Chapter 268: This Is What Healing Is (2)
Chapter 268: This Is What Healing Is (2)
Hellish training continued day after day.
Every day, the knights were pushed to their physical and mental limits. Once they were so exhausted they couldn't even lift a finger, Patrick would step in for what he called a "check-up"—which really meant he sparred with them personally.
To an outsider, the fact that Patrick Schneider—a man praised for having pioneered, and now even surpassed, the Supreme Realm—was personally sparring with them might seem like an incredible luxury, but…
‘Those damn bastards…’
‘People who say that should try it themselves.’
‘I want to quit being a knight.’
From the perspective of the knights on the receiving end, it simply meant getting beaten to within an inch of their lives.
And today, Patrick’s sword was once again battering the knights without mercy.
In the midst of it all…
“Aaaaaaaaah!”
The state of the Knight Captain, Sanson Kainel, was unusual.
He was charging like a madman, and his condition seemed precarious.
“Hmm…”
Thwack! Bam! Crack!
Patrick’s sword, swung lightly, struck Sanson in high, middle, and low successions. However, Sanson only staggered for a moment before charging at Patrick again.
And bit by bit, he began to dodge and block Patrick’s attacks.
He even managed to…
Zip!
Without even retracting his blocked sword, Sanson thrust forward, and his blade grazed Patrick’s cheek.
“Young Master!”
April tried to intervene hurriedly, but Patrick held out a hand to stop her.
With a serious expression, he began to properly engage Sanson’s sword.
Clang! Boom! Crash!
The surging aura from Sanson’s sword left terrifying marks of destruction on the training ground as he pressed Patrick.
Patrick countered those attacks with sword qi that was just a little…
Just a tiny bit stronger, matching Sanson’s offensive.
‘This might actually work.’
There was no stray thought in Sanson’s expression.
He was simply manifesting the sword paths as they were engraved into his body.
Patrick knew exactly what this meant.
‘Yes. That’s it.’
The corners of Patrick’s mouth curled up.
Forget. Forget the obsession with becoming stronger, and forget the fear of the opponent.
Just the sword. Only the sword.
Sword. Sword. Sword. Sword. Sword.
One must believe that only the sword and oneself exist in this world.
The moment of Unity of Selflessness.
Right now, Sanson had encountered a true stroke of luck, the kind that might come only once in a lifetime.
And finally…
Shriiiing!
A vivid Aura Blade formed on Sanson’s twin swords.
The Aura Blade, the symbol of the Supreme Realm, manifested on Sanson’s blades at that very moment.
“Oh… Ohhh?”
“An Aura Blade?”
“Captain!”
The moment they saw Sanson’s Aura Blade, every member of the Double Dragon Knights erupted in cheers.
Patrick’s excitement also reached its peak.
“Excellent!”
Patrick also drew out an Aura Blade on his sword and took a stance.
“Take this, Sir Kainel!”
A posture where the twin swords were crossed behind his back, aimed at the enemy.
There wasn't a single person in the Double Dragon Knights who didn't know what that stance meant.
“Gasp!”
“Y-Young Lord!”
“Nooooo!”
Twin Dragons Eight Sword Styles.
Second Style.
Great Dragon Cross Sword.
One of Patrick’s specialties, a powerful technique capable of cleanly quartering even giant monsters.
That terrifying technique was unleashed toward Sanson, who had only just manifested his Aura Blade.
And Sanson…
“Hyaaaah!”
Twin Dragons Eight Sword Styles.
Second Style.
Great Dragon Cross Sword.
An eye for an eye.
A tooth for a tooth.
He countered with the exact same technique.
The massive cross-shaped slashes collided and crossed each other.
Boom! Rumble! Crash!
The result was…
“Huff… Huff…”
A mutual cancellation.
Though he was now slumped over from exhaustion, Sanson had succeeded in taking Patrick’s Great Dragon Cross Sword head-on.
Patrick looked at Sanson, rested his twin swords on his shoulders, and smirked.
“How does it feel?”
“Young… Lord?”
“Congratulations.”
And with his strength completely spent, Sanson collapsed onto the ground.
