Chapter 278 |
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[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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Luke followed Arpheus towards the training ground, scrutinizing him closely.
The red eyes were narrowed, rarely returning to their normal state.
‘…Is he confident in his skills, or just audacious?’
Not only had Arpheus initiated the challenge, but he also showed no signs of nervousness.
This was unexpected for Luke.
Even more surprising was that Arpheus didn’t disperse the surrounding people as they headed to the training ground.
Followers of Arpheus staying at the lord’s castle began to gather behind them in groups, showing absolute trust in Arpheus and a slight hint of ridicule and curiosity towards the challengers.
Despite the lotus badges affixed to the chests of Luke’s companions, their gazes remained unshaken.
Luke met their stares calmly and then looked back at Arpheus’s retreating figure.
‘…He doesn’t mind if others witness this duel.’
This was another surprise.
If he were to lose or perform poorly, it would be a significant blow to his burgeoning reputation as a hero.
‘Such confidence in victory.’
Few would display such composure against the elite members of the Lotus Knights.
None among the four were pushovers.
They had endured three years of grueling training and life-threatening battles.
Their talents had long since blossomed, and they had now reached a level where they could rightfully be called masters.
‘He must be aware of this.’
Luke mused about where such an arrogant character could have come from.
‘The higher-ups’ had instructed that if Arpheus was deemed suitable, the location of the seal could be shared with him.
This meticulous ‘higher-ups’.
This meant that Arpheus’s background wasn’t that obscure after all….
Luke felt increasingly puzzled.
‘He seems to be of noble origin.’
Every gesture was imbued with deep etiquette.
Thanks to following Ravias around and meeting many high-ranking clients over the past few years, Luke could recognize this at once.
It was almost obsessive.
‘I should inquire more details from the higher-ups once this is over.’
Although communication had mostly been one-sided, Luke resolved to do so.
…It was at that moment.
“We’re here.”
“Hmm….”
The children quietly marveled at the training ground beyond where Arpheus had stopped.
It was a space of strict order.
Given that the North frequently saw intense battles, the training ground appeared to be the most meticulously maintained facility.
The training equipment and the condition of the ground were excellent.
“Oh, hero!”
“Are you sparring?”
“Wow, it’s been a while since we’ve had such a spectacle.”
…Hero.
The familiar title used for others made the children frown.
However, since Arpheus’s unpretentious demeanor with ordinary soldiers was both surprising and likable, they quickly adjusted their expressions.
“Come on, let’s make space for the duel.”
“Hero, do your best!”
Thus, even the soldiers who had been training joined the spectators.
They formed a large circle around Arpheus and the four.
Arpheus placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, ignoring the training wooden swords.
“Who wishes to duel with me?”
A small cheer erupted.
However….
Paang-
The sound of a spear being wielded silenced the crowd.
Gerald stepped forward, spinning his spear overhead.
The brief motion kicked up dust to head height, enveloping him.
The spectators fell silent.
“Please, enlighten me.”
However, Arpheus’s gaze was not on Gerald.
He tilted his head and looked at Luke.
“I thought you would step forward.”
“Hey, you’ll regret it if the vice-captain steps in.”
Only then did Arpheus look directly at Gerald.
His eyes were a clear, transparent blue-green.
“I’ll face you second, then.”
“You have quite the dreams.”
With their weapons in hand, they approached each other.
Arpheus had also pulled out a large shield by then.
Kwaang-!
Gerald struck first.
He extended one leg forward, lowering his stance, and propelled himself forward using only the strength of his front leg.
The spectators gasped in unison.
“Oh my god….”
“Didn’t they just say he was an ordinary member?”
“He’s so fast, you can’t even see him.”
It was no wonder they were amazed, given his speed was astounding.
Furthermore, the ground where he had stepped was indented with his foot’s shape, leaving everyone astonished at Gerald’s physical capabilities.
Swoosh—
The spear thrust towards Arpheus’s neck like lightning.
Clang—!
However, there was no way the duel would end in the first move.
Arpheus’s shield blocked the attack, and simultaneously, the sword in his other hand slashed diagonally at Gerald’s waist.
Gerald deflected it easily with the shaft of his spear.
Boom—!
It was then that the children’s expressions became peculiar.
“Huh… what?”
Gerald let out a bitter laugh and looked down.
