Chapter 37

“You're Killian Eurasia, right?”

He wore a banquet suit tailored to his trained body, with a decorative sword at his waist.

“Your physique has changed so much, I almost didn't recognize you!”

Killian looked at the man smiling brightly at him.

‘Did I ever have a bond with this guy that could be called friendship?’

The more he built his Mana Heart and the higher his level became, the more the memories of the original Killian Eurasia evaporated.

It was in the moment he tried to force himself to recall the faint memories.

The approaching man twisted the corner of his mouth into an ugly shape, then leaned his face in and whispered softly enough for only him to hear.

“Still haven't come to your senses? Young Master Julian's little toy.”

“……”

It seemed there was no need to bother recalling his relationship with this man.

Just then, Sharle intervened.

“You must be Lord Gallad, the eldest son of the Herring Family.”

Her brow was slightly furrowed, as if she was displeased with the current situation.

“To think you recognize me… it is a great honor, Lady Sharle.”

Gallad smiled grimly and bowed.

Taking a step back, he scanned Killian with eyes full of arrogance.

“I heard you participated in the subjugation, but I didn't expect you to attend the banquet as well.

I almost missed the chance to greet you.”

Killian didn't respond.

Since his conversation with Sharle was already over, he decided to leave.

Just as he drained his glass and was about to walk past Gallad Herring back to the banquet hall.

Grab.

A thick hand seized Killian's arm.

“It's been a while, are you leaving already?”

“Gallad Herring, take your hand off.”

“Oh my, how scary.

I heard you went under Young Master Julian, and you've become quite the knight.”

Squeeze.

Gallad's hand on his arm tightened.

A sordid smile was unconcealed on his face.

“Lord Gallad, Young Master Killian and I were in the middle of a conversation.”

“Ah, is that so? It seems I have been rude.”

After giving one more squeeze, Gallad let go of the arm he was holding.

Step.

This time, he closed the distance with Sharle.

“Ahem.

Actually, I also recently reached the 3-star level.

It may not be as much as the lady's talent, but I believe we, who have forged Mana Hearts, would have much to discuss.”

Gallad puffed out his chest in an exaggerated manner.

His face showed that he was genuinely proud of the level he had achieved.

“Thank you for the kind words, but I must decline.”

Gallad's face hardened at the cold refusal.

‘Huh, this isn't right.’

The high society of nobles was the law of the jungle.

A place where one crushed those beneath them to form relationships with those higher up and advance.

‘Isn't she trying to form a connection with Young Master Julian? If not, there's no reason for her to meet this vermin…’

Gallad, who thought he had seen through her intentions, burst into a hearty laugh to hide his inner thoughts.

“Lady Sharle, Young Master Julian and I are close friends.”

“……”

“If you wish, I can arrange a meeting as soon as today!”

He continued to add lame remarks, but Sharle seemed completely uninterested.

Just then, another man stepped onto the terrace.

“Well, if it isn't Lord Lorenzo?”

Gallad's lips twitched at the unexpected appearance of the Bastoni's third son.

It was because he could feel the gazes from within the banquet hall that were now fixed on them.

“I heard you were injured in the subjugation battle.

Indeed, the recovery of a 5-star knight is extraordinary.”

Gallad praised Lorenzo's martial prowess until his mouth was dry.

“……”

Lorenzo, with an indifferent expression, stared at Gallad for a moment.

He then politely bowed to Killian.

“So you were here.

I have been looking for you for quite some time.”

Killian recalled his first meeting with him and smiled bitterly.

He hadn't seen him once since they came down the mountain range due to the severe injuries he'd suffered from the Grand Ogre, but he seemed to have recovered somewhat now.

“I'm glad to see you've made a full recovery.”

“My greetings are late.

I was greatly indebted to you at that time.”

“It's all in the past.”

Gallad, who had been watching their conversation, opened his mouth.

“Hahaha. What reason would Lord Lorenzo have to be indebted to a fellow like this? Instead of that, with me…”

At that moment, Lorenzo's sharp gaze pierced him.

“You called the Young Master a ‘fellow’? Did I hear you correctly?”

His cold voice was imbued with Mana.

