"Using pankration in a duel between honorable knights!"
"That's utterly cowardly!"
Amid the knights' uproar, Zeke turned to Aslan and said,
"In the Solma family duels, are punches and kicks not permitted?" Aslan shook his head with a look of disdain.
"That's nonsense. On the battlefield, you don't just meekly offer your neck if you drop your sword."
It was the result of being too trapped in the notion of knighthood and overly focused on formality.
'Thebea had not been exposed to real battlefield conditions for a long time. That was why the knights had not had many chances to gain actual combat experience.ʼ
Knights without real combat experience could not bring out their full potential in true battle.
In his previous life, the Central Continent's knights had crumbled so easily against the imperial army because they lacked practical experience.
To prepare for the wars ahead, it was necessary to shatter their empty rituals.
At that moment, Aslan, who had been watching the duel, widened his eyes in surprise.
"Hoo, that's...?"
Turning at his reaction, Zeke saw Jonathan assuming the Rider Form of the FiveLight Swordsmanship.
Seeing this, Zeke realized that Jonathan had acknowledged Rick's skill to a certain degree.
As Jonathan's demeanor shifted, Rick straightened his posture and likewise assumed the Rider Form of the Five-Light Swordsmanship.
Jonathan and Rick glared at each other with swords drawn, engaging in a battle of auras.
Kugugugu!
An invisible, formless energy clashed fiercely between them.
Even the Solma knights who had been jeering earlier now fell silent in tension, watching intently.
After their aura standoff, the two Solma knights locked eyes and suddenly lunged forward simultaneously.
Kwadududuk!
Jonathan swung his sword from below upward, while Rick brought his down from above, clashing in the middle.
The swords moved so fast that only flashes of blade light were visible; the swords themselves were barely discernible.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Though it was swift swordsmanship befitting the quick style, the clash rang out with the force of heavy strikes.
Jonathan's speed was faster, but the power behind Rick's strikes seemed stronger.
In an instant, their swords crossed repeatedly, illuminating their surroundings with blade light, causing the Solma knights watching from behind to gape in astonishment.
"H-How?"
"He's not being pushed back by the young master's strikes?"
"Th-This can't be!"
These were knights who had personally felt Jonathan Solma's swordsmanship, so they could not believe Rick was holding his own against him.
No, it even looked like Jonathan was being overwhelmed by the powerful strikes.
Kung!
Jonathan planted his back foot firmly and blocked Rick's assault.
Fighting purely with swordsmanship without aura, Rick's superior physical strength gave him a clear advantage.
But then, Rick said to Jonathan,
"Brother, show me the true Five-Light Swordsmanship." Jonathan's eyebrow twitched at Rick's words.
The swift Five-Light Swordsmanship truly shone when aura was employed.
In the past, he would have exploded in anger at such a remark from Rick, but seeing his grown brother's transformation sparked a different anticipation.
'Had that Jeffric really changed from before?ʼ
His younger brother had always been timid, never fully realizing his innate talent.
With such a weak and fragile personality, he could not endure the Solma family's strictness.
That was why both Jonathan and the family head had pushed Jeffric harder, trying to break his limits.
But in the end, Jeffric could not overcome it and fled, tarnishing the family's honor.
Now, having returned with a changed demeanor, Jonathan hesitated to show overt expectation, fearing another disappointment.
It was then.
Zeke, standing behind, shouted,
"Young master! Don't worry—test him yourself!"
Zeke's voice, as the Knight of Salvation, carried trust in Jeffric.
Jonathan looked up at Rick.
Woooong!
Aura energy surged from his body.
At the same time, Rick ignited his own aura.
Kugugugu—
The auras around their swords rippled and clashed intensely.
Pajijijik—
Waves of aura scattered in all directions.
With that, Jonathan first deflected Rick's sword to the side and changed his blade's trajectory.
Whiiik—
Now using aura, his movements became far more fluid than before.
It was swift enough that the heavy feel of the Hercion was barely noticeable.
Blade light flashed from Jonathan's sword.
Paching—
In an instant, his strike bore down on Rick.
Kwachang!
Rick raised his sword to block Jonathan's assault.
The true form of the swift Five-Light Swordsmanship unfolded in the hands of the two Solma knights.
Charararak—
The swords were invisible; only flashes of light sparked in the air.
The offense and defense were so rapid that ordinary eyes could not follow.
Zeke watched Jonathan's sword closely from behind.
'His balance of offense and defense was well-maintained. It was skill and talent worthy of being called genius.ʼ
What was astonishing was that Rick matched Jonathan's sword without missing a beat, holding an even exchange.
Unlike Jonathan, who maintained a balanced offense and defense, Rick wielded his sword a bit more aggressively.
Jonathan was surprised to see his once-timid brother facing him with an offensive style, not the defensive approach from before.
'Jeffric launched attacks like this?ʼ
Under Rick's relentless onslaught, Jonathan found himself gradually shifting to defense.
The swift Five-Light Swordsmanship was fast and powerful, but it consumed a great deal of aura and stamina.
Thus, expending energy too quickly in the early stages made one vulnerable to counterattacks.
To overcome this, Jonathan had focused on harmonizing attack and defense, mastering footwork to manage his energy distribution.
He waited for Rick to tire, biding his time for an opening.
But no matter how long he waited, Rick's sword showed no signs of fatigue.
'What in the world...?ʼ
It was just as Jonathan began to harbor doubts.
Kiiiiing—
A sharp sword resonance rang from Rick's blade, and attacks at an even faster speed poured in.
Jonathan, not expecting the sword to accelerate further, panicked as he received Rick's strike.
