The moment Baltar Grace’s name was mentioned, everyone’s faces lit up with excitement, completely disregarding their previous calm demeanor.
An opportunity to be taught by the pinnacle of the Kingdom’s knights.
Even if one did not receive lessons, just the chance to meet him in person held immeasurable value.
That was how immense Baltar’s presence was.
“…You’re not lying, are you?”
That was a cadet’s question, and it couldn’t be considered an unreasonable one. After all, it was a matter of the honor of the knight’s own order, and logically, he wouldn’t dare to break that pledge.
“Of course not.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, the instructor nodded his head emphatically, making it clear he wasn’t lying.
At that, half of the swordsmanship cadets swallowed hard, their greed awakening.
‘Can I really defeat an active knight?’
‘Winning with standard techniques is impossible. But if I can wear him out first, maybe…!’
‘I need a strategic approach, a strategic approach.’
The cadets put their heads together, concocting strategies. Well, to be honest, calling it strategy was a stretch—more like ideas that even children could come up with. How could these inexperienced kids, incapable of analyzing their opponent’s strategy, devise anything extraordinary to defeat a seasoned knight?
So, it wasn’t that they were foolish; they simply lacked complexity.
And among them, the simplest of all stepped forward.
“Kuntha, going in!”
A man with clumsy pronunciation emerged, and he was a warrior from the jungles, grasslands, and deserts, still not accustomed to the continent’s common language.
He resembled a striking black panther, and he was, in fact, a brave warrior renowned among the mysterious races— a Barbarian.
“I am Kuntha, son of the great warrior Urba, who serves the white-feathered serpent!”
Boom!
“I shall challenge you to a duel…!”
His S-shaped single-edged sword glimmered coldly, reflecting the sun’s rays. Known as a sickle sword, it was a kopesh, renowned for being tricky to wield but a real handful for opponents once mastered.
Now, that sword was resonating.
It was not sword resonance, but it vibrated just before reaching that point.
This proved how well-acquainted he was with the sword, showcasing his considerable skill.
Seeing this, the cadets realized that this barbarian warrior was far from their equal.
No, in fact, he was infinitely out of their league.
As they acknowledged this, they chuckled in frustration.
‘At that level, even the instructor must find him difficult to deal with.’
‘This is great!’
Even while feeling jealous of the barbarian, they hoped he would at least be a thorn in the instructor’s side.
All for the sake of their goals…!
Whoosh!
Boom!
In the next moment, Kuntha was flipped upside down and slammed to the ground.
“???”
Kuntha blinked, unable to even register that he had lost.
“Wait, what just happened!?”
“…Ah, I saw nothing…”
The series of events unfolded so quickly that no one had actually seen it.
There was a brief commotion, and the instructor helped the still-prostrate Kuntha to his feet.
Gulp!
…Was it really that light to lift a person? Especially someone of such size?
“Your stance was good. So was your swordsmanship. However, you lost without a chance to respond because of your arrogant posture. You can’t lower your guard.”
“…Kuntha does not lower his guard.”
“Sure, right. I can see that I’m smaller than you, which means you were definitely overconfident.”
“I was told to not bully those smaller and weaker than me.”
“Exactly! That’s the definition of overconfidence. You fool.”
Whap!
The instructor flicked his finger, lightly hitting Kuntha’s forehead, making him stumble backward with a thud.
A simple flick sent a two-meter-tall warrior sprawling.
“Ugh!”
“From now on, don’t let your guard down. At this rate, you’ll be dead one day.”
“…I remember it, instructor. But what’s the name of that technique you used? I’ve never seen such a weird combat style before.”
“Shoulder Check.”
“Hmm, got it.”
Kuntha accepted his defeat quite readily and trudged back to his spot.
It was an embarrassing loss, but he didn’t seem to carry it with him.
And then—
“Alright, who’s next?”
-…….
“Hurry up. The sun’s going down.”
…The cadets remained silent.
* * *
To be honest, what Lee Han did was nothing special.
He simply dove into his opponent’s space and struck the wrist with a palm strike.
This was known as a wrist shot.
Using a light wrist snap to deliver a shock, he disarmed his opponent and then tossed him over his shoulder.
