gave advice. ¡°Think about it again. What shakes your heart.¡± At the same time. The ck cat Lulu looked at the great evil that was crafted by her sorcery. Chapter 355: The Dream (1)

    Chapter 355: The Dream (1)

    Pavar, where Judith spent her childhood, was a seaside town with a messy neighborhood infested with tough men. Every time she closed her eyes, she still remembered what she had felt then. The fishy smell brushing past her nose and the men waving their fist and the prostitutes fanning their faces with fans¡­ Of course, not all parts of the town were rough. Otherwise, there wouldn¡¯t be any street travelers. Judith who was a little kid, had always noticed and moved to ces she felt safe. Clean roads. People walking down the street with rxed expressions. The shopkeepers who treated people politely and the shiny cool things in the shop. Among them, the item she coveted the most was the cake. In the most famous bakery in the town, there was a cake decorated with whipped cream and fruits. It was well preserved in a shelf Of course, she couldn¡¯t eat it. She couldn¡¯t even look at it for a long time. For a beggar from a slum, just being on a clean street was a crime. Judith returned to her ce with regret and continued to beg. She continued to work harder than everyone. If she didn¡¯t do it so desperately, she wouldn¡¯t have any food to eat for the day, and if she didn¡¯t get any money, she couldn¡¯t even buy ck bread. Shh. Judith¡¯s hand moved. In front of her was an old man who had fallen asleep due to exhaustion. His pocket was secretly emptied. The girl who ran away sighed in relief and was able to safely obtain ck bread for the night. But it wasn¡¯t delicious. She wanted the cake that looked infinitely more delicious than what she was eating. Some day she would get it. She would really eat it. The child¡¯s heart was greedy, and a goal had formed. ¡®In a way, it wasn¡¯t from then.¡¯ Looking back at the past, Judith had a bitter smile. Right, she had a lot of things she wanted, a lot of things she couldn¡¯t eat. She wascking a lot of things and made that her desire. And that gave birth to the poison within her. She didn¡¯t want to lose. She didn¡¯t want to be left behind. She didn¡¯t want to go back to the slums again. Such a mind led Judith to Krono. And it led to her bing the 4th ranking trainee in the final test. She became an official trainee, which was difficult for even geniuses to do and reached the level of Expert. But it wasn¡¯t easy. Everything Judith wanted to achieve was achieved in the midst of thepetition. But she still wanted to overwhelm people and trample on others. It felt like death the moment she was not cared for¡­ or it was more of an intense stress to the point of death. It was only with that level of determination that she could barelyplete with the real geniuses. By burning others. No¡­ by burning herself. Just like that, she achieved something in the midst of the fire¡­ Wheik! Tuk! ¡°What is this?¡± ¡°Is this your first time having it?¡± ¡°No, why are you giving this to me so suddenly?¡± ¡°If someone gives it to you, it means you should eat it. So aren¡¯t you going to eat?¡± Now, she was giving something to others. ¡°Things are strange these days.¡± ¡°W-what are?¡± Khun, an old man with great muscles despite his age, opened his eyes and looked at his disciple. Although she was a bit taken aback, Judith tried to keep herposure as much as she could and focused on her training. Wong~ Woong! ¡°Lower the sword!¡± Woong Horizontal cut Sometimes she did stabs and other times they were smooth movements. It was graceful swordsmanship which was admirable. Even Khun, who was called one of three greatest swordsmen on the continent, admired it. However, it was a lie. This wasn¡¯t her skill. But Judith felt satisfied. The red-haired swordswoman who hid her power from her teacher said. ¡°How is it? Is this enough, is it worthwhile to go to the Warrior¡¯s Festival with this?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°Ah, this is bad! I am a lot stronger than before; can¡¯t you see!?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°Haa, you won¡¯t admit it! Do you hate praising your disciple so much?¡± ¡°Of course. I don¡¯t like it. A cheeky disciple like you shouldn¡¯t be praised often.¡± ¡°Ugh. I am so tired.¡± Shaking her head, Judith entered the house. Khun still thought Judith¡¯s behavior was strange but didn¡¯t think too much of it and swung his sword. The disciple watched the teacher through the window. ¡°I should never get caught.¡± She nodded with a firm expression. It wasn¡¯t known what had happened, but she found herself in a dream. And it wasn¡¯t just her, but her teacher, Khun was also here. She greeted him like nothing happened and he asked about the Warrior¡¯s festival. To be precise, he teased her about how it would feel toe back broken from there. And she liked that even more. It was nice to hear those irritating responses from him. A friend. A teacher And a family. She could have all this withoutpetition¡­ without trampling on others¡­ For Judith, this was the most precious thing. The moment she faced the existence who was like her teacher and grandfather whom she had thought she would never see again, Judith stopped thinking about getting out of the dream. And she lost her reason to go back to Godara. ¡®¡­ should I make simple pasta next time? No, it will be a little strange if I do it suddenly.¡¯ Judith¡¯s expression was distorted. It was an expression she never had before. Words and actions she never expressed. But she wanted to do it. Contrary to other desires, the advancement of rtionship with humans didn¡¯t needpetition. She felt happy but then she realized. ¡®No¡¯ It isn¡¯t toote. As long as he doesn¡¯t know it. If the other person didn¡¯t know that this was a dream. If only she could¡­ There was no need to suffer anymore. The ck cat appeared as Judith thought that. Pung! ¡°It¡¯s not a good thought.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I did tell you before, Judith. The guest given to you is ¡®getting out of your dream¡¯. Staying here won¡¯t change anything.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Are you listening, Judith?¡± Judith stood up without answering. She grabbed her sword and opened the door as she went out. Click. Lulu, who had suddenly been left alone, looked through the window at Judith. She looked happy fighting Khun. ¡°¡­ in the end, you will have to make the choice.¡± The ck cat who watched them for a longer time disappeared with a bitter look. She was worried, but not anxious. There was no need for her to intervene. ¡®Because there was a helper for that.¡¯ Lulu recalled the old man¡¯s appearance and returned to her seat and rested. She usually slept for more than two-thirds of the day but it wasn¡¯t because she was a cat. sh ¡°¡­¡± Lulu who returned to the form of a dragon, fell into a deep sleep. A month had passed. Khun was still training. He swung his sword day and night, and Judith looked at him with delight. ¡°Why are you looking at me like this?¡± ¡°Huh, why?¡± ¡°You are making a strange face.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not! My face is just on the weird side.¡± ¡°Are you in your right mind? You are calling your own face weird to not lose a fight?¡± ¡°No matter how weird it is, it can be better than teacher¡¯s.¡± ¡°Huh, when I was your age¡­¡± And the fight began. The grumbling teacher and disciple. It wasn¡¯t bad. This was what she had always wanted, and Judith was happy as she swung her sword and looked at Khun. Swish! Swish! The number of doubts decreased, and the number of swings increased even more. The dream was still sweet. A year had passed now. And Khun suddenly asked. ¡°Why isn¡¯t heing here?¡± ¡°¡­ Uh? Who?¡± ¡°Who? Your lover.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Judith, who was wielding the sword, stopped and then moved again. But it was not as natural as before. ¡°Well, he must be busy.¡± She wanted to change the topic. But she couldn¡¯t remember anything else, and her heart pounded. She remembered the fact that this ce wasn¡¯t real and that this was a dream, and it made her uneasy. She felt nervous and annoyed as she thought about it. ¡°Hmm, well. It has been more than three years since I met Keira.¡± ¡°Hahaha. It really has been a while.¡± ¡°Is that so? Should I go to her then?¡± ¡°No!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Uh, I¡­ I am stuck with my training, can you help me with this?¡± There was an unnatural change of topic coupled with a strange attitude. Khun stayed silent and watched his disciple¡­ ¡°¡­. Sure. Let¡¯s see it once.¡± Without any other question, he responded to her request. Of course, it wasn¡¯t smooth. Relentless words, actions, and battles followed! Judith sat down exhausted. ¡°Ah, I might die!¡± She wasn¡¯t tired. It wasn¡¯t like she didn¡¯t work her body but trying to act something out and hide her skills was more difficult. ¡°Weak bastard.¡± ¡°That isn¡¯t something you should say to your disciple.¡± Ridicule came out again. Judith had had fun despite being exhausted and another fight ensued shortly after. They fired harsh words at each other. But it was fine. Despite her temper on the outside, she was smiling inside. The dream still went on and it was still sweet. The year had passed. Unlike usual, when it was always noisy, today¡¯s mealtime was quiet. Only the sound of tableware could be heard and even that would went silent soon. Soon silence came. The teacher and disciple didn¡¯t talk. Fret. Unrest Worry. Feeling all sorts of bad emotions, Judith looked down. She couldn¡¯t make eye contact with her teacher. She didn¡¯t want to talk. At least not now. However, that wasn¡¯t possible. Khun who looked at his disciple, finally said. ¡°Now go back.¡± Judith¡¯s stomach churned. She knew that she would get caught some day. She knew in her head that she couldn¡¯t stay here forever. Someone who already passed had to be relieved of their burdens. That was what should be done. ¡­ but she couldn¡¯t do it. Wheik! Judith, who raised the energy of mes within her slowly raised her head. With zing eyes, she looked at Khun Looking at him facing her calmly, she said. ¡°I have something to say.¡± ¡°Yes, you do.¡± She nodded and got up as she grabbed the sword. She remembered the past. How had she always got what she wanted? ¡®¡­a fight.¡¯ The moment she should that. A huge energy surged from her red sword. Wheik! ¡°With a spar.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°We have to spar. If I defeat teacher I will stay here. Until I want to.¡± Listening to his disciple, the teacher looked up. The mes from Judith were touching the ceiling. It was roughpared to a Sword Master¡¯s aura. But it was more intense than an ordinary master¡¯s. Arguably, it didn¡¯t amount to much when it came to control, but in the eyes of Khun, it was worthy to be called an ¡®Aura Sword¡¯. Khun opened his mouth. ¡°Congrattions on bing a Sword Master.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s take this outside.¡± The teacher got up and went outside. The disciple followed him. After a while, the two aimed for each other. Tung! Tung! And the fight began. Chapter 356: The Dream (2)

    Chapter 356: The Dream (2)

    Before Lulu woke up from her long slumber and returned. This was why Judith at the time when the Warrior¡¯s Festival began didn¡¯t receive attention from the continent. It didn¡¯t mean that she was weak. However, since the most powerful people on the continent had gathered there, it was no ce for a 20-year-old kid. In fact, those who wanted to win it only aimed for I and didn¡¯t pay attention to the younger ones. Of course, it soon turned into a disaster for them. In the nerve-racking battle with the mercenary king, who was known to be a winning candidate, she didn¡¯t get pushed back. She hones her skills again despite being on the edge of being an expert. And she almost got a victory against the ck Knightsmander. The most surprising thing was that she showed all of this when she wasn¡¯t even a Master. Right. Judith was an expert. She was aiming to be the best in the continent, and she had to master the six staged aura operation concept. All her aspects were significantly inferiorpared to Sword Master. Still, the reason she showed such overwhelming force to herpetitors was because she had a spark in her heart which surpassed themon sense of swordsmanship. She had advantages that make up for her shorings. She had a strength that erased a weakness. For Judith, who was truly a savage and only cared about demonstrating more explosive and powerful swordsmanship, the title of Master wasn¡¯t important. The Aura Sword didn¡¯t matter. And now. A fierce me was engulfing her sword ahead of her fight with her teacher. ¡°¡­¡± Judith looked at the sword. This wasn¡¯t something she got because she wanted it. She was done with aiming for the fancy titles a long time ago. What she really wanted was to be strong, and the most effective way to do that was to focus on the me. Only that was important. Nevertheless, the fact that the aura sword was on Judith¡¯s sword was a bit of a shock. She could do things without being concerned. Even if she didn¡¯t make an effort, she could pull out an aura sword and use it naturally. The aura which was so dense that heat danced off the de of the sword. An expert who surpassed the Master. She had finally reached Master. Although it waster than others, the price she had to pay for it was iparably high. However, looking at her opponent, her heart was concerned. ¡®Can I win?¡¯ Gulp. Judith gulped. Khun. One of the top three swordsmen on the continent and fastest swordsman and just like her, he was someone who sought strength in a different way. Perhaps, the teacher had also suppressed the Master level while being an Expert. Nevertheless, he rose to Master level, and he was now one of the best in the continent. The disciple knew it better than anyone how great he was. Unlike her, her teacher didn¡¯t have a milestone. And it was a miracle. Spit! Judith spit on the floor. Stop worrying. Anxiety, worries and all other emotions were thrown into the mes within her. The sword¡¯s aura burned louder. Wheik! She felt energized. Wheik! The power within her exploded outwards. With the explosion, sheunched herself ahead. Khun didn¡¯t avoid it. The teacher could clearly see the agony in his disciple¡¯s eyes and ran ahead. Pung! sh! ¡°¡­!¡± Judith¡¯s sword flew through the air but didn¡¯t cut through anything. The me that seemed to engulf the world couldn¡¯t even burn the clothes of an old man. Shhh. On the other hand, the young one¡¯s clothes left clear traces of defeat. Sleekly cut sleeves dropped to the ground. Turning to the disciple, Khun said. ¡°Should we do more?¡± ¡°¡­ of course, we have to.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t that important¡­¡± Kwang! Before he could even finish speaking, Khun raised his fist as he saw Judith who appeared in front of him. The red-haired swordsman flew back 100 meters the next moment and crashed into a rock. A thick cloud of dust rose into the air with a roar. ¡°I expected it. You are more stubborn than me.¡± ¡°Kuak, kua¡­!¡± ¡°But don¡¯t forget. I am not a caring person. Moreover, this is a sorcery world. A mysterious space where I can be resurrected even after death.¡± Kkkking¡­! Khun¡¯s sword gradually turned transparent. It wasn¡¯t just the sword. Even his body was the same. Judith, who barely got up from her seat was shocked. It wasn¡¯t that he was bing weak. He had transcended the limits of his body. She instinctively felt this and realized that she could never defeat her teacher. Her body trembled in fear of the unknown. ¡°It is going to end with a few hits?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Then give up.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What is your answer?¡± Judith heard Khun¡¯s voice again. An ultimatum. It was thest warning from the man. He was telling her that if she wanted to go ahead with the duel, then he would do something terrible to his disciple. At this, her body trembled and her hair stood up¡­ Wheik And she raised her sword again. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Silence fell. In the stillness, their eyes met. And the teacher tried to read his disciples¡¯ thoughts. She wished to spend more time with him, even going as far as to embrace the fear of death. Kwang! But he wasn¡¯t a teacher who had a weak heart. Khun drew his sword and then he moved a step. Then, the opponent that looked like a dot in the distance magnified in an instant. He could even see her surprised expression. Either way, he swung his sword to cut the opponent in front of him. Shak! ¡°¡­ great. Whoever wins, let¡¯s see it till the end.¡± Khun, who made that decision, mumbled to himself. No, he wasn¡¯t talking to himself. But to Judith who had now resurrected. Embracing the bigger me, she was now radiating more heat. ¡°Of course, I will win.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°¡­ are there any parents who would ovee their children?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Khun stayed silent. And Judith didn¡¯t speak again. The two of them wouldn¡¯t mix, but no one raised a question about it. And silently, each holding the sword, swung it towards their family member. A lot of time had passed. This meant that Judith had suffered countless losses to Khun. It also meant that she had experienced several deaths. However, it wasn¡¯t because of that. The reason Judith didn¡¯t continue to fight her teacher wasn¡¯t because the skill gap couldn¡¯t be narrowed¡­ ¡°Now you realize.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What you want isn¡¯t always what you get.¡± ¡­ he was right. The sword that Judith lit in the sorcery sphere and in the dark city of Godara was a sword that trampled on others. At the same time, it was a sword which wounded her. However, what she wanted now was family and love. Tuk. Judith dropped her red sword and mumbled quietly. ¡°¡­ then, what do I do?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What do I do so that we can stay together?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say it cannot happen. You said it before. You told me not to sacrifice all my rtionships. You asked me to be greedy. You asked me to not put anything in just one hand and to hold on to all of them.¡± The cake she wanted to eat was snatched away by force. The nobles looked at her as if she was a worm. Everything else, almost everything in the world could be obtained by winning fights. But it couldn¡¯t work now. She didn¡¯t want to admit it. She cried. She frowned and cried. Looking at his disciple who was bbering weird things, her teacher sighed. ¡°Phew¡­ I lost.¡± ¡°¡­ Uh?¡± ¡°I said I lost. I cannot believe this. When did I ever say that? For the sake of the sword, I said don¡¯t forsake the rtionships you have, did I say something which makes you whine in front of someone who is dead? Ugh, fine. Let¡¯s do it your way. I didn¡¯t mean to do this¡­¡± Hearing Khun¡¯s voice gradually moving, Judith had an expression that said that she didn¡¯t understand. What her teacher said, it was running in her head. She came to realize the importance of rtionships again, but she understood that Khun didn¡¯t mean for her to hold on to the dead. She had to hold onto those in the real world¡­ Bratt, Airn and Ilya. ¡®Maybe that is why I was asked to get out of the dream.¡¯ ¡®But why did he say he suddenly lost?¡¯ ¡®Would he do as she wished?¡¯ ¡®Why?¡¯ Does sorcery bring the dead back to life? ¡°Follow me. Let¡¯s have a drink before leaving.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± With a confused expression still on her face, she followed her teacher. And the messynd behind her healed. Judith was exhausted and burned out. But then she gradually tried to calm herself down. And it had been so long since they did something unrted to swords. And had real conversations, rather than speak lies. Not all words which came from Khun¡¯s mouths were to her liking, but she couldn¡¯t choose what she wanted. ¡°As expected¡­¡± ¡°As expected?¡± ¡°No matter what happens, you cannot stay. Damn you have to stop it¡­ does it solve anything?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Am I right? Uh?¡± ¡°¡­ let¡¯s make it right then.¡± Khun sighed. Judith kept looking at him with a smile and lowered her head. Her eyes kept closing. She didn¡¯t like it. She wanted to drink more. She shook her head and shouted. ¡°Ah!¡± In that moment, thendscape changed. ¡°¡­¡± Judith looked around puzzled. It didn¡¯tst long. There were demons around them. And behind them. Even more powerful beings who were keeping eyes on her. The red-haired swordsman who woke up from the dream mumbled in a sad voice. ¡°I woke up.¡± But it wasn¡¯t like she couldn¡¯t handle. Judith, who had unraveled the emotions, carefully unraveled the realization she gained through the dream. ¡°¡­¡± Airn Pareira, who entered the new world through the new portal, slowly closed his eyes. Information through his mind. The map of the ce he had to protect was vividly felt but he couldn¡¯t sense the devil here. ¡®it doesn¡¯t matter how it is.¡¯ Airn opened his eyes and looked at two ces. One side was the pce, the centre of the estate and the other side was a small vige a little far from the pce. The hero chose thetter. ¡®For now, I don¡¯t want to run into people.¡¯ A ce with as few people as possible. He wished that there were no people there. that he would stay for the devil to appear. Thinking that, Airn moved and entered the vige. The quest had begun. A new person came into town. Chapter 357: To Return (1)

    Chapter 357: To Return (1)

    "Will that be fine?" "Um, it isn''t something huge, right?" "But it seems like that. How can a person not step outside at all? What about food?" "I see hime out early in the morning and at night." "Isn''t that more of a problem? The people who pass by say that there is a scary sound each time, it seems like¡­" "Scary sounds?" "It seems like the swinging of a sword. The kids must have misheard it." "Right. My kids were the same." "I have to tell them to not go, but¡­" "Um¡­" The vige chief frowned at the words of the vigers. The topic of discussion was a blonde young man, a stranger who had visited this ce a month back. Although he was polite, he had a dark expression on his face when he asked for a ce to stay. The vige chief lent him the house of an old man who had passed away a year ago for free. ''It''s a difficult world for everyone.'' These days, wars between kingdoms were endless. Disputes between the Lords of territories were also frequent and then came the devils taking advantage of the chaos to carry out evil deeds. Monsters were running rampant everywhere. To ask for remuneration from a traveller who was in such a state and seemed to have a sad story, especially if he was this young, didn''t seem right to the vige chief. ''I don''t know what kind of pain he has in his heart, but I hope he can shake it off and feel good soon.'' That was what the vige chief wished for. It was the kind of consideration that an old man who lived for long could give to a young man. However, this was his opinion alone. Others seemed to have different thoughts. One woman, who was expressing her concern, spoke again. "So, is there no way?" "¡­to send him away?" "No, I''m not asking you to send him away¡­ he won''t continue to live here, right? We don''t even know how long he would stay, but we can''t just let him stay like that, right? Honestly, even if he didn''t have a ce to go to, shouldn''t a man pay the rent for a ce he has been staying at for over a month?" "But that home was abandoned¡­ it was a ce that was left uncleaned from the start, so why care about¡­" "Do you think I am saying this for the money?" The woman was furious and the woodcutter who heard it went silent. Her sharp eyes could be seen, and the shoulders shrugged. The woman took a step back, but she didn''t release the angry expression on her face. Rather, she continued to speak, not hesitating to pour out her frustration. "To be honest, I am nervous¡­ worried. I am not saying this because I am a bad person, no, I am just saying the truth. So, call me a bad one if you want. So, huh? I don''t want to let the man who has been through something bad stay here any longer. But, with that, our vige will be safe." "¡­" "What would you do if the man is a thief? What if he pretends to be quiet and secretly opens the doors at night, bringing a gang of thieves with him?" "That, is just too much¡­" "Too much? Does everyone learn sorcery? Do you think because they look good on the outside, they are good? It is never that way. No, even if it was a really good person, can you say he isn''t dangerous? What if he was being chased by nobles or mercenaries? Would we have to take him into the vige and share his punishments? Does that sound right?" "¡­" "¡­" "Everyone get yourself together. It made no sense to ept him in the first ce." ¡­ there was silent for a moment. The woodcutter and the vige chief. Others who hadpassion for the blonde man didn''t speak. What the woman said was right. They didn''t know how to refute it. He could be someone with a hidden objective or he could''ve been a good person and still be dangerous. Even if it felt unfairly framed, were they prepared to solve it if something bad happened? The vigers asked themselves that and they shook their heads. At first, they thought the young man had problems. If only they showedpassion, they thought he would show willingness tomunicate with them. If not, they expected to see a little sincerity, but the atmosphere had only gotten worse. "¡­ let''s talk a bit more." But the middle aged man who had been quiet the whole time spoke carefully. He didn''t mean to refute the words of the women. It was the opposite¡­ he hated giving the young man a ce to stay in the vige from the start. However, he wanted to hide those feelings. Because he didn''t want to be looked upon as a bad person. He wanted to pretend to be considerate of the young man. Others were having simr thoughts. Since that was the case, the vigers who attended the meeting slowly but steadily pushed for their opinion to remove the young man. It was then. ''Let''s wait and see.'' A man suddenly appeared, interrupting the meeting. He had bubbly eyes, a thick beard, and a magnificent physique withrge muscles. Most of the people averted their eyes as they saw the presence. It was someone the vige people didn''t want to get involved. Needless to say, it was difficult to deal with a man who worked by hunting. Just talking didn''t sit well with them. Of course, not all of them were like that. The woman looked at him and asked. "Wait for what?" "To boot him out." "What for wait? It has already been decided." "Don''t decide now. Talk a bit more and then see through it." "What talks¡­" "Here." The hunter stopped and the atmosphere changed. The woman who was about to say something nasty gulped down what she wanted to say. The man didn''t provoke her either. Instead, he turned to the audience and made eye contact with each of them and said with anger. "Is there at least one person who hasn''t depended on the goodwill of others?" "¡­" "No right? If you are in this vige, you have no choice but to depend on others." At the hunter''s heavy voice, everyone looked down. Right. Now, he wasn''t saying that humans were social animals. What he meant was that everyone in this vige owed someone something. He seeded in recovering food through good will without a price and achieved stability for the vige. Because of that the others were able to have hope in the world. "Then, let me go." "¡­." "The Baron will too." When the hundred or so people finished speaking, he turned around and he headed to the ce where the blonde young man was residing. Memories with the person he admired the most were shing through his mind. ''If it wasn''t for the Lord, what would I have been doing now?'' He might have joined the mercenaries and done a lot of bad things, or he might have joined a group of bandits and be cursed by people. Maybe he might''ve turned up dead too. Whatever it was, he wouldn''t be as happy as he was now. That was the reason the hunter went to the young man. The good intentions lifted him up. A ray of salvation came down on him. He,who hated the whole world because of the shock of losing his child found new happiness from it. Even the young man could do it. He would do it. Like the Baron, he wanted to spread his influence and do good deeds in the world. And that made him feel better and made him go to the young man''s house. He wanted to hear the man''s sorrows as soon as possible and share the burden he was carrying. However, the hunter who arrived there couldn''t enter. "¡­" It was strange. The face of the young man he saw as soon as the gate opened was unfamiliar. Unlike other viges, he had just returned from the hunting ground so he couldn''t know the man. And since he had only heard things about it, this was his first time meeting him. However, the eyes of the other person were strange. As if he had known the young man for a long time. No, rather, it felt like he had hostility against him. It wasn''t a guess, but a certain feeling. A greater fear pressed the hunter down. His emotions became so heavy that his muscles and bones felt like it was being crushed. "¡­please go back." Phew. After a while, the young man''s gaze was lifted. The sight of him closing his eyes slowly made him look lonely and gloomy. However, the hunter didn''t have time to see that. He was already sweating profusely and with all his might he moved away from the young man''s house and took a deep breath. He did his best to calm himself. ''What was it? Why?'' He couldn''t understand. He didn''t do anything to make the young man hate him. No, he didn''t understand why such a monster would even look at him. He couldn''t help it. Because he hadn''t done anything for the young man to hate him. Because he was living a new life now. But Airn couldn''t help but hate him. Even if it hadn''t happened yet, he couldn''t forgive that hunter. It was still clear in his eyes. The ax he was holding. The incident which had happened. After learning the truth, he cowardly turned away from his benefactor. "Gasco Estate." When Airn realized where he was, he did his best to suppress the emotions within him. When they set out on a journey to save I, only hatred for the devils was overflowing in Airn''s heart. However, the mindset gradually changed over time. To be precise, the target of the anger changed. Humans. Rather than responding to good intentions with good intentions, they all approached him with a terrible heart. It wasn''t just those who had harmed the young boy. As he continued, Airn only saw more horrific things. A couple who sold their children and enjoyed their life with that money. Those who valued human life less than even a slice of bread. People whomitted murder for fun. The world was a lot darker than the hero had thought. It wasn''t natural to be rewarded with good intentions. His past self was the same. Karen Winker sacrificed his family for the people in the estate, and yet he was betrayed. None of the people who had once respected him like a father had followed him. They were more scared of losing the fifty years of safety that they had enjoyed. And that tormented Airn. It made his anger even hotter and his sadness even more devastating. It felt like all the hard work he had put in the past years was disappearing. Step step "¡­" In his troubled ears, he heard the sound of someone approaching, Airn looked at the gate. ''Who?'' ''The hunter? It couldn''t be him.'' ''It doesn''t matter.'' Right. It didn''t matter who it was. No matter who came from the Gasco estate, they couldn''t touch his heart right now. At least that was what he though. However, the moment he saw his past self, Airn couldn''t help but change his mind. "Karen Winker." "You know my name? You must have heard it from the vigers." His former life, who was a lot younger, was looking at him with a soft smile. Chapter 358: To Return (2)

    Chapter 358: To Return (2)

    "¡­" Airn looked at Karen Winker with a firm expression. This wasn''t a familiar feeling. Unlike when Airn saw him in his dreams and wielded the sword every day, Karen Winker was younger now. It was difficult to find the bleak expression, the rough skin, and the wary eyes Airn had be used to. Right. Since the vigers and the hunter hadn''t betrayed him yet. Because he wasn''t wounded yet. He was staring at Airn with rxed eyes and joy in his eyes. "Lord, be carefu¡­" "It is fine." "But¡­" "It is fine, really. Don''t worry too much." Behind Karen Winker, the voice of the guard could be heard. It was obvious. He couldn''t help but feel worried. It would be strange if the Lord he respected was approaching an unknown swordsman, that too, one with such an unusual expression on his face. Airn could understand it. But just because he could understand it, it didn''t mean he wasn''t angry. He knew. What kind of behavior the knight would showter. ¡­however, he closed his eyes to hide his emotions. He knew that in the near future, the guard would have a much different look. This guard would know to spew out cold words to the face of someone who was kind to him; he would have his mask of pretense broken as he exiled his own Lord. But that hadn''t happened yet. ''Breathe in and calm the mind.'' Airn Pareira opened his eyes and said to Karen Winker. "¡­yes. The vige people have spoken about you, Baron Karen Winker." "Right. But from what I was told, there wasn''t much interaction¡­" "It wasn''t something they talked to me about¡­ they were drunk and praised the good deeds of the Baron." "Haha. No¡­ suddenly painting my face in gold¡­ hmm, I guess I am not a bad lord. I think I was working hard for the sake of the people. Hehe, why does it feel so good to hear it from a foreigner?" "¡­" "Ah, this. I''ve digressed. I came here because I wanted to hear your story, not mine." "My story?" "Yes. Umm¡­ do you have time? Ah, by the way, I don''t know your name. As you already know, I am Karen Winker. I rule the Gasco estate. And this vige too." Hearing Karen Winker''s introduction, Airn stayed silent. He remembered what Lulu said¡­ that it wouldn''t be just devils and demons, but that there would be someone to help him too. ''It seems that my previous life will help me.'' He didn''t like it. ''Help someone?'' It wasn''t unusual. This man was smiling and caring for people without knowing the terrible future which awaited him. Airn''s heart was pounding as he thought about it. A warm, stinging energy rushed in, but¡­ "¡­Airn." "Um." "Airn. I am Airn Pareira." After much thought, Airn introduced himself. The unbearable emotions that he was feeling seemed like they would rush out any moment, but he endured them. He was going to hold them back and continue to talk to his past life¡¯s self. He had no intention of getting help, however. Rather it would be the opposite. Airn would be the one giving Karen Winker help. To prepare him for the destruction and misfortune that would soon gue him. If that wasn''t possible, he would try to help him with just this moment. He would try to have a good conversation with his past self. After thinking about it, Airn smiled. "Um, Pareira¡­ huh. I am sorry. I am not too well aware, so I don''t know where you are from." "You don''t have to worry. As a small fallen noble, I don''t expect you to know about it." "But¡­" "Rather, I heard you came to know my story." "Ahh, right. It''s as you said." "Thank you beforehand. I didn''t know how to feel since you came here for me, who was an outsider. I will do my best to answer any question that you ask." "No, you don''t have to say it like that¡­" Karen Winker seemed a bit embarrassed, and the guards seemed to rx a little. They must have been worried about what the vigers said, but he seemed like a well-mannered young man. Of course, they didn''t mean to push his boundaries. However, it was true that the atmosphere had softened. Karen Winker smiled. "Hehe, man. I have no intention of carrying any weight around. What I was trying to say wasn''t that¡­" Hearing that, Airn smiled. It wasn''t his natural smile. But it was better than the stiff expression he had. As promised earlier, he intended to give full attention to this conversation. And thus, the exchange of stories between the present and past lives began. It was nothing special, as Karen Winker said. "I will be honest with you. I know it could be a nuisance that I came here for you, but the reason is different. A few vigers had expressed their concerns. They think that something serious might happen with you around." Perhaps someone spoke to the Baron. Even the most powerful hunter in the vige was afraid of Airn, so they must have thought something was wrong with him and might have spoken to the Baron. That could have happened. And that must have been enough too. "Haha, you understand. Rather than corner you, I came here to appease the distrust of the people on the continent. You must know too, right? The world these days is scary." "¡­ I do. I fully understand." "I''m d you know. I am really d you can understand." However, regardless of what it was like, Airn didn''t like this situation. If only he was on his way to save I. If only he didn''t know this was the Gasco Estate; if only he didn''t know that the innocent-looking people in this vige would someday betray Karen Winker. Only then, it wouldn''t have been this irritating. But now, Airn knew everything. Their true feelings behind those masks they wore. He recalled all of the past he saw with the help of Gurgar. When he thought about that, the anger within him surged again. "Ah, of course, don''t get me wrong. I am not pressuring you. Rather, it''s the opposite; I didn''te here to throw you out, but to make a fresh start, to help you to get along with the vigers a little better¡­ you are here seeking a home, right? I am not sure if you are getting what I am trying to say, so¡­ what is it?" However, there was an emotion more unbearable than the anger. It was sadness. The frustration¡­ and it felt exhausting. Rather than the immovable appearance of a young man, the sadness he felt for his previous life¡¯s self, who would face such tragic things without knowing the future, broke Airn''s heart. There was no way he could suppress it, so it was all shown in his expression. Karen Winker was a bit shocked. "Lord." "Um?" "Give me a moment with you." "Uh?" "You, what are you¡­" "¡­I have something to tell you; ask the guard to move." "¡­!" The guard, who had a stiff expression, stood still. Sweat formed on his face. He couldn''t move his body. ''He pretended to live for the Lord more than anyone here. He pretended to be loyal to the Lord, but he couldn''t stand up against even this much force?'' Airn''s emotions intensified. As a result, his energy grew stronger, and the guard retreated, angering the young hero even more. At that moment, Karen Winker stepped in between the two. Since the Lord had intervened, the cycle broke instantly. "Move." "¡­" "It is okay. It is fine. Step back for a moment." The guard moved back. The sound of his footsteps moving away in fear, made Airn angrier. He wanted to follow and ask him, ''Is this your loyalty? Have you just pretended all this time?'' But he didn''t have the time for it. Airn turned from the door and looked at Karen Winker. He took a breath and mentally prepared himself. And after a while¡­ Airn wanted to speak of the future to Karen Winker. "It may be hard to believe, but¡­" It was because of hispassion for his past self. At the same time, it was revenge on the world which persecuted his poor past self so much. Even if it waspletely different from the path he had walked before, it didn''t matter. It didn''t matter if Airn could make Karen believe. Airn felt his stomach cool down, and without hesitation, he said all of it. But in the end, it felt weird. ''¡­why is he so calm?'' Airn looked at his past self. It was strange. He looked calmer than the first time he saw him. He was neither flustered nor angry. He wasn''t listening with a stiff face but was just looking at Airn with deep eyes. He was truly listening. Enlightenment came suddenly, and Airn said. "¡­you knew." "¡­" "You already knew. That the devil wille, what happens to your family¡­ you know about the residents and how they treat you after¡­" "¡­" "¡­" "¡­" "How can that be?" ",,," "How¡­ how can you get along with such people?" Woong! A strong energy rose from Airn''s body. Karen Winker''s clothes and hair fluttered. It wouldn''t be easy for an ordinary man to breathe in such a situation. But he was calm. He didn''t lose that benevolent smile on his face. It seemed like what he said didn''t even matter to him. Airn couldn''t understand. Even though this man knew the cruelty of the world better than anyone, he hadn''t lost the goodwill of his previous life. "I have a lot to tell you." And then, Karen Winker, who was silent till then, spoke up. Airn was a bit surprised. The warm feeling was still there, but something had changed. The more he thought, the more he felt like he was missing something. For example, the level of the person in front of him wasn''t lower than his own strength. Considering that the devil hadn''te to the estate yet, it was impossible, and the young hero was about to question that. But Karen Winker was a step ahead. "But, how about we change our location first?" "Sorry?" "An uninvited guest hase, and I want to keep them as far from the estate as possible." "An uninvited guest?" "Yes, an uninvited guest." Karen Winker nodded and drew the sword from his waist. It was a normal long sword that could be seen in any cksmith''s shop, something very modest was in the hands of a Lord. But it felt different. The moment a silver-grey ray of light flowed through his sword, weird energy flowed through him, making Airn shudder. The darkness lurking behind him was terrifying. What Karen Winker had done was the only way to stop it. The clown devil, hit by the aura, broke the stone wall and bounced back. "Kuaaack!" It didn''t end there. His previous life''s self, moved. His aura, which moved quick enough to leave shadows behind, stuck the opponent again. With a louder scream, the clown flew back again. Karen Winker, who turned back, smiled and spoke. "Do you want to know how to fix a broken heart?" "¡­" "Follow me if you want to know." Shortly thereafter, his body moved forward with small strides. Chapter 359: To Return (3)

    Chapter 359: To Return (3)

    ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± On a quiet afternoon something flew across the blue sky. The vigers all looked up. The scream which stretched out like a gum aroused fear in the people¡¯s heart, but their shock was deeper. ¡°The clown must have been quite shocked. Don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Uh? Ah, yes.¡± ¡°Good. This is fun. I was nning to go to a ce with few people, so it would be fine to make a mess.¡± Phat! Saying that, Karen Winker, his former self, mmed his foot into the ground. He was normally fast, but even faster now. Soaring like a star, he caught up with the clown. ¡°It will hurt.¡± Kwaangh! ¡°Ackkkkk!¡± The body of the clown that had been hit on the side with the sword, was bent into a right angle. The devil, which broke down like a cut tree, flew faster with a screeching scream. This was a funny urrence. Come to think of it, he had never felt afraid of the clown. ¡®Because you are the one who showed me the unsightly side first.¡¯ It was the moment when he looked down from the face of a great evil. It wasn¡¯t like the clown was an insignificant being. Rather it was the opposite. He was a monster who had been harassing the continent for a much longer time than the Demon Dragon King, and even if Airn trained and became stronger, he wasn¡¯t confident that he could win over him. And maybe it was true. But, Karen Winker was pushing this devil to the corner, that too with minimal movements. ¡®I didn¡¯t expect him to be this strong¡­¡¯ He knew. At the end of his life the man had managed tond a devastating blow on the clown. However, it was a blow that was hope and something due to the carelessness of the opponent. He thought till there. to be honest, it seems like Airn focused more on the story of the man than the status of the man in his dreams. As he was busy thinking about it, Karen Winker who blew up, came down and said. ¡°You seem to have made up your mind.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Your broken heart seems to have mended. So will you not follow me?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± Right. As he heard the words of the man, Airn remembered what he had forgotten. Why did hee here? Why did he want to seed in his quest, defeat the devils and get help? So that he could get stronger. To put it simply, it was to correct the broken cycle of the elements that was within him. Compared to the final fight in the Warrior¡¯s Festival, the synergy that he had then had now copsed and everything in his world was creaking out. ¡®¡­ above all else, I need to regrow the tree.¡¯ That was his main priority. During his time at Godara, Airn¡¯s convictions had been shattered. He could no longer look at the world in a beautiful manner. He couldn¡¯t grow trees that would help the continent. So what could he do? How could he make the tree in his heart stand tall and enter the circle of coexistence? Would it be possible with Karen Winker¡¯s advice? He knew nothing about the five elements in his previous life, so would it be possible? Suspicion arose within him but it soon disappeared. It didn¡¯t matter how and which way the aura was operated. The important thing was the heart. Recalling the life of Karen Winker, Airn nodded. He himself had gone through so many ordeals. He had been working much harder than Airn. And the meaning he finally reached wasn¡¯t different from the ideal he hoped for. Airn, who thought all that, looked at his past self. Unlike before, the confusion he had died down a lot. Karen Winker, who noticed it, smiled and said something unexpected. ¡°You will not be able to get what you want in a short time.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°You want to restore your faith in the world. And it isn¡¯t just that, you want to remove the distrust that is deep within you and rekindle your will to protect the entire continent. It suits your character, but¡­ you need time. It isn¡¯t just about this sphere you have made from sorcery, but it indicates that you need to get more experience and wisdom, and years of experiences like you get as you go through life.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Understanding with your head and epting with your heart. You don¡¯t know the difference between those two.¡± Airn nodded. The man was right. He already knew that the world wasn¡¯t beautiful or pure. He learned that while living in Durkali. In the past, there have been many stories of human and orcs who havemitted terrible things which were unimaginably worse than the acts of the devils. ¡®But at that time, my heart didn¡¯t falter. The real ups and downs came after experiencing the darkness of the world.¡¯ Right. Knowing it and experiencing it are two different things. Nevertheless, holding out your heart bare and wielding the sword for the world again as if your heart was never hurt is apletely different story. Airn, who was chasing after the clown, dropped his shoulders. Karen Winker was right. That was his ideal, but it seemed like it would take much longer to reach it. ¡°He won¡¯t die like that.¡± To him¡­ To the dismayed young hero, Karen Winker offered xconstion. Airn was startled. He didn¡¯t know he was chasing after the man, but his form changed all of a sudden. From a middle-aged man to an elderly man and then finally to an old man. But he didn¡¯t look weak. Rather, it was the opposite. Karen Winker, who returned to the strongest days of his life when he injured the clown, continued speaking. ¡°The tree in the heart cannot be nted just by heroes who have great intentions. Even if it¡¯s not for the entire continent, there has to be a will inside you¡­ a will to protect something in the world which is precious to you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You are stuck now. You are obsessed with getting things quickly and easily and because they are things you cannot achieve it in a short period, it makes you feel stuck. It is making you feel frustrated, suffocation¡­ um. I wouldn¡¯t be too different from you either. Before thinking about the tree in you, we need to prepare another basic one. We might need another helper.¡± ¡°Prepare? Helper? Who¡­¡± Airn frowned. He was already thinking about the words his previous life had told him. There were things he knew and things he didn¡¯t understand. It was difficult to concentrate properly, and he tried to move on only after he organized his thoughts. Of course, during that time, his feet moved, and he looked around. Thendscape around him had changed. It was vast and dark, a forest which hadn¡¯t been touched by human hands was in front of him. It was creepy He felt chills. It wasn¡¯t like a lot of time had passed. The forest was already giving out thick magi like they were in the jaws of a monster. Even more sinister than that, the clown who had been beaten over and over, stopped screaming. ¡°Phew.¡± The clown exhaled. The disgusting stench because of that action spread around. But the reason Airn frowned wasn¡¯t because of the smell. The figure of the clown who seemed to have found some stability, thest nce of the devil he saw as it entered the forest made him uneasy. The bushes were swaying. Woong Thend was shaking. Silence fell. The moment Airn gulped and raised the aura¡­ Kwaaaaa! From the deepest part of the forest, a giant appeared. ¡°dlwkfrmswkfrmsTlqdjajrdjehahwkfkfroajrdlfhwnjehahwkfkfTmfprlrkxdmssutjremfdl¡± ¡°¡­!¡± Airn summoned his great sword. And with all his might, he manifested his aura sword. And it reminded him of something he forgot. ¡®I¡¯ve never checked the power of the clown devil before!¡¯ Right. The clown he met in real life was already seriously injured. The clown he encountered in this life had never fully used its powers either. Because he wasn¡¯t in his own den. The strength of devils vary depending on where they fight. And now the ce where the clown stood¡­ ¡®It is dark. Comparable to Godara!¡¯ ¡°wnrduqjflsek! wnrduqjflsekwnrduqjflsekwnrduqjflsek!¡± Bang! Kwang! Kwang! The clown, who seemed like a huge mountain, walked. The shock wave then spread out like circles. Hundreds and thousands of trees were broken and the demons in the dark forest couldn¡¯t bear it, and some moved away. ¡°ehaghkdci-!¡± ¡°dlrpantmsdlfdldi!¡± ¡°rkaekdgkftndjqtsmsrhxhd!¡± ¡°This!¡± Airn watched as he stood there, shocked. The demons looked like helpless pigeons. Each of them was strong enough to exceed an average Master. His head felt lost as he saw all the chaos in the woods. Even though his heart was broken, he was still a hero. However, his worries were in vain. The old man, Karen Winker, never lost hisposure despite all this. He raised his sword. Pulled his aura out. And drew it horizontaly. Pupupupupuk! ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­!¡± And a miracle happened. There was no other way to exined what happened next. As Karen Winker showed his swordsmanship, it wiped out eleven powerful demons in one hit regardless of the distance, and it was beyondparison to Airn. It was the same with the clown. It did get hit a lot in unexpected situations, but he thought he could win as long as he came here. He wanted to trample on the humans cruelly in here, and he wanted to drink their blood. But he couldn¡¯t. He felt it. He couldn¡¯t win. But to back down like this, his pride as a great evil couldn¡¯t ept it¡­ Pung Before he could even think. Karen Winker kicked the ground. It was faster than before. The clown was startled to see the old man jump right in front of him and desperately tried to crush the man with its hands. It was an attack in the midst of panic. Tung! Karen Winker didn¡¯t seem to care. With his two hands raised high into the sky, he faced the clown with apletely defenseless upper body. The sword of the old man lookedrge. He fearlessly went for clown¡¯s head. Kwang! Kwang! Kwang! The attack continued. Ten times, twenty times, a hundred times. There was no sign of iting to an end. The body of the gigantic clown which couldn¡¯t be smashed, sunk horribly into the ground. The old mannded on the ground and kept swinging his sword. Kwang! Kwang! Kwang! Kwang! Kwang! The form of the man disappeared. He didn¡¯t soar into the sky, but came back to the ground. Karen Winker didn¡¯t stop despite the ground beneath his feet copsing into a pit. The ground under his feet was unable to withstand the shock of his continuous attacks. Airn looked at him. The ruthless attacks continued for over 30 minutes. Karen Winker who seemed to have descended from his attacking form, said while holding the clown by the cor. ¡°I am sorry. Because I don¡¯t feel bad for you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Apart from that, there is one thing I want to ask¡­ will you listen?¡± ¡°Uh, uh¡­¡± Under the shattered mask, the clown, with its dark and ugly face, managed to finish its sentence. ¡°Anything¡­ I will¡­¡± That was the moment another helper was created for Airn Pareira. Chapter 360: To Return (4)

    Chapter 360: To Return (4)

    About 1000 years ago. Unlike the present era, which had umted power through the 160 years of peace it had gone through, the power of the continent in ancient times was poor. As there were no swordsmen, themon people weren''t provided with chances to learn, and the nobles didn''t talk or attempt it. Even the Lindsay family was just a small family. The appearance of aura operation, the 6 concepts it had was a thing for future, and the rtions between orcs and humans were still strained. On the other hand, the dimensional rifts stretched across the continent like a spider web, so the number of devils and demons were too much. If that was the case, why didn''t the continent perish despite such inferiority? If the forces of hell worked together to invade the human world, wouldn''t it be natural for even the most powerful kingdom to be destroyed in an instant? "That''s right." But it was an impossible story. "Cooperation with the devil¡­ there was no way it was possible. Uh¡­" The clown, who was perched on top of numerous demon corpses mumbled. Of course, the devils weren''t beings who could unite their forces whenever they wanted. More often than naught, it wasn''t a human vs a devil, but rather a human vs a devil vs another devil. Humans were known to be passionate and protective about theirnd, but such people were ready to let go of everything they had in order to stand behind a hero or a united cause. The clown had said that the biggest reason the devils couldn''t conquer the human world was because of that. "Yes. Uh. It is true. So, I just watched for fun? I ate and sat and enjoyed it from a safe distance. I mean, I couldn''t ask for more than that. don''t you think the same?" "Kuak, kuak¡­" Crush! "Uh, answering must be hard. It is fine. Rest." He trampled on thest devil. The posthumous curse became attached to him, but the clown didn''t care. He didn''t care why these devils had attacked him in the first ce. They could have been the filthy bastards with insane ambitions or they could''ve just been bored. He was like that in the past. But now, he had graduated from all that. Because he found another game that was much safer and more fun than fighting with other devils. "Um, right. Where was thest ce I was looking¡­ Right, Gasco estate!" The clown smiled looked excited as he thought of that ce. The nice and kind-faced baron appeared in its mind. Right. As it said before, the clown was tired of the thrill and tension of fighting the strong. He gave up his dream of uniting the dark beings and conquering the human world. He didn''t even want to be the demon king. The most effective n was to find some good people and give them a taste of chaos, trials, and to ultimately inflict numerous hardships on them. In that sense, the Lord of the Gasco estate, who was praised and even possessed a little army was a suitable toy for the clown to y with. "Kuak, Kuak, kakakaka!" The clownughed out loud. What would the human pick if he had to choose between giving up the safety of his estate and that of his family? And with the betrayal which woulde after that, how long would he be able endure the waves of darkness before sumbing? Anticipation rose within him. Beneath the mask and between his legs, his bodily fluid ran down. Embracing the joy which was ripening within him, the devil waited for a long time in the quiet vige of Gasco estate. "Anything¡­ I will do¡­" "Really?" "Yes, yes¡­. Really. I really will¡­" Two hours after meeting Karen Winker, he dered defeat in a humiliating manner. ''What happened?'' The wrecked clown thought. No matter how much he tried to think about it, he couldn''t understand. Besides, when he looked at the Lord a few months ago, the man wasn''t this strong. ''He was not even close to an expert.'' But now? He couldn''t dare imagine. Even the heroes of the human world had been beaten to death by the clown, but surprisingly the clown couldn''t breathe in front of the Lord. ''But when did he get so old?'' What happened? Had he awakened sorcery when the clown hadn''t been paying attention? His confused thoughts didn''t decrease and the old man looked at the clown and snapped his fingers. Woong "¡­!" And to the clown''s surprise, its strength was back. Its body was healed, and the mask that had been on the verge of breaking apart had also regenerated. After a moment''s silence, the clown knelt in front of Karen Winker and said, "I-I will obey." "¡­" "My name will be ''Kasey'', it is a lowly name, but¡­" The humiliation in its heart was blown away. Even the thought to rebel was gone. This man was a God. Or he was an absolute existence that wasparable to that level. The clown became polite as he recognized the Lord''s great power and Karen Winker nodded. Karen Winker turned to the young hero and said "We warmed up with the running so you can fight right away, right?" "¡­now?" "Yes." "With whom¡­ that one?" "Yes." Seeing his former self nod, Airn was lost in his thoughts. The clown was strong. Karen Winker had almost destroyed the clown, but that didn''t mean that it was weak. Maybe it was due to the influence of sorcery, but here, Karen Winker had god-like abilities. Then, how about Airn? ''¡­ in terms of power alone, I am better than before.'' Right. Compared to when he was in the Warrior''s Festival, his aura had increased and there was an improvement in swordsmanship techniques as well as aura operation. However, the fact that the five elements were not bnced was a big blow to him. The clown on the other hand, was now in its best condition. Anger, sadness. He had to rece the abundance of fire with the water. Could he take down this devil that had lived for a thousand years? Could he see a higher state by giving himself to the negative emotions, even for a brief moment? With that bitter thought, Airn remembered the teaching of the Five Elements Divine Technique after a long time. He closed his eyes and looked into his inner self. After a while. "¡­!" He had a surprised expression. It was different. The five elements were different. The bnce was a bit off. However, unlike before where only two elements were raging, now there was the energy of earth and steel also present. "I don''t feel burdened." At that moment, the old man who was waiting until then, spoke to the young hero. Airn looked at him. And he felt it. The aura of that steel. The vast and stable earth. It meant that it was a precious gift his past self was giving to his present self. "This¡­" "Right. Just ept it without another word." Karen Winker stopped and Airn went silent. He wasn''t sure what to say. He didn''t now whether he ought to give gratitude or ask for forgiveness? The energy, which had been two, had now gone to four. But his mind was still confused. He couldn''t help it. As long as all five energies didn''t exist¡­ unless the circle of coexistence didn''t flow¡­ such things were bound to happen. Right. It had to be bnced. In the end, he would have to grow a tree again. Woong. Airn took his stance. He aimed his sorcery great sword at the great devil in front of him. The clown who watched him, bowed to Karen Winkler and asked. "How¡­ How far can I go?" "You should do your best." "¡­ is that, really going to be fine?" Clench Crack The clown''s body began to give out a sound. It felt more threatening than someone actually breaking its bones, and it was as if the clown was amplifying the suppressed darkness. Airn felt chills run through his body. It was fine. The negative thoughts which had been eating him alive for a long time were being swept away by the newly sprouted energy of steel. The waves of emotions which had been gnawing away at his heart without mercy until just before, were supported by the energy of the earth. Four energies gathered. As such, a foundation wasid to establish the belief and will of Airn. Airn looked at Karen Winker who was sitting on the ground and encouraging him. "It is fine. Feel free to run wild." Puah! The old man gave his permission. As if it had been waiting for this, the magi from the clown devil grew intense. The Clown brought out a whole mountain to block the advance of the young hero. The clown was a terrifying opponent to go against. He couldn''t me the devil. He wasn''t disappointed either. Facing so much darkness that it made the sky dark, Airn shook his head as if he realized something. ''The tree in the heart isn''t necessarily nted only by heroes and those with grandiose intentions.'' ''Even if it''s not a cause for the whole continent.'' ''There is a will in the world that is as precious as that.'' He sought advice from himself and received answers. In his heart, he wanted to give himself a cool answer. But it wasn''t a good one. Airn realized the difference between knowing with his head and realizing with his heart while learning the water sword. He had to stand up even if he was holding the hand of others, and he had to make sure to not be dragged by that holding hand. "What do you think?" Thud! Thud! The clown approached him. The darkness wasrge enough to cover the whole world and it was approaching him menacingly as if it wanted to swallow his body. Airn cleared his breath. In face of such difficult ordeals, a young hero had to find a tree that was taller and bigger than the evil in front of him. So, he looked up. He looked at the farther and wider world. A few wildflowers swayed near Airn''s feet, as he looked for a spot where he could make a giant tree rise. So, another few years passed. 400 years ago, there was a great evil who terrorized the world. Just like the daunting appearance of a dragon from the legends, another being that gathered power by gathering different evils floated in sky. For the first time in history, that terrifying darkness had the potential to obtain the title of Demon King. Fortunately, the birth of the first Demon King didn''t take ce. A great hero, Dion Lindsay who was like the light that cleared up that darkness appeared. The moment his sword that was shining like moonlight, fell from the sky, he granted everyone the honor of putting his names on all the records of the continent. And now. From an unknown ce, a second ray of light that was simr to that one came down through the darkness. sh! The noise wasn''t huge. As if the wind had just brushed past, it was a faint sound that even elves could barely hear. However, the results it produced was greater than expected. Kwang! Kwaaang! The giant''s dragon''s neck fell to the ground. The body of therge Demon Dragon King lost its strength and fell. But the silver sword didn''t fall, it rose high and returned to the hands of Ilya Lindsay. The Sword Master turned her head and looked at the old man. The old man didn''t avoid her gaze and momentster, he smiled, and said. "Congrattions on achieving the status of the sky." Chapter 361: To Go Out (1)

    Chapter 361: To Go Out (1)

    Dion Lindsay, the first lord of the Lindsay family was born into the family of a Baron in the middle of the continent. His parents had high hopes for him, since he showed extraordinary talent from the early stages in the sword. They thought that he would bring new honor to the family which had been pushed into a power struggle. The moment his son became a Sword Master, the ones who had tried to trample on him and his family would cease to do so. But the expectations of the Baron and his wife were in vain. ¡°Thank you for raising me. But from now, I will take care of my life by myself.¡± With that, Dion left his family. He hadn¡¯t liked it from the start. While the rudeness of people of high-status wasn¡¯t being criticized, the people of the lower status weren¡¯t even given any consideration. They said they loved their son more than anyone else, but they were using their son as a tool to bring their life to new standards. Most of all, he didn¡¯t like the partner his parents had arranged for his marriage. Dion Lindsay didn¡¯t have a problem with ugly people, but he hated everyone who had bad personalities. ¡®I won¡¯t live with such people anymore.¡¯ And so, Dion Diaz became just Dion. 15 years passed. ¡°Now that I think about it, it was a good choice. If I had sacrificed my existence for my country and lived ording to what my parents and the rest of my family wanted regardless of my will, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to create the Sky Sword.¡± ¡°..¡± ¡°But that wasn¡¯t the end.¡± It was clear that there was bitterness in Dion¡¯s words as he said that. Of course, the 15 years that passed after he left his family wasn¡¯t always full of sorrow and suffering. Rather, it was quite good. He had made lifelong friends, met mercenaries of the South, and had also learned the ways of civility and courtesy from the nobles of the West. He had also met his wife during this time. For Dion, who had always thought that he was closer to themoners than the nobles, this was a shock. Of course, he thought that such a shock could be weed. As such, he opened up his walls and was greeted with a good rtionship and longsting happiness. However, five years passed and then another five passed. Dion, who was now 55 years old, questioned his life. His loving wife was still with him. He had a son who wouldn¡¯t hurt anyone. In addition, he had gained unwavering friendship with a few individuals and there were even aspiring knights who admired him. But that was the problem. He hadn¡¯t cared about his own parents who had tried to use him or the public that had ridiculed him. Those who were of no help to him, and those who didn¡¯t have the courage to talk to his face weren¡¯t worth his time. Even if he didn¡¯t talk to such people, it wasn¡¯t like his life would be destroyed. But the people he loved¡­ The people who supported and cared for him. This was much more difficult than protecting his own self. ¡°I understand, kid.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Airn Pareira. He is a really great guy. A person who isn¡¯tcking at all to be a lifelong partner for you. Even if you love him with all your might, it isn¡¯t enough¡­ when you see such a person suffering, it is natural for you to want to help them. Even if it means that you would lose your body or get your heart broken in the process.¡± ¡°But that is exactly why you shouldn¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°Just because someone really important appeared, one shouldn¡¯t have to destroy their own world. Airn Pareira cannot be your world.¡± Instead of destroying yourself for your lover, you have to make sure that you are with him at the end to share your happiness.¡° ¡°Right.¡± Ilya Lindsay nodded. She had misunderstood for a while. Airn had grown so huge within her heart that she had overlooked something important. But not anymore. As proof of that, the sword which moved from her hand moved freely in the sky. Just like Dion did 400 years ago. Like the true ¡®sword of the sky¡¯ that he had realized after being freed from the expectations and concerns of his family, friends, juniors and the other things that had bound him. ¡°¡­congrattions again. On achieving your own sky.¡± The old man smiled. The woman in front of him was an amazing child. Even he, who was known to be one of the strongest men of all time, was at the age of 63 when he took down the Demon Dragon King and formed the ¡®Lindsay¡¯ family. Inparison, Ilya was able to achieve something simr in power when she was only 30 years old. That was truly shocking. ¡®No, in this world of sorcery, time stands still¡­ so she¡¯s still in her 20s?¡¯ He smiled. He wasn¡¯t jealous. It was unsightly to have such feelings for a descendant of his who was 400 years younger than him, but as he watched her put so much effort into the ordeal, his impression of her improved. ¡°Ilya.¡± ¡°Yes, First Lord.¡± ¡°How do you feel?¡± ¡°Still a bit confused.¡± ¡°Still?¡± ¡°Yes. Now, I feel like I have found the real me. The problem is that I do not understand why I couldn¡¯t judge and ponder who I really was before¡­ it feels like the concept came to my head a littlete.¡± ¡°Right.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But there is no need to worry, right?¡± ¡°Probably?¡± Ilya Lindsay smiled and looked up at the sky. As she did that, she felt the wind on her face. It was cool. There were still a lot of problems that needed to be solved, but they didn¡¯t matter. Things that seemed too big to handle in the past, didn¡¯t seem so hard now. It had to be because she had finally found her own sky. At this moment, she truly was free. But was that true? Ilya suddenly wanted to scream. If possible, she wanted to express the twisted and unpleasant feelings that was inside of her. But Dion Lindsay was next to her¡­ what of him? It didn¡¯t matter. Taking a deep breath, she shouted in the loudest voice she could. ¡°[email protected]#%#$^$#%&^&***!¡± Stumble. Dion Lindsay, who was in the sky, lost his bnce and fell down a couple of meters. Of course, he found a spot tond quickly, but his expression changed. Ilya looked calm. With a rxed face and a shy smile, she told him. ¡°Judith, a friend of mine told me this¡­ Whenever you feel frustrated, if you just swear out loud, your heart would feel much more refreshed.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It has been a while since I did it, but it is true. It really feels refreshing.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Such a good friend, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you answering?¡± ¡°¡­ good, a real good friend.¡± A stream of sweat ran down Dion Lindsay¡¯s face. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°Goodbye.¡± ¡°I will never forget the teachings of the First Lord for the rest of my life.¡± ¡°Huhu¡­ thanks. Just make me a new portrait at the estate. A little more aesthetically this time.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ and don¡¯t curse too often.¡± ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t usually do that.¡± With her head bowed, Ilya entered the portal. She didn¡¯t look back. And Dion Lindsay didn¡¯t want it to be emotional either. Just like that, leaving her regret behind, she looked around. She saw the blue sky. She saw an old wall. She saw a very normal but spacious yard. She was back. To the ce she had been when she first entered the sphere. ¡®I feel a bit surprised?¡¯ Today, Ilya felt good. She resolved the ups and downs of her heart and wasn¡¯t evenpletely aware of the limits of the sky she had achieved. And if she walked through the portal, she could return to reality¡­ Ching¡­ Tak Before she could think about it any further, another portal appeared in the air and someone came out of it. It was a swordsman with blue hair and blue eyes and a handsome appearance. Bratt Lloyd. Her close friend and her most intimidating rival¡­ but he was someone she had never lost to. ¡­but now he looked different. She understood just by looking at him. Ilya Lindsay raised her sword, feeling the force from her friend. It was a gentle yet intense pressure. It was pushing down the winged bird that soared in the sky. She wasn¡¯t worried though. At the tip of the silver sword that ripped through the space and moved, an irresistible dignity shone bright. Puck! Bratt Lloyd couldn¡¯t avoid it. He was hit by Ilya¡¯s Sky Sword and just exploded. He was shredded into hundreds of thousands of pieces. Immediately he regenerated and took a fighting stance. However, the silver haired swordsman wasn¡¯t surprised. She wasn¡¯t too vignt about it either. She had already protected herself from her opponent¡¯s aura. The man was radiating his aura against the sky. But he didn¡¯t copse, and did his best to stand. But Bratt couldn¡¯t hide. Puck! He jumped through and shed the sword that came at him from below him. Kwaaang! And that was the start. Attacks from the blue haired swordsman flew in from the front, back, left and right. Sometimes softly, other times fiercely, the sky sword frantically defended against Bratt¡¯s attacks, which changed like the waves of the ocean. Of course, Bratt wasn¡¯t the only one attacking. A silver sword shot through the air ording to the will of its master. It was very difficult to deal with. The weapon was moving as an extension of her body. It flew from an angle and direction that Bratt had never even considered possible before. When it stopped chasing him and attacked, he would try to concentrate on countering his opponent, but his opponent just change directions ande at him again. Of course, Bratt wasn¡¯t going to sumb. Woong! He swung the sword. His aura gathered on his de like waves. Ilya who didn¡¯t dare disregard it, widened the distance between them. Only, her sword that was still in the air continuously aimed for the gaps in his defense. At that time, the energy of the waves which flowed towards Ilya turned dense like a and draped the sky. Startled, she tried to raise the energy on her sword to make sure it didn¡¯t get caught. ¡®Thank God!¡¯ But there wasn¡¯t much room for relief. Since it was Bratt, she knew that man wouldn¡¯t miss a chance to aim for her in a moment of weakness. Now that the sword and the swordsman were far away from each other, this was the perfect chance to defeat Ilya. She quickly grasped the situation and made her body lighter. However, Bratt didn¡¯t move. He just smiled. Now it was time for Ilya to be alert at the unexpected situation. ¡°Kuku¡­¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°You must be shocked. Of the Bratt Lloyd that has grown so fast.¡± ¡°¡­Bratt?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. You can show even more surprise. I will allow it. My existence is more difficult to ovee than anyone else¡¯s, and I overcame the very limitations¡­¡± After a brief pause, Bratt continued. ¡°¡­so you can fully appreciate me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Silence fell. Ilya looked at him with alert eyes and Bratt enjoyed it. No, he went beyond that and stretched his hands up. As if he was trying to embrace the sky¡­ that was the level of narcissism that this man had. ¡®I am sorry, first Lord.¡¯ Ilya thought of Dion Lindsay. It had been less than an hour since he had asked her to stop swearing¡­ But now it seemed like she had to. ¡°Fuck.¡± Bratt Lloyd didn¡¯t care. Chapter 362: To Go Out (2)

    Chapter 362: To Go Out (2)

