Hestia stomped the ground fiercely. Thanks to her agility and muscle efficiency, which are traits of the Cat-Folk, she closed the distance much faster than the blond knight Michael anticipated.
The sword in her hand was just an ordinary sword that Hestia used. The Moonlight Kiseteria was carefully tucked away in her Spatial Pocket. Practicing while wielding such a legendary sword wouldn’t help her training.
Clang!!
The sound of two swords clashing echoed. The harsh ringing of steel. And the ongoing exchange of blows.
Swoosh!
Michael deftly deflected Hestia’s fierce attacks by leaning back, avoiding her strikes.
“You’re not fully utilizing that superior physical ability of yours. Use your leg muscles more efficiently.”
Michael pointed out each flaw he noticed. Hestia quickly corrected each one he mentioned.
With a blank expression, Michael was endlessly impressed as he parried the crimson-haired Cat-Folk swordsman’s strikes.
Even a genius couldn’t fix their shortcomings at such a rapid pace.
‘Is this really the swordsman chosen by him?’
The God of War, Yuma.
It was clear he was a talent worthy of being one of his subordinates.
“Try using sword energy.”
“Okay!”
At Michael’s words, Hestia channeled her sword energy. A red blade of energy flowed along the edge of her sword.
“Come.”
A blue sword energy flickered on Michael’s blade.
Boom! Boom!
The red and blue sword energies clashed in mid-air, their waves spreading widely.
‘The sword energy is strong too.’
While marveling, Michael calmly pressed Hestia.
“Whoa!”
Three streaks of sword light seemed to shoot out simultaneously. As they clashed, their feet got tangled.
Hestia plopped down on the ground.
“Whoa! You’re strong!”
Seeing Hestia exclaim in awe, Michael also spoke up.
“You were strong too.”
Someone extended their right hand toward Hestia, who was sitting on the ground.
“Get up.”
It was Yuma.
“Okay!”
With a bright smile, Hestia grabbed Yuma’s hand and sprang back to her feet.
The blond knight, Michael, watched Yuma lifting Hestia with a keen gaze.
“Lord Yuma.”
Yuma felt an inexplicable strangeness.
He sensed intense competitiveness in Michael’s eyes.
“May I dare ask for a lesson?”
Yuma quietly stared at Michael.
Receiving a technique from a Swordmaster would inevitably lead to a parry. Then, the [Absolute Counter] would have to come out. It was obvious that Michael in front of him would lose his breath.
Yuma decided to tell a little white lie. After all, he was making an effort to avoid cutting Michael’s life short, so it was a kind-hearted deception.
To avoid it, it was like a benevolent lie.
“I’ve stood on the battlefield for a long time. It was a very long war.”
First, I set the stage.
As if there was some tremendous backstory. Of course, there was none.
“It was a never-ending struggle. Maybe because I’ve been staining my hands with blood for so long, I can’t clearly understand the reason, but I cannot hold mercy in my hands. Not now. I’ve become pathological about it. So I can’t participate in any sparring.”
Michael swallowed hard.
“…I see. There was a reason you could take out all your enemies in one strike. I’m sorry. I didn’t think about the weight of that sword.”
Michael let his imagination run wild.
He thought Yuma must have faced tremendous challenges. He must have treaded on a battlefield overflowing with blood and the echoes of that blood.
Leaving a self-satisfied Michael behind, Yuma walked toward Cloney, who was discussing magic with the Red Tower Master.
Zzzzzt!
A vivid blue lightning flickered from Cloney’s hand.
The lightning exploded into dozens of strands.
“Your magical power is wonderfully intertwined. It’s an achievement that is hard to believe for a 3rd Circle. Are you starting to see the light of the 4th Circle?”
At Eldrie’s words, Cloney responded quietly.
“Yes.”
It was likely because she still lacked confidence in her own achievements.
“Have confidence. You possess grand talent.”
Cloney smiled brightly at the Grand Mage’s praise.
“Thank you.”
Eldrie bowed his head toward Yuma.
“Greetings, Grand Commander.”
Yuma replied nonchalantly.
“We’re not in the battlefield yet, are we?”
Yuma gazed at Eldrie through the Search Eye.
[Lv.122] Eldrie
Race: Human
Alignment: Good
Class: Mage
Level: 7th Circle
Cloney bowed to Yuma and then refocused on her magic.
Eldrie approached Yuma.
“Cloney’s talent is nothing short of genius. She is expected to achieve the 4th Circle soon. Her growth thereafter will be steep.”
After that, Yuma and Eldrie exchanged a few more words.
Yuma observed Cloney from a distance as she cast lightning magic in one hand and ice magic in the other.
“Yeah, grow up fast.”
Yuma hoped the day when he wouldn’t need to take action would come soon.
*
A day passed, and the sun rose again.
The First Princess of the Astes Empire gazed at Yuma in front of the main gate of the princess’s palace.