It couldn’t have been a simpler principle.
Of course, while he executed it similarly to the techniques Baltar had showcased the day before, what he did was frankly embarrassing as a technique—a way that was so basic it could be easily blocked by anyone actually trying.
However, that simple technique…
“Gah!?”
“Is this what a swordsman calls power? It’s weak and useless.”
The real problem was being utterly helpless against it.
Sixteen consecutive wins.
That was the win rate Lee Han had achieved, which meant there were plenty of weaklings on the ground.
He had won purely by utilizing throwing techniques and joint locks.
Practicing on actual people, he felt his skills improving gradually.
‘But aren’t these guys a bit too weak?’
Lee Han regarded them with disdainful eyes.
Aside from his first opponent, Kuntha, there wasn’t anyone particularly interesting to fight.
They were nothing more than slightly improved versions of ugly rag dolls.
With the cadets at such a low level, Lee Han was nothing short of unimpressed.
‘Guess I’ve gotten my expectations too high.’
Having realized yesterday while fighting that Lac guy or whatever his name was that there were many talented knights aside from Baltar, now, looking at these academy cadets left him perplexed.
It wasn’t that he had mutated into a powerhouse.
Rather—
‘These fools barely have any fundamentals down.’
Can you believe that out of the sixteen he had faced so far, only two had a solid foundation?
‘Hmmm, this is a bit serious.’
He had heard that they were all elite, so why were they like this?
While pondering those thoughts—
“…Right, this is it.”
The moment ‘two’ others stood before him, Lee Han’s expression finally relaxed.
“I am Arno, Arno de Ophen.”
“I am Garand,” the young man with a spear dutifully added.
“…Two of you.”
“Is there a problem?”
“No, it’s fine. In fact, I’m glad to finally see someone who can think for themselves.”
He had never said he wanted one-on-one duels.
He had encouraged everyone to jump in.
So these guys were smart for figuring out his intentions.
Swish.
A boy wielding twin swords and a young man with a spear stood ready.
Both were quite skilled, at a level comparable to Kuntha, whom Lee Han had first faced.
However, unlike Kuntha, there was no sign of carelessness; they seemed prepared to give their all from the get-go, so there was no worry about getting caught off guard.
‘Looks like now that I’ve cleared out the weaklings, the named ones are showing up.’
He recognized both of them.
Even though he had shown little interest in cadets, they were famous enough that rumors had reached his ears.
From a family renowned for producing generals in the military and countless famous swordsmen, here stood the heir of the legendary House Ophen, and the leader of the legendary mercenary band, the Wild Wolves, also known as the Mercenary King’s disciple.
To be honest, neither of them should have been at this academy.
They ought to be taking entrance exams to join the knight orders immediately.
“Why did you enroll here? To play pretend?”
“I came to duel with Prince Roen. Ironically, I’m quite satisfied now that I have the opportunity to duel with someone like you, instructor.”
“I came to become a knight. I thought it would be better than mercenary life. But honestly, wouldn’t it be better to enjoy youth a bit rather than just jumping straight into being a knight?”
“…You’re both weirdoes.”
“Are you the only one who’s weird, instructor?”
“That’s not something you should be saying.”
At last, some worthy opponents were appearing, and Lee Han smiled brightly, finally picking up a training sword instead of using his bare hands.
He might be facing those wielding real swords and spears, but given how he had laid waste to a group armed with proper weapons using just his bare hands, it was evident he meant business.
This was a sign of respect toward their skills.
“Thank you, instructor.”
“Aren’t you going to use a real sword?”
“As much as I’d like to, I can’t go around killing cadets, can I?”
“……”
“…You’re scarier than our old man.”
Whoosh!
There was no further conversation.
Instead, Arno swung his sword.
In his left hand, he held a short but broad military-grade sword, while in his right was a larger blade, slightly longer than the one in his left.
Typically, wielding two swords at once is foolish, but he showcased a level of skill that hinted at how much bloody practice he had undergone.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
While performing swordsmanship with one hand, his other remained poised in a way that struck like a scorpion’s sting, waiting for an opportunity.
And the other one, Garand, approaching fiercely with his spear was no ordinary spear either.
Crunch!
