Chapter 100: The Talent of Being Able to Give Up (3)

Taragon’s mind became busy with calculations when Keter said the elixir was for sale.

If I buy the Clear Ice Pill, how much would it be? He said it was top-grade, so maybe ten thousand gold?

Ten thousand gold was the highest amount that Taragon thought he could handle.

“I’ll buy it! Eight thousand gold should be enough, right?”

Taragon started at eight thousand to avoid Keter raising the price. However, Keter looked at him disgustingly.

“Eight thousand won’t even cover labor costs. Ninety thousand gold. And this is only because it’s between you and me. If you were to buy the Clear Ice Ball from Browning, you would need two hundred thousand gold.”

Taragon slumped. It was nine times the ten thousand gold he had considered as the highest amount. Even ten thousand gold would take him ten years to save up if he tried desperately, but 90,000 gold... that would take ninety years.

“I don’t think I can buy it, Keter... You know I don’t have that kind of money.”

“Of course I know. But personally, I support you more than Anis. So, I’ll give it to you in advance.”

“You support me more than Anis? In advance?”

Taragon sat up straight.

Of course. Keter wasn’t just offering to sell it to me for no reason. We’re not just half-siblings; we shared a friendly rivalry over Amaranth.

“Right now, Sefira doesn’t have much influence, but once you start drawing attention at the Sword of the South Tournament, invitations will come pouring in. If you just accept bribes with no strings attached, you should have ten thousand gold in no time. And if you’re lucky and a marriage proposal happens, the other family will likely give you one hundred thousand gold as part of the dowry.”

“Dowry... One hundred thousand gold?!”

“I’m investing in your future, Taragon. You don’t need to pay me back ninety thousand gold right away. Whenever you get the money, you can pay it back.”

“Keter... you really... you really believe in me that much...!”

Taragon started to tear up. What Keter was saying sounded like he was offering the Clear Ice Ball for free.

Saying he would wait until I can pay it back...

It almost sounded as though he didn’t need to repay it at all.

At that moment, Keter handed him a contract and a pen.

“Such matters should be documented. Especially when it comes to money within the family. You know that, right?”

“Huh? Yeah, I guess that’s true.”

Taragon skimmed over the contract Keter handed him.

Promissory Note – Clear Ice Ball Loan

Loan Amount: 90,000 gold

The debtor, Taragon, must repay the 90,000 gold to the creditor, Keter.

An interest rate of 1 percent will be charged annually, starting from this year.

If the debtor, Taragon, is unable to repay, his direct descendants will take on the debt.

“Hold on a second, Keter. 1 percent interest every year? And what’s this about my family having to pay the debt if I can’t?”

“It’s a standard loan agreement. I’m not digging holes in the ground to make money. 1 percent interest is barely anything. A well-off noble family should be able to handle nine hundred gold. And if you can’t pay, it’s only natural your family steps in. For example, if the debtor spends all the money and then dies, don’t you think the person who lent it would be unfairly left without anything?”

“You’re right, but... I’m not sure it’s right to put this kind of burden on my family when they haven’t even been born yet.”

“Debt is also an asset. Frankly, if you die without starting a family, I lose ninety thousand gold. I’m taking that risk, so why are you worried about it? Fine. Don’t buy it.”

“No, wait. Now that I think about it, I’m not really losing anything.”

Taragon grabbed the pen and quickly scribbled his signature on the loan agreement. He was worried that Keter might change his mind.

“Oh, just to make sure, this isn’t some fake elixir... or maybe it's cheaper than ninety thousand gold in reality, right?” Taragon asked after he had finished signing.

Keter let out a sigh.

“You’re about to fight Gyro, and you’re worried about saving the elixir? Drink it now. And if you’re heading north, make sure to visit the Browning duchy and ask them how much the Clear Ice Ball costs. Don’t forget!”

Keter, who had the loan document in hand, immediately put the Clear Ice Ball in Taragon’s mouth.

“

Ugh!

”

As soon as it touched his tongue, the elixir dissolved like liquid. This was Taragon’s first time taking an elixir, and he didn’t know what to do.

“Close your mouth. You’re releasing your aura.”

Keter closed Taragon’s jaw for him and then stood up, looking for his next target.

“Anis! You seem troubled. Is your aura running low?”

From Keter’s pocket, another Clear Ice Ball appeared.

* * *

Luke, Anis, and Taragon gathered again, but they seemed to be avoiding each other's gaze for some reason.

I feel bad for eating the elixir alone.

All three of them had received a loan agreement from Keter and taken the elixir. While their confidence surged, they also felt a sense of guilt.

They didn’t know that Keter had three elixirs, and they couldn’t help but wonder if they had eaten it all by themselves.

“Anis, I'll take the center position this time.”

Taragon tried to take Anis' position, but Anis firmly declined.