“Gasp…”

Startled by the sudden pressure, Gallad stumbled backward.

He had retreated about three steps when.

Suddenly.

“Urk…”

He staggered and finally buckled at the knees, placing both hands on the floor.

He ended up in a position of kneeling and bowing his head.

“To be unable to control your body like this.

You seem to be very drunk.”

Lorenzo with anger-filled eyes and Sharle smiling gently.

As Gallad, flustered by the sudden situation, lifted his reddened face.

“Lower your gaze.

I'll pluck them out.”

“……!!”

Killian, with an indifferent gaze, looked down at him.

***

The banquet hosted by the Bastoni Family.

The main topic of conversation among the attending nobles was the news that the head of Eurasia had hunted an 8-star Arch Lich.

Naturally, the young masters' subjugation, which could be called the preliminary battle, was also on the lips of the family associates.

‘Things are finally falling into place.’

The corners of Julian’s mouth rose after finishing his conversation with the eldest son of the Pilosi Merchant Guild.

He had been through a lot of twists and turns in this subjugation.

Because Killian, the core of the knight order, insisted on acting alone, his dignity as a commander was in shambles from the first day.

After that, he fainted from the clash of wills between his two older brothers using Carpe, and was almost killed by a sudden attack from a Knight Slayer.

It was a time that had brought him great enlightenment in many ways.

‘Mother was right.’

His wise mother had been certain that embracing Killian would bring great benefits.

What if Killian hadn't been appointed as the Tactician, corrected the discipline of the knights, and protected him from high-level monsters?

He wouldn't have received such a welcome at today's banquet.

‘Come to think of it, he said the Cheonghwageom broke… I must tell mother.’

Now, Demian and Paian were not unaware of Killian's true worth either.

No matter how indifferent he was, he must have something he wanted.

Julian planned to find out what that was before returning to the family estate.

A new sword would be a gift for a new relationship.

‘I should take this opportunity to imprint the relationship between myself and Killian upon the nobles.’

The Third Young Master and the Fourth Young Master, the Commander and the Tactician.

It wasn't a bad picture.

It was while Julian was looking around for Killian.

“Hm?”

He spotted his Tactician talking with a woman with impressive purple hair.

‘Sharle Cornelia?’

He had just had a friendly chat with Arles Cornelia, an unscheduled guest.

‘He said he came with his younger sister…’

Across the banquet hall, he could see Demian talking with Arles Cornelia.

‘This is getting interesting.’

Until now, the Cornelia family had been Demian's connection alone.

‘Seeing Sharle Cornelia approach Killian… did she sense a shift in the political landscape from this subjugation?’

The connection with the Cornelia family would be a great strength in the future competition for the headship.

It couldn't be compared to the likes of the Pilosi Merchant Guild.

‘How should I approach this conversation?’

It was as Julian was walking towards the terrace with pleasant thoughts.

‘Why is that guy…’

His face hardened as he recognized a familiar face.

Gallad Herring.

The heir to the Herring Family, with whom he had associated a few times in the past.

A sordid smile was on the guy's lips as he entered the terrace.

A chilling sense of unease washed over him.

It was the moment Julian was about to rush towards the terrace.

“Ah, Young Master Julian.

I was just looking for you.”

“Ah…”

Julian bowed his head to Alessandro Bastoni, who had suddenly called out to him.

“I heard from Lord Escardo.

You played an outstanding role in the subjugation.”

“…You give me too much praise.”

Normally, just conversing with him would have been a pleasant affair, but Julian's gaze kept glancing at the terrace.

That fellow Gallad had already approached Killian and Sharle and was mingling with them.

“Ah… If you'll excuse me for a moment…”

“It's a shame about Young Master Paian's injury, but with you filling the void so admirably, Eurasia must have put one of its worries to rest.”

“Th-that's right…”

Regardless of Julian's urgency, Alessandro relentlessly poured out stories of the subjugation.

Since it was a matter he couldn't ignore, he responded appropriately, but it felt like five minutes had passed in the meantime.

“By the way, where is the Fourth Young Master who joined as the Tactician?”

Amidst their conversation, at Alessandro's question, Julian hurriedly pointed towards the terrace.

