Chapter 664: Chapter 664

Chapter 664

I Will Risk Everything. (3)

As the training ground became completely surrounded, Rio began trembling.  

It wasn’t just Rio. The armed escorts who had followed from the merchant guild also looked fearful and hesitant.  

Only Ghislain remained composed as he surveyed the surroundings.  

The soldiers encircling them merely stood in position, waiting. A heavy silence filled the air.  

Moments later, Baron Magrel arrived, leading a dozen knights.  

Baron Magrel sneered as he looked at Rio.  

“You sure brought a lot of people. Are you planning to fight me right here?”  

“N-No, I simply came with an escort.”  

“Why? Afraid I’d order my men to strike you down?”  

“…….”  

Rio couldn’t say anything. No matter how he looked at it, that was exactly what it seemed like.  

The observers who had arrived with Baron Magrel likely had a good idea of what was about to unfold. The baron had surely won them over beforehand.  

Baron Magrel took his seat and raised his hand.  

“Either way, the duel must proceed. Regardless of the outcome.”  

At his words, one of his knights stepped forward.  

There was no way this knight was stronger than Bendoc, the strongest knight in the barony. Defeating Julien wouldn’t be easy for him.  

But Baron Magrel intended to proceed with the duel anyway. If, by some chance, his knight won, it would make things far easier for him.  

“That mercenary, Julien or whatever step forward.”  

Julien, looking tense, began to step forward, but Ghislain placed a hand on his shoulder.  

“Sit this one out.”  

“Huh? You’re going to fight instead?”  

Julien’s face lit up. He still wasn’t used to stepping into such high-stakes situations.  

Ghislain shook his head.  

“You already defeated the strongest knight in this territory. Why bother crossing swords with someone below him? It would be beneath you. Someone else will go this time.”  

“Who?”  

Ghislain turned toward Kyle.  

“Kyle, you go.”  

“…Me?”  

“Yeah. It wouldn’t look good if the captain personally dealt with a rookie.”  

“Tch. For crying out loud… I’m stronger than Julien, you know?”  

Kyle grumbled as he drew his sword and stepped forward.  

“Julien may be my rival, but he’s weaker than me.”  

“Sure.”  

“I only gave up the captain’s position because you told me to. If we went by pure skill, that spot would be mine.”  

“Yeah.”  

“I’m stronger than him.”  

“I got it.”  

“Ugh, this is so annoying!”  

Kyle muttered in frustration as he strode forward.  

In truth, Kyle and Julien frequently sparred, and there was no clear winner between them. So, Kyle’s words weren’t entirely wrong.

A sparrow-sized Dark was perched on Kyle’s shoulder. Ghislain smirked at the sight.

“You two have become quite the pair after spending a few days together.”

Surprisingly, Dark and Kyle seemed to get along well, and Dark was always by Kyle’s side.

In other words, Kyle was starting to pick up bad habits, but Ghislain let it be. As long as Julien and Deneb grew up to be upright and proper, that was enough.

As Kyle stepped forward, the opposing knight frowned in displeasure.

“Are you mocking me? Why isn’t your captain coming out?”

He had been present when Julien fought Bendoc, so he had come prepared for a serious match.

He was fully clad in plate armor, even carrying a shield. His plan was to fight cautiously and prove his skills.

But now, instead of the captain, a mere young mercenary had stepped forward, which offended him.

Kyle pointed his sword at him with a grin.

“Don’t worry, I’m stronger. Just stick your neck out.”

Kyle’s greatest strength was his carefree and optimistic personality.

Of course, that didn’t mean he wasn’t nervous. However, unlike Julien, he didn’t feel an overwhelming sense of responsibility or pressure.

‘If it looks like I’m going to lose, I’ll just run away.’

Ghislain would handle the rest. That was as far as Kyle’s thoughts went.

“You little…!”

Clank!

The knight scowled and lowered the visor on his helmet. He intended to push his opponent relentlessly without giving him even the slightest opening.

Both men lunged at each other at the same time. The knight swung his sword first.

Clang!

Kyle blocked the attack and quickly maneuvered to strike at the knight’s side. But the knight shifted his shield, deflecting the blow.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Once their blades clashed, the fight grew intense. The constant sound of swords and shields colliding echoed without end.

The knight’s movements were a bit slow – unsurprising, given that he was heavily armored and wielding a shield. His skills weren’t refined enough to fully compensate for that weakness.

On the other hand, Kyle, clad in light leather armor, moved swiftly. His sword had already landed several hits on the knight’s armor.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Dents and small tears started appearing across the knight’s armor.

However, Kyle’s strength was still somewhat lacking. Since he couldn’t channel enough mana into his sword to cut through the armor in a single strike, the knight remained largely unscathed.

