Chapter 13: Roll Them, and Roll Them Again (1)
After safely escorting the Rapid rchant Guild and returning to their lodging, the Ragnar Knight Order relaxed.
The knights, their tension released, collapsed onto the floor without even removing their equipnt.
“Wow…… did you see how your instructor looked?”
“His whole body was covered in blood. Just what kind of battle did he go through…….”
The mont the knights saw the instructor who had relentlessly pushed and tornted them, their mouths fell open.
Even when facing monsters, it had never been that bad.
Assuming he had gone through an intense battle, the knights voiced their concerns.
“Fighting monsters is already exhausting enough…… at this rate, aren’t we going to get tangled up with so strange organization and end up in a brutal fight?”
“Yeah. Ever since Young Master Kyle returned, it feels like there hasn’t been a single peaceful day.”
Deni, who had been listening to the conversation among his peers, shook his head.
“If Young Master Kyle hadn’t returned to the territory, we wouldn’t even be able to sit around chatting this leisurely.”
“Deni, we’re not complaining, it’s just…….”
One of his peers waved his hand as he tried to make excuses, but Deni cut him off.
“Being pushed hard by the instructors? If that’s what you’re dissatisfied with, then just stay a rookie knight for the rest of your life.”
“……Why are you talking like that? Honestly, you’re exhausted too.”
“It seems like you still don’t realize how lucky this opportunity is. A Master. Do you think chances to receive a Master’s instruction co easily?”
The peers all shut their mouths at once.
Just as Deni said, they were complaining despite being blessed.
They had survived the Orc Legion’s invasion because Kyle had returned.
On top of that, the Ragnar Territory was stabilizing at an incredible speed.
Knowing that all of this was thanks to Kyle, Deni felt anger toward the peers who kept pretending not to know.
“Instead of wasting ti complaining, shouldn’t thanking Young Master Kyle co first? If you’re going to live relying on others, then at the very least you shouldn’t spout that kind of nonsense.”
After sharply rebuking his peers, Deni threw open the door to the lodging with an irritated expression.
Standing in front of the door, however, was Akun.
“I didn’t expect to find you indulging in complaints while being so blessed.”
Having heard all of their complaints from outside the door, Akun wore a displeased look.
At that gaze, the knights flinched and hurriedly stood up.
Deni, who hadn’t joined in the complaining, swallowed dryly as well.
“Vice-Commander…….”
“Deni.”
At Akun’s heavy voice, Deni snapped to attention and answered loudly.
“Yes!”
“Young Master Kyle is calling for you. Follow .”
After shooting a glare at the knights, Akun imdiately turned his body and left.
Deni followed behind him, and before he knew it, they arrived at the Ragnar Knight Order’s training grounds.
At the center of the training grounds, a single man stood alone in plain clothes.
It was Kyle, who had just finished a trading caravan and returned to the Ragnar Territory.
“Young Master, I have brought Deni.”
“Good work, Akun.”
After reporting to Kyle, Akun left the training grounds.
Left alone to face Kyle, Deni hesitantly approached his side and bowed his head deeply.
Looking down at Deni, Kyle spoke in a low voice.
“Is this the second ti we’ve seen each other face to face?”
“That is correct!”
As Deni stood with a tense expression, Kyle looked around the training grounds.
“It’s too clean.”
“……Pardon?”
Deni, unable to grasp his aning, asked back.
“Just how elegantly have you been training for the condition of the training grounds to be this good? Even if you grit your teeth and swing your swords, it’s questionable whether you could protect the territory, yet you’ve all been living comfortably.”
Kyle belittled the entire knight order, but Deni couldn’t properly refute his words.
There weren’t many veteran knights capable of conducting systematic training, and countless knights believed they were training with everything they had.
Even Deni thought that the Ragnar Knight Order had rely been training comfortably.
Overwheld by sha, Deni’s face grew hot.
Kyle waited until Deni lifted his head before continuing.
“I heard you lived as a refugee and then settled in the Ragnar Territory. Is that correct?”
“……Yes, that’s correct.”
“Then can you honestly tell
what you think the Ragnar Knight Order is lacking?”
At Kyle’s sudden question, Deni closed his mouth.
Reports to one’s superiors always had to be handled carefully.
If he misspoke, others could be hard by sothing he casually blurted out.
“…….”
“Should I roll you?”