    ¡°Huak, huak¡­¡± Bratt Lloyd¡¯s training space, especially the indoor training room, was strong. A duel between two masters was going on, and both of these people had far exceeded the average level of masters. Basically, the ground and walls weren¡¯t as hard as steel, but they would keep repairing as they broke down. Nevertheless, the presentndscape waspletely ruined. The walls were filled with cracks. There were craters all over the ce. Like an earthquake had urred. It seemed as if it was a scene which would happen if a meteor fell. The final fight between Bratt Lloyd and Bratt Lloyd. Right. This was the final fight. The blood-stained clone spoke as he stretched out on the ground. ¡°Phew¡­ whoa¡­ woah¡­ defeat¡­ I admit it.¡± ¡°Uh, really?¡± ¡°Then? Do you think it is a lie? I have to be shameless¡­ to¡­ ugh¡­ not admit it even now. You know too, right?¡± ¡°Right. I am you.¡± ¡°Right. And I am you.¡± The clone and Bratt nodded their heads. Right. It didn¡¯t matter whether the clone was defeated or not at all. The tip of his sword was touching his opponent¡¯s chin. He won. Bratt had truly transcended himself. ¡°Congrattions on aplishing this.¡± The clone congratted him. It was a calm tone but there were a lot of emotions buried in. Even though it was a clone, he was Bratt too. There was no such thing as looking at his opponent as just an opponent. Rather, he thought that if he could break the limits of his body, he could ovee the limit of being an alter ego and be the ¡®real¡¯ Bratt. And there were times he hoped for that as well. ¡®But I failed too many times.¡¯ 5 years ago. 3 years ago. And a year ago, a week ago. He didn¡¯t get to do it. This was what it meant to conquer oneself. It might seem reachable but not at the same time. Even if you pushed to the limit there was a fine line which couldn¡¯t be crossed¡­ a cruel fate. And so Bratt felt amazing to him. The man who broke past his own limit. He shattered his destiny and aplished a miracle. It was truly a chance that sorcery gave him, but he earned it through his own skills. And that made him respect it. Because it was bigger than the pain of his defeat, the clone acknowledged the opponent once again. ¡°Bratt Lloyd, you really are a wonderful guy.¡± ¡°¡­ of course. You are too.¡± Bratt Lloyd nodded. He didn¡¯t want to dismiss this out of luck. This task, it was cruel and brutal and something he couldn¡¯t get done by depending on others. It took a lot of time for him to admit it, and even after admitting it, it took some time for him to gain courage to do it. But he did. Just like when he was a child and let go of his arrogance in Krono. Like he hadid down his pride at Warrior¡¯s Festival before entering the sorcery sphere. Bratt put down another thing which was holding him back. And pushed past his limits. ¡­he thought for a moment, and looked at the clone. ¡°Do you have something else to say?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The clone said nothing. Their harsh breathing calmed down. and their bodies recovered fast. Although he was defeated by his own self, he was strong too. Perhaps with another realization he gained in the current battle, he could have asked to fight another time. ¡®And then I will get knocked down again.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t scary or troublesome. Without taking his eyes off his opponent, he pulled out his sword again and took a stance. As if he was indicating his opponent toe at him. Smile. Seeing that, Bratt smiled. And immediately, rushed towards him again. Shhh! ¡°¡­!¡± Startled, Bratt took two steps back. It was a response to the forceing from the body opposite him, and he decided to admit it and retreat. It was apletely different movement than before. Wooo! And the sword was swung. From top to bottom. It was a simple yet subtle movement to the opponent. However, it didn¡¯t stop. Rather, it became something soft as water and moved ahead, and even Bratt who broke past the wall couldn¡¯t avoid it. With a pounding heart, he exhaled. It was to push the opponent away. As a result, what he wanted didn¡¯t happen, and the things he feared didn¡¯t happen either. The clone, which had turned into particles finer than a wave, permeated into Bratt¡¯s body. Whik! It wasn¡¯t simply a culmination of aura. It was talent and skill. It was abination of hard work and effort. Along with the experiences umted one after another, the particles deeply melted into the soul of the main body of Bratt. Bratt closed his eyes as he felt ultimate enlightenment. And sat down. And some time passed. Blink. In the eyes of the blue haired swordsman who came to senses, a light shone. ¡°¡­ Hmm.¡± Bratt Lloyd stood up and checked himself. He moved his body and drew his sword as he swung it a few times. There was no extreme movement. He knew exactly which muscles he didn¡¯t need to move. It was the gift of his ego that had broken his limit for him. However, there was something worrisome¡­ ast piece of advice. In a way, it was a message close to concern. But. ¡®¡­ I mean, it is something I have been thinking about a lot.¡¯ There was no way he wouldn¡¯t have done what his alter ego had thought about. Because they were the same person. Of course, he wasn¡¯t going to ignore the advice. Rather, he spent enough time looking back on himself. In that way, he remembered thest words of the clone, restored his realization, and looked back at all the battles he had fought over the years. Finally, as he thought, Bratt shook his head. ¡®I cannot be alone.¡¯ He needed a worthy opponent. Naturally, he wanted someone stronger. The moment he thought so far, the portal appeared. Chin! ¡°¡­ time to leave.¡± Bratt mumbled. Right. There was no need to be here anymore. The quest was done, and his helper had disappeared. All that remains was to return to reality. Phew. He took a short breath and entered the portal without hesitation. After a while. ¡°¡­¡± He smiled. A familiar sky A familiar wall. A simrly familiar yard that couldn¡¯t bepared with the training ground he spent thest 10 years. He didn¡¯t care about any of that, and only the person in the center caught his eye. With her silver hair fluttering, she looked at him with erged eyes¡­ a friend¡­ and a rival too. But there was something he didn¡¯t see before. Memories with her shed through his mind. The pain of Krono¡¯s final evaluation. In the Land of Proof, the silver aura of the opponent he had met by chance. After that, Ilya Lindsay¡¯s splendid growth, it all went through his mind. However, he smiled. He was confident. Even as he faced her sword which moved on its own, Bratt didn¡¯t lose his confidence. Woong! The blue haired swordsman who overcame more difficult opponents than anyone else raised a wonderful energy that resembled the sea. ¡®I see. Bratt is like me. One quest and one helper¡­¡¯ After a fierce battle ended. Ilya and Bratt sat down together in the yard after a 10 year gap. Meanwhile, the ruinednd was naturally restored. This was a world in a sorcery sphere, so this was bound to happen. Rather, Bratt¡¯s story was more interesting. It was that he had himself as his helper. It was a quest that ended when you defeated your clone. ¡®¡­ in the end, it is never easy.¡¯ Rather, it might be the most difficult quest in the world, y thought carefully. Dion Lindsay, the great hero from 400 years ago, and the Demon Dragon King who was the closest to the Demon King title, clearly were difficult enemies, but since they were different entities from ¡®yourself¡¯, there was enough hope that the gap would be narrowed. But with Bratt it was different. The battles must have been difficult and troublesome. It was a strange ordeal and it was not odd for someone to copse under the anxiety of not being able to ovee himself. It made her feel good to see her friend who didn¡¯t give in and came back stronger and cooler. With an honest heart, she felt like she could praise him all day. But she didn¡¯t want to do it, because of Bratt Lloyd¡¯s expression. He seemed to know better about what he had aplished. Beyond that, he had the attitude that screamed that those around him should look up to him! ¡°Why are you looking at me without a word?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Normally, I am good-looking, but seeing me much better than my older self must have been increadible¡­ you are speechless right? This¡­ you can¡¯t think of a word to describe the perfect me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ilya looked away from Bratt. If possible, she didn¡¯t want to look at him again, because she really thought that it was horrible to stay with this guy alone. She shut her eyes. And heard Bratt¡¯s words again. ¡°I see, I understand. It cannot be helped.¡± ¡°¡­what?¡± ¡°I know. The fact that there is a halo behind my head. It would be difficult to look at me you¡¯re your eyes open. I should have known this.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®Please, someone elsee.¡¯ Biting her lip, Ilya Lindsay eagerly sought her other friends. It was fine even if it was Judith and not Airn. If only it meant to take down this idiot. If only this guy¡¯s mouth could be stopped! Ching! Did her longing heart¡¯s wish work? There was a crack in air. A solid line split to either side and a person appeared. A woman with red hair fluttering wildly and a confident expression. Judith. Ilya cheered. ¡®Phew, thank God!¡¯ She too had changed from 10 years ago. And like when she met Bratt, it seemed like they were much closer now. However, what was more urgent than that was Bratt¡¯s silence. Ilya looked at Judith with excitement. This hot-tempered girl could shut his mouth right away! As she was thinking, Judith, who looked at her lover, grabbed him by the cor and pulled him. ¡°¡­¡± And kissed. This time, well, it made Bratt go silent, and Ilya¡¯s wish came true. Sure, the way it was done wasn¡¯t satisfactory. Sighing, she turned back. It was heartbreaking for her to see the affection of these two lovers. She wanted to purify her mind by looking at the clear sky. And then the fourth portal appeared. Ching! Tak ¡°..¡± ¡°¡­¡± There was no need for words. There was no need for anything. Ilya Lindsay approached him like the wind, faster than her emotions burst out and embraced her lover. Airn wasn¡¯t confused. He smiled softly and said, ¡°You¡¯ve worked hard, all of you.¡± Atst, the four had gathered again. Chapter 363 Chapter 363 ¨C To Go Out (3) Ilya Lindsay Bratt Lloyd Judith Airn Pareira The four swordsmen had gathered. Over the years, they had ovee the trials given to each of them, and had had finally reunited here. There was no awkward air. Their rtionship was too tight to be awkward after a 10 year gap, and even if there was a sense of distance there was no problem. Bratt would reduce it. Swish! Swish! As he swung his hand to and fro, the old shabby house neatly changed. It wasn¡¯t just that. Now there was music and delicious smelling food on the tables. And he said to the three, ¡°What? You all don¡¯t use abilities in the sorcery sphere to do what you want?¡± ¡°¡­ no, it looked a bit too natural¡± ¡°This brat, did you just rest and not practice?¡± ¡°Judith, no matter how cute and lovely you are, you shouldn¡¯t say that.¡± ¡°Crazy bastard.¡± ¡°Ilya, your mouth has gotten a lot rougher since Ist saw you. Was it too hard inside?¡± ¡°You are the one making things hard for me.¡± ¡°Why? The fact that Judith is cute is unchanging¡­¡± Ilya¡¯s expression was getting worse. Judith who was looking at her lover shut his mouth with a kiss. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Ilya.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± ¡°Can I do it too?¡± ¡°Enough.¡± Ilya answered Airn with a smile. It was true that the two of them felt ufortable amidst the daring love of their friends, but thanks to that, the gap of time that had been created was disappearing. And it was the same for Judith. Before letting go of Bratt¡¯s arms, Judith kissed her lover¡¯s cheeks one more time and then lifted a chicken leg from the te to eat it. And asked with a mischievous expression. ¡°Everyone seems to have a lot going on.¡± ¡°Well.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Right? I am sure. My mouth is itching to tell you guys everything about the quest and helper I got. To be honest, I am proud of everything that happened. But I don¡¯t think it is just me.¡± Judith looked at each of them. She was sure. Even with Ilya right now, the air had changed. Even if she dared to use an expression, it would be majestic yet also something mysterious. It wasn¡¯t awkward. And such growth couldn¡¯t just simply happen. The blonde one next to her was even more interesting. Apart from the greatness of his swordsmanship, he used to feel like an aplished human being. When talking casually he was a good friend, but in the face of important situations, she often thought of him as an adult who lived through many years. ¡®But now, all that has changedpletely.¡¯ Judith looked at Airn. He has definitely changed. Even if she wascking the basic aura operation and sensingpared to the others, there was no way she couldn¡¯t feel anything from this man. In any case, she too became a Sword Master and overcame her inexperience. Still, she couldn¡¯t feel anything like¡­ ¡°Judith.¡± It was when she was thinking Bratt who had been silent after the kiss, spoke and Judith turned to him and he said. ¡°Don¡¯t look at the other side for today. Because I want your eyes only on me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Huhu, sometimes I freaking love those cold eyes.¡± ¡­this time, even Judith couldn¡¯t respond with a kiss. But apart from the stinging gaze, she was interested in Bratt Lloyd too. And a little confused too. Of the three, two had achieved tangible growth, but the other felt weirdly weaker than before, far from developed. Apart from that, she didn¡¯t even feel energy from him. In such a case, who was she more curious about? Thetter. To breakmon sense between strong people like them meant that something amazing had happened. Of course, it might have been a wrong thought, but she ruled out that idea. Airn was someone who always broke through. ¡®But why does Bratt keep attracting my attention?¡¯ Because he is her lover? No. A lover and this thing was different. Judith, who found some peace in her mind, was now feeling her body go hot with herpetitive spirit burning. And that in turn made her¡­ What? A stronger spirit than before? A confident smile which never washed off her face? ¡°¡­fine, tell me.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Your helper. Your quest.¡± In the end, Judith gave up her concerns and asked Bratt directly. It wasn¡¯t just him. She looked at the others and said it. ¡°The others should also say it. By the way, I met Khun.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°Khun?¡± They were all surprised. Even Airn, who was quiet this whole time, looked shocked and that made Judith happy. ¡®Enough. It doesn¡¯t matter how strong someone is.¡¯ After all, she was the strongest. And Judith smiled thinking that. Was it because her promise with Khun eased her heart? Contrary to how painful she felt 10 years ago, she now looked like a healthy person with a healthy passion. ¡°¡­ nice. Then, Judith, Airn, Ilya and Me. Shall we take turns like that? How many great people have you met? And how difficult were your quests?¡± ¡°Good. I was well, in the dark city of Godara¡­¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks And Judith began to speak with excitement. Ilya was enraptured by the story which was interesting and it was the same with Airn. Bratt just nodded at times. It was a fun time. But the minds of the four weren¡¯t at peace. Whileughing, talking and eating, the worries inside them were still intact. Above all, they had work to do. Woong¡­ Dududud! As Bratt finished his story, the ground shook and everything melted. As if everything was a lie, it all returned to nothing. A white space spread around them. There was a huge door in the center. Looking at at, Ilya had a firm expression. ¡®¡­it is hard.¡¯ And scary. This was no simple door. It was thest hurdle. She was someone who could even take down the Demon Dragon King, but this was beyond imagination. The first thing she thought was that she would never be able to break it. But it was fine. She looked around. The others were having the same thoughts as she did. The four heroes knew that it was impossible to do this alone, but it was possible since they were together. And she nodded, making a silver aura appear. Shortly after, a blue and a red aura also appeared. ¡­woong! A golden one too. Thest energy which bloomed in the silence was not as intense as the first three. At least for this moment it wasn¡¯t. Feeling this, Judith looked at her side feeling a bit confused. However, it all disappeared when she looked at Ilya¡¯s face. ¡°¡­¡± It is fine. Seeing her eyes, Judith stopped worrying. It was natural. No matter how much she cared for Airn, she couldn¡¯t be like Ilya. She looked forward again with a stronger aura and so did Ilya and Bratt. Wooong! The light of the four shone stronger than before. The towering door, and the white sorcery space. It couldn¡¯t handle the four. The world copsed before the attack even started. But it wasn¡¯t over. This was just the start. Finally, the young heroes who overcame the long training appeared on the continent. ¡°Hmm, seems good.¡± It had been three days since they got out of Lulu¡¯s sorcery sphere. Bratt checked his dress as he walked down the streets of Avilius. He was going for a light drink. Of course, he could enjoy everything in the pce, but now he wanted some free time. As he got out, he moved to a bar and felt his neck and shoulders lose strength. ¡°Hey, Bratt.¡± ¡°Lance, it has been so long.¡± But even more delightful was the fact that he got to spend time with his best friend, Lance Peterson. Although it was just one here in this world, Bratt was seeing Lance after 10 years, so he was happy to have a drink with the man. ¡°5 bottles of whiskey in here please.¡± ¡°¡­you didn¡¯te from the sphere to drink right away, right?¡± That said, Lance was no weak drinker either. They were just polite words, and he too emptied the cups without even putting in ice. ¡°Excluding my family and the orcs, you are the next best drinking buddy.¡± ¡°Was that apliment or an insult?¡± Feeling the honest atmosphere, Lance continued. He talked about his personal stories. He shared some news from Krono mates. Other than that, he threw out some stories which only the same sex friends could know. It was a fun and rxing time. Until Bratt suddenly took the lead. ¡°Lance.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°¡­. For?¡± ¡°My eyes see it. The things you are saying, I don¡¯t believe them.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It feels a bit bad, but my fault is bigger in this.¡± ¡°What is that¡­¡± He was trying to ask what nonsense it was but then Bratt began to release a strong energy. Kwakwakwakwa! ¡®Crazy!¡¯ Lance cursed but only in his mind. Bratt¡¯s aura operation was so fast that he didn¡¯t even have time to scream. For a moment, many things shed through his mind. The tension and anxiety he had since before and the concern for his friend died down. The negative emotions were all swept away. It disappeared without a trace in the waves of Bratt¡¯s energy. Lance Peterson who came to senses, looked ahead. Like the first time. No, the look on Bratt¡¯s Lloyd¡¯s face as he stared at him was unsightly, but he didn¡¯t hate Bratt despite that. Lance gulped and asked. ¡°You, how strong¡­ no, maybe, you have gotten stronger? No, ha¡­¡± ¡°Very strong. rather¡­ Now you know, you don¡¯t have to be considerate of me. Here, three more bottles of the same!¡± Bratt answered and called for additional drinks. And the owner gave it to them with a friendly smile. However, he couldn¡¯t hide his anxiety. This wasn¡¯t his story. The people of city. The people on the street. Wuxia World . Site Only There was worry on the faces of everyone Bratt hade across, but no one gave an answer to him. Bratt Lloyd, who thought that, asked. ¡°Can you be honest with me? I want to hear this from my best friend.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°In this one year, tell me what happened in the continent.¡± Chapter 364 Chapter 364 ¨C Growth (1) Growth 1 The peace that had prevailed for 160 years was broken. Now, no one knew when the devils would reappear and cause chaos in their lives. The Warrior¡¯s Festival was held for that reason. To restrict and sever off the negative thoughts and spread hope in the minds of the people. ¡®But it failed.¡¯ Right, the festival nned by Avilius had failed. I Crescentia was supposed represent hope for the continent, but the Heart Demon prevented it. The Holy Kingdom had to make every effort to not let the news of her abduction spread around, but it had still spread despite that. And this caused great confusion. And along with that, even greater anxiety. As the rift grew with each day, more and more demons appeared. In spite of the operation in Godara, other devils began to appear. Today¡¯s continent was much darker than a year ago Which was why Lance Paterson was lying. ¡®The burden given to the four, to Bratt¡­ it is already too much.¡¯ Four young people who weren¡¯t even in their 30s, was given the duty to take down the Demon King. It would be normally absurd, but the sorcery sphere gave them time to practice. Yet, the pressure and stress were enough for a normal man to crumble. And now, they had to take more bad news They had to convey another burden onto the shoulders of those who were already at their limits? He couldn¡¯t. Until the four moved to subjugate the Demon King, he decided to not talk about it. That was Lance¡¯s idea, and it was also what people around him thought as well. And that was what was behind the consideration that Bratt felt for thest three days. But. Kwakwkawang! But he realized after feeling the force from Bratt. He didn¡¯t have to care about something like ¡®consideration¡¯. ¡®Bratt, what kind of existence have you be?¡¯ It wasn¡¯t a feeling of him growing stronger. Of course, it was true that he got stronger but Lance didn¡¯t want to use that expression. He didn¡¯t want Bratt to be evaluated by his swordsmanship or aura anymore. So¡­ ¡®He outgrew hmself.¡¯ Not as a swordsman, but as a human. Seeing the friend who rose to a higher-level, Lance felt two opposite feelings. ¡°¡­ you are right. I made you upset. What am I doing hiding things from someone who is the future Lord of the Lloyd estate?¡± ¡°Right. A man like me doesn¡¯t need to have things sugar coated.¡± ¡°You still have that horrible character.¡± ¡°I have a different opinion about it, but let¡¯s move on. Priority¡­¡± ¡°Okay, I will tell you what you asked.¡± ¡®But there will be no consideration.¡¯ He answered Bratt Lloyd with a calm face that indicated that nothing was wrong. Rumors that something big had happened to the Holy Kingdom were spreading around. As a result, the dimensional rift widened. Now it wasn¡¯t just the demons that had stayed hidden, but new ones from Devildom were graduallying in and the number of devils had gone up too. The most shocking was thest bit of information Lance shared. Quincy Myers¡¯ downfall. When Bratt heard that Quincy Myers had lost most of his powers after a fight with a strong devil, Bratt who was calm till then went stiff. ¡°Right. Sir Quincy Myers¡­¡± ¡°That happened.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Well, we can do nothing about what has already happened.¡± Emptying the bottle, Bratt said, trying to shake off the bitterness he felt in his heart. Right. It had already happened. Instead of grieving over something which couldn¡¯t be changed, it would be right to work harder for the man. Because the fight with the devils had just begun. Bratt nodded and looked at Lance. ¡°We need to work harder.¡± ¡°We¡­¡± Silence fell. Bratt emptied the 2 bottles in front of him and Lance pondered on the word ¡®we¡¯. They hadn¡¯t seen each other for too long, but they were close enough to not be concerned about such things. And to prove it, they resumed talking and another topic flew in. It was the story about the sorcery sphere and the conversation was focused around Bratt. ¡°Have you heard of a man who has won over himself?¡± ¡°You bastard, what nonsense¡­¡± As with Judith and Ilya, Bratt spoke of the story again. At this, Lance shook his head. He even asked him to stop talking about all this weird stuff but honestly, he admired the man and listened till the end. ¡°Um, get up now. I am full.¡± ¡°¡­ not drunk, but full?¡± ¡°I feel like my tolerance has gone up.¡± ¡°Then why bother drinking? Well, it is nice to see you after so long.¡± After a few hours passed, the two got up and went their separate ways. In Bratt¡¯s case, he just walked around the street. Several thoughts came to his mind. The Demon King. The devils. Quincy Myers and the others who made noble sacrifices during their absence. But what remained in his heart, deeper than all of that was¡­ ¡°Lance Peterson.¡± Bratt Lloyd paused for a moment and called his friend¡¯s name. recalling the drinks. He looked fine today. But it cannot have been that. The guy was pretending to be fine. He knew it because he had experienced it once himself. ¡°Well¡­ there is no need to worry.¡± Because he wasn¡¯t the only one who had grown. A faint smile appeared on Bratt¡¯s face as he moved. Lance Peterson was a genius. That was an undeniable fact. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks In the final evaluation of the Krono Swordsmanship academy, where only the most talented people get selected, he got 5th ce. What did it mean to be in the top five of the Golden batch? It meant that he was born with talent and that he was notcking at all. In fact, he climbed up to the Expert level very quickly and was sure to be a Sword Master in the future. But he wasn¡¯t satisfied with it. He had to take care of his heart which kept getting attacked by his inferiority each day, and ironically, the biggest reason for that was Krono which gave him his bright name. Airn Pareira. Ilya Lindsay. Judith. Bratt Lloyd. Thinking of the people who had climbed so high that he couldn¡¯t even touch them, Lance closed his eyes. ¡®It makes no sense.¡¯ He knew that the world wasn¡¯t fair to everyone. Many people were suffering from the gap between their desires and reality. Everyone feels that their work was the best. And what¡¯s more? Lance¡¯s ideals were even higher when he grew up with such strong people. This made his present humbler. But¡­ He couldn¡¯t show that to Bratt It was because he could see it in those eyes. The weight of emotions the man must have been feeling. ¡®He must have felt it a lot harder than me.¡¯ Bratt Lloyd was also a genius. He was someone who was known to be a very rare gem and couldn¡¯t bepared to Lance. But he too wasn¡¯t satisfied. He struggled to control the negative emotions which were greater than joy. Being friends with someone like Airn¡­ Hanging out with Ilya¡­ Talking with people who were known to be the geniuses of the present, shing swords with them¡­ How much anguish had he gone through to get rid of those thoughts? ¡®I cannot even begin to imagine.¡¯ Lance Peterson contemted the path his friend had taken. Trapped in the final evaluation of the school. The bittersweet feelings in the Land of Proof. Defeated at the Warrior¡¯s Festival once again despiteying his pride down. But the man didn¡¯t copse. Rather, when he saw Bratt today looking rxed, Lance knew that finally, Bratt was seeing only himself. And Lance trained. Woong! ¡®Thank you.¡¯ Woong! ¡®Thank you Bratt.¡¯ Even though he reached a level which couldn¡¯t be reached by other experts ¡­ Woong! ¡­this friend of his didn¡¯t ignore him. He didn¡¯t give him measly pity or consideration. The time he spent in the sorcery sphere, the achievements he got at the end, they were all were revealed without taking out or adding anything. Swish! * Swish! For a moment, his emotions intensified. As a result, his sword moved in a rough pattern. It felt like his heart would copse when he saw the level of his friend who had risen higher than before and the sense of entitlement boiling inside him was destroying him. He wanted to sit down and rest. He wanted to run away. But he didn¡¯t. Instead of being fed up with the inferiority, he struggled to move ahead. ¡®I need to ovee it with ease. I need to deal with this.¡¯ Because Bratt believed in him. Because Bratt had shown him. Once again, Lance calmed himself and his breathing along with his shaky mind and he picked himself up. And the single sword strike continued with slight gaps in between. ¨C¨C! ¡°¡­!¡± The feeling was different. It was no coincidence. It was no illusion. Something different had happened within him that he couldn¡¯t see. Startled, Lance Peterson looked at the hand holding the sword. Gulping, he swung the sword in the same manner he had before. Woong! ¡°¡­ Um!¡± He groaned. The sword strike now was a lot calmer then when he was emotionally riled up, but it didn¡¯t have the feeling the one before had. Lance felt the momentary realization he got and stopped swinging. He wanted to scream for not understanding it. ¡°Phew.¡± Woong! Woong! Woooong! With all his ability, he pushed all his emotions into his sword. ¡®Who said the realization doesn¡¯te twice?¡¯ He would hold on. He would ovee it. He wouldn¡¯t give up. Even if it meant that he had to struggle. Even if he couldn¡¯t reach it, he was going to walk on the path of the sword. Lance Peterson, who had strengthened his will, continued to train. ¡°¡­¡± And looking from afar was Kirill Pareira, who seemed both happy and sad. The top three swordsmen on the continent¡­ No, now there were only two. Julius Hul and Ian were leading the continent¡¯s forces and trying to drive away the darkness spreading throughout the continent. Wuxia World . Site Only But not Joshua Lindsay. He went to the capital of the Holy Kingdom for a while to heal from the wounds he suffered in the battle a month ago. Ilya was able to enjoy the happiness of the reunion as she was out of training. A daughter who took away his pain. A child who was as lovely as his most beautiful wife. But the words that flowed from her were mighty. ¡°I will end it¡­ what brother started.¡± Chapter 365 Chapter 365 ¨C Growth (2) There was an evil being. This being didn¡¯t feel guilty about taking away someone else¡¯s property, and violence wasmon with them. Even life-threatening things happened often with them, so no one would support such a person. But what if this being had a family? The story would change if that was the case. Some would think that the person couldn¡¯t be dealt with, and others might say things like the man was insulting his family name. However, there are many cases contrary to it. Like the story of a wise man who was respected by all walking around with a bad child, or the story of an old woman whomitted murder to feed her son. Anything could happen. This was a blood rtionship. An inseparable bond formed from birth. ¡®It is difficult.¡¯ Joshua Lindsay closed his eyes. Ilya Lindsay¡¯s promise to kill her brother brought him sorrow. He knew that it was the right thing to do. No matter what the story was or what kind of rtionship they had, it was unforgivable. It was a truly sad thing to be born as a human and to give up their body and mind to the darkness. But Joshua Lindsay couldn¡¯t stop the thoughts in his head. ¡®I¡¯d rather be dead.¡¯ If it hadn¡¯t been for the missing man who had appeared again, his daughter wouldn¡¯t have had to take on this task. ¡°It is fine, I mean it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I¡­ grew up. I will not falter this time.¡± Ilya¡¯s words were calm. Joshua felt the tears sting his eyes. He knew that his daughter was speaking the truth. How can the child whom he promised to protect grow up so wonderfully? She was so determined to cut down her own blood who had caused unrest to thousands of people. She was nothing short of a hero. Which made her situation even sadder. The reason she was able to be this firm, the reason she was able to hold up the sky itself¡­^note[hold up the sky means to carry a lot of pressure.] ¡®It¡¯s because her strong and painful will and convictions are raging within her¡­¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Silence fell. Joshua Lindsay closed his eyes. It was to control his rising emotions. The daughter who imed that she would do such a difficult task and the father who had to bear it¡­ neither of them could shed tears. But even if they didn¡¯t cry, they couldn¡¯t hide their emotions. Seeing her father¡¯s stiff expression, the daughter who felt sadness spoke. ¡°Would you like to spar with me? It has been so long.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I will show you. That you don¡¯t have to worry. Um¡­ is it because you are injured? Then maybe a drink? Ah, that doesn¡¯t sound good. Uh, then¡­¡± Ilya was mumbling. Actually, it was a little awkward for her. She, who was alwaysforted by her father, was now trying tofort him. Her words weren¡¯t that great because she had never done it. It was even more so because of the gaze Joshua Lindsay had. Seeing her like that, Joshua smiled bitterly. After he had finally settled his emotions, he looked at her and spoke with the dignity of a lord. ¡°My injuries are fine. I wasn¡¯t seriously hurt before so now I am all better. And let¡¯s have a drink, it has been so long. I want to hear what happened inside the sorcery sphere that the dragon made.¡± ¡°Lulu is a cat.¡± ¡°Yes, the cat¡­ so, I want to hear all of it.¡± ¡°You are fine, but you don¡¯t want to spar?¡± Ilya asked. It was natural for him to want to hear her side of the story inside the sphere, but a sword was important to a swordsman, so she thought her father would naturally choose to spar despite his physical condition, which was why she couldn¡¯t understand his words. And as if he understood her thoughts¡­ Joshua smiled and said. ¡°No, it is hard to bear for me. I want to see how amazingly my daughter has grown up. I know you have gotten strong, but I don¡¯t know how strong you have be. My body is itching to know.¡± ¡°Then why¡­¡± ¡°I made a promise.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°To see the achievements of the heroes who will lead the new area together.¡± Recalling the faces of some old men, Joshua Lindsay smiled. ¡ª After breaking free from the sphere, Airn immediately reunited with his family thanks to Kirill. When he saw his parents smiling after 10 long years, he was ovee with emotions. But he didn¡¯t cry. Rather, he tried to show them his calm side. Like he met them after a short while, he tried to spend some good time with them. ¡°I thought it would take another 2 months, but my teacher was right. How do you feel? How was the inside of the sorcery sphere?¡± ¡°It has been a while, Kuvar. Is Gurgar still in this world?¡± ¡°No, he went back about half a year ago. But there was a premonition.¡± He chatted with Kuvar, whom he met after a long time. ¡°It¡¯s been so long, Airn.¡± ¡°Lance? You were here too? I thought you were in the scho¡­¡± ¡°I graduated through? I wanted to experience the swordsmanship of the Holy Kingdom, so I have been training here for several months.¡± He talked with Lance Peterson for a while. In addition, he solved the affairs he had with a number of people who had been waiting for him. His expression, which had stayed stiff after the fight with the clown, gradually softened. And little by little he regained stability. But. ¡°¡­ Lulu.¡± When he looked at Lulu, who was asleep without realizing Airn was back, it was like a stone had created a ripple in the calm waters of his heart. He looked at her huge body and wings that was enough topletely cover his body, along with the long tail which came from the back. Even after blinking, he couldn¡¯t find her in her cat form. But Lulu was always Lulu. Always pure and wise, her emotions spread to Airn. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°Hello.¡± Airn greeted Lulu. ¡°¡­¡± But Lulu couldn¡¯t respond. This was natural, she was sleeping right now. She fell into a slumber and didn¡¯t know they hade back. How long? For how long? With that body curled and barely even giving out the sound of breathing. ¡°There aren¡¯t many records about dragons, and there are many cases with different words, but there were some ovepping content.¡¯ Kirill spoke. Airn didn¡¯t look at her; he continued to look at Lulu. Seeing him like that, Kirill continued to speak with a sad expression. ¡°Dragons resemblerge lizards and have huge wings like the bats. It is known that they use magic which is beyond understand of the humans, some sorcerers im it isn¡¯t magic but sorcery but¡­ it is said that they have great powers which can cause miracles to change the world, and no matter what, I don¡¯t think they can use such kind of power all the time. so¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­ the legend that dragons stay in a hundred years of slumber is probably because of this.¡± Dragons use sorcery, or magic that is so great that it feels like magic. In return, they sacrifice their lifespan which gets reced by sleep. That was the conclusion Kirill could get. Rong¡­ Prong¡­. ¡®Stupid!¡¯ Seeing Lulu making her nostrils huge and small, Kirill clenched her fist. Before the four entered the sphere, Lulu told her don¡¯t worry, just because we perform miracle it doesn¡¯t mean we sacrifice something huge. I have no intention of going anywhere, so If anyone wants to see me, I will be there. A bad joke! Hundred years Two hundred years. Maybe even longer than that, a thousand years. If she cannot wake up until that long, then what is the use of this? ¡°¡­ Lulu.¡± Airn called out his friend¡¯s name again. His heart was crying. Although he had practiced sorcery for a long time and stayed within the sorcery world, each time he remembered the choices of Karen Winker and Lulu, a sadness would take over him. His previous life was turned away from all the people, even the ones he brought up like his own kids but had to finally hold the sword for the very same people. Lulu, the cat sorcery, who wanted to make friends despite being a ck cat which brings bad luck, performed miracles to sacrifice her life for the world. The two stories ran through his mind. Even though he closed his eyes, the thoughts didn¡¯t disappear. Rather, they grew deeper to stimte his heart. The blonde swordsman recalled his past. He remembered when Karen Winker first appeared in his dreams. He wanted to know why he was wielding the sword, and he remembered the time when he wandered around the continent to find a reason to wield the sword. He recalled Lulu, who taught him the meaning of ¡®effort with all his heart¡¯ by his side. He recalled moments when he looked at Lulu who had a bright and cheerful mood throughout the journey which was difficult. It had been that way for a long time. An hour passed, a half day, a day, Airn stood still without moving, remembered the story of the man and the cat. ¡°I-Is this okay? What do we do>¡± ¡°Right. Can we leave it like¡­¡± Seeing this, some soldiers of Aviliius looked worried. Although the existence in front of them is a young man, he was the fire for the future of the continent. And if such a person stood dead for days it was bound to cause worry to them. Of course, they didn¡¯t want to go and do something and be held responsible for it, so they just reported it to the seniors. And a swordsman appeared. ¡°Excuse me¡­¡¯ ¡°it is fine. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It is fine. You can leave.¡± That was it. The man who approached Airn stayed in silence for a long time. The soldiers felt restless, but they could say nothing to him. He asked to be left alone, they had to follow it. Another few hours passed. A day passed Two days. In the midst of this, a swordsman with a cam attitude came. He didn¡¯t leave the side, but he spent time doing his own thing in moderation, as if checking his sword or meditating. Of course, not everyone was like that. Now even the high priests of Holy Kingdom were concerned for Airn. The news reached even the ears of the warriors on the forefront of subjugation and rumors circted that the sorcery sphere was a failure. The swordsman was strong. He trusted Airn, he didn¡¯t doubt the man. And when he woke up from deep thought, the swordsman spoke with a soft sime. ¡°A lot of people are waiting.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Uh. It seems like they are curious about us. School master, White Knightsmand, the King of Runtel too.¡± ¡°I see, I am sorry.¡± Wuxia World . Site Only Airn Pareira nodded his head. And he moved. He looked back at Lulu for thest time. and he said as he walked to the silver haired swordsman. ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡°it was nothing.¡± Ilya Lindsay smiled brightly. Now was the time to go and prove. Chapter 366 Chapter 366 ¨C Growth (3) The Demon King had truly appeared. Bing a Demon King wasn¡¯t just simply about being a strong demon. A Demon King had to be a creature with the ability and ambition to unite the demons below it. It had to be a creature that was capable enough to establish its kingdom in the human world, and further transform the human world into Devildom. Until now, only the Demon Dragon King hade close to the level of bing a Demon King. Every other entity had remained stuck at the level of a great devil. However, it was different this time. Personal power? It had killed Khun, one of the top three swordsmen on the continent. It was also vicious enough to corrupt Carl Lindsay, who was a genius among geniuses. The ability of a king? That was there too. The clown devil that was known to be on par with the Demon Dragon King in strength alone was under the creature¡¯smand. The incident that had urred in the Dark City, Godara, was shocking. It was unexpected for so many devils to gather in one ce and listen to someone else¡¯s orders. Against such a creature¡­ Against such a Demon King¡­ Against the Heart Demon, all the continent had were four swordsmen. Ilya Lindsay. Bratt Lloyd. Judith. And Airn Pareira. Of course, each one of them was a genius who was strong enough to leave their mark on history, but none of them had reached their full potential yet. Many people had expressed their concern about entrusting such an important role to children who hadn¡¯t even reached 30 years old yet. This was also the reason why everyone kept silent about the situation in the continent. They didn¡¯t want to put greater pressure on the young heroes. ¡°This is a bad idea.¡± That was what The Holy King had said. Right. What the world needed right now was aplete hero. These people were young and inexperienced, so they wouldn¡¯t be able to care for the world. But would the Demon King do his business considering that the people he was facing were children? No. If concealing the truth lessened the burdens on the heroes, would it be fine? No. On the contrary, if they were individuals who couldn¡¯t even handle that much, then they simply didn¡¯t have the capacity to go against the Demon King. If they weren¡¯t capable of helping I, it would be better to give up on her and develop more power in the human world. They had to prepare for the impending war and pass the teachings of the seniors to the less powerful ones. ¡°Of course¡­ this is the scenario if they weren¡¯tplete heroes.¡± Unlike the usual warm expression he constantly had, the Holy King looked at the four swordsmen in front of him with wide eyes. It was difficult. Some of them seemed to bepletely different, while the others did not. Rather, it was more like they had a blurred presence, and it was difficult to figure out what had caused it. ¡®Maybe, they have be too powerful for me to judge.¡¯ ¡°Huhu¡± Soon, the king smiled and nodded his head. He had really wished for something like this to happen. He hoped that their capabilities wouldn¡¯t be immediately detected not only by the people here, but also by the eyes of those who would test them in the future. He wished that the people of the continent would gain hope after seeing the four swordsmen. Thinking that, he got up. ¡°Then¡­ I have already told you everything which has to be told, so let¡¯s see.¡± Four heroes and a couple of high-ranking priests followed the old man who was walking. After a while. When they arrived at the royal pce, they saw familiar faces. In the past few days, the sword masters and magicians, and other people powerful enough to stand at the forefront in the war against the devils had all reached Avilus. Most of them hade back with the help of Anya¡¯s sorcery portal. However, the four didn¡¯t concentrate on everyone. Their attention was drawn to a few people. The ones standing in the center. Julius Hul. Ian. Karakum. Jia Runtel. Watching the strongest men on the continent radiating a terrifying force, the high priests of the Holy Kingdom gulped. And in that heavy atmosphere. Step. ¡°e on.¡± The strongest pdin of the continent, Julius Hul, stepped forward and looked at Ilya Lindsay. Wooong! ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± There was a heavy silence between them. It wasn¡¯t that quiet at first, but now even the sound of breathing couldn¡¯t be heard. All that reached their ears was the sound of aura rising. Despite being close to 90, the man was still very strong. Step. Step. Step. But Ilya Lindsay remained calm. Though there were numerous gazes focused on her, she didn¡¯t care about any of them, let alone Julius Hul. She took a step forward. The tension in the room heightened even more. One of the three greatest swordsmen of the continent, who had maintained that position for decades, was facing off against one of the four heroes who was about to lead the continent in the future. The pressure intensified. The air was heavy. Everyone was looking forward to when Ilya would draw her sword, but then a strange sound came from above them. ¨C¨C! ¡°Um!¡± It was a deafening sound. It seemed to be the sounds of swords shing against one another. A groan escaped Julius Hul¡¯s mouth as he blocked the attack. There was a look of shock on his face. He was sure that nothing hade out from Ilya¡¯s hand. The sky. Seeing the sword move in an unexpected direction, everyone had a look of shock and admiration on their faces as they understood what it meant. The Sky Sword! It was as if the God of Wind was trying to destroy the darkness. After the sh, Ilya¡¯s sky sword, which put some distance between them, moved freely in the air. Then it again flew towards Julius Hul. Ching! To prevent the sword that transcended its limits from harming him, he had to do his best! An Aura Shield instantly appeared around him. Even if it was an unpredictable attack, it wouldn¡¯t be a problem if he could block it! Crouching like a tortoise, the eyes of the old knight shed, clearly trying to figure out his opponent¡¯s weakness. It was then. Srng! Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Chik! ¡°¡­!¡± Ilya Lindsay, who had been standing still until then, moved for the first time. Her sword, which was at her waist, was pulled out. The sword that had been flying in the sky was added to it. The aura which had been developed now merged into one single entity and gave out a blinding brilliance. Julius Hul clenched his teeth. As a result, hepressed the widely spread Aura Shield like a bead and then rotated it like a cone. However, nothing could stop that sword. Ian and Karakum intervened quickly to offset the shock. Kwaaaaang! ¡°Kuak!¡± ¡°Ack¡­!¡± It wasn¡¯t the end, but the impact was too strong. The high priests and the strong men who had been watching, staggered at the aura that spread wide. Kuvar, who was watching the match, almost got hit by a stone that had bounced off. Fortunately, it was blocked by his brother. He thanked him immediately. ¡°T-thank you¡± But he didn¡¯t respond. There was no time to. Ilya stood there with a calm face, her flying sword swirling around her in front of the huge crater she had created. ¡°Useless worry¡­¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°Um.¡± Khalifa and Tarakan nodded in agreement. Right. There was no need to worry. The young heroes were already burdened about the future of the continent. And they weren¡¯t simply strong; Ilya¡¯s Sky Sword had shown them that. As proof of that, Julius Hul no longer pointed his sword at her. ¡°The verification of Ilya Lindsay is done.¡± There was a slight crack in his holy sword, and the old knight stared at the woman of the Lindsay family. He couldn¡¯t believe it. But he didn¡¯t hate this feeling either. He simply hoped that the other three young people had achieved this too. He nodded and stepped back. Ian and Karakum, who were there, also found their spots. They knew that it wasn¡¯t over. This was just the start. They could feel the huge force building up in the atmosphere. Jia Runtel stepped ahead. ¡°Come, Airn Pareira.¡± Wheik Jik¡­ A thick me and lighting left traces on the ground as she walked forward. Due to the high heat, the floor beneath her was melting, and it turned the hall hotter. But it didn¡¯t end there. As Jia Runtel swung her long staff, magic popped out from it. It was creating mes and lightning as if it had been molded together. ¡°Let¡¯s see. How strong you¡¯ve be.¡± The magical dragon flew upwards. It floated high in the sky and looked at Airn with red and blue eyes. It was the gaze of the Queen of magicians, and it was different from how Julius Hul had looked at Ilya. It was different from the past. His form that he had shown at the festival wasmendable, but that wasn¡¯t his sword now. As a magician, she couldn¡¯t understand why she felt nothing from Airn. She could only feel the flow of the 5 energies from him. After hearing the exnations for bing a spiritualist from the orcs, she wanted toprehend the huge tree that represented their beliefs. But now something unexpected happened. Nothing could be felt. Of course, his presence as a Master was still there, but that was all. Even though she was so powerful, she couldn¡¯t feel the air he had around him in the past when he had the conviction to help the world. That was the reason she chose to test Airn now. Jia Runtel focused more on her magic to suppress the growing anxiety within her. Kiiin! Grrrr¡­. The dragon¡¯s sharp gaze scanned him. Feeling the momentum of Jia Runtel on the ground, the powerful people there felt strange as well. No one looked at Airn. They had forgotten why they were even in the training room. They just felt crushed by the overwhelming force that was on them, and they simply looked at the dragon and the Queen. There was nothing different about Airn. He looked at Jia Runtel, who was floating above the ground, and looked at the dragon which was soaring above her. There was one thing that felt different. As he looked at the magic, what he felt wasn¡¯t fear but sadness. After a while. With his eyes closed, unparalleled energy rose from his body. ¡°¡­¡± Killing people only by the pressure you exerted on them. Many people would think it was impossible, but it was actually possible. If one was a top-level expert, it was possible to use aura to pressure their opponent. Even without the expert using a sword, an ordinary person would be close to death in such a situation. And such an expert could be pushed into a corner by a Master. In order to be able to do that with force alone against another Master, one had to go beyond the level of Master. Or they had to be infinitely close to it. However, it didn¡¯t take long for everyone to realize the situation. Woong! Inashio Karahan drew his sword. It wasn¡¯t over. Devan Kennedy and Ralph Penn were all holding their swords. And they resisted the force that pressed upon them. They all did. They couldn¡¯t help but do it. The strong¡­ each and every one of them felt a psychological threat and used whatever they could to protect themselves ¨C aura, magic, sorcery, spirit, and holy power. They protected themselves from the waves of energying at them. And what broke the series of events¡­ It was Bratt Lloyd who went to Airn¡¯s side. ¡°Enough.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Wuxia World . Site Only ¡°This much should be enough. So¡­ stop.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Am I wrong, Queen of Runtel?¡± Keeping his hand on Airn¡¯s shoulder, Bratt looked at the woman. There was a drop of sweat running down her forehead. Chapter 367 Chapter 367 ¨C Growth (4) 1 year ago. Back when Lulu had realized that she wasn¡¯t just a weird cat but a dragon, a great hope settled in the hearts of people. Something like a ray of light in the darkness. And the dragon performed an incredible miracle. Beyond just space, it touched the realm of time and gave the heroes of the continent the best conditions and opportunity for growth. Of course, if one asked whether 10 years of time was enough to defeat the Demon King, then answering it would be difficult¡­ ¡®Now we have no choice but to believe.¡¯ ¡®Airn Pareira, Ilya Lindsay, Judith, Bratt Lloyd¡­¡¯ ¡®These four¡­¡¯ Everyone had seen how the kids were in the Warrior¡¯s Festival and coupled with the presence of the dragon, hope shined bright. However. ¡®Airn Pareira doesn¡¯t seem to be in a good form.¡¯ ¡®Did it not go well?¡¯ Shortly after the training period of the four had ended, bad news spread around the continent. The reason was that Airn Pareira, who they had most of their expectations on, seemed to be the weakest of the four. Of course, it was difficult to evaluate how weak he was since they were all strong Masters. However, the general atmosphere couldn¡¯t be ignored and the unstable appearance of Airn didn¡¯t look that good. Although it seemed hopeless, they all thought that Lulu must have done something to help him till the end. But some people still thought that Airn couldn¡¯t achieve the growth they had expected him to. And now¡­ ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­this is insane.¡± ¡­no one doubted Airn¡¯s strength any longer. There was no need to worry. In just 10 years, he hade back as a monster. ¡°Queen of Runtel.¡± There was tension, shock, and most importantly a little joy and hope in the minds of the people. Bratt¡¯s voice resounded in that atmosphere. He looked straight at Jia Runtel, the Queen of magicians, and asked. ¡°Do you need more validation?¡± ¡°¡­¡± She was speechless. She had a stiff expression on her face as she looked at Airn. Clearly, she was unable to believe what just happened. It wasn¡¯t strange. But¡­ No, was it right to say that it was the force of Airn? ¡®¡­even while using my magic, I had to step back.¡¯ The magic that Jia Runtel hadpleted before Airn had returned¡­ the dragon magic that she had developed further after meeting Lulu. Just as a Sword Master depended on the Aura Sword to block attacks, she had immediately cast the Chaos Dragon in full confidence that it would free her from threats. If only she could go against the Demon King¡­ that was how confident she was in her abilities. In her current state, she was confident enough to call herself the strongest person on the continent. ¡­but for those convictions to be shaken this badly because of Airn¡¯s performance. And it was odd. The aura that he had shown at the Warrior¡¯s Festival certainly wasn¡¯t like this¡­ ¡®¡­besides he hasn¡¯t even show it all now.¡¯ What was even more absurd was that he hadn¡¯t shown his true power in here. ¡®Was it because the blue haired man had stopped him?¡¯ It could be that. If he hadn¡¯t put his hand on Airn¡¯s shoulder, his true power would have been revealed here. But Jia Runtel didn¡¯t think of that as Airn¡¯s true power. Perhaps¡­. ¡®Everything this man showed me just now was just his preparation for a proper battle¡­¡¯ ¡°¡­Airn.¡± ¡°Yes, Queen.¡± ¡°You are great. To be honest, I want to see it again.¡± The Queen of Runtel had thought for a while before she said those words. Airn quietly lowered his head in the silence that ensued. She waved her staff and scattered the Chaos Dragon. Then she spoke with sincere eyes. ¡°The dragon is looking for a way to get out of her slumber. She has been that way even before you came out. But you should not give up in the future, even if she stays here for a while. She will not be trapped inside. We will take the help of sorcerers to get her out.¡± ¡°I¡¯m telling you this to ease your burdens. Defeat the Demon King with the calmest heart.¡± With those words, Jia Runtel left the stage. Seeing her retreat like that, Kaiden Slick and Ramon mumbled¡­ ¡°Speaking so softly despite that cold expression on her face.¡± ¡°She is getting old.¡± It was quite disrespectful to say that about the Queen of a nation. But since people were all focusing on the other side, no one heard their words. The people gathered there were felt blood rush into their heads and their excitement was overflowing. ¡®Both are beyond our expectations!¡¯ ¡®Even if they spent 10 years training¡­ If it wasn¡¯t the sorcery space but somewhere else, would they have¡­¡¯ ¡®To be this strong¡­¡¯ ¡®Maybe, only these four can defeat the Demon King¡­.¡¯ Right. It wasn¡¯t just Airn Pareira they admired. Ilya Lindsay who showed off her skills before him was also powerful enough to shock them. Controlling the sword without touching it? They couldn¡¯t fully understand it. But they vaguely felt it. This was true swordsmanship. This was no borrowed power from magic or sorcery. What they had seen was the final form of the Sky Sword. The highest level that only Dion Lindsay was known to have reached. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks And this gave them confidence. This wasn¡¯t some abstract strength. It was the swordsmanship that had defeated the Demon Dragon King who had been very close to bing a Demon King. And this gave them belief in the four heroes. And more importantly¡­ ¡®The other two¡­¡¯ ¡®They wouldn¡¯t be any less powerful than these two.¡¯ Because Ilya and Airn had shown so much power, most of the people there were paying attention to them. But others who had more experience had their eyes of Bratt Lloyd and Judith¡­ neither of them had backed down from Airn¡¯s pressure. ¡®Bratt even went forward. As if not feeling any difort, he gently went against that momentum¡­ and grabbed Airn¡¯s shoulder¡¯ Ian recalled the situation and he smiled. It was a sight that proved to him that they didn¡¯t need anyone to verify them any further. Of course, they had to though. It was for his disciple. The four of them had grown so much that these old men had nothing to do anymore. Rather, now they would have to learn from the younger ones. Right, if it had to be asked¡­ ¡®To see the achievement of our children and give hope to everyone who is fighting in the front lines¡­!¡¯ Ian who thought that burst intoughter. Normally, he would¡¯ve tried to not burden these young heroes anymore but now, they were the ones giving the old men sce. They were the ones giving them hope and joy. Of course, the four of them had always had the ability to calm others. Thinking till there, the old man drew his sword. But Judith who had been standing still until then moved. ¡°Wait.¡± ¡°¡­what is it, Judith?¡± ¡°This reminds me of the past. Do you remember?¡± ¡°Hm?¡± ¡°It was during the final evaluation period.¡± ¡°¡­ah.¡± Ian nodded once more. Of course, he remembered it. He remembered all of them¡­ all of his talented kids. Among them these four had shone the brightest. And those kids had now grown up and were preparing to defeat the Demon King. The old man realized how fast time had passed. That wasn¡¯t the only thing he realized. Realizing what Judith meant, he smiled. ¡°Are you going to do that?¡± ¡°Yes, thank you.¡± Judith bowed and Karakum looked puzzled. ¡®What was the permission given for? What did she ask?¡¯ Both those questions were answered right away. Bratt and Judith went to the centre and faced each other. At that moment, two deep auras, one red, the other blue, shone bright. Ian looked at Karakum and said. ¡°These two always shine the brightest when they are together. So¡­¡± ¡°¡­watch them shine.¡± The moment he said it. Ching! The two collided against each other strongly, and a gust of wind was created back. ** * The test of the four was a sess. Needless to say, Ian, Julius and Jia who had administered the tests were very happy. It wasn¡¯t just them. Everyone who had seen today¡¯s events had their hearts swollen in hope. Anya Marta who had to break her piggy bank to gather all the people didn¡¯t feel bad either. Considering the achievements of the four, that was nothing. ¡°Captain¡­ please, our captain.¡± ¡°Um, of course.¡± Woong! Recalling Georg Phoebe¡¯s request, Bratt Lloyd swung his sword. It wasn¡¯t intense. In the next ten days, they would enter the dimensional rift of the Demon King. Since they had the high priests at their disposal to use healing magic, they didn¡¯t have to overdo their bodies. Besides, there were people they had to meet. ¡®Quincy Myers¡­¡¯ The Red Knightsmander, Quincy Myers. He still couldn¡¯t believe it. The pdin who always had a proud expression on his face had lost his power and retired. Of course, considering the man was around 130 years old, standing in the frontline itself was a miracle. Recalling the swordsmanship of the Holy Kingdom he learned from the man a few years ago, Bratt felt a bit depressed. ¡®Of course, it will be bad.¡¯ It was bound to be. What had already happened couldn¡¯t be changed. The man had given his best until the end. Rather than being sad, one should try to fill the void that had been by the person. Going to see him now might have been a part of it. But Quincy Myers wouldn¡¯t encourage theming there. Perhaps they would have to make an excuse of asking for advice to spend time with him. Not surprisingly, Bratt met up with him was asked a question immediately. ¡°Tell me about the practice you did in the sorcery sphere, and make it as detailed as possible.¡± The meaning was clear. It was to know his condition and provide the needed help. Bratt felt his emotions calming down. Even though the man had lost his strength and his body looked skinny all over, he still continued to worry for the future. ¡°Yes, I will tell you.¡± It wasn¡¯t a short story. However, there was no interruption with the flow. And Bratt talked for two hours without a sip of water. Quincy Myers nodded his head as he heard the young hero speak. Wuxia World . Site Only The encounter gave the young and talented man a strange feeling. As he was about to ask something about him, the old man said. ¡°Life.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°To achieve¡­ to ovee your own limitations¡­ you gave up your life?¡± Chapter 368 Chapter 368 ¨C The Eve (1) Go beyond one¡¯s limit. It is a sentence often followed by those who show extreme effort. Most people perform feats which even criminals would dare to touch and achieving surprising feats not expected by anyone is ridiculous. This can be used as a tribute to a person. But how many would hear that they pushed themselves to their limit? ¡®No. very few.¡¯ This was Bratt Lloyd¡¯s candid idea. Right. They don¡¯t cross the limit. It is just that the innate limit is high. He didn¡¯t intend to undermine the efforts of others. But it was the truth. Most of the people who are said to have reached the peak through relentless efforts were geniuses from birth, and they devote themselves to killing their bodies for it, but their level couldn¡¯t break through the limit. They just touch the ceiling. ¡®Of course a lot of people cannot even do that. touching their limit, even that itself is a wonderful thing. But¡­¡¯ ¡°That won¡¯t do.¡± In the room inside the sorcery sphere, Bratt would mumbled. It wasn¡¯t just some motivation to the mind. He was smart and is good at objectifying himself. So he knew. Evenpared to Judith, Ilya and Airn are said to be putting in an effort which doesn¡¯t disappoint anyone¡­ but that iscking. Talent. A genius which will be passed down from generation to generation going beyond the time and being engraved in history. But Bratt didn¡¯t have that, yet he had to stand before the Demon King. ¡®Even if we try the best, it wouldn¡¯t work.¡¯ ¡®Transcend one self.¡¯ ¡®If I cannot do that, I will end up being a burden to the friends.¡¯ ¡®In that case, it would be better to be tied up here for the rest of my life.¡¯ ¡®With the alter ego I can never get ahead.¡¯ ¡°¡­ don¡¯t joke.¡± Bratt shook his head chasing away the darkness which lingered in his ears. Right, it is funny. If he was a normal one, he would have lost his motivation and drowned inside frustration. If the standard ways don¡¯t work, use a trick. If the trick doesn¡¯t work, gamble. If you cannot surpass yourself with that, risk your life for it! Bratt Lloyd, who found a new breakthrough, continued the dangerous training which was close to experiments on his body. Pung! ¡°Kuak¡­¡± Trying to find efficient ways to use aura. Crr.. ¡°Ugh¡­ my side¡­¡± There were times when his heart shattered due to the regtion of blood which was elerated. There were countless other failures, but it didn¡¯t matter. Because he was able to survive indefinitely In the sorcery training. Right. For Bratt, this ce was nothing more than a scam ce where he could gamble with the price of his life. Of course, in the process his body umted pain and suffering which was engraved into the soul¡­ He couldn¡¯t stand it. He couldn¡¯t afford it. Throwing away life to save the world, the estate, the family, and his friends¡­ and protect his lover. ¡®This much sacrifice makes sense¡­¡¯ Pung! Swish! ¡°Ack¡­ kuak¡­!¡± Failed again. In return for excessive strengthening, his right arm was blown. Due to the power in sorcery the arm had returned almost right away, but the wounds that his mind remembered weren¡¯t easy to erase. Brat held his breath unable to move right away. Of course, it wasn¡¯t like that. ¡°Haa, haa¡­¡± When the breathing stabilized, no Bratt Lloyd got up before he could stabilize the breathing and grabbed the sword. He took his stance and focused. Ching! A sharp gleam in the eyes of the man who gambled with his life again. ¡­ Recalling what happened inside the sorcery sphere, bratt closed his eyes. This is a way to transcend one¡¯s self. A story that he couldn¡¯t speak to his family, friends or lover. It was painful, but it was a practice which had to be done to ovee future suffering. ¡®If I don¡¯t have enough strength to protect my people, then dying is the best way.¡¯ Of course, he wasn¡¯t going to speak that to others. Even if he risked his life for growth to prepare for the battle with the Demon King and decided to sacrifice himself for the sake of his loved one, this didn¡¯t need to be mentioned. Rather, he needs to pretend to be bold and rxed. So he can lessen their worries. But¡­ ¡®Quincy Myers¡­ How do you know? My condition?¡¯ ¡°Because I have been through it once.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What is with your expression.¡± ¡°No, it feels like you read my thoughts¡­¡± ¡°Because it is obvious.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± Bratt, who spoke to Quincy, frowned. Is it because he is an old knight? Or has supernatural powers of a priest? As he was thinking about it, the red knightsmander spoke. ¡°A few months before you came, I went through something simr. I met a powerful devil in an unexpected ce and the subjugation team was on the verge of annihtion. If Iit was me, I probably wouldn¡¯t have ovee it. but when we all put the strength into the sword and with the determination to make it through. A miracle happened.¡± Quincy Myers recalled what happened. Right. It was a true miracle which couldn¡¯t be described. When he was determined to sacrifice everything for the crew, the power he was able to exert from the body crossed the limits. Although he lost his strength in return, the old man didn¡¯t regret it. Bratt nodded as he heard it. Now he understood. Quincy Myers is just like him. that is why he could understand Bratt¡¯s condition at a nce, and gave a advice¡­ Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Thinking that far, he looked puzzled. As the former Red Knight¡¯smander said, an act of risking the self to create a miracle. To break the limits of birth and reality and achieve something more. ¡°You don¡¯t do that.¡± Quincy Myers urges him to not take that road. He didn¡¯t understand. It was absurd but not absurd. What was he trying to say? Is this what people say, if I do it is romance and if you do it, you are being a third wheel? Why did he sacrifice himself for the squad and say no to bratt¡­ ¡°Because you and I are different?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you speaking?¡± ¡°it feels like you are reading my thoughts¡­¡± ¡°Obvious thoughts.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°A kid¡¯s thoughts are obvious. After all, you and I are different.¡± Quincy Myers paused for a moment and then spoke as he closed his eyes. ¡°I will be 127 years old with this eye, even if I don¡¯t fight the devils I will enter the arms of God. If I can save the bright lie of my junior knight who wants to sacrifice his life, it would be quite profitable for me. But you aren¡¯t old or on the verge of death. You are a man who will live and develop more in the future, you will be the huge sea which embraces people but now you are thinking of embracing death, so don¡¯t do it.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°I am well aware of your concerns. You know your own shorings better than anyone else and nevertheless you wouldn¡¯t give up. You always will find a way to stand hisrades and block the demon king¡¯s front. However¡­¡± Quincy Myers stood up. With all his muscles lost and his shabby body standing seemed difficult. But he¡¯s still looked bright like themander of the Avilius. He touched the shoulders of Bratt. ¡°¡­ to break the limit, being ready to die isn¡¯t all. Conversely, you can break through the wall with the desire to live.¡± ¡°Desire to live¡­¡± ¡°Right. The desire to live. Create the right chance to amplify it. that too before you go to face the Demon King.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The reason to be crazy for living. Why do you have toe back alive? Remember, the battle with the Demon King doesn¡¯t have to end with your life. Heed my words. Uhgh¡­¡± Thud! Quincy Myers after speaking he fell back on the bed. He didn¡¯t look too good. Just standing for a while was pushing him to exhaustion. Overwhelmed by it, Bratt realized it toote and stood up. ¡°Mister Myers!¡± ¡°It is fine. I am fine. Uh, uh¡­ it is just a little too much. A little rest cures all.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I will tell you again. I have no regrets. I still remember it all very clearly. The sword which shone on thest page of my life, that brilliant aura¡­¡± ¡°,,,¡± ¡°But not you. Your life has just begun. Death and life with the body leaning towards one of the two¡­. Death isn¡¯t desirable, lean for life more and more, to do that¡­. uh, uh¡­ I need to lie down.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°Enough. I have enough energy to do that.¡± As soon as he said that, Quincy Myers adjusted himself. Slowly, the trembling legs moved and sweat was dripping from the forehead. But Bratt didn¡¯t support him, he couldn¡¯t. ¡°Phew¡­ go, go and work.¡± ¡°¡­ yes, thank you.¡± Bratt Lloyd couldn¡¯t even properly respond to the old man and was kicked out. ¡°¡­ a willingness to die, and a desire to live.¡± His head and stomach felt heavy. He left the room to get some night air and wandered around in the pce. To be honest, Quincy Myers is right. The present self was centered to death. It has been that way through his training. Because it was a sword made to cut down his life, and that made him ovee his barrier and without Quincy Myer¡¯s words, he would have met the Demon King with that thought. ¡°Desire to live, the desire to lie, an opportunity to amplify it¡­¡± How much power will it give? Bratt wasn¡¯t sure if that would allow him to break the limit like being ready for death. However, he wasn¡¯t going to ignore the words of that old man. The words of a senior who is 100 years older than him. be right or wrong, he was going to take the words seriously. There are 10 days left for the fight. If something happens, he would certainly be able to understand it. ¡®Of course it isn¡¯t that, I will have to make up my mind first¡­¡¯ It was when he was thinking about it a voice came. Familiar faces and familiar voices. ¡°What? Is brother really¡­¡± ¡°No, my son was like that?¡± ¡°I-Is that weird? No, am I wrong now? Uh, no if I take back what I said, i¡­¡± ¡°Huhu, to have such a side.¡± But thebination was unfamiliar. As always, mother, father and younger brother were talking as they were walking. But the appearance of Judith talking with them with an awkward expression, awkward voice and awkward walk¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡®Did you mean this?¡¯ Watching the lover approaching him little. Seeing the woman who can be more than just a lover, Bratt thought. Wuxia World . Site Only Family. Future And¡­ ¡°¡­¡± As he faced the chance, a bright smile appeared on the young man¡¯s face. Chapter 369: The Eve (2)

