Chapter 120: Reuniting with Adrang
“… Yes. You may enter.”
In front of the Shrine of the Martial God. After a staring contest with the guard, I finally received permission to enter.
I wanted to boast to yesterday’s guard about the rank I had earned, but as expected, the guard was a different person from yesterday.
Thanks to that, I entered the Shrine of the Martial God with a somewhat deflated feeling.
“The security at the center of the nation is quite lax. Is this country alright?”
Seseona muttered as she passed through the gate. I shrugged and immediately retorted.
“So what if the security is a bit lax. The residents here are the duty enforcers.”
“Duty enforcers…? What are those?”
“The scariest people in this country.”
“Oh, that makes sense!”
Seseona nodded in understanding, and as soon as we entered the interior of the Shrine of the Martial God, she was the first to exclaim.
“Wow, it’s like another city within the city!”
Seseona’s comment was exactly what I felt as well.
Even from a distance, the towering tiled-roof tower stood firm at the center, surrounded by impressive mansions that looked more like townhouses. The streets were immaculately maintained.
Looking at the buildings that blended Western and Eastern styles so skillfully, I replied to Seseona.
“The Shrine of the Martial God itself is apparently the home village of the Cavaliers. Most likely, these mansions standing here are all the personal homes of the Cavaliers.”
“Wow, really? What about that oddly shaped building in the center?”
Seseona’s finger pointed toward the towering tiled building. I recounted everything I had learned from Hick and Zenon.
“The Tower of the Giants. It’s where the Cavaliers hold national conferences. The quad-national summit conferences are also held there.”
Not only Seseona, but Seop Baek also glanced at the massive tower with renewed interest.
Seseona said, “Mr. Jung Yong is so knowledgeable!” which boosted my pride by three feet. Thanks to my usual information-gathering habits, I managed to save some face.
‘… But this isn’t the time for that.’
We started searching for the name of Adrang as we made our way past the palace-like mansions one by one.
The entrances of the houses had large nameplates of their owners, so it didn’t seem like it would be hard to find.
[The Knight of the Water Sparrow – Akors]
[The Knight of the Silver Moon – Gidna Pol / The Knight of Gold – Eos Pol]
[The Knight of the Sword Forest – Gatreck Ronan]
Most nameplates had the format of ‘Knight of something’ alongside a name.
What standard determined these nicknames? Disposition? Or appearance? As I skimmed over dozens of nameplates, a fleeting curiosity arose.
[The Nameless Knight ― Portia]
Some nameplates lacked a nickname. Or perhaps ‘Nameless Knight’ itself was a nickname? Since it wasn’t of particular interest, I simply passed over it.
Finally, after walking quite deep in, I stopped.
[The Knight of Adrang – Bershults]
“So, ‘Adrang’ is indeed a nickname.”
Seop Baek muttered as she read the sign. I nodded in agreement.
Well, unless someone names their child ‘Red Wolf’ for some reason, it doesn’t make sense. Laughing quietly, I began ringing the small bell hanging prominently next to the gate.
“Is anyone home? I’ve come to deliver good tidings.”
Ding dong. The pure sound of the doorbell echoed. I stared at the gate, waiting for a moment.
At that moment, the Demon King shuffled behind me and spoke up.
“I’ve been curious for a while, hero. What exactly does ‘come to deliver good tidings’ mean?”
“It’s the official line for shady types in the world I come from.”
“Eugh….”
Luci looked at me as if she’d seen all sorts of strange fellows. I ignored her cleanly and waited for a response to the doorbell.
Soon after, the door opened, and a young girl appeared, bowing her head slightly.
“Hello. What brings you to the residence of the Knight of Adrang?”
She was dressed in an elegant silk dress, her white hair tied up with a hairpin, which was quite memorable.
Her sharp eyes were silvery, standing at a moderate height with a sturdy build. Judging by her appearance, she seemed to be roughly the same age as Luci. It made me think, “If Adrang ever had a crush, this is what might result.”
I stared at her silently for a moment before slightly nodding my head in greeting and stating my business.
“I’ve come to meet Adrang. Is he home?”
“Father is currently training in the main dojo. Shall I inform him?”
Father, you say. Her distinct sharp aura and resemblance made it clear she was his daughter.
I immediately nodded vigorously.
“Yes. Please do so swiftly.”
“Who shall I say has arrived?”
“The Crow of Kern’s Atrocities and the breaker of all seals has arrived.”
“… Eh, eh? Yes, yes….”
The daughter of Adrang repeated the exclamation in shock, her face frozen, before retreating inside somewhat dazed.
