Chapter 55
Chapter 55
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: Main Force of the Rhinepalts Empire (5)
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Sir Zakri jabbed a finger at me and Karin, unleashing his fury at our sudden intrusion.
"You cowardly mercenary scum! How dare a bow-wielding elf wench interfere in a sacred duel!"
His words drew a hollow laugh from my lips.
This wasn't some dueling ground where knights tossed down gauntlets and puffed up their chests for a formal bout.
No, this was the battlefield, where soldiers teamed up, pulled dirty tricks—whatever it took—as long as they won.
Talking about duels in the middle of war? If he was so pissed, he should've taken my head ages ago.
"You think this is a dueling ring where knights gather to puff out their chests? Did breaking through to Expert level give you dementia or something? Can't tell up from down anymore?"
"You lowly mercenary scum! I'd rip out your guts, make sausages, and feed them to pigs—and that still wouldn't be enough!"
I thrust out my left hand and crooked my index finger at him.
"If you're so mad, lop off my head or admit defeat. Pick one."
Those words set our knight off. He swung his sword at me in a rage.
"Die, you lowly mercenary!"
It hit like a boulder crushing down, the weight transmitting through his blade into my arms.
'Damn, that's heavy. Is this guy human or a machine?'
Right after blocking the strike, I fought dirty like the mercenary I was and kicked straight for Sir Zakri's midsection.
His stance wasn't great, so it didn't do much damage, but...
"You coward?"
Zakri had poured everything into that swing, and his balance wavered for a split second.
Seizing the momentum, I channeled every last drop of Aura left in my body and pressed the attack.
Like raging waves, I swung with all the force I could muster each time.
"You screwing that elf archer or something?"
Karin and I were still in the flirting stage, not officially together.
Not that it mattered—even if we were dating, I didn't owe him a polite announcement with a smile.
"Worry about killing me instead of that crap."
"Can't argue with that! You cowardly mercenary!"
And so I kept swinging, pushing him back bit by bit.
If I lost this hard-won advantage, my inferior skills would leave me getting steamrolled.
I had to press him here and finish him off for good.
"Die, you posturing slug! I'd grill you up and chow down!"
"Hah, grill a snail right and it's a delicacy. Guess lowly mercenaries like you wouldn't know!"
"No wonder your soldiers are such soft slugs—they're eating snails!"
I kept swinging away like that, but...
"Rookie, you can't kill me with that weak shit!"
Zakri infused his sword with Aura, batting mine aside, then turned the tables and shoved me back.
"Dream on! Die, you limp sausage of a mercenary!"
Aura-charged strike—Expert-level weight and internal energy crashing down like a typhoon.
Each clash felt like wrestling a bucking bull with both arms, the strain rippling through my body.
This was killer-move territory for most knights, but Zakri's form told the tale.
Built on endless training and real combat, his foundation and stamina let him unleash this power as naturally as breathing—if he focused.
'That's why they call 'em Experts. Look at that power.'
I thought that to myself as I blocked.
Someday, I'd claw my way to that level, no matter what.
No—past this wall of a man blocking my path, all the way to Sword Master, the pinnacle.
I couldn't lose to a guy just one or two steps ahead, a clear goalpost staring me down.
And I pondered.
'How do I beat this bastard?'
"Martin, you coward! Scared of Sir Zakri's blade, are you? I can see the hesitation! Even dragging in my woman, and you're still gonna lose?"
He was grinding my gears.
Throwing shade at Karin on top? Part of me wanted to unleash everything and slice that tongue out.
But the weaker guy who loses his cool first is done for.
Even going all-out in a rage, my skills weren't enough to take this knight.
Like that kick that disrupted his momentum earlier—if I could create an opening at the perfect moment and stab for the throat...
'Victory's mine.'
So I endured his taunts and pressure, straight-horned rhino style.
"Die, you worthless mercenary!"
After blocking forty exchanges, his patience cracked—emotion seeped into his swings.
Made sense for a guy who valued honor over life.
He'd seen this "duel" interrupted by Karin's arrow; that scraped his pride raw from the start.
And now I was stonewalling his attacks, ignoring the bait...
'This guy's pissed.'
"By my house's honor, I'll kill you!"
His rage peaked. That's when I bellowed.
"Karin, senior!"
Her voice rang out instantly.
"Got it!"
I hadn't specified, but after fighting side-by-side, she'd know the perfect support play here.
Trusting that, I gripped my sword with both hands, steeling myself.
This was my last shot to win—I'd do whatever it took.
"Please."
As the word left my mouth, Karin's arrow grazed his ear.
Just a graze—no fatal wound, nothing serious—but...
He was mid-swing, full commitment to killing me, when an unexpected attack blindsided him.
"Huh?"
Zakri's blade definitely wavered.
Plenty of power to kill, stable arc, but...
"Shaken by a single arrow? That weak, Sir Zakri?"
I wrung out every last bit of my Aura, pouring it into my body—and sword if I could.
The Aura drowned out my exhaustion for that instant, filling me with the illusion I could do anything.
'Aura's one hell of a drug.'
Then I slammed my sword into the flat of his blade with everything I had.
I couldn't cut steel yet—not true Aura Expert territory—but knocking his sword flying from his grip? That I could do.
"Damn it all!"
Veteran knight instincts kicked in; he reached for his backup weapon—a solid move, but...
"Think I'd let you?!"
I swung and cleaved Sir Zakri's neck.
Without Karin, I couldn't have won on my own, but victory was victory. I'd gained the catalyst to climb higher.
Now, scarf down that Aura-packed elixir I'd nabbed earlier, and Expert wasn't a pipe dream.
Savoring it all, I shouted loud.
"White Beard Mercenary Corps' Martin Meyer has beheaded Viscount Bisi's senior knight, Sir Zakri!"
I shot Karin a grateful nod.
She smirked back at my signal, miming a drink with her right hand.
Hoping for that green light this time.
I could've lingered on slaying an enemy senior knight, but capturing the Viscount was still pending.
"No time to bask! Let's back up Captain Dalton and snag that damn Viscount! Move!"
With that, I bolted, Aura fueling my sprint.
The platoon guys foamed at the mouth but chased after somehow.
"How the hell is he moving like that? That speed's insane, fuck..."
I raced like hell to Dalton's position.
A misty Aura fog blanketed his area; he was carving through enemy junior knights, armor and all.
"Viscount! Viscount Bisi, come out! Man to man, one-on-one!"
Thinning their numbers let him close in on the Viscount, but...
Bisi's knights weren't idiots; they threw everything at our strongest—the captain.
Meanwhile, the Viscount scrambled to escape capture...
"Obsessing over Captain Dalton without guards? That's practically begging me to grab you, you slutty bastard."
I burned my remaining Aura and stamina, charging ahead blindly.
Clashed with enemy soldiers and knights en route—sliced what I could, dodged the rest, pushing forward fast.
Just as the Viscount tried mounting up.
"Where you running?!"
I grabbed his scruff and slammed him to the dirt.
"Urk..."
I pressed a dagger to his throat.
"White Beard Mercenary Corps Platoon Leader Martin Meyer has captured Viscount Bisi alive! Soldiers and knights under the Viscount—drop your swords!"