    Chapter 369: The Eve (2)

    The situation on the continent wasn¡¯t great. This was a fact everyone knew. Even the public who didn¡¯t know the entire circumstances of the situation could still feel it. But the ones who felt it the most were the high-ranking officials of the Holy Kingdom who had more information than them. When they heard the news of the devils and demons pouring into the continent, their anger and fear against the Demon King grew. May the subjugation be aplished. May the four heroes build enough strength to advance to the dimensional rift and make the world peaceful again. That was what everyone wished wholeheartedly. And when the four heroes, including Airn had showcased their strength¡­ ¡®Good! They are a lot stronger than I imagined! I was scared to even wonder what we would do if the training didn¡¯t have any results¡­¡¯ ¡®Honestly, I thought it was all lies, but it seemed to work out in the end somehow.¡¯ Hope rose in the hearts of people again. Their exhausted bodies felt revitalized as they saw their future in the four heroes. Of course, they didn¡¯t push the heroes into battle right away. 10 years¡­ On the outside it was just one year but the kids had spent 10 years of time in extreme training. They looked physically perfect but there was bound to be some mental exhaustion. They needed time. They needed to be with people who they loved. They needed warmth and affection. The Holy Kingdom didn¡¯t overlook this and as soon as the four came out, they called their families. And¡­ Woong! ¡°I have no family.¡± Judith, who was wielding her sword in the training hall mumbled. It was true. She had no family. So, she had no one to meet. She talked about it to Kuvar whom she had met after a long time. She talked with her swordsmanship schoolmates who hade to see her. Surprisingly, she even talked to her opponents in the Warrior¡¯s Festival. There was no doubt that she was no longer a true loner like she had been when she was a child. ¡­however, some emotions couldn¡¯t be shared with just these people. Judith, who remembered the old man¡¯s face, called out his name. ¡°Khun.¡± Even saying that name made her falter. But she knew that she had to get it out. She couldn¡¯t be trapped in the past. Hadn¡¯t her teacher said that? The ce she had to be in was reality, not in the dream world. Of course, she hade out of the sorcery world because of that promise to him but she understood his intention and she was going to be faithful to it. ¡°Phew.¡± Judith caught her breath and cleared her mind. This was nothing surprising. Her world had always been lonely. If she had felt affection for some family even for a moment in her perpetually lonely life, that was all she would hope for. But now she had gotten used to being alone. Thinking that, she swung her sword again¡­ ¡°¡­¡± From afar, there was a little boy staring at her. ¡®Isn¡¯t this little boy a bit too much?¡¯ He looked to be around 15 to 16 years old, but his face looked younger than that and his skin looked so soft that it looked like he had no pores on it. But none of that mattered. What was important was his blue hair. She was concerned whether this boy was Bratt Lloyd¡¯s younger brother. She eventually put down her sword and walked over to him. With a grim expression, she asked. ¡°Why are you here again?¡± ¡°I was just¡­ curious.¡± ¡°About?¡± ¡°No, you know what it is about. My brother who only likes himself now has someone he likes. How can I, as his younger brother not be interested in that person?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Of course, it is rude to interrupt when you are training to defeat the Demon King, so I will not bother you and will just watch you in silence.¡± ¡°It is rude to watch someone train.¡± ¡°But I am no swordsman. So, it is fine, right?¡± ¡°¡­enough. Just stop it.¡± Judith turned around. She would have normally hit the guy on his forehead at least twice by now considering how her personality was like, but she couldn¡¯t since he was Bratt¡¯s younger brother. Actually, this didn¡¯t seem too annoying. Just¡­ it just made her ufortable dealing with people she didn¡¯t know. ¡®So, just go.¡¯ Mumbling something ineligible, she resumed her training. She closed her eyes and cleared her mind as she thought of Bratt. ¡°¡­¡± There was a moment where her expression changed because she was thinking about Bratt. At almost the same time, Bratt¡¯s younger brother, Gerard said, ¡°Would you like to have dinner with me?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Wait, it isn¡¯t just me, I am going to call mother too. Will you still note?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°What are you so surprised about? To be honest, I have been very patient, and my parents are also curious about Judith. But now we have all reached our limit.¡± ¡°What is it¡­¡± Judith couldn¡¯t understand this. It wasn¡¯t that she hadn¡¯t met Mrs. Lloyd before. She had talked a few times during the warrior¡¯s festival and before going to Khun, they had also greeted her warmly. However, she didn¡¯t give much importance to them. It was obvious that they were there as just a courtesy. Maybe they were trying to hide their displeasure and were trying to seem humble. That was what she always thought. ¡®¡­why am I suddenly feeling like this?¡¯ ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°You seemed lost¡­ are you fine? Shall we do it then?¡± Gerard looked worried. He couldn¡¯t help it. The hero who was about to face the Demon King in 10 days looked depressed. He was worried that he had hurt her by talking too casually. Judith looked at him. The little boy¡¯s eyes that resembled Bratt were shining more and more. ¡°¡­let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s go. No wait¡­ I need to wash up. No, but I don¡¯t have clothes to wear¡­¡± ¡°Uh? Ah! It is fine! You are a knight, so your outfit is alright! You can juste over!¡± ¡°That makes me feel even more worried though? Ha, if you are saying it¡­.¡± Judith grumbled over and over again. Confusion and anxiety riddled her mind. The thought of whether she should change her decision was running rampantly through her mind. But she didn¡¯t. ¡®Take a different path than I did. Don¡¯t let go of your friends and your lover. Don¡¯t let go of your bond with Krono, and don¡¯t sacrifice your ties in the future for the sake of the sword. Be greedy. Do not let go of anything and hold onto everything.¡¯ She remembered her teacher¡¯s advice. She shouldn¡¯t be scared. She shouldn¡¯t run away because she didn¡¯t like it, she shouldn¡¯t run away because it let burdensome. She had to ovee it, get used to it and work harder. ¡°Uh? What?¡± ¡°Never mind. I was talking to myself¡­¡± Judith, who was about to speak, stopped. After she stopped talking, she smiled and spoke to Bratt¡¯s brother. ¡°I just had something to think about. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What are you looking at?¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± She had used quite a harsh tone, and Gerard seemed a bit shocked. ¡®It isn¡¯t easy.¡¯ Of course, this was the end. She would have to meet Lord Lloyd and his wife as well. Gerbera¡¯s high-ranking nobleman and the Lord of a huge estate and, most importantly, Bratt¡¯s parents¡­ eating with them was more burdensome than fighting devils. She wasn¡¯t even able to eat a piece of steak properly. She stuttered several times. She felt like she had to run away somewhere and escape this ce. But she stayed. She didn¡¯t run or hide. She was being greedy like her master wanted her to be. ¡®I want to be closer with Bratt.¡¯ As precious as Khun. No, more precious than Khun. She wanted to talk with him, walk and eat with him¡­ she wanted to smile and share a drink with him and swing swords with him as well. She wanted to get closer¡­ she wanted to fall deeper in love with him. She wanted to be in his daily life and wanted to be closer than just lover. ¡®Of course¡­ it will not be possible right now. I don¡¯t imagine things to be that easy.¡¯ Judith, who smiled at the Lord, thought it felt awkward. It wasn¡¯t easy. She felt like this would take more effort than the bing a trainee at Krono or bing a Sword Master. She was someone who had no dating talent and also had a bad personality, a strong sense of what she wanted and a dirty way of speaking. So¡­ it was easy for anyone to hate her. She was someone who would loudly shout if she was angry to push away the people that surrounded her. ¡®Not this time.¡¯ ¡®Right. This time would be different.¡¯ She wasn¡¯t going to give up. She couldn¡¯t let herself give up. ¡®Don¡¯t be discouraged. Ovee your challenges¡­ try and work hard to achieve your goals. Do the best you can.¡¯ She didn¡¯t know if these kinds of militant thoughts would work when it came to human rtionships, but this was what she had to do. ¡®Still, I have no choice but to do the best I can¡­¡¯ ¡°Uh?¡± As such, it was a moment of determination for Judith. When Judith saw her lover, Bratt Lloyd, who suddenly appear in front of her, she put on a surprised expression. Maybe it was because she had been too much in thought that she didn¡¯t notice him until he came close. ¡®Ah, shit.¡¯ Judith¡¯s face turned red. Considering her heightened senses, she should have felt his presence a long while back. The thought of being teased now for looking shocked made her grunt. Bratt was the kind of person who liked to tease. Bratt stood there in front of her, and she stopped walking. But before she could speak, he took the lead. ¡°Judith.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Will you marry me?¡± ¡°¡­uh?¡± A proposal suddenlye from Bratt Lloyd? She, she really didn¡¯t know what to do. He thought he could give his life up. If it meant defeating the Demon King, if it meant that he could save his loved one. He felt that it was enough. But no. The moment he saw the awkward smile of Judith and the cute appearance of her with his family¡­ Quincy Myers¡¯ advice came to his mind. ¡®Live. Find a desire to live.¡¯ ¡®With Judith.¡¯ ¡®Not as a lover but as family.¡¯ ¡°Will you marry me?¡± ¡°¡­uh?¡± ¡°No, let¡¯s get married.¡± ¡®I won¡¯t die.¡¯ ¡®I will defeat the Demon King ande back alive.¡¯ ¡®¡­with all my friends.¡¯ And with his lover. Bratt¡¯s eyes seemed a lot brighter than usual as he looked at Judith. Chapter 370: The Eve (3)

    Chapter 370: The Eve (3)

    A low-bornmoner. This was what most people would judge Judith to be. Of course, a few people did care about it. Perhaps in ancient times, when the system of status and ss waspulsory, this was important. But in the current society, being a Sword Master in her early 20s was huge, so who would dare talk down to her? ¡®There is nothing wrong with her ability.¡¯ So, Lord Lloyd, a high-ranking noble of the Gerbera Kingdom, didn¡¯t care about her background. But that wasn¡¯t all. If he was given the option to pick the two most important things about being someone¡¯s wife, it would be the partner being a human and the other, for them to be in love. He had invited Judith so that he could find out about this. ¡®My son is quite good, but as a parent, I need to check it personally.¡¯ Of course, it was difficult to immediately realize it. No matter how sharp his eyes were, how could he understand the true nature of a person with just one meal or short conversation? In addition, if the other person was making every effort to look good, his judgment would just be duller. Judith was like that now. An awkward smile. Awkward speech. Awkward expressions and attitude, along with a stiff movement. All of them indicated that Judith was being extra conscious of them. Even after 2 hours passed, the child wasn¡¯tfortable and constantly feared that she would do something wrong to the nobles. She had a different personality. And this was Lord Lloyd¡¯s thought. But aside from that, he liked her¡­ ¡®Still, I can feel just how much she loves my son.¡¯ Because there was no doubt that Judith spoke very sincerely when it came to Bratt. Lord Lloyd nced at his wife. She, too, had a simr expression as him. She grinned and looked at Judith. Clumsy and stiff but still cute. She wanted to see her more, know her more. So, she felt a little embarrassed when her son came. It was because she wanted to bring up various topics without her son being present. However, that didn¡¯t happen. ¡°Let¡¯s get married.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± After hearing Bratt¡¯s sudden words, Lord Lloyd¡¯s mouth widened. ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°¡­?¡± Of course, it wasn¡¯t just him. The Llyod couple and even Gerard had shocked expressions. It was surprising and so sudden. But no matter how shocked they were, they couldn¡¯t bepared to Judith. As though she was a statue, she didn¡¯t move or even breathe and just looked at Bratt. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Time seemed to have stopped. The silence continued. Of course, it didn¡¯tst forever. Bratt Lloyd, who seemed the most excited of the five, calmly approached his lover. He couldn¡¯t think of any romantic words or actions. There were no words to express his sincerity¡­ ¡°E-Excuse me!¡± Dudududu ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­brother, you scared her.¡± ¡°Shut up, younger one.¡± After hitting his younger brother on the forehead, Bratt looked at where Judith had disappeared to. She was close. The thought of approaching her a little faster entered his mind. ¡®It will be difficult to get an answer until we subdue the Demon King.¡¯ He had confessed, and although Judith was bold, she was surprisingly girly when it came to such things. Of course, he wasn¡¯t too worried. He liked her. And Judith liked him too. They liked each other enough for them to spend their life together. This was an unchanging fact. When his lover¡¯s excitement died down, and her mind calmed down¡­ if he proposed with more preparation, he was sure that he would have a sure win. Bratt was confident. ¡®So¡­¡¯ ¡®We muste back safely.¡¯ He smiled. It was amazing. He was ready to die a second ago, but now he wanted to live more than anyone else. It was because of Judith. In a way, it felt like she was making him hold onto his life. ¡®I am on the verge of attacking the great Judith, so I don¡¯t even seem worried about the Demon King or the Clown Devil.¡¯ He really did feel that way. He nodded andughed out loud. ¡°Haha, hahaha, hahaha¡­.¡± Gerard Lloyd watched his son with a worried expression. ¡°I think he has had the biggest shock¡­¡± Everyoneughed. *** Judith, who fled from the Lloyd family, went to train. No, it was actually an escape disguised in the name of training. She did it to get away from troubles that were difficult to handle¡­ to get away from the moment that came much sooner than she expected. Of course, she couldn¡¯t do it, though. The more she swung, the more aura she used and the more her heart pounded. Bratt¡¯s face, his voice¡­ they were all going around in her mind, and she couldn¡¯t calm down. It wasn¡¯t as if she hadn¡¯t liked it. To be precise, she was indeed delighted, but she was confused as well. There was a bit of resentment within her. Why now? In ten days, they were going to fight the Demon King. It wasrgely to save the world and personally for the revenge of her teacher. Of course, Judith ced a little bit more importance on the second one. She was convinced that she would be the one to burn away the darkness that had taken away the only family she had left. That was more important to her than the world. ¡®And of course, Bratt¡­ he knows it.¡¯ ¡°Uh, ah!¡± Judith groaned. He was a person she could never hate. He didn¡¯t even do anything bad. It was just a little¡­ a little disappointing because of the timing. Maybe she hadn¡¯t realized that she just wanted to me someone else because shecked the courage to make a move first. She drew her sword and raised her energy. Her aura moved like a me. She felt like she had to release some aura from her sword to get rid of this mood. It was a quiet evening, and it was when the training halls in the Pce had just been opened. ¡°Judith.¡± ¡°¡­go. I am not feeling too good right now.¡± Without even looking at Ilya, Judith bluntly responded to her call. She originally didn¡¯t mean topare her to Airn. What was more apparent was that in this twisted situation, Judith didn¡¯t want to speak to Ilya at all. ¡®I will ignore her if she speaks. Or I will move away.¡¯ Thinking that, Judith took her stance. However, it wasn¡¯t possible. The moment she heard Ilya¡¯s next words, she turned stiff. ¡°I was watching.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Bratt is courageous.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°There, I am a bit scared¡­ so put down your sword? I am not here to train, but to talk so¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Here, I brought some alcohol to drink with you as well.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Are you unable to think? Just let it go.¡± ¡°¡­phew.¡± Judith shook her head and sighed as shemanded her aura. Her zing sword was silently pushed into its sheath, and then her hands touched the bottle. She slumped to the ground and sat next to Ilya. And Ilya drank along with her. Gulp. Gulp The cold night air. The quiet Pce¡­ The small tipsiness of the alcohol. All of thisbined, served to calm Judith. It made her feel like herself again. Laying her pride aside, she looked forward and confided in Ilya about what she was thinking about. She was surprised at some parts, and some other parts were good. Some were annoying, and some made her feel frustrated. After speaking out about all kinds of things that she felt, shame followed. In the past few days, she thought that she wasn¡¯t being herself, and her expression changed. ¡®If you think of making fun of me¡­¡¯ ¡®The next spar will be a tough one.¡¯ As Judith thought that, Ilya replied. ¡°It is definitely something worth worrying about.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°It can be that way sometimes. To be honest, you and Bratt are in different situations. You are a person who just lost someone close to you, and you don¡¯t like the fact that you are intoxicated with your own feelings about another person. Honestly, it must have been embarrassing, right?¡± ¡°Uh, Um. No¡­¡± Judith was shocked. What Ilya said was right. Still hearing her own thoughtse from another person who wasn¡¯t Bratt made her feel strangely ashamed, but she wasn¡¯t angry. At that moment, Ilya smiled. It was an adult-like smile. Seeing Judith¡¯s nk expression, Ilya spoke with a warm voice. ¡°But people cannot always be perfect right?¡± ¡°Uh? Uhuh, right¡­.¡± ¡°You know that too. Bratt is always bluffing, he is stupid and tries to rub his words on others, and when he feels something, he goes ahead and makes up his own theories too. And even now, he didn¡¯t think of chasing after you¡­ but none of Bratt¡¯s actions that can make you sad or annoyed were done intentionally. You know that, right? You know how much Bratt values you.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t forget that, wouldn¡¯t you be able to ept to ept it a little differently than before?¡± ¡­Judith, who thought about it for a moment, nodded. Ilya was right. She loved Bratt. And Bratt loved her. It was an undeniable fact, and there was no way that Bratt had conveyed something like that to her just to mess with her. Maybe the love between them had grown too much before they themselves had realized it. Maybe she was the one being too anxious. Maybe it was because she was young, or maybe it was because she was someone destined to shoulder the fate of the continent. Right. The situation regarding the world was crucial at the moment. But more than that, she needed this person. And she had belief in this rtionship. Judith understood what Ilya was hinting at, and she looked at Ilya in a different light. She was different. Although at Krono and in the Land of Proof, this woman was a genius with the sword, she was clumsy when it came to dealing with people. But not now¡­ Judith looked at Ilya. Ilya had definitely changed. It was more than just herprehension of the Sky Sword. Compared to when she overpowered Julius Hul, she felt more influential¡­ ¡°Ilya, Judith.¡± ¡°Airn!¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Does a light spar sound alright to you? We don¡¯t have to overdo it.¡± ¡°I like it!¡± Ilya Lindsay got up with apletely different look from before. Judith nodded, seeing that. Unlike others, Airn had been a bit too silent. It was natural for her to rejoice as her lover approached her first. But not Judith. She couldn¡¯t be happy in a situation where she was supposed to be happy. The anger about the small things that bothered her was growing inside her. This was the difference between her and Ilya. While her vision was limited only to the sword, Ilya worked for other values. Judith realized that her friend had be much more mature than herself. ¡®Still, I am not too upset.¡¯ Heh. Judith got up with a smile and looked to the side. Suddenly, she saw Bratt Lloyd approaching her. Her smile grew stronger. ¡°Huhu, huhuhu¡­.¡± ¡°¡­why are you doing that? It¡¯s so scary.¡± ¡°Enough. Should we spar too?¡± ¡°Um, are you sure you are fine¡­¡± While looking at her, Bratt took his stance. And the spar between the two pairs began. The match that started with Airn and Ilya, along with Judith and Bratt, continued without any of them having a specific opponent. Without end, it became a sword dance that brilliantly shone in the hall. Ian, along with Julius Hul, watched it in delight. No one was afraid. No one felt down. Even when they were trainees, there was a subtle tension among them when they were preparing for their final evaluation. But now, the atmosphere was sofortable that it was hard to believe that they were preparing to fight the Demon King. It was because they knew that there were more important days, and that valuable time will continue toe. And so, the day passed. And then another few days went by. And on the 10th day, the darkness receded, and morning dawned. ¡°¡­should we go then?¡± The day of the showdown had finallye. Chapter 371: Subjugation of the Demon King (1)

    Chapter 371: Subjugation of the Demon King (1)

