Starting With an SSS-Rank Swordsmanship Talent

"Yvanna?"

"That's right. It's me, but please understand that I can't show my face." Yvanna uttered.

Now that he was here, all the things that she wanted to tell him seemed to have disappeared from her mind.

What's this feeling?

For some reason she couldn't explain, she felt embarrassed to look him in the eye.

"I understand." Alaric chuckled as he nodded.

"What brings you here?" He asked while gesturing for her to follow him.

There were too many people around so it was inappropriate to talk about certain things.

Yvanna obediently followed him as she replied in a cold voice. "I took care of the people who tried to capture me."

Hearing this, Alaric was taken aback. "I see. If you don't want to talk about it, we can talk about something else."
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"It's alright. You're already aware of my situation anyway." She shook her head.

"That's true."

Neo observed the male human that her princess was speaking with.

He looks young, but his aura is close to that of an Elite Knight! He is indeed special. His potential is even higher than that man named Lucas.

His misunderstanding toward House Silversword deepened after seeing Alaric. He felt that this noble household was hiding a secret. His suspicions stemmed from the fact that they had two Transcendents and a high number of Elite Knights.

Alaric took Yvanna to a quiet corner away from the group.

It was then that Galanar quietly appeared behind him, cautiously eyeing the robed individuals.

Alaric noticed his vigilance so he made a hand gesture, signaling for him to relax.

Meanwhile, Neo was stunned the moment he saw Galanar.

The latter might have tried to hide aura, but Neo was a beast soul warrior who had a special trait that could gauge the strength of someone nearby and when he used this special ability on Galanar, he found out that he was also a Transcendent Knight!

This guy is the third Transcendent Knight I encountered in this household. Just how many Transcendents do they have?

Galanar seemed to have sensed his scrutiny and looked over in his direction, casting the latter a calm glance.

Neo furrowed his eyebrows. In that brief moment when their eyes met, he realized that this giant of a human was not an ordinary Transcendent. His aura was more powerful than the old man he had met earlier. Furthermore, there was this feeling of suppression similar to the one that Lucas gave off.

Neo retracted his gaze.

***

In the slums of Riverwake, a group of men gathered inside a dilapidated apartment.

They were engaged in a heated discussion about the recent incident in the underground fighting ring.

"Boss, what should we do? Now that Dexter is dead, I'm sure the local gangs will try to acquire his properties." One of the men spoke as he looked at the young man seated at the most prominent seat.

Everyone turned their gazes at the young man, waiting for his decision.

He was only a Knight Apprentice, but they feared him for his cunning mind. Not to mention that his strength was increasing at a fast rate. In a few more years, he would definitely become a Knight.

Liam tapped his fingers on the table as he pondered deeply.

His mercenary group was still new and they were just starting to expand. If they joined the fight for Dexter's properties, there was a huge possibility that they would be annexed by a larger group. However, the money they could collect from those properties would be enough to completely transform his mercenary group.

After over a minute of careful deliberation, Liam adjusted his sitting posture and said while scanning the faces of his subordinates. "Now that Dexter's group is in shambles, I'm certain that there will be two groups who will try to take over their properties…"

"The first one is the Axe Gang led by that old man nicknamed Woodcutter and the second one is the Night Owl Mercenary Group led by that crazy one-eyed man."

When he talked about these two groups, the faces of his subordinates turned serious.

They were the next strongest forces after Dexter's group and they each had an Elite Knight at the helm.

While his men were still processing his words, Liam continued.

"If we join the fight for those properties, it is guaranteed that we will have to face them and with our group's current strength, we stand no chance against either of those two."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"However…" Suddenly, a cunning light flashed in Liam's eyes.

The change in his expression made his subordinates excited because this meant that he had thought of a plan!

"There is a way to get those properties with minimal losses. Here's what we need to do…"

***

"So this is the man you saved in Riverwake…" Alaric glanced at the dark-skinned man who had removed his hood.

"Greetings, Lord Alaric!" Black Dog bowed his head. Knowing that Alaric was an heir of a noble household, he showed him the utmost respect.

Alaric waved his hand with a faint smile. "There's no need for formalities. What's your name?"

"Black Dog."

"Huh? Did you say your name was Black Dog?"

Alaric thought that he heard it wrong, but Black Dog confirmed it with a nod of his head.

"Can you still remember the name you had before you became a slave?" Alaric heard from Yvanna that this man was a slave warrior.

Black Dog shook his head as he replied. "I was a slave as far as I can remember and Black Dog was the name given to me by my former lord."

"I see." Alaric sighed upon hearing this.

"Let's start by changing your name. Calling you Black Dog is inappropriate. Do you mind if I give you a new name?" Alaric suggested.

Hearing this, Black Dog was surprised. He had never thought of changing his name, but when the choice was presented to him, he didn't even hesitate.

"Please give me a new name, my lord."