“……Pardon?”
“Do I have to roll you like crazy, and then roll you again before you’ll speak?”
Suddenly, Kyle walked over to one side of the training grounds where wooden swords were lined up.
He picked one up and brought it back, handing it to Deni.
“Take it.”
“……How could I possibly spar with you, Young Master.”
“Does this look like a spar to you? A spar is only a spar when the levels match.”
Staring at the wooden sword Kyle held out, Deni bit his lip hard.
If he didn’t take it here, it would be disobeying an order.
With no other choice, Deni grasped the wooden sword Kyle offered.
Soon after, Kyle turned his gaze toward the outside of the training grounds.
“Akun.”
At Kyle’s call, Akun, who had been watching the situation from outside, bowed his head.
“Yes, Young Master.”
“Do not let what happens here, or what is said here, leak outside. If rumors reach my ears, I won’t let it slide.”
“I will block both eyes and ears.”
The mont Akun finished his reply, Kyle moved.
He struck Deni squarely in the chest with his palm.
“Ghk!”
“Don’t try to hide it clumsily. If you’re going to do it, do it properly.”
Faced with the rciless attack, Deni bit his lip hard.
Sohow, he raised the wooden sword, trying to block Kyle’s fist.
‘……There’s no way to hide it. Trying to conceal one’s level before a Master is nonsense.’
Realizing he had been exposed, Deni infused aura into the wooden sword.
Rookie knights were still fledglings who hadn’t even reached the Sword Runner Level.
Yet Deni possessed strength close to that of an upper-level knight.
Considering that Deni was twenty-one years old this year, it was a rapid pace.
After confirming his skill, Kyle calmly continued speaking.
“I thought you might be a spy.”
Although Kyle had briefly considered the possibility that Deni might be a spy from the Sinoah rchant Guild, it did not seem to be the case.
None of the habits characteristic of an assassin showed at all.
If he was not even a spy, then for what reason had he entered the Ragnar Knight Order?
To find that out, Kyle had deliberately arranged this eting.
“……I am absolutely not a spy. Please believe .”
“Then persuade . Don’t think of doing it with words—persuade
with your skill.”
At Kyle’s firm words, Deni’s gaze changed sharply.
As his once-gentle eyes turned sharp, his presence changed as well.
Kyle crooked his finger toward Deni.
“Co.”
No sooner had the words ended than Deni rushed forward at high speed.
At the sight of him gritting his teeth and scattering sword strikes with all his might, Kyle let out a faint chuckle.
It was just as he had expected.
Even so, he had wanted to check, thinking it might not be the case.
At that mont, Deni’s attack reached right before Kyle’s eyes.
Kwaang!
A loud sound rang out, but nothing in particular happened.
The wooden sword Deni had swung was caught firmly in Kyle’s grasp.
Deni struggled, grunting as he tried to pull the wooden sword free, but Kyle had no intention of letting go.
When Kyle tugged on the wooden sword, Deni, who was gripping the hilt tightly, was dragged along with it.
The distance between the two closed in an instant, and Kyle spoke quietly enough that Akun could not hear.
“How do you know that swordsmanship?”
“…….”
“The swordsmanship of the Light Family.”
At Kyle’s discernnt in recognizing his swordsmanship, Deni’s eyes widened in shock.
Thinking that his identity had finally been exposed, Deni was about to confess honestly.
However, before Deni could even open his mouth, a look of regret filled Kyle’s eyes.
“……How did you end up drifting all the way here.”
Soone who had mastered the Light Family’s swordsmanship could not have remained in Ragnar.
The Light Family was a royal sword family of a kingdom located at the far western edge, not in the north.
“How do you know about it?”
“I’ll tell you that later. Let’s stop here for today.”
“……Young Master!”
“It has been proven that you are not a spy.”
“……This is an important matter to .”
At the urgency in Deni’s eyes, Kyle looked toward Akun.
Sensing the look that told him to leave the training grounds altogether, Akun withdrew to a distance.
Once he disappeared, Kyle looked back at Deni and spoke again.
“I once had ties with the eldest son of the Light Family. Is that boy doing well?”
The heir of the Light Family.
He had once been a comrade who fought back-to-back with him.
Kyle asked in a passing tone, curious about his well-being, but Deni’s complexion darkened considerably.
“……He passed away.”
“What do you an by that?”
