Chapter 69
Chapter 69
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 69
Chapter Title: Sword Maniac (1)
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Master.
A one-man army and the empire's undisputed top force. Yet such a master had been defeated.
Could anyone here have possibly foreseen this absurd outcome?
No way.
Not Chris and the Dragon Knight Order, and not even Cain himself.
However, surprisingly, there was one person... Princess Morgana von Rubelion Ragna alone had predicted Cain's victory.
"N-No way. The vice-captain lost...?!"
"Even Sword Maniac, who couldn't guarantee victory against the captain in top form, has been defeated!"
"Heh... Do you knights of the Dragon Knight Order really not understand why Vice-Captain Chris lost?"
Morgana smirked in front of the Dragon Knight Order members, who were plunged into shock.
Her beautiful smile carried a hint of superiority and even arrogance.
Thanks to that, the knights had no choice but to turn to the princess. No matter how they thought about it, they couldn't figure out the reason for the defeat.
"H-How on earth could the lord of Renheim defeat the vice-captain?"
"Please, tell us that method..."
"Simple. Sir Blackguard has never once fought from an advantageous position."
First against the empire, then against the four major powers of the Demon Realm... He had never fought from a position of advantage.
A true master commander avoids unfavorable situations from the start,
but applying that standard to him would be far too harsh. Even so, he kept winning.
"The experiences of always fighting from unreasonable odds... Compared to that, Vice-Captain Chris lacked the unbreakable resolve to win no matter what."
"Are you saying the vice-captain lost over something as trivial as that?"
"Of course. This side fights on a battlefield where defeat means death."
"......"
They couldn't help but be stunned by Morgana's matter-of-fact words.
For none other than the noble princess herself to say something like that.
In other words, he'd grown that strong precisely because he'd fought in such hellish battles up until now.
The knights found themselves reevaluating Cain anew. Of course, Cain himself was utterly baffled.
'Sorry, but I've already lost countless times, Your Highness...'
A master in perfect condition was indeed on another level. Not just his swordsmanship—even his footsteps were overwhelmingly superior.
Yet the reason Cain had won was singular... He'd piled up an immense amount of experience.
Not only the opponent's movements, but even habits and quirks Chris himself was unaware of—he had to notice and exploit them all.
By accumulating that experience over and over, he'd finally scraped out a victory. If they fought again, it'd be certain defeat.
'Really don't want to face him ever again. Still, it helped a bit...'
It felt like he'd touched the pinnacle of the techniques gained from his fight with Water King Khan, if only slightly.
Just a little more, and he might reach it. Of course, that didn't mean he'd spar again.
Chris stared at the wooden sword for a moment before nodding solemnly with a reverent expression.
"A perfect defeat on my part. Sir Blackguard."
"Where's the win or loss in a spar? As long as we both gain something, that's enough."
"I see. Then, may I request one more bout?"
"No."
Cain nearly agreed out of sheer reflex—it was phrased so naturally, like an invitation to dinner.
Though Chris didn't know it, Cain had already sparred over a hundred times by himself.
And now that the match was finally over, Cain's resolve was firm. He would never spar with this madman again.
But Chris, oblivious to his feelings, simply thought Cain was being petty.
"Sir Blackguard, surely you felt it too. Your sword is crying out right now."
"Sorry, but swords don't cry, Sir Leonhart."
"No, it is definitely crying. You must listen to the sword's voice with your heart."
"......"
What? Was he mocking him? Or was he serious? With anyone else, Cain would've dismissed it as madness.
Unfortunately, his opponent wasn't some ordinary knight but a true master at the pinnacle of martial prowess.
Moreover, he'd read similar lines in novels before. Granted, they were wuxia, a different genre...
On a whim, Cain closed his eyes quietly and focused all his senses on the sword.
But moments later, he opened them again and smiled brightly.
"The sword says it hates it."
He might not have heard the sword's voice, but at least the voice of his own heart rang clear.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Chris von Leonhart had been defeated. The rumor had already spread throughout the entire Renheim territory.
Not only the empire's nobles but even those from the kingdom who had defected to the empire were greatly shocked by the result.
Who was Chris von Leonhart? The empire's youngest master and an unparalleled genius.
A man with the moniker Sword Maniac to boot. Sure, it was just a light spar,
but defeating Sword Maniac in a swordfight was undoubtedly no easy feat.
Yet Cain had somehow pulled it off. And he was paying the price for it in real time.
Sword Maniac.
A madman literally obsessed with the sword. Even so, was it right to call a master that?
At least, that's what he'd thought at first. But after experiencing it firsthand, Cain realized the hard truth.
"Sir Blackguard! Good morning."
"Good morning."
"So, how about a spar?"
Ah.
He really is a madman.
Three days. In just three days, he'd already run into Chris over twenty times. And each time, he'd been invited to spar.
With no intention of ending his own life, Cain refused every time.
"Sir Blackguard."
"Would you kindly impart some guidance?"
"......"
Why are you all doing this too?
Even the Dragon Knight Order members had started seeking instruction from Cain.
At this point, Cain wished they'd just let him ignore them cleanly. Damn it all.
Forget Chris—even the Dragon Knight Order members were each too formidable to dismiss lightly.
'Now I see the Dragon Knight Order is just a bunch of lunatics.'
This wouldn't do. He needed a countermeasure before that sparring monster devoured him.
At first, he'd tried responding politely to maintain good relations. After all, it was a master.
But sadly, staying on good terms was proving too burdensome.
In the end, Cain had no choice but to concoct a plausible excuse to refuse spars.
Cain called Chris to the training grounds. It was to settle things between just the two of them.
Once again, Cain faced Chris. But this time, he had no intention of picking up a wooden sword.
"Sir Leonhart, why do you wield a sword? Simply because you love it?"
"Yes. Nothing brings more joy or is more lovable than the sword. Don't you agree?"
"I, on the other hand, fear the sword."
Chris looked at Cain with wide, startled eyes at the completely unexpected answer.
It was meant to shake him off, but it was also sincere in its own way.
Cain feared the sword. How could he not, after dying by it so many times?
"It can so easily take a person's life—that's why I fear the sword."
"Th-Then why do you wield one?"
"To protect my people."
That's right. He feared the sword and feared death. Yet Cain wielded it anyway. Just to protect his own.
He didn't want his loved ones to suffer this fear, this pain. For that simple reason, he took up the sword.
Perhaps because the reason was so unimaginable, Chris showed a shocked expression for the first time.
"Before I arrived, the people of Renheim lost loved ones nearly every day. They couldn't even bury the bodies."
"......"
"I swore to draw my sword only for such people. The previous spar was just out of courtesy..."
In simpler terms... He was politely and plausibly saying he was too busy to spar.
With that much said, he'd probably get the hint. Thinking so, Cain turned to leave.
But he had no idea about the madness Chris held for the sword...
"I understand perfectly."
"Then..."
"In the end, it means the scum of the Demon Realm are the root of all evil."
"......Well, yes?"
"So, if we eliminate all those scum, we can spar."
Cain was speechless at Chris's gaze, burning with zeal.
If he said yes, the man might really charge into the Demon Realm alone.