It was the moment another knight who had pioneered the 7-Star Realm was born in the Schneider Duchy.
“Whoa… Finally? Finally!”
“I knew the Captain would pull it off someday, but…”
“It actually works.”
The knights couldn't easily calm their excitement.
That Sanson Kainel had manifested an Aura Blade.
The Aura Blade itself wasn't surprising. They had lived watching Patrick carve up monsters with an Aura Blade since his teens. And they had seen April, a girl much younger than them, overtake them with her nonsensical talent.
But Sanson was different.
Of course, Sanson was also a genius with exceptional talent, but unlike the previous two, his talent was within the bounds of common sense.
If Patrick was an object of envy who led from the front, Sanson was someone who stood by their side, shoulder to shoulder, walking the path with them.
And that Sanson had manifested an Aura Blade.
‘Me too… someday…’
‘I can do it. We can do it too.’
‘For sure…’
The knights clenched their fists, their faces set with determination.
Just as they were all becoming one, filled with hope and motivation…
“Aaaaaaaah! No! This isn't right! It shouldn't be like this!”
There’s always someone who ruins the mood at times like this.
Everyone’s gaze turned toward the familiar voice. And there…
“What’s wrong with him now?”
“Who knows? Is it just a day or two?”
“He’s overshadowed by the Young… the Young Lord, but he’s a weird one too.”
Oliver A was clutching his head with both hands and screaming.
Seeing this, one person approached him and asked.
“Hey, Knight A. What’s the matter all of a sudden?”
Hoping to find out the reason, he spoke to him, and Oliver replied with tears streaming down his face.
“You idiot! Don't you get it? Didn't you feel anything seeing Brother Sanson… seeing the Captain reach the 7-Star Realm?”
“Is it jealousy, perhaps?”
“You crazy bastard, what are you talking about jealousy for? I’m saying Brother Sanson reached the 7-Star Realm!”
“I know? Isn't it a good thing?”
“How is this a good thing?! It’s proof that the theory of that Great Demon who crawled out of hell is correct!”
“…Huh?”
In that moment, everyone realized.
The moment Sanson manifested his Aura Blade was so moving that they hadn't noticed, but this ultimately proved that Patrick’s training method was correct.
In other words, the justification and validity for continuing this hellish training…
“Wait, wait a minute!”
“No. This isn't right.”
“Where’s the correlation? Where’s the proof that this nonsense led to the Captain’s advancement in realm?”
No matter how desperately they tried to deny reality…
“Hehehe. Yes. It seems you all have realized it as well.”
Patrick Schneider had already finished assessing the situation.
“Now you see, don't you? If you do as I say, good things will happen even while you sleep, and you’ll reach 7-Star even while playing around.”
“……”
“……”
They really hated this.
Do you know what’s the worst part?
It was that, deep down, they all admitted that the theory of that Great Demon from hell was correct.
“In the end, humans are meant to surpass their limits the more they are pushed. Hehehe… Now then, what should we do next? Hmm?”
“Young Lord. Please calm down.”
“No. This isn't right.”
“I’m just going to quit being a kni—Aaaaaah!”
Boom!
Patrick’s sword qi exploded against the back of the one trying to run away. Then…
“Now, let’s all happily surpass our limits together!”
“I said I hate it, you bastard!”
“Just go back to hell already!”
The knights of the Schneider Territory were gradually becoming stronger.
* * *
The Yuzef Kingdom.
Once, it was a weak nation known as one of the "Four Eastern Medicines" on the continent, but its status had now completely changed.
It had become a great power occupying a territory larger than the Empire.
All of this was an achievement accomplished in less than ten years since one man ascended the throne.
The Overlord, Sieriion Byssus Yuzef.
The world called him a monarch superior to the Emperor of the Empire and evaluated him as a knight comparable to the Double Dragons of the Schneider Duchy.
And on the other hand, they were envious.
How glamorous and enjoyable must the life of an Overlord be, having everything so perfectly?
But they didn't know.
The daily life of Overlord Sieriion was not that glamorous.
“Your Majesty, your meal is served.”
“Mm. Thank you.”
Rye bread, soup with a bit of meat, freshly made butter, and a vegetable salad.