“Th-there he is! I shall bring him.

Let us talk together!”

“Hmm… Very well.”

Fearing he would be held up again, Julian rushed past him.

By now, even Lorenzo Bastoni, who had said he wouldn't attend the banquet, had appeared on the terrace and was talking with Gallad.

‘I hope he didn't say anything useless. Please… just shut up, Gallad Herring.’

He ignored several people who tried to greet him and quickened his pace.

He was about twenty steps from reaching the terrace.

“E-excuse me… I'm coming through.”

When he pushed through the gathering crowd and reached the terrace.

“Lord Killian is a benefactor of the Bastoni.

A piece of trash like you, who is embarrassing to even call a knight, should not dare to speak his name.”

Lorenzo's sharp voice could be heard.

Following that.

“Young Master Killian is someone with whom the Cornelia family is having important discussions.

I hope we do not have to see each other again, Lord Gallad.”

Sharle's soft yet somewhat chilling remark.

Julian hurriedly squeezed in between them.

“K-Killian.

What in the world is going on?”

“Please continue your conversation.”

With those words, Killian left the scene.

“Ah…”

A hollow sound escaped Julian's lips.

‘It's over.’

A sense of frustration, as if all the plans he had drawn up after the subjugation had gone up in smoke, enveloped his body.

Gallad, who had belatedly spotted him, tried to act familiar.

“Y-Young Master Julian… what is all this…”

Julian, his face contorted, glared at Gallad.

“Gallad, do you have multiple lives?”

“What's wrong, Young Master? I just…”

“You could have died just now.”

“L-Lord Julian…”

“Shut up.”

The aura of a knight, unchecked, emanated from Julian's body.

And Lorenzo and Sharle, who were watching the two, quietly moved away.

***

The place I left behind was in chaos.

It seemed some kind of incident had occurred, but it was no concern of Killian's.

‘Gallad Herring is a small fry.’

Considering the grand scheme ahead, he wasn't even worth reacting to.

‘I'll have to lay low until I recover my strength.’

Click.

Killian entered his room and threw off the cumbersome clothes.

Next to the hanging light armor, he could see the Cheonghwageom, with only its hilt remaining.

“It wasn't without its gains.”

Sharle Cornelia.

By talking with her, he was able to recall a forgotten training method.

Sitting cross-legged on the floor, Killian calmed his breathing and focused his mind.

He recalled the image of the Chimera, a combination of the bodies of the Grand Lycanthrope, the Grand Ogre, and the Grand Troll.

“……”

Just thinking about the monster that almost brought him death made cold sweat run down his back.

But.

‘One defeat is enough.’

If Escardo hadn't arrived in time, he would have lost his life long ago.

He could not expect the same kind of miracle in future battles.

Killian began to try to recall the movements and presence of the monsters in his memory.

To have another match against the Knight Slayer materialized in his mind.

It was a new training method to try until his body fully recovered.

Eventually, in the illusion that rose in his mind.

[…….]

Killian was pointing his sword at the Knight Slayer.

As the Knight Slayer exuded its characteristic unpleasant aura, he stepped back and used Carpe.

Starting with a light reconnaissance, he focused and focused again as a few exchanges took place.

Since he couldn't use Mana, he needed to concentrate his mind to forcibly activate his senses.

How much time had passed like that?

Ssk.

Killian opened his closed eyes.

He could hear birds chirping outside the room.

The sun had risen at some point.

The sweat that had soaked his whole body was now cold, making him shiver.

“This is disastrous.”

He fought 50 times and lost 49.

The final victory was more a matter of luck, and since it was a fight of mutual destruction, it was ambiguous to even call it a victory.

“At this rate, it's nothing more than having survived by sheer luck.”

Getting up from his spot, Killian soaked his body in the bathtub prepared in the room.

After finishing a simple meal, Killian instructed the servant.

“Do not let anyone in the room until I call for them.”

“Understood, Young Master.”

The servant bowed his head and left the room.

Killian sat on the floor and crossed his legs again.

While he repeatedly fought against the Knight Slayer, the time prepared for the banquet passed by quickly.

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