Chapter 87
Chapter 87
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 87
Chapter Title: Duel with the Bow Master
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“Steadfast.”
Keda muttered as he gazed up at Arthur on the ramparts.
A week had passed since they had set up camp outside the castle walls.
Not a single day had gone by without observing Arthur.
Without fail, he would ride out on his massive steed at dawn to patrol the territory and return around lunchtime.
No one knew what he did inside the castle, but the ceaseless shouts of the knights training until sunset gave a rough idea.
And as the evening sky turned red, he would climb the ramparts just like now and survey the territory.
It seemed like he ended his day gazing out over the open plains.
This was all that could be observed about him.
They had tried following him during his patrols, but the giant horse was so swift that no ordinary mount could keep up—and the horses panicked in terror just the same.
Instead, information had been gathered from the territory's residents.
He had once been called “Grada's Prodigal,” a total delinquent who ran wild with the local thugs.
But after a major incident, he had changed completely, they said.
Especially after Wesley Julius, the heir to the Julius family, died on a monster subjugation mission—he had become an entirely different person and started leading the family.
Above all, great changes had come to the Julius family since he took the reins.
They didn't elaborate on the details, but the smiles on their faces said enough.
At just 18 years old, he had achieved a great victory against Yarve Count in a territorial war...
It was clear the blood of Teheran Julius, known as the Empire's Spear, flowed in his veins.
He was no ordinary man.
“Arthur Julius...”
As Keda stared at him lost in thought, their eyes met.
He stared straight back without flinching.
‘I will make you choose me without fail.’
He sent a gaze filled with fierce determination.
But Arthur, who had been looking on calmly, turned away without a second thought and vanished.
‘I need to regain my power.’
Keda clenched his fists tightly and resolved himself when a voice called from behind.
“Young Master!”
Keda lingered a moment on where Arthur had stood before heading to the tent.
Inside the tent, over ten men stood ready for the ritual.
On what resembled an altar sat simple offerings of food and fruit.
Keda closed his eyes, clearing his complicated thoughts and emptying his mind.
After a moment.
Keda opened his eyes.
With a calm and solemn expression, he approached the altar and removed the necklace from around his neck, placing it there.
It was a pendant the size of a coin, engraved with rippling waves.
The mark signifying him as heir to the Alpha Family.
Then he sliced his palm with a knife and let the blood drip into an empty bowl before him.
Once it was half full, he placed it on the altar.
All preparations for the ritual were now complete.
Keda knelt, and the men followed suit, their faces grave.
“We shall begin the ritual.”
He spoke in a low voice.
“Benevolent Parthia, we, the descendants of Alpha, beseech your presence as per our oath.”
His voice echoed around them, filling the air with reverence and solemnity.
Time passed.
No change occurred.
Keda continued the ritual silently, chanting in runes.
***
At that moment.
Arthur, descending from the ramparts, headed to the training grounds.
The knights who had finished training were returning to their quarters, while a few remained to spar in pairs.
“You’re still far off!”
Bare-chested Blizan repelled Helot and Hector’s attacks with brute strength.
Beside them, Skevin was surrounded by Drakan and the Devil Squad, enduring a barrage of strikes.
Boom! Clang! Kaang!
Skevin appeared to yield to the relentless assault but blocked every blow, his eyes sharp as a predator eyeing prey.
Drakan and the Devil Squad seemed aware, maintaining distance as they pressed their attack.
‘They’re all working hard.’
Arthur nodded in satisfaction and turned his head.
The one responsible for drawing him here stood there.
It was Helm.
He had been pulled here by Helm’s intense presence.
No—better to say Helm had lured him.
‘Might as well check his abilities.’
He went to the weapon rack on one side of the training grounds, picked up a dagger, and threw it.
Whoosh!
It sliced through the air like a bolt.
Helm, who had been explaining something to Adran while drawing his bow, swiftly aimed at Arthur and loosed an arrow.
Bang!
The arrow whistled through the air.
It knocked the dagger aside and flew straight at Arthur.
‘What?’
Startled, Arthur drew his dagger from his waist in a flash and swung.
Boom! Thud!
The severed arrow buried deep into the ground.
Silence fell over the training grounds for a moment.
Everyone stopped sparring and stared at Arthur and Helm.
“Sir Helm!”
Skevin’s face twisted in fury, unaware that Arthur had thrown the dagger first.
As he gripped his sword and stepped forward.
Drakan extended his spear sideways and shook his head.
But Skevin struck the spear aside with his sword and spat out.
“No matter the reason, I cannot tolerate anyone attacking the Young Master.”
A deep blue aura coiled around his sword like a serpent.
As he advanced toward Helm with clear hostility.
“Stand down.”
“...!”
Skevin froze and looked at Arthur.
Arthur grinned and said to Helm.
“Impressive power.”
Unlike Arthur, Helm’s face stiffened slightly.
He had recognized Arthur’s thrown dagger and used only half his strength.
But it wasn’t an attack to be blocked so easily.
And not just parried with a sword—no, a mere dagger had sliced it perfectly in half.
‘I misjudged. He’s top-tier Expert, mid-to-late stage.’
As Arthur approached him, he asked.
“You look like you’ve realized something.”
