Chapter 110: The Consideration of the Strong (4)

Keter went to Luke before going to find the mercenaries.

“You’re out of my training starting today,” Keter said to Luke.

“Did I do something wrong, Instructor?”

“Stop calling me Instructor, kid. You’re on your own now. You’re free.”

“Why all of a sudden? At least tell me why.”

“

Tsk

. The next training is a mock battle for team and group combat. There are no swordsmen in Sefira, so I hired mercenaries. Do you understand now why you have to sit this one out?”

“Because there aren’t enough mercenaries? Or is it because I’m not participating in the tournament, so I don’t need to know?”

Thump!

Keter flicked Luke on the forehead. Luke could have dodged easily, but he knew that doing so would be as good as suicide, so he didn’t move.

“Are you still a kid? You try to act tough, but I can see you’re shaken up. Are you upset? You realize how stupid that sounds, don’t you?”

“...Sorry. It’s because of my ability, isn’t it?”

“Yeah. Of course, Gyro knows how to keep his mouth shut, so he won’t blab. But mercenaries? No chance. Unless you kill them, there’s no way to stop them from talking. That is, unless you can control your ability.”

“I’ve tried, but... my reflection ability doesn’t seem to work according to my will. Or maybe I just don’t know how to control it?”

“I can’t say for sure. But my gut tells me you’re right—it’s probably not something you can consciously control.”

There was no such thing as an invincible ability in this world. Reflection was no exception; it had to have a weakness.

Keter had once encountered a reflection ability user in Liqueur. That person’s ability only activated when their eyes were closed, and the reflected attack spread outward in a shockwave centered on their body. Taking them down had been ridiculously easy. The shockwave’s range didn’t exceed three meters. Keter simply attacked with sword energy from beyond that range. Abilities didn’t activate endlessly. They consume the user’s stamina and mental strength. In the end, that ability user collapsed from exhaustion, and Maran took their eyes.

“How much do you actually know about your ability? Can you say you know everything?” Keter asked.

“I experimented a lot back in Liqueur... but I still feel like there’s a lot I don’t understand. For example, does my reflection only transfer damage to humans? What about animals, insects, or monsters? Your Demon Arrow got reflected back to the Red Comet, but... one time isn’t enough to be sure.”

“There are plenty of weaknesses to your ability. It doesn’t react to joint locks or strangulation techniques. Poison works too. When I tested it, it still worked even when others were around.”

“When did you test that...? Wait, was that why I had food poisoning that time?”

“Moving on. Like with any technique, the less people know about it, the more of an advantage you have. This is even truer for special abilities. The less information your opponent has, the more you can use it to your advantage. Of course, you can’t keep it a secret forever. But with an ability like reflection, if used well, it could create an opportunity to kill a Grandmaster—a six-star one.”

Luke trembled.

Kill a Grandmaster? Me?

“If you play it safe, you could use it to take down a Master right now. The point is, if you’re going to get caught, make it count. Use it once, make a big impact, then let it be known.”

“So until then, I should keep my ability hidden.”

“For a swordsman, that would be tough. But for an archer, it wouldn’t be impossible. Or you could show your ability but eliminate all witnesses.”

“Hmm... Then what do I do now?”

“Is that a rhetorical question or a real one? Be clear.”

“It’s a real question. I know I rely on you. But I want to hear your advice for sure. I don’t want to let my pride get in the way and waste this moment.”

“Since you’re being honest, I’ll tell you one last time. Get lost. That’s what you need to do.”

Keter was telling Luke not to stick around acting like his partner.

Hearing that, Luke trembled.

Am I going back? To where I used to be...? Am I going back to Sir Luke Blendere of the First Division of the Sacred Order of Sefira, Ninety-Seventh Class?

His time with Keter had lasted barely two months. But in those two months, he had endured the hardest, most meaningful, and most thrilling days of his life.

He was afraid he would have to return to the dull, unremarkable knight—the coward everyone mocked—but Luke smiled.

He was no longer the cowardly Luke from before—he had overcome his curse, and he was no longer afraid. Plus, he had grown stronger. This was all thanks to the patriarch; if not for Besil pairing him with Keter, Luke wouldn’t be who he was now. Keter was young, but his experience and skill were exceptional. He had shared his techniques and knowledge without hesitation.

