Chapter 157: What Kind of Nonsense Is That? (1)
Chapter 157: What Kind of Nonsense Is That? (1)
Matthew and Isabella practically crawled as they retreated to the edge of the training ground.
They were so exhausted they didn't even want to lift a finger, but they had to move now.
The real main event was about to begin.
"Well, then..."
Patrick walked to the center and drew his sword.
"Shall we begin today's session?"
"Let's."
An explosive momentum erupted from Marquis Raines.
It was a sincere display of fighting spirit, something he hadn't shown at all while facing Matthew and Isabella earlier.
Furthermore, he was now fully armed, even holding a kite shield—something he hadn't bothered with against the other two.
Seeing the intense fire in the Marquis's eyes, Patrick shrugged.
"Whoa, whoa. Let’s relax. This is just a spar, you know."
"..."
Patrick told him to ease up, but the Marquis had no intention of listening.
The spirit dwelling in his gaze as he looked at Patrick went beyond mere seriousness; it felt like the aura of a life-or-death battle.
Today is the day...
For the past week, he had sparred with Patrick every single day.
The results had been disastrous—total defeat.
Setting aside winning or losing, his sword hadn't even managed to touch Patrick's body.
Marquis Raines was a powerhouse who had reached the 7-Star realm.
Thus, he had known for a long time that Patrick was stronger than him.
But he hadn't realized the gap was this wide.
Power, speed, technique.
He had tried various ways to gain the upper hand, but not a single one worked.
To Marquis Raines, Patrick was a massive, insurmountable cliff.
However...
"Phew... Here I go."
That was precisely why he liked it.
The momentum radiating from his body rose even higher.
It was better to stand before a clearly visible cliff, no matter how daunting, than to wander through the years seeing nothing ahead.
That cliff was whispering to him.
Come. Strike me. Only then can you become stronger.
Patrick gave a playful smirk and beckoned the Marquis with his hand.
"Bring it on."
"Haaah!"
Boom!
As the two collided, the training ground began to crumble once again.
In an instant, an exchange of over a hundred clashes unfolded.
Patrick calmly defended against the Marquis's rough and violent onslaught, occasionally keeping him on edge with sharp counterattacks.
Every time Patrick’s sword lunged, the Marquis’s flow of attack was severed, yet he refused to give up and kept charging in.
It was clearly the sword of a challenger.
Patrick could have easily suppressed the Marquis, but he played along as much as possible, letting the exchange exceed three hundred clashes.
After about an hour of this...
"Let's end this now."
With those words, Patrick’s sword traced a large semi-circle and flew toward the Marquis.
Unlike Patrick’s usual lightning-fast strikes, this blow was somewhat slow and even felt heavy.
The Marquis didn't take it lightly; he concentrated his Aura Blade into his kite shield to block it.
The moment Patrick’s sword made contact with the shield...
Thump!
"Urgh..."
A sound like a massive drum being struck echoed through the air.
The Marquis felt a shockwave bypass his shield and surge directly into him.
The result...
Bang!
With the sound of something exploding, the Marquis was sent flying as if he’d been kicked by a horse’s hind legs.
He tumbled all the way to the corner of the training ground.
"Cough... Urgh..."
The Marquis tried to stagger to his feet.
But his body wouldn't listen.
His head spun as if he were suffering from severe motion sickness, and the mana inside him was in total disarray.
Patrick spoke to the struggling Marquis.
"Don't force yourself up. Settle your mana first."
"Phew... Understood."
He had no choice.
Accepting his defeat, the Marquis wiped the blood trickling from his mouth and began to regulate the mana within his body.
After a few breaths of meditation, he forced himself upright and asked, "What kind of technique was that? I clearly blocked it with my shield, yet the impact penetrated through?"
"It's called Mountain-Penetrating Strike."
"What is that?"
"Eh, you don't need to know. Explaining it is a hassle..."
"..."
The Marquis sighed and shook his head.
How is this possible? How?
It was the same today as it had been before.
Sparring with Patrick felt like witnessing a whole new world.
Watching him wield a sword while muttering incomprehensible terms like 'Softness Overcomes Hardness' or 'Grafting Flowers to Trees' was almost hypnotic.
Was such a thing even possible with a sword?
Why didn't I ever think of that?
Patrick continuously demonstrated mysterious techniques that left the Marquis in awe.
There was no doubt that Patrick Schneider was a genius. However...