“No. Just like last time, you and Luke take the wings. I will take the center and try to block Gyro.”

“You were seriously hurt last time. I’ll take it.”

“Didn't you take a direct hit to the chest?”

“Both of you, stop it. I didn’t get hit once, so I’ll stand in the center.”

As the three of them squabbled over who would take the center, Gyro raised his greatsword.

“All three of you, die in harmony!”

Gyro’s Aura Flight descended upon the trio. This time, dodging left and right like before was impossible.

However, the trio, having taken the elixir, moved decisively. They used their aura boldly, which they had previously been cautious about. Luke activated his Aura Armor to block the attack and shot arrows. Anis loaded his aura into Leo Archery and intercepted Gyro. Taragon flew into the air just like Keter had done before.

“

Urahhh!!

”

Taragon, with broken ribs, gritted his teeth and fired his arrows.

Their attacks were clumsy, but they were full of power and confidence. They put everything into each shot, just like Keter had advised.

“Is this all you’ve learned, you brats? I could dodge your arrows with my eyes closed!”

Gyro actually closed his eyes and blocked the arrows using only his other senses and counterattacked. The trio's momentum was strong, but they were still far from replicating Keter’s techniques from the start. In addition, their past group-based approach to combat quickly devolved into a more individualistic style, leading to their faster defeat.

“Thirty-minute break!”

Once the trio's defeat was confirmed, Keter allowed them a thirty-minute break. It was time to recover their aura. After the break, they would face Gyro again, and this cycle repeated throughout the night.

There was no miracle. Even as night fell, the trio’s skills showed no signs of improvement. They were only becoming somewhat numb to the pain, and their movements to avoid Gyro’s sword strikes had improved just a little.

“Enough. Good work, Gyro.”

“Hahaha! It was fun, you guys. See you again tomorrow!”

Gyro left without showing any sign of exhaustion. Meanwhile, the trio was utterly drained and stared blankly up at the night sky.

“Get up. We're moving to the next location.”

“Yes, of course. Next location... Instructor? What do you mean, next location?”

Luke, who had been hoping to return to the mansion for a nice meal and an elixir bath, widened his eyes in shock. Taragon and Anis also looked at Keter desperately.

“We’re going to the Seventh Training Ground.”

“At this hour?”

“The Seventh Training Ground has artificial hills and forests, so it’s much darker than here.”

“I know. What, are you guys too tired to move? Should we go on a first-come, first-served basis?”

At that, the trio immediately jumped up and headed to the Seventh Training Ground before Keter. The Seventh Training Ground, artificially created for mock mountain warfare, was almost as vast as the Second Training Ground.

“From now on, this is your home.”

“...?”

“You’ll eat, sleep, and train here.”

“...”

“As I said this morning, the days of ending comfortably in a cozy environment are over. Now, things are about to get truly interesting.”

The trio thought it was harsh, but Keter didn’t see it that way. He didn’t care much about Taragon, as he didn't have high expectations for him anyway, but he was very disappointed in Luke and Anis. He had taught them nearly all his archery techniques, yet they still couldn’t follow through, which shocked him.

It is because they lack desperation!

Without a strong desire to grow stronger, there was no urgency. Without urgency, focus was lost. No matter how much they trained, it would still feel like just training. Even if they tried to fight like it was real, they wouldn’t even get half the benefits of actual combat, so pushing them to their limits wasn’t enough.

“Instructor, what about the wounds we’ve sustained today? Can’t you at least treat those?”

Except for Luke, Anis and Taragon had sustained serious injuries. They didn’t show it because they had grown accustomed to pain, but also because they trusted Keter would heal them.

“The forest is full of herbs. Crush whatever you find and apply it to your wounds. There’s a fifty percent chance it will work.”

“The other fifty percent are poison, right? If the wound gets worse...”

“Shut up. Just try it on a small wound first.”

“Instructor, what about food? We haven’t eaten a single meal today.”

“It’s all in the mountains.”

“But this isn’t a hunting ground. There are no animals.”

“Then starve to death.”

“...”

The trio begged Keter for even a little mercy, but it was useless.

“I am disappointed in the trainees. Where did the desperation I saw on the first day go? You’ve all become lazy in the blink of an eye.

Tsk

.”

Keter turned his back and indifferently said, “Sleep.”

At that, Keter vanished from before their eyes.

The trio immediately looked at each other, uncertain of what to do.

“Anis, what should we do? I didn’t expect the mood to change so suddenly.”

“What are we supposed to do? Keter always says, if you don’t like it or it’s too hard, you can quit anytime. But I’m going to keep going,” Anis responded.

Anis, who had already started viewing his teammates as competitors, entered the forest to secure a good resting spot.

“

Ugh

, if I knew this would happen, I should’ve focused more on defense with Aura Armor.”

