Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Confrontation (2)
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Dungeon depths.
The passage was blocked to prevent unauthorized entry, but Hades paid it no mind and pressed onward.
Footprints on the floor made tracking a simple matter.
“Hey, Sion.”
“…….”
Sion turned around, standing motionless in the darkness.
“Why, surprised to see me here?”
Hades grinned in front of the silent Sion.
“I heard some info too. Back in the bathroom last time.”
He’d been agonizing over how to crush Sion and claim the top spot for himself.
That’s when Hades had overheard Sion talking to someone.
“There’s a hidden bonus element to this exam, right?”
“…….”
“If you discover the mana crystal vein hidden in the dungeon depths… you get special points.”
Special points.
That meant an advantage in the final evaluation.
“Honestly, I was shocked. That the Aleyas family would tip you off in advance so you could hog all the special points…”
“…….”
“Isn’t this cheating?”
Seeing the usually confident Sion speechless, Hades laughed again.
“The top spot was set for you from the start, huh? They said it’d be fair, no special treatment, but that’s too much. So all the other candidates are just Aleyas family puppets?”
“…….”
“What if I made this public? It’d deal a huge blow to the Holy Knight Order’s image of fairness.”
Of course, it wouldn’t truly shake the Holy Knight Order.
But it would tarnish Sion’s record. From now on, Sion would carry the label of a knight who cheated using his family’s power.
“They planned to hype you up as the elite top graduate, but things are going sideways.”
“So…”
Sion, who had been listening quietly, finally spoke.
“What do you want?”
“You catch on quick.”
Hades smiled and placed a hand on Sion’s shoulder.
“Let’s split it.”
“Split it?”
“Sion, it’s not right for you to take it all. Share with me.”
He wasn’t demanding Sion hand it all over, considering the risk of backlash.
His mercenary father had taught him that cornering someone too hard invited retaliation.
“Let’s say we discovered it together. How’s that?”
“…….”
“Then we both get the special points. Doesn’t matter who takes top spot.”
“You want the top spot, then.”
“Yeah, but I could let you have it.”
The special points from the mana crystal vein weren’t the real prize.
This was Hades’s true aim.
“I’ll yield the top spot to you, so pull some strings to get me assigned where I want.”
“New knight assignments aren’t something I decide.”
“Don’t play dumb. You’re Aleyas.”
Cain and Robel were just extras.
Sion was clearly the Aleyas family’s pick for star of this recruitment exam.
“Use your family’s pull.”
“That’s not possible.”
“Hey, don’t you get it?”
Hades gripped Sion’s shoulder tightly.
“Want me to beat you senseless like Cain and Robel?”
“…….”
“You’ve been strutting around bragging about using sword aura already… Want to test it?”
No matter how genius this kid was, he was still a ten-year-old brat.
In a real fight, Hades’s combat experience would overwhelm him.
“Kid, you ever killed anyone?”
“…….”
He whispered with as much killing intent as he could muster to intimidate him.
But Sion’s reaction was unexpected.
He sighed with a look of pity.
‘What the hell?’
As Hades puzzled over it, Sion spoke again.
“Hades.”
“You just…”
“You’re badly mistaken right now.”
Sion suddenly dropped the formal speech.
* * *
Staring at Hades’s stunned face, I spoke in a calm voice.
“First, the Aleyas family doesn’t bow to small fry like you.”
“Wha…”
“You could bully Cain and Robel because they’re still kids. Give them a few more years, and they’d chew you up.”
“You little shit…!”
Hades glared, but I kept going.
“Second, there’s no cheating in the exam.”
“What?”
“I wasn’t tipped off in advance.”
“Bullshit! I heard it clear as day!”
Of course he did.
I made sure he overheard.
“Then why are you here? You came this way because the mana crystal vein is here!”
“No such mana crystal vein exists.”
“What?”
“If there was one, it would’ve been mined out ages ago.”
“…….”
Hades looked dumbfounded.
“Wait, no way…”
“Yeah, Hades.”
I decided to spell it out so he’d get it.
“I orchestrated this whole thing to lure you here.”