“Tch.”

Kyle bit his lip. This was different from fighting bandits. A fully armored knight was no easy opponent.

If he had time to gather his strength, he could slice through steel in one stroke. But in a fast-paced fight like this, it was difficult to unleash his full power in a single moment.

Moreover, his opponent also knew how to use mana. Each time Kyle’s attack landed, the knight would belatedly reinforce the struck area with mana, preventing serious damage.

Because of that, he couldn’t deal any proper damage.

Clang! Clang!

The knight kept his shield forward, diligently blocking Kyle’s attacks. Whenever he spotted an opening, he launched powerful strikes in return.

But Kyle swiftly dodged each one, always searching for a chance to counterattack.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Even though Kyle’s attacks had landed far more often, the knight still hadn’t fallen. He had focused entirely on defense, fighting with extreme caution.

Their battle dragged on for quite a while. From an outsider’s perspective, they seemed evenly matched.

Even Baron Magrel leaned forward slightly, excitement flickering in his eyes.

“I thought he was just a throwaway piece, but he’s doing pretty well.”

The strongest knight in the barony, Bendoc, was dead. No matter who he sent out, he had assumed they wouldn’t stand a chance.

Yet, the other side had sent out an unexpected opponent. And thanks to that, his knight was putting up a better fight than expected.

He had initially sent his knight out expecting a loss, but now, he couldn’t help but feel hopeful.

“Winning the duel would make things much simpler.”

If his knight won, he could kill everyone here on the spot, and no one would be able to argue. That had been the nature of the wager from the start.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

As the fight lasted longer than expected, Kyle changed his strategy. He began feinting attacks and stepping back repeatedly.

Each time, the knight wasted mana in response.

After several repetitions of this pattern, the knight grew increasingly exhausted. His heavy shield and armor were draining his stamina.

Meanwhile, Kyle remained as nimble as ever, patiently waiting for the right moment.

Even if the knight could use mana, there was no way a mere knight from a small barony possessed an unlimited supply. As time passed, his movements became noticeably slower.

Kyle watched him carefully and murmured under his breath.

“Dark, you ready?”

“Of course, bro.”

Even in the heat of battle, Dark clung tightly to Kyle’s shoulder. At Kyle’s signal, Dark nodded with a determined expression.

Clang!

Their swords and shields clashed again. Kyle stepped back, dodging the knight’s counterattack.

As he moved in again, the knight thrust his shield forward. But by now, his movements were sluggish, and his shield wavered.

Kyle charged in at full speed and struck down hard on the knight’s shield.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The force of the attack sent the knight stumbling backward. His stance faltered slightly, but he gritted his teeth and swung his sword again.

At that moment, Kyle leapt back and shouted.

“Now!”

Flap!

Dark instantly took flight, latching onto the knight’s helmet.

“Argh! What the hell?!”

The knight cried out as his vision was suddenly blocked. He shook his head frantically, but Dark clung on tight, refusing to let go.

Blinded, the knight wildly swung his sword, trying to keep Kyle at bay. But if he wanted to get Dark off, he would have no choice but to abandon his shield.

Thud!

The knight, having discarded his shield, barely managed to grab hold of Dark with his free hand.

Dark, now trapped in the knight’s grip, cried out dramatically.

“Never forget my sacrifice!”

Splat!

“Squawk!”

Dark exploded on the spot, disappearing without a trace.

And Kyle didn’t miss that moment.

As the knight finally regained his vision, the first thing he saw was Kyle, grinning savagely as he swung his sword.

Clang!

“Urgh!”

Kyle’s blade struck deep into the side of the knight’s helmet. Thanks to the knight hastily reinforcing it with mana, the helmet didn’t split apart completely.

However, the sheer impact left him staggering. He desperately tried to lift his sword, but Kyle was faster.

Clang!

A flash of white exploded in the knight’s vision as Kyle struck the exact same spot again. He could feel the cold steel pressing against his skull.

“N-No…”

One more hit, and his helmet would shatter, driving the blade straight into his head. Despite his imbalance, the knight swung his sword wildly.

But such reckless attacks weren’t going to land.

Kyle’s blade struck the same spot once more.

Crunch!

His sword, now fully imbued with mana, finally cut through the helmet and buried itself into the knight’s skull.

“Guuh…”

With a short groan, the knight’s eyes rolled back, and he collapsed.

Thud!

Kyle ran a hand through his hair as he looked down at the corpse.

“I’m stronger than Julien.”

“…….”

Ghislain stared at him with cold, unreadable eyes.

“Wow… this guy…”

He had expected Kyle to win.

The swordsmanship and mana refinement technique Kyle had learned were far superior to those of ordinary knights, and his natural talent was also on another level.

