Nadia’s sudden duel challenge.
Raykadi answered calmly.
“I see no reason to fight. I refuse.”
“I didn’t ask for your opinion. This is punishment for a traitor. You know about ‘Mergan’s Punishment,’ right?”
Mergan’s Punishment was a kind of tradition that originated from an incident six hundred years ago.
At the time, a man named Mergan Rasheim from the Mist Knight Order would challenge anyone who tried to voluntarily leave the Order to a duel, killing or crippling them all.
In the past, when local conflicts were far more common than today, leaving a knight order meant becoming a traitor who opposed their ideology and beliefs, and everyone considered Mergan’s actions justified.
Of course, it was a tradition that had become obsolete as times changed.
Bringing it up now could only be seen as an excuse to bury an inconvenient opponent.
“Lady Nadia, are you saying the Order Knights still have the right to invoke Mergan’s Punishment? Has this Order forgotten its founding ideals?”
“Why wouldn’t we?”
Snap! Nadia opened her fan and continued.
“The Order Knights have splendidly inherited the traditions created by our founder, Lady Mirka Olin. We have simply adapted the methods to fit the times. Someone as rigid and outdated as you would never understand.”
“Hah. So you’re going to entrust a duel that’s supposed to prove something so important to an outsider?”
“How disappointing. Sir Rival is the knight who guards me, Nadia Litvin. He is my sword and shield. It is only natural that he would step forward in my place if a duel occurs.”
While the two argued, the residents of Lenska had already gathered around the Order grounds. Whether Nadia had planted agitators in advance or not, murmurs about a duel between knights could be heard.
“So that’s why you dragged things out for three whole days.”
The situation made it clear we wouldn’t be able to leave quietly. If we backed down now, Ray’s honor in the northwest would take a severe hit.
Sensing this, she looked at me and said,
“You promised to grant me the position of Sub-Master when the time came. But authority without trust is nothing but an empty shell. To prove my qualifications as a superior to my new comrades, please allow me to accept the challenge.”
“Do as you wish.”
Ray nodded and walked to the center of the outdoor training ground. The knight called Rival—the strongest in the Litvin Kingdom—stood facing her.
<Codan Rival> [Level: 44/45] [Vitality: 12] [Strength: 13] [Agility: 17] [Mana: 12] [Spirit: 06] [Sense: 13] [Divinity: 02]
[Traits: Sword Spirit (S+), Flexible Bones (B), and 3 others]
[Skills: Laihart Rapid Sword Art · Extreme (S), Laihart Heart Method (A), Laihart Vision Sword Art (A), Litvin Martial Arts (B), and 4 others]
[Description: Age 50, human race. Royal Guard Knight of Litvin. A highly renowned martial artist throughout the Volestrum Union.]
Near-Twelve Heroes level.
No pushover.
Ray’s level, which I had checked just a few days earlier, was only 37. For her age, that was an astonishing achievement, but it was still nothing compared to a true near-Twelve Heroes powerhouse.
By common sense, she should have had no chance of winning… yet I wasn’t worried at all.
To Nadia Litvin, Raykadi Shafeck had always been a thorn in her side.
Nadia had always drawn attention for both her status and her martial talent, but after meeting the monster called Raykadi, she finally learned how wide the world truly was.
Still, she felt neither inferiority nor despair. To her, martial arts were nothing more than a cultured hobby or pastime, not something worth devoting her life to.
What mattered was power.
Even in the relatively closed environment of the Order, it was still a microcosm of society connected to the outside world.
Just as she had always done, Nadia believed that by flaunting her status as princess of Litvin, even the immensely talented Raykadi would become her follower and treat her with the proper respect.
That was how it should have been…
‘Why should I use honorifics just because we’re squires in the same Order, Lady Nadia?’
That was the calm reply Raykadi had given when Nadia demanded it.
It was a reaction Nadia had never encountered before.
To this tomboy from outside the Volestrum Union, the authority of the Litvin royal family meant nothing.
