Chapter 10: Ragnar’s Hidden Strength (1)
The sa situation had occurred even in the snow mountains.
The assassins had gathered in one place to deal with Kyle, only to suffer a bitter defeat.
However, there was a difference from back then.
‘Do not use the Blade. I must thoroughly conceal the fact that I have reached the Master rank.’
Only aura clung to Kyle’s sword.
But even that was more than enough for Kyle to deal with the assassins.
“There’s only one strong one! If we press him with numbers, he’ll tire sooner or later!”
At the shout of the leader standing before the gathering assassins, Kyle revealed himself.
There was no need to make things inconvenient by hiding and dealing with them one by one.
Ti had to be minimized.
Even now, the territory’s people would be suffering from a food shortage, so the trading caravan had to be completed as quickly as possible.
Looking toward the rear of the assassins, Kyle spoke in a low voice.
“Finish it as quickly as possible.”
At those words, the Special Operations Unit, including Seros, appeared behind the assassins.
They revealed themselves covered in blood.
Before reaching the entrance to the Ragnar Territory, Kyle had contacted the Special Operations Unit through the communication device.
Kyle had given the order that, since the enemies showed signs of moving tomorrow, they were to arrive in advance and clean up the situation.
And upon receiving that contact, Seros led the Special Operations Unit to raid the place where the assassins lay in ambush.
After dealing with the assassins like that, the Special Operations Unit arrived at Kyle’s side.
Acacia, one of their mbers, wiped the blood sared all over his face with his clothes and answered Kyle’s command.
“Thirty minutes. We’ll finish it within that ti, my lord!”
At Acacia’s hearty shout, Kyle showed a doubtful expression.
― Conceal your abilities as much as possible.
As Kyle’s voice echoed in the minds of the Special Operations Unit, Seros stepped forward first.
Sasasak―
Running forward with almost no sound, Seros rcilessly slit an assassin’s throat.
Although there were quite a few of them and they could not use Blades, it was not a difficult battle.
Seros wrapped aura around his sword and cut down every assassin he saw, and the Special Operations Unit following behind him did the sa.
Watching that situation, Benshi’s complexion turned pale.
“W-What in the world is going on!”
“It seems I should step in. They are all Exford-grade.”
The man guarding Benshi’s side finally drew his sword.
“……Go.”
Benshi’s eyes, which had been filled with anxiety, gradually steadied.
He believed that the man who had guarded his side until now could surely settle this situation.
“Then I’ll be off. You need not worry too much.”
After bowing his head to Benshi, the man imdiately rushed toward Seros.
To overturn the current situation, either Seros or Kyle had to be eliminated.
Trusting that Kyle would be fine with the first-rate assassins clinging to him, the man swung his sword at Seros.
Seros, who had been dealing with the assassins, twisted his body at the sudden sense of a powerful presence.
The sword strike narrowly grazed past his side.
Looking in the direction the strike had co from, Seros bared his teeth and growled.
“So you’re one who uses dark aura.”
At Seros’s words, the man’s eyes widened.
There were not many who knew of dark aura.
At Seros’s words, the man gripped his sword with both hands.
“I don’t know how you figured that out, but that’s exactly why you have to die.”
“That’s what I should be saying.”
“Insolent brat, I’ll start by slicing that mouth of yours.”
The man’s montum changed abruptly.
Anyone who knew of dark aura could not be left alive.
He instinctively knew that Seros had to be dealt with here no matter what, or problems would arise later.
The man rapidly swung his sword toward Seros.
But Seros clicked his tongue after seeing the man’s swordsmanship.
“With swordsmanship that honest. Tsk.”
Seros jumped and swung his sword toward the man’s head.
Boom―!
As aura collided with aura, a thunderous explosion rang out.
Unable to withstand the force, the man who had clashed swords with Seros was blown away.
“Keugh…….”
Seros glared at the man, who lay sprawled on the ground groaning.
‘My lord’s judgnt was right. These bastards are definitely those who worship darkness.’
As suspicion turned into certainty, the light in Seros’s eyes changed.
Seros advanced toward the man who had been knocked away, and the assassins hurriedly charged toward him.
However, the Special Operations Unit was not one to idly watch assassins try to leave their positions.