On top of that, Ghislain had personally tailored Kyle’s training. Even against a heavily armored knight, Kyle losing would have been more surprising.

But to think he had used Dark to pull off such a trick… He certainly had better improvisational skills than Julien.

“Whoa…”

“Kyle won…”

Julien and Deneb clenched their fists and let out small cheers. Regardless of how he won, Kyle’s victory was something to celebrate.

However, the others simply stood in place, sweating nervously.

They were glad their side had won, too.

But the atmosphere wasn’t one where they could openly express it.

A heavy silence blanketed the surroundings. No one spoke a word.

Step. Step. Step.

Ghislain slowly walked forward before shouting loudly.

“As promised! We have won the duel! This land now belongs to House Larks! In place of the bedridden head of the family, Rio Larks will inherit the title and rule this territory! If anyone objects, step forward now!”

At Ghislain’s bold declaration, the soldiers surrounding them grew increasingly hostile.  

Rio and the merchant escorts could do nothing but tremble in fear.  

Unable to bear it any longer, Rio grabbed Ghislain and spoke urgently.  

“L-Let’s just void the duel’s conditions and ask them to let us leave safely!”  

Ghislain smirked at his desperation and replied with an unexpected remark.  

“I told you before, you’re not cut out to be a merchant, didn’t I?”  

“Y-Yes…”  

“But judging by your temperament, you might just make a fine lord.”  

“W-What are you talking about…?”  

“Knowing when to take what’s given to you is a skill too. Just leave the rest to me.”  

Shaking off Rio’s grip, Ghislain stepped forward and shouted once more.  

“I take it no one has any objections! All troops, disarm and obey the commands of your new lord!”  

Naturally, the soldiers and knights remained motionless. There was no way they would accept that a mere duel had determined the new ruler of their land.  

Baron Magrel slowly opened his mouth.  

“What fearless fools you are.”  

Rising from his seat, he pointed a finger at Ghislain.  

“It seems clear that you orchestrated this entire scheme. Am I wrong?”  

“What does it matter who planned it? Baron, you should start packing your things and prepare to leave as agreed. And as for the witnesses, I trust you’ll spread the word that this duel was conducted fairly.”  

Baron Magrel was no longer the ruler of this land. The legitimacy of the claim now lay with Ghislain.  

However, the observing nobles merely looked toward Baron Magrel. They had already been prepared to provide false testimonies in his favor.  

After all, that was why they had come in the first place.  

Baron Magrel let out a few chuckles, his shoulders shaking, before speaking.  

“Well, for now, the legitimacy is on your side. Legitimacy is important, it can start wars and earn the support of the people. But do you know what’s even more important?”  

“And what would that be?”  

“Power. Overwhelming power can crush legitimacy underfoot. Especially in a situation like this, where no external forces are interfering.”  

Baron Magrel clenched his fist as he spoke, but Ghislain simply chuckled.  

Seeing that, Baron Magrel’s expression twisted even further.  

“You dare laugh? No one here will save you. That means even if you all die, the truth will be buried here forever.”  

The moment he finished speaking, Baron Magrel raised his hand.  

Clank. Clank. Clank.  

At the signal, the armed soldiers began to move slowly.  

Legitimacy no longer mattered, this was a declaration that they would simply wipe out everyone here with brute force.  

Rio and the merchant escorts huddled together in terror.  

Julien, Deneb, and Kyle also took up battle stances.  

The three of them stared at Ghislain intently, convinced that he had some sort of plan.  

As the soldiers advanced, Ghislain finally spoke.  

“There’s an apprentice priest from the Deana Order here. Are you really planning to kill a priest as well?”  

“Who would care about a disgraced apprentice priest who was cast out of the temple and now follows mercenaries?”  

At the very least, the nobles seemed to be somewhat aware of the political implications.  

Ghislain smirked and began slowly twirling his staff with one hand. Then, in a chilling voice, he spoke.  

“Baron Magrel.”  

“……”  

“You just threw away your last chance.”  

“What?”  

“You think power is more important than legitimacy? It seems you’ve misunderstood something…”  

Ghislain lowered his stance and extended his staff forward.  

The mana stored in his core began to surge, moving according to his Mana Refinement Technique.  

A 5th-Circle Mage held an enormous amount of mana.  

Though raw mana was weaker and less efficient than refined mana, with this much quantity, it could still serve as a sufficient replacement.  

Moreover, Ghislain’s experience and techniques had already surpassed the realm of mere mortals.  

Against a force of this size, he had more than enough mana to handle them.

Fwoooosh!  

A vivid blue aura of mana surged around Ghislain’s staff.  

A fierce grin spread across his face.  

“I like using brute force too.”  

Boom!  

The moment he finished speaking, his body shot forward like a bolt of lightning.