It looked hefty, combined with a blade, forming a massive spear.
A polearm resembling the Eastern “Cangue,” its unusual shape whirled, radiating an aura that seemed to promise destruction.
In an instant, a volley of exchanges followed.
With every clang, sparks flew and a thunderous noise echoed.
The blades sparkled, leaving traces in the air, as Garand swung his enormous spear with a force that could shatter boulders.
Bam!
Even if they were technically active knights, it wasn’t an easy task to withstand the attacks from the two.
So, naturally…
“Whoo…!”
It wouldn’t be surprising if they exhausted themselves first.
Before they knew it, they were drenched in sweat, viewing Lee Han as if he were some otherworldly creature.
What is this weight?
Had breathing ever been this painful?
“…Instructor, I apologize for the intrusive question, but… are you even human?”
“Ha, that’s ridiculous.”
Arno and Garand, two cadets, threw out such a foolish question, utterly dumfounded.
And who can blame them?
Look at this!
The proud duo had humbled themselves to demonstrate teamwork.
Heirs from prestigious families and a disciple of a mercenary.
Two men, practically opposites, were working tirelessly to defeat him.
“Yeah, I’m human. I’m just a bit stronger than you guys.”
…He hadn’t given even an inch in retreat.
Every single strike they threw was blocked, and if they tried to push him away with force, they ended up stumbling backward instead.
Despite the fact they were fighting with weapons, how come their weapons were screaming like they were about to break, while his training sword held up just fine?
The wailing coming from their weapons sent jolts through their wrists and arms, causing them to look at their instructor in a daze.
Lee Han said,
“Your momentum is a bit weak. Maybe it’s because you’re still maturing, but there’s a hint of fragility there. If you fix that part, you’ll be fine.”
“…Are you saying we’re fragile?”
“I said your momentum is weak.”
“I don’t think we’re lacking in strength.”
“Nope. If you want to call your momentum strong—”
It should be at least this level.
*Whoosh!*
He took a deep breath, as if he were about to put his lung capacity to the test, gathering every ounce of his strength.
“Hah━!”
A booming shout erupted.
However, those who heard him? Not a single one.
*Zing!*
That was just a shout.
It wasn’t even that loud.
It was merely a shout anyone could let out.
But the moment those that heard it—especially the sensitive ones—shook in fear.
“Gah…!?”
“Cough!”
Their legs gave way before the pressure he exuded.
And some might as well have almost wet themselves.
A beast’s roar.
Such an expression was fitting for the thunderous shout that had caused Arno and Garand to freeze in place.
They wanted to move but couldn’t budge.
“…Fear?”
The self-proclaimed magician, Irene, defined this reaction.
A giant monster could knock someone out simply with its presence.
It was like a rabbit going into a panic in front of a bear.
What Lee Han exhibited was no different.
“It’s called Lion’s Roar. If we translate it directly, it means the roar of a lion.”
“…”
“Do you understand? This is how momentum works. You need to have the determination to bite and overwhelm your opponent. And if you can easily overcome this level of pressure, then I might retreat. But you guys lack that. You’ve probably been coddled in a greenhouse. If you endure more real battles and gain experience, one day your momentum will grow too. Ultimately, time will resolve it.”
“…Are you really human?”
Even while listening to Lee Han’s lesson, they still expressed doubts.
This level of presence seemed impossible to achieve through mere effort or experience.
They simply slumped down.
*Thud!*
Trying to hold their ground became too hard.
So they sat down, and Lee Han beamed at them, feeling refreshed.
Finally, it felt like his body was warming up.
And then—
“Come out.”
“…”
“I figured the others wouldn’t think about jumping in, but I had a feeling you might, so I said it. Not that you have to.”
Who was he talking to?
His remark was almost taunting, and fortunately, the intended target responded right on cue.
*Step.*
“—That’s not the case. I was probably the most looking forward to this match among everyone here.”
The nobleman with black hair drew his sword before him, and Lee Han chuckled, thinking it might finally get interesting.
Roen.
Presumed to be the Regressor, his target of surveillance number one, whom Lee Han secretly thought,
‘Looks like a big one has arrived.’
This was undoubtedly the most anticipated big event of the day.
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