Chapter 6
Chapter 6
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: Fate
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“Huff, huff, huff.”
Arthur poured every moment, except for eating and sleeping, into training.
One week after obtaining the mana training method, he reached 2-star.
Using mana dramatically enhanced his physical abilities.
But that power was hard to maintain even for a minute, and reusing it required waiting several hours.
Millerph, who stuck to him like a shadow and watched over him, couldn’t hide his astonishment at the incredible growth rate.
Arthur paid no mind to his reaction and tempered himself harshly.
Then another week passed.
Finally, it arrived.
A messenger from Yarve Count came and relayed Yarve Count’s outrageous words: “The Julius Count Family will soon vanish from the world.”
From then on, he minimized even eating and sleeping with Millerph’s magic, devoting himself solely to training.
Millerph was left dumbfounded by Arthur’s tenacity.
“Heal.”
At Arthur’s word, Millerph cast the spell.
Golden dust-like particles enveloped Arthur’s body and vanished.
The exhausted man stood up abruptly, his breathing calm as if nothing had happened.
Taking a brief break, he gazed out beyond the castle walls.
Children were running around happily, laughing brightly.
Millerph stood beside him, looking at the same sight with a smile.
“You seem truly envious.”
“Yeah.”
“It’s nice to see.”
“I have to protect it somehow.”
Arthur turned around and headed back down without resting even a minute.
“You could rest a bit.”
Millerph followed, worried yet admiring.
Descending from the ramparts, Arthur made his way to the knight training grounds.
After a month of dedicated physical training, he could feel a certain strength building up.
With mana on top of that, he figured he wouldn’t be pushed around easily.
So today, he decided to test just how far his skills had come.
Entering the training grounds, he saw trainees sweating profusely.
“Thrust your sword decisively, without hesitation!”
With the knight’s shout, the men gritted their teeth and swung their swords.
Arthur passed them by and headed to the sparring area.
There, Skevin himself was sparring with the candidates.
“Too slow! You think that’ll take down an enemy?”
Thwack!
A man struck by Skevin’s body slam flew all the way to Arthur’s feet.
Spotting Arthur and Millerph, Skevin quickly straightened his posture and bowed respectfully.
The trainees in the sparring area followed suit, bowing to the two men.
But there was no loyalty toward Arthur.
It was all directed at Millerph.
No one would pledge loyalty to a profligate.
Arthur ignored their reactions and said a word to Skevin.
“From now on, salute with swords in the training grounds.”
“……?”
“It means don’t let your guard down.”
“Understood.”
It wasn’t wrong, so Skevin accepted without argument.
Arthur stood where the weapons were racked.
Mostly spears, swords, shields, and medieval weapons straight out of a movie.
All big and heavy—nothing caught his eye.
“Nothing appealing.”
As he turned to leave, he spotted a dagger on the ground.
He picked it up and swung it around a few times.
“Hmm.”
It was quite different from the ‘kukri’ he’d always used, but it seemed the best option.
To test his level, he approached Skevin.
“Want to spar?”
“With me?”
Skevin made a dumbfounded face.
He’d heard Arthur had been rigorously training his stamina.
His body had gained muscle and looked sturdy—clearly different from before.
But he was still far too weak to face him.
Even without mana, the size difference made it like an adult versus a child.
Sparring would be pointless.
“I’ll find you another opponent. Jonathan.”
Skevin called the man who’d just been flung back.
“Yes!”
The man hurried over.
“Try him.”
“Fine for warming up.”
Arthur smirked and beckoned Jonathan.
Jonathan fixed him with cold eyes and asked Skevin.
“Can I go all out?”
Skevin hesitated.
He knew Arthur had roamed the territory causing trouble.
Most trainees despised and hated him for it.
Even with solo training for a month, he couldn’t match those who’d undergone proper knight training.
One wrong move, and he could get seriously hurt.
“Hmm…….”
As Skevin pondered, Arthur’s voice cut in.
“You’ve got no eye for talent. How do you expect to find any like this?”
Arthur reversed his grip on the dagger.
At the provocation, Skevin’s face hardened slightly as he looked to Jonathan.
“Go for it. But no vital strikes.”
“Understood.”
Jonathan aimed his sword at Arthur and slowly closed the distance.
Everyone in the sparring area turned to watch.
Seeing the anger in Jonathan’s tense eyes, Arthur asked.
“Got some grudge against me?”
Jonathan scowled.
“My little brother got beaten by you for no reason and was bedridden for a month. He still has fits in his sleep just thinking of you.”
“That so.”
“Thinking of my brother…….”
Killing intent emanated from Jonathan.
“I apologize for your brother.”
“……!”
Jonathan’s eyes widened.
“I won’t hold you accountable. Think of it as your chance for revenge—go all out.”
Jonathan’s eyes changed at Arthur’s words.
Sensing the killing intent, Skevin’s face twisted.
“That punk!”
As he moved toward Jonathan, Millerph blocked his path.
