Encrid had experienced numerous halts in life, so he had forgotten about anxiety. He simply acted.
He ran, he leaped, and he traversed mountains.
Luagarne never left any tool unused.
It didn't matter if it was a person or something else. Everything was utilized. Encrid was one of those things.
Just yesterday, Encrid fought against Dunbachel, Teresa, and Lawford simultaneously.
He thought that, out of pride, they wouldn't accept fighting three against one, but they agreed without hesitation.
Luagarne had shown the three how to fight in formation so their hands wouldn't get tangled.
Even with that, Encrid couldn't easily gain the upper hand against them. Their tactics were extremely tricky.
Dunbachel, using her signature quick feet and agile movements, circled around, stabbing at any opening she saw, while Teresa persistently pressed forward with her shield from the front.
Their technique for blocking his view had become more refined, and their overall skill level had undoubtedly increased, making them more challenging opponents.
Beside them, Lawford swung his sword steadfastly.
It wasn't the Middle Sword Technique. It was a method where he calculated several strategies before striking.
For instance, Lawford would sometimes swing his sword at the air instead of directly at Encrid. When there was no other place to evade, Encrid was forced to deliberately parry that sword.
Naturally, this created an opening, and into that opening, Dunbachel's curved blade would strike.
Encrid realized anew Lawford's talent.
'Is he calculating tactics while fighting alongside the other two?'
With this kind of talent, he would shine when leading a small force.
Lawford was in the process of awakening to his talent.
It was a sense of reading the flow of battle as if from above.
This would not only be applicable in small-scale tactics but could also be used in individual strategies.
It was the essence of the Correct Sword Technique. While Luagarne spoke of hints and feints, Lawford faithfully wielded his sword to corner his opponent.
'Outstanding.'
Encrid recognized Lawford's talent.
Luagarne had noticed it long before and had awakened it with just a few pieces of advice.
Though one could feel the stark difference in talent, Encrid paid no mind.
He was too busy gasping for breath in daily training to worry about anything else.
Dunbachel, too, had improved significantly.
She displayed a killing technique that utilized her entire body, including her two curved blades, nails, and even claws.
Sword strikes coming from the realm of instinct.
Amidst that, she would extend her claws with calculated intent.
It was chaotic, but that made it all the more difficult to defend against.
In any case, Encrid barely managed to hold his own against the three of them yesterday.
And today, an even more unusual question arose.
"Have you ever fought against a wizard?"
Before Encrid could answer Luagarne's question, a woman with long hair and wearing nothing but a thin robe emerged from behind Frog.
It was, of course, Esther.
"Is it necessary to improve swordsmanship?"
She asked in return.
Encrid thought for a moment and then replied,
"Perhaps."
Honestly, he had no idea, but he figured he might gain something from it.
Encrid's greatest strength was his ability to learn from everything and everyone around him.
Esther didn't reject the suggestion.
She blinked her large eyes a few times, combed her hair with one hand, and raised the other hand as she spoke.
"Then let's proceed. D'muller's Scythe."
As she spoke, she made what seemed like an insignificant gesture with her thumb, index, and middle fingers.
At the same time, Encrid drew Aker and swung it.
Clang!
The compressed blade of air that had been flying toward him shattered upon meeting Encrid's sword swing.
Encrid felt a subtle recoil in his arms, as if he had just blocked the swing of a powerful warrior.
It could have been disorienting, but Encrid, after blocking the attack, immediately reversed and advanced.
He pushed off the ground, leaving afterimages of his body.
It was a speed that would be difficult for anyone other than a Knight to follow with their eyes.
"Beware of the snake."
Esther's voice pierced through the moment, lodging itself in his ears.
No, it was a voice that reverberated through his entire head.
It was as if he couldn't ignore her words.
It was strange. Even though he was focusing on the front and charging ahead, her voice vividly rang in his ears?
Along with it, Encrid saw an illusion where Aker, the sword in his hand, turned into a snake and coiled around his arm, but the illusion disappeared in the blink of an eye.
His natural resistance had automatically activated.
Clang!
Encrid's sword was blocked by Esther's outstretched palm. It was a wizard's barrier.
How could he break it?
He had already experienced this once before, when he beheaded the Count.
He needed to raise his sword vertically and strike down with the Middle Sword Technique.
He needed to channel the Will to cleave through it. Ragna's sword was not as powerful as lightning, but it was similar.
"It will be blocked."
Esther kept moving her hands continuously, changing their shape as she spoke.
After drawing several shapes with her hands, layers of barriers formed above her head, capturing Encrid's sword.
