Chapter 54

The day after arriving and spending a night at the Stone Family estate.

Killian, wearing the light armor of the Blue Knight Order, strolled through the castle alone.

‘The castle is quite large.’

He felt the gazes of the servants flickering towards him, but he ignored them and continued walking.

Even though it was his first time visiting the space, finding the training ground was not difficult. He just had to head towards the place where he could feel a large amount of mana.

As he got closer to the training ground located inside the main castle, he could hear the spirited shouts of the knights.

Swish.

He shrouded his body in mana, suppressing his presence as much as possible, and entered the training ground.

He could have used stealth on the level of the Annihilation Squad if he had wanted to, but that might have actually aroused suspicion.

Hiding his body behind a pillar, Killian quietly observed the knights.

‘The number of knights is about a hundred… mostly 3-star level, I see.’

Those who appeared to be Decurions exuded a 4-star aura, while those who seemed to be the Vice-commander and the Commander gave off a 5-star aura.

On the wide training ground, a sparring session that could have passed for a real battle was unfolding.

‘Not bad.’

Although the qualitative level of their swordsmanship was not high, the knights showed organic movements as if they were accustomed to this kind of training.

Their individual skills were superior to the Blue Knight Order, and their overall strength was comparable to the White Knight Order.

At the center of it all was a man with gray hair, the commander of the Black Cloud Knight Order.

His face, which looked to be in his late forties, was marked by a deep sword scar on his left cheek, leaving a strong impression.

‘5-star master.’

His skills were more than sufficient to be a commander.

He was just watching his subordinates with his arms crossed, without even drawing his sword, but it was likely his presence that made the knights spar with all their might.

About ten minutes after that, Killian released the mana that had been shrouding his body.

“…….”

The commander's gaze, which had been watching the training all along, immediately turned towards the pillar where Killian was.

“Halt.”

At the commander's voice, laced with mana, the hundred or so knights simultaneously stopped their sparring.

“Isn't that the Fourth Young Master of Eurasia?”

A youthful face, silver hair symbolizing the bloodline of Eurasia, and the light armor of the Blue Knight Order.

He looked like someone anyone could recognize as a person from Eurasia visiting the Stone Family.

“I am Heath, the commander of the Black Cloud Knight Order.”

Heath politely offered a sword salute with the steel training sword he was holding, but contrary to his action, his displeasure was evident.

Killian smiled awkwardly and stepped onto the training ground.

“I was just passing by while looking around the castle.”

At the gentle apology, Heath shook his head.

“The Fourth Young Master is a guest of the Stone Family. I have no intention of restricting you from walking around alone… but knights with swords are sensitive people.”

Killian scanned the surrounding knights.

None of the gazes directed at him felt friendly.

It was a disrespectful attitude to show to the young master of an allied family.

“I seem to have unintentionally disturbed the knights' training.”

Killian, who was obediently leaving the training ground, suddenly stopped his steps.

“Ah, but.”

“……?”

“Aren't you training only in aggressive swordsmanship?”

“What do you mean by that?”

Heath asked back in a subdued voice.

“There's a saying that offense is the best defense, but even so, the swordsmanship for attacking also seems ambiguous.”

“…….”

Silence fell over the training ground.

Killian, as if enjoying the reaction, continued with a smile on his face.

“Learning advanced swordsmanship without even having the basics down will just make it neither one thing nor the other.”

At the kind but sharp criticism, the Vice-commander became indignant and stepped forward.

“Fourth Young Master!”

“I hold the position of Tactician for the Blue Knight Order in my family. My true feelings came out without me realizing it.”

Killian pointed to the blue part of his armor and shrugged.

“Even if you are a guest visiting our family…….”

“Vice-commander, if you want to reach 5-star, you should focus more on mana training methods than on swordsmanship.”

“……!!”

The face of the nameless Vice-commander turned red.

At the unsettling atmosphere, Heath's eyes narrowed.

Killian Eurasia.

