Too Fast
Legnum's illegal black market, carved out of a massive underground cavern. In that murky space thick with the stench of cheap tobacco and swarming with hundreds of criminals and corrupt mercenaries, Cael's internal energy-laced bellow exploded like thunder.
The clamor of the bustling market fell silent in an instant, as if doused with cold water. At the iron gate entrance where all eyes converged stood a truly bizarre group.
Leading them was a silver-haired young noble exuding effortless elegance, followed by a tense guard, a young maid clutching her skirt hem, a flustered apprentice knight, and a golden dog wagging its tail.
The criminals stared blankly for a moment before bursts of mocking laughter erupted from their midst.
"What the hell is that?"
"Looks like some fancy noble young master... come to buy drugs or something?"
"And what's with that girl and the mutt?"
Jeers and lewd whistles rained down from all sides. To them, Cael's group looked like naive rich kids who had wandered into a den of crime on their own.
Ignoring the mockery, Cael strolled casually toward the heart of the market, as if out for a leisurely walk. His steps led straight to the central platform, where an illegal auction was in full swing.
"Hmm, perfect timing."
The auctioneer, gripping a slave's collar, stared down at Cael in disbelief.
"Hey, what the hell is this? Guards! What are you doing? Get rid of this guy now!... Gah!"
Thwack— With an irritated flick of his hand, Cael swatted the air. An invisible force shot out like lightning, slamming into the auctioneer's chest. The man tumbled off the platform without even a scream.
Cael settled comfortably into the central chair as if it were his own bedroom, crossing his legs. He pulled an old ledger from his bosom and waved it in the air.
"Are you all done chattering?"
His low voice, infused with internal energy, reverberated through the entire cavern.
"From this moment, all assets, stolen goods, and gold coins in Legnum's possession here are seized in the name of House Restis. Any with complaints, step forward and voice them."
The absurd declaration twisted the criminals' faces into savage snarls.
"This crazy bastard's lost it! Duke's house? Where does he get off spouting that shit? Why would the duke come here? Get him! Kill him!"
Dozens of vicious thugs, weapons raised with murderous intent, charged the platform en masse.
At that moment, Cael nudged a kneeling middle-aged man at his feet with his toe, sending him tumbling down the steps.
Thud—
"Looks like you've got some backing. Wonder if you'll stay so stiff after seeing this."
The torchlight revealed the man's face starkly as he rolled to a stop. Bruised and bound in ropes, he trembled with humiliation.
The black market managers and mercenaries froze upon recognizing him.
"Th-that face...!"
"V-Viscount Leshold!?"
The absolute ruler who had shielded them and wielded unchecked power in the territory—Viscount Frank Leshold, trussed up like a dog at Cael's feet. The sight was enough to stiffen the criminals on the spot.
Cael smirked coldly, propping his chin.
"As you can see, the rotten fence protecting you is already smashed. Still not grasping the situation?"
No one dared advance rashly, cowed by the viscount's capture and Cael's eerie pressure. But there were hundreds of them. The false comfort of their numbers dulled their reason.
"Hey, what do we do? It's the viscount!"
One criminal whispered to another.
The response was outrageous.
"Fuck it! What do you mean 'what'? We were gonna kill him someday anyway! Even better! Slaughter them all, seal their lips, and swallow the territory whole!! Kill them and take the land!!"
Killing intent flared anew among the hesitant mob.
A crime syndicate daring to seize a territory? Cael let out an incredulous chuckle.
"Hah, petty outlaws with big dreams."
"What are you waiting for?! Charge!!"
Hundreds of blade-wielders roared like beasts, surging toward Cael from all directions.
"Waaah!!!"
But boom—
"Wh-what!?"
An invisible barrier blocked the path to Cael.
"What are you waiting for? Aren't they trying to attack me?"
Cael smiled, glancing at his subordinates. They gripped their weapons with pale faces, expressions screaming, 'Here we go again.'
