Chapter 20
The spar only came to an end after the sunset had dyed the sky and darkness began to settle.
The training ground, which had been crowded with challengers, became quiet as if it had never been lively.
The outsiders who had arrived in <Aigon> full of vigor had all turned back in miserable states after receiving Walter’s harsh lesson.
As for the successful candidates, including myself,
“Please wait here for a moment.”
We were standing idly in an audience chamber filled with neatly arranged banners and luxurious decorations.
Those who passed the test were given the opportunity to have a private audience with the Lord.
It wasn’t anything grand — we simply stood quietly and listened to the Lord’s lecture.
It was essentially like a principal’s motivational speech.
If this were the game, I would have mindlessly spammed the skip button. It was an utterly meaningless and boring event.
However.
‘…I didn’t expect these guys to be among the successful candidates.’
This time that should have held no particular meaning for me felt especially significant.
Because the two people standing on either side of me were far from ordinary.
First, the one on the right.
The blue-haired young man who, even though he wasn’t radiating fighting spirit, gave off a considerably powerful magical aura just by standing still was undoubtedly……
At that moment, the person in question glanced at me and spoke.
“I watched your spar. Although swordsmanship lies in a different realm from the path I pursue, it was still very impressive.”
“I don’t know where to put myself after receiving such high praise from a direct descendant of the <Vilroct> family.”
“Oh, you know me?”
“Yes, well…”
He was a well-known figure to those who knew.
Edan Vilroct.
The third son of the Vilroct family, one of the five great powers that dominated the continent’s hegemony — a prestigious magic house.
And.
‘He’s the guy who gets involved with the player as a disciple when playing as the mage character, Ray Dioph.’
Since I had also maxed out Ray Dioph, I naturally recognized Edan.
Of course, I never imagined I would run into him here. To think he had also come to challenge the ‘Trial of Entur’.
“It’s an honor that a genius like you recognizes me. May I ask your name…?”
“Ruth Fried.”
“Ruth Fried! What a wonderful name. I am Edan Vilroct. Since we’ve met like this, it must be fate. Let’s overcome this together!”
“……”
I reflexively shook hands with Edan as he offered his hand.
Hmm, how strange.
The Edan I had met when playing as Ray was not this friendly. He always had a dark shadow over his face, enough to make anyone’s shoulders slump.
Well, considering what Edan had gone through, it would be stranger if his personality wasn’t gloomy… but I didn’t expect him to be this bright.
‘Anyway, just as he said, this isn’t a bad connection at all.’
Getting acquainted with Edan Vilroct was unconditionally beneficial.
After all, when you clear the event with him while playing as Ray, the final reward you obtain is……
‘The secret magic of the Vilroct family.’
I gave a slight nod to Edan, who was smiling at me.
Then I turned my gaze forward again and became conscious of the white-haired woman standing on my left.
‘Is this some cosmic will at work or something?’
Why did I have to get involved with this person of all people?
It was probably just a coincidence, but what a shitty coincidence.
[Divine power is reacting to the dark magic energy flowing nearby!]
That message had been floating in the corner of my vision for a while now.
Noble divine power could sense the power of evil.
And in 《Soden》, one of the most representative forms of evil power was black magic.
Corrupted magic born from sacrificing human blood, souls, and lives.
In other words, the woman standing next to me was highly likely to be a villain who had killed many innocent people.
No. She might even be beyond a simple villain……
‘This would be a headache if she’s a member of the <Dark Blood Society>.’
The worst criminal organization on the continent. A group of mad black mages — the <Dark Blood Society>.
What if this woman was one of their members?
‘…It looks like I should give up any hope of cleanly finishing the Trial and leaving quietly.’
Wherever the <Dark Blood Society> passes, blood and death follow with near certainty.
As I fell deep into thought, my gaze unconsciously drifted toward the woman. A pair of sharp, blood-red eyes glared back at me.
“What are you looking at? Got something to say?”
“Congratulations on passing.”
“…? Oh, thanks.”
Anyway, now that I knew this woman was a black mage, I couldn’t just stand by.
There was no guarantee a black mage would definitely cause trouble, but there was always the possibility.
‘I should at least take some measures to prevent any dirty tricks.’
It was then.
“His Lordship is entering! Challengers, show proper respect to the great Tyrant of the North!”
Along with the attendant’s shout, an overwhelming aura that felt like it was gripping the heart dominated the audience chamber.
Step.
A man with flowing black hair and a long scar over his right eye appeared in the audience chamber.
The Tyrant of the North.
Wolfgang Demiorck.
Even with my achievement raised by a level through the <Lava Pond of Evolution>, I couldn’t easily gauge how high this man’s realm reached.
Thump!
The three of us struck our left chests with our fists in a formal salute.
“I watched your struggles against our knights well. All three of you possess excellent skill.”
When Wolfgang mentioned the word ‘skill’, his gaze lingered noticeably on my face alone.
“I too challenged the Trial when I was young. Although the content of the Trial changes every time, so I cannot give you advice on it, as a warrior who has walked the path before you — not as a lord — I will tell you what mindset you should have when facing the Trial—”
As expected, it was the dreaded principal’s motivational speech.
If only there was a god of the system, I’d beg for a skip button.
Roughly ten minutes later.
“…That is all. You will head to the Ice Dragon’s remains tomorrow, so rest well tonight in the annex.”