    The day of the subjugation of the Demon King was upon them. The four heroes made their final preparations to enter the dimensional rift. They cleared their mind. They checked their bodies. They also received support from the Holy Kingdom. They were provided with armor made by Vulcanus. Apart from that, other supplies like holy water and potions were given to them in a magic pouch. ¡°I don¡¯t know if it will have an effect, but¡­¡± The King spoke with a concerned voice. He couldn¡¯t help it. The ce the Demon King stayed wasn¡¯t in the human world. It was a ce that even God¡¯s graces couldn¡¯t touch. He wasn¡¯t sure how Holy Power would help them there. But it was better to give them the truth than empty words of encouragement. But the four swordsmen didn¡¯t care about it too much. ¡°Thank you, Holy King.¡± Ilya Lindsay thanked the Holy King. She looked like the main character in a fairy tale with her fluttering silver hair and body equipped with holy armor. She also had a determined expression and exuded strong energy. Seeing herpletely different from when they had first met, Kuvar felt a special emotion. ¡®You¡­ all of you really have grown so much.¡¯ Of course, the old Ilya was amazing! Wasn¡¯t she the youngest Sword Master? He still remembered how shocked he was when he saw her at the age of 18 with that crowd around her, wielding an aura sword and bing the champion of the Land of Proof. However, he had watched her closely and had witnessed the sadness, anxiety, and chaos behind that shining form, so he couldn¡¯t help but admire this woman who had embraced the sky. ¡®The same goes for Bratt and Judith, who have be so strong.¡¯ Their growth was even greater than Ilya¡¯s. This was inevitable because the nature of energy representing the two belonged to two of the five elements. At the start, Bratt was like a flowing wave, but now he was the sea itself. His energy, which was huge enough to cover the world, only flowed when necessary and raged violently to destroy the world when he deemed it. Even the most dangerous devils would have a hard time stopping him now. What about Judith? Her me was not inferior to Bratt. It was already a thing of the past for her to burn herself and others because of her desperate emotions. Today, she could control the me for the sake of being with others and was much more powerful than before. As a mere second-ss spirit user, her growth was amazing. ¡°Hmm.¡± As it was, Kuvar looked at the three for a while and then looked at thest member of the group. He still gave off a gentle yet charming impression, but the softness and indecisiveness he used to have when they had first met had been blown away by the winds of time and experience. In a way, it was no exaggeration to say that he was the center of the four¡­ a hero among heroes, Airn Pareira. Just staring at him, Kuvar thought. ¡®¡­I think I finally know.¡¯ Actually, Kuvar was quite concerned about Airn¡¯s condition. It wasn¡¯t just him. Anyone who had a knack for spirits was feeling the same way. They felt it. The five energies that had been flowing in a circle of coexistence were no longer connected. Water, fire,nd, metal, and tree¡­ the connection between all of them had disappeared suddenly. But it was a misunderstanding. They hadn¡¯t disappeared. It wasn¡¯t as widely felt as the time of the Warrior¡¯s Festival, but Airn still had that energy within him. Kuvar closed his eyes as he felt the harmony of the young man. His vision, which had initially soared high, soon went down, and he saw a flower blooming at Airn¡¯s feet. ¡®He has grown.¡¯ It was pretty and cute, but it looked much thinnerpared to the giant tree Airn had in the past. When he first realized it, he was disappointed. He was worried that the strong force of the hero had broken down. Right. But it was such a futile concern. Just because they saw a flower instead of a huge tree, its value did not fall. Rather, it was a more meaningful existence to some people. Kuvar realized it a bitte, and it felt like Airn¡¯s growth, which had been stagnant for so long, had risen up. But it didn¡¯t matter much. He sent off the heroes by donning the tough expression of the Orcs. It wasn¡¯t just him. The priests who prayed for the peace of the continent. Georg and Anya who wished for I¡¯s safe return. The families of the four heroes who would be decorated in history books¡­ they were all there. The four of them didn¡¯t look back, though. Because this wasn¡¯t going to be thest time they saw any of them. Compared to the things which would happen in the future, the present was close to nothing. Ilya Lindsay Bratt Lloyd Judith And Airn Pareira Woop! They were greeted by a foreignnd as soon as they entered through the rift. ** * ¡®¡­all alone.¡¯ Judith, who had stepped inside, looked around. However, she couldn¡¯t feel her friends¡¯ auras. She frowned at it. This wasn¡¯t unexpected, however. Although they had been told that everyone would be able to enter the rift safely, she was always assuming the worst to happen. Of course¡­ ¡®This is more disgusting than I thought.¡¯ Leaving the human world¡­ How painful would it feel to walk out from the world you were born and raised in to step into a different dimension? However, there was a difference between knowing it and feeling it. She wasn¡¯t sure if this ce was dark or bright¡­ she didn¡¯t know where left or right was. Things that had been natural for her were now shaken. Because of the brutality of the crack in space that shook the foundation of humans, it presented a suffering iparable to the mental attacks from Yprene Slick. ¡®I¡­ in this ce for a year¡­¡¯ Fortunately, there was only one ce she had to go to in this space which was full of chaos. Judith focused. She faintly felt a string connect. It was the energy of I. The sorcery of the ck Knight Commander who had led them here¡­ this was proof that she was still alive. Judith nodded and walked forward. ¡°¡­¡± However, it soon changed direction to a different side. The reason was unknown. It wasn¡¯t logical or rational. In fact, Judith couldn¡¯t understand it at all. She had to follow this string of sorcery to rescue I and take down the Demon King. Right. But it simply wasn¡¯t possible. She strongly felt that she shouldn¡¯t move in this space. She wondered whether she could trust her instincts. ¡®Please, be the right choice¡­.¡¯ Pat. The speed of Judith moving through space increased. Step Step Ilya Lindsay took a few steps forward. It wasn¡¯t easy to maintain her posture in a space where she had to doubt everything, but she didn¡¯t waver. It was thanks to the advice of Dion Lindsay. The true master of the Sky Sword. The fear of this rift didn¡¯t have much effect on her. Step step. Ilya continued to move. It was as if she knew where she was moving. However, it wasn¡¯t to I or to the sorcery string Judith was following. It was a senseparable to that¡­ another sorcery string. A string formed by the rtionship that had been established from their births. It was said that heaven¡¯s punishment would fall on those who tried to cut off this string. However¡­ Nevertheless, this was something she had to end with her own hands. Finally, the silver-haired swordsman stood in front of another silver-haired swordsman. ¡°¡­¡± No, his hair was no longer silver. His hair, which should have been soft like the moonlight, was now grey. ¡­besides that, many other things had changed. There was no smile or warmth on his face. She couldn¡¯t find the bright clear eyes she remembered. The eyes Ilya saw were dark and terrible. It was much more than she thought¡­ Shhh! Wooong! Ilya didn¡¯t copse or step back this time. It was as if she had already known¡­ as if she had already been anticipating the worst. A sword floated up, and her hands didn¡¯t seem to shake in the slightest as she held her other sword. Woong! The swordsman wielded his own sword, which had turned dark, and took his stance. The sword exuded a ck aura and seemed to have some slimy flesh around it. A terrible pressure came from it. In that atmosphere, the two people paid attention only to each other. The Clown Devil aimed for that moment. Taking advantage of this, he moved his body more secretly. It was around the time when the distance between them had narrowed significantly that the Clown thought to itself. ¡®Even though I am hiding in the crack¡­¡¯ ¡®Even though she is so focused on her opponent¡­¡¯ ¡®Is this right?¡¯ ¡®I am this close, but she doesn¡¯t realize it?¡¯ ¡®This strong woman?¡¯ ¡®Or is she aware?¡¯ ¡®Is there someone else?¡¯ ¡®Is that why she doesn¡¯t care about me?¡¯ ¡®Why?¡¯ ¡®Maybe¡­¡¯ ¡®The reason is¡­¡¯ ¡°Uh?¡± Kwakwakwakwang! Before the Clown could even think straight, waves of aura assaulted him. The Clown was unaware of where it had originated from, but it moved like a tidal wave and swept through the Devils. ¡°Ughhhhh,¡± the Clown Devil screamed as it moved. Either way, Ilya¡¯s expression didn¡¯t change. She didn¡¯t forget to thank her helper, though. ¡°Thanks, Bratt.¡± ¡®For allowing me to take this on.¡¯ Her two swords moved for her brother. ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± The waves crashed into the Devils repeatedly. The endless waves of aura broke the limbs of the Devils. Although the Devils thought they would be fine because they had the advantage in numbers, they weren¡¯t. Sure, their bodies were fine, but the instant Bratt pulled the waves of aura away from their bodies, the shock they experienced was too much. The distance between them was so wide that even the Clown Devil wasn¡¯t sure how he had been pushed so far. So, ns number 1 and 2 had failed. But even more shocking was the humans had appeared much faster than the expected time. And¡­ ¡°You pitiful devil who cannot take off your mask because of your ugly face.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Bratt, who has a face that is as good as his swordsmanship, will deal with you.¡± ¡°You¡­. You crazy bastard!¡± ¡­they turned out to be stronger than expected. Chapter 372: Subjugation of the Demon King (2)

    Chapter 372: Subjugation of the Demon King (2)

    The Clown Devil was strong. This was a fact that couldn¡¯t be denied either subjectively or objectively. If all the devils lined up ording to them invading the human world in order of power, then the Clown Devil would be ranked in the top ten. Of course, it had suffered a huge blow around a thousand years ago and had suffered no light damage in the previous life as well¡­ ¡®80¡­ No, 90% has been recovered.¡¯ Originally, recovering would have been impossible. However, Godara, the worst city in the human world that was filled with chaos, made it possible. The Clown savored the darkness that was present there deeper than ever and sometimes even ate demons as snacks so that it could recover. There was no need to be wary of anyone. There was no need to worry. He would be given the rank of Grand Duke in the human world when it was changed into Devildom. Those were his thoughts just before things got weird. Kwakwakwang! Its expression behind the mask was distorted. The destructive power it had just faced far exceeded its expectations. The Clown covered its face in a cloak of darkness as it tried to offset the destructive force of the blue aura that came crashing in. It was just a singleyer at first, but after a while, he decided to use up to eightyers of darkness as a shield. Pupupupung! Arge number of the shields got torn down. As the darkness began to die down, the waves also subsided. But the Devil still couldn¡¯t catch its breath. Each drop of water that bounced towards it looked like a sharp needle, and the puddles of water everywhere looked like a trap for ankles. And it wasn¡¯t just that. The worst was the dew-like water that had silently moved into the cracks¡­ those which couldn¡¯t be seen or touched. So if he tried to ignore all this, at some point, the water would turn into a sword or a spear and stab him. And now¡­ Pung! ¡­Bratt Lloyd rushed forwards, swinging his sword. The Devil¡¯s body was just a dummy that pretended to be the main body. It had actually been hiding in the fog, preparing for a surprise attack. Of course, the Clown wasn¡¯t a small Devil. Hehe Hehehe Hehehehehehehehehehehe The darkness was fading again. The dummy body of the Clown Devil exploded due to the bright blue aura, and its fragments scattered in all directions giving rise to a disgusting stench. However, there were no fireworks for the people to see. Mouths, tongues, and eyes appeared on the surface of the flesh. They all looked at the human swordsman. And they kept giving out a strangeugh. It was a mental attack. But Bratt didn¡¯t panic. Crunch. He put his sword into the ground. ¡°Ah!¡± He concentrated and calmed his mind as he released the energy within him. Poof! A circr shockwave drove away the darkness that surrounded him. The Clown, which had already restored its body,ughed. ¡°Ha, this is absurd, but¡­¡± ¡°Can you handle this? My coolness¡­¡± ¡°From where did this humane? ¡°I am a newborn. I just broke through my limits¡­ my shell, and have finally appeared in this world.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®I remember this guy.¡¯ The Devil nodded, recalling the past. ¡®This guy, he was Airn Pareira¡¯s close friend.¡¯ However, the Clown had never felt interested in him. He was strong for a human, but not strong enough to catch its eye. The other ones, like I and Karen Winker, along with the silver-haired kid, were good for him. Apart from them, no other young human had caught his eye. So, he didn¡¯t understand this situation. If it was 30 yearster, no, maybe 10 years would¡¯ve been enough. These kids had always grown up quite fast, so he could understand them growing up to this extent in a good amount of time. ¡®But¡­ in just one year.¡¯ For a devil that lived for thousands of years, one year was like the blink of an eye. This was absurd¡­ Swish! ¡°Huh!¡± Taking advantage of his thoughts, the attacks kept pouring in. The Clown took a breath and stepped back. However, its worries didn¡¯t stop. This man was sharp and quick, but this wasn¡¯t the human world. Apart from that, he had colored this ce with his own taste over the past year. In other words, the Clown Devil was strong here. If he had to give a rough estimate, he would be 4 to 6 times stronger in this ce. Kwaang! ¡°Kuak!¡± ¡®No, I just have a 45% chance to win?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t tolerate it. He couldn¡¯t ept this. The Clown hated this. The Clown felt like its effort had been nullified, and the thought of chewing down on its opponent and spitting him up surged through the Clown. ¡°¡­¡± However, he didn¡¯t bring out the malice just yet. It wasn¡¯t time for that yet. It was also because there was another emotion greater than anger that rose within him¡­ Fear. The opponent¡¯s sword felt like a threat¡­ he felt the possibility of dying here! ¡®Never!¡¯ Right. Safety was the most important thing. That was the greatest desire and instinct that had made the Clown a Devil. Then what should it do? It couldn¡¯t run. The rift wasn¡¯t as wide as the human world, and it was dangerous, even for a great evil like him, to freely move here. He didn¡¯t want to leave this ce and end up somewhere else. This had to end here. Then how could it increase its chances of winning? What could it do to increase its power? Would it be able to cut down its opponent¡¯s power? Naturally, the Clown chose thetter. Its entire life had been this way¡­ taking pleasure in fooling, deceiving, and ying tricks on people. It didn¡¯t stop nning even as it dodged Bratt¡¯s sword and counterattacked. ¡®Mental attacks won¡¯t work.¡¯ It was upsetting, but that was the truth. It wasn¡¯t just the swordsmanship that had changed. The guy in front of him had be much more mentally stronger. The Clown¡¯s curses were having a hard time attacking the human¡¯s mind. The Clown felt like Bratt¡¯s defenses were perfect both on the inside and outside. But that wasn¡¯t the only way to win. ¡®The outside can still be shaken.¡¯ The Clown smiled behind its mask. Right. There was no need to pound on the hard door. All it had to do was to make the opponente out of the door. And that was enough totch onto him. It was no easy task because the opponent was really good. Wooong! ¡°H-How dare you dodge the attacks of Bratt Lloyd. If you weren¡¯t a devil, I would have praised you.¡± ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°Of course, you should be satisfied without mypliments too. If you could end up on the other side of such beautiful and noble swordsmanship, even if you die, there can be no re¡­¡± ¡°Shut up, shut up, shut up, shut up¡­ please!¡± ¡­just by looking at how it spoke, it felt like something had gone wrong. This human was so amazing! To the extent that even the Clown didn¡¯t want to fight him! To the point where he wanted to somehow trip him over his own feet! So, it had to be careful. It couldn¡¯t rush. The Clown mumbled and changed its attitude. It had to be more passive. It had to be more defensive. It was almost invisible, but a quick-witted guy would notice it. And then five minutes passed. The first opportunity came. ¡°¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t an easy-to-understand opportunity, however. Between each attack, there was a slight pause in the middle. Maybe the human was just picking up his breathing, but the Clown was sure that the other person was starting to feel exhausted. Of course, it wasn¡¯t happy yet. The Clown needed more assurance. Just like before, little by little, the Clown began to focus on defense more and more. ¡°¡­¡± Another 5 minutes passed. The situation was fierce. The human would attack while the Devil would defend. Of course, it wasn¡¯t one-sided. Sometimes there were counterattacks that made Bratt speak up again. But Bratt couldn¡¯t reach it. And he could understand¡­ ¡­why the Clown was defending. The reason why he wasn¡¯t active in the fight. The reason he seemed to have a smile despite the battle happening and not even taking a small risk. ¡°¡­is someoneing?¡± ¡°Uh? You have the time to think of the situation of the opponent?¡± The Clown didn¡¯t respond kindly. But the intention had been conveyed. No, the darkness from the Clown¡¯s body was proof of it. Disgust, ridicule, and even more negative emotions flowed from the clenched fist of the Clown. As if trying to hide something¡­ But the malice wasing out, and it could no longer hide it. ¡®Good. Not bad!¡¯ The Clown smiled. He was unaware of other things. He didn¡¯t have the concentration or time for it. For now, all the Clown knew was that its opponent wasn¡¯t happy. The Clown had, after all, devoted a lot of energy to create this atmosphere of caution. And he had deliberately dyed the battle flow. And this must have stimted Bratt¡¯s thoughts into thinking someone wasing. What if his friends were in a tough situation? Beyond that, what if the situation was bad? What if the Devils who had taken down his friends wereing here? Sure, not all of these thoughts would be running through his mind, but even a single one was enough to make him falter. And the malice that had been timely flowing out was effective. At least, that was what the Clown thought. ¡®The situation I am directing is a lie¡­¡¯ The Clown¡¯s feelings of hate towards its opponent were true. As long as Bratt felt it, the Clown¡¯s illusions would turn out to be true in his mind. The Clown mumbled and took a defensive stance. And the flow changed. Kwang! An explosive leap and an intense attack came in! It was much more intense than before, and the smile on the Clown¡¯s face grew as he saw that. Finally, theposure of the young hero was broken. The Clown had finally managed to mess with the human¡¯s emotions. This would create holes in his swordsmanship, and it could aim for them. The Clown could surely do that! But¡­ ¡°¡­.!¡± This was different from what the Clown had thought. Bratt did seem agitated. And there were clear holes in his movement as well. Even his weak points were shown right away. There were four weak points in his form. And the man could die right away if any of them were exposed. But the Clown couldn¡¯t attack! It definitely couldn¡¯t. ¡®T-this crazy bastard!¡¯ ¡®Is out to kill!¡¯ To take the life of his opponent¡­ That was Bratt¡¯s goal at the moment. He didn¡¯t care even if a sword pierced his own chest and only aimed to take down his enemy with his sword. This was madness. Obsession. Anger. Seeing Bratt Lloyd looking a lot different from before, the Clown Devil finally realized that something was wrong. Chapter 373: Subjugation of the Demon King (3)

    Chapter 373: Subjugation of the Demon King (3)

    It was stable. It was sophisticated. There were no gaps, and it was a bnced swordsmanship that showed traces of long hours of agony. That was the impression he got from seeing Bratt Lloyd for the first time. Apart from being annoying, the Clown admitted that the other party was skilled. Sometimes it was soft and gentle, and sometimes it was fierce. It spread out like a fog, disturbing his senses, and the energy was breaking through very quietly. It was a fighting style that had changed drastically from before. Right. The Clown was feeling burdened by this young man. Instead of a head-on battle, the Clown Devil was trying to execute a sly n. It seeded in turning its opponent¡¯s heart impatient through its great evil and skill of deception. But¡­ the way that things turned out waspletely unexpected. Kwang! Wakng! Kwang! ¡°Kuak! Ack! Kuak!¡± The storm kepting at him. Each and every single hit was powerful enough to take down a mountain. Of course, it wasn¡¯t perfect yet. It felt crudepared to the swordsmanship he was using before. But so what? ¡®There are a lot of gaps. But¡­!¡¯ The Clown couldn¡¯t exploit any of them. It just couldn¡¯t stab out. Bratt¡¯s spirit was fierce enough to make the Clown Devil feel that way. It was hot. The Clown felt the heat rise around it, and anger spread in its body as it faced the attacks of the human. ¡®How did this happen?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t understand. Bratt Lloyd was just another human. The Clown had epted the human¡¯s attacks and had felt them. There were some asional risky moves, but they were done with the calction that it would bring the Clown greater results. The Clown realized that this man was a noble of a nation, and a high-ranking one. Those who have a lot to lose cherish themselves. Creatures that possess many things often turn selfish. So, he didn¡¯t worry. He was never worried. Sometimes there would be those who regarded the task of others as their own, those who were willing to sacrifice themselves for others¡­ Furthermore, although the Clown Devil knew that there were humans who would use their power for others, it didn¡¯t think that the human it was facing would juste at him ready to die. ¡®J-Just how did this happen!¡¯ ¡°Kuaaaak!¡± Woong! The Clown swung its fists in anger. The strategy of defense it previously employed was now thrown away. The Clown¡¯s attack flew at Bratt with pure anger and killing intent. But this action was calcted. It would exploit the moment of Bratt¡¯s indecisiveness to give up his own life. Because humans had a lot to lose. Because humans were creatures that weren¡¯t ready to give up on life. The reason Bratt had been running around like this wasn¡¯t because he was worried about his friends, but out of fear and anxiety that the Clown might achieve this. ¡®That is how it is. This one has to be of the same kind!¡¯ The re that permeated through the mask from the Clown¡¯s eyes was terrifying. There were thick, red blood stains in its eyes. Bratt didn¡¯t panic. He wasn¡¯t scared. In fact, he didn¡¯t even care what the Devil looked like. Because he couldn¡¯t care. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡®Focus the mind.¡¯ ¡®Concentrate the anger.¡¯ ¡®Focus on the aura.¡¯ ¡®Not too fast. If I am toote to extend the sword, I will take huge damage.¡¯ A huge force that was not in his control would rip his body apart. ¡®But that won¡¯t happen.¡¯ Bratt¡¯s sword touched the opponent¡¯s chin, and at the same time, the Clown¡¯s fist also touched Bratt¡¯s face. After a second, a roar that seemed to devour the heavens swept through Devildom. ¡ª¨C! Boom Confusion spread all around. The dense darkness was torn to shreds, and then a night mist spread all around. The body of the fallen Clown had piled up in small pieces. ¡°Cough, cough!¡± The Clown¡¯s upper body shook. ck blood constantly came out. Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t fatal. The Devil, which had almost seen the end of its life, used some of the magi to cure its body. Although pieces of it had be crushed and shattered by Bratt¡¯s attack, the dark energy had done its work. It still had the strength to fight. But the Clown didn¡¯t want to. ¡®I am scared!¡¯ It was afraid. ¡®It is too painful.¡¯ The Clown was gripped in fear. ¡®What do I do? What do I do? What do I do? What do I do?¡¯ The situation wasn¡¯t good at all. He had witnessed it. This was a one-sided situation; his fist had hit the human and caused damage. But because he moved at thest moment, he didn¡¯t take a huge amount of damage. The survival instinct within him was telling him that he had fallen into a trap. Because of that foolish action, the Clown couldn¡¯t ovee its fear, and the opponent had a greater advantage. Pung! ¡®He ising!¡¯ He could hear the sound of the ground breaking. The Clown hurriedly got up and took its stance. Its mind was struggling to stay calm. The Clown felt dizzy and wanted to cough, but it held on. It calcted the ways it could live. ¡®¡­now, I need to risk my life!¡¯ There was no other way. The Clown Devil knew that if it continued to get caught in its opponent¡¯s pace, it would experience a one-sided defeat regardless of who was stronger. The Clown Devil didn¡¯t want to die. It wanted to live even if it meant it was among a pile of garbage. Btedly, darkness came out of the Clown¡¯s body again. Whhh¡­.. Kwakwakwakwakwang! From that moment, the pace of the fight changed. Neither of them cared about the future. They only focused on their current situation and how they could kill their opponent. They didn¡¯t care about living. The moment they showed such weakness, they would be eaten by the other. Death and ruin passed by each other in an instant. Damage piled up on Bratt. The Clown¡¯s soul was also wounded. The Devil wanted to cry. Its body was telling it to run back to its ce and live like the dead, but it knew that it wouldn¡¯t be able to live like that if it ran away now. ¡®And¡­ it is toote.¡¯ The Clown smiled sadly. Right. It was already on the wrong side. Although it chose the best option to live, it didn¡¯t mean that the best oue woulde. The aura of the blue-haired kid was still gnawing into its body. Even if the fight was stopped now, the Clown knew that its chance of surviving this was less than half. It was the same for the other side. The human body had darkness within it. It wasforting to see that the Clown¡¯s darkness hadn¡¯t been purified despite all these years. In addition, the Clown¡¯s desire to live made it work well. Woong! ¡®I must kill him.¡¯ ¡°Phew¡± ¡¯The kid has to die first. ¡¯ The Clown took a deep breath and gathered its strength as it looked at the opponent. The human in front of him was also staggering, but he did not retreat¡­ rather, the swordsman even took half a step forward as if showing that he wouldn¡¯t give up. ¡®Is it because he has given up on his own future?¡¯ Despite the miserable physical conditions of the two, the force between the two didn¡¯t die down at all. And then¡­ A being who could change the whole situation appeared. ¡°¡­.Judith!¡± Bratt called his lover¡¯s name. It was a voice filled with joy and regret, but he couldn¡¯t help it. It was because he realized very soon that this was just the Clown¡¯s deception. ¡®No. It is my fault. I was too emotional.¡¯ Like an idiot, he had fallen for it. But he was one. The moment Judith¡¯s safety lookedpromised, his judgment had gotten thrown out of the window. His expression changed. It was hard to hold back the smile at the thought that he had made a mistake here. The good news was that his lover was still safe. Reassured at her arrival, Bratt passed out as he stood¡­ his mind gave up as it hit the limit after seeing Judith. ¡°¡­¡± And it wasn¡¯t just him. The Clown felt the same. No, it reacted even more sensitively. The Clown could have given Bratt the final blow it had prepared. Or it could¡¯ve grabbed hold of Bratt, who had fainted. But it couldn¡¯t do any of these things. Feeling the force of the red-haired human, the Clown didn¡¯t dare resist it and just knelt where it had been standing. ¡®I¡¯m going to die.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m going to die.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m going to die.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯ll die. I¡¯ll die. I¡¯ll die. I¡¯ll die. I¡¯ll die. I¡¯ll die.¡¯ The Clown couldn¡¯t think of anything else. It couldn¡¯t even think of the fact its life was running out since nothing had changed. Overwhelming power! The Clown had even more fear than when it had faced Karen Winker. The Clown Devil just bowed its head as it quietly waited to die. It was just waiting for that fateful moment in fear. But. Apletely unexpected word came from the human in front of it. ¡°Go.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°I said get lost. Move.¡± ¡®She would spare me?¡¯ ¡®Me?¡¯ ¡®Why? For real?¡¯ The Clown was shocked. It couldn¡¯t understand this since it was too difficult to ept. It didn¡¯t dare raise its head, and in an instant, the Clown¡¯s expression changed. However, the Clown was determined. ¡®I have to live.¡¯ The Clown might be being yed around with, but if it managed to get out of here safely¡­ the Clown Devil knew that it had to seize this chance of survival. The Clown stood up. With a polite bow, it quickly retreated. Judith watched the Devil go for a long time before she turned. Her lover caught her eye. ¡°It is fine,¡± she nodded. These weren¡¯t just empty words. Closing her eyes, she recalled the past. She had been jealous of Ilya. She had been jealous of Bratt Lloyd. However, the most jealous she had ever been of was Airn Pareira. She needed it more. Her heart was desperate. The least she could do was not fall behind. Why didn¡¯t she obtain a sorcery miracle? There were times Judith couldn¡¯t sleep because of that thought. Perhaps even to this day, she couldn¡¯t change her thoughts. And now she realized. That wish had finally arrived. The moment she controlled this energy that had been prating her forehead, she was convinced that she would be reborn as the strongest swordsman. One that surpassed even her teacher. ¡°Haha.¡± It wasn¡¯t needed. No, to be honest, it wasn¡¯t necessary. But there would be no regrets. Judith approached Bratt as she put her sword in the sheath. She let go of her lifelong desire to get revenge for her teacher. Even the slightest amount of power had to be spared to take down the Clown. Wheik! mes rose on her hands. There were warm, soft embers that couldn¡¯t hurt anyone. Judith smiled as she looked at her lover and touched his lips. Like that¡­ A miracle happened. Chapter 374: Subjugation of the Demon King (4)

    Chapter 374: Subjugation of the Demon King (4)

    She had felt it even before she arrived. Judith was getting stronger It wasn¡¯t just her body, but her mind as well. Her aura sword that shone intensely seemed like it could melt space. Her heated body, zing as if it was embracing a volcano. Realizations in swordsmanship which wouldn¡¯t have surfaced in the past, flowed in real time as hundreds of possibilities opened up in her mind. Judith was transcending human limits in real time. Even so, she felt anxious. ¡®I thought it was because of the rift space.¡¯ A ce that was neither the human world nor Devildom. It was something uncertain that was outside of the chaos that she couldn¡¯t pinpoint. The power of sorcery which suddenly came to her dizzied her mind. But she realized it the moment she saw Bratt Lloyd just before crossing the river of death. It is because of this. This was the time she had received to choose. In order to save the life of her lover, she had to give up the surge of power that was flooding her body. ¡°¡­haha.¡± Her worries didn¡¯tst long. The poisonous spirit, the jealousy, the envy and the fighting spirit she had since her childhood were discarded and shoved away for a while. She took a step back from trying to expand herself and focused on something that was more valuable to her. Wheik! A fire that burned for the sake of others. As mes for her love rose, happiness and a feeling of promise for future passed through Bratt¡¯s mind. But at the same time, Judith felt something leaving her body. ¡°Ah¡­¡± The sun of I disappeared from her mind. Ilya Lindsay¡¯s sky receded, Airn¡¯s fire element aura and something even higher than that¡­ they all disappeared quickly. But it was fine. She looked at her lover with a smile. She mumbled something as she felt the dreadful darkness that had tainted this ce recede ever so slightly. ¡°I will not give up.¡± ¡®I won¡¯t lose.¡¯ She would do what she wanted with him. They would be lovers, friends and family in the future. They would do everything together. She nodded and looked at her sword. ¡°¡­the sword too, I won¡¯t let it go either.¡± She would just have to build it again. It was only there for a fleeting moment, but she had witnessed it. A realm above master. For a brief moment, she had a sword that had been capable of taking down every devil in here. As long as she didn¡¯t forget that feeling, she would be able to rise again. And she would be able to reach it. And the one next to her¡­ would always be this man. With a gentle smile, Judith stroked her lover¡¯s hair for a long time. ** * Ilya Lindsay picked her sword back up. There was nowhere the waves didn¡¯t sweep through. Nothing could hinder Ilya nor her opponent. A dark sword with an darker aura that seemed as if it had been made from shadows had been pulled out. Wooo There was a stench of chaosing from it. The air turned damp because of it. Wooong! A silver aura rose from Ilya¡¯s sword. It seemed like there was moonlight dancing on it. It looked holy and divine, like a new wind being born. Gradually, the darkness scattered. The light shone brightly. A new world opened up in the space. Having built her own sky, she moved ahead. It was a gentle walk that resembled a breeze. It was paired with a delicate and soft sword movement like the wings of a butterfly pping. It was the basic Swordsmanship she had learned when she was still in Krono. Whooo! Whooo! Whoooo! Butterflies weren¡¯t always gentle. They turn violent if they wanted to with the help of their wings that were able to change the course of the wind. And it didn¡¯t take long for a storm toe. This butterfly had been reborn in steel after all. There was a limit to it however. It couldn¡¯t be denied that this was the Sky Sword, but it was also true that it was a basic swordsmanship that even a 13-year-old kid would be able to do. Overall, it was a very simple swordsmanship and had very few gaps. Ilya knew all about it. Still, he couldn¡¯t overwhelm the basic swordsmanship. Ching! Kwakwakwakwang! A dark aura erupted from the Demon¡¯s sword. It was an unrealistic sight that was so huge that it couldn¡¯t bepared to the previous one¡­ it was as if it were wielding the arm of a giant. The ground which was rubbed by the sword turned into a mess. There was arge amount of despair and fear moving around. But it didn¡¯t reach her. It couldn¡¯t touch her. The darkness that had bloomed for a while vanished in an instant as the wind blew it away. Ilya walked lightly on the cleared space. With a bitter expression on her face, she recalled the past. ¡°¡­the swordsmanship that I just showed you was from when I was in Krono.¡± Kwaaang! ¡°The swordsmanship I will show you now is the one I learned while leaving for training shorty following the disappearance of my brother. The swordsmanship after that¡­¡± Kwang! Kwang! Kwaaang! ¡°¡­is from the arena of the Land of Proof. It was here that I was able to bring out the Aura Sword for the first time. Of course, thinking about it now¡­ I thought it was strong.¡± Bang! Bang! Bang! The sword kept devastating the entire ce. However, it was only thend that broke. Ilya Lindsay avoided the attacks that were aimed at her and blocked some. The enemy in front of her wasn¡¯t her opponent. It wasn¡¯t even a perfect match. This was natural. It was a sword which had given up on itself for the sake of a greater power and one that had sumbed to the darkness. Having lost the world, Carl had no choice but to be defeated by I too, and it would be the same with Ilya. In fact, it was a bit absurd to have dragged the match this long. But the battle continued for a long time. It was only because Ilya Lindsay wanted it to. As said before, what she was seeing was evil being unleased. In response to that, she too had unleashed the dangerous swordsmanship she had been following when she had been in the Land of Proof. The swordsmanship that was full of the feeling of wandering when she was travelling in Durkali was also revealed. As if telling someone she hadn¡¯t met for a long time, she showed everything about her in detail. However, she didn¡¯t seem embarrassed about. After a long time, she smiled. Her swordsmanship had changed again by now. It was for this moment that she had done all this. It was to show what she had grown into after experiencing such an awkward growth. ¡°This is the Hero Sword that I learned from I.¡± The sword that had the will of protection embroidered the sky. As a result, the sword¡¯s aura that had been previously running rampant like wild monster, stopped. It only moved back and forth after that moment. ¡°This is the swordsmanship I realized after getting advice from father¡­ it is what I found after I decided to love myself.¡± Woong Another cold wind swept through the ce. It was probably from then that it had started. It was from there that she started being honest with her feelings and faithful to her emotions. She had decided to cherish herself more. And that wasn¡¯t the end. It didn¡¯t work right away just because she had made up her mind. Even after that, Ilya had been wandering around and had experienced many ups and downs. The teachings of Dion Lindsay had helped her obtain the final stage of the Sky Sword. The reason she wielded the sword carefully wasn¡¯t because she was bragging. But it was because she genuinely cared about the struggle to move on for a better tomorrow. ¡°This is satisfying.¡± Kwakwakwang! ¡°Really, I am happy now. My heart is healing.¡± Kwakwakwang! Ilya mumbled. Tears were flowing from her eyes. Tears of regret were flowing down, andplicated emotions were rising within her. She raised her sword as she looked at the demon destroying the surroundings. Woong! Wooong! The two swords, the sword made from air and the other, her own, shone brightly. She had a sad smile on her face as she looked at the creature in front of her. She had once loved this man as much as she loved Airn. It was a being who had once cursed and resented I. But that was exactly why she had to do this. ¡°Goodbye, brother.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°This is thest once. What I will show you now¡­¡± A huge typhoon rose from Ilya Lindsay¡¯s body. Crack! Crash! The ground split. Even the chaos that had filled the rift had disappeared back in fear. The silver-haired swordman who had colored the ce in silver floated up. Her second sword aimed from a higher position. But the demon didn¡¯t run. Despite taking a couple steps back, he stood firm. He raised his head and looked at the sky. And then he looked at the woman in front of him silently. ¡®Such a beautiful light.¡¯ The light was so beautiful that he wanted to turn back all the mistakes he had made. Right now, he just wanted to put down his sword and walk over to her. But he didn¡¯t. He couldn¡¯t. Realizing that he could no longer be one with the sky, Carl decided to stay as a demon until the end. That was the only way for his younger sister to break away from him and move forward. And then, the darkness rose from his body once again. And then. In Carl¡¯s eyes, he saw something that shouldn¡¯t have existed. ** * ¡°¡­¡± Ilya Lindsay, the silver-haired swordsman with two swords, looked down. A wretched sight caught her eye. The upper half of the demon had been blown away and it looked like the demon wouldn¡¯t be able recover regardless of how much magi it tried to use. This was the expected result. This was a sword she had used with all her might to overwhelm her Krono mates. Ignoring the rift, she knew her opponent couldn¡¯t block the Sky Sword. ¡­at first, he didn¡¯t think of stopping it. Recalling the sword of her opponent flying past her, Ilya looked back. ¡°Ku¡­ uh¡­ ack¡­¡± There was darkness here as well. Th demon gave out disgusting groans of pain which made her want to cover her ears. There was a thick dark liquid seeping down from the demon¡¯s mask. And its face that had been exposed due to the shattered mask was so ugly that one wouldn¡¯t be able to look at it. She lowered her gaze and looked at the clown¡¯s chest. She saw a dark sword. A weapon that had been created by ignoring the light in the world and even sacrificing the brilliant future that hadid ahead. Seeing the demon¡¯s sword made her frown. And then¡­ Thest sword that had been wielded by her brother Carl Lindsay, scattered in smoke. Chapter 375: Subjugation Of The Demon King (5)

    Chapter 375: Subjugation Of The Demon King (5)

