VOLUME 12: CHAPTER 8

Powerful men recognize each other.

These words were especially true for Isaac Segarus, Leader of the Imperial Knights Order and Sword Saint of the Empire.

Although he looked calm and nonchalant, the moment he saw the Lord Knight from afar, he immediately realized this would be a dangerous fight.

Back when Jacob Fraser said the Lord Knight would win against him, Isaac simply dismissed it as the arrogance of a fool, but now, upon seeing the Lord Knight in the flesh, he realized there was a basis to those words.

The Lord Knight wasn't an opponent he could fight carelessly. Sword Saint Isaac intuitively knew that the outcome of the match wouldn't be pretty if he didn't go all out in this battle.

This was the third time Sword Saint Isaac Segarus felt such an oppressive feeling.

The first was when he met the Voiceless One of the Principality in a formal gathering, and the second was when he fought against the Chief of the White Stream Oasis. And now, this Lord Knight was added to the list of those monsters.

'His Majesty was too rash.'

'This is dangerous.'

'Forget about the conditions of the battle. That thing can kill me if I make a single mistake.'

Sword Saint Isaac Segarus didn't openly show it, but his muscles stiffened out of primal fear the moment he went down the arena.

He started regretting not wearing his armor here, as he doubted his training clothes would be enough to protect him should he make a mistake in this battle.

Thankfully, he brought his sword with him. It was a quality sword made with thousand-year cold steel and mithril. A sword that would never break in the middle of a battle.

The voice of the Emperor resounded with the help of an artifact.

"If all participants are ready—"

Sword Saint Isaac Segarus placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"—Let us begin the duel."

The moment the signal to start was given, an absurd scenario unfolded before everyone's eyes.

The Lord Knight, who'd been standing thirty meters away from the Sword Saint, suddenly shot forward with a speed that should have been impossible with its size. The ground it previously stood on formed cracks, its body blurred, and it easily closed the distance.

Upon reaching the Sword Saint in mere seconds, the Lord Knight clenched its fists, pulled its arm back, and punched the Sword Saint with all its might.

The Sword Saint quickly unsheathed his sword, infused mana into it, and deflected the attack by redirecting its trajectory upward, creating a momentary opening in the Lord Knight's defenses. Sword Saint Isaac quickly created a sword of mana on his free hand, and using it, stabbed the chest of the Lord Knight.

The sword of mana exploded, creating a shockwave upon impact.

It was an attack that should have pierced his opponent's armor, but all it did was push back the enemy. The Lord Knight skidded several meters backward, its feet creating marks on the ground.

The explosion created by the sword of mana should be powerful enough to blow the body of an imperial knight into pieces, but it didn't even faze the Lord Knight.

'What the hell is that thing?'

Even after receiving that attack head-on, there was nothing but a very small, inconspicuous cut on its armor. Sword Saint Isaac Segarus realized that mana continuously flowed through that armor, strengthening it severalfold.

The Lord Knight's eyes flickered. It leaned forward, planted its right foot firmly on the ground, and shot toward Sword Saint Isaac.

It moved with the same ridiculous speed, and started swinging its fists with a single-minded focus. Its technique was crude, barbaric, but its strength and speed more than made up for it.

Sword Saint Isaac Segarus skillfully weaved left and right, sometimes redirecting the attacks with his sword, sometimes dodging by moving his body as minimally as possible.

Never once did the Sword Saint attempt to block the attack of the Lord Knight. He knew that if he did so, he would end up flying even if he blocked it with his sword.

The Sword Saint patiently waited for an opening. At this point, he'd already ascertained that his opponent's skill was on par with an apprentice knight at most.

The Lord Knight was agile, strong, and durable – but that's all. It did not have the battle experience, martial arts, and sword technique Isaac Segarus had honed for decades.

Sword Saint Isaac continuously channeled mana into his sword, sharpening the blade severalfold as he waited for a gap in his opponent's defenses.

'There.'

After several exchanges, Sword Saint Isaac finally saw an opening. Right after a wide swing of the Lord Knight's fist, the Sword Saint stepped to the side, raised his sword high, and swung it with all his might.

It was an attack that prioritized sharpness over power, and it struck the Lord Knight right in the chest, going down until its lower abdomen.

The Sword Saint smirked upon seeing the large cut he'd inflicted on the Lord Knight's armor.

According to their intel, although these living suits of armor seemed immortal, it was possible to kill them by cutting their torso in half. The late General Alvaren managed to do it, and so should Sword Saint Isaac.

Well, there was the question of whether or not a maginus was needed, but that would be for the Sword Saint to find out.

The Lord Knight groaned softly and took several steps back. It looked at the large cut on his torso.

"It's a pity," said Sword Saint Isaac Segarus. "I was aiming to bisect you with that strike."

Although the attack managed to inflict a large cut on the Lord Knight, it didn't manage to bisect its body in half.

"Again."

After finally getting used to the Lord Knight's strength and speed, Sword Saint Isaac started his counterattack.

"Let's end this."

With his sword sharpened to the utmost limit with mana, the Sword Saint dashed forward, closing the distance between him and his opponent.