“I apologize for my rudeness to the Count.”
Helm dropped to one knee and bowed his head.
“It’s fine. I started it.”
Arthur replied nonchalantly and shifted his gaze to Adran.
“How is it?”
“A great improvement.”
“Don’t forget you have subordinates who trust and follow you.”
“Yes. And as per your advice, Count, I’ll train diligently to grow stronger.”
“I expect great things.”
Arthur gave a faint smile, then fixed Helm with a suddenly cold stare.
“Shall we satisfy each other’s curiosity?”
Helm followed Arthur with an expectant expression.
“I trust you’ll provide a novel experience.”
***
Arriving at an open lot behind the castle, Arthur looked around and asked.
“Does the spot suit you?”
“Seeing no one around, may I take it as permission to go all out without restraint?”
“You understand perfectly.”
Arthur smirked at Helm.
He stood calmly, but his presence pressed down oppressively.
“Already started?”
“From your words, it seems you’ve never faced a true powerhouse.”
“Fair enough. I’ve never fought anyone as strong as you before.”
“You’ll need to focus. I don’t do half-measures.”
Helm drew the dagger at his waist and assumed an attack stance.
“Then I will too.”
Arthur drew his dagger from the small of his back and pointed it at him.
As their presences clashed, creating taut tension.
“My lord, wait!”
Millerph flew in from afar through the air.
Skevin followed like a shot.
Millerph landed between Arthur and Helm, extending both arms to halt them.
“This is too dangerous.”
“Unnecessary worry. Do you think I can’t control my strength?”
Helm frowned slightly.
Against a Sword Master, a miscalculation in power could be fatal.
But Arthur was no Sword Master.
A week ago, his presence had rivaled one, but today, scanning him again, he was merely at the peak of Sword Expert.
Weak compared to himself.
As one at the pinnacle of the strong, he could adjust his power effortlessly.
Millerph surely knew that.
Irked by the overprotectiveness toward the young Count, Helm scowled.
Millerph shook his head at Helm’s reaction.
“You misunderstand, Sir Helm. I’m not just concerned for my lord’s safety—I’m thinking of both of you.”
“Surely you don’t think I’d get hurt sparring the Count? Absurd.”
Helm didn’t hide his displeasure.
As Millerph faltered at the blunt response, Skevin stepped in.
“Sir Helm.”
“What now from you?”
“Just one fact.”
Skevin met Helm’s eyes firmly.
“The Young Master is strong. Even if Millerph and I teamed up, we couldn’t guarantee victory. Believe that?”
“Is that true?”
Helm glanced at Millerph in surprise.
He could ignore Skevin, but Millerph was a foe even he couldn’t predict easily.
Millerph nodded in agreement.
“It’s true. What you see now is perhaps a third—or half—of his true power.”
“Hmm...”
Helm’s gaze deepened as he looked at Arthur.
Likely referring to that golden weapon he had glimpsed before.
Perhaps the Death Bow would be needed.
But the opponent was a mere 18-year-old upstart.
Even with Teheran’s blood and prodigious talent, Helm was the Empire’s rank 8 “Bow Master.”
With countless battles under his belt.
Unless the sky fell, defeat to a grandson-aged kid was impossible.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Helm eyed Arthur coldly, then beckoned.
“Come at me. I’ll judge the Count myself.”
“Perfect.”
Arthur kicked off the ground and charged.
From the start, he swung his dagger with full force.
Swoosh-.
It flashed toward him like lightning.
Helm stood unmoving, calmly parrying the dagger with his own.
Skevin’s face hardened at the sight.
A Bow Master, yes—but blocking Arthur’s strike so effortlessly was unexpected.
‘Is this the might of rank 8?’
As Skevin marveled at Helm’s prowess, Millerph was equally stunned.
‘Far superior to Steel Knight Order’s Kaph. With this level of strength...’
A major boon to their forces.
Meanwhile, they watched Arthur’s reaction against him.
Hoping he wouldn’t struggle.
But it was needless worry.
Arthur pressed the attack relentlessly, wearing a thicker smile than ever.
‘As expected!’
The sight of him fiercely overwhelming his foe sent shivers down their spines.
Skevin, captivated by Arthur’s unyielding strength, unconsciously gripped his sword tighter.
‘That man is my lord.’
Meanwhile, after several exchanges, Arthur realized Helm was on another level from anyone he’d faced.
“Truly impressive.”
Helm parried calmly and remarked.
“Excellent. Among the knights I’ve seen in years, you’re the strongest. Keep this up, and you’ll be a Sword Master in under ten years.”
“Ten years?”
Arthur grinned, his face turning icy.
“Guess I look that weak.”
“If my words offended, I apologize. But as the stronger, I can speak frankly to the weaker Count.”
“Fair point, but...”
Arthur’s eyes gleamed golden.
A golden aura rose from him like heat haze.
‘Finally showing itself?’
As Helm moved back for the first time, Arthur bellowed.
“Where do you think you’re going!”
He hurled the dagger with all his might and summoned the K1.
“...!”
Instinct sensing danger, Helm grabbed the “Death Bow” on his back.
As he assumed a defensive stance in a flash, Arthur’s cold voice rang out.
“Too late.”