    ¡°Euk, euk, euk¡­.¡± The devil sobbed. It was a creature that had lived for a long time, and was one of the strongest among the strong and was powerful enough to be counted as a great evil in the demon infested Devildom. His mask was a symbol of fear for all, regardless of whether they were humans or devils. But not now. After the mask had shattered, the clown that had been forced to expose its miserable bare face quickly moved back, scared of dying in the absence of darkness. ¡°Hurts so much¡­ It hurts so much. Please¡­¡± ¡®It hurts.¡¯ ¡®So painful.¡¯ It caused a rise in his anger. He wanted to pluck out the eyes of the one who had given him this pain and wanted to tear open the lips of those who would smile at him. In the heart of the devil, anger burned like hellfire. Of course, it could do nothing. It couldn¡¯t even think of revenge. ¡®I will never win!¡¯ ¡®That one¡­ it is the incarnation of fire.¡¯ An overwhelming force that dared to attach the word ¡®absolute¡¯ to itself. A being that was so strong that the Clown had never seen something like it either in Devildom or in the human world. It was someone that the Clown knew it couldn¡¯t ovee even if it tried to heal a hundred times. Right. All he could do now was bow his head. He resigned at the mercy of that red haired woman and did his best to survive. He didn¡¯t want to be the right arm of the Demon King, nor did it want to y in the human world. The only wish the Clown had hoped for was to escape from here and to return back to Devildom through the rift. However¡­ ¡®Can I live? Like now?¡¯ The Clown looked like it wanted to cry. The probability of escaping the rift safely was about fifty percent. If it had been in perfect condition, there would have been no problem but now, it had injuries all over its body. Although it had somehow managed to ovee the dangerous hurdles from before, if it incurred additional wounds in the process of returning to Devildom, then that would be its end. Even after returning to Devildom, it would still be a problem. The Clown was surely strong, but it wasn¡¯t the absolute being in Devildom. There were at least ten more fearsome devilsparable to the Clown in Devildom, and half of them hated the Clown. Of course, no one would be able get along with the Clown Devil. That was just its nature. It would be no exaggeration to say that only the strongest existences would be respected, but who would respect a creature that was seriously wounded? ¡®What do I do?¡¯ ¡®Should I head back? But what if the other Devils find out? They¡¯ll kill me.¡¯ ¡®Isn¡¯t it better to recover my strength for a little while and then go back?¡¯ ¡®What nonsense is this! The one I¡¯m here with is far more worse than all the devils put together!¡¯ ¡®It isn¡¯t just one or two. I will die the moment I meet them again. Not only my body but even my soul will be burned to ashes!¡¯ ¡®So, what do I do?¡¯ ¡®What should I do?¡¯ ¡®How can I recover and escape from here¡­¡¯ ¡°¡­!¡± Familiar shapes entered the clown¡¯s eyes as it was racking its mind. Carl Lindsay. And Ilya Lindsay. The moment he saw them, the clown sensed a chance. ¡®I need to eat their darkness!¡¯ Negative human emotions were food to the devils, and depending on how deep and dark the emotions were, the better and more special it would taste. He had recently experienced it. The sense of despair, frustration and defeat that Carl Lindsay, who couldn¡¯t ovee I till the end, exuded! There was no need exin how wonderful those memories were. He had received power that was exciting enough to forget the damage that he had umted from his defeat. ¡®Ilya Lindsay has the same blood as this one too.¡¯ Right. This silver-haired woman who was armed with a dazzling pdin-like aura and gave out a noble air around her was Carl¡¯s younger sister. However, despite being reunited, neither of them seemed happy. Rather, they looked frustrated. The dark shadow looked like it was in immense sadness over the fact that it had to take its own life for the sake of the cause. But, what if even the hard-fought choices yield the worst results? What if she was looking up at her brother with eyes full of regret because she was unable to protect the world? What if she couldn¡¯t deal with the man in front of her. Happiness. The Clown¡¯s happiness rose. Of course, the Clown didn¡¯t show its excitement. Rather, it hid itself in the darkness even more secretly and deeply. ¡®A chance!¡¯ The difference in power between Ilya and Carl was striking. Still, the reason the fight was dragging on was because the younger one couldn¡¯t make up her mind. That was what humans were. There were a few people who were able to cut down their flesh and blood right away, but for most, it was something that required a lot of mental strength. Unsurprisingly, the long-awaited moment hade. A silver sword floated in the sky, and she had her Sky Sword aiding her as well. It was incredible. However, the Clown could clearly feel the sadness and loss in her heart. Those weaknesses had now be exposed. ¡®Now!¡¯ The clown moved. It was impossible to act alone. Like Bratt and Judith, Ilya had also grown a lot. But she was with Carl, her brother. Ilya was putting all her attention on that one man, so the surprise attack would work¡­! Puck! And that was the end of the clown. ¡°¡­ ku¡­.ak¡­!¡± Shik! Its mask had been broken. It had gone beyond just cracks. It was nowpletely smashed and exposed, and there were emotions of shock and confusion on the Clown¡¯s face. Everything going through its mind had been revealed on its face. The Clown, who just stood there in pain, stopped breathing. Its ugly body weathered away in the breeze that blew a secondter. However, there was one thing that hadn¡¯t scattered. The devil¡¯s sword that had struck the clown¡¯s chest. After seeing it disappear like smoke as well, Ilya Lindsay slowly moved towards her brother. ¡°¡­¡± Carl Lindsay was speechless. He quietly closed his eyes waiting for the end. His eyes were dark. His past was still dark. Now there was no turning back. It was impossible to forget everything after all this time. Giving up everything, he thought. ¡®¡­I am such a bad brother.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t do it. He had to be the demon until the end. He had to go down in darkness. He couldn¡¯t imagine how much it would upset his younger sister¡¯s heart if he showed a clumsy appearance during theirst meeting. Ilya Lindsay stopped in front of him, she bent down, and fixed her gaze on Carl¡¯s face. But Carl did nothing. He had longed for a moment of reunion, but this circumstance was just the worst, and for his would life end soon. At that time. He heard a voice. ¡°Look at me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Open your eyes and look at me.¡± But he couldn¡¯t open his eyes. It really was true. No matter how much he wanted to see her, he couldn¡¯t do it, he couldn¡¯t show her his confused form. Carl made up his mind. However, in spite of such a promise and such thoughts, he had no choice but to open his eyes. Before feeling regret, he felt a sense of relief. ¡°Now do you understand?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry brother. Now¡­ I won¡¯t be shaken like that anymore.¡± ¡®I am not seven years old.¡¯ The one looking down at him smiled in a far more dignified way. It was rxed and seem as if it was harboring the world. ¡­that was what he had been longing for so long. Carl Lindsay nodded and said. ¡°I have no need to worry then.¡± ¡°Yes, there is no need to worry.¡± Ilya was in tears. He wasn¡¯t sad. It wasn¡¯t painful either. The present event, this event would remain in his mind for a long time. For them, this would be a bitter and sad memory. But¡­ ¡°It will not shatter my heart.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So don¡¯t worry, tell me. Talk about yourself brother. Something no one else could tell me. I will listen to it all¡­¡± This is thest consideration she could give to a brother as a fully grown younger sister. ¡­Carl Lindsay heard her voice and closed his eyes again. His mind was clumped with thoughts. Regret. Sadness. Anguish, fear, hatred. There were all sorts of negative emotions inside him but a greater joy arose. It didn¡¯t save him, but it saved him from the worst. The older brother opened his eyes and looked at his younger sister. And he looked at the happiness in front of him. ¡°I¡­¡± He hadn¡¯t felt such a thing for a long time. Carl Lindsay confided in Ilya with a story only he could tell. Soon after, like his sword, he scattered in the rift. That was theirst reunion. Shhh¡­ The hand which had been holding her¡¯s disappeared and the face looking at her disappeared. However, the feelings in her heart didn¡¯t disappear. Ilya Lindsay, who was reminded of the touch of her brother, knelt down unable to get up. ¡°¡­this had to be done.¡± Of course, it wasn¡¯t going to stay like this forever. Phew. She exhaled and focused on her mind as she opened her senses. And then she saw a way through the chaos-filled rift. ¡°I aming.¡± ¡®Don¡¯t worry.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t be scared.¡¯ Smiling brightly, Ilya Lindsay cast the Sky Sword. The silver sword shot forward at a frightening speed and the dizzying space was purified. The look on her face could give anyone trust. ¡°Wait a little longer, Airn.¡± Nothing could stop Ilya from moving towards her lover. Immediately after entering the rift, Airn moved without stopping. He couldn¡¯t help it. The energy of I that he could feel much stronger than others¡¯ guided him. It wasn¡¯t just that. The energy of the Demon King, which was making things suffocating, stimted his senses. Like it wanted him to sense it. As if it was confident that it could take Airn on. Airn didn¡¯t hesitate. Finally, he reached the ce. The moment he looked at the being he was facing, the emotions h had managed to suppress for so long, began to shake. ¡°¡­¡± The Demon King was standing there in front of him in the form of Khun. However, it wasn¡¯t just the Demon King. He could feel another energy from within¡­ he shed tears as he felt the energy of I Crescentia. ¡°I am sorry I amte.¡± Wooong! Airn raised his sword. ¡°I am sorry I couldn¡¯t save you.¡± Airn released his aura. It was sad. His emotions that couldn¡¯t fully be controlled even with the energy of the earth that Karen Winker had gifted him overtook him. And then it exploded. Kwakwakwakwakng! There was no reason to stop the energy anymore. There was no Bratt Lloyd to stop it. Ten days ago, the gigantic aura which couldn¡¯t bepared with what he showed in front of Jia Runtel poured onto the Demon King. Chapter 376: Subjugation Of The Demon King (6)

    Chapter 376: Subjugation Of The Demon King (6)

    After the attack on Avilius, ck Knight Commander, I Crescentia. In Airn Pareira¡¯s heart, a great me that had the power to burn the whole world had taken birth. It was filled with his hatred for the devils. It was filled with his anger towards the Demon King. With his anger towards the world. Airn had to spend most of the time in the sorcery sphere in order to control the fire that seemed as if it would never burn out. However, there was another bigger problem. Sadness. Regret. Helplessness. The fire that had been spreading wildly had subsided and the dark emotions that had settled in its ce didn¡¯t disappear no matter how much time passed. Rather, it just kept turning darker and darker. He tried to use the energy of the earth to control the dark pool of emotions within him, but there was a limit to what he could do. Without Karen Winker¡¯s help, even building the dam would have been impossible. Chak! Chal! And now, it finally exploded. The dam that had managed to withstand Lulu¡¯s sacrifice, could no longer withstand it and cracked. Unable to ovee the emotions that had umted for so long, the dam slowly broke apart and then came crashing down. He didn¡¯t have to wait any longer. There was no longer any reason to hesitate. Wild waves of intense aura spread from Airn and they were all directed at the Devil that was using the energy of Khun and I. Kwakwakwakwang! The rift was different from the human world. In a ce that was entirely devoid of things like trees, rocks and wild grass, even a Sword Master would feel helpless. It was said that even an aura user with the capability of destroying an entire city could do nothing here. But this was the exception. Just like Bratt Lloyd pushed the clown. Just like Judith burned the chaos in the rift. Just like Ilya Lindsay¡¯s sky sword carved her own path through the rift¡­ Airn Pareira¡¯s attack also shook the rift. Pupupupupung! The colorless ground was broken. It felt like the void would be pushed away, and the gaps that started cracking like spiderwebs began to widen up more and more. Even the chaos that lurked inside became terrified and moved further back. The evil was dangerous and sultry to the point of beingpared to a horrid evil. Airn ignored everything else and focused only on the one being that was at the edge of his gaze. He concentrated his aura ording to his emotions. But the Demon King didn¡¯t retreat. He wasn¡¯t even shocked. Enveloped in darkness, he arose from the throne he was sitting on and raised his head and looked around. Human and Devil The two opposite beings stared at each other. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­!¡± A moment of urgency¡­ It was so short that there wouldn¡¯t have been enough time to even take a breath. Airn felt as if time was flowing slower. He could see an illusion¡­ He saw the face of the Demon King approaching him as he used his senses. It was smiling. It was looking down on him. At the moment of shing, the darkness greeted the waves of aura, without even taking any defensive action. ¡ª! There was a roar and the cracked space opened up even more at the deafening voice. The dimension rift that had now shattered like fragments created a bizarre scene. It felt more like a dream than reality. However, the most unrealistic thing was that the Demon King was fine. The body that walked out of the waves of Aura wentpletely against the scene. He didn¡¯t seem hurt. His gait was dignified. Suddenly, with a bizarre sound as if the shell of an egg was breaking, the darkness that was in the shape of Khun approached. Wheik! There was no reason to wait. Airn took his stance. Vertical sh He held his old friend who had been with him since he first started the path of the sword. The golden sword was dyed in red in an instant, and it exuded a heat that was as fierce as Judith¡¯s anger. The anger that he thought had disappeared to ashes, and his hatred for the darkness that was trying to destroy the world¡­ all of it manifested itself in the form of mes. It gave Airn an explosive speed. Kwaaaang! Nothing had changed from before. The Demon King looked like he had no sense of tension. Despite that, he jumped into the air. He was afflicted with a terrible heat and me, but he didn¡¯t fall. Rather, he just continued to smile and moved forward. Although it wasn¡¯t obvious at first, the shell covering his body had begun to peel off. The skin of Khun began to fly away. Some of the remnants were brushed off by the demon king¡¯s hand. Under it, there was a young and exuberant appearance. The Demon King¡¯s body now harbored the greatest talent in the history of the human world. After looking at the appearance of I Crescentia for a moment, Airn fired another sword attack. At that time, the Demon King, who had been silent until then spoke, ¡°You know¡­¡± Chang! ¡°¡­it is impossible for you to stop me now.¡± The embodiment of darkness suddenly made a deration. As if to prove that statement, the way the Demon King handled Airn¡¯s aura was too effortless. However, Airn didn¡¯t care. Rather, he just swung his sword even faster and wilder. It was raw aura that was just filled with unrefined emotions. But the Demon King didn¡¯t fall. With one hand on the back and the other raised, he continued to speak. Tung! ¡°I knew I would face you one day.¡± The aura of sadness, that had been as thick and deep as the sea, bounced off with just a single gesture. Pung! ¡°When darkness rises, so does light. I didn¡¯t try to force it because of that. It is a much better choice to create a favorable situation for you than to reject the inevitable. Therefore¡­.¡± It was the same with the aura of fire that Airn had spread like wildfire. The moment it faced the Demon King¡¯s fist that had been engulfed in darkness, it futilely scattered. And the fire spread around to the ground but even that felt like the mes of hell. The attack that followed was the same. Kang! ¡°¡­I have built a tform to destroy what you have built up. Did you enjoy the journey across the eastern continent?¡± The evil, that had now been narrowed down and concentrated, deflected another attack and mumbled. He was cloaked in the confidence that nothing could harm him. No, it was more than just confidence. The young man who was standing in front of him right now used coexistence as a source of strength. Wood added energy to fire. Ashes remain where fire buns. The earth embraces the fire. Finally there was water that gathered in the energy of iron. A tree would grow by absorbing water, and thus, the five of the energies normally created a virtuous cycle. And it had to be cut off. Fortunately, there was a way. In order to kill the momentum of the hero who was constantly trying to create a miracle, the Demon King dug into the fundamentals of the young man¡¯s belief. Into the trust and belief the young man had in his friends and family. Into the love and goodwill he had towards the world. The Demon King knew that the moment he shook that off, the hero wouldn¡¯t be able to carry out the hero¡¯s belief. He would no longer be able to grow trees. Right. The Demon King¡¯s attack on this hero had already begun a long time ago. After confirming that it was absolutely valid, the Heart Demon¡¯s lips raised into a smile and he extended his fist. Pung! Jjjjjj¡­ ¡°¡­ Kuak!¡± Airn, who had barely managed to block the attack, groaned. Seeing the hero getting pushed away with such a huge sound, the Demon King smiled deeply. ¡°You raised the energy of earth to block it. Good job. But¡­¡± Wooong¡­! ¡°¡­no matter how hard you try¡­ with a single energy, the result will not change. It would be as if your sword never touched me.¡± Swish! Pung! ¡°¡­!¡± After being attacked again, Airn was pushed back. Unlike before, when he somehow kept his bnce, he had stumbled badly just now. He hurriedly raised the head, biting his lower lip toe to his senses just a little bit faster. A monster in the form of I Crescentia was approaching him with a cold and midnight-like form. ¡°What will you do?¡± said the Demon King. ¡°Even if you keep throwing out these waves of aura, it won¡¯t work.¡± ¡°Even something violent like a volcano eruption cannot reach me.¡± ¡°Even with an energy sharp as steel, I cannot be cut¡­¡± ¡°Even the strong energy of earth cannot withstand my power.¡± ¡°Your tree has been cut down.¡± ¡°And you are just a hero whose beliefs are broken. ¡°You cannot save the world.¡± ¡°So¡­¡± ¡°Just die.¡± The Demon King mumbled as he approached the blonde swordsman. It was a sight that would have been frightening to see. Was it because it was a demon that went after people¡¯s hearts? As the burden on Airn¡¯s heart grew, the darkness grew as well. It was using Khun¡¯s shape again. The form of I could no longer be seen. The devil who hade all the way to his nose, had turned into a giant in the darkness¡­. ¡­like a monster in a child¡¯s bedroom. Dududud¡­. The Demon King raised his feet. As a result, his vision blurred. Airn trembled as he watched the huge darkness rise in front of him, trying to crush him down. He remembered the time when he was called a deadbeat noble. But the difference between him from that time and now was the fact that he had the teachings and memories of his previous life. ¡°¡­¡± He closed his eyes. He forgot about reality. Leaving behind that moment of intense emotions, Airn had a dream he hadn¡¯t dreamed for a long time. However, it was a little different from usual. He saw the familiar sky, wall and yard. Even his previous life, Karen Winker, who was more familiar with all this than anyone else, was still the same¡­ And there was one more person. ¡°Isn¡¯t it hard?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I will give you this.¡± It was a very young face ¡­and they had clear eyes. It was someone who was far from the malice and filth the continent was filled with. Their will wasn¡¯t even close to something like a hero¡¯s great belief in defending the world. It was just one person¡­ someone with a small and pure heart. That¡¯s all she was. Airn saw a small girl who was holding a flower in her hand. But how did that matter? Because it wasn¡¯t a giant tree that everyone would look up to¡­ Just because it was a flower¡­ Was it a lesser existence just because it was small? ¡®No.¡¯ Just as the tree of the hero embraced the world, the girl¡¯s goodwill towards one person was also great. Airn, who watched Karen Winker¡¯s shocked expression as he received the flower, closed his eyes and smiled faintly. There was no need to see it anymore. There was no reason to be here any longer. The young hero was weed by a huge darkness as soon as he opened his eyes. Wooo¡­ Airn Pareira stretched out his sword. It wasn¡¯t like before. However, it wasn¡¯t entirely different either. The fifth energy that bloomed shyly created a circle of coexistence. The five elements that had been finallypleted again pierced the Demon King¡¯s feet with small, fine petals. Chapter 377: Subjugation of the Demon King (7)

    Chapter 377: Subjugation of the Demon King (7)

    Crash. ¡°¡­.¡± Although he felt some difort on his huge feet, the Demon King didn¡¯t take it seriously. Even when you kill an insect, you would faintly feel something. Even a hero with a broken heart would like to make hisst move. So, he put more strength onto his right foot. However, despite the increasing pressure, he couldn¡¯t trample on the hero. Rather, it was the opposite. The sensation from his feet turned into pain and the corners of his lips which had been curved upwards in a smile, began to fall rapidly. Ugh He increased his strength even further. The hero still persevered. Ugh He pushed even harder. Magi concentrated with the same pressure as the aura, and hundreds of thousands of thorns sharper than the swords of old heroes began to sprout from his soles. Still, the hero didn¡¯t fall. Rather, he showed an even more dazzling light as if he could push this opponent back. And all of a sudden¡­ Crack! A miracle had happened. The body of the Demon King that was huge enough to cover the sky, began to split. Crack! Grrrrr! In the end, the gigantic body of the Demon King crumbled down without being able to maintain its form. Airn Pareira swung his sword at the sight of the huge giant copsing. Fragments of darkness that had been flying wildly were swept away by the gentle circle he had made with his sword swing. And Airn kept doing it over and over again until everything had bounced offpletely. And then time passed. In front of Airn who looked a little exhausted, the Demon King who was now in the form of I appeared. ¡°It is amazing. To be honest, I am shocked that you endured this far.¡± The Demon King who was walking still had a rxed expression. Suddenly darkness grew on its right arm that had been raised. It was a sword. It waspletely different from Khun¡¯s or I¡¯s and a disgusting aura condensed around it. It showed hostility with the clear intention to kill¡­ ¨C¨C! ¡­and it was used with incredible speed. ¡°Kuak!¡± Airn tilted his head at the sword thrown at him. Drops of blood began to flow down as the sword had lightly grazed his face. The second strike came immediately. Airn rushed towards the Demon King this time, like a whip moving, Airn curved around and aimed for his enemy¡¯s back. And he swung his sword. Whooo! But the Demon King wasn¡¯t there. To be precise, he had disappeared, leaving behind only his form. Airn who concentrated his mind to find his enemy, suddenly shed at his rear. Opening his eyes, he looked up and felt startled. A darkness that deeper than night was catching on. The Demon King, who was ready to take the huge stride revealed the white teeth of his. ¡°Let us see how long you willst.¡± Thud! Kwaaaank! And that was the start. The Demon King roamed all around this rift. He had no limit of sky andnd in here. The darkness all around was a ce he could touch and move and it could attack Airn. He was merciless to the hero and the hero continued to stagger in the face of onught. But¡­ ¡°¡­¡± That was all. Airn Pareira didn¡¯t fall¡­ ¡­nor did his sword break. Rather, it still had the same bright light from the start¡­ still wanting to cut down the Demon King. And that made the Heart Demon even more shocked. It wasn¡¯t that he couldn¡¯t understand. But why is he still alive? Does it make him feel like he will fall but he is enduring it? Does he feel stronger than before? It was because his heart was alive. This is ebecause his broken belief was still standing upright, and the five energies were coexisting. Right. He didn¡¯t want to admit this. As the top of the demons, he couldn¡¯t easily ept that his first ploy as a king had failed. Of course. Tung! Tung! ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡®You can¡¯t stay this stubborn for long.¡¯ Denying the truth does no good to one. The Demon King nodded his head¡­ For a minute, he closed his eyes and the darkness slowly grew to hundreds of individuals. Ddddk! ¡°¡­!¡± They were just piles of Demon King, they all had difference appearances like the humans. Even familiar faces. It isn¡¯t like they were together for long, but more like people he crossed¡­ ¡®¡­ you will never be forgotten¡¯ A hot breath flowed from Airn¡¯s mouth as he saw the evil people he met while passing through the eastern continent. ¡°I won¡¯t bother asking how you got the energy of tree back again.¡± The Demon King¡¯s voice resounded. He wasn¡¯t alone. All the hundred beings spoke the same thing at the same time, it was ridicule at Airn. ¡°That bud there is no less shabby than before¡­¡± Let me cut that down again. With thosest words, a wave of malice and evil went for the hero again. Airn pareira wasn¡¯t perfect. There was nothing wrong with the words of Demon King. The hero still didn¡¯t trust the world. Humans are terrible just like demons and are all over the world. He deeply felt that good intentions can turn malice and hostility . It took 10 years to grow back the new tree, but it wasn¡¯t an impossible task. But. Flowers are different. At the moment when this wave of darkness rushed it, Airn closed his eyes again. ¡°¡­¡± With a painful expression on the face, he looked at Karen Winker who continued to train in agony. He could see something else. He could feel the world from 1,000 years back, which was more ferocious than now, which drove even Karen Winker, the wisest man into darkness. Flowers bloomed. The pure heart of that little girl who was passing had given to the old man who had ben defiled by evil. Right. No matter how thick the darkness has covered the world it cannot cover all the good intentions in each person. It cannot trample on all the people. Blink. After a brief thought. The characters changed again. It was I Crescentia with her confident expression maybe a little arrogant too. Looking back now, I wasn¡¯t a good memory. The woman who pointed out every single thing hecked. He couldn¡¯t respond and was constantly teased. It was the same after the first meet. There were times when he suffered from the sense ofpetition and inferiority of a defeat. Thinking back, it was so shameful thing. Of course¡­ ¡°¡­ they are precious friends now.¡± Blink. Airn opened his eyes this time. Did the time stop? Even though he was thinking for quite some time, the scenery ahead stayed the same. The clones of Demon King who rushed in were still. No, it wasn¡¯t that. Those beings were rushing in at a frightening speed as if a blocked stream had opened up. Unpleasant sounds could be heard from them. The ridicule to kill a poor man. The joyfulughter saying they wished something like this happened every day. The appearance of these corrupt demons shouting behind, as well as the numerous evil people he encountered while travelling around the eastern continent flooded in and they all tried to relentlessly break down the heart of the hero. Airn didn¡¯t copse. Taking a deep breath he closed his mouth firmly and moved ahead. And. In this rift with cracks space the path of light began to open. Woooooong! Kaaaaaaa! Screams could be heard from around. It was the sound of the demons. Most of those who got touched by this brilliant golden light opening up couldn¡¯t hold their form and melted down. Some tried to ruthlessly rush in and stab the hero o the hero but nothing happened. Everyone melted like the snowkes in spring and the flower in Airn¡¯s heart was still bright. It was that. A trust which could never be broken. It was a mindset which would never change. Even if he hated the world for a while. There was no way he could hate people who were by his side and those who guided him. Family. Ilya Lindsay. Judith Bratt Lloyd Lulu Kuvar. Ian, Khun, Lance Peterson and many more. The ties with people in western continent, the Orcs in the Orc tribe and the seniors he met in the Warrior¡¯s Festival. ¡®And¡­ Karen Winker.¡¯ Airn Pareira, who remembered the faces of his loved ones, stopped walking and lifted his head up. Still huge, but not as huge as the start. Seeing the bewildered expression on the face of the Demon King in the form of I, he raised the sword. ¡°Thank you.¡± Woooo¡­. Aura soared ¡°And I am sorry. For beingte.¡± Woooong¡­.! It soared louder andrger and stronger. The Demon King felt threatened by this and began to release magi. He wasn¡¯t rxed anymore. He was nervous like a mouse cornered without nowhere to go and swung his sword. Whooo! Airn prevented it froming. It wasn¡¯t difficult. Rather it felt too easy. Feeling inferior, the Demon King pressed his sword constantly to pressure the hero, but the hero didn¡¯t move, he just looked up at him with sad eyes. 1 second, 2 and then 3. A time which is short enough to take one breathe but feels long in silence. Realizing what he was doing for I, the Demon King was shocked. ¡°Then¡­ Goodbye.¡± ¡°You¡­!¡± Tuuung! The Demon King tried to speak but Arn didn¡¯t give him the chance. Tung. When a stronger force was applied the sword of the Demon King was pushed to the sky. The arm holding the sword too rose up. The face of his looked impatient, but his lowered the gaze. The focus descended from the familiar face and red at the wide upper body. and the golden sword moved. Swung stronger than ever. Kwaaang! ¨C¨C! The hero¡¯s sword shattered the Demon King¡¯s body. ¡°haa, Haa, Haa¡­¡± Air exhaled rough breaths. Defeating the Demon King. The biggest crisis of the continent is done, it was a huge pressure. However, the form of the hero wasn¡¯t good. If it was the human world he was born and raised he could have recovered right away with rest but this is a dimensional rift. And such things don¡¯t happen here. In midst of the exhaustion, Airn felt empty. For the sake of the precious existence, he ended the precious existence with his own hands. Even if it was just a shell that he broke, the pain he felt wasn¡¯t small. The feeling of shame he was holding back exploded. If he hade back a little faster, he could have protected her. He wished he could have saved her before the Demon King took her body. ¡­ when he was thinking that. Something came from the darkness. Chin! ¡°¡­!¡± Airn managed to respond. A warning sign ringing in his mind. He was exhausted but this pressure wasn¡¯t small. Several thoughts ran through the mind. Who is this? Someone other than Demon King? Ilya¡¯s brother? Or the clown? No, it wasn¡¯t them. He didn¡¯t know it but he felt it. So who is this? Were they nning for a back n? If not¡­ ¡®is the Demon King still not dead?¡¯ Kwang! Aura was strongly put into the sword. Airn who had spread the distance to have a safe distance looked at the opponent with a sharp gaze. ¡°¡­¡± And things he shouldn¡¯t see could be see. A familiar body. A sword in a form he was familiar with. Bewildered he frowned and struggled to confirm the face in the robe. After a moment, a voice full of surprise came. Chapter 378: I’ll Be Back (1)

    Chapter 378: I¡¯ll Be Back (1)

    ¡°I?¡± A name which suddenly popped out. Airn who said that frowned more and looked at the other person. The sword which seemed to have a different color but it was the shape the Holy King gave her. A familiar physique and the walk and the confiden look despite having the robe on. I Crescentia. The unique feeling which was different from the Demon King who only used her shell¡­ ¡°Right, it is me. I Crescentia¡± ¡­ and her voice made a ripple in his heart. Airn walked over like he was possessed. ¡®If this is the n of the Demon King?¡¯ Judging from the circumstances, it seemed like the Demon King didn¡¯t fully absorb I. In the midst, if with th attack Airn did, the consciousness which was sank into the water had surfaced and he was using it, this would make sense But there was no guarantee that it happened. The Demon King is someone known to y with people¡¯s hearts. If he had put this as his final attempt then this was a crisis for Airn. ¡°You are suspicious.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I understand you.¡± This being who could be i, or Demon King noded. Like she understood it. Airn bit his lip. Even so, Airn thought that this unique way of talking was simr to the ck Knightmander. At the same time he wanted to be cautious of the Demon King¡¯s any attempt to kill him. his golden sword was clenched harder and the energy of the five flowed. He awakened his senses. And thanks to that. It was the fact that she was able to block his sword which was fired. Thud! Kwaang! mes rose. The opponent who had been crushed by that force swung the sword faster than the speed and blocked it. The third sword attack which flew towards the head was avoided by lowering the body. That was the moment he thought. Pung! Fireworks in air! Completely changed the opponent¡¯s path. The attack which should have fallen horizontally fell vertically. Surprised by that, airn hurriedly used the energy of metal to shit the centre of gravity to the back and slid back using the energy of water. It was quick response that one couldn¡¯t notice. And it wasn¡¯t over. He couldn¡¯tpletely escape from the offense of I. Kiing! The fireworks floating in air moved. Kwak! The opponent¡¯s sword which was used after stepping on the explosion is sharp. It seemed like an honest straight attack but one can never be too sure. Wasn¡¯t he almost at a loss of life due to the hasty judgement? Airn began to sweat. But he was happy He was enjoying this. After entering the rift, the hero smiled for the first time. Ddddd! He took a firm stance as if rooted to the ground. Wheik! And then shoots out hot mes which could cover earth and heaven. The me which was strengthened by the wood was enough to block any attack and on the contrary, the pressures the opponent to withdraw. The five elements were working as one in this rift. And. Kakakaka! ¡°¡­ Haha¡± He knew it. There was no longer any doubt. Looking at the existence which managed to handle all his attacks in a sophisticated manner and not pure power¡­ Airn said. ¡°it is nice to have you back, I.¡± I didn¡¯t answer. Raising her sword as if she wanted to enjoy this present a little more. She charged ahead. Kwang! Kwa-kwang! ¡®Faster, more faster!¡¯ Feeling the sound of explosions from far, Ilya tried to run faster. She could feel the energy of Airn and she could feel the one against him too. A presence which couldn¡¯t be underestimated. It is not that she didn¡¯t trust her lover, but she wanted to join him and give him a chance to win it. and her steps on the wind moved. And she arrived. She frowned looking at the two people who were moving in this dreamlike space, more like a broken mirror, and the one opposite to Airn. I Crescentia was wielding her sword with a joy on her face. ¡®No, it could be the Demon King.¡¯ She shook her head. Right. The appearance was the same but the atmosphere was thick and dark unique to demons, something humans can never have. She didn¡¯t hesitate. She had to remove this devil¡¯s mask right away and that is how it has to be done. She has to do it¡­ But she didn¡¯t get to. ¡°¡­¡± Airn shot his sword. Ilya watched for a long time as someone in the form of I blocked it, smiling happily and moving to the next. They were talking. Speaking through swords. It wasn¡¯t to crush the opponent or harm them. To share the life they created, the memories they had with each other and thoughts. And to understand and grow on both sides. Truly, swordsmen like reunions. Ilya smiled and mumbled. ¡°Never the devil.¡± Immediately she jumped into the fierce battle. With no worries or concerns as light and cheerful as a wind. It went from two to three but no one felt awkward. Everyone was raising their swords with bright smiles. ¡°¡­ can we join too?¡± ¡°Should we?¡± And so did Bratt and Judith who arrived a littlete. Because of the fight with the clown which was exhausting they had to rx for a while. In that way, soft as water and energetic as fire. The dimly lit rift began to change into a fresh color. Ilya Batt Judith And Airn And among them, I was busy using her sword and remembered the conversation at the end of Warrior¡¯s Festival. ¡®Please, so that I can talk with you, so that I can learn tomunicate with others honestly¡­ Can you give me permission?¡¯ It was difficult;t for her, who had lived all her life alone. Nevertheless, she took the courage to speak out. ¡®Well done.¡¯ The smile deepend. Her body was corrupted and the sword in hand covered in magi, but the darkness of the demon king within her was eroding her existence, but at least she could enjoy this. Dark but not dark, the sword of I shone among the four for a long time. ** * The sympathy from the sword moved to sympathy through dialogue. Thested time was one year, but Airn and others spent ten times toe here. There were really so many things they could tell. ¡°So, this sorcery sphere¡­¡± ¡°Uh, right, that cat wasn¡¯t a normal one, but a dragon¡­¡± The story of Lulu, a dragon and ck cat sorcerer came. ¡°I met Sir Dion Lindsay, the first head of the family.¡± ¡°And Khun for me. He seemed to be doing fine despite dying. To the extent I think he will probably be born after a few years.¡± ¡°I¡­ I overcame the limitations and have been reborn as a new being.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°What is with you people? I was only telling the truth.¡± ¡°For the little while I didn¡¯t see you, you have gotten weird.¡± I shook her head and Airn brought his story with a smikle. ¡°I¡­¡± The story which touched the heart of the young hero. The story with belief, emotions, thoughts and realizations. Also a story of going after the sword. Tracing the path Airn walked, I nodded. ¡®Now I understand how you defeated that mighty Demon King.¡¯ Flowers cherished for the loved ones. Realizing that great power which he held for her, I smiled. Of course that wasn¡¯t the only thing which made her smile. This meeting with young people of strong hearts made her smile. ¡®The reason bratt was able to surpass himself was to protect his loved ones.¡¯ She looked at the swordsman of water who made the clown run. ¡®The reason Judith worked miracles is the same as Bratt. She reached a point I couldn¡¯t even imagine.¡¯ She made eye contact with the swordsman who had given birth to the spark of life and demonstrated noble power. ¡®Ilya Lindsay whopleted her sky. The past which was constantly shaken can no longer be found, rather, now she has a presence of warmly embracing those around.¡¯ It took a little longer to look at the swordsman who embraced the still sky. But she knew Ilya is an existence which will grow at a terrifying speed and leap over her. I felt a sense of struggle at this unfamiliar sense of defeat and closer her eyes. ¡®There is no need to worry.¡¯ This is a relief. No matter what deviles. No matter how terrible the disaster strikes, these people can sole it. The world is still dirty and scary, but she was conved these four people could do a lot better than she could Maybe establish that kingdom she wanted. ¡­ as she was thinking about that, she heard Ilya Lindsay¡¯s voice. ¡°Open your eyes.¡± ¡°Um?¡± ¡°Um? What Um? Now talk.¡± ¡°My story?¡± ¡°Right. You are supposed tomunicate. If it is a one sided story, can it be called sympathy?¡± ¡°¡­¡± I was silent. Is it because Ilya was spitting out dissatisfaction? There was no reason for that. But rather than that, would it be alright to bring out the story of hers with her own mouth¡­ theck of certainty wasrger. Still she didn¡¯t worry for long. She wanted to talk. It is a dream which cannote true now, but she wanted to let it out. I nodded and then looked at the four of them. Before long, the dream she had been holding for a long time was spoken. ¡°I¡­ wanted to be a king.¡± ¡°Um!¡± ¡°Uh? King?¡± ¡°Um, um¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ilya Lindsay, Judith and Bratt Lloyd were surprised. No matter hiw flexible the status system was now, it was still shocking for amoner to be a king. Rather, it was more so because it could cause chaos. Of course, Airn didn¡¯t, he had heard this before. He focused on something different. ¡®Not I want to be but wanted to be¡­¡¯ Feeling his heart grow heavy, the blond swordsman felt bad. Chapter 379: I’ll Be Back (2)

    Chapter 379: I¡¯ll Be Back (2)

    150 years ago from now. The continent had sessfully defeated the Seven Great Devils under the leadership of the Holy Kingdom, and made internationalws prohibiting wars between nations and races. At first nce thew was absurd but no one opposed to it. It was because they realized the chaos which came from that action would break the wall between the Devils and humans and they felt terrified at the thought of devils. Thanks to that, the present continent is more peaceful than the past. The western part of the continent was centered on 5 Kingdoms, the central part is the Holy Kingdom, and the east was stabilized around Runtel. The North too had a much better life once the war with Orcs had died down. And South¡­ ¡°It always was. There were kingdoms which were terrible.¡± I Crescentia¡¯s words couldn¡¯t be refuted by anyone. Even Judith didn¡¯t. She too had a miserable childhood but she heard about how horrible the South was. ¡®There is no such thing as another hell for those who have no money and power.¡¯ Serious corruption. The fierce and messy power struggle between the people which hadn¡¯t gone down despite years of time. When the external threat disappeared, the high ranking people were excited to fill their own needs. It wasmon for princes and lords to fight each other for the throne and the tyranny of a monarch is often seen. Another king was born by themander of the knights who set out to corrupt the world. The pain of war between it was a burden for the people to bear. Those who couldn¡¯t stand the taxes turned into thieves. Children who lost their parents in war learned to pickpocket to survive and someone turned into criminals. I Crescentia knew this better than anyone and wanted to change it. if that was impossible she wanted to build a country which is free from this pain. So he wanted to ept those who were wandering with no way to go. Her sword and life meant to look after those who suffered. ¡°isn¡¯t that a too risky goal?¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Do I have to spill it out? You know what I am talking about.¡± Of course, not everyone has favourable thoughts of her goals. In fact most of them expressed a serious concern. No matter how subtle the meaning, the birth of a new king would cause a lot of mess. Actions done with a good heart don¡¯t always lead one to good results. On the contrary, it could cause angr to many creating a dimensional rift. Bratt was talking about that and I didn¡¯t agree. ¡°So, what are the results now?¡± ¡°Results?¡± ¡°The result of abandoning the South. Do you know how many people suffered from the civil war and corruption and continued to live under the pretense that it was for the welfare of the human world? Still¡­¡± I took a pause and continued. ¡°¡­ the devils summon the devil. He is not an ordinary devil and even a Demon King which never appeared in our history, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Of course, I had no intention of making a reckless move to call myself as the king.¡± I looked around. She could see Bratt Lloyd who was impressed, and Ilya who looked worried and Even Judith who was an orphan had te same expression. And she showed three fingers. ¡°Ability, rtion, cause.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If you have those three things in a proper way, the side effects can be minimized.¡± It is natural to hone the abilities. To be a vessel which everyone embraces it takes strength and fortunately I had the talent. The swordsmanship that can decorate the history and the charisma, judgement and actions to support her. That brought to where she is today. Of course, the ability alone isn¡¯t enough. If one was going to face the entire continent alone, forming friendship is also essential. It was for that reason she joined the Holy Kingdom. Acting like themander of the most prominent kingdom, she build friendships and more rtions and further walked to her goal with the support of Avilius. What she needs now is a cause. The Holy Kingdom, the cause of the continent¡¯s power to acknowledge the birth of a new kingdom. The victims of the civil war in the southern part of the continent, and creating a nation to care for those who the other kingdoms didn¡¯t want to embrace, who can resist that? ¡°¡­ I admit that it was quite reckless. It is still close to idealism but considering your abilities, it isn¡¯t without possibility.¡± ¡°Thanks for letting me know.¡± ¡°But there are many concerns. You build a kingdom with calctions and noble thoughts, but not everyone will be the same. If the awareness that anyone could create a kingdom spreads, even idiots will start to call themselves as kings and new chaos will start to grow¡­¡± ¡°Lloyd¡¯s eldest son.¡± Looking at I who cut his words, bratt made a serious expression. The other person looked so solemn that he didn¡¯t want to push his words. He looked in hope for an answer and she said. ¡°Is it the change or the side effects of the change that you are burdened with?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Of course, it is thetter, but it seems to me that there is a fear to change itself.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I apologize if I am wrong. Maybe it is my prejudice to high ranking nobles. But¡­¡± ¡°No, there is no need to apologize.¡± Bratt Lloyd shook his head and continued. ¡°I cannot tell you¡­ that I didn¡¯t feel that way.¡± Growth requires change and development requires innovation. And a sea knows that well. However, knowing it with the head and epting it with heart are two different things. Despite the fact that he experienced the wide world through travel andmoners alongside him, he was still a noble. It was fear of going outside the box. Like now. He had known for a long time how dire the situation in the South was. However, he wasn¡¯t concerned. Under the excuse of it couldn¡¯t be helped, everyone ignored the chance to help the South get better and attempted to better their own ces. He took it lightly. But was it fear of change? What I spoke caused a ripple in Bratt¡¯s mind. It made his thoughts which ere confined to a frame go wider and gave him a realization. After thinking for a moment, Bratt turned his gaze to I. With a more serious expression he said. ¡°Talk more.¡± ¡°About what?¡± ¡°Your sword, the sword you made to be a king. I am curious to see what your thoughts are.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± I hesitated for a moment. Although she spoke, she wasn¡¯t without a sense of shame when it came to saying her true thoughts. However, as soon as she stopped thinking, she smiled. ¡®still I want to look good and great to all.¡¯ It didn¡¯t have to be that. Even if she is clumsy and bad, just be honest. That is the first step to an honest exchange. I nodded and began to speak about the various things she had been holding on. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°Uh.¡± ¡°No, it is a bit¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The reaction was varied. Some nodded and some frowned. There were times when they looked down. Even Judith reacted strangely to the word of her bing the king than to her intention of a sword to be the king. But no oneughed. Even if it was an idea which couldn¡¯t be epted, they tried to understand it as much as they could and that alone made possibilities open for them. Feeling that, i smiled. Of course¡­ Such time doesn¡¯tst long. Wheik! ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± A sudden energy rose from I and engulfed the surrounding. No, actually it wouldn¡¯t be right to use the word sudden. Everyone was feeling it. the darkness which was leaving her body and coloring her surroundings. Her body hadn¡¯t escaped from the evil. ¡­ the truth is she can not be human now. And everyone knew it. ¡°Phew.¡± Suddenly, I got up and exhaled. She wanted to be the king. But now she was here. The Heart Demon disappeared but the influence her body touched didn¡¯t disappear and it was corrupting the body. the mind is still human but it wasn¡¯t known how long that will be. The body and mind were closely rted. ¡®Before being reborn as the Demon King, it has to end.¡¯ The demon looked at the heroes. Judith Bratt Lloyd Ilya Lindsay And Airn Pareira I looked at thest person and said. ¡°Airn Pareira, raise the sword.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I want to end from your sword.¡± Wheik! As soon as she said it, me rose, it wasn¡¯t the red mes, but the dark ones of demons and surrounded I. The heroes all stood up watching it. Judith, bratt and Ilya moved back. Only Airn stayed there. He was the only one left to face the demon which was left behind by the Demon King. He shouldn¡¯t hesitate. It shouldn¡¯t be that way, but the aura from his sword was so small that it couldn¡¯t bepared to the fight with Heart Demon. Woong¡­. The aura sword gradually faded away. He couldn¡¯t help it. The reason Airn was able toe this was because of the respect he had for this woman. He thought killing the Demon King was a way to get I back. But now, he couldn¡¯t. Swinging a sword at I who was struggling to hold her self, was far from creating a flower for the sake of a loved one. Woong Wooong¡­ In the end, the aura sword shrunk to the size of a candle light. However no one could me him, not even I. She sighed and looked at the three. Bratt tried to deal with the clown. Judith used most of her strength to save him. The answer was fixed. The demon looked at Ilya Lindsay. ¡°Ilya Lindsay pick your sword for Airn.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I know well that you wouldn¡¯t hesitate¡­¡± Wooong! ¡°¡­ you know me well.¡± Seeing the sky sword being used, I smiled. Airn stood there unable to do it, Judith and Bratt watched him confused. Only Ilya held her expressionless face. She approached the demon and took the stance And¡­ ¡°I hate it.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡­ and drew back the sword ¡°What are you doing?¡± I was shocked. She couldn¡¯t understand this. Judith and Bratt are exhausted, Airn is heartbroken. Only ya could take her down. Ilya to must realize it. Still she won¡¯t raise the sword? What is she nning to¡­ ¡°I will not kill you.¡± ¡°I, We, Airn¡­¡± Phew, Ilya Lindsay exhaled and then spoke courageously. ¡°¡­ not the power to kill you, but with the power to save you, we¡¯lle back.¡± Chapter 380: I’ll Be Back (3)