Every now and then, the Sword Saint would purposely leave an opening to bait the Lord Knight to attack, and using the opening created after evading, he would strike back.

This simple technique worked wonders, as injuries started accumulating on the body of the Lord Knight. Most of the cuts were shallow, but there were several strikes that left deep cuts on the Lord Knight's steel armor.

Seeing the Lord Knight being pushed back, the imperial knights watching the duel cheered. The crowd became rowdy. They were ecstatic.

"Haha! As expected of the Sword Saint!"

"Sword Saint Isaac! Just kill him!"

"He can't even land a single blow on the Sword Saint!"

The cheers were music to the Emperor's ears. Without bothering to hide the glee on his face, he looked at the lukasian ambassador sitting next to him.

"It seems to be our win, ambassador," said the Emperor, laughing. He added mockingly, "At this rate, the Lord Knight will end up dying before the duel ends. But, how about this? If you beg for it, I'll be willing to let that Lord Knight live."

Emperor Sylvius looked forward to the expression Reginald Vont was going to make as he said those words.

Anguish, despair, regret, fear – he wanted to see it.

But contrary to his expectations, the ambassador didn't seem perturbed at all.

Reginald looked calm as he watched the duel in the arena below.

The Emperor added, "Ambassador, it'll be a shame if the Lord Knight ends up dying in this battle."

Still gazing at the battlefield, Reginald replied, "Isn't it too early to be celebrating, Your Majesty?"

The Emperor frowned. "What?"

Being mocked so openly, even Reginald started getting infuriated. He came here as the representative of the kingdom, and any snide remarks thrown at him were tantamount to throwing mud at King Lark.

It was outright disrespectful.

Sometimes, he even wondered why His Majesty, King Lark, was going this far to help these ungrateful bastards.

"Before coming here, I asked the Lord Knight to hold back," said Reginald in a voice louder than usual. He purposely let those nearby hear his remarks. "Otherwise, he might accidentally kill Sword Saint Isaac."

With just a few words, Reginald easily achieved his desired effect.

The imperial knights who were nearby looked in his direction and started glaring at him. The Emperor's gaze turned even more hostile.

If looks could kill, the imperial knights would have murdered him several times by now.

"The excuse of a sore loser, ambassador," said the Emperor coldly.

No matter how they looked at it, there was no way the Lord Knight was holding back its strength. Everyone could see that it was struggling to even keep up with the Sword Saint's movements.

Until now, the Lord Knight hadn't managed to land a single blow against the Sword Saint.

It was stronger in terms of brute strength, but just that alone wouldn't be enough to win this battle. After all, strength was useless if it couldn't hit its opponent.

Reginald looked at the Emperor and said, "Your Majesty, if you guarantee our safety even after accidentally killing the Sword Saint or gravely injuring him in battle, and if you guarantee our right to participate in the war after winning the duel, I'll immediately order the Lord Knight to go all out."

The Emperor said in a low, deep voice, "There are limits to jokes, ambassador."

"I wouldn't dare jest with Your Majesty."

The Emperor observed Reginald.

The ambassador didn't flinch even under the hostile gazes of the Emperor and the imperial knights.

That calm, unyielding gaze.

Emperor Sylvius wanted to crush and crumple it. He wanted to see what the ambassador would look like once the Sword Saint defeated the Lord Knight even after going all out in battle.

"Very well," said the Emperor. "I will not hold you accountable no matter the outcome of the duel. Now, show me."

Reginald had been waiting for this moment.

The Emperor was a madman, and there was no knowing what he would do should the Lord Knight end up gravely injuring the Sword Saint.

Before coming here, Reginald had already concocted this plan of making the Emperor acknowledge the outcome of the match, even if it ended up unfavorable to the Empire.

He needed those words of reassurance, heard by the nearby imperial knights.

Reginald stood up, bowed his head, and said to Emperor Sylvius. "Once again, thank you for your benevolence, Your Majesty."

Reginald raised his voice, "Lord Knight."

Like a loyal soldier prioritizing the words of its master above all else, the Lord Knight immediately disengaged in battle and leapt several steps back. It looked at Reginald.

"We've been given permission by His Majesty."

Reginald made sure to emphasize those words.

"We won't get punished even if you end up killing Sword Saint Isaac."

Those words caused an uproar. The imperial knights who'd been watching the duel had never heard of such arrogant words.

"You can go all out."

Upon hearing those words, the crimson eyes of the Lord Knight glowed brightly. Mana started surging out of its body, covering its armor completely.

A roar so loud it shook one's insides came out of the Lord Knight's mouth, reverberating in the arena.

"GRUUUAAAHHH!"

The living suit of armor no longer looked like a proper, dignified knight. Now, it felt like a rabid, wild, murderous beast thirsting for blood.

Sword Saint Isaac Segarus instinctively took a few steps back as he watched the changes unfolding before his very eyes. The mana surging out of the Lord Knight's body started repairing its armor. As though a skillful blacksmith was mending it, the cuts on its body started closing at a visible speed.

The Lord Knight unsheathed the weapon on its back – a steel claymore with edges coated with an unknown black metal.

It never used its weapon before. And it was pulling it only now after being given permission by Reginald.