His foot was embedded in the ground up to his ankle.
‘…I’m being overpowered?’
He had mastered the spear techniques and the martial arts of the Bryce family.
True to the family’s pursuit of extreme power, Bryce’s techniques were specialized in generating explosive ‘thunder energy.’
By permeating his entire body with thunder energy, his physical abilities were amplified.
At the same time, the spear would be enveloped in thunder energy, delivering a strong shock to the opponent upon contact.
Consequently, Gerald usually held an undisputed advantage in terms of destructive power against opponents of the same level.
The surprise was significant, but Gerald was no longer one to be flustered by this degree.
Tap—!
Without hesitation, Gerald charged again.
This time, his strategy had changed.
He didn’t attack directly.
Clang—!
Utilizing the advantage of his spear, Gerald jabbed from a distance, as if probing.
Arpheus, standing his ground, blocked the attacks with his shield.
His stance remained solid.
Seeing this, Luke realized that Arpheus’s amount of mana far surpassed Gerald’s.
‘…Mana that overwhelms someone who has been training since they were a toddler.’
He didn’t seem that old, so how was this possible?
Luke closely observed the ensuing exchange of blows.
That wasn’t the only odd thing.
‘…What is it?’
Arpheus occasionally launched powerful sword strikes from behind his shield.
The speed and strength were tremendous due to the immense mana imbued in them.
But Gerald defended against them with relative ease.
Although it was impossible to parry them directly due to the difference in power, he skillfully turned and deflected the attacks with the shaft of his spear, so Arpheus’s sword did not deliver a significant impact.
‘Arpheus’s swordsmanship itself is precise and refined. There’s no excess movement.’
It was a testament to extensive practice.
However…
‘The insight within it is shallow.’
The lower-level soldiers or those focused on archery like Evergreen and Karen had yet to notice, but Luke gradually read through Arpheus.
‘Is he less talented than expected?’
Meanwhile, cheers erupted among the spectators.
“Waaah!”
“The hero is pushing him back!”
On the surface, it looked like Gerald was being completely pushed back.
Gerald’s attacks were blocked by the shield without landing a blow, whereas each time he blocked Arpheus’s attacks, Gerald’s upper body wavered.
But in reality, it was a close match.
‘It’s clear. He’s several steps below Gerald in skill.’
If Arpheus’s mana were average, the duel would have ended long ago.
But he was compensating for his lack of skill with overwhelming mana.
It was like facing Cuculli.
‘…This will take longer than expected.’
As Gerald held out better than anticipated, murmurs began to spread among the spectators.
“…….”
At the same time, Arpheus’s expression subtly twisted, and explosive power surged from his entire body.
——————
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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“!”
For once, Luke’s composure was broken.
He widened his eyes, assessing the mana emanating from Arpheus.
‘Is that even a human’s mana?’
It was a larger amount of mana than the combined total of the four of them.
Gerald also stepped back, stunned to the point his lips turned pale.
The tip of his spear crackled wildly with thunder energy, as if he intended to counter with his ultimate technique, ‘Heavenly Thunder.’
The momentum was so intense it seemed as though his vision was flickering.
‘…It’s excessively heated. This is dangerous.’
Without further ado, Luke dashed between them, drawing a large sword with his right hand and forming a blade of ‘severance’ with the other.
Luke’s explosive aura momentarily overwhelmed both Arpheus and Gerald.
They both flinched and halted their attacks.
“…I think this should suffice. We aren’t enemies, so there’s no need to go to the bitter end, is there?”
Shzz—
Gerald was the first to calm his mana.
Arpheus glanced at the surrounding reactions and took a few steps back, looking quite disconcerted.
Contrary to his expectations, the bout with Gerald had dragged on and hadn’t ended decisively.
“…….”
The crowd was silent, despite the large number of people gathered.
Arpheus quickly composed his expression and bowed deeply.
“My apologies. Your skill was greater than expected, so I overstepped. It was my fault.”
Before Gerald could respond,
“We will need some time to recover, so let’s meet again in the reception room in 30 minutes.”
Arpheus hurriedly left the training ground.
. . .
On one side of the training ground, as the spectators began to disperse like the receding tide, Gerald finally sat down and started coughing intensely.
Thankfully, the internal damage wasn’t severe, as no blood or fragments of organs mixed with his cough.
