Chapter 212

Chapter 213. Omniscient Maknun’s Perspective (3)

The 4th Division of the Lunar Knight Order was originally supposed to be disbanded. After all, they had supported Elder Leganon, who had walked the path of betrayal.

Even if Elder Leganon had been forgiven and pardoned, knights who violated the knight’s code were usually dishonorably discharged or lost their lives.

But it wasn’t Elder Leganon who would oversee this, nor did Lord Basil wish for it.

Although betraying the lord was a grave sin—

“At that time, I believed it was the best choice for Sephira, so I have no regrets. I will gladly accept the punishment for my wrong decision. However, please do not expel us. Give us a chance to dedicate ourselves to Sephira.”

The Lunar Knights admitted that their choice had been wrong. They said they would gladly accept the punishment. They expressed that it was not betrayal but a misjudgment.

That was the truth.

But betrayal is still betrayal. If a knight who betrayed the lord is not reprimanded, the discipline of the house would collapse.

Thus, the 4th Division of the Lunar Knight Order was disbanded as per procedure, and their knightly status was revoked. However, instead of expelling them, they were given other positions.

Chief Supervisor of City Wall Repairs.

Commander of the Territory Border Outpost.

Assistant Supervisor of the Holy Knight Order.

They were now tasked with menial or dangerous jobs that were usually done by lower-ranking individuals.

Among them, Gant, who had been the squad leader, became the head of the Heavenly Archery Training Center, a facility that teaches the basics of archery.

Overnight, they had fallen from being the strongest knight order of the House of Sephira to being instructors for rookies, and their salaries were halved. But they had no complaints.

“Just being given the opportunity to work at a facility where we can train new archers is something to be grateful for.”

Although it had become a daily routine to yell in frustration at the low level of the trainees, Gant was still grateful and happy.

“What? That bastard Keter… no, the young master has become the Southern Palace?!”

That was until he heard the news that Keter had returned.

*Crack, crack!*

Objectively speaking, Keter was Gant’s benefactor. He knew that in his head. But when he heard that Keter was doing well, his teeth ground on their own.

“He’s rising fast! Well, it’s only natural since he’s so talented. Damn it!”

While he was angry at Keter, the feeling of gratitude for being the one who revived Sephira clashed, creating a strange emotion.

Gant felt like he was becoming a madman.

“Hey, you idiot! Aren’t you putting any strength into your fingers? If the aim shakes even as much as an ant’s asshole, there’ll be a head-sized error at a 100-meter target! How many times do I have to explain this?!”

Gant was unnecessarily taking out his anger on the trainees at the Heavenly Archery Training Center, but his advice wasn’t wrong.

As Gant was meticulously correcting the trainees’ postures, he suddenly felt a strange presence behind him and turned around. Outside the window, he saw a boy loitering at the entrance.

‘Who’s that kid?’

He had never seen the boy before.

Of course, it was impossible to know everyone in Sephira’s territory, where thousands lived, but there was still a certain feeling.

‘Why is an outsider wandering around here?’

Gant gestured to the trainees.

“Start 100 archery movements. Instructors, teach those who are doing it poorly.”

“Yes!”

Gant stepped outside and carefully observed the blond boy. He was sure he had never seen him before, but there was a strange sense of déjà vu.

‘He has a similar vibe to Prince Keter.’

Although their appearances were clearly different, there was a certain ease, or perhaps a certain annoyingness.

Gant sensed Keter’s vibe from the blond boy, Daat, and felt displeased. So he immediately shouted at him.

“What are you doing here, kid? I’ve never seen you before. Why are you loitering around? You look suspicious.”

* * *

You see what you know.

That’s why Daat, who saw Gant, had already figured everything out.

Flaring nostrils.

Bulging veins on the neck.

Clenched teeth and reckless shouting.

‘He’s angry. Why is he angry? I’m seeing Gant for the first time, and Gant is seeing me for the first time. Is he just a sensitive person?’