“The Light Family was accused of treason and beca a traitor family. My elder brother tried everything to protect the family, but it was beyond his ability.”
Even Kyle, who was thoroughly familiar with continental affairs, was hearing this for the first ti.
The very idea that the Light Family had beco a traitor family made no sense to him.
“……There would be no reason for that royal family to abandon the Light Family.”
“It happened suddenly, so I don’t know the detailed circumstances either. My brother simply told
to go to the Ragnar Territory. He also added…… that if I encountered soone who recognized the Light Family’s swordsmanship, I must stay by that person’s side.”
Only then did Kyle nod.
“……So he entrusted you before he left.”
“I think I finally understand why there was a fifteen-year gap in your life, Young Master.”
“Keep your mouth shut.”
Others might not know, but Deni could guess where Kyle had been for fifteen years.
His own brother had also returned to the family after fighting in the war between the Tylers Empire and the Holy Empire.
“I understand.”
Having heard the circumstances, it was now ti to hear the answer to the question Kyle had asked earlier.
“I’ll ask again. What do you think the Ragnar Knight Order lacks?”
“……Refinent.”
“As expected.”
The Ragnar Family’s knight order, possessing the greatest martial power.
Those belonging to the Ragnar Knight Order held great pride.
As if they had inherited the achievents built by their seniors, more and more mbers began to act needlessly refined.
Because of that, they beca steeped in complacency, believing they would always be the best, and eventually ended up in this sorry state.
Feeling keenly how much had changed during the fifteen years of his absence, Kyle let out a small sigh.
“We’ll have to roll them, and roll them again.”
“……Young Master.”
‘Young Master, huh…….’
Kyle mulled over Deni’s words inwardly.
In the past, he would not have felt uncomfortable with the title of Young Master.
But now, it was an uncomfortable form of address.
He thought it was sothing that prevented a sense of belonging.
He did not like that.
‘My own title needs to be reestablished as well. I can’t be called Young Master forever.’
After finishing his thoughts, Kyle looked at Deni.
In Deni’s eyes, sorrow over his brother’s death still lingered.
Kyle could understand Deni’s feelings to so extent.
The tragedy of the Light Family had been shocking to an extent that words could not permit.
But now was not the ti to grieve over past ties.
There were mountains of work to be done.
Although the deal with the Rapid rchant Guild had succeeded, it was nothing more than a temporary asure.
“We will reclaim the iron mine within a year.”
“…….”
“It’s sothing I could accomplish on my own. But I don’t intend to do that.”
Even if only Kyle, Seros, and the Special Operations Unit moved, they could reclaim one sector of the iron mine.
Knowing it was not an impossible task, Deni remained silent and simply nodded.
“If we reclaim the iron mine too easily, we grow complacent. Thinking that even if it’s taken, we can just take it back leads to repeating the sa mistake. I intend to prevent that beforehand.”
“You are absolutely right.”
“Help . We need to change the atmosphere of the Ragnar Knight Order.”
Deni found it hard to grasp what Kyle’s request truly ant.
As he revealed a questioning gaze, Kyle pointed a finger toward the sky.
“For one who inherits the bloodline of the Light Family, there are no seniors. Everyone is rely a rival. Crush them thoroughly.”
“……What do you an by that?”
“It doesn’t matter whether they’re seniors or peers. Making them harbor an inferiority complex would be a good thod as well. In exchange for using you, I will pay the price properly.”
At Kyle’s words, Deni’s expression stiffened in an instant.
“It’s unfortunate that you seem not to have fully inherited the Light Family’s swordsmanship, but I will pass on the complete Light Family swordsmanship to you.”
With that, it beca certain.
Who Kyle was, and what he had been doing for the past fifteen years.
‘Ian Kailers. He is certainly soone connected to him.’
At the light shining in Deni’s eyes, Kyle looked up at the sky.
“Will you do it?”
At Kyle’s calm words, Deni nodded strongly.
“I will.”
“Co out to the training grounds starting tomorrow morning. I’ll personally look at your sword.”
Kyle placed his hand on Deni’s shoulder.
At that mont, Deni’s status appeared before Kyle’s eyes.
< Deni Light >
Talent : Swordsmanship C-rank
Potential : Swordsmanship S-rank, Assassination A-rank, Stealth A-rank
Unawakened Ability : Light-style Eight-Blade S-rank
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