The late bloomer

--- Elderwood Alliance Settlement ---

"Sir...Your cousin, Gabriel Halefire, was defeated in a duel", a knight spoke

Baron Halefire. Having reached 26 a couple months ago, he was one of the youngest individual to inherit the baron title. However, becoming a lord was not as beautiful as one expected. The amount of work he had to put in was enormous, and if it weren't for his father's trusted advisors and knights, the Halefire fief would have long since turned into a chaotic wasteland.

After becoming an intermediate rank knight, he was finally acknowledged by his father, and he inherited the housuehold. Ever since, he could not find the time to train properly, only spending a couple of hours a day instead of the days of theoritical studies he used to go through.

His family valued 'Honour' over everything else, and the Halefire household took pride on its strength. If Gabriel Halefire was defeated, then it was a major blow to the household's pride.

'Arthur Landragon made those laws so that we don't get conceited...I know exactly why he allowed duels to occur, but I can't believe it's working...'

"I guess I will have to beat the offender, then", Baron Halefire spoke

"The thing is...", the knight spoke, "It is the commander's brother: Victor Landragon! He has defeated over ten knights in a row, none of them capable of withstanding more than a couple of blows. He has reached the intermediate swordsmanship realm!"

Baron Halefire squinted: 'Intermediate swordsmanship at the age of 20...What a genius...'

It must be said that most intermediate rank knights would never reach this understanding of the sword. Even Frederick Landragon, who was hailed by many as a sword genius, had only reached the intermediate swordsmanship realm after decades of battling. Even now, he was nowhere close to the advanced swordsmanship realm.

The difference between beginner rank swordsmanship and intermediate rank swordsmanship was enormous. It was so high that it allowed a beginner rank knight to beat intermediate rank knights in duels. In wars, the difference was even more overwhelming. Having higher skills meant better energy usage. Even if a beginner rank knight possesses less stamina and strength physically speaking, if he can use the right amount of force in each blow, he would end up conserving more energy, and thus limiting the damage he would take over time.

Wars were just as much about stamina as they were about strength after all, especially when it involved large numbers.

Baron Halefire, too, was once considered a genius. However, he could not surpass the wall of 'intermediate swordsmanship'. This was something that required more than just talent and training. It required life and death battles to fully understand your strength and weakness in your techniques.

"I guess there is no escaping it, then..."

"Sir...he has just beaten Viscount Palford's best knight...", the squire spoke

Baron Halefire who was about to equip his armour, stopped in his footsteps: "I suppose lords should not meddle with their soldiers quarrels..."

In a day, Victor Landragon had completed his trial, and defeated not fifteen, but twenty eight knights in a row. With each battle, he refined his swordsmanship. With each strike, he became more fluent. As if the talent within him suddenly bloomed, Victor had earned the respects of everyone in the settlement.

Known as the [Late Bloomer], Victor was now acknowledged as one of the [Three Demon Brothers] within the Southern Gate Region.

John was the golden demon, who possessed funds and was always considered a genius, born with a golden spoon.

Arthur was the Ice Demon, for he rained ice arrows on a 10000-men-big city without any qualm

Victor was the Demon of Pride, for he claimed the superiority of his family and defeated anyone who opposed his words.

Unknowingly, countless soldiers from the four noble armies in the Elderwood Alliance felt like their lords were not as powerful as they thought...in comparison to the Landragon heirs, that is.

'I knew he had potential...but I never expected Victor to be a genius...When I sparred with him, he did learn fast, but not overly so...Has something changed within him? It's true that he has been grinning more when sparring, as if he enjoyed the pain, sweat and blood of battlefields...I guess knights truly are inherently barbaric', Arthur analysed

'Still, his actions will have a tremendous impact on the Landragon fief. Bandits will no longer approach our territory, and merchants will flock to Satbury, the capital, under the promise of strong lords and protection...The other lords in the Southern Gate Region are too focused on the war and their helplessness to realize it...but the Elderwood is the [Warden of the South] in name only. Just the fact that it has suffered defeats against the Lark Household and relied on his vassals to force the current stalemate is enough proof...'

Looking at the map in front of him, Arthur smiled.

It wasn't a map of the Southern Gate Region, but the map of the Golden Plain Region.

'Since someone from the Central Plains of the Porfield Kingdom meddled with the Southern Gate Region affairs...A small provocation should be sufficient to create a full-fledged war', Arthur smiled.

Since wars were so profitable, Arthur had no qualm about igniting a full-fledged war. All he needed to do was a small spark.

In front of him, John felt a bit uneasy. He had long since realized that his youngest brother was overwhelmingly strong. From the only genius of the Landragon Household, he had turned into the weakest. He no longer had the confidence in beating Victor, who he had always felt scorn against. He did love him as a brother, but he always seemed slow, unconfident, and unbefitting of the Great Landragon name.

Now, however, Victor was more of a Landragon than he was.

Without the [Dragon Army], John would not be qualified to be called the [Golden Demon], one of the three Landragon demons.

However, it was a good thing for the household. The uneasyness came from Arthur's mind.

Before the siege, Arthur was a complete beginner in terms of strategy. He had read a dozen books on battles and tactics, but it was nothing based on the Royal Academy standards. Yet...a single month had passed since their arrival at Everlasting City, and Arthur had implemented otherworldly policies, commandments and tactics which allowed the siege to instantly turn for the better.

'Not even my professors at the Royal Knight Academy would consider creating an enormous trench around Everlasting City to prevent any sort of cavalry attack or suicidal attempts to cause damage to the settlement in a desperate night raid...I heard that Everlasting City sent a dozen assassins, but before they reached their targets, they fell into the traps and died mercilessly. This included strong knights as well...'

The blueprints, the traps, the decesiviness, the charisma...

Arthur truly had become the mastermind in the Elderwood Alliance, the true commander. Everyone obeyed his commands on a short notice. Soldiers who saw him would immediately bow. Even those from other armies...

A month.

It all it took for Arthur to become a revered strategist from a complete amateur.

A month.

It all it took for Victor to shift into a sword prodigy.