After a brief moment of stunned silence, Nadia had used every means at her disposal to break Raykadi.
She had mobilized the other young ladies to isolate her from their peer group, ransacked her quarters, and harassed her relentlessly, yet Raykadi remained as immovable as a statue.
Nadia had suppressed her rage.
Being looked down on by the daughter of a mere martial family was the greatest humiliation she had ever suffered. Raykadi had never intended to compete for dominance, but to Nadia it was a critical issue.
‘But that ends today.’
Nadia smiled behind her fan as she watched Raykadi face Rival.
The knight of Litvin, Codan Rival, spoke.
“Mergan Rasheim continued his punishments even after the war ended. In the end, he died in a duel against some nameless knight. It is the perfect anecdote proving that a duel fought for honor always carries the risk of death.”
“So you intend to take my life in this duel, Sir Codan Rival. But you had better be prepared to lose yours as well.”
“Amusing.”
Codan’s attitude was relaxed.
Yet a clear killing intent could be felt beneath it.
To Raykadi, that meant she didn’t need to hold back at all.
Shing!
The two drew their longsword and military pick. Without a word, both began their breathing techniques.
Shafeck Heart Method — “Demon-Crushing Qi.”
Laihart Heart Method — “Void-Cutting Qi.”
The energies they released spread rapidly and filled the training ground.
Codan’s Sword Spirit (S+) trait was similar to yet different from Sword Demon (S+). Both granted tremendous speed, but Sword Spirit users tended to favor quick, decisive strikes that ended fights instantly rather than irregular techniques.
As if to demonstrate this himself—
Codan’s arm blurred first.
His “strike” flew toward Raykadi at a speed that left no afterimage. Clang! Yet she lightly swung her military pick wrapped in “energy blade” and deflected the lethal blow.
Codan’s eyebrows twitched.
He had intended to end the duel with that single strike.
She had parried it without the slightest deviation?
Right after his shock—
Something happened that left everyone present stunned.
…Life Incineration (S).
Fwoosh!
An ominous energy flared around Raykadi’s body, and the next instant she vanished along with an afterimage.
Shunk!
A flash of iron light pierced straight into Codan’s forehead, and his head burst apart like a tomato. Blood and brain matter sprayed everywhere as Raykadi landed in the rear.
Codan’s body collapsed powerlessly.
“…Huh?”
Nadia stared with her mouth agape.
<Raykadi Shafeck> [Level: 41/68] [Vitality: 09] [Strength: 18] [Agility: 15] [Mana: 14] [Spirit: 03] [Sense: 10] [Divinity: 02]
[Traits: Chariot (S+), Curse Devourer (S), Life Incineration (S), Decay Hex (S-), Combat Sense (B), and 3 others]
[Skills: Shafeck Blunt Weapon Art (A), Shafeck Heart Method (A), Featherrow Comprehensive Weapon Art (A), Feint (B), and 3 others]
[Description: Age 15, human race. Blispiel Clan member. Eldest daughter of the Shafeck family, the most prestigious martial house on the Prima Continent. She is widely known as a knight of upright character.]
By consuming the Twisted Old Tree’s Soul (S-)—an elixir with excellent compatibility for her—Ray’s status sheet had undergone a drastic transformation.
Her level had risen dramatically, but even more shocking was that she now possessed four S-grade traits.
She wasn’t quite on my level yet, but she had become a formidable level-cheating powerhouse.
The title trait she gained upon reaching Level 40—Chariot (S+)—was an evolved form created by the fusion of Blunt Weapon Prodigy (A) and Weapon Genius (A).
It added power and speed bonuses to her full-strength strikes, allowing her to charge forward with such force that she could shatter enemy formations in a single blow.
When combined with Life Incineration (S), which massively consumed her internal energy and life force to draw out temporary power, the result was enough firepower to kill a warrior of the same level in one strike.
It was an incredibly powerful trait. In the original story, Ray would exhaust herself to the brink of death every time she used it.
