Chapter 30: Chapter 30

“I should first offer my gratitude. Thanks to you, we were able to eliminate one of Flower’s key executives.”

The Count of Enox spoke.

“I was just lucky. I doubt even Gehenna anticipated your involvement. But your expression doesn’t look good. Is something the matter?”

Leon’s face had hardened. It was because Gehenna’s energy had slightly peeled away the Blessing.

‘The tips of my hair have turned redder.’

It meant that his body had further evolved. Leon closely observed his internal state. At times, pain flared within his muscles, but aside from that, nothing seemed particularly wrong. Fortunately, it didn’t appear to be life-threatening.

With quiet relief, Leon spoke to the Count of Enox.

“It’s nothing. I simply had something on my mind for a moment.”

“I see. That’s good to hear.”

“More importantly, there’s something I’d like to ask. Why didn’t you capture the Basilisk yourself? If you possess such power, you could have resolved the issues in your territory alone.”

The Count of Enox blinked, his expression betraying genuine surprise.

“……I didn’t expect you to ask something like that. Still, I suppose from your perspective it’s a fair question. The reason is simple—I often dealt with Garan. For a mercenary, he was someone I rather liked. I sometimes give requests to the current Black Dragon Mercenary Corps out of loyalty. This time, it was because Garan asked me to.”

Leon nodded. In any world, there were those who valued loyalty. For all his stiffness, the Count of Enox was still human; it was natural that he would show at least a small measure of goodwill.

“More importantly, are you alright? You don’t look well.”

Leon wiped the blood off his forehead. The torn skin had already healed—the wound had closed in the short time since the battle. Seeing the fresh skin, the Count looked astonished.

The Count, watching Leon with great interest, spoke.

“You possess a body as strong as Garan’s. The warriors of Elphrel truly have blessed physiques. To think one could heal even in the midst of battle… You’re practically a race of warriors.”

“Garan, the former captain, and I are exceptions. The other warriors don’t recover nearly as quickly.”

“Well then, we can continue chatting later. Kazan.”

Kazan replied politely, though his stiff expression revealed unease. The Count’s summons didn’t seem to bode well.

“My soldiers will arrive shortly. I’d like you to help with the cleanup. And, if you don’t mind, I’d like to borrow your comrade for a moment.”

Kazan looked at Leon, worry flickering in his eyes. It was only natural that he’d be uneasy about leaving Leon alone with a noble. Leon, a warrior of Elphrel, was not accustomed to noble etiquette—or even ordinary manners. It was easy for him to commit offenses without realizing it.

But after a moment, Kazan nodded.

“Understood. Since we’re indebted to you, this much is the least we can do.”

Before the words had even fully left Kazan’s mouth, the Count gestured for Leon to follow him. Leon walked behind him, wondering why the Count was leading him somewhere so secluded.

Before long, the Count spoke.

“You’ve stirred up a troublesome enemy. Gehenna was one of Flower’s valuable assets. Without a doubt, they’ll come for you seeking revenge.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Exactly as I said. You helped kill Gehenna. Their way of thinking is… unusual. Even the slightest involvement makes you one of Flower’s mortal enemies.”

Leon’s expression grew grave. That wasn’t good. The earlier battle had already shown him his shortcomings—especially his lack of technique.

He was still far from being able to stand against true experts. His body might endure, but he always lost when it came to skill and finesse.

No matter how strong the body, without knowing how to properly use it, it would crumble like a sandcastle. If he faced another powerful opponent in this state, defeat would be inevitable.

And beyond that, there was a far greater problem.

“They displayed the energy of a Demon Beast. Do you know anything about that?”

For a human to wield the energy of a Demon Beast—just that fact alone was appalling. But for Leon, it was terrifying in another way.

‘If they can truly handle the energy of Demon Beasts, then I’m as good as dead.’

If they pursued him, he had to assume he would die. Leon’s Blessing peeled away just from sensing that energy; if he came into contact with it, the Blessing would likely disappear completely.

“Is this an important matter?”

The Count of Enox asked, his expression uneasy. It seemed to be a matter he was reluctant to discuss.

“It concerns my life.”

Leon’s tone was deadly serious. Perhaps moved by the sincerity, the Count fell silent for a moment before speaking again.

“It’s said that a small faction within Flower worships the Evil God Jeozudin. Among them are those who are friendly toward Demon Beasts.”

“You mean to say humans have received power from Demon Beasts?”

“It’s only speculation. Nothing has been proven yet.”

The Count denied it firmly—but Leon was already convinced. Flower and the Demon Beasts were in league.

Demon Beasts were remnants of the Evil God’s power. If one worshipped that god, it made sense that they could commune with those creatures.

‘For the Demon Beasts too, joining hands with humans wouldn’t be such a bad deal.’

His head throbbed. Not long ago, he had been tormented by Superbia, a humanoid Demon Beast—and now there was Flower.

The Count asked. Perhaps he sensed something from Leon’s expression—perhaps he already regretted sharing that much.

It was the truth. What was done was done. There was no point in regretting the past. What mattered was finding a way forward.

“Thank you, Count. Thanks to you, I now know what to watch out for.”

“I like those who believe in themselves. You’re one of them. Take it as a gesture of goodwill.”

There were few acts of kindness in this world that came without a price. Because of that, I bowed deeply to the Count of Enox. People always sought compensation, even for the smallest favors. He had given me valuable information—so it was only right that I showed proper gratitude.

The Count of Enox let out a soft chuckle, seemingly pleased by my sincerity.

“By the way, Count, are you alright? I only offered minor assistance, but you’re the one who dealt with Gehenna directly.”

“Are you suggesting that they’ll come to kill me?”

