Chapter 256: Master of Swordsmanship (4)

Twelve days was by no means a short time in

MID Online

. To spend that time learning without rest was a difficult task. Even more challenging was maintaining sharp focus throughout those twelve days. However, Kai had managed to do the impossible.

"Adventurers are truly fascinating," Bach said in a calm tone as he sheathed his sword. "Kai, no offense, but... you lack talent for swordsmanship. Your physique, even generously speaking, isn’t well-suited for mastering the blade.

Oh

, and you’re not particularly intelligent either."

"Are you sure you’re not trying to insult me?!"

"Listen to the end. Despite such mediocre talent, I’m amazed you’ve developed your own distinctive swordsmanship. Even those far more gifted than you rarely achieve that—wielding a blade uniquely their own."

"

Hmm

... Then, in your opinion, what level is my swordsmanship at right now?" Kai asked.

Bach crossed his arms, resting his chin on one hand, and thought seriously. "Let’s see. Developing your own style is impressive, but your swordsmanship itself is incomplete. This means you’re not ready to face masters like me. Still, even with that limitation, your skills are not so weak as to be underestimated wherever you go."

It was a rather ambiguous evaluation, but Kai seemed fairly satisfied. After all, his question was specifically about his swordsmanship. If he had instead asked how strong he was, the answer would surely have been different.

If I go all out, swordsmanship isn’t my only weapon.

A massive undead army with magical bombardments launched through quadruple casting. On top of that, the manifestation of a predecessor apostle using the Descent skill! In Kai's mind, he could hardly imagine a scenario where he would lose.

I gained quite a lot in these twelve days.

What he gained from this sparring wasn’t limited to efficient movement alone.

[Advanced Swordsmanship of the Dawn LV.7]

Swordsmanship of the Dawn. After being stagnant for a while, its proficiency had risen to Advanced Level 7 over the course of twelve days. The effects of his special title, Holder of Legendary Techniques, had significantly paid off. Thanks to the title, the growth rate of all his skills had increased dramatically.

"Oh, by the way..." Bach suddenly said as if something had come to mind. "Since we’re talking about swordsmanship, let me ask—have you considered joining the Royal Knights?"

"... Pardon?" Kai was taken aback at Bach’s question, which came out of nowhere without so much as a warning. "I mean, how do you ask something like that so casually, as if you were asking if I’ve had lunch?"

"My apologies."

"There’s no need to apologize..." Kai rubbed his forehead as he considered Bach’s offer.

The Royal Knights, huh...

Bach might have said it casually, but given the prestige and symbolism of the Royal Knights, it was far from a light proposal. In fact, no player had ever managed to join the Royal Knights, let alone the royal guards.

"But don't the Royal Knights evaluate more than just swordsmanship? Don’t they scrutinize loyalty to the royal family in extreme detail?"

"On that matter, His Majesty himself has hinted at something. He said you’re not someone who would stab us in the back at the very least, and to consider accepting you when you became skilled enough."

"

Huh.

"

They were remarkably straightforward people.

Of course, King Beoruk had Supreme Sight, a skill that acted as the ultimate safeguard. This ability, which revealed the true nature of its target, had already been used on Kai several times.

So that’s why he can feel so confident in me.

Indeed, with Supreme Sight in play, the chance of betrayal was pretty much zero.

Ding!

[You have received an invitation to join the Royal Knights.]

[If you become a member of the Royal Knights, you will no longer need to bow to any noble aside from King Beoruk.]

[Accepting Bach’s proposal will grant you the special title Royal Knight.]

[Members of the Royal Knights are awarded the finest weapons and armor crafted by the royal workshop of Rashion, a home, and a significant sum of gold.]

Each one of the offers was undeniably enticing. However, Kai shook his head without a moment’s hesitation.

“I appreciate the offer, but I must decline.”

“May I ask why?”

“The Royal Knights, as I understand, are a group sworn to serve His Majesty the King and act solely in his interest.”

“That’s correct.”

“But I am an adventurer. Rather than being tied to one place, I wish to travel this vast continent, to see and experience more.”