There are different types of anger. The anger that flares up when things don’t go well is different from the anger felt when facing a parent’s enemy.

‘He’s scanning my whole body. He really dislikes someone who resembles me. But since he’s looking at my whole body, it’s not just a superficial resemblance. It’s the vibe.’

Then, who in Sephira has a similar vibe to me?

Of course, I don’t know. How would I know who’s in Sephira?

But look. In Sephira, there’s only one person who has a similar vibe to me, right?

‘It’s my brother.’

The servant next to me had already mentioned that Keter and Gant didn’t get along, so the answer was clear.

-Gant was reminded of Keter by Daat, and since the grudge hadn’t been settled, he was angry.

It didn’t even take a blink of an eye to deduce all these facts.

“Nice to meet you. My name is Daat. I’m an advisor invited to Sephira by Brother Keter.”

“……!”

If I introduced myself as a younger brother or a colleague to everyone I met, it would look bad, so I decided to use the title ‘advisor’ that I had mentioned to Hisop.

Gant’s eyes changed. His hostility became more apparent. As I expected, this guy still hates my brother.

But he’s holding back.

‘How ridiculous. Who do you think you are to hold back?’

My brother probably forgot. That he needs to deal with this Gant guy. It’s rare, but it happened in Ruquer too. He forgot to deal with someone because they were too insignificant.

Well, maybe it’s because they’re both knights of the same house……

‘There’s no sign of him being beaten. He definitely just forgot.’

Judging by his attire, he doesn’t look poor, so his wealth is intact.

“An advisor personally invited by Prince Keter… What business do you have at the sacred Heavenly Archery Training Center?”

Gant crossed his arms and spoke. His attitude clearly showed that he had no intention of cooperating.

“To advise Sephira, I need to know about archery, but I know nothing about it. I heard this is the place to learn the basics, so I stopped by. I want to learn for a bit.”

*Crack!*

Gant, who had clenched his teeth, spat out his words.

“Learn for a bit…? Archery?”

“Yes. Well, about 10 minutes?”

“10 minutes!”

Gant grabbed the back of his neck and staggered. My words must have sounded like a joke, as his face turned red.

“Whether you’re an advisor invited by Keter or not… I have nothing to teach someone who doesn’t respect archery. Get lost, kid!”

“Are your eyes just for decoration? Where do I look like a kid?”

I’ve grown taller after taking the elixir. A whole 3 centimeters! I’m not a kid anymore!

But Gant scoffed and waved his hand dismissively.

“If you handle a bow with hands that haven’t even developed calluses, you’ll bleed. Aren’t you scared?”

“Seems like your eyes are just decorations.”

*Whoosh!*

I channeled aura into my hand. Whether he understood what this meant, Gant’s eyes changed.

“So you’re an aura user. Tch! Well, at least you won’t get hurt. But it’s obvious you’ll break the bow if you can’t control your strength.”

“Why is your tongue so long? Is it because you’re outdated?”

“Out, outdated?!”

“Let’s make a clean bet. Whether I can learn archery in 10 minutes or not. The loser admits defeat in front of everyone and takes a slap on the forehead. How about it?”

“Grrr, as a knight, I can’t do such thuggish things……”

“If you’re scared, just say so. Can’t handle the stakes.”

I turned around and walked away without waiting for his response.

Huh, he’s not stopping me?

He’s really holding back?

“You brat! Stop right there!”

As expected, my judgment wasn’t wrong. He didn’t look like someone with much patience.

Moreover, you must be confident too. After all, bets are only accepted when there’s a high chance of winning.

“Fine, let’s bet. But the subject of the bet is unclear. So let’s do this. Whether you can hit the center of a 100-meter target within 10 minutes or not!”

*Clap!*

I couldn’t help but applaud. I’m not as much of a gambler as my brother, but I do enjoy a good bet.

“But you have to seriously teach me about archery, okay? I genuinely want to learn.”

