Chapter 108: The Consideration of the Strong (2)

The eighty-two mercenaries, led to the Second Training Ground, immediately voiced their complaints upon arrival. It was a show of dominance.

“You said you would provide room and board, but are we supposed to sleep on the ground? Sefira is no different from the other nobles.”

“Where is the person who requested us? Hurry up and bring them out! This is boring as hell!”

Even the most audacious mercenaries wouldn’t dare raise their voices in front of nobles. However, the sheer presence of these mercenaries outmatched the Sefira forces meant to keep them in check.

Two holy knights, a hundred soldiers under their command, and ten knights from the Fifth Division of the Order of the Galaxy were managing the mercenaries, but these mercenaries were no pushovers.

Sixty-seven of them were Platinum-class, equivalent to two-star knights; eleven were Diamond-class, who were equivalent to three-star knights; and four were Amantir-class, who were equivalent to four-star knights.

It might not have mattered had there been only a few of them, but with so many gathered, and with the already low-standing reputation of the Sefira family, the mercenaries were taking out their frustrations on them—resentment built up from years of mistreatment by nobles.

Meanwhile, among them was Burgundy, who had concealed his class to join the mission. He was quietly observing Sefira’s soldiers.

They’re well-disciplined. Even with the mercenaries provoking them, they don’t flinch. Their stance is solid, ready to fire at any moment. Sefira’s strength isn’t as weak as the rumors suggest.

Unlike the other mercenaries, Burgundy’s goal was to spy on Sefira, and this tense standoff did not sit well with him.

The mercenaries might be making a scene, but as long as the knights didn’t engage, nothing would happen. And unless something happened, he wouldn’t be able to gauge Sefira’s true strength.

Burgundy scanned the crowd for a suitable target before slipping behind the mercenary closest to the galaxy knight.

I’ll remember you.

With that thought, he suddenly shoved the Platinum-class mercenary forward.

The mercenary, who had been standing still, was thrown off balance and stumbled directly toward the galaxy knight. To any observer, it would look like the mercenary was charging at the knight.

Now then—will they attack? Or will they handle this kindly?

The knights’ reaction would dictate how the rest of the mercenaries responded. Depending on the outcome, this could spiral into an all-out brawl.

And that was exactly what Burgundy wanted.

Smack!

A sharp sound rang across the training ground.

The mercenary who had lunged forward was sent flying back at an even greater speed than he had charged. A solid punch had landed square on his face.

But it wasn’t the galaxy knight who had struck him.

“The hell is this guy?”

Stepping past the knight, Keter stood in front of the fallen mercenary.

The mercenaries, seeing their comrade sprawled out, erupted in anger.

“He hit us?! You just hit us?!”

“Who the hell are you, bastard?!”

Some of them, unfamiliar with Keter, pointed and shouted insults.

Keter shrugged and stepped closer.

“Bunch of mutts, barking from a distance.”

As he advanced, the mercenaries instinctively took a step back. But not all of them. The Diamond-class mercenaries stood their ground.

Now, Keter and the Diamond-class mercenaries were face-to-face. Unlike Keter’s lean frame, the Diamond-class mercenaries were built like walls, towering over him.

One of them smirked.

“Heh. A noble like you should at least introduce yourself.”

“I'm the one who paid for you.”

“Oh, so you’re our employer? Damn, we had no idea! Our bad, huh?”

His tone was laced with mockery, devoid of any real apology. Instead, he leaned in threateningly.

Thwack! Thud!

The moment he got close, his head snapped backward, his body following suit as he crashed to the ground.

Keter had struck his chin with an upward palm strike.

“Get lost. Your breath stinks.”

“H-hey, Dagmar! You really gonna stay down just from that?”

“Wait... his eyes are rolling back. Is he knocked out?"

The other Diamond-class mercenaries rushed to Dagmar’s side.

“He’s actually unconscious?”

“Just from a single hit? From those tiny hands?"