Someone poked my shoulder, laughing quietly. It was Seop Baek.
“Mr. Jung Yong, was it necessary to say that and take away points unnecessarily…?”
“I apologize. I wanted to show some spirit and draw some attention.”
“Ah… I see.”
Seop Baek began looking at me with the same expression Luci had earlier. Of course, I didn’t care. No future, no problem. Yes to being a macho man.
Soon, the door creaked open again, and the girl appeared once more.
“Ah, Father requests that you come inside immediately.”
The girl’s face clearly showed great surprise.
She was probably astonished that such a wild individual was really an acquaintance of her father.
“Yes. If you please.”
The moment her permission was given, I stepped inside the gate. My group cautiously followed me inside.
Perhaps because of my overly confident demeanor, Adrang’s daughter, who had been glancing at me suspiciously, quickly snapped out of it and began walking ahead as our guide.
“I’ll take you to where Father is.”
We crossed through an expansive garden and were led to a secluded part of the mansion grounds.
In a secluded corner of the grounds stood the training hall, from which heavy impacts and deep vibrations occasionally resounded.
The tremors were powerful enough to reach even the entrance, indicating that it was likely Adrang himself making that noise.
“Please proceed.”
Adrang’s daughter opened the entrance to the training hall and stood quietly to the side. After giving a polite nod of thanks, I stepped inside.
As soon as I entered, a wave of heat struck my skin, and the figure of the man standing at the center of the heat expanded in my sight.
“… I’ve come to break your dojo, honored Adrang.”
“Hmm. It’s been a week, hasn’t it?”
Stripped to the waist, proudly showcasing a sturdy muscular body, Adrang stood there.
Around him, steel dolls were scattered, crumpled like corn cobs. Each doll had a common feature: their abdomens were pierced by massive stakes.
The marks left by the impact of Adrang’s gauntlet’s power anchors—having experienced that force myself, the fallen dolls didn’t seem like a mere bystander anymore.
“…”
Just like when we parted in Kern, he naturally raised a fist and extended it toward me. I smiled slightly, mimicking punching it.
Then, a twisted smirk appeared on Adrang’s lips. It was a grin brimming with a burning competitive spirit.
“Then, let’s see you try breaking my dojo.”
“Huh?”
“I mean, show me your skills.”
“Ah, no, I didn’t mean it literally….”
I took a step back at Adrang’s sudden statement, laughing awkwardly as I tried to quickly make excuses after the fact.
Then, almost immediately, he swung his Vestark sword horizontally.
“You’re not bad with your instincts.”
Clang!
An incredible crash resounded, one that seemed too powerful to be just a clash of sword and gauntlet. The shockwave from the explosion rippled outward.
Adrang had closed the distance up front and thrust his fist at me. Wild animosity gleamed in his eyes, penetrating my skin.
I swallowed hard.
“Give it your all and come at me. The way you’re treated here will depend on this training match.”
“… If that’s the case, I’ll show no restraint!”
Clang! Parrying his attack with a deflected slash, I swiftly retreated. Leaping off the ground in a surprise attack, my form intersected with Adrang.
Kiiing!
The second thunderous sound marked the beginning of our earnest duel.
*
“Hahahaha! What’s the matter? Come at me like you did before!”
“Kuh…!”
I charged toward Adrang once more, encouraged by his bold cry.
Clang! Clang! Forms crossed. Five exchanges in the blink of an eye were over. Seeing the light grazing of my shoulder, I bit my lip, and Adrang, noticing the stream of blood on his stomach, twisted his lips even more.
“Long time no see! That last strike was sharp!”
Boom! He charged toward me like a frenzied beast again. The attacks were reckless as if half his senses were gone, not giving me even a moment to reset.
I ended up clashing with him again, my stance crumbling. Crack! A dull pain spread through my left arm as my body was repelled.
‘The distance control is incredible…!’
This is truly what it means to fight an expert.
Adrang was dodging most of my attacks, adjusting the distance with his light footwork. By a narrow margin of almost a mere sheet of paper, my attacks kept grazing past him, increasing my frustration.
“Kuh!”
In the midst of that, his gauntleted punch flew unpredictably toward my vital points. Blow after blow of powerful attacks came incessantly, leaving no room to brace myself. Every second, every moment, it felt like the River Jordan was swirling before my eyes.
‘If it gets like this…’
It might be a bit underhanded, but there’s no choice. When have I ever not been underhanded?
We train as if it’s a real battle, right? In a real battle, there’s no such thing as dishonorable or not!
‘Ether Warrior, ON!’