He stared ahead at Duke Yuma.
On either side of Yuma stood the mage Cloney and the Cat-Folk swordswoman Hestia.
“What a modest departure ceremony.”
Only three support soldiers. Even Swordmaster Michael couldn’t afford to underestimate this meager force.
Princess Brigitte adjusted Yuma’s attire clad in a black coat.
“It matches well with the shoulder insignia.”
On the right shoulder of the pitch-black coat was a shoulder strap adorned with six golden stars, signifying the rank of the battlefield commander.
Brigitte, gazing intently at Yuma with her blue eyes, continued speaking.
“The Empire’s Second Seat, Haigelt, has also responded to our call. He’s currently in the east, so he’ll likely arrive at the front later than you. Haigelt has an independent mercenary group, so he’ll be reinforcing with soldiers from his side. Originally, they didn’t request standard soldiers, but elite troops that could turn the tide of battle.”
In a battlefield where aura blades and meteors clashed, what they needed was not numerical superiority, but a few strong fighters.
Cloney approached Brigitte.
“I’m off now, Your Highness.”
“Alright, take care. Cloney.”
Brigitte gently tousled Cloney’s hair.
There were times she wondered if having Cloney with her would be safer. But after seeing Yuma’s exploits, she was convinced. Even amidst the chaos of war, having Yuma around would be far safer than having Cloney with her.
“I-I’ll see you again! Your Highness!”
Hestia awkwardly attempted politeness, making Brigitte chuckle.
“You speak as if going to battle is like going on a trip. Can I touch your ears?”
Brigitte found Hestia’s perky cat ears quite intriguing.
At Brigitte’s gaze, Hestia flinched her shoulders.
“If you touch them lightly… it’s okay.”
Brigitte cautiously stroked Hestia’s ears. The soft fur felt delightful against her fingertips.
“Oh my, oh my.”
The corners of Brigitte’s mouth twitched.
Hestia trembled slightly, as the persistent ear touching tickled her. While Brigitte wanted to keep teasing Hestia’s ears, she noticed Yuma’s uninterested gaze, as if he scorned their childish behavior, prompting her to halt.
“Hmm, I suppose I should stop bothering you.”
Released from the tickling, Hestia’s ears perked up again.
“Take care, Commander Yuma.”
“Yeah, take care.”
Yuma and Brigitte exchanged glances, filled with mutual trust.
“Let’s go.”
At Yuma’s command, Cloney and Hestia responded vigorously.
“Yes!”
“Okay!”
They would ride the magic train to Arkan and then transfer to a carriage.
“…”
The protector of the southernmost part of the Empire, Marquis Tornel, gazed intently at the unusual sky.
Drip…
Raindrops began to fall one by one from the pitch-black sky.
Is it a downpour?
Through the pouring rain, the flickering torches of the enemy distorted his view. The dying flames of the camps came into focus.
It was the camp from the Barbarian Nation, Pineon.
“Father.”
Tornel turned his head to the right. His eldest son, Merkel, now twenty-four years old, came into view.
“Please go inside. The rain is getting heavier. Those lurking scoundrels won’t move in this downpour.”
“Right.”
The raindrops thickened.
Merkel watched his father’s massive back as he entered the tent. It was the back of the Empire’s first wall.
“Looking at how close they set up their camps, I thought they’d charge in any moment…but it seems they’re hesitating more than I expected.”
At Merkel’s words, Tornel slowly shook his head.
“Who knows.”
For the strong, conversations aren’t done with words but with instincts.
The pressured aura of the Barbarian King, Conqueror King Kament, from afar did not belong to someone who was scared.
A coiled beast.
A beast waiting for the opportunity to leap and bite the opponent’s neck.
That’s how Tornel felt about Kament.
Just after Tornel entered the tent.
Boom—
A massive drumbeat sounded.
The tent door was thrown open roughly.
“Marquis Tornel! The enemies are launching their assault now!!”
Tornel’s face contorted in shock.
“What?”
He quickly emerged, gripping his enormous axe, equipped in heavy armor. In the darkness, he saw countless shining eyes of beasts.
The warriors of the Barbarian Nation, Pineon, were accompanied by their beloved giant wolves, Fenris.
“Marquis Tornel.”
It was a heavy voice.
“I will now commence our war.”
Boom—
With the end of Conqueror King Kament’s sentence, the drums echoed once more.
“Your Excellency!”
At his subordinate’s shout, Tornel urgently looked to the left.
It was the knight Ulchepf in charge of the left flank.
“Their archers have already devoured the mountain ridge!”
Darkness and rain.
Tornel realized he had been seriously mistaken.
Kament’s grave voice rang the alarm bells.
“We do not fear darkness and rain. We have lived that way. We have survived that way.”
“Woaaaaaaah!”
The shout of the barbarian warriors followed Kament’s words.
The war had begun.