Acacia hurled one of the short spears in his hand with all his might.
The short spear, spinning fiercely as it flew, pierced straight through an assassin’s neck.
Acacia did not stop there; gripping the remaining short spear, he sent the assassin blocking his path flying with a single blow.
“Acacia! Support , now!”
At Seros’s shout, Acacia nodded and leapt.
Flying to Seros’s side in an instant, Acacia pulled out the short spear embedded in the assassin’s neck.
Then he stood behind Seros and firmly gripped the two short spears.
“They’re really charging in like moths to a fla.”
Acacia frowned as if irritated, but the short spears pierced through the assassins without hesitation.
With Acacia securing the rear like that, Seros once again charged toward the man who had been blown away.
The man, who had barely shaken off the shock, felt a chill and hurriedly guarded his neck.
Kwaang!
“Keuk!”
He managed to block Seros’s sword strike, but as he lost his grip on his sword, he was knocked away once more.
Imbuing aura into his legs, Seros caught up to the flying man.
Slash―
Soon, along with the chilling sound of a neck being split open, Seros kicked the man who had fallen to his knees.
“With skill that amounts to no more than this, what did you think you could do.”
He did not like the reckless bravado with which the man had charged at him.
Looking down at the man who had not yet drawn his last breath, Seros reversed his grip on the sword and drove it straight into his heart.
Then he imdiately turned his head.
“I’ll wipe them all out.”
Now that it was known that the group that attacked the Rapid rchant Guild was connected to those who worship darkness, not a single one could be allowed to live.
At the sight of Seros baring his fangs and exuding killing intent, Acacia shook his head.
“Don’t forget our lord’s instructions, Vice-Commander.”
“You’re the one who shouldn’t forget. Don’t go berserk like an executioner.”
“Yes, yes, of course.”
Responding to Seros’s words, Acacia advanced forward, indiscriminately cutting down the assassins.
And Seros likewise continued the battle while keeping his distance from Acacia.
With the exploits of the five Special Operations Unit mbers excluding Aron, the battle unfolded in overwhelming fashion.
Watching that scene, Tade’s eyes widened in shock.
‘They have at least surpassed Exford Beginner Level.’
The sight of the Special Operations Unit handling assassins as if playing with children was shocking in itself.
With this level of martial strength, they could likely receive knighthood in any country.
The commander of the Rapid rcenary Corps, like Tade, could only stare at the scene with an expression of disbelief.
“……Guild Head, who are they?”
“I don’t know either. I’ve never heard that there were knights like that in the Ragnar Territory…….”
“It doesn’t seem like there’s any place for our rcenaries to step in.”
“That seems to be the case.”
If the rcenaries were to intervene here, it might only result in needless casualties.
The best course was simply to watch quietly as Kyle and the Special Operations Unit moved.
When exactly thirty minutes had passed, there was not a single assassin left standing before Kyle and the Special Operations Unit.
All of them were collapsed on the ground, bleeding.
Although they had not used Blades, dealing with Sword Runner–level assassins was sothing they could do even with their eyes closed.
It had only taken so ti because of their sheer numbers.
Kyle sheathed his sword and walked toward Benshi.
Step, step―
Because of the blood flowing from the assassins’ bodies, the snow piled on the ground was dyed a deep crimson.
As Benshi staggered backward, he left marks on the snowy path as if stamping seals upon it.
“D-Don’t co any closer!”
“To dare pull this kind of stunt at the entrance of Ragnar. Did Ragnar seem like a joke to you?”
Kyle grabbed Benshi by the collar and lifted him into the air.
Even though Benshi was choking and in agony, he did not stop talking.
“With this level of force, we shouldn’t have been able to lose……!”
“Foolish. Did you really think you could covet Ragnar with only that much?”
With an expression as if he did not even want to deal with him, Kyle threw Benshi toward where Seros was.
“Extract as much information as possible from what he knows.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Seros bound his body with the rope he had prepared.
Afterward, he handed Benshi over to Acacia and issued an order.
“Throw him into the underground prison of the Lord’s Castle. I’ll interrogate him personally.”
Acacia slung Benshi over his shoulder and moved ahead toward the Lord’s Castle.