“I swear to teach you without discrimination. But only for 10 minutes. I won’t give you a second more, so you better not make any excuses.”

“I swear on my mother and father, I won’t make any excuses. Can we start now?”

“Heh heh heh, follow me.”

Ah, this is fun.

That confident expression. Gant’s face, utterly convinced of his victory. I can’t wait to see how it’ll twist.

But since he’s a knight, will he gracefully accept defeat? Or will he stubbornly claim it’s a trick?

Brother Keter finds joy in the act of winning itself, but I’m a bit different.

‘The moment a human faces defeat. The moment they fall into despair. That’s the most fun.’

There’s nothing as fulfilling as finding joy in your work.

* * *

Heavenly Archery Training Center.

50 trainees were repeatedly practicing archery stances without arrows. When Gant, the head instructor, returned with Daat, they stopped out of curiosity.

“Stop the movements! Line up against the walls, now!”

“Yes, sir!”

The trainees lined up against the walls, not just because of the strict command, but because they sensed something interesting was about to happen.

“Gant. Who’s that?”

At that moment, someone who was clearly not a trainee approached Gant and Daat.

“Lord Merak. That’s……”

“I’m Daat. And who might you be? You don’t seem like someone who belongs here.”

“Daat? I like that name. People call me ‘Merak of the Big Dipper,’ but I’d prefer if you called me ‘Dudu.’”

The man called Merak was unique, impossible to miss.

His pineapple-like hair caught the eye, and his cavernous voice was unforgettable.

Moreover, the aura of a strong individual, even if not openly displayed, kept Daat’s eyes busy.

‘At least a master level…. I can’t tell where he’s looking. Are people like this common in the outside world?’

Sometimes, there are cases where someone is so talented that they feel the extraordinariness of others and become disheartened. But in Ruquer, there are at least hundreds of people like Dudu.

It was just surprising to meet someone in the outside world who seemed like they belonged in Ruquer, but it wasn’t overwhelming.

“Mr. Dudu. What are you doing here?”

“Hey! Don’t address Lord Merak so casually!”

Gant tried to stop Daat, but Dudu didn’t mind and spoke.

“Dudu sometimes watches the trainees here. When someone who knows nothing about archery starts learning, you can glimpse the most potential in that fleeting moment.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to take on disciples then?”

“Dudu finds this way more comfortable.”

“I see. Then maybe I can be of help to you, Dudu. I came here to learn archery, after all.”

Daat gestured to Gant to start.

“Hmph! Let’s see how long that confidence lasts.”

Gant brought a bow and arrows used by the trainees and handed them to Daat.

“Are you left-handed or right-handed?”

“A genius is ambidextrous.”

“…Stand here. That’s the target you need to hit, straight ahead.”

“I can tell I shouldn’t cross the line with my feet, but can my arms go over?”

“They can. First, let me show you how to hold the bow. Don’t say later that you didn’t see it properly.”

Gant stood next to Daat and grabbed the bow’s body.

“Keep your eyes aligned with the center of the bow where the arrow is nocked. When holding the bow, don’t grip it like a fist, extend your thumb forward.”

The explanation was simple, but actually doing it wasn’t easy.

The bow was heavier than it looked, and aligning the eyes with the center of the bow was difficult without experience.

But Daat replicated Gant’s instructions perfectly in one go.

“Is this the standard way to hold a bow? It feels a bit uncomfortable.”

“…There are more ways to hold a bow than a sword. The stance I just showed you is the most stable and accurate.”

“Hmm. Well, moving on. What about foot placement?”

“I’ll teach you, so stop rushing.”

Gant felt a bit uneasy. A beginner should never be able to replicate the bow-holding stance after just one demonstration.

‘Is it true that he’s never held a bow before?’

Daat’s bow-holding stance was perfect, to the point of raising such doubts.

However, in other aspects, Daat truly was holding a bow for the first time today. He kept fidgeting, clearly uncomfortable. That kind of movement couldn’t be faked.