Kagagak—
Before he knew it, Rick's sword grazed Jonathan's Hercion, landing a blow.
Jonathan tried to evade with footwork.
But Rick's Five-Light Swordsmanship was faster.
Whiiiiiik—
In a flash, four strikes targeted Jonathan's vitals simultaneously.
'Head, shoulder, chest, abdomen.ʼ
To block the attacks, Jonathan instinctively ignited his blue knight's Aura Blade without realizing it.
Woooong—
The moment he tried to parry Rick's incoming strikes from four directions with his Aura Blade.
Rick's sword blurred and suddenly dropped low, aiming for his legs.
Woooong!
Seeing the vivid Aura Blade on Rick's sword, Jonathan flinched and hastily turned his blade to block.
Kwa kwa kwa kwa kwang!
The clash of Aura Blade against Aura Blade unleashed a powerful wave of aura that swept across the entire training ground.
"Cough! Cough! Cough!"
A cloud of dust rose, forcing the nearby Solma knights to cough violently.
They stared in disbelief at the scene before them.
After a moment, as the dust fully settled, Joren cried out in shock.
"Th-There!"
Jonathan, revealed once more, was on one knee, sword raised to block Rick's.
'Ugh.ʼ
Having hastily redirected his sword to counter the low attack, his wrist and ankle throbbed from the strain.
Since he had not fully committed from the start, he had been caught off guard by Rick's exceeding expectations, leaving him unable to comfortably withstand his brother's strong sword arm.
As he pondered his next move, Rick withdrew his sword and stepped back.
Sheathing his blade, Rick bowed to Jonathan.
"Thank you for receiving my inadequate sword, brother." Jonathan slowly rose and sheathed his own sword.
He then looked at Rick with newfound eyes.
The weak brother he had thought had abandoned the family now stood before him as a Blue Knight, seeking recognition.
Jonathan regarded his grown sibling with fresh eyes, then turned his head slightly to glance at Zeke Draker.
It was Zeke who had elevated the family's former dullard, always eager to flee, to the level of a Blue Knight.
'...Were Father and I wrong?ʼ
Jonathan suspected that Zeke had brought Rick here precisely to make him realize that.
Kugugugu—
Releasing his Hercion, Jonathan looked at Rick.
He slowly turned his head and said,
"...You'll manage your share wherever you go."
With his Hercion released, Rick grinned broadly at Jonathan's words.
"Brother!"
Jonathan frowned at Rick's instantly relaxed attitude.
"That doesn't mean I've acknowledged you. Don't think you can easily reclaim the family honor you abandoned."
His words were cold, but Rick sensed that Jonathan's demeanor had softened considerably compared to before.
Trembling with emotion, he nodded.
"I understand, brother. It won't be easy, but I'll strive to restore the honor." Jonathan glanced at Rick, then abruptly turned away.
He walked slowly toward where Zeke stood.
"Sir Zeke, may I have a word?"
"Of course."
As Jonathan moved to enter with Zeke, he glanced back at Arin nearby.
He spoke to a nearby guard.
"See to it that the lady is comfortable during her stay in the castle."
"Yes, young master."
Arin's eyes widened in surprise at Jonathan's words.
It was an acknowledgment of her as a guest of the Solma family, a far cry from being treated as nonexistent until now.
Though the engagement itself was not yet recognized, it was a vast improvement from being ignored as if invisible.
Before long, Rick approached Arin and tightly grasped her hand.
*
Jonathan entered the family head's office with Zeke.
He offered Zeke a seat and instructed a servant to bring fine tea.
Moments later, Zeke savored the fragrant aroma of the prepared tea, smiling in satisfaction.
'A family with tradition truly knows their tea.ʼ Watching Zeke, Jonathan spoke.
"Sir Zeke."
He fixed Zeke with a sharp gaze and asked,
"What is the real reason you've come here?"
Jonathan was not naive enough to believe that the famed Knight of Salvation on the continent had come solely as a guardian for Rick and Arin.
Zeke set down his teacup and met Jonathan's eyes.
"I wish to enter the imperial palace and meet the Royal Guard."
The current Royal Guard of Thebea Kingdom was none other than Hermann Solma, the head of the Solma family.
At Zeke's words, Jonathan shook his head in confusion.
"If you wish to see the family head, you could simply request it as a guardian knight of Draker. It might take a bit longer, but it's not impossible. Why go through this cumbersome process?"
To that, Zeke replied, locking eyes with Jonathan.
"Because far more cumbersome matters lie ahead—would that suffice as an answer?"
"What do you mean?"
Zeke straightened and continued.
"War will soon engulf the continent."
"War?"
Jonathan's expression hardened at the word.
Zeke nodded and spoke.
"Abel Draker seeks to revive the Demon Kingʼs Army and devour the entire continent in his ambition."
Jonathan was stunned by Zeke's sudden declaration.
"The Demon Kingʼs Army...? What are you talking about?"
"The anomalous signs appearing across the continent are proof. Vast hordes of magical beasts, ancient monster armies thought long vanished, and even demons summoned from the Demon Realm. All of this points to efforts to resurrect the Demon King." Jonathan's eyes shook violently at the unforeseen words.
Zeke pressed on.
"At the center of it all is Abel Draker. We nearly captured him, but he slipped away at the critical moment. The trail he left while fleeing with his companion leads toward the Thebea royal palace."
Jonathan realized why Zeke had come even to the Solma family.
"You intend to enter the royal palace and follow that trail?" Zeke nodded.
"Exactly. For that, I need the Royal Guard's assistance. If we don't find him quickly..."
Zeke looked at Jonathan and said,
"Thebea will be in danger."