Watching that scene, Kyle soon turned his gaze and slowly approached rchant Guild Head Tade.
“Welco to the Ragnar Territory, rchant Guild Head Tade.”
“Eldest Young Master, thank you for not forgetting and granting the Rapid rchant Guild this opportunity.”
After nodding, Kyle gave instructions to Seros.
“Seros, attend to the rchant Guild Head and enter the territory. I’ll head back to the territory first, rchant Guild Head.”
“You’ve worked hard. Then I’ll see you at the Lord’s Castle.”
The first rest granted in two weeks.
Deni, a newly appointed knight of the Ragnar Knight Order, did not move an inch from the lodging.
No, it was closer to saying that he could not.
Not only Deni, but even the senior knights who had experienced all the ups and downs of life were holed up in their lodgings.
Deni’s peers were already half-dead, sprawled about the lodging.
‘Ugh…… it’s brutal, absolutely brutal.’
After Kyle had departed to et rchant Guild Head Tade, hell descended upon the Ragnar Knight Order.
In particular, the man nad Acacia drove the mbers of the Ragnar Knight Order to their limits like a reaper who had climbed up from hell.
Deni shuddered as he recalled the faces of the Special Operations Unit mbers.
‘……Monsters.’
During that ti, the Special Operations Unit mbers sparred with all the knights without missing a single day.
And the mont soone fell short of their expectations, they were rcilessly beaten.
He could not even begin to guess just what level they considered satisfactory.
Even Akun, who had reached Exford Level, was treated like a child, as they continued sparring that was virtually indistinguishable from real combat.
However, the Special Operations Unit mbers did show respect toward Pan.
Exactly to that extent.
Up to Pan, they maintained courtesy, but under the pretense of sparring, they drove the knights like madn.
And that was with as many as one hundred knights.
“Ugh…….”
One of Deni’s peers rose like a zombie and stared out the window.
“I feel like I’m going to die.”
“ too…….”
“Please, spare us.”
There were four people staying in the room in total.
The newly appointed knights, including Deni, writhed in pain with their entire bodies.
They had been granted the rest they wanted, but their bodies ached so badly that they could not even sleep properly.
“Ragnar Knight Order! Arm yourselves and assemble at the training grounds!”
At the very mont they were resting, a familiar voice rang out from the corridor of the lodging.
It was Akun’s voice summoning the entire Knight Order.
“……What’s going on?”
“Could it be that the instructors have returned……?”
“The instructors promised they wouldn’t touch us for today, didn’t they?”
As the peers continued their anxious exchange, Deni forced his aching body and opened the door.
“Lord Kyle has returned to the territory. We must prepare to welco the Rapid rchant Guild, so co out at once! Ten minutes. Finish arming yourselves and assemble within that ti!”
The knights who had been sprawled in the lodging as if unconscious sprang to their feet the mont they heard those words.
A crashing racket echoed throughout the lodging, and Deni also moved his body reflexively.
As he began putting on the armor hanging on the wall, the other peers quickly began arming themselves as well.
“Hurry! The mont the Young Master finds sothing he doesn’t like, that’s when hell begins!”
Deni urgently pressed his peers.
If Kyle were to point out the Ragnar Knight Order’s conduct, there was no way the Special Operations Unit mbers would stay still.
They would surely drive them even more insanely.
At Deni’s shout, the newly appointed knights hurriedly finished arming themselves.
Rumble―
The knights who had finished preparing ran out of the lodging one after another.
Watching them, Akun nodded with a satisfied expression.
However, his head was filled with other thoughts.
‘My whole body aches.’
Because of the Special Operations Unit’s extre training thods, Akun himself was not in good shape either.
Once the entire Ragnar Knight Order had finished assembling, Akun straightened his back and turned around.
“Commander, the Ragnar Knight Order has completed assembly!”
“……We head out imdiately to welco the Rapid rchant Guild. All personnel, mount up!”
Clatter―
At Pan’s order, the knights moved swiftly and leapt onto their saddles in one motion.
By the ti Pan and Akun mounted their horses, all the knights had completed boarding.
“We depart! Hyah!”
With Pan at the forefront, the Ragnar Knight Order began to spur their horses forward at speed.
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