"Roita's Sticky Web."
If a passing wizard had seen this, they would have been horrified.
Just a moment ago, Esther had first implemented the spell and then recited the incantation afterward.
This was a technique called 'post-chanting', something that most wizards wouldn't even dare to attempt.
To sum it up, Encrid was helplessly pushed back by Esther.
The saying that a prepared wizard is scarier than a Knight wasn't just an empty rumor.
She proved it.
The sorcery the Count had shown was grand and overwhelming.
Since Encrid had managed to break through tens of thousands of specters, he had believed that in a battle against a wizard, he would have the advantage.
But he was wrong.
Of course, Encrid didn't know how extraordinary a wizard Esther was.
Especially in one-on-one combat, Esther was already a genius that no ordinary wizard could hope to emulate.
Even the wizard Galaf, who controlled the river in the battlefield prepared by Aspen, would have retreated the moment they saw Esther if she had been in her usual state.
Esther felt threatened three times while facing Encrid.
The fact that he could push such a wizard to this extent was impressive, but Encrid didn't realize it.
"One more time?"
Encrid simply did as he always did.
"As much as you like."
Esther nodded confidently.
If the opponent wanted it, she would oblige.
She didn't back down, and on this day, Encrid ended up with a broken left arm and his hair burnt short, requiring a trim.
"That looks good too."
Luagarne, with her keen aesthetic sense, also liked Encrid's short hair.
Through all of this, Encrid didn't make any dramatic leaps in his abilities.
But just by changing his perspective, he gained not a small amount.
"When facing a wizard, engaging in conversation itself means giving them the first strike."
Esther offered advice on how to face a wizard.
Encrid absorbed everything. Receiving lessons from someone and repeatedly digesting them was something he excelled at more than anything else.
And that's what he did.
Esther smiled, and Encrid, seeing her smile, said,
"You shouldn't carelessly smile at others."
Come to think of it, she was as rare to smile as Sinar.
"Why?"
Esther asked.
"If you look in a mirror, you might realize, especially if someone looks through that thin robe, they might say they want to gouge out their eyes, don't you think?"
"No, I know. This is also a weapon. Those who get lost in my face often momentarily forget that I am a wizard."
Where does strategy begin?
Encrid had a small epiphany.
If you can shake your opponent's focus with your appearance?
It was in line with the principles of the Valen Mercenary Sword Technique.
"Excellent."
"My face is always excellent."
Esther responded to Encrid's words without losing her smile.
Although he was talking about strategy, not her face, Encrid didn't bother to clarify.
If someone overheard their conversation, they might think it was quite bleak, but both of them felt they were having an unusually friendly exchange.
Esther acknowledged that she had, at some point, become part of this group.
"That soldier?"
At the end of their sparring, Encrid asked. He was referring to the soldier Esther had brought along to teach, occasionally calling on him for something.
"He has talent."
Esther gave a brief reply.
That was all there was to it.
Encrid didn't ask any further.
It wasn't that Esther was trying to raise a disciple.
The primary reason was that by teaching, she could further refine her own skills.
The second reason was that if left alone, the soldier would probably end up learning some crude magic and causing trouble.
Wouldn't it be better to steer him in a more useful direction?
Having observed what Encrid had been doing consistently, this thought had come to her.
Should a wizard be narrow-minded?
'Not anymore.'
Esther acknowledged this. Although she had lived a life of isolated research and struggle, she had learned a lot by observing and keeping people around her.
In fact, it had been even more beneficial to her.
"Alright, just don't kill him."
Since there were rumors that Esther used soldiers as sacrifices, Encrid made a point of saying this.
"If they die from bad luck during training, it can't be helped."
Esther said this, understanding how treacherous the path of magic could be.
Encrid recognized that there was no malice in Esther's words and nodded.
She wasn't really planning to use the soldier as a sacrifice.
Of course, some soldiers, upon seeing the markings on the body of the friend Esther had taken along, had created their own fears.
But if their minds were fragile enough to be broken by such things, they would shatter easily on the battlefield too.
Encrid wanted to train strong soldiers.
In that case, they should be able to easily overcome such trivial rumors.
Thus, sparring with a wizard became part of Encrid's daily routine.
"What will you do if your opponent uses hints and feints?"
Luagarne began sharing her experiences through the entire process.
These were the experiences of Frog, who had spent over a century exploring battles and fights, seeking out the unknown within them.
"While hints and feints aren't everything, if you can master them, there is no better technique than the Illusion Sword Technique."
"That can be easily broken by a straightforward sword."