However, his complexion wasn’t good, indicating that his body had taken quite a shock.
Karen shook her head with a pale face.
“Is that really a person? How can someone have that much mana?”
“Cough.”
“Damn, are you okay?”
Gerald pounded the ground in frustration, his eyes fixed on the spot where Arpheus had left.
“…If it had continued, I would’ve lost, right?”
Luke answered.
“Probably. With that amount of mana, your stamina would’ve given out first.”
“Damn it, not just that, I was completely scared at the end.”
“There was nothing you could do. The explosive release of mana was enough to surprise even me.”
“…But you would’ve won, right?”
“…….”
Gerald clenched his teeth.
Evergreen patted him on the shoulder, offering comfort.
“You fought well. Everyone was surprised. They couldn’t believe how strong a mere member could be. You upheld the reputation of our knight order.”
“…….”
Despite her comforting words, Gerald’s expression remained dark.
The arrogant rookie who once charged at the hero was nowhere to be seen.
Through numerous events, he had painfully realized that his talent was inferior to that of true geniuses like Leciel, Luke, and Ban.
He had experienced this feeling of helplessness many times before.
But each time, the conclusion was the same.
Gerald dusted himself off and stood up.
“…There’s nothing for it but to work harder.”
Despite the frustration, he couldn’t give up fighting alongside his friends.
So, all he could do was to keep trying relentlessly.
“This is the end of moping. Now, let’s go and settle things with Arpheus. Despite some oddities, he’s proven strong enough, so we should try to strike a deal.”
With that, Gerald took the lead.
Luke nodded and followed him.
Gerald.
Whenever he accepted his shortcomings, he grew stronger.
He would likely surprise them with his growth soon enough.
‘First, let’s carry out our mission.’
Despite the unusual amount of mana and the relatively shallow insight, Arpheus was undeniably strong.
‘He might even be more formidable against lower-ranked monsters.’
With that thought, the group headed back to the reception room.
Fortunately, Arpheus readily accepted the task of guarding the seal without much persuasion.
“However, I have one condition.”
…Though he did attach an unexpected condition.
* * *
The hero, waking from an unconscious state, immediately contacted Euphemia.
The irregularity of his waking cycles had increased, and he needed to catch up on what had happened in the meantime.
After the brief conversation concluded, the hero spoke up, a thought having crossed his mind.
“By now, they should have met.”
[You mean your disciples and the ‘self-proclaimed hero’?]
“Yes, I hope they can collaborate well.”
Beyond the communication crystal.
Beyond the communication crystal, the emperor looked a bit disgruntled.
[I don’t understand you.]
“What now?”
[How can you be so magnanimous? You’re giving up all your credit… If people knew you were the one who accomplished all those feats, wouldn’t they treat you differently?]
The hero slowly shook his head.
“They’d just suspect I had some ulterior motive. Anyway, it’s better for someone else to be in the spotlight right now. Thanks to Arpheus, the situation in the North has improved a lot, hasn’t it?”
[You’re too generous.]
“Well, he’s in a bit of a tough spot personally.”
Euphemia had only one reason for her frustration.
Over the past three years, although the hero had shed the shell of Ted Redymer, he hadn’t let go of his duties as a hero.
He had been growing and training while also occasionally going on expeditions to eradicate demons.
He protected the North, uprooting demon strongholds and killing high-ranking demons, all while staying anonymous.
Then, one day, someone started taking credit for his achievements and acting like they were their own.
That someone was Arpheus.
The emperor had immediately set out to punish him, but the hero had stopped him.
[He’s exactly the person we need right now.]
A background check revealed that Arpheus’s past was clean.
In fact, it was so clean that it was almost pitiful.
[So, what will you do now? Will you go on another expedition?]
“No, this time my plan is a bit different.”
[Oh?]
The emperor looked at the hero with a surprised expression.
Until now, the hero had always felt some unmerited sense of obligation, so he had gone on a rampage throughout the North, exterminating demons.
‘I thought for sure he’d do the same this time.’
Euphemia’s eyes narrowed.
[Then what are you planning?]
“This time…”
Before the hero could answer, Euphemia’s eyes wavered.
It was because the hero wore an expression she had never seen before.
A complex mix of longing, excitement, and fear swirled in his eyes.
The hero spoke.
“I’m thinking of visiting them one by one.”
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[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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