The difference from the original history was that the current Ray now had a way to minimize that drawback. She could use the energy absorbed through her Curse Devourer (S) trait as fuel for the incineration cost.
“W-Winner! Raykadi Shafeck!”
One of the observers who had been watching the duel shouted the verdict, but even after victory was declared, most people simply stared in stunned silence.
In more ways than one, the duel had been nothing like they expected.
“Haha… They called him the strongest knight in the Litvin Kingdom, yet Sir Rival’s reputation seems to have been exaggerated.”
“No. Sir Rival has fought countless knights and achieved innumerable victories. Some even said he was comparable to the Continent’s Twelve Heroes. It’s simply that this young lady knight is extraordinary.”
“She killed him in a single strike before he could even react. We may be looking at a future Triple Star.”
Ray ignored the crowd’s murmurs and returned to us.
“I won.”
“Ray, that was so cool!!”
Clara threw herself at her with an excited expression. Ray accepted her with a calm face and lifted her into a princess carry.
They had only met three days ago and she was already acting like this—Clara’s social skills were truly off the charts no matter how many times I saw them. If only she would use a fraction of that friendliness on Visanya.
I looked at Nadia on the opposite side and said,
“Sir Rival lost his life in a fair duel. You have no complaints, do you, Lady Nadia?”
“………”
Nadia’s face was deathly pale.
She had sacrificed the strongest knight in her kingdom for a personal grudge, so this would deal a serious blow to her public standing. She would likely be mocked for a long time.
Unlike the original story, she would no longer be able to interfere with Ray. That was a good thing.
I clapped my hands to draw everyone’s attention.
“We have a long road ahead. If you have time for chatter, finish packing so we can leave.”
“As the Sub-Master says.”
With Ray’s agreement, the group quickly finished their preparations to depart.
They had never been disobedient before… but the atmosphere of the party felt noticeably more disciplined and efficient.
This was entirely the effect of recruiting Ray.
She hadn’t done anything particularly standout. She simply influenced those around her with her natural aura. The subtle tension she maintained just by existing was extremely pleasant.
I hardened my expression.
Our next destination was the Jusk Mountains—the main headquarters of the Dearside School of the Limit Sword and the place where Sword Saint Edval Heimfjord was waiting.
It was time to prepare for retrieving one of the core MacGuffins of Part 2.
Winter Dew Island.
On this large island far to the north of the Prima Continent, something unbelievable was happening.
Purple snow was falling from the sky.
At first glance the sight looked mystical, but the snowflakes were actually mixed with extreme poison. For an ordinary human, even a single touch would mean instant death.
It was the power of the Heavenly Punishment—the shackles placed by the Dragon God.
The fact that Iris had appeared on the continent had already been relayed to the power holders of every faction through Aiden Stroke’s letter. As a result, an unimaginably great calamity had descended upon the members of the Schnifelt family.
The Winter Dew Island was protected by a yang-magic barrier that reduced the effects of the Heavenly Punishment, but this also meant they were trapped here until the Punishment ended.
The poisonous purple snow was merely one small part of the Heavenly Punishment. Far more terrifying things were happening elsewhere on the island, and recently even members of the Schnifelt family had begun to suffer casualties.
Everyone trembled in fear, yet one man continued swinging his sword as usual.
BOOM! BOOM!
Shockwaves that seemed to shake space itself.
The man producing this terrifying noise had white-streaked hair and languid eyes. His well-defined muscles moved as he unleashed swordsmanship so exquisite it could only be described as divine.
Crackle!
The “thunder qi” wrapped around his silver blade sliced through every purple snowflake and vaporized it. Thanks to this, not a single drop of poison touched Regenshauer Schnifelt’s body.
From his duel with the Sword Saint, the Thousand-Man Slayer had gained a single insight.
‘Until I personally embody the ideal sword path that flashed through my mind in the moment we exchanged our final strikes, I will never stop.’
That was why he refused to halt his training even in this extreme environment. If Edval had been in the same situation, he would have done the same.
Perhaps he had instinctively sensed it as well.
The time for their rematch was not far off.
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