Is this even possible just by being a genius?
It didn't make sense.
Each of the techniques Patrick had shown was the kind of system that an unparalleled genius would have to spend a lifetime practicing to establish.
No matter how gifted one was, was it really possible to create dozens of such secret techniques?
If he were older, maybe...
But the Patrick before him was only nineteen.
At nineteen, the Marquis had also been called a genius and was far ahead of his peers.
But he couldn't even begin to compare himself to Patrick.
The word 'genius' was far too modest to describe this monster's abilities.
"Phew..."
I must learn as much as I can while he's here.
As the Marquis was lost in thought, Patrick spoke up.
"We're leaving now."
"I see... Wait, what?"
"We've stayed long enough. The wine cellar is almost empty, anyway."
"You finished all of it?"
"Yep."
Marquis Raines didn't particularly enjoy drinking.
Consequently, his cellar was packed with alcohol gifted to him by others.
Gifts that had accumulated for over thirty years.
He emptied that in a single week?
At this point, the Marquis wondered if Patrick's drinking capacity was even more impressive than his swordsmanship.
No, more importantly...
"Is there a need to leave so soon? Stay a bit longer."
"No thanks."
A flat refusal.
But the Marquis was desperate.
"Half a year—no, just two more months. If you spar with me a bit more, I might finally grasp something."
He wasn't just earnest; he was practically begging.
Considering the status Marquis Raines held in the Decatur Kingdom, this was no small matter.
Patrick looked at the Marquis and thought, This old man is starving for growth.
It wasn't that he didn't understand.
For those at a high realm, the difference between having a visible goal—even a faint one—and having nothing at all was astronomical. However...
"If you overeat, you'll get indigestion."
"Grrr..."
The Marquis could only swallow a groan at Patrick's words.
It had been a short time, but Patrick had already shown him plenty.
He had opened up a new world by demonstrating various techniques the Marquis had never even imagined.
And if Patrick were to ask him right now...
Do you even understand the techniques I used on you?
Would he be able to answer?
Of course not.
The spars from the past week were things the Marquis would have to chew over and study for the rest of his life.
It was doubtful how many he could actually salvage and make his own. Ultimately...
"It is my own greed, then."
At the Marquis's resigned remark, Patrick gave a bright smile.
"I like that you're a quick study."
"..."
The look in Patrick's eyes was like a senior looking down at a junior and thinking, Good lad, you're doing well.
"Are you sure you're more than thirty years younger than me?"
"Ahem, what kind of nonsense is that to say to a vigorous nineteen-year-old youth?"
"..."
Something was subtly suspicious.
The Marquis sighed and said, "Anyway, I've received so much that I can't just let you go empty-handed. Is there anything you need?"
"Plenty."
Not 'Yes,' but 'Plenty.'
For a moment, the Marquis wondered if he'd spoken too soon, but Patrick wasn't one to miss such an opening.
"My, my, look at the generosity of our Marquis. I won't even mention the travel expenses, as I'm sure you'll provide a hefty amount as a basic courtesy."
"How much is 'hefty'?"
"Oh, come now. I'm not some materialistic person; how could I put a price on it? I'll just accept whatever your 'sincerity' dictates. Your sin-cer-i-ty, Marquis."
"..."
Just give me a number, you brat.
As the Marquis felt his blood pressure rising, Patrick continued.
"First, you'll write me a border pass, right?"
"I can do that."
"And write me a letter of guarantee as well."
"A letter of guarantee?"
A truly ominous term had surfaced.
To the wary Marquis, Patrick smiled as if it were nothing.
"Hahaha. It's no big deal. Just a document stating that Marquis Raines will take responsibility and vouch for my actions within the Decatur Kingdom."
"How is that 'no big deal'?"
"Ahem, Marquis, do you not trust me? You trust me, right? You do, don't you?"
"No, it's just..."
"If you trust someone, you can vouch for them, put your house up as collateral—that's how it works. That's what makes the world a beautiful place where we help each other."
"..."
Sounds more like a world where people go bankrupt.
Ignoring the Marquis's strange look, Patrick pressed on.
"But that's not the most important thing."
"There's something more important?"
"Yes. Please write me some recommendation letters."
"Recommendation letters? For what?"
"Dustin Lobsky and Riona Mayvers."
The names came out of nowhere.
Upon hearing them, the Marquis's expression shifted.
