Lightning Sword Saint

Three days had passed in the blink of an eye.

Yeluvia was as bustling as ever, with people coming and going, truly living up to its name as the royal capital of Jinas—truly looked like a big metropolis.

However, the hot topic on the streets these days was almost entirely related to the youngest Sword Saint.

For example—

"Looks like they've set up a challenge arena outside the Frenzel residence again today."

"Still got plenty of swordsmen trying to take on the Lightning Sword Saint?"

"What can they do? If they manage to catch his eye, they might get some pointers. It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, y'know."

"Yeah, those swordsmen must be over the moon. It's usually tough to even see a Sword Saint, but now there's one who's open to challenges all the time and gives advice every so often. For a Sword Master, it's pretty awesome."

"Especially for those self-taught swordsmen who've never had any guidance before. Now they've finally got a chance at getting guidance from a Sword Saint. They're probably more pumped than anyone."

On the streets, people walked and chatted about this topic with great enthusiasm.

Next to them, groups of swordsmen dressed for battle were heading in the same direction, their expressions were full of excitement as well.

"I'm definitely getting pointers from Lord Sword Saint today!"

"Doesn't everyone have the same goal in mind? But the real question is, can you even get his attention?"

"Didn't a bunch of swordsmen get pointers yesterday?"

"Yeah, but most of them were Sword Masters. If you're not at least at that level and don't have some exceptional skills, you'll probably get taken out in one move. In that case, there's no way you're getting his guidance."

"Hey, how many Sword Masters got taken out right away?"

"Dude, you think the title Lightning Sword Saint just came outta nowhere? It's because every one of his challengers only has time to see a flash of lightning before they're done for, which is why he earned the title Lightning Sword Saint."

"If you wanna get Lord Sword Saint's guidance, you better figure out how to survive his one-hit move first."

Just like that, the swordsmen had these conversations as they gathered in front of the Frenzel residence.

In this place, as the people passing by had discussed, an arena had indeed been set up.

However, the arena was quite simple—just a spacious piece of land outside the residence enclosed by iron poles.

Despite its simplicity, this makeshift arena had been packed with an overwhelming number of people every day recently.

Some were there to watch, while others came as challengers.

Unlike three days ago, the challengers' faces now showed no signs of doubt or disdain, only excitement and anticipation.

It had been like this every day recently, with the place constantly crowded.

—Riezel Brynhart, the newly appointed Sword Saint, has set up a challenge arena outside the Frenzel residence, declaring that he would accept any challengers without exception.

Evidently, this topic quickly became the hottest one in the entire royal capital, especially since there were claims that if one performed well in the arena, Riezel would offer guidance.

Naturally, this led to even more swordsmen coming to challenge him, hoping to make a good impression.

Of course, they weren't looking to defeat him but simply wanted to perform well in front of him.

As long as they could achieve that, not only would they receive personal guidance from a Sword Saint, but they might also gain fame throughout the royal capital.

In the past three days, all swordsmen recognized and guided by Riezel had become well-known, after all.

Everyone knew that these swordsmen, even when facing a Sword Saint, had performed exceptionally well to receive his personal guidance, making them famous throughout the streets and alleys.

Some of these swordsmen, who had been obscure and unnoticed, gained sudden fame and even attracted the attention of some nobles, who recruited them and offered generous rewards.

With such rumors circulating, it was inevitable that things around Riezel became increasingly lively.

As a result, Riezel successfully fulfilled his previous goal.

Every day, free sparring sessions came to him, allowing him to defeat opponents, gain excelia, experiment with sword moves, and develop new sword forms, making the past three days quite enjoyable.

Thanks to this, the arena outside the Frenzel residence became famous throughout the royal capital.

Additionally, since Riezel almost always defeated his challengers instantaneously, with everyone catching only a glimpse of a flash of lightning, a feat that spread throughout the entire kingdom, he earned the universally recognized title of 'Lightning Sword Saint'.

—A flash of lightning means defeat.

Such a phrase became synonymous with Riezel's existence, the first impression everyone received when seeking information about him.

Today, Riezel continued to welcome challengers.

*BOOM!*

When the sound of thunder roared, the lightning bolt that had become Riezel's symbol suddenly appeared, slicing through the air and placing him right behind his opponent.