Bloodlust oozed out of the Lord Knight. The bloodlust was so thick and oppressive it immediately shut the mouths of the spectators.

The entire arena turned dead silent, and only the sound of the Lord Knight as it walked toward Isaac Segarus, sword in hand, was heard.

The mana gushing out of the Lord Knight's body started flowing to its sword, coating the claymore with an erratic, blue sheen.

Again, the Lord Knight roared.

"GRUUAAAAH!"

The pressure sweeping through the arena rose severalfold.

It was so oppressive that the weaker knights instinctively lowered their heads, their faces pallid, afraid of accidentally meeting the Lord Knight's gaze. The hairs on their skin bristled.

The Lord Knight was about to charge in when a shout was heard.

"—THAT'S ENOUGH!"

The Lord Knight halted, intelligent enough to understand the words that echoed in the arena. It looked in the direction where the voice came from.

It was from the Chief Royal Advisor.

"Gaillart, what are you doing?" said Emperor Sylvius.

"I believe it's time to stop this match, Your Majesty," said Gaillart, the Chief Royal Advisor.

Gaillart had been serving as Emperor Sylvius' right hand since he was still the Crown Prince of the Empire. A kingmaker who'd paved the bloody road for Emperor Sylvius, making it possible for him to triumph over his competitors.

Emperor Sylvius was angry that Gaillart interfered with the duel at the last moment, but he decided to listen to the Chief Royal Advisor's reason regardless.

"The mere fact that the Lord Knight managed to last this long against Sword Saint Isaac proves the lukasian army's strength," said the Chief Royal Advisor. "Your Majesty, I believe they're qualified to help us in this war."

There was a deeper meaning behind those words, the Emperor knew.

Emperor Sylvius had known Gaillart for a long time. He could easily tell there were words he wished to convey, but currently unable to do so due to the presence of the lukasian ambassador.

Did the Chief Royal Advisor fear that Sword Saint Isaac would lose?

Did he fear that Sword Saint Isaac Segarus would be overpowered by the Lord Knight?

It was a vexing decision, but the Chief Royal Advisor must have his reasons.

The Emperor would talk with him regarding this matter later, but for now, he deemed that it would be best to follow Gaillart's advice.

The Chief Royal Advisor was the most intelligent man in the Empire. If he'd judged it would be best to stop here, then it must be right.

The Emperor nodded at the Chief Royal Advisor, then looked at Reginald.

"Ambassador, I also believe it's time to end this match."

Truthfully, the Emperor wanted the duel to continue, but the Chief Royal Advisor wouldn't have interfered with the battle without a reason.

Reginald fell silent for several seconds. Eventually, he nodded and said, "If that is the will of Your Majesty."

Reginald said to the Lord Knight, "The duel is over. That's enough."

The Lord Knight immediately obeyed Reginald's command. The bloodlust oozing out of its body vanished entirely, and it sheathed its claymore into its scabbard.

The pressure that swept through the arena dissipated.

It was an unclimactic end.

The Emperor heard a soft sigh of relief come out of the Chief Royal Advisor's mouth.

Now that he'd taken a closer look, the Emperor realized the Chief Royal Advisor's face was pale, as though he was utterly terrified. There were even beads of sweat on his forehad.

Was the Lord Knight really that dangerous?

Now that the duel was over, the Emperor had no immediate way to know.

"What?"

"They're stopping the duel?"

"What happened?"

"It's the Chief Royal Advisor…"

"Things were just getting exciting!"

"And the Sword Saint was winning, too!"

Naturally, murmurs of dissatisfaction started filling the arena. To placate this, the Chief Royal Advisor spoke using a voice artifact.

"This marks the end of the duel between the Lord Knight and Sword Saint Isaac Segarus," said the Chief Royal Advisor. "I'm sure most of you are dissatisfied with this, but this is not only my will, but the will of the Emperor."

Throwing in the name of the Emperor was more than enough to quell any and all dissatisfactions. No one among the imperial knights was foolish enough to go against the words of the ruler of the Empire.

In this nation, the words of the Emperor were absolute.

"All spectators in this duel will be given priority in using the advanced training chamber for the next two months," said the Chief Royal Advisor. "And five lucky knights will be randomly picked, all will be personally trained by the Sword Saint for an entire week."

The imperial knights who'd watched the duel were satisfied with these.

The Chief Royal Advisor didn't have the Sword Saint's consent for this training, but he was certain Isaac Segarus wouldn't mind. After all, he'd just saved him from that Lord Knight.

The eyes of the Chief Royal Advisor and Isaac Segarus met. The Sword Saint nodded, wordlessly agreeing to the conditions spouted by the Chief Royal Advisor.

"Your Majesty?" said the Chief Royal Advisor, handing the Emperor the voice artifact.

Emperor Sylvius stood up. His gaze swept through everyone. "This concludes the duel. As agreed beforehand, the lukasian army shall be incorporated into either the First Prince or the Fifth Prince's army. Under my decree, I am giving them permission to participate in this war against the demons."

The Emperor gazed at the Lord Knight, then at Reginald.

"Which of the two armies to choose," said the Emperor, "will be up to the ambassador to decide."