The painful lecture finally ended, and attendants approached us to guide us to the annex.
Just as I was about to follow Edan and the nameless black mage woman out of the audience chamber,
“Your name was Ruth Fried, correct? You stay behind for a moment.”
“……”
Wolfgang suddenly requested a private meeting.
***
While Ruth was feeling awkward about the sudden private meeting with Wolfgang,
‘This feeling is nostalgic.’
Wolfgang maintained a calm, indifferent expression like still water, but inside he was quite shaken.
The moment he subtly expanded his senses to examine Ruth’s aura, he couldn’t help but be astonished.
‘The presence I felt from afar… wasn’t everything.’
Even when he had watched Ruth from the top of the castle tower, he couldn’t believe how a boy so young could possess such a realm.
But the aura he had sensed from a distance was nothing compared to the real thing.
Up close, Ruth’s ‘Rank’ possessed a potential so high that even most high-ranking knights would have to concede.
‘His current level of martial prowess does not yet reach that of a grand mage or a master swordsman. However……’
That was his current level. Ruth was still just a boy who hadn’t even grown a single facial hair.
Just imagining how far he could rise in the distant future made the Tyrant of the North’s heart pound as if struck by lightning.
While Wolfgang was inwardly praising him, Ruth felt a chill.
‘That’s the look I’ve seen a lot on Earth. What was it again… Ah.’
It came to him.
The eyes of a professor who had discovered a promising future graduate student.
‘…No way?’
The moment Ruth thought that while feeling a chill down his spine,
“I’m not one for beating around the bush. I’ll ask directly. Ruth Fried, do you have any intention of becoming Aigon’s sword?”
“……”
Good god.
I had jokingly thought of it, but it really was the professor’s eyes.
“To be honest, I hope you do not challenge the ‘Trial of Entur’ this time.”
“……May I ask why?”
“The path ahead of you is bright. Even now, you have reached a level far beyond your age, and in the future, you will climb even higher. There is no need to rush the Trial. You can challenge it when the time is right.”
“……”
“And if you become Aigon’s sword,”
The corners of Wolfgang’s mouth, which had seemed like they would never move, began to curve into a smile.
“I promise here and now that I will spare no support to help you reach even greater heights.”
Slide.
After pouring out statements that would have shocked anyone else, Wolfgang extended his hand.
Ruth felt a headache coming on but maintained his composure as much as possible and asked,
“There were three successful candidates. Why me, of all people?”
“Among the three successful candidates, you were the only one who made Walter drop his sword. And against Walter, who fought with genuine intent rather than during a simple test.”
Perhaps because he had been too focused on the Demiorck family’s secret sword art ‘Frost Fang’, he had revealed too much of his true power.
Gaining enlightenment into a new sword art was a gain, but drawing Wolfgang’s attention was something he would rather avoid.
‘Gaining favor from the strong is welcome, but becoming someone’s subordinate is another matter.’
Belonging to any organization would restrict his freedom of movement.
He would face restrictions on obtaining what he needed and going where he wanted.
It wasn’t even worth considering. Just as Ruth lowered his head to politely decline,
“You used ‘Frost Fang’ during your fight with Walter. It’s astonishing that you could replicate a secret sword art just by watching it once. It would be impossible to fully master it through self-study alone.”
Wolfgang’s golden eyes gleamed like a hawk eyeing its prey.
“But if you undergo formal training instead of self-study, you should be able to master most of the forms of ‘Frost Fang’ within five years at the latest.”
“Five years.”
Well.
With the Blood Mage’s talent, he could probably refine it close to perfection after seeing it just once or twice.
“What do you say? Become my sword, Ruth Fried. If your talent is combined with the Demiorck family’s secret sword art, someday you too will be able to earn the title of ‘Tyrant’ like me.”
“I am truly sorry, but I must challenge the ‘Trial of Entur’ this time. And,”
Before formally expressing his refusal, Ruth took a deep breath.
“I am currently in a position where I cannot belong to any organization. Of course, I will consider your offer to become Aigon’s sword as the honor of a lifetime, however…”
“Is that so? Well, it was only a suggestion, so I have no intention of forcing you. But stopping at a superficial understanding of ‘Frost Fang’ would be a great loss for you as well.”
Even while saying he wouldn’t force it, Wolfgang kept dangling ‘Frost Fang’ as bait.
His intention was blatantly obvious, but… it was hard to deny that the bait was tempting.
There were many different types of swordsmanship on the continent.
Among them, ‘Frost Fang’ was one of the strongest in terms of pure destructive power.
‘If I can master ‘Frost Fang’ along with Demian’s sword skill, it will be of great help to me in the future.’
Was there a way to learn the forms of ‘Frost Fang’ one more time without becoming affiliated with Aigon?
After pondering for a moment, Ruth came up with a decent idea.
“May I humbly make one suggestion?”
“Go ahead.”
…Well, whether it was decent or not, he wasn’t sure. The other party was a peak warrior who had reached the master realm.
The idea Ruth came up with while facing such a master was simple.
“You reached right before the final stage of the ‘Trial of Entur’ and completed it, correct?”
“That’s right.”
“If I manage to achieve the same results as you, or even better, in this Trial, please show me the complete forms of ‘Frost Fang’.”
“…What?”
“But if I fail to do so, I swear to become a sword that serves only you until the day I die.”
It was a bet.