*Click!*

Riezel skillfully sheathed his sword and calmly turned around, causing his opponent to fall almost at the same time.

Even though the opponent slumped to the ground, panting heavily, he had no injuries. Even so, his sword was broken, and a lock of hair from his forehead had singed, still emitting a burnt smell.

Needless to say, this was the result of being struck by Riezel's lightning.

"You lost."

Riezel spoke calmly to the swordsman lying on the ground.

"Your basics are solid, but they're too rigid. Remember, battles don't always go as you imagine. You can't just rely on the swordsmanship you've practiced; you need to think on your feet, adapt quickly to the ever-changing battle, and come up with solutions."

"Okay, you can leave."

As soon as Riezel finished speaking, the swordsman struggled to his feet and bowed.

"Thank you for the guidance, Lord Sword Saint!"

After saying this with excitement, the swordsman left cheerfully, completely unfazed by his defeat.

"Next."

Riezel was used to it and didn't pay much attention, making his announcement directly. 

However, upon hearing his announcement, the swordsmen around did not rush forward but looked to the side. 

Over there, Ian was maintaining order with the Frenzel family's knights while holding a piece of parchment and scribbling with a quill.

"You're the next one."

Ian pointed to a swordsman in the crowd who had just signed up to challenge Riezel.

"Yahoo! Finally, it's my turn!"

Saying this as cheerfully as a two-hundred-pound jolly fellow, the swordsman quickly jumped into the arena.

And so, the new round began.

*BOOM!*

A lightning bolt flashed again, making the thunderous roar echo once more, reverberating through the air and lasting endlessly.

Meanwhile, Yuri, who seemed to have just finished her work, walked out of her office to get some fresh air and clear her mind.

"How many matches have there been today?"

Yuri sighed softly before asking Marilyn as she watched the lightning bolts flashing and the bustle outside the gate.

"It's the one-hundred-eighth match."

Marilyn, at Yuri's side, answered emotionlessly.

"...So, he's already taken on one hundred and eight challengers today?" Yuri raised her eyebrows, feeling speechless. "I really don't understand where he gets the energy and interest to keep accepting so many challenges every day. I mean, what's the point?"

She couldn't comprehend why Riezel insisted on facing these challengers every day and even guiding them, attracting more and more challengers. 

In her eyes, these challenges seemed meaningless for someone who was already a Sword Saint.

Did he do this as a form of training?

However, he always ended each match in an instant.

Did he do this as a deterrent?

Yet he offered his challengers some guidance, which not only didn't reduce their numbers but also made them come in a steady stream.

Yuri was truly puzzled about the purpose of Riezel's actions.

"Maybe this is a special way of... training?" Marilyn speculated, her tone uncertain.

"Seriously..." Yuri muttered, sounding a bit frustrated. "If every day is like this, won't we ever have time to have tea together?"

'So... you're unhappy because he doesn't have time to keep you company?' Marilyn felt she had discovered an extraordinary truth.

"By the way, where are Mediste and Isaac?" Yuri suddenly remembered her younger siblings. "Where did they go? I rarely saw them."

Marilyn didn't answer but simply pointed silently toward the gate.

Yuri followed her finger and immediately saw something surprising.

"Go for it! Knock his ass down!"

Isaac was actually blending in with the crowd, acting like a rowdy supporter, waving his little fists and mimicking punching and kicking, all while shouting excitedly.

"Go, Mr. Riezel!"

Even Mediste was stealthily mixing in, sending out encouraging words unknown to others, watching Riezel unleash his prowess in the arena with a pair of pretty eyes filled with stars.

"..."

Yuri, seeing her younger siblings transformed into little fans cheering for Riezel after not seeing them for a few days, was almost stupefied.

'Is that Isaac, who used to complain every day about being a swordsman, didn't want to practice swordsmanship, and wanted to be a great magician?'

'Is that Mediste, who's always polite, sensible, calm, and handles things well without anyone having to worry about her?'

'Are they really my younger siblings?'

Yuri was truly speechless.

"Actually, they've been like this for the past three days." Marilyn casually added a killer line.

Upon hearing this, Yuri fell completely silent, remaining silent for a long time.

===

Meanwhile, while everyone's focus was on Riezel's arena, someone arrived at the Frenzel residence without anyone noticing.

"Is this the place...?"

A somewhat childish voice echoed, gradually fading away after a while.