    Chapter 380: I¡¯ll Be Back (3)

    To exin the terrible things of the devil, time will not suffice, there must be nothing more terrifying than their curses after their death. It is a harsh one which makes people stuck in the past, and takes away the glory one has to enjoy as a hero. Heart Demon was no exception. Rather, because he is the Demon King, it was more terrible that i couldn¡¯t separate from the darkness. Shhh¡­ It is the same today. Thanks to the bright energy from the heroes, it stopped for a while but the corruption began to spread again. The magi, which couldn¡¯t be burned even with her mes of desire to be the king, was polluting the ce around her. And she wasn¡¯t the only one who knew it. everyone there knew. So she was shocked. You wont kill? You wille back? Train to save her? That is¡­ ¡°¡­ what nonsense is that!¡± ¡°Why is it nonsense?¡± ¡°Ha.¡± At Ilya¡¯s bold question, Iughed, it was augh in absurdity and annoyance in eyes. A terrifying energy rose from her and she didn¡¯t care. The silver swordsman, she overcame her break up with Carl Lindsay, her biggest trauma and looked at her life¡¯s greatest adversary with strong eyes. She stared at her shining bright. ¡°It can be done.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°If it is possible for the Demon King to corrupt a human, then why is it impossible for a hero¡¯s light to disperse the darkness? Look at my eyes? Do you think I am messing around?¡± She was sincere. She wasn¡¯t just spouting stuff. I could feel this too. She tried to yell at her for wasting time but she didn¡¯t. silence fell. And the air around turned heavy as Ilya¡¯s voice echoed. ¡°I, too, had set foot in the dark.¡± She thought of the past. She remembered the days of herte teens when she faced the disappearance of her brother, and the wounds which were healing on her heart turned severe as they kept taking her into darkness from which her future couldn¡¯t be seen. The world praised her as the youngest sword Master. But she knew, that was her weakest time. darkest time. ¡®Maybe it would have been me in I¡¯s ce.¡¯ Of course that didn¡¯t happen. Ilya looked at her lover¡¯s face and spoke in a confident voice. ¡°But I overcame it with the help of Airn.¡± She is still alive. He said he would remove the title of champion from her. And in just 4 months, Airn came to where she was. The sorcery sword which awakened in the arena and the golden aura on it. recalling the salvation she felt from the sword, she looked at Judith and Bratt. ¡°And it isn¡¯t just Airn and me.¡± ¡°This is the story of Judith and Bratt.¡± ¡°A story of a lot of people we don¡¯t know about.¡± ¡°i, you are not alone. Everyone was in the darkness at one point and a day wille when it might happen again too. But..¡± ¡°¡­ we should never forget that there will always be a light to dispel the darkness.¡± ¡°Okay?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you answering? Why did your usual confident self go? for the sake of the continent, the hero who resisted the Demon King for more than a year is so scared that she cannot speak?¡± ¡°So, what can you do?¡± I, who was silent asked. Ilya¡¯s words were of hope and bright, so it was nice to hear. But at the same time it was painful. Even at this moment her body was being eroded. On the other hand, the heroes still didn¡¯t have a way to reverse this or stp it. it was natural for her to ask. At that, Ilya paused. She felt bad, but she had to do this. Appealing she said. ¡°Stay here.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I, Airn, we¡­. Until we find a way to drive away the energy of the Demon King and purify you¡­ hold on a little more.¡± ¡°¡­. You speak so tantly.¡± Huh, I sighed looking at the woman. But Ilya didn¡¯t back down. She opened her eyes at the sun which was darkening. She knew how harsh it is to leave this woman alone in this rift between the human world and Devildom. She knew that drying is a lot better than staying here¡­ ¡°Why, don¡¯t want it?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Are you giving up? Your dreams , goals, beliefs. Even if there was a chance for you to achieve it¡­ are you going to give it up?¡± ¡°You are seriously funny.¡± ¡°Even if we are funny ones, we aren¡¯t funny enough to take your request. Georg and Anya will find a way out for you. At any cost.¡± ¡­ you cannot die like this. Never. This is for the sake of I. She couldn¡¯t say that. Ilya herself considered it. because she hoped for her safe return. But there was something just as important. No, to be honest, she had a greater reason. Ilya Lindsay who had this thought, ¡°I will ask you onest time.¡± ¡°Choose.¡± ¡°As a being who gave up on trying to ovee the Demon King and die at my hands¡­¡± ¡°To return to the human world as the great hero who overcame the darkness and saved the world. The long awaited fulfilment.¡± You¡­ Which one will you choose? Woong, as soon as she asked, a strong light shone from her sword. However no one paid attention to it. Judith, Bratt and Airn looked at Ilya with a nk expression, and then looked at I¡¯s lips. What will you do? What decision will you make? It didn¡¯tst long. Beyond the silver haired swordsman, she looked at Airn. I who nced at him said. ¡°I¡­¡± And she said. Woong! ¡°It is a strange ne.¡± Heroes disappeared beyond the portal created by the five spirit ne. It was truly a unique thing. No matter how much the divine power and sorcery and magic was used, this helped them walk to the dimension. ¡°It is a divine thing of the Orc race¡­ perhaps a proof that God hasn¡¯t abandoned the continent yet.¡± Of course, he wasn¡¯t one to speak of such things. Heaven helps those who help others, and since she is the same as Airn, she will be able to receive that kind of help. Maybe the moment the heart breaks, God¡¯s protection will fly away. ¡®Of course, I will not let him sit still.¡¯ She smiled as she thought of Ilya. She knew it. that ferocious silver haired swordsman didn¡¯t offer the choices for herself. Of course, she didn¡¯t care for it, but the words and choices she gave were for the sake of her lover, Airn. ¡®Rather than making him feel guilty for not being able to rescue me¡­ making him live with the hope of trying to bring me back to help Airn feel better.¡¯ ¡°¡­ sly one.¡± Ilya Lindsay. You are a sly one till the end. I who mumbled it, exhaled. Then she walked aimlessly. She thought and thought and constantly walked through the spider¡¯s web like space and came to the conclusion. ¡°Reason, well, I want to believe in you.¡± Want to believe in Airn. Trust Ilya, Bratt and Judith. Want to trust Georg and Anya. She longed for them toe to her rescue so that she could go back to walking on the path of the king. Of course, they weren¡¯t the only ones making an effort. She had to work hard too. So that she doesn¡¯t show a cheap sight to the people whoe for hr, so that she doesn¡¯t get too stained in the darkness. She had to persevere. ¡°it isn¡¯t easy¡­¡± I pondered. The embers of hope they gave were in her heart. Thanks to that, the fall of her sanity was dyed. After the death of the Demon King, she was turned into a soldier for the darkness. But she needed more, more strength to stay here. Intense mes that will burn the forces of darkness, something to make herst for years! As she was thinking on how to get this, she felt a faint energy. ¡°This!¡± I sped her hands. Familiar energy. However, it is an energy she didn¡¯t expect at all. Probably because the impression Ilya gave her was too strong. It was hard to believe she would make this mistake. ¡®Well, she sent her brother away, she cannot be sane.¡¯ But she didn¡¯t dare. Rather, this gave her the strength to endure. She was looking for someone to entertain her. Smiling, she moved up fast and gathered the energy. It wasn¡¯t an easy task, but it was possible for her. ¡°If this was put here¡­¡± The next thing she did was go to the devils dwelling made all over the rift to get a vessel to use. And set the energy in the dummy. I who finished it watched the heart pound. ¡°Dmdma? Durlms¡­¡± ¡°You are alive! I am d!¡± Seeing the clown devil wake up, she smiled brightly. Devils are terrifying beings. Even when alive, they do their best to torment people and stay faithful to the role even in death. But there were those who didn¡¯t. The clown. ¡®I want to live!¡¯ An obsession for life that does not go away even after death. The longing for life that wasn¡¯t fading away even when he had run to kill the woman called Ilya. He struggled to somehow create a new body. He knew it wasn¡¯t easy. If there was a temporary shelter nearby, he could almost take a couple moment¡¯s rest. Actually he was destined to meet with tragic end, torn and shattered in here But¡­ ¡°You are alive! Thank god!¡± The Demon King stopped it. No, I Crescentia blocked it. He knew it. Although the clown had lost his power he could recognize the one in front of him is the ego of I and not his Demon King. And the words which flowed seem sincere¡­ ¡°From now on, you and wil will enter into a battle with no rest. Please do your best so I can kindle the burning me in my heart.¡± ¡°Uh? Uh?¡± ¡°Ah, not strong enough. Okay, I will bring the darkness around into a new body/¡± Woong! ¡°Uhh?¡± ¡°How is it? this much should work right?¡± ¡°That, uh¡­¡± ¡­ he could feel the pain. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s start.¡± ¡°W-wait a moment¡­¡± Kwaaang! ¡°Kuak!¡± Words didn¡¯t work on her. She mercilessly used the sword, this half human and half demon king is as powerful as the Demon King! In order to survive her zing hot me, the clown devil had to keep fighting her in this never ending battle Chapter 381: Flower (1)

    Chapter 381: Flower (1)

    Swish¡­ Tak! ¡°Um, back?¡± ¡°We are back.¡± ¡°Right, it seems familiar.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The four heroes who walked through the portal mumbled. They fell somewhere other than the royal pce in Avilius, but it didn¡¯t matter. What was important was that this is a human world. The rift was really a carzy one to be in. ilya Lindsay had a stiff expression as she recalled the ce. ¡®We left i in such a ce.¡¯ She realized how unreasonable her request was, but she didn¡¯t regret it. she nced at her lover and nodded. ¡®This is right.¡¯ The atmosphere didn¡¯t seem good. It couldn¡¯t be helped. Because killing the Demon King wasn¡¯t the only goal. It was their wish to rescue I Crescentia, the leader of ck Knight who was now their friend. However, she was d. Had shepletely killed that woman and returned here, Airn Pareira might have plunged into much deeper abyss. Of course, it wasn¡¯t like he was in good condition now. Deep eyes, heavy shoulders. It was hard to believe that he is the hero who took down the Demon King alone. Judith, who was watching him, patted him on the back. ¡°yah, what are you so down for?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°We saved the continent. Just us four. Open your shoulders wide and smile huh? be proud! Cheer up!¡± ¡°Judith is right. We need to push ourselves to cheer ourselves up¡± Bratt Lloyd who was silent also said it. Through the space without even God¡¯s protection on them, he took down the clown which had been destroying the world since ancient time. and Carl Lindsay was taken down too, a demon equal to power to clown, and Heart Demon, the most powerful one and saved I. Right. She wasn¡¯t abandoned. But will be saved. Although not fully saved, they did the best they could. ¡°And we will do our best in future.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Right?¡± ¡°¡­ right.¡± Airn nodded his head. The hazy eyes were back to life a little and the drooping shoulders slightly wide. Bratt nodded too. He looked at Judith and smiled as he asked. ¡°What do you think?¡± ¡°About what?¡¯ ¡°My smile.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°I asked if you could feel the appearance of a great hero who protected the continent from the Demon King./¡± ¡°Crazy bastard¡­.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t go crazy. The more heroic we show, the more confident we are, the more people will like us. They will feel at ease andfortable. If we think that every single smile of mine brings peace to those with anxiety and a shaking heart, then I need to practice to show a better image of myself from no¡­¡± ¡°Shut it, I get it so shut it.¡± ¡°Puah!¡± Judith and bratt fighting as usual and Ilya smiled looking at them. Among them, Airn too had a smile. Not as cool as Bratt¡¯s but it looked better than the heavy expression he had till then. ¡®Can we do it?¡¯ No, they had to do it. It wasn¡¯t a task which was possible or impossible. Recalling I left along in the rift, the blonde hero clenched his fists. He looked at his friends who were walking a little ahead, and then moved to not fall behind them. And a year passed. ** * The Demon King had fallen. The downfall of the great devil which had pushed the continent into a corner was known. It wasn¡¯t just the disappearance of the king. After the Demon King was taken down, the appearance of demons and devils which were pouring out from here and there stopped. The knights of Holy Kingdom who couldn¡¯t get a good night¡¯s rest due to it, finally had some time to spare and the knights of the Five Kingdoms of West and the other powerful people returned to their homes. And surprisingly, it all came from the 4 heroes who weren¡¯t even 30 years old yet. ¡°Right. Young hero. The most important thing is that the continent was saved by the heroes who will reach their heyday in decades toe and not old one who will retire.¡± While drinking the hot tea, the Holy King mumbled. When the 160 years of peace broke down and the devils appeared, what was the element that the people were most anxious about? The generational change. Because the age of the three swordsmen, Julius Hul, Ian and Khun were old. Most of the strong men, including those in top 10, were all easily old enough to die. Andpared to the devils and demons which kepting up, it seemed clear that the power of the human world would grow weak with each day. But not now. Airn Pareira, Ilya Lindsay, Judith and Bratt Lloyd. Indeed, it is the hope and future of the continent which will be active for the next 50 years. God given treasures that solved the anxiety of people. As long as they live, the continent will stay safe. If any powerful deviles again, they will defeat it. The problem¡­ ¡°it seems that there are a lot of devils.¡± ¡°¡­ that is how it normally is.¡¯ After hearing the words of Jia Runtel, the king nodded. Right, the devil alone wasn¡¯t the problem. There is a bigger problem which was unresolved. ¡°Human¡­. Human malice is the part that hadn¡¯t disappeared since ancient times and perhaps more worse than devil.¡± It was true. Even thousand years back And hundred years back. Ten years back, a year ago, even yesterday and today. However, incidents that were unspeakable in the world were taking ce. All by human hands. Wealthy merchants sucking the blood of the poor, corrupt priests going after money from his following. Just because they are poor doesn¡¯t mean people are good. A young man who joined bandits in need of something wakes up to savor the screams of another person as he swings his sword. The Holy King knew that better than anyone, he knew countless people were doing these disgusting things. The devil isn¡¯t the problem. Even if there is a difference¡­ the continent will always be in chaos. ¡®Will it be fine¡­¡¯ He was worried. There was sadness in the face of the king. It was because of Airn Pareira. The young hero who went to train to purify I Crescentia¡­. In what form will the world of today be approached by him? Wil he show a better side than when he went to Demon King? Will he show a side which wasn¡¯t much different? Maybe, if not even that. and maybe he wille back broken¡­ What kind of expression will he have? ¡®I just hope he doesn¡¯t suffer too much¡­¡¯ The Holy King slowly closed his eyes, sping his hands. He longed for the warmth of God who looked down at young Airn. Jia Runtel, who looked at him, licked her tongue. For some reason she felt more restless than when the peace was broken. Of course, it didn¡¯t matter to her. She frowned as she thought of a difficult problem which hadn¡¯t been solved for a long time. ¡®Lulu¡­ how can I wake the dragon from sleep?¡¯ Over the past year, she umted all the knowledge to get any hint on what was happening. From the past incidents to the oral legends and the myth, anything she coulde across, even with the Orcs, there was nothing she left untouched. Yet, she failed. She couldn¡¯t find any clues. Phew, she sighed. ¡°..¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Phew¡­¡± ¡°Phew¡­¡± So the kings of two strongest nations spent their time in silence and sighs. At that time. ¡°¡­¡± A being who has concerns of both kings of nations. The great hero, Airn Pareira returned to his family. Baron Pareira, no, now Count due to the honor, was getting strong and strong. ¡°is this it? thend where young lord Airn Pareira, the hero who killed the Demon King was born and raised¡­¡± ¡°As expected, I feel a different energy. If we train our sword here, I think we will have quite a few achievements.¡± ¡°Ah, this¡­.!¡± Thousands of people woulde over. It wasn¡¯t just for swordsmen or inspiration. In order to see a living hero rather than one written about, to breathe and live in the ce of a legend, many people hade. It was difficult to ept only those whose abilities were guaranteed, so they considered expanding the estate to let more peoplee. Kang! Kang! cksmiths led by Vulcanus pounded on the iron. ¡°Come on, look! The special sorcery elixir which can be found in the Cesar Duchy¡­¡± In line with the heightened fame of Kirill Pareira, the sorcerers began to increase their influence. In addition, diverse and talented people who would nevere to this small estate wereing here and shwing off their skills. From the stand point of Harun Pareira, it was a situation with was extremely favourable. However, it didn¡¯t. he couldn¡¯t feel that. Recalling his son¡¯s return a year back, he had a stiff expression. ¡®He must be going through a lot of heartache.¡¯ He couldn¡¯t know it. Airn, who had left the family with aplicated expression, returned more haggard and darker than when he left. He tried to show them all bright appearance at every meal to not cause concerns, but even that didn¡¯tst long. Harun Pareira, looked at his son¡¯s room. His wife, Amelia too was looking over there with sad eyes. Recalling Airn Pareira who didn¡¯te out for three days, they would walk around the garden. ¡°¡­¡± There was no way they couldn¡¯t know what his son was going through. But they had nothing to do now. Because they clearly realized his current state. His present self wasn¡¯t good. He couldn¡¯t act like the hero who changed the chaotic world. And he couldn¡¯t build power to purify I too. All he could do was lie down and stare at the ceiling. Feeling like going back to when he was 15. Airn closed his eyes and went to sleep. However, he couldn¡¯t dream either. ¡°it has been so long.¡± ¡°¡­¡± A man who wields sword in his dreams every day. Karen Winker was in real life. Chapter 382: Flower 2

    Chapter 382: Flower 2

    ¡°¡­¡± Airn Preira looked around. A Familiar sky A Familiar wall A Familiar yard Nothing caught his eye. He was still in his room with his casual clothes on, not his training clothes. Airn lifted his head and looked at his former life, Karen Winker. How on Earth was it possible that he appeared here? As a young man rather than an elderly one as well? ¡°Do you really need an exnation?¡± ¡°This ce, is it a dream?¡± ¡°It could be a dream or reality. It might or might not be true that the power of sorcery has been used to manifest this ce¡¯s existence.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Well, it isn¡¯t important. Can you spare me a moment?¡± ¡°What do you want to say¡­¡± ¡°I doubt there will ever be another time like this.¡± Karen Winker sat on a chair and ceased speaking. Airn was growing irritated at the sight of him savoring the incense of the teacup in his hand. However, he couldn¡¯t refute him. ¡°You¡¯re probably quite frustrated right now, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You will be. This isn¡¯t a light topic in which you can confide in anyone, but it¡¯s not so heavy that you can¡¯t share it with your friends. It¡¯s fine. You can tell me. In some ways, this body has been breathing andmunicating with you for far longer than anyone else has.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°I won¡¯t bother you for long. Only ten minutes. Enough time for a cup of tea. I¡¯ll listen to your concerns that have umted over the past year¡­¡± Take it out with ease and speak. ¡­ Airn¡¯s mouth opened again about 5 minutester. ¡°I, to save I¡­ I thought I should go out into the world again.¡± For a fortnight since the subjugation of the Demon King, Airn thought deeply about how to purify I. He concluded that he should head to the South, where she was born and raised. ¡°I developed a will to save I and defeat the Demon King.¡± ¡°I thought that in order to purify I, I had to make a heart for her, a flower in her heart that blooms.¡± ¡°And so, you moved south.¡± ¡°The ce that I wanted to change. She wanted to build a kingdom in the most deste and chaotic part of the continent.¡± Of course, it wasn¡¯t entirely for I. It was Airn¡¯s own belief that people would benefit from the world. It was also for Lulu, who was asleep. He had to move. It didn¡¯t matter if it was a tree or flowers that bloomed. He only wanted to see the beauty of the world. If only his actions could make the continent a little more peaceful¡­ everything may change back to what it was before. Airn had such thoughts in him as he left. ¡°But you don¡¯t seem good now.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Did the world do that to you?¡± ¡°¡­ it isn¡¯t that.¡± Airn closed his eyes. A lot of memories, memories he didn¡¯t want to think of, began toe in. The image of a young rich man gathering people in difficult circumstances and encouraging them to fight to the death. When he stopped doing that, the man was furious about what he was doing and how much money he had lost thanks to them. The chaos that ensued, the children and elderly who were exploited in the chaos, and the search for dead bodies with smiling faces. There were too many incidents to describe, but they didn¡¯t all need to be discussed. ¡°The problem is me.¡± Airn mumbled. After letting out a muffled voice, he nodded and said. ¡°I am the one in pain and dissatisfied with myself¡­ the world has always been this way.¡± At first, he thought the devils were the problem. He thought that if those creatures were vanquished, the continent would once again be peaceful and free of the corruption those beings caused in humans. However, this did not ur. He felt it deeply two years ago when he went to rescue I, who the Demon King had kidnapped. Those who do not repay good intentions with good faith. Evil people will not hesitate tomit violence for a few coins, and evil people will take the lives of others for fun. Airn¡¯s anger turned towards the world and away from the devils. The tree was unable to stand tall until he confronted the Demon King as a result of that. ¡­ was what he thought. But that was wrong. ¡°To be honest, I knew.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°The world isn¡¯t beautiful. Humans are as terrible as the demons and devils around us.¡± Right. Airn knew it. He realized it when he read the books in Durkali. He felt it again when he stopped the half-elf from trafficking other elves. Even more terrible things had happened. There were times when his convictions didn¡¯t shake because of such things. It was arrogant. He wasn¡¯t strong or firm. A shallow mindset began to set in when it wasn¡¯t the story of a distant nation having these things happen to themselves, but now it was the story of Airn and the things around him. ¡°I think I know why I couldn¡¯t get a tree to grow in the sorcery sphere. Why the world was still looking crooked to me, despite ten years passing. I am full of anger because I know many people do good deeds¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t because I didn¡¯t have trust in the world anymore.¡± He lost trust in himself. Airn had lost faith in himself and sighed. ¡°¡­ I am a fool.¡± He vowed to walk the path of a hero. Without knowing how difficult it was, he dered it in front of Karakum, but he was a frog in a well. ¡®Are you uttering those words knowing the weight behind it?¡¯ Karakum once asked a long time ago. The voices of Ian, Joshua Lindsay, and many more could be heard. Airn¡¯s relentless heart constantly pounded as he staggered. He wanted to lie down. He wanted to rest. Honestly, he thought of hiding too. At that moment, Airn, who remembered his childhood self, was about to head back to bed. ¡°You spoke the truth. You are indeed a fool. But why do you think so?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t finished drinking my tea yet. Are you going to cut this talk short and head back to sleep?¡± ¡°¡­Do I need to listen to how much of a fool I am?¡± ¡°Um, no. But I¡¯m asking because I believe your reasoning differs from mine.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°Everyone makes mistakes.¡± When Airn looked at him, he noticed Karen Winker¡¯s expression. The soft and warm voice seemed to empathize without criticizing what he had gone through. Did he feel it? His smile grew, and he continued to speak, not sipping the tea intentionally. ¡°That is what humans are. We make the same mistakes we did when we were younger as we get older, and we repeat the mistakes we made yesterday and today. Every time this happens, we get angry at our stupid selves and have doubts¡­ it¡¯s not a big deal.¡± ¡°Actually, there are wonderful people who make it seem trivial.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try to embrace all of it by yourself.¡± ¡°Lean on others asionally, and if necessary, stand up and hold their hands.¡± ¡°On the other hand, lend your hand to someone who needs it.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you remember the contents of the note that the orc fortune teller gave you?¡± Wheik! Phat! And that was it. Karen Winker drank tea as if he¡¯d said everything he needed to say. He then vanished in an instant. As if he hadn¡¯t been there from the beginning. Airn was left bewildered. It was then. From his words, he went to a door he hadn¡¯t opened for three days and opened it. Kirill, his sister, was there. He looked at the woman standing before him with a strange expression and heard, ¡°Get ready to go out. Wash up and put on clean clothes.¡± ¡°I will not say it twice; I don¡¯t want to listen to what you say. Get ready ande out. I will be waiting.¡± Kirill left after saying that. Airn was shocked again. But apart from that, he moved as she said and prepared to leave. She was his sister, who loved him more than anyone else and waited three days to take care of him when he was in trouble. She must have had a reason for speaking in that manner. He reasoned that someone other than Kirill might be waiting for him. At that moment. He recalled Karen¡¯s words. ¡°¡­ you don¡¯t have to be alone to stand alone.¡± ¡°Still not done?¡± ¡°N-No! Almost done!¡± Kirill seemed a bit angry. Airn quickly dressed; it wasn¡¯t a fancy suit but a daily one that looked noble. For some reason, he paid attention to his frizzy-looking hair. When he left his ce, he checked his outfit and shoes again and paid attention to his facial expressions and his walk. Cherry, the griffin, greeted him alongside Kirill. The moment he saw the sorcery wagon connected to the body, Airn was certain. Airn was a bit shocked, but he didn¡¯t want to show it, so he got up and went into the wagon, which flew. The time they spent flying wasn¡¯t too long or too short. They followed a road of pretty yellow flowers. ¡­ ¡­. ¡­. The sorcery wagonnded. The flowers filled their vision and were weing to Airn. He didn¡¯t notice them, however. Something more beautiful caught his eye. It was because someone more precious was staring at him. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± Ilya Lindsay took a step towards him. Airn took a step towards her as well. As the two got naturally closer, they kissed. He could feel her eyes on him. She approached him first, the man who had locked himself in his room, the man who was frail and handed a ring to the man who was terrible and inexperienced. ¡°Airn.¡± ¡°Yes, Ilya.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s get married.¡± The answer was decoded. Airn grabbed his lover¡¯s hand. ¡°Thank you.¡± He thought. If he loves Ilya, then he should learn to love himself. As much as Ilya believes in him, he should believe in himself too. Because that was the best way, he could respect Ilya¡¯s love for him. Feeling that his surroundings were more beautiful than before, Airn smiled brightly. One yearter. The wedding of the heroes Airn Pareira and Ilya Lindsay was held. Chapter 383: Flower (3)

    Chapter 383: Flower (3)

    Alcantra, located in the central part of the continent, is arge city, with arger floating poption than anymercial city. Among them there were visits from swordsmen, who were part of the Krono there. ¡®This is the city which produced the heroes who protected the continent!¡¯ A young man who had just arrived in the city eximed. It was indeed krono. There was a feeling of pleasure that he never felt in his life. His heart swelled at the thought that every mercenary passing by and every swordsman could be powerful. ¡®Maybe, I might be able to improve my skills by interacting with the strong people here. Because I heard that there are free spars possible if onees as a mercenary. And with a little luck¡­¡¯ He might be able to see the swordsmanship of the Krono people! He didn¡¯t dare to think that he would confront the people. At best, he is just a mercenary who had received a silver te. He already know that he cannot participate in krono¡¯s ¡®Weing the Guest¡¯ even without turning into a strong person. But, watching is fine, a tour inside the ce and the training hall¡­ could be possible? ¡°uhh, I cannot hold myself!¡± The excited young man moved. The city which seemed quite far away, felt close and the gates were right in front of him. the closer, the more alive he felt. He could feel the energy which he didn¡¯t feel in other cities. ¡®No, aren¡¯t there too many people here?¡¯ The young man had a puzzled expression. Right. It was too crowded. The number of people being checked into the gate was too long, even Avilius or Runtel doesn¡¯t have this much crowd. How many mercenaries had simr thoughts like this young man? Itsted for a while. When a merchant he barely knew turned back and gave the answer to the question, the young man nodded his head. ¡°Today, there is a wedding at Krono.¡± ¡°Today? At Krono? Ah! Maybe¡­¡± ¡°Right. Who else is so great to make people flock like this? It would be impossible unless two heroes like Airn Pareira and Ilya Lindsay get united as one.¡± ¡°The wedding of heroes who saved the world¡­¡± ¡°Of course, there is a limit to who can attend.¡± Looking at the eyes of the young man, the merchant smiled. He couldn¡¯t help it. It can be said that everyone would want to attend the wedding of the heroes, but there is a fixed space. Probably, the royal family, the sword masters and other great people were the only ones who could enter. ¡®Of course. It is a different story if you are close¡­ was a waste. I should have been more friends.¡¯ Even though he thought he was a great young man when he took the bandits of Alhad. He was a merchant who didn¡¯t think Airn would be this great. So he regretted it now. Moving ahead, he said to the young man. ¡°They say there is a festival being held in the city, so go and enjoy it.¡± ** * The day of the long-awaited wedding. In the hall where all the famous people of the continent had gathered, Bill Stanton, the idiot of Adan Kingdom, looked around. The hall was filled with various things made by craftsmen, including Vulcanus¡¯ items which were beautiful, but it was the people who caught his attention. ¡®So terrifying¡­¡¯ He felt dazed. He wasn¡¯t like this before. He had a strong assertiveness in the past, and he almost made an enemy out of someone important at Joshua Lindsay¡¯s birthday banquet. Even now, his skills are better than before. After fighting the devils for the past years, his status was now just a step away from Sword Master. That was the reason. The higher Bill Stanton¡¯s status rose, it helped him see how terrifying the people around him were. ¡®Masters are all monsters. Even the weakest of them is a monster.¡¯ Bill Stanton looked around the hall. Indeed, there were so many around. Even looking around here and there he could count the talented people around who were chatting around. ¡®get yourself together.¡¯ Bill station shook his head. He was here on behalf of the Stantion family. It would be better to now show any weakness. Of course, he wasn¡¯t attempting to. He showed his always dignified appearance and the image of a promising swordsman. ¡°Uh.¡± Of course, it wasn¡¯t easy. Some Sword Masters would turn their heads with a dignified way and some would give out pressure and momentum which made him turn his head. It was just a few gazes but he could feel his shoulder turn heavy. His breathing turned fast. It felt like he was going to run back. It was then. A middle-aged man who suddenly appeared, put his hand on Stanton¡¯s shoulder. ¡°For real. You don¡¯t have to force yourself to be out there.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°Who are all the people here? Masters with great names around the continent. Or a sorcerer, a magician, a craftsman with no less fame than them. Some are strong enough for us all to bow our heads.¡± ¡°¡­ then, you are?¡± Bill Stanton asked. The opponent was shy. The watch on the wrist which was made by dwarves in gold, and the ornaments in neck and arms shimmered in the light of the wedding hall. However, his appearance didn¡¯t support him, and in his eyes he looked at the pig on the ne. But the most important thing was that this man in front of him, Stanton, didn¡¯t know him. ¡°Young people do this at this age. Not wanting to look weak, to be on par with them. So they try to make their body suffer. But let me tell you, if you push yourself through this, all the real skilled people will know your true self and it won¡¯t look good.¡± ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°Rx your body. don¡¯t be too concerned. Breathe in and out, stayfortable. Think about why you are here. And¡­¡± ¡°No, wait¡­¡± Bill Stanton was shocked. He didn¡¯t know this man. And the man didn¡¯t know him either. Still, he continued to nag him and this sounded funny. The person who seems the least to fit in here was speaking about how to appear to others. It was a moment and anger soared at the man who tried to teach him, but he didn¡¯t want to act out. ¡°Uh Sir Jet Frost! This, my acquaintance is here. Well¡­ heed my words child. Ah, if you are bored,e visit the John Drew swordsmanship school. Of course, you might know me, but still¡­¡± ¡®I don¡¯t know! No, whye over advertise and leave!¡¯ But before he could speak the man left. Bill Stanton felt his anger grow at the sight of the man who kept walking away into the crowd. He couldn¡¯t even say anything back! He isn¡¯t even looking back at him! ¡°You, you don¡¯t look good. What happened?¡± ¡°Uh? An, just now¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened, but hold back, it would be a real disappointment if you showed something unsightly at the hero¡¯s wedding.¡± ¡°No, this is serious. Ah¡­¡± Joseph, nagged at him not even caring to know Stanton¡¯s circumstance. Of course, he could do nothing. Just like the man said, he tried to not be too conscious of others. ¡®To congratte them on their wedding¡­¡¯ Clench¡­ Sword Master Carissa Floyd licked her lips. ¡°Wow, the swordsmanship school was changed into this?¡± ¡°The men did an amazing job.¡± ¡°m, for the first time in Krono right¡­¡± Of course, not everyone was like that. most of the people were surprised at the sight of Krono who they were visiting after a long time. there was no distinction between nobles andmoners. Jarrot and Ralph Penn were also impressed with this. Of course, Inashio Karahan and Devan Kennedy were exceptions. ¡®When will I¡­¡¯ ¡®Get married? Should I lower my needs? But¡­¡¯ Swordsmanship develops gradually, and the hair on their head is getting thinner. They were feeling envious of todays heroes, the two quickly looked around the hall to find a suitable bride. ¡°What are those people?¡± ¡°Right, why are they looking around creepily?¡± Judith frowned hearing Bratt mumbled. They are the two Sword Masters and talented ones. As they looked around, it felt like something happened. Although she and Jakuang aren¡¯t on good terms, she built a fine rtionship with others in Warrior¡¯s Festival. ¡°I don¡¯t know. Maybe it is because they are meeting so many people they haven¡¯t met?¡± ¡°Could be. east, west, north, south¡­ not just that, but elves and orcs are also gathered. I don¡¯t know if there is anyone who wouldn¡¯t want to meet those two.¡± ¡°I feel envious.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Getting married in our training hall. Why didn¡¯t I think of this? Ah of course¡­ our wedding was the best. Don¡¯t get me wrong! It was as good as here. No, now that, I think ours was better!¡± Bratt burst intoughter as he looked at Judith Lloyd who was shocked. Despite being this close, she looked pretty and cute to him. And it turned into a concern. How can I react to make her more cute? Will Judith react to me being hurt by those words? Should he whisper I love you? If not¡­ ¡°All the guests please take your seats.¡± It was then. A loud voice spread around in the chaotic hall and Orc, Kuvar a second ss spiritualist and a first ss travel guide. A different race. And he had a huge smile for being in charge of the host role. ¡°I love you.¡± ¡°Why here?¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t it sound good to hear it suddenly? I love you.¡± ¡°Shut up and sit down. The bride and groom will enter.¡¯ Judith whispered a shout at him and Bratt nodded. Lance Peterson and Ahmed, their instructor and others of Krono looked at the back of the hall, and then two beautiful people entered as the door opened. Airn Pareira. Ilya Lindsay. The heroes who saved the world with them stood in front of the guests with bright smiles. Chapter 384: Flower 4

