Chapter 86
Chapter 86
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 86
Chapter Title: Captain's Challenge
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Clunk!
The carriage jolted hard, probably from hitting a rock. Brans, who was driving the horses, glanced nervously inside, but Kallias said nothing, lost in thought.
'The situation has changed a lot.'
The North, which should have collapsed, hadn't. The Empire's vanguard, who should have been rampaging, had lost their momentum because of Kallias's Judgment Sword.
Already, so much had changed.
And now, the emergence of game knowledge he didn't know.
That didn't make what he already knew worthless, but it meant he couldn't guarantee it anymore.
'Is it okay to keep going like this?'
The answer was no.
Until now, he'd only grown stronger alone.
No one cared for a wastrel, so standing alone hadn't been a choice—it had been mandatory.
But things were different now.
When one's strength fell short, when there were tasks beyond one's reach—people formed groups for those times.
Because one person alone couldn't do much.
Kallias knew the paths most beings in Carpe would take. If he preemptively recruited them into his own faction, they could become a formidable force.
His thoughts reached that point, and Kallias looked up at the twins.
'They're not useless.'
Unlike Brans, who was just watching his mood.
Raising these two would be a gain.
Orphin still had room to grow, and the twins had even greater potential.
Rivan and Rini.
Upon reaching adulthood, they would head west and rack up major achievements on the Empire's front lines.
The scenario had changed drastically, and there was no such thing as a "Kallias route" anymore—he'd derailed it that much—but their potential hadn't vanished.
So they were worth raising.
More than Brans.
'But they're a hassle.'
They had value to cultivate.
But he didn't want to do it himself.
Who knew when they'd mature enough to be truly useful? And for that vague future, was he supposed to neglect his own training to help them?
Especially when his own training had hit a wall.
And kids were annoying anyway.
'Should I send them to the academy?'
If it was just providing aid, it wouldn't be a big deal.
He'd originally considered sending Emily there to broaden her horizons, but then Rivan and Rini had shown up.
If he refused as they begged, they might really die.
He didn't particularly care if they lived or died, but they'd fought alongside him in the battlefield, if only briefly.
And they wouldn't be useless later, so aiding them for Carpe's sake wasn't a bad deal.
"Orphin."
"Yes, speak."
"I'm sending Rivan and Rini to the Royal Academy. Handle the paperwork and supplies needed."
"R-Really!?"
Not just Rini—even Rivan jumped in surprise, eyes wide. They hadn't expected him to go that far.
Orphin was delighted as if it were her own business.
"It's not just to study swordsmanship."
"Then...?"
"The Royal Academy has many noble children belonging to Carpe. Among them, you need to build ties with the specific nobles' children I'll name."
It was a kind of deal.
He would support the twins.
In return, they would form connections with noble children useful to him.
Those connections would naturally return to him later, so in the long run, it benefited everyone.
"Some will be helpful, some won't. Rini, you'll connect with the helpful ones. Rivan, you'll befriend the unhelpful ones."
"......"
"W-What? Unhelpful ones...?"
He'd debated saying it, but since they'd find out anyway, he revealed his intentions.
"Rivan, the nobles' children you'll befriend are all sons of the corrupt bastards I plan to execute down the line."
"......"
Rivan's face went pale.
Kallias was basically telling Rivan to gather dirt on them.
"Your mission will be heavy, so if you don't want it, say so now. If not you, then..."
"Not Rini. I'll do it."
He'd baited her lightly, and she took it.
Was it a brother thing?
The corrupt nobles' kids would mostly take after their parents—arrogant brats—and Rivan would fit right in.
He was a cheeky one himself.
Anyway, all Rivan had to do was pass along bits of info about their parents.
Then Kallias would cut those parents down, which might give Rivan some guilt, or even put him in danger—but that wasn't his problem.
"It's a deal, then."
"Yeah, a deal."
The twins would use him.
He would use them.
Just a transaction—no debts held onto the heart.
Rivan extended his hand.
Like he wanted a handshake to seal the deal. Cocky to the end.
"Handshake. It's a deal."
Kallias snorted.