Wanting to stay by his side would be greedy—a foolish greed. Besides... I want to leave Sefira.

As a knight of Sefira, he had sworn loyalty. Leaving now would be unthinkable, and yet, Luke wanted to go. He wanted to uncover the truth about his birth. He wanted to find his family. Of course, he wouldn’t just abandon Sefira recklessly. He still lacked experience and skill. More importantly, if the patriarch didn’t approve, he wouldn’t leave.

Luke took a deep breath. Then, he reached out his hand to Keter.

“Thank you for everything. Really... if not for you, I wouldn’t have changed.”

Smack!

Keter didn’t shake Luke’s hand.

Instead, he smacked his palm and said, “As long as you know.”

“I’m going.”

“Go.”

They weren’t parting forever, but for some reason, Luke felt like crying. Keter felt a bit teary too.

“

Haaah

, I guess I’m finally getting sleepy.”

Having gone over forty days without sleep, Keter let out a long yawn and wiped away his tears.

* * *

“Number One has graduated.”

“Ah....”

Taragon didn’t press further. He knew well enough by now that Keter wasn’t the type to answer even if asked.

Keter pointed at the ground.

“You see the lines on the floor? It's a two-hundred-meter radius. I’ll call this the stage. From now on, fight without stepping off it.”

There was no need to ask what would happen if they did. The punishment was obvious, so they resolved not to cross the boundary no matter what.

“The rest of you, watch from outside the stage until it’s your turn. There are no breaks. The moment you step onto the stage, the duel begins. Number Two will start first. First unit of Squad One, enter.”

A three-man team of Platinum-class mercenaries stepped onto the stage. Though they held swords, their expressions were uneasy. It was no surprise, as they were up against a direct descendant of Sefira. Even though Keter had assured them it was fine, they hesitated, worried that attacking first might earn them a grudge.

Anis, however, did not hesitate. The moment the mercenaries stepped onto the stage, he immediately unleashed an arrow.

Thunk!

Thud!

“Agh!”

The sound of flesh being pierced rang out, followed by a scream. An arrow had lodged itself deep in a mercenary’s shoulder.

Keter shouted, “Only leave the stage if you can’t hold your sword or stand up. But listen carefully—I will be treating your wounds, so if you're faking it, I’ll make sure you won’t have to fake it anymore.”

“...!”

The mercenary with an arrow in his shoulder didn’t let go of his sword. It hurt, but he could still fight.

“Shit, you fired first!”

At last, the three mercenaries charged at Anis. He did not hesitate and fired again.

The distance between them was about fifty meters. The mercenaries, skilled in using aura, closed the gap in an instant.

Thwip!

Clang!

Thunk!

Thud!

The sounds of arrows being released, deflected, and striking flesh filled the air.

“Hyah!”

Two mercenaries fell before reaching Anis, but one managed to get close and swung his sword with full force. Yet, the aura infused into his sword was weak—he had expended too much deflecting and dodging arrows.

Anis did not back away. He infused aura into his bow and deflected the sword head-on.

The mercenary responded as expected of a seasoned fighter—he kicked up a cloud of dust, aiming for Anis’ eyes. No one called it cowardly. Even Anis simply stepped back to avoid it.

Seizing the opening, the mercenary unleashed a flurry of attacks. They were not organized and refined but wild, like a beast.

Anis opened his eyes wide and dodged each attack one by one. Then, when the mercenary’s movements reached their endpoint, he struck the back of his hand with his bow.

“Ugh!”

With a groan, the mercenary dropped his sword. He reached for the dagger at his waist, but Anis’ arrow was already at his throat. That was his mistake.

Slash!

The mercenary, gripping his dagger in a reverse grip, slashed across Anis’ chest. His clothes tore, and blood seeped out.

Anis staggered back, shouting, “The duel was over! Why did you keep attacking?”

The mercenary, lowering his stance, scoffed.

“You think I would give up just because you had a knife to my neck? Lord Keter told us to fight until we’re completely incapacitated.”

“...My mistake.”

Thwip!

Thwip!

Anis quickly fired two arrows. The mercenary dodged the first but couldn’t avoid the second—it pierced through the palm of his hand he was holding his sword with.

“This is how I should have made sure it’s over.”