Keter beckoned the remaining mercenaries toward him with his finger.

“What are you waiting for, you bastards? Come at me. You need to avenge your fallen comrade, don’t you? Or are you too scared to hit me because I’m a noble? That works for me—stand there and take your beating like good little dogs.”

Without hesitation, Keter threw the first punch. The mercenaries, startled, tried to avoid his blows, but his fists and feet were far quicker than any of them.

At first, it was completely one-sided. The mercenaries hesitated, unwilling to lay hands on Keter, the direct descendant of an esteemed high noble family.

However, as more and more of their comrades collapsed under Keter’s relentless assault, and as his strikes only grew fiercer without the slightest sign of fatigue, their hesitation began to wane.

“To hell with this! Why am I even a mercenary if I just stand here getting my ass kicked? Screw it!”

One Platinum-class mercenary lunged at Keter, swinging his fist.

But just because he could attack didn’t mean the attack would land.

Crack!

Keter’s spinning kick slammed into the mercenary’s side, sending him spinning through the air. The sheer force of the blow made even the burly mercenary feel weightless.

Now, the rest of the mercenaries finally grasped the situation.

“Shit! What are you all waiting for?! Swarm him!”

“

Uwaaaaaah!

”

Since Keter was fighting unarmed, the mercenaries also rushed in with their bare hands. But no matter how many attacked or from how many directions, it made no difference.

Noses shattered against Keter’s forehead, arms snapped under his elbows.

“Argh! He bit my fingers!”

Keter's fighting style had no rules or noble dignity. Ironically, it was the mercenaries who fought with more restraint.

“Is he a human or a damn beast!”

Seeing their comrades groaning in pain and rolling on the ground, the Diamond-class mercenaries could no longer sit idly by.

“This isn’t about nobles versus mercenaries anymore. This is about pride. Losing a fistfight to a noble is unacceptable!”

The observing Diamond-class mercenaries charged in.

They didn't go down in a single hit. They could take two, maybe three blows before collapsing.

“You blocking? You get hit again if you block.”

Keter’s attacks didn’t stop just because they were blocked. His punches rained down relentlessly on their guarding arms, breaking bones in the process.

“I got him!”

A mercenary managed to grab both of Keter’s arms from behind.

Keter’s expression turned ice-cold.

“You dare lay hands on me?”

Crack!

He smashed the back of his head into the mercenary’s face, breaking his nose. Then, leaning forward, he flipped the man over and straddled him, locking him down with his thighs.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

Merciless fists crashed into the mercenary’s face.

The surrounding mercenaries desperately tried to stop him, throwing punches at Keter.

Pow! Pow! Pow!

At last, some of their punches landed on Keter.

But he didn’t stop.

“What the hell?! That doesn’t feel like hitting a person!”

“Is it aura? It’s not! It’s not aura! But why...”

Though Keter wasn’t using aura, none of the mercenaries dared to use it either. If they did, it could actually put their own lives at risk.

“Idiots! Don’t hit him! Pull him off!”

The mercenary beneath Keter was already unconscious, yet Keter’s fists showed no signs of stopping. If this continued, the man would die.

Five Diamond-class mercenaries grabbed Keter’s arms and torso, yanking with all their strength. Yet even with two mercenaries clinging to each of his arms, Keter still managed to throw punches.

“This guy... He’s not human. He’s an ogre!”

Leaving behind the bloodied, unrecognizable face of the mercenary beneath him, Keter stood up.

Wiping the blood from his lips with the back of his hand, he said, “The bastard who hit my face—step forward.”

“...!”

“No one? Then you’re all responsible.”

Just as Keter was about to charge in for another round...

“That’s enough, Lord Keter.”

The Amantir-class mercenaries stepped forward.

* * *

Heidi, one of the Amantir-class mercenaries, felt awe at Keter’s martial arts.

I had a feeling he wasn’t like a typical noble, but this... This is raw, unfiltered martial combat. It’s like facing a warrior from Adeus.

