“Wow!”
“Lord Fisher! Show us the power of the Greer Marquisate!”
“Fisher! Fisher!”
Cheers and applause erupted from the audience. The one who appeared as Ken’s opponent was Fisher de Greer. He was the only participant from the Greer Marquisate to make it to the quarterfinals.
“Lord Fisher is quite popular.”
“Yes, he is. After all, he is the most outstanding figure among the new generation of the family. Personally, he is also my nephew and disciple.”
“In fact, we were introduced a few days ago. He seems like a fine man.”
After the banquet on the first day, Fisher came directly to Raul’s lodgings. Initially, it was to apologize for the rudeness of his cousin, Travis, but he also wanted to speak with Raul, the man at the center of all the rumors.
Though it was a short meeting, Raul found him to be a very polite and intelligent individual. His skills were also impressive for his age. At the cusp of Expert Intermediate.
Being called a prodigy for reaching the Expert level in one’s twenties was common, but reaching Intermediate level at the age of twenty-three was quite an achievement.
‘That’s why he would have become the next marquis in his previous life. But….’
The marquis looked down at Fisher with a very proud expression on his face. However, upon realizing that his opponent was Ken, his expression changed to one of slight awkwardness.
“Who do you intend to support?”
Raul asked playfully, causing the marquis to clear his throat.
“Ahem, well, this duel will likely be beneficial for Ken as well. Fisher has already inherited most of the family’s spear techniques.”
It seemed the marquis was under the impression that Fisher would win. After all, Ken had only shown skills at the entry-level of Expert, so it was a reasonable assumption.
‘To be honest, Ken participating in this tournament might seem like a significant mismatch.’
Who could have imagined?
At just eighteen years old, and in a woman’s body no less, she had already reached the upper levels of being an Expert.
Thanks to inheriting the essence of her family’s founder, Jeremiah, in the dungeon of Zeinak, she had undoubtedly received a stroke of fortune, but luck is also a skill, isn’t it?
Raul was secretly curious about how the people of the Marquisate would react when they discovered her true abilities.
*
Clang, clang! Clang!
Sparks flew as spears clashed on the training ground. Both participants used spears almost three meters long, making the 30m by 30m training ground seem cramped.
Before long, mana spears had emerged from their spears.
‘It seems it’s too difficult to manage with just basic spear techniques.’
Ken sighed inwardly. Not wanting to reveal her identity, she had been using only the basic spear techniques of the First Knights instead of her family’s spear techniques.
It had been sufficient for the previous matches, but it seemed she had reached her limit.
‘Fisher has also greatly improved in skill, hasn’t he?’
Her relationship with her cousin Fisher wasn’t bad either. When she was younger, she often played with her older brother Sean and her cousins.
But that didn’t mean she could lose here. She needed to advance to meet the next opponent.
“Your spear technique is quite faithful to the basics, but if that’s all there is, this duel doesn’t seem to need to continue.”
Fisher respectfully took a step back and said. Of course, what he meant was that she should reveal what she was hiding, rather than suggesting she surrender.
“Hoo.”
With a sigh, Ken finally made up her mind.
“Then, I will face you properly as well.”
Ken then revealed a unique stance, holding the spear at the two-thirds point with her left hand supporting and her right hand pressing down.
It was a distinctive grip that pointed the spear tip toward the ground from shoulder height. It was precisely the 『Fury Wave』 spear technique of the Greer Marquisate.
“As expected, you are from the main family!”
Both of them took the same stance, almost like a mirror image of each other. The audience, too, erupted in commotion upon noticing the same.
Murmur.
“Who is that?”
“Is there someone else in the main family who reached Expert level at that age?”
“Why is she in the First Knights?”
Amidst the curious whispers, some sharp-eyed individuals seemed to recognize her identity.
‘Could it be…?’
‘Is she Lady Kaylee, the Marquis’s daughter…?’
Leaving the commotion behind, Fisher began to move in earnest.