As a response to politely refusing an NPC’s offer, it was flawless—a textbook-model answer. In fact, Bach nodded in understanding rather than showing any offense to his pride.

“Well... I suppose it would indeed be frustrating for someone who’s spent their life wandering as an adventurer to be confined to the Royal Palace of Rashion. I respect your decision.”

“Thank you for your understanding.”

Kai was genuinely grateful for Bach’s consideration. He knew that rejecting the offer could have resulted in a loss of affinity, depending on how it was handled.

After all, considering the significance of the Royal Knights, there was no way to completely avoid the risks of declining.

It was literally a situation where he could only be grateful for Bach's broad understanding and consideration. And to top it off, Bach took it a step further.

“

Oh

, and if you’re feeling tired, you’re welcome to use the bathhouse over there.”

Deeply moved, Kai followed Bach’s guidance to the bathhouse.

Meanwhile, the palace was buzzing with commotion.

***

“That ice block actually offered an adventurer a spot in the Royal Knights?”

“Yes, word of their conversation in the bathhouse has already spread throughout the palace.”

In the royal palace, the word

secret

did not exist. In other words, conversations held within its walls always reached someone’s ears. In fact, the discussion between Bach and Kai had quickly made its way through the palace.

“An adventurer in the Royal Knights?” Paval, the commander of the Royal Guardian Knights, showed disapproval as he looked at his subordinate. “So, who is this adventurer?”

“You’ve likely heard of him, sir. An adventurer named Kai.”

“Kai? Kai, Kai...

Ah!

Isn’t that the adventurer who defeated Aosa? The one who fought the Church of Muldine in the Bir Plains and received a reward from His Majesty?”

“That’s correct.”

“But is his skill really at the level to join the Royal Knights? I’ve never seen such a report.”

As Paval’s gaze sharpened, the subordinate lowered his head.

“It’s presumed that he’s experienced explosive growth recently.”

“Well, that ice block might be a pain, but he doesn’t mix personal feelings with his work.” Shaking his head, Paval reached for the towering pile of paperwork on his desk. “

Hmph.

Thanks to that Ironblood Commander, the standards of the Royal Knights are plummeting. Now we’ve got adventurers being considered as members,

huh?

”

“Oh, you don’t need to worry about that. I heard Kai declined the Ironblood Commander’s offer.”

Paval’s hand froze in midair.

Furrowing his brow, he growled, “What did you just say?”

“K-Kai declined the Ironblood Commander’s invitation. He won’t be joining the Royal Knights.”

“Are you telling me he turned down the opportunity to join the great and proud Royal Knights?”

“Yes, sir.” At that, Paval revealed his teeth with a smirk. “That guy is quite the comedian. But... isn’t he being a little too arrogant?”

“I think so as well, sir.”

The Royal Knights were the dream of every knight in the Kingdom of Rashion. In fact, the Kingdom of Rashion's reputation as having the highest caliber of knights among the three kingdoms was largely attributed to the existence of the Royal Knights, and their renown continued to grow as days passed.

"That guy joining the Royal Knights is something we reject on our end. Even if there's a refusal, it should come from us. How dare an adventurer of all people refuse to become a member of the Royal Knights...?"

The Royal Knights were the ultimate and strongest order. Yet, some mere adventurer dared to turn down an invitation to join? That was practically the same as the Royal Knights' reputation hitting rock bottom.

“That Ironblood orphan causes all kinds of trouble. Get ready immediately.” Paval shot to his feet and grabbed his coat.

“Where are we heading, sir?”

"It’s for the better. Go fetch the carriage. I will test that adventurer."

"There could be a significant conflict with the Ironblood side."

"Didn't you hear me? It's just a simple test. Accepting an adventurer into the Royal Knights is no trivial matter to begin with. If the Ironblood side opposes my decision to conduct a basic assessment, we can simply question that guy Kai's qualifications and drag the issue further."

Upon reflection, it truly felt like things had turned out well. It was a perfect opportunity to kill two birds with one stone. Beating up Kai would prove that he wasn't fit to join the Royal Knights, and proving that Bach's judgment was flawed as well.

***

"Thank you once again for your teachings."