Taragon, clutching his chest, groaned. Luke approached with a sympathetic expression and handed him something.

“Lord Taragon, please take this.”

“This is... candy, isn’t it?”

“

Shh

. I secretly got it from my father. Keep it a secret from Lord Anis or Keter.”

“Th-thank you. Haha, I’ll enjoy it.”

Taragon immediately popped the tiny piece of candy into his mouth. Luke glanced around to make sure no one was watching.

“Lord Anis has gone that way, so I’ll head in this direction. I’ve trained here before, and there are some edible fruits around.”

“Fruits? Will they fill us up?”

“If we’re lucky, we might find edible mushrooms. Once the sun rises, we should gather here again. The more we stick together, the better our chances of survival.”

“It looks like Anis doesn’t want to do that... Should we join forces just the two of us?”

“I believe archers are stronger when they work together. If we can perfect our teamwork, we can win Gyro even without Keter’s techniques.”

“...You can say that because you haven’t taken a single hit from Gyro.”

Luke shuddered when he heard Taragon. He had already felt uneasy. It seemed like favoritism since Gyro hadn’t attacked Luke.. But Luke couldn’t bring himself to admit that he had a special ability and could reflect attacks—he and the attacker would be fine, but they would affect those around him, like Taragon and Anis, who would bear the damage.

That was why Keter had instructed Gyro to just subdue Luke, as this training wasn’t about fighting special ability users, but rather preparing for the Sword of the South Tournament. Luke was grateful to be part of the training, but at the same time, he felt guilty. He worried that his teammates were suffering more because of him. And when Taragon's harsh words hit him, guilt flooded in.

“...I’ll go ahead.”

Not knowing how to handle the situation, Luke simply left.

Left alone, Taragon, rolling the candy Luke had given him in his mouth, muttered, “Why does he look like that all of a sudden? Is he tired? Well, I guess that’s possible.”

Taragon didn’t mean to reprimand Luke. If anything, it was more of a sense of envy.

Of course, Luke wasn’t participating in the Sword of the South Tournament, so Taragon assumed that Luke was probably being given a little more convenience. And, in a way, Taragon understood that. The reason Luke was participating in this training was because he was Keter’s partner.

"

Ugh

, I’m just going to lie down anywhere right now. I need that extra minute of sleep.”

Without any knowledge of medicine, Taragon found a patch of grass and simply collapsed, ignoring the need to disinfect his wounds.

Soon, the full darkness of night enveloped Sefira.

“... Lord...”

“Lo... An...”

Anis, who had cleverly set up a makeshift bed between two trees, frowned at the sound ringing in his ears.

Is it a bug? Damn it.

Anis shifted his body restlessly. However, the sound grew louder and clearer.

“Lord Anis, please wake up.”

It wasn’t a bug. It was a person.

Anis’ eyes shot wide open, and a chill ran down his spine as he instinctively grabbed the arrow beside his head. He stood up and aimed the arrow toward the voice.

“No, Lord Anis! It’s me!”

“I don’t know you.”

It was the middle of the night, and though Anis could feel the person’s face was very close, he couldn’t make out their identity.

In a trembling voice, the person said, “A-apologies, my lord. I’m Corporal Charles,of the Fourth Division of the Order of the Stars."

“

Sigh

, sorry, but I’ve never heard of you. So, why are you here? Why did you wake me?”

“Lord Keter gave us orders... to find Sir Luke, Lord Anis, and Lord Taragon, who are hiding in the forest.”

“...What?”

Anis' eyes finally adjusted to the dark. He could now see the face of the knight who had found him, smiling. Seeing the knight grinning in the middle of the night sent a wave of dread through Anis.

“What time is it? You can’t just come out in the middle of the night because Keter told you to.”

“It’s two o’clock in the morning, but don’t worry about that. I’m on a night patrol, and the Seventh Training Ground is an area I need to check. I was just being extra thorough, as Lord Keter asked me to confirm it. Hehe. And I apologize, my lord...”

“Apologize...?”

Anis didn’t get the sense that the knight was apologizing for waking him up. His body shuddered again, not from the cold, but from something far worse.

“Lord Keter said he would give one hundred gold if we found any lords hiding. He also told us to tell the lord that they should return here after completing ten laps around the Second Training Ground. I truly apologize, my lord.”

“...”

Anis dropped the arrow he was holding, his teeth clenched in rage at Keter’s cruelty.

He couldn’t even sleep properly. He had to sleep avoiding the eyes of the knights. He knew something had felt off from the moment Keter told them to simply rest. Had they really become too complacent, just as Keter had said? He should’ve been more suspicious, but it was too late now.

“And he also said that for every minute late, an extra lap would be added.”

“Damn it!”

Anis, who had been sleeping soundly just moments ago, was now sprinting toward the training ground furiously at two o’clock in the morning.