It was a meal prepared with care, but it didn't seem like the meal of a king ruling the largest land on the continent.
However, Sieriion ate such a meal without any discomfort. He was even looking over official documents placed to one side while he ate.
Then…
“Tell Count Lobski that I will issue national bonds, so he should release more of his private funds. And since the Magellan Kingdom is trying to raise food prices, call the ambassador for me.”
“Yes. Understood.”
He gave instructions even in the gaps between bites.
The red-haired woman sitting next to the Overlord, eating with him and watching the scene, shook her head.
“Can't you leave work alone during mealtime?”
Catherina bin Flame.
No, she was now Catherina bin Yuzef.
More famously known by her alias, the Salamander Princess, she sighed toward the Overlord.
To which the Overlord replied…
“Mm, I’m sorry, my lady. I would like to do so as well, but it seems difficult for the time being.”
“……”
“I apologize for not being able to spend our time together more fully. Once the domestic situation improves and I have more time, I will not commit such rudeness. Please understand, just for a while.”
“…I’m not blaming you. I’m just worried.”
Catherina said, shaking her head.
In truth, she didn't dislike this side of the Overlord. No, rather, she respected it.
As a former princess of the Flame Kingdom, she knew the life of royalty well.
They would attend to state affairs for a few hours a day, but most of their remaining time was poured into their own hobbies, and every single aspect of their lifestyle reached the height of luxury.
The Flame Kingdom was also a small nation constantly exhausting its national power acting as a breakwater against the Great Forest, and the lives of the people were difficult.
However, her family, the royalty, always lived abundant and luxurious lives.
She had grown up accepting that as natural, but the more she learned about reality as she grew older, the more dissatisfied she became.
The reality where royalty threw away 90 percent of their meals while there were children begging for food on the streets.
The princes who sent horses that could be used as warhorses as gifts to noble ladies, even while the knights guarding the Great Forest pleaded for more weapons.
Every single one of those things was quite displeasing.
But she couldn't say anything.
After all, she herself, as one of the princesses of the royal family, wore expensive clothes, ate good food, and lived a luxurious life to maintain her dignity.
She had thought that was bitter yet natural.
However, after watching the Overlord from his side, she realized anew.
Nothing in the world was natural.
The problems she had agonized and conflicted over were things that could be changed as much as one wanted if one tried.
The Overlord lived a frugal life himself and devoted himself to his duties as a king, sleeping only four hours a day.
Even when he took a short break to eat or drink tea like now, there were always official documents around him.
The only time he truly let go of work was when he sweated and trained with the knights.
And she realized.
The harder the king worked, the more comfortable and better the lives of the people became.
The people of the Flame Kingdom, her former homeland, were already praising the Overlord.
The Overlord who was once their enemy and had destroyed their country.
After he became king, he wiped out the corrupt nobles and used the wealth confiscated from them to help the commoners, and the lives of the people actually became much better.
Catherina felt like she had met the ideal king she had imagined.
Even though he was the person who had destroyed her country, he was someone she couldn't help but sincerely respect.
And the Overlord always treated her with utmost courtesy and gentleness when dealing with her personally.
Objectively speaking, Catherina was like a spoil of war obtained after conquering the Flame Kingdom.
Even if things might change once a child was born between them and that child was officially designated as the successor, until then, she was merely the princess of a defeated enemy nation.
But the Overlord showed no rudeness in treating her and was always respectful.
‘…How can such a man exist?’
To Catherina, the Overlord was a perfect man.
That was why, during the war, she had personally persuaded her former subordinates and the 7-Star knights from the Flame Kingdom, including her master, to participate in the battles.
Thanks to that, the knights of the Flame Kingdom had now settled into the Yuzef Kingdom without much discrimination.
Though they were once in a position like cuckoos in a nest, they were now properly finding their place under the Yuzef Kingdom.
And all of this was thanks to the Overlord’s great vessel.
Under the name of the Yuzef Kingdom, figures from the conquered nations were finding their places one by one.
Even the knights of the recently conquered Decatur Kingdom and Caesar Kingdom were swearing loyalty to the Overlord one after another.