"Wait, are you perhaps..."
"I'm planning to have a go at those two as well."
"..."
"I figured it would be more convenient to have a recommendation from you rather than just barging in."
"Are you serious?"
The two Patrick mentioned were the other 7-Star knights residing in the Decatur Kingdom.
One was Marquis Dustin Lobsky, known as the 'Spear of Decatur.'
The other was Duke Riona Mayvers, the 'Queen Knight' and the idol of every female knight in the kingdom.
"You intend to fight them too?"
"Of course."
At Patrick's answer, the Marquis thought for a moment before sighing and shaking his head.
"It will be difficult."
"Why do you think so?"
"There's no guarantee the other 7-Star knights will accept a spar as readily as I did. Given their positions, they might value their honor more than practical gain."
"Well, that's true."
They were knights of another nation.
To be more precise, they had a lot to lose by being defeated by a greenhorn who hadn't even received a knighthood.
However, Patrick hadn't made this plan without considering that.
"That's why I need your recommendation letter."
"It's better than going empty-handed, but there's no guarantee it will work."
"It'll work. Because for them, they have nothing to lose."
"What do you mean by that?"
At the Marquis's question, Patrick flashed a wicked smile.
"Marquis, why haven't you sparred with the other two 7-Star knights in your own country?"
"That's... because we each have our positions, don't we?"
"Exactly. You have your reputations and positions to consider, and the kingdom wouldn't allow it because it would be troublesome if one of you got hurt."
The Marquis nodded.
If one of the nation's 7-Star knights were seriously injured or killed during a spar, it would be a massive loss for the country.
Why on earth would the state permit a duel between 7-Stars?
"A duel between 7-Stars is normally impossible. But what if I'm the one in the middle?"
"Hmm..."
"I've already beaten you."
"That is true."
"In that case, the moment they beat me, they prove they are stronger than you."
"..."
"And even if they lose, it's not that big of a loss. Because you've already lost too."
"Ah..."
The Marquis couldn't help but nod. It certainly made sense. However...
"You've overlooked an important point."
"Oh? What's that?"
"Don't underestimate the loyalty of my knights."
"What do they have to do with this?"
"They would never go elsewhere and speak of my defeat. So how would rumors even spread?"
It was a boast from a man who had absolute confidence in his subordinates. However...
"What kind of nonsense is that?"
He still didn't truly know the man named Patrick Schneider.
"I'm the one who's going to spread it. To everyone, everywhere."
"You little son of a—"
A rather vulgar insult almost escaped the Marquis's lips. He barely managed to restrain himself, pressing a hand to his forehead.
Seeing him like that, Patrick whispered like a devil.
"Think about it. They say joy is doubled when shared, but sorrow or embarrassment should be distributed, right?"
"I don't think that's how the saying goes."
"Ahem, this is the right way. Tsk, tsk. You really don't know how the world works."
"..."
"Honestly, you high-born types don't know a thing about the world even as you age. This is why they say you should seek out hardship while you're young."
"..."
Why am I being lectured by a nineteen-year-old brat?
Life is truly bitter.
Patrick continued to the dazed Marquis.
"I'm going to spread the word everywhere. Imagine if you're the only one who lost. What will people think?"
"Mmm..."
It was obvious. People would judge Marquis Raines as the weakest 7-Star knight in the Decatur Kingdom—perhaps even on the entire continent.
People who didn't know what kind of monster Patrick Schneider was would surely wag their tongues.
"Could you stand that? No, should you stand that? Not just you, but your family's honor would be dragged through the mud."
He couldn't stand it.
How could he possibly endure that?
Just thinking about it made a surge of heat crawl up the back of his neck.
"How should I format the recommendation letters?"
"I've already prepared them. Ace."
"Right here, Young Master."
Ace produced the pre-prepared forms, and Marquis Raines added his name and signature.
Patrick quickly snatched up the letters and said, "Well, I can't make any promises, but if the other 7-Stars are too pathetic when I fight them, I'll slip in a word for you."
"What kind of word?"
Patrick cleared his throat and said, "Tsk, I guess not all 7-Stars are equal. Marquis Raines was actually quite decent."
"Ahem, well, there's no need to go out of your way to cause friction..."
"Oh, should I not do it then?"
"Actually, confirming each other's standing through an accurate evaluation could be a healthy and good motivation for everyone."
"..."
This old man is surprisingly keen on looking out for himself.