    Chapter 384: Flower 4

    Ilya Lindsay, the Warrior¡¯s Festival runner-up and hero who defeated the Demon King, and the one who awakened the true Sky Sword. It wasn¡¯t necessary to announce the couple¡¯s marriage, but because they are such famous and great beings, they couldn¡¯t stop the rumors from spreading. And because there were so many people interested in it, even if they couldn¡¯t attend in person, they wanted to hear more about it. What did the heroes look like? Who are their guests? What is the mood of the ceremony? Krono, what about those people? And what would the elves and orcs they met after all this time be like? Other than that, it was full of stories they wanted to know, and even reporters wereing in to get the hot topic. ¡°Go back.¡± ¡°You cannot enter.¡± ¡°Uh, seriously! People want to know about the wedding!¡± ¡°We have the right to know!¡± ¡°Seriously, this is not an official event; what is with your attitude toward this personal event?¡± Of course, most were halted at the entrance. All attempts to sneak in were foiled. It wasn¡¯t easy to break through Kono¡¯s defenses, so the reporters had no choice but to return. However, only one reporter managed to enter the wedding hall. It was Eisenmarkt¡¯s famous Weekly Arena reporter. ¡°No way¡­ I, I am in this historical ce¡­.¡± Weekly Arena¡¯s rookie reporter Katherine Tucker mumbled. Both her eyes and voice were filled with emotion. It was still unbelievable that she was actually in the wedding hall of the two heroes. Phew. Ha. After many deep breaths, she turned to look at the elf, dressed more neatly than usual, and with tears in her eyes, she said. ¡°I thought you were just bragging when you said you were close with Airn Pareira.¡± ¡°Do you want to be kicked out?¡± ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°Please apologize to my face¡­¡± ¡°Wow, the White Knights¡¯mander Julius Hul is here. Even Phoebe Georg is there too, and Anya Marta, the cutest sorcerer¡­.¡± ¡°¡­ don¡¯t talk.¡± Hinz shook his head as he noticed the rookie reporter was going insane. He knew she was odd when she, a noble, decided to be a journalist, but he had no idea she would be so difficult to deal with. He took a look around the wedding hall before returning his attention to the rookie who was writing. ¡®¡­ definitely a huge one.¡¯ Until now, he was dealing with the arena articles, starting with Land of Proof, but he could recognize a few famous people on the continent here. Karakum, the Orc Warrior, and the Durkali tribe members were present, as was Tarakan, who usually rarely left his tribe. Kalcia, the war chief of the elves, who was rarely seen. Humans were also overflowing. The magicians of Runtel, including Jia Runtel, had arrived, as had the lords of the 5 Western Families, the sorcerer of Cesar Duchy, the swordsmen of the south and east, and the royal families of each nation¡­ ¡®I don¡¯t know if this is a good or bad thing.¡¯ Elf reporter Hinz frowned. The atmosphere wasn¡¯t bad. It was obvious. Who would dare show rudeness at the wedding of the heroes who saved the continent? In addition, humans, elves, orcs, and dwarves were all together. It is said that the walls of the tribes have been lowered a lot more than 160 years back, but this current position is meaningful enough when considering the rtionship between tribes. The fact that the powers of the continent¡¯s east, west, north, south, and central parts were here is important. ¡®The White Knights Commander Julius Hul directly participated¡­ right. He must. They may be well-wishers, but they are expressing their desire to use this wedding to promote continental peace and friendship.¡¯ A good thing. It was definitely a good thing. However, in Hinz¡¯s eyes, the current atmosphere didn¡¯t feel good. Pretending it wasn¡¯t a huge deal, he looked around. There were smiling faces. People who grinned at the hero¡¯s victory, the peace he delivered, and the bright future. He knew, thanks to his ears. It was about how uneasy the dialogues between the aristocracy and royalty were here. ¡®Well¡­ it cannot be helped.¡¯ Tch, Hinz didn¡¯t like this. Right. It is certainly good for the races that never interacted with others toe together and see the various kings of other nations. But not everyone has pure and righteous thoughts in their souls. As he listened to the ongoing political calctions and horrible tales, he had a bitter look on his face. Maybe the world hasn¡¯t changed much. Even the heroes who defeated the Demon King said it would be tough to change the future of the continent. ¡­ at the moment he thought about that. ¡°The groom and bride are entering.¡± Stemming from Kuvar¡¯s loud voice. Even then, not everyone paid attention to the wedding. Hinz was ready to look back and p for the people who were the main characters. But the moment when the bride and groom appeared in their new clothes. When the bright smiles of Airn Pareira and Ilya Lindsay filled the venue, everyone stopped talking. To be precise, their ns were starting to fade little by little. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± p, p, p, p, p, p, p. p. p The audience began to apud. And cheers rushed in. Specifically, the people of Krono, the warriors festival attendees, and citizens of the Western kingdom. Others gently congratting them as well were the elves, orcs, Holy Kingdom, Runtel Kingdom, Cesar Duchy, the alliance of 4 Kingdoms, and other ces. And. The royal families and nobility of other countries who hadn¡¯t nned to attend the wedding desired happiness for the young couple. They celebrated, blessed, and cheered for the two. Of course, this is how it should be. But, it was also aplicated atmosphere that couldn¡¯t be taken for granted. Nevertheless, everyone looked at Airn and Ilya with bright and warm eyes¡­. ¡°¡­Those two, perhaps they are more than I believed?¡± ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t p? Have you lost it? What is going on in your head?¡± ¡°Uh? Ah, right. Sorry. Sorry.¡± ¡°Seriously, get yourself together!¡± ¡°¡­uh, but are you going to keep speaking informally to me?¡± ¡°Shh, I will get scolded after the ceremony, so do your job right. Concentrate!¡± ¡°¡­¡± When it was finished, Hinz muttered something and blinked. The walking bride and groom appeared to be a little young, but they were the prettiest couple. ¡°Ah, the bride and groom¡­¡± And the wedding went smoothly. The person who was intended to give the invocation at that time was Kuvar, but no guest appeared bored. ¡®It is nice to see. I want to head back to my honeymoon days too.¡¯ ¡®It is such a long time since I felt this excited.¡¯ Some of the older ones recalled old memories. ¡®When will I get married?¡¯ ¡®Can I get married¡­¡¯ ¡®No. It is morefortable being alone, right?¡¯ ¡®Not so much.¡¯ ¡®I want to get married.¡¯ There are also Sword Masters who are confused by their changing thoughts. Some people liked it. And this was the case with Airn¡¯s generation of young swordsmen; they couldn¡¯t hide their excitement. Following the marriage of Bratt Lloyd and Judith, it felt as if there was more to life than just the sword. ¡®My son¡­¡¯ ¡®My son is finally getting married.¡¯ ¡®I thought he would be alone for the rest of his life, but my brother is getting married.¡¯ Of course, no one was happier than the Pareiras at the time. It was made even more so because they knew how difficult Airn¡¯s childhood had been. Harun Pareira struggled to hold back his tears, and Amelia, too, couldn¡¯t. Kirill, on the other hand, wore a dignified expression. And.. ¡°Huk¡­ kuk¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Kuak¡­ kung¡­.¡± ¡°My¡­ daughter¡­¡± Joshua Lindsay couldn¡¯t stop his tears despite the Countess stabbing him in the side. And apart from that, the wedding went smoothly. ¡°In the name of the Holy God, may the future of these two heroes be filled with peace and happiness¡­¡± Finally, the ceremony concluded. The ceremony ended after the high priest blessed them. The most important part, the kiss between the bride and groom, ended in cheers. Airn Pareira and Ilya Lindsay, who left with bright smiles and waving hands, thanked the guests foring. And the wedding of the greatest heroes on the continent came to an end. ¡°Airn.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°That flower, do you know what it means?¡± ¡°Uh? uh?¡­¡± ¡°Uh, you don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°Not that, It¡­¡± Shortly after the wedding. Airn had gone on a pic with his wife and became puzzled. It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t know the flower. It was an Adonis. The flower that bloomed when Ilya proposed to him. He didn¡¯t know it before, but it was said that the bracelet he gave to Ilya in Krono had this flower engraved on it. If Kirill hadn¡¯t spoken of it, he would have forgotten. ¡®Now I know¡­¡¯ A flower that Ilya liked when she was young. He didn¡¯t know why, but he knew she had uprooted all of them at her estate at seven and then rented themter. But he had no idea what it meant. He wasn¡¯t prepared. Ilya smiled as Airn wore a glum expression. It was adorable. She decided not to make more fun of him the moment she had already. And she meekly said what the flower meant. ¡°Sad memories.¡± ¡°¡­¡± Airn stayed silent for a moment. Now he knew. At the age of seven, it was the time when I defeated Carl. Maybe this flower made her think of that incident. And then he asked. ¡°And what more?¡± ¡°¡­¡± There cannot be a single meaning to a flower. The present was too happy to end with sad memories. A peculiar expression on Ilya¡¯s face was looking at him. The blonde hero noticed how confident she looked when she turned to the flower garden and said, ¡°Eternal happiness.¡± The following winter, the two gave birth to a healthy and handsome son. And 22 years passed. Chapter 385: The Place To Be

    Chapter 385: The ce To Be

    A day in the rift was long. In fact, it was a ce that makes you misunderstand the concept of time. A colorless field spread around. Andscape that didn¡¯t change no matter where you looked. A terrible ce where an ordinary person would turn crazy, unable to survive even a day. But I managed to survive and endure. Wheik! When she was young she would jump over the cracks. Swish! Woong! ¡°Huh, it is pretty big this time.¡± She even used the sorcery energy in the dimensional rift. Neither humans nor demons, who got along at first were now good friends to soothe loneliness. Of course, the best opponents were different. ¡°Clown, let¡¯s have fun today too.¡± I said as he loosened the cor around the clown. Right, this ugly and terrifying one was the culprit of changing her like this but was also her partner for surviving in the rift. It was disappointing that the clown was turning docile than before, when he truly saw the possibility of escaping he would be happy, for i nothing was more interesting than the fight with him. with a smile she stretched out her right hand and pulled out her sword. The dark, sharp and ck one. And the clown said, ¡°Let¡¯s go to Devildom.¡¯ ¡°¡­¡± ¡°You should know, there is no return for you.¡± No¡­ The fact that the moment she lost her body to the Demon King her future was decided. Seeing the clown speak like this i remained silent for a long time. Still, she looked at her body. He wasn¡¯t wrong. Her body was hard to consider as human. Actually, it was lik this from the start. Not a year back, but 10 years or more, it was when she said he would wait for Airn and the others toe. The clown knew this too. Still, he stayed silent. In order to have the optimal result, he patiently waited with I and waited for her to show hr weakness. She wasn¡¯t the only one working hard. The clown too endured hellish days in here to continue his normal life. ¡°These aren¡¯t empty words. You can be the king.¡± ¡°I am sure. Even if the ones in Devildom are strong than when Ist went there, there is no one more worthy than you to be the king.¡± ¡°of course, doing it alone will be difficult since you don¡¯t know how Devildom works. The conditions will be favorable to the great devils who already built their forces.¡± ¡°But with me, you can do it.¡± ¡°With my assistance it is possible. King. Let¡¯s not waste the time here an move.¡± Reign Dominate Realize in the Devildom the dream you cannot achieve in human world. Although he was nothing more than a clown, he will devote his body to work as the most loyal servant to the Demon King¡­ Kwak! ¡°Kuaaaak!¡± The clown couldn¡¯t speak more as i;s sword fell like a shooting star and shattered his body and mind. It didn¡¯t end there. It wasn¡¯t enough to crush it, so the body was burned down. Wheik¡­. ¡°Hmm, it was getting boring.¡± I didn¡¯t not waver. She had already foreseen this. The clown wasn¡¯t the first to know. While staying in this rift. Not being a human or devil and while she spent time like aeons in hre, the curse constantly shook her heart. No matter how great of a hero Airn is. Even is Ilya is a descendant of Dion Linday. Even Judith has me which can resist death, even if Bratt was selfless with his life Even if the minds and hearts of people who are more pure and clear working their minds to restore her¡­ she knew that it is impossible to purify a body corrupted. If it was her former self, she would have killed herself. If not that¡­ ¡®¡­ as the clown said, I would have gone to the Devildom.¡¯ Conquer the poison and be the Demon King and wipe out the devils in Devildom. Come to think of it, it would be quite pleasant to do that. i imagined herself falling into hell. For moment she smiled. ¡°but I cannot do it.¡± I shook her head. Right. She couldn¡¯t. She didn¡¯t believe that Airn and the others could save her nor did she believe in herself to ovee this darkness. Nevertheless, she wasn¡¯t going to follow the clown or take her life. Waiting while not caring for the promise like this, she didn¡¯t care nor was she anxious. Because she realized. What is the most important to you. Who to be trusted and where to go back to? Recall. Reflect, reflect. Time like eternity passes again¡­ Finally the time hase. Ching! Tak! ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Long time no see.¡± ¡°Sote¡± ¡°¡­ I am sorry, for real.¡± Airn had the same expressionless face. And it wasn¡¯t just him. Ilya, Judith and Bratt too had the same feelings, they couldn¡¯t help it. It had been 24 years. They knew it wouldn¡¯t be easy but they didn¡¯t think it would take this long either. Knowing that she was suffering here, they felt guilty. ¡®Still, she is in a good state¡­¡¯ Of course, the reason was the only thing which could survive here wasn¡¯t a human. No, she was worse than 24 years back. The ckness flowing through the body like a typhoon trying to drive fear into them. She couldn¡¯t be taken to the human world like this. But it was fine. They had the fruit to turn the impossible to possible. Maybe an apple from the Land of Illusion which was passed down to the sorcerers, and unlike the dragons it was the most precious thing which the world had never once discovered. ¡°So, this is¡­¡± Airn said. There were many things he wanted to say. How they got this golden apple and what kind of effort they put in. What had changed on the continent of over 24 years and what hadn¡¯t changed. What happened to the 4. He wanted to speak and hear her side too. But. ¡°Stop.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°I will hear itter. Is it okay to eat?¡± ¡°Uh? Yes¡­¡± ¡°Give it.¡± Snap Bite. After cutting off his words, i took the golden apple and bite into it. then, the refreshing energy slid down the mouth, her throat and body. with her eyes closed, she felt the darkness which was in her cells washed away. Feeling reborn, i returned to her human form and she said. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°Uh, uh¡­¡± ¡°What is with this man? What is with you?¡± ¡°What are you saying?¡± ¡°No, well. So¡­ so back and forth the¡­rift with no emotions¡­¡± Judith too was stuttered and Bratt too nodded. And following them, Airn and Ilya nodded thinking the same. ¡®These two, it seems like they turned into the same after marriage.¡¯ It was a miracle they got to her which was shocking. However, i feeling down didn¡¯t want to give them the reaction they wanted She frowned and said. ¡°I don¡¯t feel good.¡± ¡°Eh? Suddenly?¡± ¡°Enough. Let¡¯s head back¡± ¡°Uh, um. Okay¡­¡± Ching! The portal opened and the humans who set foot in the rift returned to where they were supposed to be. ignt thought walking after Airn, Ilya, Judith and bratt. ¡®Certainly, I want to know what happened to you all this time.¡¯ Judith¡¯s mes were strong and Bratt¡¯s sea is wide. Ilya felt more like the sky and Airn was giving out one energy instead of five. The four energy of his didn¡¯t disappear. It seemed like they were all united to one. And this realization couldn¡¯t have juste without effort. So a lot of things must have happened. ¡®But there is no rush, I will listen to it all slowly.¡¯ Stepping into the portal, I closed her eyes. Looking back, it was a terrible day. The sense of voice spread across the cracked space and was hard for a woman to bear, to maintain her core and constantly be like a human. So it was clear. ¡®Georg Phoebe¡¯ ¡®Anya¡¯ ¡®And the knights who followed me.¡¯ As a child from Macan, the bonds she made. The friends she wanted to have a bright future with, sharing bread with them, the harsh reality hich hit her. Her colleagues from mercenary time. those promise to change the world and create a bright future and leave their side as mercenary as they began to go after money. ¡­ there were many more. The people who never left her in thousands of recollections. The people who followed her without even looking back, the ones who walked behind her despite the hateful situation. The apology she owed to Airn who worked hard to keep his promise. For hr, they were her number on priority. Eventually, I opened her eyes. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± The changed space caught her eye. The royal pce of Avilius that is very familiar despite the changes here and there, and Anya Martha and Georg Phoebe who had grown up a lot to tell her 24 years had passed. And the men behind her. ¡°¡­.¡± She couldn say anything. There was no need to express it in words. Watching the ck Knights saluting to her in tears, the four of them stayed silent. A weekter. The Holy Kingdom Avilius announced the return of the fifth hero. Chapter 386: Epilogue (1)

    Chapter 386: Epilogue (1)

    24 years after the Demon King fell in the hands of the heroes, the world had certainly be much more peaceful. There was no longer fear of being terrified by the devils. Any increase of demons was also tough to find, the attacks of various monsters feeding on magi had decreased a lot. Some wandering adventures would go deep into the forest and explore dungeons and then suffer, but nothing could be done about them. ¡°Did you hear it? The ck Knight Commander, Dame I Crescentia, has returned from the Devildom.¡± ¡°What? Wasn¡¯t she dead?¡± ¡°Back from the Devildom? I thought she was brainwashed by the devil¡­.¡± ¡°Then would they keep her in the Holy Kingdom? On the contrary, I heard that she is forming a group to subdue all the possible Demon Kings.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± In addition to that, another piece of good news was delivered. The return of I Crescentia, but there was no talk about the rift. There was only talk about a nice reward being given to her for the sacrifice she did. Naturally, the return of the hero wasn¡¯t the only happy thing for Avilius. Around the world, including the central part, festivals were held to celebrate another thing. Merchants happily gave out money, mercenaries got drunk and shed their sses, and the farmers also hummed as they plowed the fields. Praises to the Gods continued from the priest¡¯s mouths. And the children in the alleys would shout the name of the four heroes and y around. Of course, the world wasn¡¯t all bright. At least in the eyes of the ck haired swordsman travelling the southern part of the continent. ¡°¡­¡± A grave in a small garden near the city. She looked at the boy who was sitting in front of it. Sunken eyes. He didn¡¯t seem to be innocent for his age, there was no sadness. The swordsman looked at the child. An hour passed And two. Standing and watching felt weird so she sat next to the boy for another 30 minutes. ¡°Thank you for it, but you don¡¯t have to help.¡± The kid who was silent till then spoke. ¡°It happened a few times before, people who tried to help.¡± The child didn¡¯t speak the full story, but what he spoke was spoken calmly. It was no friendly exnation. As the ck haired swordsmen tried to understand it, it seemed like the lives of orphans weren¡¯tfortable. The man who was an exploiting thug, the owner of this grave was the person who passed away unable to sustain such a life. The point is that the actions of some mercenaries who felt pity for them didn¡¯t help the situation. Rather, the damage spread to the children. The swordsmen who understood that nodded. ¡®I am not interested.¡¯ The boy didn¡¯t know her true feelings. It is just, ¡¯ now that I said it, go¡­¡¯ The child got up and brushed his butt and bowed as he said. ¡°Thank you for listening to me.¡± ¡°¡­¡± After those words, the boy began to walk. The ck swordsman looked at him. she stared till she could no longer see him. Still not interested. But she thought of someone who might be interested in the child, and was curious how the reaction would be. The most important thing was that she didn¡¯t have much to do now. The formermander of ck Knight mumbled as she looked at the city. ¡°Looks a little simr.¡± Before dusk fell, Kai¡¯s heart felt heavy as he returned back to the city. He didn¡¯t spend money but wasted time. not just his but even his younger sister must be affected with this, what about the leftover food they had to eat? He hadined too long to the foreigner. ¡®I wasted too much time with someone I wont see again.¡¯ ¡­ of course, the real reason for the boy¡¯s heavy heart was different. It¡¯s that he couldn¡¯t feelfortable spending the anniversary of his best friend. The fact that the owner of the ce he was returning to had a share in the death of his friends. Despite that he couldn¡¯t leave the orphanage and this sentiment was the biggest reason Kai¡¯s life seemed tough. ¡®¡­ Still, I am d I didn¡¯t ask for help.¡¯ Kai nodded. Right, bald Jack, the owner of the orphanage is a thug in the back alley. If things could be solved with one-on-one duel, the boy might have begged the woman he met. But life isn¡¯t easy. And there are many people who diss Jack behind his back and pray in front of his face. And the fact that the orphanage he runs is legal and that there are difficulties which happen when a third party is involved was well known. Even if she manages to ovee it, even if this head was taken down and disappears from the world¡­ ¡®¡­ another thug will fill that void and the stranger who helped me will leave.¡¯ This was what would happen. The boy, smarter than peers his age, chose to live his life safely. ¡®Right, this is the best.¡¯ Just put in more effort. A little more hard work. He can satisfy the greed of Jack and then look after the others. Rather than making everyone unhappy, it is better to suffer a little like this every day. ¡°¡­¡± To do that, Kai ran to the orphanage. And he realized it right away. Something had gone wrong. ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± ¡°Brother! Ugh!¡± ¡°brotherrrr!¡± ¡°What! What is it? What happened? Jenny, where is Jenny?¡± The weeping kids. The feeling of something bad happening. It was sad but annoying, the same thing happening again. He was fed up with this reality and it was difficult for him to bear this tantrum. But it didn¡¯tst long. This was something familiar. At best, a few kids were two to three years older than Kai, but he couldn¡¯t demand them to be like him. Recalling that, the boyforted the kids and called for Jenny, who was a year older than him. She was Kai¡¯s most trusted person here, one popr with kids, gentle and bright. And thanks to her cute acts and nimble words sometimes calmed Jack from hitting them. And so. ¡°Sister Jenny isn¡¯t here! She isn¡¯t! ughhh¡­.¡± ¡°What? What do you¡­¡± ¡°The bald man took her! He said she has noble parents and that she would eat with them and wear nice clothes with them, but that is a lie, I saw it!¡± ¡°I cannot handle it! I cannot handle it anymore!¡± ¡°¡­¡± Teary eyes and runny nose. Some had bruises on their bodies. He thought that it was a good thing they weren¡¯t beaten anymore, but the feeling of helplessness rushed as he realized he weighed everything on Kai. Jenny was sold to a guild and there is nothing he can do. Even if he could, he wouldn¡¯t try. Kai knew better than anyone how that would affect the other kids here, and all the children here are hostages of Jack. ¡°Uhhhhh!¡± ¡°Ugh, uhhhhh!¡± ¡°Ehhhhhh!¡± ¡°¡­.¡± Kai closed his eyes. He had to calm down. He tried to cool his head and think about the best oue, but the boy ignored the cries. And tried his best to ignore it. But he could think of nothing. No, there was one thing. However, it wasn¡¯t the solution to this situation. The picture of his friend who died a year ago, suffering from the pain of the beatings Jack gave him while being drunk. Kai¡¯s expression, who recalled that, changed to calm. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Brother?¡± ¡°brother?¡± ¡°¡­ it is okay, I am fine.¡± The children stopped crying. Eyes still full of water and the faces wet. Still, seeing the younger children looking at him, Kai¡¯s heart shook. But¡­ ¡°Brother, is going to go for a while.¡± ¡°¡­. Where?¡± ¡°To see uncle jack.¡± ¡°No! don¡¯t go!¡± ¡°You cannot go! please don¡¯t go!¡± ¡°It is fine. It is nothing. I am just going to ask something.¡± He knew his choice isn¡¯t the right one. For the sake of the children he had to patient and likest year, endure this year too. ¡®I cannot do this anymore.¡¯ Kai couldn¡¯t stand this. He wasn¡¯t smart enough for this. The boy whose heart was burning in mes walked with huge strides down the dark alley with the sword he was hiding for a long time. ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± People seemed surprised. Even the grown up who used to be there and the big kids who watched such adults couldn¡¯t despite Kai¡¯s action. Rather, they walked away with frightened expressions. After a long distance, he moved his stiff feet. He didn¡¯t care He wasn¡¯t anxious. Jack is a thud. In addition, considering the friend of the man who wille, there is a hih chance what he is doing is stupid. ¡®So what.¡¯ Kai shook his head pushing away the thoughts in his head. He felt the heart calming down but the fire stayed. ¡°Phew.¡± He finally arrived at the ce. Dragon¡¯s Breath. A ce where thugs like Jack reside every day. He didn¡¯t hesitate this time. the boy nodded and opened the door of the store with a determined expression and raised the sword. And after a while. The scene inside was different from what he expected, which made him shocked. ¡°My body doesn¡¯t like people who think about a lot of things.¡± Dead bodies scattered. And the familiar face in the pool of blood. Bald Jack. Not just him. ¡°¡­¡± Next to him were heads of countless people who made others tremble in fear. Gulping Kai lifted his gaze and looked around. He couldn¡¯t ask why she meddles. But it wasn¡¯t important, the image of her sitting at the centre table sipping her drink felt too strong for him. The boy asked. ¡°¡­ thoughtful one?¡± ¡°Right. People who think they are smart. This can¡¯t work like this, that cannot happen. People who think it is fine for things which shouldn¡¯t happen to happen and do nothing.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Maybe they will never know for the rest of their lives that the path they chose isn¡¯t the right part but an easy one.¡± ¡°Does that mean the choice I made is right?¡± The boy asked. This wasn¡¯t a simple question. Kai was irritated and angry and a lot more emotions he couldn¡¯t hide wereing one. He could feel things happening. The person in front of him is someone he cannot question. A person so high that she has no reason to be in such a slum city. So he couldn¡¯t understand. He couldn¡¯t ept it. Unlike her who praised the current choice of his, he couldn¡¯t affirm it. it was impossible to judge what she had done. He couldn¡¯t say that his choice to hold was right. The boy knew it. As the swordsman said, he was escaping from this crisis. It meant that no effort he made till now could solve this problem, and that even if they lived holding back, it would only destroy them more. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ ¡®What is the right answer? What is the answer?¡¯ ¡®Is there any such thing as right answer to this?¡¯ ¡®Does this person know the answer?¡¯ Kai had doubts running in his mind. The boy, whose head turned hot, dared to open his eyes and looked at the ck haired swordsman. Yet. An unexpected answer came. ¡°I am not interested.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It is your problem, you think, act and answer ording to you, you make your own decisions and choices right?¡± ¡°That¡­.¡± ¡°¡­ if it was the past version of me, I would have said that. no, I wouldn¡¯t have been too rude¡­¡± The ck haired swordsman sighed and looked at the boy who flinched. It felt like his true self was being exposed. It felt like he was being stripped naked and he heard. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the orphanage.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Perhaps most of the problems you think have been dealt with. The girl called Jenny, the orphanage and other things¡­ things that cannot be solved by you struggling alone. I dealt with them.¡± So choose. Will you lead an ordinary life with the children in an orphanage? It is a little harder than that, but do you want to develop the strength to find your own answer to situations instead of running away? Would you follow your own path? Not an easy question. Normally, Kai is the eldest and most smart one in the orphanage, and he would have responded by asking for time. But now he couldn¡¯t. He didn¡¯t care. The boy who was still looking at the sword looked at the woman and said. ¡°I will follow.¡± The woman smiled. Of course he had no intention of enduring pain. Two monthster, I Crescentia and Kai arrived at Krono. Chapter 387: Epilogue (2) Krono Swordsmanship School. It truly is the world¡¯s best training facility. Originally, its reputation surpassed that of some royal pces, and thirty years ago, it soared higher, so many great heroes were born, and everyone was aware of the 27th Golden Batch. Of course, not just anyone could enter. One needed a letter of rmendation from a person with fame in addition to their swordsmanship ability. It doesn¡¯t end there. Talented people and other geniuses from throughout the continent will take part in another exam. Some students drop out because they are having difficulty digesting the massive amount of training and exams. Some people are frustrated because others are more talented, and even if they pass all of the tests, they are only given the title of a prospective trainee. This made things feel more challenging. Of course, Krono¡¯s 34th batch of trainees couldn¡¯t think too far ahead. The children who had just finished their evaluation were relieved that they had not been dropped, and they were proud of what they had aplished and grateful for the opportunity to learn something for the next six months. So they didn¡¯t like it. A blonde boy named Kai suddenly transferred into the 34th batch which they had to work so hard for. ¡°How can he be so shameless?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Right. Does he think we will be afraid if he looks at me?¡± A girl with silver hair, as if embracing the milky way, asked. They are only 13 years old. Even though they were at the age where they should be in their parents¡¯ arms and making mistakes, they were mature and dignified. A body that has not fully matured but is constantly trained and full of confidence. ¡®If half of the orphanage kids were like them, things would have beenfortable.¡¯ The problem was that the confident-looking kid didn¡¯t like him. He could understand. All the others enlisted in the 4th month, and he heard that they went through a mid-term evaluation a few days back. They felt like he was privileged to skip all that ande in the middle. However, Kai passed tests of his own whileing here. He thought of the amount of training he got from the hero I Crescentia. ¡®At first. Every day felt like I would lose my life. The trials were never-ending.¡¯ ¡°What? If you have something to say, say it!¡± ¡°Scared? Coward!¡± ¡°So what if you got support from Miss Crescentia? Korno is no ce for the privileged. Someone like you shouldn¡¯t raise your head so shamelessly¡­¡± Even as he was thinking, the girl continued with her scathing remarks. This is a ce where everyone is treated fairly. A guy like you shouldn¡¯t be here. These words didn¡¯t hurt Kai, who had been through hell since birth but couldn¡¯t stay silent. Because of what I told him. Phew. He sighed and stepped ahead. And in a low voice, no one but the girl could hear what he said. ¡°Your parents, I know them.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know about the others, but I don¡¯t think you should be speaking about things like privilege.¡± ¡°T-this! I-I came this far all on my own¡­¡± He didn¡¯t listen. Kai turned around as if he had said what he wanted to and distanced himself from the girl. The girl was still screaming, but he didn¡¯t care, and she stopped. She was scared of her secreting out. ¡®I have no intention of revealing what you are hiding, but¡­¡¯ I won¡¯t say it, because it brings trouble for me too. But it wasn¡¯t done. It wasn¡¯t just about the girl. There were many friends of the silver girl, and most of them were looking at Kai. The brown-haired boy, who didn¡¯t stop watching, strode toward Kai. He was taller than the others. And unlike Kai, he looked dignified. And based on what he saw, he appeared ignorant, but his first words were unexpected. ¡°That one, is quite annoying.¡± ¡°Uh?¡± ¡°About Elena. Ah, I am Darian Cox.¡± ¡°¡­ Kai.¡± ¡°Haha, I already know.¡± Darian Cox reached out, and Kai epted his handshake. Darian was quite fine with the handshake and spoke of the silver-haired girl, Elena. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that child. She speaks a lot about privileges and what is fair and unfair, she is quite a stuck-up one.¡± The brown-haired boy constantlyined, and Kai nodded. He did agree to a couple of the things he said. It isn¡¯t particrly wrong for a noble to be born as a noble or the son of a wealthy family to enjoy life. Yet, Elena showed some weird dislike for someone she didn¡¯t have to mingle with. ¡®I don¡¯t know him well either.¡¯ Kai wasn¡¯t sharp. Still, he knew Darian liked Elena. However, he wasn¡¯t honest and would speak badly about her. Why? Kai thought. Why lie? Why have so many secrets? And the answer came. It was a situation where he was unable to find a solution by being sincere with his expressions. ¡®¡­ when bald Jack kicked us.¡¯ The bastard who beat children. Because of that, he had to see his friends die in pain. Each time, Kai hid his feelings and showed a smile. If it was difficult, he would try to look expressionless. ¡®I don¡¯t like it.¡¯ Kai looked at Elena in the distance. And then at Darian Cox. Such a minor issue is a major issue in the lives of these children. Kai, who had been depressed for no apparent reason, smiled and epted Darian¡¯s words. ¡°UH, right.¡± ¡°¡­¡± The noble boy stopped. He stared at Kai, then said he would talk to himter, and walked away. Kai watched the child return to his group of friends and walk away. The boy, who had difficulty smiling, returned to his expressionless face. ¡®I want to head back.¡¯ This isn¡¯t the right ce for him. It wasn¡¯t just Elena or Darian. Both nobles and non-nobles. Everyone else appeared to be living better lives than him. Though he was aware that nothing was wrong with that, he pondered whether there was a good reason to get along with those who were different from him. ¡®Why did Miss Crescentia send me here?¡¯ Because she was busy? Or was she bothered by him? He couldn¡¯t find the answer, but Kai was eager to return. He didn¡¯t mind doing her training, which hurt his bones every day; he thought it would be better. Here in Krono, no one could understand him. ¡­ a stranger appeared when the boy kicked a stone. ¡°Uh?¡± Hearing Elena¡¯s voice, Kai bowed his head. Darian Cox, who was muttering in his group, looked at the hall¡¯s center. A gentle and warm smile. It wasn¡¯t soft, though. It was warm like a bonfire but with the sharpness of steel and the immense pressure of the vast earth. The sensation of flowing water was present, as was a sense of grandeur as if one were looking up at a massive tree. And after some time. The blonde swordsman moved in sync with the five enticing auras. ¡°¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± No one could take their eyes off of him. No child could take their eyes off the sword dance done by this man. It was like a story told by an old man sitting on a bench in the shade of a tree, that was what this felt like, and it captured Kai¡¯s heart. ¡°¡­¡± The five auras were ever-changing. Sometimes, arge iron stake caused problems. There were times when soaring mes could cover heaven and earth and other times when stagnant water gave off a foul odor. For some, the energy of the tree was the most pressing issue, while for others, the energy of thend was bitter. Suffering and pain have no superiors or inferiors. Byparing his misery to that of others, the boy became enamored with a sense of superiority. Wooong! Wooong! The flow continued. The energy of metal and fire. The energy of fire and water moved around and paved the way toward encouraging each other. The coexistence in which mes came from trees, ashes bloomed from fire, ashes to iron, iron to water, and water helped the trees grow. The sword didn¡¯t break, however. There could be times when weaknesses were shown, but it didn¡¯t stop. This wasn¡¯t an answer, but anyone could find their own answers through this. ¡®I know.¡¯ Now he realized. Why did hee here? Why did I send him here? Kai was already in tears. The blonde swordsman finished his sword dance and smiled as he looked at the kids, who had various reactions to the dance. ¡°Nice to meet you; I am Krono¡¯s headmaster, Airn Pareira.¡± ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡®It hasn¡¯t changed since then.¡¯ It was a little far from the swordsmanship school, where the children could be seen; anyone who wanted to see them could do so from there. I, remembering her childhood, nodded her head. She didn¡¯t have many fond memories before turning twenty, but Krono was a pleasant experience for her. Not only that, but it also aided her in her future nning. However, it did notst long. Airn Pareira appeared by her side, and then Kirill Pareira appeared on a legendary being with all her beauty. She left it at that moment she did it. I smiled and asked. ¡°Is it time?¡± ¡°Right. How did¡­¡± ¡°A feeling.¡± ¡°Well, you are a sorcerer.¡± Kirill said, and Airn nodded. There was no further conversation needed. The three looked at each other, and the Griffin called Cherry and flew into the sky. They were on their way to see a dragon. No, a ck cat Airn closed his eyes and relived memories from fifteen years ago, recalling Lulu, who would soon awaken. ED/PR Finale Note: Fallen: Hello! Thank you all for apanying us on this amazing journey with Airn and his friends. I would like to thank Rynoh for giving me an opportunity to work on Reformation of the Deadbeat noble. I would also like to thank both Rynoh, again, and my fellow Editor and colleague SoTheThingIs, Sottie for short, for encouraging me to try and finish the editing and pring for Reformation of the Deadbeat Noble. I would now like to give thanks to our fantastic trantor Ari, they¡¯re a great trantor who I¡¯d say is one of the cores of SDO, who allowed us to be able to read Deadbeat Noble. Also extra shoutouts to the previous EDs for Deadbeat, it was fun to work with them as a pr. I wish them well and the best of luck for whatever projects they¡¯re working on irl. This has been a pretty unreal experience for me. This series, I believe, was the first series that got me into the whole ¡®reading novels side¡¯ of themunity. I usually just binged webtoons/manhuas/manwhas without thinking of trying out the original novel. The reason why I eventually decided to give the novel a shot was because I heard that the manwha had cut out alot of details from the novel. I became annoyed with the fact that I wasn¡¯t getting the full experience from the novel, I¡¯d still rmend checking out the webtoon, though, because it has its own charms, but I digress. After some thought, I decided to try the novel out. It was a pretty interesting time, noticing the differences, and just overall adoring the story that was being told. I still remember some moments fondly, like how Airn formed his Golden Great Sword during his fight with Ilya and won the tournament in thend of proof, how Bratt finally became a swordsmaster, Joshua vs Airn, Ilya flying for the first time with the sky sword, Bratt surpassing himself, I vs Judith, the journey to durkali and Airn realizing who the man in his dreams was, Khun vs Ian, Khun vs Carl, and Airn and Ilya at the ball and their first date. This series has had alot of fantastic moments and a really good message and story to tell, one that I believe is about self improvement and how we should view the world. Eventually I somehow ended up bing a pr after a flooding of screenshots for some series (Rest In peace Raga), and ended up on Mount Hua, Spear knight, then eventually to Deadbeat and Mumu, (I don¡¯t remember if it was in that order exactly). I was a bit hesitant on how I should approach pring a series at first, it was new, and it ended up being pretty fun. Eventually things happened, staff rosters changed and here I am. Thank you once again for being with us on this incredible journey, we¡¯ll meet you guys again if Deadbeat Noble gets any side stories! Finally, I¡¯d like to do a shameless plug for other series in the SDO line up. Specifically: Return Of the Mount Hua Sect, Return of the Unrivaled Spear Knight, Invincible Mumu, Hell¡¯s Handbook, Questioning Heaven, Desiring The Way and The Heavenly Demon can¡¯t live a normal life. Those series are pretty great, and the ones I¡¯m keeping up with currently. Of course, you guys should make sure to check out all of the series on the site, they¡¯re all fantastic stories. Until we meet again! The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!