It had been less than half a year since his name had begun to circulate in the frontier.

Tactician of the Blue Knight Order, his performance in the Kurt Mountain Range Subjugation, the acknowledgement of the Head Simon Eurasia…….

Recently, there had also been rumors that he had been appointed to the Annihilation Squad, but none of them had been verified.

‘Judging by his trained body, he seems to be at least beyond 4-star…….’

To the extent that he could even point out the Vice-commander's achievements, he might have even reached 5-star.

Normally, it would be absurd, but considering Demian Eurasia's growth rate, it wasn't impossible.

‘I need to confirm it.’

For the sake of the Stone Family's great undertaking, and to quell his own competitive spirit as a knight.

“Fourth Young Master.”

“What is it?”

Heath greeted the brightly smiling Killian, who was turning away, with a friendly face.

“If it's alright with you, would you be willing to give us some teachings?”

“Teachings?”

“It would be the greatest honor if the renowned Young Master would cross swords with us directly.”

“Spar with me?”

“I believe a Decurion of the Black Cloud Knight Order would not be lacking in understanding the teachings.”

At Heath's gaze, ten Decurions simultaneously offered a sword salute.

Every one of them had a face burning with competitive spirit.

Killian stroked his chin as if he were in a difficult situation.

“Giving you teachings is not a problem… but I'm the type to see things through once I draw my sword.”

“So?”

“Let's have not just the Decurions, but all the knights of the order cross swords with me once.”

Heath's eyebrow twitched.

‘What an arrogant fool.’

Even arrogance has its limits, but Killian Eurasia had crossed the line.

A sinister thought flashed through Heath's mind for a moment.

“I accept the Young Master's proposal. All the knights of the Black Cloud will receive your teachings.”

“Good. Then, have the Decurions come forward one by one.”

Killian said as he snatched the steel sword from a nearby knight.

“I will be the first to ask for your teachings.”

A Decurion with a stiff expression stepped forward in front of Killian.

“It's better to get the beating over with first. A good attitude.”

Contrary to the ominous atmosphere.

Killian smiled harmlessly and raised his sword.

***

Killian withdrew the sword he had thrust.

Thud.

The Decurion, foaming at the mouth, knelt down on the spot.

He had fallen into a reflux after allowing a single attack.

“Next.”

Killian's indifferent voice echoed in the training ground.

He had already knocked out eight Decurions.

All of them had failed to block the single attack he had launched and had been carried away after falling into a reflux.

It was a common sight in the Blue Knight Order, but it was a shocking situation for the knights of the Black Cloud.

Heath swallowed dryly.

‘What a monstrous man.’

At first, he had simply thought that the Fourth Young Master of Eurasia was being arrogant.

Even if he possessed skills of 5-star or higher as the rumors said, he had thought that he would soon show his physical limits.

He was mistaken.

The mana the Fourth Young Master had imbued in his steel sword was at most at the 3-star level, yet his breathing had not become ragged even after delivering eight strikes.

On the other hand, the Black Cloud Knight Order had lost over 10% of its strength.

This had all happened in less than an hour since the sparring began.

‘At this rate, it will affect the family's great undertaking.’

If they lost any more strength, it would be a problem to keep the White Knight Order, stationed in the family, in check.

‘The knights' morale will be broken, but it would be best to wrap it up around here…….’

Heath's and the Vice-commander's eyes met.

Stop the sparring.

That was the meaning he had conveyed by shaking his head.

“I'm next!”

The Vice-commander, however, shouted spiritedly and stepped forward.

‘That fool……!’

Heath's face contorted.

He knew that the Vice-commander, a 4-star master, could not handle the Fourth Young Master.

And sure enough.

“First Flash.”

“Keuk…….”

The Vice-commander, struck by a lightning-fast thrust, rolled on the ground in a reflux.

‘Damn it… He's at least a 6-star. No one here can subdue the Fourth Young Master in a one-on-one fight.’