“Millerph…….”
“Let it be.”
“The Young Master’s in danger.”
“He’s not as weak as you think.”
“What?”
Skevin looked puzzled and scanned Arthur again.
No matter how he looked, he sensed no strength.
“What makes you say that?”
“Just watch.”
Millerph gave a meaningful smile as he watched Arthur.
Arthur grinned at Jonathan.
‘He’s loosened up a bit.’
He felt the killing intent. But instead of tension, the gaping holes in his stance worried him.
Jonathan seemed decent among the trainees, but he was falling short of expectations, bringing disappointment.
‘At this rate, they’re just a rabble.’
As he drifted into thought, Jonathan charged, thrusting his sword.
“Die!”
Arthur sidestepped effortlessly.
Jonathan whipped his sword sideways.
It sliced only air, not even grazing Arthur’s clothes.
Surprised by the agility, Jonathan sped up further.
Arthur stood his ground, parrying a few strikes with the dagger before darting into his guard like lightning.
“With that skill? No chance.”
He lightly tapped Jonathan’s jaw with his fist.
Thud.
Jonathan crumpled unconscious on the spot.
Skevin, watching, gaped.
No big swing—just a tap, and he went down.
“H-How…….”
“You haven’t disappointed.”
A faint smile crossed Millerph’s face.
“This makes you worth sparring, right?”
At Arthur’s question, Skevin chuckled.
“I’ll humor you.”
He thrust his sword into the ground and approached.
“Bare-handed against me?”
“It’s enough.”
“Interesting.”
Arthur eyed Skevin and tossed the dagger aside.
Thwack!
It embedded in a wooden post.
“Heh…….”
Skevin let out a hollow laugh.
“Don’t disappoint me.”
Arthur smiled meaningfully and closed in on Skevin.
Once in striking range.
“Block this.”
Skevin threw a test punch.
Arthur twisted aside and countered with his own fist.
Thud!
It hit Skevin’s side precisely.
But Skevin smirked and swung his arm.
Whoosh-.
An elbow strike cut through the air.
Arthur raised both arms quickly.
Thud!
The heavy impact pushed him back.
‘What power…….’
Skevin charged like lightning, slamming his shoulder in.
Bam!
Arthur flew back from the blow.
It looked like the fight ended in an instant.
But Arthur sprang up and rushed Skevin.
‘He took that hit?’
As Skevin tilted his head, Arthur’s fist flew at his face.
Skevin deflected it easily.
A kick followed.
This time, he took it head-on, bracing the impact spot.
Crack!
The kick landed on his thigh.
Barely any shock.
But Skevin looked satisfied.
“You’ve gotten noticeably stronger.”
“Talk too much.”
Arthur kicked again.
Bam!
Skevin took it to prove his toughness.
Arthur alternated punches and kicks relentlessly.
Skevin focused solely on effortless defense.
As time passed, Arthur’s attacks sped up. The smile on Skevin’s face gradually faded.
‘What?’
He felt the strikes growing stronger.
Better to retreat—he moved to step back.
“Ugh!”
A sharp pain stabbed his leg.
Seeing Skevin wince, Arthur remarked.
“Finally feeling it, huh.”
“I underestimated you, Young Master.”
Skevin assumed a defensive stance.
He clenched his fists, glaring like a beast eyeing prey.
But Arthur wasn’t intimidated.
He just saw countless openings in Skevin.
“Time to end this?”
“Be careful.”
Skevin drew up half his full power.
Sensing it, Millerph gripped his staff tightly, ready to cast at any moment.
Arthur felt Skevin’s aura shift.
Instinctively, an alarm rang in his head.
‘Then I will too.’
Arthur kicked off the ground and charged.
As Arthur entered range, Skevin’s eyes flashed, and he punched.
Boom!
Air burst as the fist flew.
Arthur simultaneously drew up his mana.
He slapped aside Skevin’s incoming fist, then drove into his guard and struck the abdomen.
Bang!
A massive impact echoed.
But Skevin didn’t fall—instead, he glared murderously.
‘Damn!’
As Arthur tried to retreat, Skevin hammered down with his fist.
Arthur threw both arms up to block over his head.
Boom!
The shock rattled his whole body.
Without mana, he’d have been smashed into the ground.
‘Incredible.’
Before his knees buckled, Arthur kicked Skevin’s abdomen with all his might and escaped.
He quickly reset into attack stance.
“Hmm…….”
Skevin stepped back once.
“C-Captain with…….”
“H-How against the profligate…….”
“No way, right?”
Everyone gasped in disbelief at the scene.
Even Skevin looked slightly shocked.
“Did you just use mana?”
Arthur nodded and asked.
“What if you’d fought seriously from the start?”
“No attack would’ve worked. Even with mana like now.”
“With a sword?”
“……One strike.”
“I see. I’ll come back in a week.”
Arthur walked to the post, pulled out the dagger, and leisurely left the sparring area.