Chapter 65 : Chapter 65

Chapter 65. Something Feels Off. Very Off (4)

“What? Why is he suddenly like that?”

“What's going on?”

Sanson had completely recovered.

From the 80th opponent onwards, Sanson's sword became even sharper, and now he was beginning to defeat the soldiers with overwhelming skill.

Watching the scene, Patrick said.

“Next, Nade! Begin immediately!”

“Yes? Yes!”

Simultaneously with the command to start, Sanson charged forward first.

As if trying to burst something he had been holding back.

A winning streak, and another winning streak.

After the 80th opponent, Sanson continued to defeat every opponent that came up.

As he continued to rack up victories, Sanson finally….

“Hap!”

“Ut…”

He sent the 99th opponent's wooden sword flying and brought his own sword to his neck.

And he shouted loudly.

“Next!”

There was no longer any sign of exhaustion.

Rather, he was full of vitality, as if he couldn't stand his body itching for a fight.

‘I can do it. As I am now, I can take on anyone.’

Intoxicated with confidence, Sanson felt invincible at this moment. And just then….

“I will be your 100th opponent.”

“Anyone… huh?”

Sanson's expression changed subtly.

He did feel confident against anyone.

He did have that thought, but….

“Still, this isn't right, is it?”

“What do you mean, not right?”

In front of Sanson was Patrick, who had stepped onto the training ground holding a wooden sword in each hand.

And Patrick, with a cold expression, said.

“We begin immediately.”

“Begi…. Keuk!”

Taaak!

In an instant, Patrick's body blurred.

At that moment, Sanson reflexively raised the swords in both hands into a defensive stance. As a result, he was able to block Patrick's sword. But….

“Balance with your lower body and relax your upper body. The natural state you worked so hard to create is crumbling.”

“What… uuuut…”

He was being pushed back by the pressure of the opposing sword.

Compared to Sanson, Patrick still had a smaller physique, yet Sanson was being lightly overpowered in terms of strength.

And Patrick's wooden sword, after pushing Sanson back once with his sword to disrupt his balance, flew towards Sanson's entire body.

Tadadak! Tak! Peok! Jjeok!

He blocked some, and took some with his body.

If it had been a real sword, it would have been an attack that would have killed him several times over.

“Focus your mind. Don't space out, concentrate.”

“What are you talking about?”

“If you don't realize…”

Patrick, who had dug into Sanson's space, continued coldly.

“You die.”

Simultaneously with those words, Patrick's sword split into dozens and flew towards all of Sanson's vital points.

“Uwaaaaaah!”

Sanson also quickly swung his wooden sword to counter it.

In an instant, the space between the two was filled with wooden swords, exchanging offense and defense.

Slashing, stabbing, pulling, pushing.

How many exchanges were happening in such a small space and time?

The soldiers could only watch the scene with their mouths agape.

The only one in this place who correctly understood the meaning of this exchange was April.

‘Is he guiding him?’

April could see it clearly.

Patrick was pushing Sanson to his limit while controlling him with a fine balance.

No, that was a sword that demanded something beyond the limit.

With a will filled with killing intent, implying that if he couldn't keep up and fell behind, he could die.

A little more. A little more, a little more….

To Patrick's sword that endlessly demanded something beyond the limit, Sanson was literally wringing out his soul to respond. But….

Taaak!

Even if you wring it out like wringing water from sand.

Even if you burn your soul and surpass your own limits.

In the end, the end is bound to come.

To Patrick's upward strike from below, Sanson's hands went high up into the sky.

And towards his completely exposed torso, Patrick's next attack was prepared.

“It's over.”

In that short moment, Sanson definitely heard it.

The voice of Patrick that reached his ear chillingly was definitely sincere.

‘I'm going to die.’

[ Twin Dragons Eight Sword Forms

Third Form

Flashing Dragon Strike ]

There was no aura, and it was just a wooden sword.

But that didn't matter.

The momentum and killing intent carried in that sword were enough to kill Sanson.

The moment Patrick's two twin swords were about to turn into a flash of light….

“Aaaaaaaah!”

Sanson's two swords, which had gone up above his head, became a streak of light a beat faster. And….

Tadak!

“Uh…. ububububu…”

“Uh…. uh uh uh…”

“Heoeo…”

The soldiers saw it.

The scene of Patrick blocking the wooden sword Sanson swung with his own wooden sword.

