Whoosh! Swing!
The senior knight took the shield and sword his subordinate had brought and swung them threateningly from side to side before he stepped in front of Rick.
The knights of the Solma Family were renowned even among those of the Central Continent for their strong sense of pride.
Most knights from Thebea, with its deep traditions, were like that, but the knights of the Solma Knight Order were particularly proud of their skills.
They had to pass grueling training and trials that pushed beyond human limits just to be appointed as knights, so they believed themselves different from ordinary knights.
In particular, to reach the rank of senior knight, one had to perform many missions after appointment and achieve outstanding results, so they were also rich in combat experience.
Rick, just like before, raised his sword, steadied his breathing, and faced the senior knight.
After a brief exchange of greetings, the senior knight thrust his shield forward and charged at Rick.
"Haaah!"
The swordsmanship of the Kingdom of Thebea was similar to the paladin swordsmanship of the Holy Kingdom.
It involved pressing the opponent with a heavy shield and exploiting the openings with the sword.
In fact, one of the continentʼs strongest warriors from Thebea, the Fifth King Picold Sabrang, had once said that eight parts out of ten of Thebean swordsmanship lay in the shield.
Boom!
As the senior knight swung his heavy shield at Rick, a dull thud echoed.
'Got him.ʼ
The senior knight prepared to swing his sword at Rick, who he expected would stagger from the impact.
But the shield didnʼt budge. 'What... whatʼs this?ʼ
Rick pressed down on the senior knightʼs shield with his shoulder, not yielding an inch.
Rick, who had focused on strength training alongside Farel, was no longer the Rick of old.
Even among the Black Sword Knight Order, he demonstrated exceptional stamina and strength.
He had shown monstrous prowess, taking on several knights who used aura without employing it himself and not tiring in the slightest.
Aslan, who watched from behind, looked at Rick in surprise.
'It reminds me of the old days. Thirty years ago, we did more physical training than the refined aura practice we have now.ʼ
No matter how diligently one trained their aura, without the foundation of stamina, it would shake.
In actual battlefield situations, enduring with physical strength was often more important than wielding aura skillfully.
In that sense, Rick had mastered the most essential basics of being a knight.
Rick put strength into his lower body and pushed the shield forward with his shoulder.
"Haaah!"
The senior knight, who gripped the shield, was forced back by Rickʼs power.
"Urgh!"
He tried to hold his ground somehow, but it was futile.
In the end, his legs gave out, and the senior knight lost his balance and fell.
Thud!
The heavy shield fell atop him like a lid.
Just like before, Rick mounted the fallen senior knightʼs chest, pressed down with his knee, and pointed his sword tip at the manʼs throat.
"Compared to your strength, the shield seems too heavy. Ill-fitting gear can hinder combat rather than help, so it would be best to prepare something that suits your body."
Rick offered advice based on his own experiences from countless battles in the Black Sword Knight Order.
But the senior knight took Rickʼs words as an insult.
He summoned his aura and shoved Rick off him.
Thud!
As the senior knight staggered to his feet, the other knights rushed over to support him.
He glared at Rick and shouted.
"To use tricks in an honorable knightʼs duel! Have you no shame?" At the senior knightʼs words, Rick furrowed his brow and replied.
"I have never used any tricks."
"Ha! Then youʼre saying you sliced through a steel sword without aura and pushed back a shield with your bare body! Even legendary knights of valor couldnʼt do that!" He had mistaken Jeffricʼs strength for aura.
At the senior knightʼs words, the expressions of the other knights darkened.
Using tricks to tarnish a knightʼs honor was an unforgivable act.
Rick looked at them and said calmly.
"I did not use aura."
"Have you learned only lies in the Black Sword Knight Order?" But just then.
"What is this commotion?"
Jonathan Solma, the acting family head, appeared in the training ground.
He glared once at Rick and the Solma Knight Order members facing off, then raised his voice.
"Joren."
At Jonathanʼs call, the senior knight stepped forward.
"Explain what happened."
Joren spoke to Jonathan in a cautious tone.
"The Black Sword Knight Order formally requested a duel. Refusing would tarnish the knight orderʼs honor, so... we proceeded, but something unsavory happened in the middle."
At his words, Jonathanʼs eyebrow twitched.
"What do you mean by 'unsavoryʼ?"
Joren pointed at Rick.
"He used tricks during an honorable match. He broke the rule against using aura in the duel and secretly employed it to mock us."
At that, Jonathan turned his head toward Rick.
"Is this true?"
Rick shook his head.
"It is not. I did not use aura."
Jonathan glanced back and forth between Rick and Joren.
In fact, Jonathan had been watching the duel from afar.
In his judgment, it didnʼt seem like Rick had used aura to cheat.
On the contrary, he had been surprised to see how Rick had grown differently from before.
'No need to escalate things further.ʼ
As he prepared to smooth things over appropriately.
"Something unsavory, you say."
Jonathan turned his head at the sudden voice.
Zeke had appeared in the training ground with Arin.
Standing beside Rick, Zeke looked at Aslan and said.
"Do you also judge that Jeffric secretly used aura in the duel, Sir Aslan?" At those words, Aslan snorted.
"Aura? Nonsense. Jeffric fought purely with his physical strength. It was a true knightʼs display, one I havenʼt seen in a long time."
At Aslanʼs words, Jorenʼs expression twisted.
Zeke nodded at Aslanʼs statement.
"If Sir Aslan says so, then Jeffric did not use any tricks."
In an instant, his eyes sharpened, and an ominous energy emanated from his entire body.
Rumble...
The pressure from Zekeʼs aura instantly enveloped the entire training ground, turning Jorenʼs face, along with the entire Solma Knight Order, pale.
Zeke looked at them and said.