“W-What?”
“You took the bait.”
“You little shit…!”
Hades drew the sword at his waist.
He looked ready to strike me down any second.
“You were trying to screw me over?!”
“Screw you over? No.”
“Then what?!”
“I needed to bring you somewhere like this to see your true colors.”
I glanced at the sword Hades had drawn.
“Helmut said so.”
“What? Instructor Helmut?”
“He doesn’t care if I teach you a lesson, but I shouldn’t draw first.”
But here, Hades had drawn first.
So whatever happened next… I could claim self-defense.
“You drew first, so anything that goes down, I can blame it all on you when I tell Instructor Helmut.”
“You little shit…!”
Overcome with rage, Hades raised his sword high.
Looking at the blade aimed to split my skull, I muttered shortly.
“Now it’s self-defense.”
* * *
‘I’ll kill him!’
Vowing it to himself, Hades swung.
Using the mercenary swordsmanship his father taught him, he put everything into crushing Sion.
‘A brat like you…!’
Hades’s style emphasized overwhelming power in a single strike.
Break the opponent’s guard and deal a fatal blow.
A kid like Sion’s head would shatter completely.
“……!”
But it didn’t go as Hades planned.
Just before the blade reached Sion’s head… it was blocked.
By Sion’s drawn sword, somehow.
‘What the…?’
When did he draw it?
When did he raise it overhead?
And… how did he block it?
‘This kid…’
Hades reacted on instinct.
Years of training from childhood. When the first strike failed, retreat and reset.
‘D-Did he gather mana ahead of time?’
Sion probably had 3-star mana like Hades.
Enough to form sword aura and greatly boost physical abilities with mana.
Had he anticipated the attack and prepared?
‘In that case…!’
Hades launched his second attack.
More precise this time, one no rookie like Sion could block.
“Hah…!”
The blade traced a complex arc toward Sion’s vitals.
But.
“……?!”
Clang!
A sharp ring, and Hades’s sword bounced away.
* * *
I saw Hades stumble back, nearly dropping his sword.
He recovered his stance quickly. His skill was decent, as expected.
‘To handle Cain and Robel, he needs at least that much.’
Thinking that, I stepped forward.
And began swinging my sword.
Loosening my shoulders, lightly.
“Huh…!”
Hades deployed sword aura.
Mana from his heart circle gathered on the blade, enhancing its power.
“……?!”
Boom!
The clash of blades sent out a shockwave.
Because I had sword aura deployed too.
Unlike plain blades, aura against aura creates shockwaves.
“Urgh…”
Hades’s arms trembled.
Simple reason.
My sword aura was stronger.
‘Our mana amounts are similar, but the sword aura control differs.’
Sword aura techniques vary by school.
As Archbishop Hausel, I’d mastered many and synthesized them into my own control method. Even at my young age, I wielded it freely.
Hades, from a mercenary band, only knew crude, unrefined control. The quality gap was inevitable.
‘You can learn basic swordplay crudely. But advanced techniques like sword aura… need systematic training.’
Same as magic.
Proper mana handling requires solid theory.
No need to brag about using sword aura early.
Once in the Order, he’d retrain from basics.
Sloppy aura like this wouldn’t reach high levels.
‘The Dialogue Church even taught proper sword aura control to mere assassins.’
Anyway, even with similar mana, my superior control made my sword stronger.
My body reinforcement and pure swordsmanship were also leagues ahead… Hades couldn’t match me.
“Y-You little shit…!”
Hades flailed wildly.
Pushing mana to its limit, swinging with full force.
But no attack landed.
[He’s got another misconception.]
‘What?’
[Remember when he asked if you’d killed before?]
Igzard’s laughter echoed in my head.
[Why not tell him? That you’ve slain far more foes than a brat like him could dream.]
‘No need to boast like a child.’
Replying that, I regripped my sword.
I’d trained enough against aura users… no point dragging it out.
“Uwaaah!”
Hades swung, yelling something between a shout and a scream.
I dodged lightly and slipped past him.
Slash!
My precise strike snapped Hades’s sword in two.