The brat still had his pride stuck in his throat, stiff as ever.
"Put it away. Handshakes are for equals. Don't forget your place."
Rivan flushed red, clenching his fist.
But it was necessary.
The boy's arrogant personality needed some fixing.
"We're here, sir!"
"Then that's the end of it. You're not the only rude one."
As they disembarked, the Heretic Inquisitors of the 6th Squad glared at him with hostile eyes.
These guys or those—no difference.
"Cheeky bastard."
Arrogant gazes only.
It looked like he'd have to use some force today.
* * *
"Here you are, sir."
"Hm."
Sparring with plain iron swords.
No other rules.
"Dingo, was it?"
"It's Diego."
The 6th Squad's vice-captain.
Diego.
He had neatly trimmed blue hair, and aside from a scar on his cheek, he looked ordinary.
"Diego. One question. Why pull this crap?"
What he wanted was the right not to obey Kallias's orders.
Or whatever nonsense.
If he'd at least asked for the captain's seat, it might make sense.
So he asked.
What was the intent?
Diego, holding his iron sword at an angle, fixed bloodshot eyes on him and answered.
"I know. You killed our captain."
Kallias flinched inwardly but didn't show it.
"How do you know?"
"Prove you didn't. With that fancy Judgment Sword of yours."
"No need."
"Can't, huh? Hypocrite bastard. I already checked the captain's body. His neck had marks like a beast's work, but elsewhere—not so much."
There were sword wounds.
"Only you could've done it."
"I see."
"You admit it?"
"What if I do?"
He could claim it was a duel of swords. The Church wouldn't make an issue of it.
Plus, he was now captain, and Viscount Jervan—no big deal.
And.
'Druma and Ryburn were doomed anyway.'
Those two were goners regardless.
No one in the world doesn't die, but those two had tight ties to the radicals—they'd end up dead by his hand later anyway.
Or during the rebellion.
Either way, they had to go.
The archbishop would scheme soon, and they were his pawns.
"I'll have revenge."
"You got the skill?"
"Plenty!"
Whoosh-!
He sidestepped the swung sword at an angle.
Killing intent thick.
Even in sparring.
Absurd—he shot a glance at Jenos standing idly by.
"You're just letting this happen?"
"It's fun, so yeah."
Jenos smirked weirdly, leaving it be.
The Judgment guy was crazy too—unbelievable, but nothing for it.
'I'll smash him.'
All because they underestimated him.
They saw an opening and barked without knowing their place. Show overwhelming difference, then.
He might be at a wall now, but he was nowhere near their level.
Vice-captain Diego was skilled among paladins, but.
"Still just vice-captain level."
Even that was weaker than a captain.
* * *
The situation flowed strangely.
The crowd openly clamoring to kill Kallias had fallen silent.
"......"
"......"
In the suffocating silence.
Only the two kids Kallias brought chattered excitedly, like it was a show.
"Did you see?"
"Yeah. The viscount spun his sword, so Blue Uncle swung down with both hands but hit the ground."
Rivan and Rini, perched in a tree peeking at the spar, buzzed with thrill watching Kallias's sword.
Rivan had been mocked with a fork before, but no one forgot his feats in the North.
Called a hero of the North, they disdained him personally but couldn't help respecting him as a knight.
Orphin looked up at the noisy twins in fresh surprise.
'He's grown stronger since then.'
More refined swordplay than in the North.
Before, it was raw power and speed; now, slower and weaker-looking—but more efficient.
Unnecessary force gone? Using the opponent's strength against them?
"Looks like he's playing."
Diego seemed to press fiercely, Kallias on the defensive.
But really, Diego was panicking.
Minimal movement. Minimal force to deflect and block.
Frustrated foes use big moves—then Kallias poked the openings.
"Huff, huff. Hoo—"
Stamina gap obvious.
Diego drew holy power for attacks; Kallias didn't.
Barely any holy power used at all.
"This is..."
"The Jervan wastrel?"
Like an adult humoring a child.
Kallias remained utterly nonchalant to Diego's assaults.
Relaxed against any strike, not even drawing holy power.