“Then that’s fine by me.”

A cold gleam of killing intent flashed through the Count’s eyes. Thɪs chapter is updated by n͟o͟v͟e͟l͟f͟i͟r͟e͟.net

“I can’t go into detail, but I too share a deep grudge against Flower. If they come for me themselves, it’ll save me the trouble of seeking them out.”

I nodded slowly. His eyes burned with hatred. It seemed he carried a complicated past.

“I only meant to offer a bit of guidance… but I’ve changed my mind. I like your attitude. Show me your swordsmanship. I know the warriors of Elphrel must grow strong through their own strength, so I’m not offering advice—only to show you where you currently stand.”

I brightened immediately. I had long wanted to know just how far I’d come. If it was the Count of Enox—someone said to be at knight level—he could assess me better than anyone.

As I drew my sword, the Count began to speak.

“Listen as you move. When we assess others, we often use terms like ‘Apprentice Knight’ or ‘Knight-level.’ But such words don’t mean much, do they? If you don’t know how strong a Knight is, what use is it to say someone’s at an apprentice’s level?”

He was right. I had no real sense of how strong knights were. I’d even heard that differences in strength varied among knights themselves, which only made it harder to gauge the standards of this world.

“It’s said that Knights wield a mysterious power that transcends Aura. They call that power ‘Force.’”

“It’s an ancient word meaning ‘power.’ Those who can freely command it are what we call Knights. And compared to them, you are still far too weak.”

That much was obvious. I had only been practicing martial arts for about ten years. Against those who had trained all their lives, I was bound to fall short.

“Still, just because someone can use Force doesn’t automatically make them strong as Knights… Wait. Is that all you have?”

Before I realized it, I had already displayed the entire Twelve Celestial Sword Styles. When I fell silent, the Count sighed.

“Is something wrong?”

“There are too many problems.”

“Please, tell me slowly.”

“First, you have no talent for swordsmanship.”

I took his words lightly. I knew better than anyone that my aptitude was mediocre at best. His words didn’t shock me.

“You seem to know already. That makes it easier to speak plainly. You have no gift for the sword. In fact, I’m surprised you’ve managed to achieve this much. Did you perhaps have a great opportunity or encounter?”

A ‘great opportunity,’ he said. Realizing my past life could certainly be considered one. I nodded in acknowledgment.

“This is troublesome. I’ve never seen someone with such poor talent reach this level. Let’s compare you to ordinary soldiers rather than knights.”

“Even among soldiers, there are levels of strength. Roughly three ranks. You’ve reached the second.”

“What are these three ranks exactly?”

“The first stage is manifesting Aura. Aura is the foundation for becoming a Knight. Without grasping this power, one must abandon the path entirely. The second stage is the realm where the sword begins to ‘cry.’ You and Kazan are at that stage.”

“Oh… Then does that make me relatively strong in this world?”

“Of course not. There are countless people stronger than you. Your body may rival that of Knights, but your technique falls short. Even Kazan would easily surpass you in skill. Against true masters, you’d be completely overwhelmed.”

“And the third stage—this is when one begins to awaken and internalize the power of Force. Most people get stuck here. Force is powerful, but it’s difficult to control. Without fully making it your own, you can’t become a Knight.”

“Don’t think of it as something mysterious. It all comes from mana. The only difference between Aura and Force is how that mana is released. My level belongs to that third stage.”

The Count raised his hand, revealing a tangible energy. It was distinctly different from Aura—this was Force.

I studied it carefully. Just as he said, Force was mana. Yet it was not the same—it was mana, and yet something beyond.

‘I’ve heard tales of masters in the Martial World—those who split mountains and cleaved seas. If I could learn this power… could I become like them?’

There was no way to know. Rumors were always exaggerated. Whether they truly split mountains or merely cracked them, who could say?

Still, I was elated. I had finally learned how the powerful of this world measured strength. Now, I could gauge the caliber of my future opponents.

Perhaps he noticed the excitement on my face, for the Count chuckled softly.

“I heard you’re heading north. Retina mentioned that there’s a medicinal ingredient there that can cure Garan.”

“…A medicinal ingredient?”

“You didn’t know? I suppose the Black Dragon’s recruits aren’t told such small details.”

There was sorrow in his voice. His earlier claim of friendship with Garan hadn’t been an exaggeration. After composing himself, he continued.

“Be careful. As I said, Flower will hunt you. The entire Black Dragon may even be wiped out. Especially you—your gap between body and technique is far too wide. You might lose even to opponents you think you can beat.”

“Thank you for your concern.”

“No, I should be the one thanking you for slaying the Basilisk. I’ll make sure to tell Kazan the same. Is he resting?”

“Yes. He’s still a bit exhausted.”

“Then I won’t disturb him.”

With those words, the Count of Enox turned and walked toward Kazan. Watching his back as he slowly strode away, I thought to myself—

‘He was warmer than I expected.’

He wasn’t as cold as he first seemed. Perhaps he only showed kindness to those he deemed worthy.

‘But the real problem begins now.’

He had warned that Flower would pursue me. I didn’t know if it was true, but the Count didn’t seem like the sort to lie. I’d need to prepare myself.

‘I have to become stronger.’

Since coming to the Empire, I had thought I’d achieved great progress. I was wrong. I was still just a frog in a well.

‘I will grow stronger.’

For my goal—for my dream.

I began to swing my sword slowly. I could feel gazes from nearby, but I ignored them. I still had strength left. My body was sound. There was no reason not to train.

After all, my dream was to become the greatest warrior of Elphrel. To reach that dream, I couldn’t afford to miss a single day of practice.

A familiar voice reached my ears—but, as always, I ignored it.