“Spread your feet shoulder-width apart. Step forward with the foot on the same side as the hand holding the bow, and twist the back foot slightly outward.”

“Don’t just talk, show me the movement.”

Gant, who had been subtly testing Daat, coughed and demonstrated—

“Ah, like this?”

*Snap!*

Daat glanced briefly and immediately replicated the stance.

*Twitch.*

The corner of Gant’s eye twitched.

‘A perfect stance. It’s as if he’s been practicing this for decades.’

The trainees here have been learning archery stances for three months. Building the foundation of archery is extremely difficult and grueling.

Yet Daat, after just seeing the movement once, replicated it perfectly.

‘Even for a genius, is this possible?’

Gant wanted to believe it wasn’t, but he could feel the heat of tension rising in his body.

‘Having a good stance doesn’t mean you can shoot well. Even the most talented geniuses can’t easily master archery.’

Gant, who took pride in archery, steadied his mind and moved on to the next stance.

“Now, nock the arrow. Like this.”

Gant deliberately nocked the arrow quickly without explanation.

In truth, nocking an arrow involves a highly complex theory. While one can mimic it roughly, nocking an arrow carelessly will result in either a misfire or the arrow simply hitting the ground.

Even watching from the side, let alone five steps away and only seeing the profile, it’s impossible to replicate perfectly.

“So the small groove on the body is for fixing the arrow?”

“……!”

“And what’s next? You’re not stalling for time, are you?”

“Who’s stalling…. Hold the bowstring between your index and middle fingers, and use your thumb to support the arrow’s fletching.”

“So you pull with your elbow, not your wrist?”

That wasn’t a question. Daat’s bowstring was already smoothly drawn.

*Twang!*

As soon as he fully drew, Daat released the bowstring. But as expected, the arrow didn’t shoot and just fell to the ground.

Daat picked up the arrow and smacked his own head.

“So the timing of releasing is important too? This is hard. Instructor Gant? Can you show me how to shoot?”

“…….”

“No? Then Mr. Dudu. Can you show me?”

“Wait. I’ll do it.”

Gant had shot arrows tens of thousands of times. What’s so hard about shooting an arrow?

But this time, his fingertips trembled slightly. It was anxiety. And usually, such anxieties are justified.

Daat, who had learned all the movements from Gant, replicated them exactly—

*Thud!*

Without needing a second or third attempt, Daat hit the center of the 100-meter target on his first try.

“This is fun.”

*Thud!*

Another arrow hit the center of the target.

“This time, let’s change the stance, pushing the knee forward. Oh, this is less stable but easier to move.”

Having just learned the basics, Daat changed stances and still didn’t miss the target.

“…….”

“…….”

The trainees watching this were beyond surprised; they were dumbfounded.

“Are you sure you just picked up a bow today?”

“Did the instructor hire him to motivate us?”

“More like to demoralize us.”

“He’s shooting better than the instructor…. Is it just me?”

Meanwhile, Gant’s face was trembling. His mouth itched. He wanted to shout immediately.

‘You brat! You lied about shooting an arrow for the first time!’

But he knew better.

Daat truly was a beginner who had just picked up a bow today. Just looking at his hands proved it. They weren’t the hands of someone who had handled a bow before.

Moreover, he had seen Daat’s clumsiness just five minutes ago.

‘But how can he absorb the basics of archery in just one try?’

‘Knowing’ and ‘being skilled’ are clearly different. Even the most talented geniuses need time to get accustomed to archery, even if they understand it.

But Daat achieved both understanding and skill simultaneously.

“What kind of genius is that? He’s a monster.”

Gant’s inner thoughts slipped out unintentionally. Daat, seeing Gant’s dumbfounded expression, shook his hand.

“I’ve learned archery well. Since I’ve obviously won the bet, you have to keep your promise, right?”

“I admit… Ugh. …defeat. I