Chapter 39
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 39
Chapter Title: WW3
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Kyle Crobel.
The second son of the Crobel Count family, he was a man who could truly be called a genius.
He had picked up the sword before he could even remember, and in his early teens, he wielded sword aura to defeat an active knight in a real-sword duel.
From that moment, he was trained by an elf superhuman who had longstanding ties with the Crobel family across generations, and Kyle began proving his own talent.
And now.
At just over twenty years old, Kyle had even earned the moniker of Champion Hunter of the Tournament. Beyond that, his accumulated fame was beyond measure.
Now, even within his family, only a handful of knights could match him.
Failure was a word that didn't exist for Kyle on expeditions.
Arrogant genius of the sword.
That was the phrase that best defined the current Kyle Crobel.
Which was why, even now under this sudden ambush, Kyle brimmed with leisure.
'This thief is indeed worth treating as a dangerous element, just as Hardin said.'
But he's still no match for me. Kyle sneered with a smirk.
He was certainly at a level where, if they'd met in a tournament somewhere, they might have clashed in the finals.
But that was the extent of it. He couldn't be an opponent for Kyle, who aimed for the superhuman realm.
'Time to wrap this up.'
It seemed the thief tangling with his adjutant would have to be taken down by Kyle himself.
Despite the slender build, he was overwhelming the adjutant, so his skill must be considerable.
Well, even so.
'He'll kneel before me just the same.'
Kyle, wearing a haughty smile, began pressuring the thief in front of him. The momentum quickly tilted in his favor.
Just as he felt it was nearly over.
Elf knights appeared out of nowhere.
And then, the bizarre phenomenon unfolded where the slender thief defeated them all single-handedly.
"......!!"
Coincidentally, Kyle's wish came true. The slender thief charged straight at him first.
Clang! Claaang!
Two exchanges in the blink of an eye.
The power behind the sword was already ominous. Kyle gripped his hilt tightly.
'That other one's practically done anyway...'
This one should be fine too.
With his judgment made, he charged at the slender thief as if in reward.
At almost the same moment, the slender thief leaped forward as well. A firm will to not yield the first strike was evident.
Golden sword aura and sword-crimson aura from both sides arced through the air, leaving eerie afterimages.
A sharp metallic clang rang out, sparks flying into the sky.
Slash met slash. Thrust met thrust. They fiercely vied for dominance, launching one-sided assaults as if determined to crush the other's fighting spirit.
Sir Marco, watching nearby, stared in dumbfounded shock.
He'd heard from the vice-captain beforehand that this one was reliable enough to entrust with the rear, but honestly, he hadn't trusted it.
But this...
"Incredible......"
A bloodcurdling situation where a single mistake could claim a life. Yet neither backed down, charging ferociously.
Attack after attack. Dizzying clashes like dancing with swords on a narrow log bridge.
Unlike himself, who had gradually grown fearful like getting wet in a drizzle, those two never retreated a single step.
Cliiing-!
The two movements collided massively, creating their first moment to catch their breath.
They adjusted their distance, glaring at each other with eyes full of sharp intent.
Right then.
The slender thief rasped in an artificially gravelly voice.
"I've got a rough idea."
"Idea of what?"
Kyle shot back, furrowing his brow.
"You're still an amateur."
"......!"
Kyle's eyebrow twitched at the thief's words, spat out with a smirk as he tilted his head slightly to the side.
"A mere thief dares!"
He kicked off the ground and charged.
The fierce battle resumed.
Yet, strangely, the situation unfolded differently from before.
The more they tangled, the more Kyle's expression twisted. The leisure he'd maintained vanished without a trace.
'My movements are being read...!'
Screeeeech—!
The crossed swords shifted, a harsh metallic screech echoing. In that instant, the slender thief's toe slammed into Kyle's abdomen.
He'd reacted instinctively, but fully dodging was impossible. The attack had slipped in one beat faster, slyly precise.
"Hah..."
A leisurely mocking laugh.
It felt deliberate, like scraping at his nerves.
Biting his lip, Kyle lunged at the slender thief once more.
Clang, clang!
Just like before, they traded attacks.
But again.
"Guhk...!"
Kyle staggered back, clutching his abdomen once more.
By now, even he had realized it.
This thief was.
To him.
'Holding back!!'
Absolutely, utterly unforgivable!
Grinding his teeth, he swung his sword. This time, his thigh took the hit, crumbling his stance. Again and again, unexpected strikes landed in the moments he couldn't anticipate.
Abdomen. Thigh. Then his side. With every clash, he was battered back.
