chapter 18
018 – Tournament(5)
Gordon wasn’t the first to go through the library of the nobles.
– Please… Prevent the wisdom of our ancestors from burning away.
The head of the Count Schwein prayed to Gordon, a rare war mercenary.
He felt terribly afraid that all records and maintenance of the Count Schwein family, which had been passed down for more than 300 years than his death, would be erased.
Gordon could not understand the heart of Count Schwein at all.
How do you value scraps of paper more than your own life?
– While I’m blocking the library, take the family’s secret and roster and run away. And if there are any descendants who want to re-establish Count Schwein in the future, hand them over to him.
Gordon had no reason to refuse Count Schwein’s request.
After all, Gordon wasn’t able to kill the 5-star knight Count Schwein anyway, he just had to run away with his secret money.
It was an action that was calculated and moved with thorough rationality, not because of emotions.
In this way, Gordon took secrets and lists from the library and stole various treasures safely.
Then he escaped through the secret passage that Count Schwein had told him.
When the war was over and when I opened it up to sell it, I realized that it was more valuable than any other treasure.
How to make rings, Auror techniques, and even the footwork and swordsmanship of the Count Schwein family.
Everything was described in detail.
Gordon read and learned the secret.
Learning a sword by writing would be impossible for ordinary people, but it was not difficult for Gordon.
Gordon, who learned the secrets of the Counts of Schwein over 300 years of revision and addition, played a great role in the next war.
The stronger they got, the more likely they were to survive the war, and the more expensive they were.
Knowing how to become stronger, Gordon was unstoppable.
Gordon went madly into the war.
Then, he searched the library of the extinct family, stole secrets, and trained.
Gordon wasn’t just a 13-year mercenary.
It was no different than a living secret book that learned all the secrets of noble families for over a thousand years.
“Suck!”
Gordon followed Tigris with the ‘ghost walk’ of the Count Schwein family.
And he performed the ‘Shadow Swordsmanship’, the dark technique of the Baron Safia family.
The magic of shadow swordsmanship lies in its fast attack.
The ‘Shadow Rush’, which cuts 12 times in an instant with a long sword held by a reverse sword, dazzled Tigris’ eyes.
Wow!
However, Tigris blocked all the shadow raids and even counterattacked.
Gordon deflected the sharp stabs of Tigris downwards using the Monohar family’s unique Auror operation technique, ‘Gong Wave’.
The sword of Tigris turned toward the ground, and his body became defenseless.
Gordon attacked Tigris’ shoulder with ‘Shadow Slash’.
In an instant, he patted Tigris on the shoulder and passed behind him.
But there was no blood on the sword.
Tigris twisted his body in that brief moment to avoid the sword.
Gordon bit his lip when his spleen didn’t work.
‘monster···!’
I’ve never seen anyone dodge this combo without taking any damage.
It was because even the knight whose neck was blown out of this combo had ten fingers.
Tickle-!
Gordon glanced down at the burning pain he felt in his left thigh.
There was a sharp scar on his thigh.
‘Just counterattack….’
Tigris counterattacked at a moment and angle that even Gordon could not notice.
“The Shadow Swordsmanship of the Safia family boasts the best in speed, but the reach is shortened because you have to hold the sword in reverse. And there is a downside to being defenseless for a while after attacking. I’ve only heard of it, but I’ve never really seen it.”
There were no lies in Tigris’ words.
Indeed, Tigris had never seen the swordsmanship Gordon was learning before returning.
It was because it was the sword that only Gordon was learning because it was already an extinct family.
“…is that also in the library of the Norbert family?”
“The Norbert family boasts 700 years of history. It existed before the establishment of the Lucet Empire, so there is information on the swordsmanship of all existing families.”
Tigris genuinely enjoyed this duel.
Gordon was like a chameleon.
No other knight I’ve ever seen could use such a colorful swordsmanship.
I didn’t even think that it was at a level that could be used as a combo by mixing swordsmanship and footwork from completely different families.
“after···.”
Gordon was determined to collapse.
The swordsmanship of the families that had not yet been shown remained.
If you use them, you will surely win.
But Gordon couldn’t shake the small doubts that rose from his mind.
‘Can I really win?’
Gordon put the thought aside.
Because I knew I had no choice but to try.
Gordon ran towards Tigris.