"If you can anticipate your opponent's straightforward and heavy sword, brother, it would be even better if you could deflect and trap them."
- Hints and feints can also be done with your eyes. If your opponent is sensitive, you can even do it with sheer willpower.
Ragna's opinions slipped into Luagarne's teachings at some point, and Audin also chimed in, while even Jaxon, despite being busy, left a note.
Rem surprisingly didn't step in often.
Encrid received experience from Luagarne.
From the words of others, he learned how to break through that experience.
He went further by repeatedly practicing it physically.
"It would have been boring before, but now it's gotten somewhat better."
Even Ragna offered this faint praise.
The Encrid who once couldn't properly execute what was taught to him was gone.
It wasn't for nothing that he had trained his body using the Isolation Technique; his body had become more solid than ever before.
Just by straightening his body from his feet and evenly distributing his weight on both feet, it was clear that his sense of balance had improved.
In conclusion, Encrid had become a Junior-Knight who could now withstand Blackie's lightning strike.
While Luagarne didn't plan everything intentionally, the time, experience, and training she provided were incredibly beneficial to Encrid.
Although his skills didn't improve dramatically overnight, his perspective broadened as he learned. His thinking also expanded.
This, naturally, had an impact on others as well.
Especially for Lawford, who, under Luagarne's guidance, managed to break through some barriers.
Lawford had always been a person born with such talent.
While he couldn't see a step ahead, he showed a knack for driving his opponent into traps with his sword.
There was an old saying on the continent.
Is it best to anticipate one move ahead?
Or is it best to make even that move operate within your own intentions?
This referred to the two directions of using the Correct Sword Technique.
Lawford had the talent to faithfully follow the latter.
"Not bad."
Encrid said this during their sparring, and Lawford nodded with a satisfied expression.
It was recognition from someone he wanted to be acknowledged by.
How could he not be pleased?
However, Lawford showed satisfaction before he felt joy or exhilaration.
Frog, who enjoyed observing humans, liked charming and attractive people, which meant she was good at reading their expressions.
Luagarne saw the satisfaction on Lawford's face.
A deep and unwavering satisfaction.
She realized that this was what set Encrid apart from others more than anything else.
He never knew satisfaction, no matter the moment.
'One more time.'
Wasn't that the phrase he used the most during training?
He might enjoy the moment and revel in exhilaration, but he never felt satisfaction.
'Would he stop once he becomes a Knight?'
Not a chance.
Luagarne knew the world of Knights. Even within that world, there were differences. Ragna was a prime example.
'When among Knights, he's still just at the beginning.'
Of course, he was better off than a broken Knight.
Outstanding talent?
When it comes to Knights, talent is no longer a matter of discussion.
Reaching the level of a Knight makes comparing talent almost laughable.
They were all people for whom the term 'genius' hardly seemed sufficient.
From that point on, what was needed was not talent but effort, direction, enlightenment, and a high-quality willpower.
The world of Knights is vast.
Luagarne knew this.
Just look at the Knights of Naurillia.
'What about the Knight in the western Kingdom?'
And what about Anu, the Mercenary King?
These individuals were like natural disasters. Ragna had reached a similar level, and even the Fairy appeared to be on that path.
But they still had room to grow.
A Knight's journey doesn't end, it begins.
Most of those Junior-Knights who fail to break through the wall of Knighthood do so because they don't realize this.
At least, that was the judgment of Luagarne, the seeker.
The power of a Knight was a mirage that could never be reached if one saw it as the final destination.
In this respect, Encrid was not a concern.
That man, driven by ambition and greed, showed no signs of ever stopping.
'If only he had more talent.'
That thought came to her naturally.
What if that man had been exceptionally talented?
What if he had possessed a talent that was above average, if not extraordinary?
He wouldn't need to be called a genius.
Just that much would have been enough.
'Or even if he just had more time than others.'
What if, for example, a day for others was a week for him?
It was a foolish fantasy. Dwelling on something that would never happen was a waste of time.
It was even more foolish to think that way while looking at Encrid.
Especially with a man in front of her who would rather swing his sword one more time than waste time pondering.
Luagarne believed that this man would become a Knight.
It was an unwavering conviction, without any particular reason.
[T/L: Please support me AND read further chapters here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans.]
[T/L: Subscribe for a membership on my Buy Me a Coffee page and receive 15 extra chapters upon joining, along with daily updates of one chapter: buymeacoffee.com/revengerscans ]
[Additional Info: If anyone is facing the issue of payment on Ko-Fi, please contact me on [email protected]]