His face contorted wildly at the constant provocations gnawing at his nerves.
As one called a genius, Kyle couldn't help but notice, no matter how much he didn't want to.
Beating him with the exact same motions, as if begging him to realize it—how could he not know!
That insolent thief was giving him chances.
Granting him enlightenment amid this deadly clash of real blades.
That if he didn't fix his bad habits, someday a blade would pierce these spots!
"Insolent wretch!"
For the first time, Kyle dodged the kick aimed at his abdomen.
In response, the vivid blue eyes—the only part visible above the mask—curved smoothly.
"But whose the insolent one, I wonder?"
With those words, the next attack struck his shoulder.
"Guhk...", Kyle leaked a small groan and stepped back.
He glared at the swaggering thief before him with murderous intent.
An utterly arrogant demeanor, as if saying, 'You're nothing special.'
The attitude of someone who could end it anytime but chose to toy with him first.
This was the first time in his life—aside from his master—that he'd endured such humiliating treatment.
His pride shattered. It felt like the whole world was mocking him.
Feeling his body ache all over, Kyle charged at the thief again.
He planned to sever the bastard's breath the moment he let his guard down.
He adjusted his broken stance, moved even swifter, whipped himself at every instant, and thrust his sword.
Yet still.
Not a single attack grazed even the thief's hem.
It was by a hair's breadth each time, yet an insurmountable gap in skill.
Clearly, the distance crafted by an opponent who read every move and calculated thoroughly...
As his wounds mounted, Kyle sensed defeat.
The opponent would soon grow bored. Then it wouldn't just be him—the adjutant and escorts too...
"......Tch. I was going to play a bit longer."
A regretful voice sounded right then.
And suddenly, an explosive aura unlike before erupted from the slender thief.
"??!"
Chills racing over his skin, Kyle instinctively drew up every last drop of his mana.
A blatant vertical slash from above.
He barely reacted in time to block it.
Booom!
With a sound like an explosion, Kyle's sword was flung downward.
The moment it stabbed into the ground, he tried to raise his arm again.
But.
Thud.
The thief's foot stomped down on the flat of the blade, rendering it immovable.
The thief rotated his waist, and the kick drove into Kyle.
For an instant, his vision flipped.
"Cough!"
When he came to, he was surrounded by elf knights. He'd been sent flying right to them.
They were rising one by one.
"Everyone, stop! We retreat from here!"
The artificially gravelly voice boomed loudly, and at once, the thieves surrounding the escorts began withdrawing in unison.
"Consider yourselves lucky, you bastards!"
With that, the slender thief could be seen grabbing their wounded leader.
Then, the sound of galloping hooves approached from afar.
Escort knight Hardin had seized the moment, leading the support troops—who'd been stalled by the elf knights—into action.
Coughing raggedly, Kyle unwittingly shouted.
"You! What's your name!"
As if the hooded figure would reveal his true identity. At least a pseudonym, he thought.
The thief tilted his head, his blue eyes sparkling playfully as he answered.
"Yulia Silvern."
With that, the ambush team vanished into the forest before the support troops arrived.
As the sun began to set.
Knights who hadn't yet clocked out gathered at the entrance to the Raglain Knight Order headquarters.
It was about time for the mission reports.
Had the ambush team and support team pulled off their act smoothly?
Especially, had the ambush team properly taught the young master a lesson?
Depending on the outcome, enormous rewards could follow. They couldn't help but be curious about the results.
"They didn't fail, right?"
"No way. Not with that much manpower."
"Young Master Crobel's reputation is just so huge..."
"True, but still."
Amid the heated chatter.
The support team finally returned first.
But their demeanor was odd.
All of them looked dazed, out of their minds.
Even those elf knights!
What reason could they have for faces like that?
As the puzzled knights exchanged glances.
Hardin, who had come with them, asked in an intensely excited tone.
"Hey, everyone! Who's the one who called herself Yulia Silvern as a pseudonym?"
"Pardon? Yulia Silvern?"
"One from the ambush team! Is she part of the Knight Order by any chance?"
The knights merely exchanged confused looks, not understanding.
Then, the ambush team returned, having changed out of their outfits.
Hardin's head whipped around.
"......"
But there was no one with a slender build among them.
In the end, Hardin went all the way to Roderick but was told to talk later and had to return to his lodging.
Kyle was waiting there for an explanation of the situation.
Meanwhile, the elf knights.
"Hah! You're still spaced out!"
"Feast! We need to hold a feast quick!"
Had regained their excited fervor.
A massive lump adorned the head of each and every one.