It was the moment Heath, swallowing his shame, was about to order a halt to the sparring.

“Looks like something interesting has been happening while I was gone.”

A gruff voice echoed in Heath's ear.

When he turned his head, a knight in the armor of the Black Cloud was approaching him from the side.

“And you are…….”

“I will take care of it.”

Although he was wearing the armor of the Black Cloud, that knight was not Heath's subordinate.

“Commander Heath, wouldn't it make the Head look ridiculous if you stopped the sparring now?”

‘If it's this man…….’

His thought was not long.

“I'll allow it. How should I introduce you?”

At Heath's question.

“Ralph, a common knight of the Black Cloud Knight Order. That will suffice.”

The man with a sneer on his face quietly stepped forward.

***

It was the moment a Decurion, whose spirit had been broken by the Vice-commander's helpless defeat, was about to step forward.

“This time, I will receive the teachings.”

A gruff voice, like the clash of chipped swords, echoed in the training ground.

Soon, the owner of the voice pushed through the knights and walked out.

‘Was there someone like that?’

He had watched the knights' training for a short while, but he didn't remember the face.

“Ralph will face the Fourth Young Master.”

At the commander's order, a strange current flowed through the knights for a fleeting moment.

A smile appeared on Killian's lips.

“You don't look like a Decurion.”

“I am Ralph, a common knight of the Black Cloud Knight Order.”

At Killian's question, the man offered a sword salute with his steel sword.

Sssssssss.

The mana enveloping his steel sword was the most stable among the knights he had faced so far.

“A 5-star?”

“Well. Would you like to guess?”

Ralph took a stance with a relaxed demeanor.

It was a clear departure from the other Black Cloud knights.

“Is that so?”

Killian leisurely raised his steel sword.

Sssssssss.

5-star.

Mana of a level comparable to Ralph's was imbued in the steel sword.

“Let's see if your skills match your words.”

Clang.

A sword thrust out like lightning was blocked by the man's sword.

He was the first among the knights who had sparred to receive Killian's single strike.

A small exclamation of admiration escaped from among the knights.

Ralph's lips twitched as if he were enjoying the reaction.

“You don't seem to be above me.”

Clang clang clack!

After a brief struggle, the two of them simultaneously created distance.

“There's an interesting fellow in the Stone Family.”

“I agree, Fourth Young Master.”

Ralph spun his sword around as if performing a trick.

With the mana enveloping his sword, it wouldn't have been strange if a sword aura had flown out at any moment.

“Did you say Ralph?”

Killian, his gaze fixed on the pendant around the man's neck, spread his mana.

Fwoosh.

A Carpe unfolded, instantly dominating the training ground.

“Shall we begin in earnest?”

“The density of the Carpe is quite impressive.”

If he hadn't enhanced his body with mana, he would have been crushed.

Ralph commented, leisurely savoring the blue mana.

In that moment.

Sssss.

The color of the mana enveloping his body began to change.

Grayish-brown, neither gray nor black.

A mana color he had never seen in Eurasia before.

“Carpe.”

Simultaneously with Ralph's murmur, the blue mana began to waver.

Ralph's Carpe was being superimposed on top of Killian's.

A Carpe unfolded with 6-star mana pressed down on a 5-star Carpe.

“I think we've exchanged enough greetings. How about we start going all out?”

“Alright.”

Fwoooosh.

The 6-star mana that surged from the steel sword twisted the space anew.

Grayish-brown and blue.

The two colors of Carpe began to divide the training ground.

“This is what makes sparring worthwhile.”

He needed to suppress the momentum of the prey that had shown itself earlier than he had expected.

“The sword I'm about to use won't be light.”

Mainz Kimbel.

Killian, swallowing the rest of his words, raised his sword and lowered his center of gravity.

Eurasia Style. Meteor Flash.

An attack that would induce a reflux in an ordinary 6-star knight just by blocking it.

Wham!

It tore through the grayish-brown Carpe.

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