"No need for formalities. Teaching you was enjoyable, so I had a good time."

Bach responded in a calm voice, but Kai could detect the hint of regret in his tone.

Twelve days. Short, if one considers it that way, yet we've grown close enough for me to pick up on such feelings.

Bowing his head, Kai faintly smiled to himself, ensuring it wasn't visible to Bach. By the time he raised his head, the smile had already disappeared.

"Where do you plan to go now?" Bach asked.

"I'm thinking of heading to the Sanctuary of Corruption. It's a place I learned about after defeating Zirukan."

"Even the name sounds ominous."

"That makes it all the more exciting for adventure.”

"You're impossible to reason with." Bach smiled faintly and shook his head as he saw Kai off.

Right then, a group approached the two of them with a rather menacing presence.

"Why are they...?" Muttering under his breath, Bach stepped in front of Kai, halting the advancing group. "What business does the Guardian Knights, who should be protecting the eastern front, have in the western zone?"

The one who answered was a giant, bald man at the head of the group.

He said in a voice that seemed to barely suppress his boiling rage, "Step aside, Ironblood. Today, we have business not with you but with the adventurer behind you."

"He's my guest, so his business is also mine. Let me ask again since you seem to have misunderstood. What do you want?"

At that question, the bald giant glared at Bach. Not backing down, Bach met his glare with an equally cold and steady gaze.

"Anyone watching might think we’re here to pick a fight. I simply wish to test that adventurer's qualifications."

"And under what authority would you test him?"

"Why couldn’t I? I'm the commander of the Guardian Knights. Naturally, my approval is required if an adventurer is to join the Royal Knights."

"Ridiculous. Even if he were to join the Royal Knights, he'd be assigned to the Ironblood division. Your approval is unnecessary."

"But isn't it precisely because you recklessly accept unqualified individuals that there's talk of the Royal Knights' declining standards?"

A heated exchange continued.

Seeing that the situation was unlikely to be resolved through words, Bach tapped the sheath of his sword and said, "If you wish to test my guest, you must first pass my test."

"

Ha!

Did you think I'd back down so easily if you said that?" Paval’s hand moved toward the longsword and shield strapped to his back.

"Wait a moment." Kai said, stepping out from behind Bach and drawing everyone's attention. "It's alright."

Reassuring Bach, Kai walked up to the bald man. "Perhaps you're unaware, but I've already declined joining the Royal Knights. I see no reason to undergo your test."

"See no reason,

huh?

Hah

..." Paval began to laugh, shaking his shoulders as if amused by Kai's audacity. "Are you running away out of fear?"

"Think whatever you like."

"

Hmph

. Then I suppose I’ll report to His Majesty that you lack the necessary qualifications. Word of the Ironblood commander's poor judgment will spread far and wide."

As if having achieved his goal, Paval turned to leave without hesitation.

"Wait. Stop right there."

Kai's voice stopped Paval mid-step.

Got him.

Smiling, Paval turned back with a composed expression. "

Hm.

Have you changed your mind already?"

"Yes. I'll take your so-called test."

It was a decision made because he couldn't bring trouble to Bach, who was nothing short of a benefactor to him.

Having successfully heard the words he wanted to hear, Paval laughed triumphantly. "How much simpler would this have been if you'd agreed from the start? Then I will personally select the knight you will face..."

"No, if I'm going to take the test, I don't want to waste my time on some random knight."

On Kai's face was a smile identical to, no, even more satisfied than, the one on Paval’s face.

"Why don't you step forward and teach me a thing or two yourself?"

"What? Why would I lower myself to such a thing..."

"

Oh,

are you perhaps running away out of fear?" Kai smirked and looked toward Bach.

Understanding the situation instantly, Bach casually responded, "I suppose I must report to His Majesty then, to express doubts about the Guardian Knights Commander's qualifications."

"Y-you bastards...”

Paval's face turned red as he found himself on the receiving end of the very situation he had used before. His face was as bright as a well-cooked octopus!

"Fine. If that's what you want, I'll personally teach you a lesson."

Clang.

Paval drew a longsword and shield from his back, glaring at Kai with a murderous intent as he muttered under his breath.