Episode 505
“A brawl in the middle of an honorable knight’s duel? How disgraceful!”
“Such cowardice!”
Amidst the uproar from the knights, Zeke turned to Aslan and asked, “Is it forbidden to use fists or feet in a duel in Solma?”
Aslan shook his head with a look of disdain. “Nonsense. On the battlefield, if you lose your sword, you don’t just offer your neck and die.”
The obsession with knightly decorum had led to an overemphasis on formality.
‘Tevea hasn’t been exposed to real battle conditions for a long time. That means the knights haven’t had many chances to experience actual combat.’
Knights unfamiliar with real battle couldn’t perform to their full potential in actual war scenarios. In his past life, the knights of the central continent had crumbled easily against the imperial army due to their lack of real combat experience.
To prepare for the wars to come, it was necessary to shatter their pretentious formalities.
Just then, Aslan, who had been watching the duel, widened his eyes in surprise. “Oh, what’s that…?”
Following his gaze, Zeke saw Jonathan assuming the stance of the Five Light Sword Technique. Zeke realized that Jonathan was acknowledging Rick’s skill to some extent.
As Jonathan’s demeanor shifted, Rick also adjusted his stance, mirroring the Five Light Sword Technique.
The two knights, swords drawn, locked eyes, engaging in a fierce battle of wills.
A silent, invisible energy clashed intensely between them.
Even the Solma knights, who had been jeering moments ago, fell silent, watching with bated breath.
The two knights, eyes locked, suddenly lunged at each other simultaneously.
CRASH!
Jonathan swung his sword upward, while Rick swung downward, their blades meeting in the middle.
The speed of their swords was so fast that only the glint of the blades was visible.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Despite the rapidity of their strikes, the sound of their clashing swords was as powerful as that of a heavy blade.
Jonathan’s speed was unmatched, but Rick’s strikes carried more force.
As the swords flashed around them, the Solma knights watching from behind gaped in disbelief.
“How is this possible?”
“He’s holding his own against the young lord’s swordplay?”
“This can’t be happening!”
The knights, who had felt the power of Jonathan Solma’s sword firsthand, couldn’t believe Rick was matching him blow for blow. In fact, it seemed as if Jonathan was being pushed back by Rick’s powerful strikes.
THUD!
Jonathan braced himself, using his back foot to withstand Rick’s assault. Without the use of aura, Rick’s superior strength gave him an advantage.
Then Rick spoke to Jonathan. “Brother, show me the true Five Light Sword Technique.”
Jonathan’s eyebrows twitched at Rick’s words. The Five Light Sword Technique truly shone when aura was employed. In the past, such a request from Rick would have provoked his anger, but seeing his brother’s growth sparked a different kind of anticipation.
‘Has Jephrick really changed from before?’
His brother, who had always been timid and unable to fully utilize his talents, had never been able to withstand the harshness of the Solma family. Both Jonathan and their father had pushed Jephrick hard, hoping to break his limits.
But Jephrick had ultimately failed to overcome it, fleeing and tarnishing the family’s honor. Though he had returned, showing a different side, Jonathan was hesitant to let his hopes rise, fearing disappointment once more.
At that moment, Zeke shouted from behind. “Young lord! Don’t worry, test him yourself!”
Zeke’s voice, filled with trust in Jephrick, resonated with Jonathan.
Jonathan looked up at Rick. A powerful aura surged from his body.
Simultaneously, Rick also summoned his aura.
The aura from their swords clashed fiercely.
The waves of aura crackled and spread in all directions.
Jonathan deftly deflected Rick’s sword to the side and changed his stance.
As they began to use aura, their movements became much more fluid, almost weightless.
Jonathan’s sword flashed with light.
In an instant, his strike pierced toward Rick.
Rick raised his sword to block Jonathan’s attack.
The true form of the Five Light Sword Technique unfolded in the hands of the two knights.
The swords were invisible, only the flashes of light in the air could be seen.
The exchange was so fast that ordinary eyes couldn’t follow.
Zeke watched Jonathan’s sword closely from behind.
‘His balance of offense and defense is impeccable. Truly a talent worthy of being called a genius.’
What was astonishing was that Rick was matching Jonathan’s swordplay, maintaining an equal exchange.
Unlike Jonathan, who balanced offense and defense, Rick was swinging his sword more aggressively.
Jonathan was surprised to see his once timid brother, who had always shown a defensive style, now attacking with such vigor.
‘Jephrick, attacking like this?’
As Rick’s relentless assault continued, Jonathan found himself adopting a defensive stance.
The Five Light Sword Technique was fast and powerful, but it consumed a lot of aura and stamina.
If one exhausted their strength too quickly, they were vulnerable to counterattacks.
Thus, Jonathan had developed a strategy to balance attack and defense, focusing on distributing his strength wisely.
Jonathan waited for Rick to tire and show an opening.
But no matter how long he waited, Rick’s sword showed no signs of fatigue.
‘How is this possible…?’
Just as Jonathan began to doubt, a sharp sound rang from Rick’s sword, and his attacks came even faster.
Caught off guard by the unexpected increase in speed, Jonathan struggled to parry Rick’s sword.
Rick’s blade grazed Jonathan’s Heresion, delivering a strike.
Jonathan tried to evade using his footwork.
But Rick’s Five Light Sword Technique was faster.