“Well then, here I come. If you are from the main family, I see no need to hold back.”
Whirrrrr.
Fisher’s spear vibrated roughly, swirling with mana-infused wind around it.
Whizzz.
And the same was true for Ken’s spear. Fisher’s eyebrows twitched as he thrust his rotating spear towards Ken multiple times.
“Hyaa!”
Crack!
Bang! Bang!
The mana vortex reminiscent of a small tornado clashed, shaking the training ground.
Ken neutralized Fisher’s attacks by precisely countering his spearhead.
“Impressive. Then how about this!”
Suddenly, Fisher’s spear wavered up and down and extended from left to right.
Whoosh.
A blue mist-like aura flowed from his spear, rippling below his waist.
“Oh! That’s an excellent wave!”
“Such fluid transformation of the mana blade! As expected of Fisher!”
While the bloodline and knights of the Marquisate exclaimed in admiration, Fisher’s spear glowed blue.
“This is a dangerous technique, be sure to avoid it well!”
Swoosh!
Fisher’s spear flew towards Ken in a small circle, and the blue wave of mana that had been rippling followed, surging up to waist height.
‘Hmph.’
Despite the intimidating attack, Ken calmly steadied her breath and gripped her spear tightly.
Whir, whir!
In the blink of an eye, she sliced through the air in a cross motion, and a wave of blue mana similar to Fisher’s ripple around her spear. Then.
“Hah!”
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom Boom!
Like drawing a crown, the mana waves burst forth following Ken’s spear as she slashed left to right.
The difference between the two was that Fisher’s wave was one large, singular wave, while Ken’s was a series of slightly smaller, but continuous waves.
Jump!
Witnessing this scene, the people from the Marquisate stood up with wide eyes.
“Could that be?”
“Is that really ‘that technique’!”
And the victor of the colliding waves of mana was Ken.
Fisher’s wave managed to withstand the second wave but collapsed under the third wave.
“Ugh! Grrr!”
Despite Fisher’s efforts to hold out, the mana wave engulfed him, grabbed him, and threw him out of the training ground.
“The winner is Ken of the First Knights!”
When the judge’s verdict was announced, Ken quietly withdrew her spear and stepped down from the training ground. Whether from shock or the impact of being pushed out of bounds, Fisher couldn’t bring himself to get up for a while.
And the audience still seemed too stunned to cheer, their murmuring showing no signs of stopping.
“Did I really see what I just saw?”
Naturally, Marquis Fidel couldn’t hide his disturbed expression. The technique Ken showcased at the end. It was one of the lost spear techniques of the Greer family from decades ago.
“How is this possible? Why does that child know that technique?”
“First, please calm down. And you should address the audience first, I think.”
Raul spoke calmly, snapping the Marquis back to his senses.
“How does an outsider know the main family’s secret techniques?”
“Shouldn’t we capture her immediately and make her confess?”
“But is it really that lost technique?”
The atmosphere in the audience was tense. The restoration of the lost spear technique was a long-held wish of the Marquisate, and there were already murmurs of unrest.
“Everyone, be quiet!”
The Marquis stepped forward to pacify the audience.
“… The main family will handle this matter, so no one is to act individually! Commander, continue with the tournament!”
“Yes, sir!”
Only after the Marquis spoke did the audience begin to calm down. However, their curiosity was not easily dispelled.
“So, what on earth happened?”
The Marquis asked Raul, but Raul just smiled.
“I’ll explain after the tournament.”
“Haha, I see. Ah? Could this be the ‘real gift’ you mentioned a few days ago?”
“Haha, why don’t you enjoy the tournament for now? The participants are fighting for your entertainment; it would be a shame not to watch them properly.”
“Hmm. You better explain everything later.”
It seemed the shocking event had briefly made him forget that his disciple had been defeated by his daughter.
‘Well, all’s well that ends well.’
Raul simply enjoyed the tournament.