I fished around my waist and gulped the ether. Fire, wind, and earth ether enveloped my body, glowing in a myriad of colors.
‘Gear Warrior, ON!’
But that wasn’t all. I transformed my cloak.
Pitch-black crow wings, flapping their feathers, spread wide in two streams.
“Hmm…?”
The change made Adrang exclaim with surprise. I won’t give you time to be amazed—I live by being disgraceful and underhanded, and my forte is deception and surprise attacks.
I hurled Espada from my left hand at Adrang. Thanks to the superhuman stats, Espada rushed toward Adrang’s forehead like a ray of light.
“Hm!”
Clang! Adrang was momentarily surprised but easily deflected it.
The moment his gaze was distracted, I used a high-speed movement. Rushing behind him, I plunged my sword.
But as if Adrang had anticipated it, he avoided and countered with a gauntleted punch aimed at my face.
I bent my waist to dodge it while simultaneously driving the sword I’d thrust in back down again.
‘Seven Sword Pierce!’
Clang! The sword swing was blocked. I had expected that. Anyway, the real deal was the mana sword.
Seven mana swords generated behind his back flew toward Adrang’s vital points. And Adrang, spinning like a windmill right there, swung his fists and feet wildly.
“Where to!”
Clang! Clang! All of them were deflected by Adrang’s fists. The mana swords evaporated without a trace in the air. Simultaneously, the gale-force winds from his spinning gauntlet came flying toward my temple.
I clenched my teeth and blocked it with my sword.
“Kuh!”
My body floated up into the air. Suddenly, Adrang thrust his fist upward, aiming to shatter my waist.
A look of satisfaction appeared on his lips. He had judged that there was no way to escape in mid-air.
‘I’ve got you.’
Sorry, but the wings on my back aren’t just for decoration. Just as his fist was about to hit, I twisted my body and flapped my wings. In an instant, I moved to his side.
The roles were reversed. Now Adrang was the one unable to move in the air.
‘Fatal Thorns.’
Pow Pow Pow! Thirty thorns, all up to their maximum level, flew uniformly toward him. Adrang briefly stared at them in a daze and then let out a smirk.
Thud Thud Thud! It was instantaneous. The thorns pierced through, torn apart, and shattered under his fists. Out of the thirty thorns, only three managed to graze him.
And even those weren’t fatal.
“…!”
We both landed on the ground at the same time and rushed toward each other again.
I chanted ‘Seven Sword Pierce.’ I threw the Vestark toward Adrang’s forehead just like the previous time.
“This won’t work twice!”
Adrang raised his voice, catching the flying sword blade with his gauntlet and then swung it back at me while changing his grip on the hilt. Rrrr! The mana swords being launched by me were swayed by the wind pressure alone. They all deviated and narrowly missed Adrang.
Immediately afterward, I dodged the follow-up kick threateningly flying toward me by sliding. Having regained my stance by pushing off the ground, I stretched my hand toward the sky.
Clankety-clank. The white sword that had been deflected at the initial clash. Espada returned to my hand.
“….”
“….”
It took only a few seconds from the moment the sword that had been deflected in the first exchange came back into my hand. Once the relentless exchange stopped, a brief stand-off ensued.
The gleaming eyes glaring at me nodded with satisfaction, saying ‘um.’
“Your combat proficiency is truly remarkable. The movements of a battle-hardened warrior who has crossed the border of life and death numerous times. To be able to engage in such strategic battles at your age is indeed worthy of Johan’s attention.”
“… Honored Adrang surpasses me by far, though.”
Adrang used a move that said ‘you hit pretty hard.’ Since the other side started, I gave it a try too. Feeling awkward with the praise, Adrang chuckled and soon turned his gaze toward the entrance.
There, our party, who had watched the duel with half their souls gone, and Adrang’s daughter stood.
“Carhalas, there are honored guests. Please attend to them properly!”
“Ah… Yes, yes!”
Adrang called his daughter over. She approached me with a somewhat dazed face, before starting to guide us toward the main house.
“… Hm?”
For a moment, I felt someone’s gaze and turned my head sharply.
Adrang’s daughter had been staring at me blankly until we made eye contact, and then I noticed her quickly turning her head away.
‘What is it? Has she fallen for me?’
I tilted my head slightly, deciding that it’s probably because she’s smitten with me.
If I were her, and some mouthy kid fought this well, I’d definitely fall for his hidden charms.
Only then did I realize that the sudden duel had truly ended and let out a sigh of relief.
‘… Honored guest, huh.’
Looks like I received a decent evaluation.
I clenched my fist quietly so that Adrang couldn’t see.