In an instant, four strikes targeted Jonathan’s vital points simultaneously.
‘Head, shoulders, chest, abdomen.’
Instinctively, Jonathan summoned the aura blade of a Blue Knight to block the incoming attacks.
The moment Rick’s strikes from four directions were about to land, his sword blurred and suddenly dropped, aiming for Jonathan’s legs.
Startled by the clear aura blade emanating from Rick’s sword, Jonathan hurriedly redirected his sword to block Rick’s attack.
The clash of aura blades created a powerful wave that swept across the entire training ground.
“Cough! Cough! Cough!”
A cloud of dust rose, causing the Solma knights watching to cough uncontrollably.
They surveyed the scene with disbelief.
As the dust settled, Joren shouted in astonishment.
“Look, over there!”
Jonathan reappeared, kneeling on one knee, his sword raised to block Rick’s.
‘Damn.’
Having hastily redirected his sword to block the low attack, his wrist and ankle throbbed with pain.
He hadn’t intended to face Rick seriously from the start, and now he was caught off guard by Rick’s unexpected skill. As a result, he couldn’t easily withstand Rick’s powerful strikes.
While contemplating his next move, Rick withdrew his sword and stepped back.
After sheathing his sword, he bowed to Jonathan.
“Thank you for accepting my inadequate sword, brother.”
Jonathan slowly rose and sheathed his sword.
He looked at Rick with newfound eyes.
The timid brother who had fled, tarnishing the family’s honor, now stood before him as a Blue Knight, seeking recognition.
Jonathan regarded his grown brother with fresh eyes, then glanced at Zeke Dreiker.
It was Zeke Dreiker who had nurtured the once-fleeing dullard into a Blue Knight.
’…Was I and Father wrong?’
Jonathan wondered if Zeke Dreiker had brought Rick here to make him realize that fact.
Jonathan deactivated Heresion and looked at Rick.
Turning his head slowly, he spoke.
”…You’ll manage to hold your own out there.”
Rick, having deactivated Heresion, beamed at Jonathan’s words.
“Brother!”
Jonathan frowned at Rick’s sudden change in demeanor.
“That doesn’t mean I’ve acknowledged you. Don’t think you can easily reclaim the family’s honor you abandoned.”
Though his words were cold, Rick sensed a softness in Jonathan’s demeanor that hadn’t been there before.
He nodded, trembling slightly.
“Understood, brother. It won’t be easy, but I’ll do my best to reclaim my honor.”
Jonathan turned his head sharply, then slowly approached Zeke.
“Sir Zeke, may I have a word with you?”
“Of course.”
As Jonathan moved to speak with Zeke, he glanced back at Arin, who stood behind them.
He turned to the guard standing nearby and spoke.
“Make sure the lady is comfortable during her stay at the castle.”
“Understood, young master.”
Arin was taken aback by Jonathan’s words. It was the first time she was acknowledged as a guest of the Solma family, rather than being treated as if she didn’t exist. Although their engagement hadn’t been officially recognized, this was a significant improvement from being completely ignored.
Before she knew it, Rick had moved beside her and grasped her hand tightly.
Jonathan entered the family head’s office with Zeke. After offering Zeke a seat, he instructed a servant to bring out some fine tea. A moment later, Zeke inhaled the fragrant aroma of the prepared tea, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.
“As expected from a family with such a long tradition, even the tea is exceptional.”
Watching Zeke, Jonathan spoke up.
“Sir Zeke.”
He fixed Zeke with a sharp gaze and asked, “What is your true reason for coming here?”
Jonathan was not naive enough to believe that the renowned Knight of Salvation had come merely to act as a guardian for Rick and Arin.
Zeke set down his teacup and looked at Jonathan. “I wish to enter the royal palace and meet the Royal Guard.”
Currently, the Royal Guard of the Thebea Kingdom was none other than Herman Solma, the head of the Solma family.
Jonathan shook his head, puzzled by Zeke’s request. “If you wish to meet the family head, couldn’t you simply request it in your capacity as a protector of Draker? It might take a bit longer, but it shouldn’t be difficult. Why choose such a roundabout way?”
Zeke met Jonathan’s eyes and replied, “Because there will be many more complications ahead. Does that answer your question?”
“What do you mean by that?”
Zeke straightened his posture and continued, “A war is about to break out across the continent.”
“A war?”
The mention of war caused Jonathan Solma’s expression to harden.
Zeke nodded and spoke again. “Abel Draker is plotting to resurrect the Demon King’s army and engulf the entire continent.”
Jonathan was momentarily at a loss for words at Zeke’s sudden revelation.
“The Demon King’s army… what do you mean?”
“The strange occurrences happening all over the continent are evidence. Massive demon hordes, ancient monsters thought to be long gone, and demons summoned from the underworld—all of these are actions aimed at resurrecting the Demon King.”
Jonathan’s eyes widened in shock at the unexpected news.
Zeke continued, “At the center of it all is Abel Draker. We almost captured him, but he slipped away at the crucial moment. The trail of the one who helped him escape leads to the Thebea royal palace.”
Jonathan realized why Zeke had come to the Solma family.
“You intend to enter the royal palace to track down that trail?”
Zeke nodded. “Exactly. For that, I need the help of the Royal Guard. If we don’t find him soon…”
Zeke looked at Jonathan and said, “Thebea is in danger.”