Ordinary soldiers would have looked on bluntly, wondering what was so great about it.

But the soldiers of the Schneider fiefdom were all swordsmen who had reached at least the 3-star realm.

That's why they understood the current situation.

“The Young Master was definitely first, right?”

“The Flashing Dragon Strike was first, wasn't it?”

“Did he just block, no, stop that?”

There wasn't a single soldier who didn't know Patrick's Flashing Dragon Strike.

Why? Because they had all been hit by it.

It was a technique where something would just flash and fly at them, sending them flying.

Although the technique was named ‘Flash’, Patrick kept calling it Flashing Dragon Strike, so now the soldiers just called it that as well.

Anyway, among the soldiers of the Schneider fiefdom, no one had ever blocked or dodged it.

But Sanson had blocked it.

He had stopped it perfectly right before it was activated.

“Subduing the Opponent by Striking Second.”

“Yes?”

“If you can do this, then I guess I can acknowledge you now.”

“What do you mean?”

Patrick smirked and said to Sanson.

“Try to draw out your aura.”

“Yes?”

“Just do it when I tell you to. Huh?”

“Yes. Yes. Understood.”

He didn't understand the situation at all, but he thought it would be best to do as he was told for now.

Sanson grumbled as he drew out the aura on his wooden sword. Then….

“Huh?”

Sanson, who had drawn out his aura, was even more surprised.

An aura of a much denser concentration than before was shimmering on his sword.

To Sanson, who was bewildered by the amount of aura that was on a clearly different level than before, Patrick said.

“From now on, if someone asks for your realm, answer that you're 5-star.”

The moment he heard those words, goosebumps spread all over Sanson's body.

“Young Master. Then, really…”

“Yes. It's like that.”

“U…. Uoooooooooh!”

Sanson roared like an Orc warrior who had won a battle.

He couldn't hold back the hot passion welling up from his chest.

The 5-star realm.

He had inwardly thought he would reach it someday, but that someday was not coming, and he was getting anxious.

Patrick was considered a separate creature, and April had also surpassed him and lightly passed this realm in less than a year of holding a sword, but it had remained elusive for him.

And he had reached that 5-star realm now, at this very moment.

“Young Master, then today's spar was…”

“It seemed like it would take a while if I just left you be, so I used a somewhat drastic method.”

“Young Master…”

Sanson now looked at Patrick with teary eyes.

“So this was your intention.”

“Yeah. Something like that.”

“Young Master…”

This was quite moving. In fact, when he was made to do the drastic spar of 1 vs 100, he had thought, ‘Finally, this man is trying to kill me. Did I follow this man for this?’

“If I'm reborn, I won't even associate with this bastard. I was having such thoughts.”

“Hoooh, you were?”

“…Did I say that out loud, by any chance?”

“Yep.”

“……”

Seeing Sanson break out in a cold sweat, Patrick said coldly.

“Well, there's still something left, so let's put off killing you for a bit.”

He never said he wouldn't kill him.

But what could be left?

As Sanson wondered, a man walked towards him.

“My lord.”

“Huh? Why has the lord come to the training ground?”

The one who appeared was Baron Jaycall Schneider.

It was the Baron, who rarely came to the training ground, but he had appeared in this place now.

Moreover, he was even wearing a formal ceremonial robe.

And beside him, Butler Lawrence was present, holding a long sword.

And Baron Schneider, who had stepped onto the training ground, said with a solemn expression.

“Soldier Sanson, kneel.”

“……”

At those words, Sanson had a blank expression.

It wasn't because he didn't know the situation.

He was hesitating precisely because he had an idea of what was happening.

Me? Is it okay for me?

Is it really okay?

To such a Sanson, Patrick gave a light push on his back.

“What are you doing? Not doing it?”

“Young Master.”

“Save that ‘Young Master’ for later and just kneel. You're not going to get appointed?”

“……”

Sanson held back his tears and walked in front of Baron Schneider.

One step, two steps, three steps…. Arriving in front of the Baron, Sanson piously knelt on one knee and bowed his head.

And Baron Schneider received the sword from Butler Lawrence, stood it up in front of him, and said.

“Sanson of the Schneider fiefdom, listen.”

“Yes.”

And from Baron Schneider's mouth, the knight's oath flowed.

“Be brave. Be faithful. Be honorable. Be courteous. Be devout. Be humble. Protect the weak.”

Sanson answered the words that came from the Baron's mouth with utmost seriousness.