How could the skill gap be this wide?
"Paladins' problem. Rely on holy power, neglect body training. That's why they're gasping at this level."
Kallias leisurely raised his sword.
Diego foamed at the mouth at the teaching-like attitude.
"Shut up!"
But victory unchanged.
Kallias dully deflected and repelled Diego's wild boar charges.
Clang-!
Whirl, thunk-
Repelled sword stabbed the ground. Diego knelt simultaneously.
"Pathetic skill. Druma might've settled, but not me. If the vice-captain's this weak, I can guess the rest without looking."
"Eek..."
The squad members, gloomily watching their vice-captain's defeat, flared with anger.
"Unjust? If so, come up and swing like your vice-captain. But this won't be a friendly spar."
Duel.
A Church duel where death was fine.
Not with toy iron swords—with Carcass Swords.
"......"
"......"
Insulted.
But none stepped up.
If even vice-captain Diego was crushed like that, what could regular knights do?
"Vermin. I was the fool thinking you might be useful. Like captain, like men."
At the sharp insult, all gripped their sheathed swords.
But Kallias just mocked them. Gripping swords didn't mean they'd step up.
Step up, and they wouldn't leave alive.
He'd shown the power gap already.
"Unjust? Power's like that. Why do we lag behind the Empire? Swords weaker than spears? No. We're just weak. Why you sit through my insults? Because you're weak."
The weak can't even whimper.
That's human nature. That's the law.
The strong stand tall before the weak; the weak cower endlessly before the strong.
Eyes down, body shrunk, resentment full—but unspoken.
Tail-between-legs dogs.
That's Carpe now.
"No matter how the Empire ravages the kingdom, we just defend. No matter their vile words, we stoically endure."
Powerless nations suffer like this.
Wasn't always so.
Centuries ago, swords and spears were equal. We even had the edge.
But the Empire devoured others, grew strong, expanded.
Carpe didn't.
Small difference.
Carpe had power but didn't use it. So it came to this.
"How long will we live like this?"
"Then what should we do!"
One Heretic Inquisitor shouted.
Near tears.
A sensitive paladin.
"Simple. Get stronger."
"We train every day!"
"Then your methods are wrong."
Kallias stopped there. A good idea had struck him.
'Wrong training methods.'
He was at a wall now. Tried everything—no budge.
Without Death-Time Insight's power, no way through.
'These guys could be test subjects.'
Didn't someone say?
People teach others not for them, but for themselves.
Teaching others lets you know yourself more thoroughly.
"Follow me. Pathetic skills—I'll raise you."
Drip, drip.
Thick raindrops began falling from the darkened sky.
"Those who watched know. I used not a scrap of holy power. How?"
"Your skill's too superior..."
The prostrate vice-captain's glare hit the speaker.
Kallias smashed a fist into Diego's face.
Thud!
"Urk!"
"Right. But only half. My base physical abilities are higher. Even if you boost your bodies with holy power, it's no different from mine. So who has the edge?"
"You, Captain."
Captain, huh.
Kallias nodded, hiding a smile.
Easily forgotten fact.
What do they use holy power for?
Mostly to enhance sword skills or massively boost physical prowess.
But they neglect body training in reality.
Praying, invoking gods to raise holy power quality over flesh—inefficient for most.
"And your cultivation methods are garbage."
"But we..."
All Church-taught, probably.
But garbage.
Basic holy power cultivation was pathetically inefficient.
"Then you'll teach us, Captain?"
"No thanks to that hassle. Though I'll spar occasionally."
"......"
Squad faces twisted further.
Won't teach, just insults—and now harassment disguised as spars?
"Instead, figure it out yourselves."
"...?"
Humiliation-shaking faces lifted slightly.
"Think, discuss, practice. Challenge those above, prove you've improved."
Swordsmanship wasn't taught.
It was realized and embodied oneself.
Kallias would have them face swordsmanship's essence.
"I won't force you."
However.
"If you want power, follow. No regrets. And anyone here who beats me in a duel gets the captain's seat."
With that.
Kallias left without lingering.