* * *
Berggan doubted whether this duel was truly a young man’s duel.
Gordon drove Tigris down with his colorful swordsmanship, and Tigris calmly destroyed him.
‘How many swordsmanship do you know?’
Gordon was using at least five different types of swordsmanship.
It’s a shame because it was the swordsmanship of the extinct families, but if it were the swordsmanship of the existing families, the knights of Gaheon would have found Gordon and killed him.
– Did that guy really steal the secret money of the nobles?
– right. That is the swordsmanship of the Schwein family.
– The thief’s cub. That’s why no mercenaries. After the tournament is over, I’ll have to apply for a life-or-death contest.
The eyes of the aristocrats sitting in the VIP audience began to get bitter.
The nobles have developed their secret ranks over hundreds of years.
If it’s magic, it’s magic, if it’s swordsmanship, it’s swordsmanship, and if it’s an aura, it’s an aura…
For this reason, for the nobles, the royal family was no different than a living history that contained the spirit and spirit of their ancestors.
No matter how extinct the family was, it was no different than a challenge to the aristocracy for commoners to learn by stealing the secrets of the aristocracy.
Although Bergang was also a nobleman, he was able to understand Gordon’s feelings to some extent.
The desire to become stronger.
It was an emotion that a genius could never stand.
Bergan, who is in his late 40s, is still an unquenchable desire, how much more could the young bloody young man be able to bear it?
There he met Gordon’s greatest adversary in his life.
Tigris was not enough to block and dodge all of Gordon’s swordsmanship, so he was even counterattacking.
The pure admiration and desire to win must be boiling over Tigris, who thoroughly destroys even if he pours out all his hidden means.
‘I’m really envious.’
Leaving behind all the circumstances, Bergang was very envious of Gordon today.
He met the best teacher who could receive him with only pure swordsmanship, not his strength or quickness, even if he poured all of his life into it.
‘In terms of pure swordsmanship alone, Tigris is several steps above Gordon.’
Tigris destroyed Gordon’s combo and devastating attack, and at the same time put a counterattack to show what was wrong.
Therefore, as time passed, Gordon’s swordsmanship was becoming more sophisticated.
The battle between the two geniuses was so beautiful that Bergang’s heart pounded like crazy.
“I am ignorant of swords, but I don’t think it’s really a youthful duel. It’s like watching a battle of seasoned knights. Isn’t it? Bergan?”
At His Majesty’s words, Bergang bowed his head.
“yes. That’s right. your majesty.”
The emperor tapped the armrest with his index finger, lost in thought for a moment, and then opened his mouth.
“And that commoner seems to steal the swordsmanship of an extinct family, doesn’t it?”
“···you’re right.”
Bergang looked at the emperor.
I couldn’t read the emotions in the emperor’s eyes.
Bergang prayed to the goddess Lux.
May the emperor not give orders to behead that young man.
That way, he could win the favor of the nobles and gain political benefits, but the life of that young genius was too precious.
“It’s a precious life.”
Berggan clenched his fists strongly.
The emperor valued the genius higher than the political gain.
Even in Bergang’s eyes, Gordon’s genius was not lacking even when he became a guardian knight.
Admired by the emperor’s insight, Bergang cautiously opened his mouth.
“It will be different if Gordon joins the Golden Knights.”
“It’s because of the unwritten rules of duel.”
“That’s right. your majesty.”
Duels also have tacit rules.
Do not challenge the only son or daughter of the family to a duel, do not challenge the person who was dueled to a duel again within one month, etc.
Duel was the exclusive property of nobles and knights, so there was a rule that was considered unwritten, although there was no law.
Among them, there was a content that it was forbidden to apply for duels to the Golden Knights or the Iron-Blood Magic Corps protecting the emperor.
If he killed or injured the knights and wizards protecting the emperor in order to elevate his personal honor, it was no different than threatening the emperor’s health.
“If that is the case, it would be possible. But looking at it now, does Tigris seem to have the upper hand?”
“Gordon is the one who completed the four rings. In contrast, Tigris is a swordsman with only three rings. The moment Gordon draws out his sword, it will be an instant to defeat Tigris.”
“Pure swordsmanship may be Tigris, but it has a higher chance of winning by the difference, isn’t it?”
“yes. That’s right.”
The emperor nodded his head.
