Chapter 421

Words : 2435 Updated : Oct 15th, 2025

[Brother.] Hans said. It was Spirit Deer’s way of communication that conveyed his will directly to others without opening his mouth. [Is that thing human?] Hans wasn’t even aware that he was naturally using Spirit Deer’s method of communication. That’s how difficult it was to take his eyes off Luther. Luther Wardot. He had often heard that he was not just the Empire’s greatest, but the continent’s greatest knight. Thanks to that, he remembered his profile clearly. However, the difference between the information he had only read about and his actual combat ability was too great. It was none other than a transformed Spirit Deer’s who had charged him at full power. This was something that Hans, who usually avoided fights, couldn’t do. But seeing Alex and Pantos fallen and bleeding, such worries were pushed to the back of his mind. Hans didn’t know where he got such courage from, even by his own reckoning. When he came to his senses, before Rudger could give the order, he had covered his entire body with magical power and was charging at Luther with his horns at full force. Even after dragging him out of the city and burying him deep in a distant forest, Hans thought he might have gone too far but only for a very brief moment. Luther was unscathed even in that explosion. While parts of his clothing couldn’t escape the impact’s aftermath, there wasn’t a single scratch on his body. It was unbelievable. Though it was said to be inferior compared to the real Spirit King, even that fraction of power boasted tremendous output. In terms of pure numbers, it was stronger than being hit by a massive tank. Yet this was the result. But Rudger couldn’t easily answer that. His gaze remained fixed on Luther. Specifically, on Luther who held a club in one hand. The intuition that an attack would come the moment he took his eyes off him, even for a split second. Rudger didn’t ignore that intuition. ‘Moreover, that strange technique from earlier that deflected Hans’s power.’ Luther had received Hans’ attack by extending both hands. And he deflected most of the power outward using an energy-dispersing technique. Though this process happened in less than a breath’s time, Rudger saw the power manipulation that Luther momentarily demonstrated. ‘Though it’s just speculation, I roughly get the feel of it.’ Luther inwardly admired the unusual light that formed in Rudger’s pupils. ‘Huh. Indeed. So this is what they mean by like subordinates, like boss.’ The Rudger that Luther had assessed wasn’t a knight or warrior. Just looking at the black shadows rippling across that body made that clear. He was a mage...and not just any mage, but one of a different caliber. He could feel the spirit that could only be shown by someone who had crossed countless death lines and experienced real combat, despite being a mage. ‘It doesn’t make sense that someone of this caliber hasn’t made any waves until now.’ Even with First Princess Eileen backing him, the fact that there were so few rumors about him meant that the person himself must have hidden his identity well. Luther pointed his club at Rudger and gathered his momentum. Rudger also drew his sword-stick and channeled magical power into it. Neither person spoke. Hans backed away, creating distance from the two. He instinctively sensed that his intervention now would actually work against Rudger. A chilling silence descended on the forest, where not even insects dared to chirp. The two facing each other moved simultaneously. Rudger and Luther’s bodies crossed like grazing each other in mid-air. A sharp flash of light flickered as if teasing the eyes. When the two finally revealed themselves, their positions were exactly opposite from where they had started. It was a silent collision yet Hans couldn’t understand what had happened in that moment but his eyes widened at the scene that unfolded right after. -Crack! A massive crater carved into the center of the forest. Above it, as if an invisible giant’s sword had struck down, a scar was etched into the ground. Its size was far larger than the crater, extending all the way to the edge of the forest. The cross-section of the split trace was smooth as if cut by something sharp. Its depth was even hard to measure. It looked almost like the maw of hell’s abyss had opened wide. Luther, who had created this unbelievable result, slowly looked back. “What was that just now?” Rudger slightly turned his head as he retrieved the magical power residing in his sword-stick. The black shadows flickering on the sword disappeared, revealing a pure white blade. “Magic.” “Unlike my technique which merely imitates, yours is the real thing, is that it?” Luther muttered this