Mercenaries, of course, were no strangers to fistfights. When bored, they often settled disputes with their fists, and they always trained in hand-to-hand combat in case they found themselves unarmed. However, for them, it was always secondary—never their main focus.

Keter, on the other hand, fought as if unarmed combat was his primary weapon. He wielded his entire body like a deadly weapon. Heidi could clearly see that his technique was both unpredictable and methodical, not a mindless brawl but a refined, strategic system of attacks.

We’ve already lost the psychological battle. I never expected to find a noble like this in Sefira...

More than half of the Platinum-class mercenaries were already writhing on the ground, and the Diamond-class mercenaries were also groaning in pain from their injuries.

The fight was over. There was no need to continue. The mercenaries hadn’t come here for a brawl—they were here to complete a job.

“Let’s put an end to this, Lord Keter. We concede,” Heidi said.

“Stop? Just like that?”

“Yes. I believe this has gone far enough. We will comply with your orders, so please halt the fight.”

Heidi assumed that, no matter how monstrous Keter’s abilities were, by now he must have been exhausted. Continuing further served no purpose. That assumption was entirely wrong; he only thought that because he didn’t understand Keter at all.

“You’ve got to be kidding me. You started this fight, but now that you’re losing, you want to stop? What, were you the one who employed me? Does Sefira look like a fucking joke to you?”

The unexpected response left not only the mercenaries but even the knights of Sefira, who had been watching anxiously, completely stunned.

“Are you saying we should fight to the end? If that’s part of the request, then so be it.”

“Contract, my ass. I’m just in a shitty mood, so I’m throwing punches. And you mercenaries—you only learn your lesson when you get beaten down, don’t you?”

“If you insist on seeing this through to the end, then we have no choice.”

Heidi rolled up his sleeves, stepping forward. He intended to take on Keter alone, and he believed he could hold his own.

But Keter scoffed.

“Cut the theatrics. All three of you, come at me.”

“You want to take on all three of us Amantir-class mercenaries at once?”

“If you think I might lose, feel free to bring a few of your underlings, too.”

Keter gestured toward the remaining Platinum- and Diamond-class mercenaries still standing.

The proud Amantir-class mercenaries scowled.

“You’ll regret this, my lord!”

The three Amantir-class mercenaries charged at Keter, and Keter met them head-on with a flying kick. Thus began another chaotic brawl.

A short while later, Sefira’s infirmary was overflowing with patients.

The mercenaries who had taken a beating from Keter were covered in bruises, but none had suffered serious injuries. Even those who had been struck in the face—despite having broken noses and missing a few teeth—had their eyes left intact.

Surprisingly, none of the mercenaries harbored resentment toward Keter for the beating they had received. He had fought cleanly, relying only on his fists without resorting to cheap tricks.

Keter had also taken a fair share of hits. He had plenty of bruises from the punches and kicks he had endured, but he refused medical treatment, saying that they would heal on their own.

After receiving basic treatment, the mercenaries were noticeably more subdued. While they weren’t exactly lined up in perfect formation like disciplined soldiers, they all listened attentively to Keter. He was probably the first noble to negotiate with mercenaries with his fists.

Keter addressed the now-docile mercenaries, reminding them of his request.

“For the next month, you’ll be staying in Sefira. You will engage in practice duels with two participants of the Sword of the South Tournament. For details on your schedule and accommodations, follow the instructions of Butler Jacques here. And...”

Keter pointed at one mercenary, who had been deliberately trying to blend into the crowd.

“You. Step forward.”

“...Me, my lord?”

The mercenary blinked in confusion, only for Keter to gesture for him to step aside.

“Not you. The one hiding behind you.”

When the mercenary moved, another man—one who looked utterly ordinary—was revealed.

This was Burgundy, the deputy director of the Lillian Kingdom Regional Mercenary Headquarters, currently hiding in Sefira under the alias “Garen.”