*
The quarterfinal matches concluded. As expected, the four spots in the semifinals were taken by Josh and Ken from the First Knights, haphael from the Count Randal’s Household, and Favian from the McNeil Marquisate.
The first match of the semifinals was Josh vs. Haphael.
In broader terms, it was a matter of pride between the Count Ashton’s family and the Count Randal’s Household. Given that it was a match between prestigious martial families, the audience’s interest was intense.
“Was it Sir Josh? He looks quite young. How old is he?”
“Yes, he’s twenty-two this year. He’s a very talented friend.”
“Hoo, it seems you have many young and skilled subordinates around you. So, which family is he from?”
“Well, rather than from a family, he’s from a mercenary background.”
“Are you saying he’s a commoner?”
The Marquis looked quite surprised. Reaching the level of an Expert at such a young age required not only talent but also systematic training.
It was rare for a commoner to meet these conditions, so the Marquis’s surprise was understandable.
‘Without the support of the Connect System, this rapid growth would have been difficult.’
But that wasn’t something he could say out loud.
“I seem to have a knack for attracting talent. And while recruiting, I’ve found that there are many talented individuals even among commoners.”
“Ha ha, is that so?”
As they conversed, Josh and Haphael were clashing fiercely on the battlefield.
“Hmph. The swordsmanship of the Ashton household is no match for me!”
“Is that so? I beg to differ.”
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Haphael was showcasing the secret technique of the Randal household, ‘Shooting Star’, in a dazzling display.
The combination of his rapier and main gauche led to an unending stream of linked attacks, and the barrage of red sword qi pouring down like a meteor seemed as if it would pierce through Josh at any moment.
However, Josh’s movements were equally formidable. Overcoming the clumsy motions of a two-handed greatsword with the resourcefulness typical of a mercenary, he managed to hold his ground.
As if prepared in advance, the sword stoppers (a type of vambrace shield attached to the forearms) were enough to deflect the rapier’s blows that attempted to sneak in through openings.
Additionally, the erratic elbow strikes, kicks, and headbutts were disrupting Haphael’s balance.
“You despicable bastard. Fight with honor using proper swordsmanship if you call yourself a knight!”
“Despicable techniques? These are legitimate close combat techniques recorded in the combat manuals.”
Besides, what was the point in talking about honor and disgrace when victory was at stake?
‘I haven’t even used any truly despicable techniques yet….’
For Master Raul’s sake, he was refraining from using typical mercenary tricks like spitting in the opponent’s eyes or kicking dust onto their feet.
“I guess if you lack skill, you have to resort to such petty tricks. Now I see the level of someone like Raul for taking you under his wing.”
“What did you say? Which mouth dares to insult my Master?”
In an instant, Josh’s demeanor completely changed. Up until now, he had been wholly defensive, but now he intended to go on the offensive.
“Heh heh heh, what will you do if you get angry? Do you think I’ll let myself be hit by that slow two-handed greatsword like a bear?”
But the next moment, haphael had no choice but to swing his sword without uttering another word. Because the apparently clumsy two-handed greatsword of Josh had separated into two swords, becoming dual blades.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Josh, being a former mercenary, had no reason to be confined to the swordsmanship of the Ashton household.
Due to his role as the representative of the Ashton household, he had been using their swordsmanship, but his true specialty was not greatsword techniques.
“Hah! Take that!”
The swordsmanship Josh developed combined the dual blade techniques from the Duke Templeton, taught by Dalton, and elements of the Infinity Sword taught by Raul.
It was a style uniquely his own, fluid and ever-changing, and it was too difficult for Haphael, who lacked extensive battle experience, to handle.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
As a result, before fifty exchanges had passed, Josh’s two blades were poised at Haphael’s neck.
“Kuh.”
“The winner is Sir Josh of the First Knights!”
“Wow!”
Exclamations of admiration erupted from the audience. Josh then sheathed his swords and leaned in to whisper to Haphael.
“Never insult my Master in front of me again.”
And so, the first semifinal match concluded with Josh’s victory.
(To be continued)