“Yes.”

“I hereby appoint you a knight and bestow upon you the surname Kainel.”

And the Baron's sword lightly tapped both of Sanson's shoulders.

It was the moment Knight Sanson Kainel was born.

“Big brother, let's drink. We have to drink until we drop today.”

“Big brother? You should call him Sir Kainel now.”

“Oh, my mistake. Sir Kainel.”

“That's embarrassing. Just call me Big brother outside of work hours.”

“Oh my, how could a lowly commoner like me address a knight…”

“Just do it, you bastard.”

“Hehehe. If you say so.”

Sanson absentmindedly accepted the congratulatory drinks being poured for him.

He wasn't usually a heavy drinker, but today was an exception.

He was accepting and drinking every drink his subordinates, who had rented out the entire tavern, gave him.

“Congratulations. In the end, you became the first, Big brother.”

“Are you talking about becoming a knight? Or reaching the 5-star realm.”

“Both.”

“Keeeuh. Can we also do it someday?”

“I'm next. Next is me.”

“I'll be before you, you bastard.”

“Oh? With those skills?”

“You wanna die?”

“Wanna go?”

“Let's go!”

The tavern became a mess, but everyone was too busy eating and drinking to care.

The soldiers ate and drank, half-destroying the tavern in the process.

And after a while, the Orc warriors, who had smelled the alcohol, even joined in, and as a result, they drank until the tavern ran out of alcohol.

The next day.

“Thank you, Young Master.”

“Huh? For what?”

To Sanson, who was prostrated on the ground giving his thanks, Patrick said nonchalantly.

Then, Sanson thought for a moment and, still in a voice filled with emotion, said.

“…For everything.”

“Your words have improved.”

“You taught me the sword, you made me a knight. And I thank you for everything, including pulling me up when I was stuck at the wall of a realm.”

Sanson now understood.

The meaning of yesterday's spar.

In order to break through the blocked wall, he had pushed himself to the limit.

He had reached the point of barely being able to cross the realm through the spar with the soldiers, but when it seemed he wouldn't be able to cross it in the end, Patrick had personally stepped forward and made him surpass his limit by exuding killing intent at him.

Patrick had grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and forcibly pulled him over a wall that would have taken Sanson several years of struggle to overcome on his own.

And there was a reason Patrick had done this.

“As you know, I won't be here for a while.”

“Congratulations on your admission to the Academy.”

“That's not something to be congratulated for…. Well, whatever. Anyway, I won't be here, and April won't be here either.”

“……”

“In that case, you will have to protect the fiefdom and lead the soldiers.”

“……”

“Honestly, I think the title of knight is a bit premature, but I gave it to you because I thought it was necessary to be a clear milestone for the soldiers. Your skills are still far from enough.”

“I will keep that in mind.”

It was a nonchalant conversation, but if others had heard it, they would have been astonished.

Usually, even reaching 2-star or 3-star was enough to be called a knight.

Around 4-star, one was a skilled person hard to find in the countryside, and 5-star was a realm that could receive noble treatment in any country.

But he nonchalantly said that such a 5-star realm was not enough.

Patrick's standards were so high that they would seem harsh from anyone else's perspective. But because of that….

“Well, still, with your current level, it should be possible for you to lead the soldiers. You've worked hard.”

Because Patrick's standards were high, a single word of praise from his mouth had a different value.

Sanson, trembling slightly with emotion, said.

“I will do my best to fulfill the role you have entrusted to me.”

Looking at Sanson, Patrick was seized by a strange feeling.

Back then, the disciples of the Twin Dragon Sect were objects of protection for Patrick, not comrades to whom he could entrust something.

They were weaklings, so if he entrusted them with something, they might die. How could he entrust them with anything?

The reason he personally led the disciples and roamed the battlefield was to keep them within his sight and protect them.

If he had had even one guy like this back then….

Even if not as good as himself, if he had had at least one guy he could trust and entrust things to….

‘I researched and developed those martial arts so that I could raise such guys…’

In the end, those preparations did not bear fruit in the Jianghu.

But now, crossing over the world to this Continent of Pangemonia, Patrick had obtained what he wanted and was able to say what he had wanted to say.

“Sanson.”

“Yes. Young Master.”

Patrick gripped Sanson's shoulder firmly and said.

“I'll trust you.”

“…Yes.”

Leaving that one word behind, Patrick headed for the Academy.

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