“I feel a little sorry for that little Tigris, but I’m relieved.”
Then the Rain Rover said, pointing to Tigris.
“But isn’t that sword sword?”
“Tigris has only three rings…?”
Bergan doubted his eyes.
Tigris, who had only operated three rings until now, was suddenly operating four rings.
There was a silver flame fluttering in Tigris’ blade.
“Four rings…?”
Berggan was astonished.
* * *
Tigris shared the sword with Gordon, and immediately understood Gordon’s problem.
It was certain that there were four rings, but he couldn’t pull out the sword.
After a brief pause, Tigris looked at Gordon who was panting and said.
“How long has it been since you completed 4 rings?”
“···after. It was a month ago.”
“That’s why I haven’t been able to pull out the sword yet.”
Gordon took a deep breath as he was stabbed.
“Isn’t the method of drawing out the sword not written in secret?”
“It was written down, but maybe it was because I wasn’t good enough, but it was so difficult that I didn’t realize it. However, it is possible to make it for a while.”
“is it?”
Tigris activated four rings.
Then Tigris’ body began to glow with a silvery light, and it began to spread with the sword.
As the silver flames of Tigris’ sword began to vibrate, Gordon swallowed his saliva.
“…when did you make 4 rings?”
“Ten days ago.”
“Didn’t you finish 3 rings a month ago?”
“I got a good elixir from the misty forest.”
“…life is so unfair. You are good at your skills and luck.”
“So are you going to give up?”
Gordon grinned.
“Is it possible?”
Gordon took a deep breath and exhaled.
And he remembered the secret money he had stolen.
The Schwein family explains how to draw the sword.
<Think of the sword as a part of your body.>
The Safia family explains it this way:
<Think of the sword as an extension of your arm.>
It was written that the Monohar family, the Granga family, and the Germania family should all consider the sword as a part of their body.
It was difficult to understand because it was all the sound of floating clouds, but Gordon was still able to catch a little bit of it.
If you turn the four rings of auras hotly and focus on both hands, the auras will escape through the magic circuit spread on your palms and enter the sword.
Gordon’s blade fluttered red and rose.
However, it was much weaker than that of Tigris.
Tigris looked at Gordon’s sword and opened his mouth.
“Instead of putting an auror into the sword, push it into the idea of implanting a magic circuit in the sword.”
“··········!”
He attained enlightenment as if struck by lightning at Tigris’ advice.
He had realized the true meaning of the phrase to think of the sword as one’s own body.
Gordon put the Auror in the idea of implanting a magic circuit into the sword, as Tigris said.
Gordon’s aura squirmed through the inside of the sword as if an earthworm was digging into the ground.
Then a brilliant red flame rose.
The need to use all four rings was the same, but without the need to spin it as hotly as before, it was possible to extract high-quality swordsmanship with just a few auras.
“Great.”
“Can I tell you about this?”
“If it’s your talent, it’s okay because it’s something you’ll learn naturally in a few months.”
Gordon’s nose was stuffy.
Unlike other nobles, Tigris did not think of himself as a lowly commoner, and as a ignorant piece of rubbish learned by stealing the swordsmanship of the nobles.
It was the first time I had ever been so respected by a noble.
He knew that there was only one way to repay him.
to show you everything.
Tigris wanted to see everything about Gordon, and Gordon decided not to hide it.
bang-!
As if they had made a promise to each other, Tigris and Gordon rushed towards each other.
Gordon decided to show off his trick.
It was Gordon’s original made by combining the swordsmanship he learned from the six families.
purr-!
The black flame of the red flame burned the air, and the beast roared.
It was like the jaws of a wild beast that rushed to pieces with the force to tear everything that caught it.
Gordon called this technique ‘the fangs of the tiger’.
Tigris had no intention of deflecting or avoiding that violent and brilliant swordsmanship.
It was meant to end in a head-to-head match.
Tigris greeted this young genius with the slicing of the Norberdian Type I waterfall.
–!
Neat silver solid lines and violent red flames crossed each other.
It was clear that the sword had collided, but there was no piercing noise at all.
Whoops!
One blade cut in half was lodged in the ground.
It was Gordon’s sword.
Gordon checked his chest.
The red mark on his chest was cut in half and fell to the floor.
It was Gordon’s defeat.
– Wow!
Thunderous cheers erupted from all sides.