"The knights of Solma must find Draker knights laughable. To claim a fair victory as trickery and refuse to acknowledge defeat."
As Jonathan Solma forcibly pushed back against the immense pressure from Zekeʼs aura, he stepped forward and spoke.
"Sir Zeke, I apologize for the rudeness committed by our familyʼs knight."
With Jonathan Solmaʼs apology, the oppressive aura filling the training ground vanished in an instant.
Zeke looked at Jonathan and said.
"There is no need for the young family head to apologize. But I cannot tolerate the tarnishing of Jeffricʼs honor, nor that of the Black Sword Knight Order to which he belongs."
He glanced once at the Solma knights behind and slowly opened his mouth.
"Wouldnʼt it be good for the young family head to select a knight capable of properly assessing Jeffricʼs skills for the duel? With you and me observing together, there will be no misunderstandings like this."
Jonathan could not refuse Zekeʼs proposal, which invoked the honor of the knight order. "Understood. I will follow Sir Zekeʼs will."
"Which knight will you send?"
At those words, Jonathan shook his head.
"There is no need to select another. I will step forward myself."
Rick, who had been silent behind, looked surprised and spoke.
"B-Brother, youʼll fight personally?"
At Rickʼs reaction, Jonathan replied with a composed expression.
"Is there some reason I shouldnʼt?" Rick hurriedly shook his head.
"No. I just never imagined Iʼd cross swords with you again... Itʼs an honor." Jonathan looked at Rick and then turned to his guard knights.
"Bring my sword and shield."
At that moment, Zeke, who had been watching, said to Jonathan.
"Since weʼre at it, why not don your armor as well? For a formal duel."
At Zekeʼs words, Jonathan flinched as if momentarily offended, but he quickly regained his composure and nodded.
"I shall do so."
Soon, the guard knight brought Jonathanʼs sword, shield, and armor.
Jonathan donned the heavy cuirass and infused it with aura to activate the Hercion.
Clang!
With a dull sound, the armor wrapped around Jonathanʼs body.
It was the Hercion bestowed only upon key figures in the Solma Family.
Though archaic in design, the Hercion itself was so rare that it was worth an entire small castle.
Jonathan, fully equipped, stood before Rick.
He looked at Rick, who held only his sword, and said.
"You intend to face me without armor?" Rick shook his head.
"No."
With his response, Rick activated the Black Spirit Unitʼs Hercion.
Rattle!
Clank!
In an instant, the cuirass enveloped his body, forming full plate armor.
Seeing this, a flicker of surprise appeared in Jonathanʼs eyes.
To maintain the Hercion, one needed at least the realm of a purple knight.
He realized that Rick, who had long failed to surpass the purple knight level, had now reached or exceeded it, activating the Hercion so naturally.
'So the previous duel wasnʼt mere luck.ʼ
Rick in the Black Spirit Unitʼs Hercion and Jonathan in the Solma Familyʼs Hercion faced each other.
Zeke, who stood in the center, gave the starting signal.
"Duel begin!"
At the same time, Jonathan advanced with his heavy shield raised.
It was a clean and ferocious textbook charge, incomparable to Jorenʼs.
Whoosh!
The combined weight of the armor and shield carried tremendous force as it bore down on Rick.
Swoosh—
Rick swiftly dodged the shield and circled to the side.
But Jonathan responded adeptly, as if he had anticipated it.
He twisted his body and swung his heavy sword at Rick, who had flanked him.
Whoosh!
The sword cleaved through the air toward Rickʼs waist.
Clang!
But Rick parried Jonathanʼs sword with his own, refusing to be taken easily.
The force was so strong that Jonathanʼs sword bounced away, and his wrist tingled.
"Urk!"
Jonathan stepped back and regained his stance.
Thud!
He leaned forward, gripped his shield, and charged again.
Rumble—
The charge, which immediately regained balance and leaped forward, was the epitome of Thebean knight shield techniques.
Against it, Rick thrust his shoulder forward and collided head-on with Jonathanʼs shield attack.
Boom!
A tremendous noise rang out, and dust billowed.
"Huh..."
Aslan, who watched, let out a sigh.
As the dust cloud settled, Rick and Jonathan were revealed locked in a stalemate, neither yielding an inch.
Rumble—
Jonathan could only be astonished by the solid force he felt beyond his shield.
'Is this purely physical strength without aura?ʼ
It felt like pushing against a deeply rooted tree or a massive boulder.
Crunch—
As Jonathan adjusted his stance, he looked beyond the shield at Rick and shouted.
"Foolish fool. In a knightʼs duel, relying solely on brute force isnʼt the way!"
An old habit from when he had personally instructed Rick long ago emerged.
In that instant, Jonathan tilted his shield at an angle and spun to the side, changing direction.
He then shook the shield to disrupt the balance of Rick, who was pushing against it.
Unlike Joren, he could wield the heavy shield like an extension of his limbs, allowing such a feat.
Jonathan assumed Rick would lose balance and roll on the ground.
But that was a grave miscalculation.
Swoosh!
Rick instantly shifted the direction of his force, grabbed the shield, and circled to Jonathanʼs side.
He then swung his leg with all his might toward Jonathanʼs thigh.
Boom!
Caught off guard by the low kick, Jonathan staggered, losing his balance instead.
He released the shield and quickly retreated.
"Huff. Huff."
Jonathan panted, gripped his sword, and glared at Rick.
The Solma-side knights behind raised their voices.
"Using pankration in an honorable knightʼs duel!"
"How cowardly!"
Jonathan ignored the knightsʼ jeers and focused on Rick before him. He had to admit that Rick had truly changed from before.
'Fine, show me all the skill you wanted to display.ʼ
Jonathan gripped his sword with both hands and adjusted his stance.
It was the rider form of the Solma Familyʼs secret art, the Five-Light Swordsmanship.