Undeterred, Cael leaned back in his chair and lazily gestured to his men behind him.
"These are all third-rate trash. Anyone who gets hurt will face hellish training."
"Y-yes... young master...."
Unlike the hesitant Weger, Ella, and Roben—
"Protect the lord!"
Oden was the first to leap forward, shouting.
His first real battle after swearing loyalty to his lord. He burned with the desire to prove his worth.
Clang!Kaaang!— Oden's sword sliced the air, its invisible trajectory instantly disarming the front-line foes.
His aura-clad movements lived up to his moniker "Swift Sword," swift and sharp. With each step, three or four enemies crumpled, spraying blood.
Slash!Splatter!Slash!—
"O-Oden! It's Oden! Why is that bastard here!!"
Oden was famous here too.
"Kill Oden first!! Oden's betrayed us!"
Oden spat in disbelief.
"You mad fools—I was never on your side to begin with!"
Unleashed, Oden showed no mercy. As if venting all the grievances from serving under Viscount Frank against his mismatched values, he carved through the criminals.
Shlick—
"Gaaah!!"
Splatter—
"Guhk!!"
Each flash of his sword felled one or more foes. Watching silently, Cael's lips curved slightly.
'Ho, not bad. Fast.'
The essence of swiftness lay in striking before the enemy could react—no time to respond. Oden's blade gave them none.
'But middling speed has clear limits.'
Clang!—
"H-he blocked it! Kill him!!"
By sheer luck, Oden's sword clashed with a massive shield, his stance wobbling slightly.
"You think this can stop me?"
Oden regained his footing and resumed slashing, but against a true master, that momentary lapse could have been fatal.
'Fast, but that's all. Much to teach.'
He'd grown this strong without Cael's guidance. Absorbing Cael's martial knowledge would make him far stronger.
In this moment, Cael offered advice to aid Oden.
"Oden."
Even amid the din, his voice rang clear in Oden's ears.
"Too fast."
Why did those words—usually praise—sound negative now?
'Too... fast...?'
Cael continued.
"Don't chase the sword's speed. Where does your sword's tip reach?"
Simple words. But enough.
In that instant, enlightenment flashed in Oden's mind.
Called "Swift Sword" since academy days, he'd lived obsessed with speed. Draw first, strike first to win—that formula had become shackles.
Oden inhaled deeply, lowering his sword.
The shield-bearing foes grinned viciously, axes raised, assuming exhaustion.
Oden didn't rush.
'My sword's destination... is the enemy's nape, after all.'
Don't obsess over speed. Just reach the nape.
Grasping Cael's advice instantly, Oden put it into practice.
Shlick—
The axe-raisers froze mid-motion. Oden stood behind them, calmly flicking blood from his blade.
Crack, crunch! The thick steel shields split in two, and the upper bodies of three hulking warriors slid off at an angle.
A strike transcending speed—heavy, overwhelming.
Cael smiled, impressed.
"Indeed, how can swiftness lack power?"
Adding variations—heavy or light—to speed's tempo reached the goal faster. Oden grasped this simple truth from one phrase.
It wasn't just Oden's issue. As the territory's strongest knight, no one had advised him.
'What was I mistaking all this time...!'
Years of stagnation shattered by one word from his lord.
Oden shot Cael a gaze of deep reverence, then hurled himself back into the fray with a changed aura. No shield was more than paper before his blade.
On one side, Weger's brutish greatsword smashed skulls; Roben, regaining battle sense, nimbly slit throats.
Their growth-fueled prowess, born of Cael's insight, became an overwhelming massacre of the ragtag hundreds.
"Uwaaa! R-run! They're monsters!!"
Demoralized criminals dropped weapons, screaming toward the exits.
Then—
BOOM!!!
A massive explosion rocked the market's depths, shaking the entire cavern.
Fleeing thugs halted, crushed by the overwhelming aura pouring out.
Cael's eyes narrowed with interest from the platform.
"Heh, always shows up after my men are done..."