Anis’ first battle against multiple opponents was done.

Anis couldn't help but smile. He had just taken down three Platinum-class mercenaries—fighters as strong as two-star knights—in an instant.

But now, he could see the results of the grueling training. His arrows were much faster, his strength had increased, and, more importantly, he had learned to infuse multiple layers of aura into his attacks.

But it wasn’t time to celebrate yet. There were still many opponents left.

The next unit entered the stage.

Having watched the previous battle, they adjusted their strategy. Instead of charging recklessly, they advanced cautiously, deflecting every arrow that came their way.

But this was the wrong choice. Anis unleashed Leo Archery on the careful mercenaries.

“Guh!”

This wasn’t the slow but powerful Leo

Archery of the past. It was fast and devastating—still not on Keter’s level, but close. The mercenaries poured all their aura into blocking it, but their swords shattered under the impact.

One mercenary, whose sword had broken but was still unscathed, tried to leave the stage.

“Are you insane? If you don’t have a sword, fight with your fists. If you lose your fists, use your teeth! Do you think I paid five times the usual fee just for you to spectate?”

Frightened, the mercenaries picked up their broken swords and kept fighting, but it was pointless. The second team was defeated without ever reaching Anis.

The third team tried a new approach—they zigzagged toward him, making it harder to aim. Even so, no matter how much they weaved, Anis could predict their movement.

However, even the great Anis needed time to calculate his shots. His first couple of arrows missed, and the fourth barely grazed a mercenary, but the fifth arrow struck true. But it was too late—two mercenaries had reached him.

Anis frantically blocked their attacks with his bow and attempted a kick.

Slash!

As the mercenaries were skilled in rough, disorderly fighting, one of them slashed Anis’ leg mid-kick. The wound wasn’t deep, but Anis winced, not having expected such an attack.

Holding an arrow in his left hand, Anis deflected the sword aimed at his thigh, and he blocked another attack toward his shoulder with his bow.

At point-blank range, he drew and released an arrow in one swift motion. The mercenary in front of him collapsed as the arrow struck his stomach.

Blood dripped from Anis’ side. The mercenary’s sword had nicked him.

Thud!

Even though his last kick had left him injured, Anis still kicked the mercenary in the head, making him stagger.

Crack!

Anis slammed the end of his bow into his skull. Blood spurted from the wound.

“Uh... is he...?”

The fourth unit standing by murmured among themselves, uneasy.

Clutching his side, Anis muttered, “I held back. But he’ll need to be carried out.”

The unconscious mercenary was taken away.

At the edge of the stage, Keter personally treated the wounded.

Watching him work, Burgundy was impressed.

A top-tier healer. He’s using mana to mend damaged tissue, accelerating the process with elixirs... He’s maximizing efficiency with minimal resources.

The more Burgundy observed Keter, the more amazed he was. He used both aura and mana, and he also had top-tier healing skills.

I didn’t know Sefira was hiding someone like this. Perhaps Sefira’s passive stance all this time was simply them waiting for Keter to mature. And this training... ruthless. No breaks, no rest—just nonstop battle.

Anis finally got to rest after fighting five units, a total of fifteen mercenaries.

Then it was Taragon’s turn. He had also fought fifteen mercenaries, but it took him thirty minutes longer than Anis, as his fighting style involved more close combat.

“Next! First unit of Squad Two, enter.”

Anis stepped onto the stage once again.

Unlike the previous team, this squad had two Platinum-class mercenaries and one Diamond-class mercenary who was equivalent to a three-star knight. As they had watched Squad One fight, they didn’t underestimate Anis and Sefira’s archery.

It seemed like they had already finished discussing their strategy. They stepped onto the stage and immediately got into a triangular formation. At the front was the Diamond-class mercenary.

With confidence, he said, “Just stay behind me. I’ll deflect all the arrows.”

But his words weren’t for his teammates; they were a taunt directed at Anis.

Silently, he nocked an arrow. Memories of his past battle with Gyro surfaced—his arrows, including Leo Archery that he was so confident in, being so effortlessly blocked. It brought upon despair that his arrows didn’t work on a three-star knight.

But what about them? His arrows worked on the Platinum-class mercenaries, but what about Diamond-class?

This time, my arrows will land.

Twang!

With firm conviction, Anis released his shot.