while looking down at the club in his hand. The moderately-sized club was cut off except for the part he was holding. Some might say a club couldn’t possibly match against a sword-stick imbued with magical power but the story changes when the person wielding the club is Luther Wardot. In fact, the massive slash that had carved this forest was a phenomenon created by his broken club. “Interesting.” Luther dropped the now useless piece of wood to the ground with a thud. All momentum subsided and the tension completely dissipated. “Though I didn’t get an answer about what purpose you’re moving for, it doesn’t seem like you’ll become an enemy of the Empire right away. Our adorable princess seems to value you highly as well.” Rudger didn’t bother to answer. Luther hadn’t expected an answer either, so he shrugged and continued. “But the moment you become an enemy of the Empire, it won’t end like this time. Engrave those words deep in your heart.” Rudger answered while inserting his sword-stick into his staff. “Looking forward to it.” “......Ha.” He used such a provocative tone in front of the Empire’s strongest knight but strangely, Luther found that he didn’t dislike it. How many people in this Empire could act so boldly toward him? Especially thinking of Alex and Pantos, he felt more envious than wary of Rudger. Luther pushed off with regret and disappeared. Despite his bulky appearance, his body crossed through the forest’s darkness as lightly as a feather. Once Luther had completely disappeared, Hans let out the breath he’d been holding. [Phew! Wh-what was that just now?] Hans asked as he approached Rudger. The scar carved into the ground was enough to send chills down one’s spine just by looking at it. In fact, the white fur of Hans, who was still maintaining his Spirit Deer form, was still completely bristled. [If I didn’t see wrongly, it seemed like a huge flash of light flickered for a moment.] In the instant Rudger and Luther crossed paths, Hans, whose eyesight had greatly improved due to his Spirit Deer transformation, saw the flash of light that burst forth for a moment. That light, which was barely visible even to a Spirit Deer’s eyes, was too distant to even attempt to evaluate. [Was it yours, brother?] “It wasn’t mine.” [Th-then you’re saying that was done by that human just now? Don’t tell me that flash of light I saw was......] “It was aura.” Hans was momentarily speechless. Aura? That was aura? To think that momentary flash of light was aura drawn from a club. [Though they say trained knights can draw aura even without weapons using their hands, how could such a large aura from just a piece of wood......] No matter how it only manifested at the moment of wielding, the size and length made no sense. [M-more importantly, are you alright, brother?] “I’m fine.” Rudger, who had released Aether Nocturnus, was unharmed. Though it was Luther’s impossible strike, it ultimately didn’t reach Rudger. This was because the shadowy energy contained in the sword-stick erased all attacks within a certain range. What Luther had called a technique was actually spatial distortion. It was fundamentally different from Luther’s, which was performed with extremely refined technique. The proof was that Rudger himself was unharmed even within the slash. [More than that, could you always make shadows dwell in your sword?] “I couldn’t.” [Then when did you...] “After visiting the Kasar Basin, I realized various things.” After fighting Limrei and seeing Belkart’s magic, Rudger also gained various inspirations from the magic they used. So what he had now was a technique he created by roughly imitating and copying what he had seen. “The magical power consumption is so high that I can’t use it for long, but it seems adequate for a single decisive blow.” Instead, the range was short. Since it was closer to giving characteristics to the sword-stick, it was practically impossible to extend the length or shoot it far. Using this would be when creating a definite opening to approach. Still, since it was good to have a usable technique, Rudger decided to be satisfied with this. Rudger naturally mounted Hans’ back and said. “Let’s go back. We need to check how Alex and Pantos are doing.” [Understood.] Hans’ body slowly floated into the air. Now rising into the air had become natural even without conscious thought. Eventually, Hans ran through the air as if treading on it and headed toward Leathervelk. In the forest that everyone had left, changes occurred in the ground full of crater and massive slash marks. -Swoosh. The deeply carved traces in the ground regenerated as if healing, and the long cut marks sealed as if closing up. It was as if the earth itself possessed will. * * * Alex and Pantos immediately went into treatment. Thanks to Bellaruna, who had heard the news and provided emergency treatment, neither would have any significant aftereffects. Though their bones were broken and their bodies were full of cuts and bruises, both had such excellent recovery abilities that they would soon shake it off. “That’s fortunate.” “St-still, they should rest just in case.” Bellaruna gave her opinion as a doctor. Though she was overly absorbed in pharmaceutics, she also had excellent medical knowledge. ‘She’s quite serious about these aspects.’ Rudger had such thoughts as he nodded in agreement. Rudger entered the makeshift hospital room where Alex and Pantos were resting. Contrary to his expectation that they would be depressed after being defeated despite their all-out joint attack, both of their expressions looked very serious. “Did you learn something from the fight?” “A lot. It feels strange – I feel bad but also good at the same time.” Alex answered with a slight smile. A light flickered in his eyes that hadn’t been seen before, it was his innate aura responding and manifesting as the knight gained enlightenment. “I’ve never heard of such a way of handling aura. No, even if rumors had spread, probably only that monster of a human could use it.” “Did you feel it?” “What do you take me for? I clearly realized it while fighting. That knight commander’s impossible power deflection. Even its origin and principles.” Alex recalled Luther deflecting all of his and Pantos’ attacks. He had thought it was deflecting power with extreme technique, but that wasn’t it. It was closer to an enormous power. “Though it’s still at the stage of speculation, I’m getting a rough sense of what it is. I think I’ll soon have an answer if I think about it a bit more.” Rudger recalled Luther’s aura during the single blow they exchanged in the forest. The aura that Luther had drawn then could be said to reach the sky if slightly exaggerated. Drawing out, wielding, and then withdrawing such powerful aura in the blink of an eye was an unbelievably fast and natural flow. It seemed impossible even if one drew out aura from their entire body. For a mage, it was like saying his magical power release had reached 100%. Conversely, he thought that one would need to be at least that level to deserve the title of the continent’s strongest swordsman. “That human is literally like a natural disaster walking around. But what’s even scarier is that he completely controls that power.” “Pantos. Do you think so too?” Pantos, whose entire body was wrapped in bandages, answered that question. “The rough waves encountered at sea. That was the power felt from that human. A terrifying disaster that raises waves and capsizes ships.” Pantos’ impression of Luther was identical to Alex’s. They felt the same and clear things because they had fought with their lives on the line. “So.” Rudger asked, looking at the two. “What will you do now?” At the rather provocative question, a competitive light dwelled in Alex and Pantos’ eyes as their lips curved into crooked smiles. “Of course.” “We have to pay him back.” They were grateful for meeting Luther because thanks to him, they could become stronger. * * * The incident that occurred in the middle of the night was quickly wrapped up. The place where Pantos and Alex fought was an alley with few people. Moreover, the area itself was being considered for redevelopment so there were no residents. The white shooting star that crossed over the city which people witnessed was somewhat problematic, but there were only abundant rumors about what exactly it was. ‘Still, it would be difficult to erase the traces in the nearby forest.’ Rudger thought this while reading about the nighttime star incident that made the newspaper’s front page. Though incidents in the city itself could be covered up, traces of the fight would remain intact in the forest outside the city. Starting with the scar that crossed the entire forest, people would wonder what happened when they saw that. Given the direction the light flew, rumors should spread quickly, but it was quite strange that there was still no news. Just then, at the sound of knocking on the door, Rudger folded the newspaper. “Come in.” The person who opened the door and entered was Sedina. She looked at Rudger and asked in a slightly worried tone. “Are you alright? I heard the news. That something happened at the Kasar Basin...” “It was nothing.” “It’s not good. First Order Leslie’s death is already widely known.” Rudger’s blue eyes turned to Sedina. “And there are stories going around that you, teacher, who was at the scene at the time, might have killed Leslie.”

Chapter 421

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