Chapter 150

Episode 150

“First Form, Impregnable Shield!”

An unexpected technique was activated.

Impregnable Shield, as the name suggests, meant an “unbreakable shield.” Sword techniques were generally performed with swords, so why was she using a shield?

*Buzz!*

Selendis’s shield heated up, turning as red as molten lava.

It wasn’t just the color that changed.

The size also doubled, increasing the area it could cover. It was more than enough to shield Selendis’s entire body.

Therefore, it was perfect for blocking Beatrice’s rapidly approaching ‘Flying Spear.’ It satisfied both durability and size.

*Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!*

As expected, the attack was blocked. Eight impact sounds reverberated.

“…!”

Beatrice, failing her technique attack, clenched her jaw. It was a technique passed down through the Imperial Family, yet it was so easily countered.

On the other hand, Selendis remained composed. Her shield returned to its original form.

“Tricks won’t work, I see. Alright, I’ll do this properly this time.”

The princess gathered her aura once more and activated a technique.

Since her first technique was easily blocked, she was probably preparing her ultimate move.

I wondered which form she would use.

“Fifth Form, Heavenly Limitless Spear!”

The surroundings shook as if an earthquake had struck.

“Gasp!”

“Dangerous!”

The observing knights instinctively activated their aura. Those who couldn’t use aura stumbled or fell.

I had already moved to Lucia’s side, holding her steady to prevent her from falling.

“you’re fast.”

Duke Kalisto, who was about to check on his daughter, awkwardly withdrew his hand. I bowed politely.

I hoped he wouldn’t look at me with the eyes of a future father-in-law…

Having unintentionally earned points with the Duke, I turned my attention back to the training ground.

A ferocious energy was gathering in Beatrice’s spear.

Heavenly Limitless Spear.

The meaning could be roughly interpreted as “the boundless power of the heavens.” It was undoubtedly an attack with earth-shattering destructive power.

*Rumble…*

With a deafening roar, the spear trembled slightly, then condensed a yellow energy. Beatrice launched her attack in that state.

‘This will be difficult to block.’

It was a devastating attack that would be fortunate to survive. The tiles on the training ground where the princess stood were already shattered or peeled off.

But Selendis stood firm, silently awaiting the attack like a lone knight on the battlefield.

Finally, a technique flowed from her lips.

“Seventh Form, Invincible Shield!”

This time, the shield turned blue and enveloped Selendis’s entire body, becoming pure light.

I was surprised not by the sight but by the number of the technique Selendis chanted.

‘She mastered the seventh form?’

It was a series of surprises.

Generally, the strength of a technique increases with its number. Most techniques are completed at the eighth form, but some supreme techniques have up to ten forms.

Anyway, the defensive technique Selendis displayed was the “Invincible Shield.”

The ultimate spear technique met the ultimate shield technique.

It was a clash of “contradictions.”

It had been a long time since I felt my palms sweat with tension.

Finally, the two forces collided.

*Boooom!*

*Thud! Thud!*

Pebbles flew in all directions, and a cloud of dust filled the air. The aura emitted by the two disappeared.

After a while, as the dust settled, their silhouettes gradually emerged.

I was the first to see the outcome of the fight, but I didn’t react, as Duke Kalisto was beside me.

“It seems Lady Selendis has won.”

“It appears so.”

“You saw it too? Well, you’re the one who noticed Fenrir’s elites hiding in my office, so there’s no reason you wouldn’t see it.”

In the end, Selendis was victorious.

Beatrice stared blankly at the scattered fragments of her shattered spear.

“…Impossible.”

The Bellatrix technique was broken once again. This time by my subordinate.

The shock must be immense.

This proved one thing. The Savion Kingdom had a remarkable history and tradition.

This spar was a confrontation between the Empire and the Kingdom.

In terms of scale, the Empire was far superior, but martial arts contained a profound principle that couldn’t be explained solely by the size of a nation.

It was related to tradition.

Old families cherished their martial arts like treasures and continuously refined them.

At least in terms of history and tradition, the Savion Kingdom was in no way inferior to the Empire.

“I’ve learned a lot, Your Highness. Thank you for accepting my request for a spar.”

Normally, one would hold a sword to the opponent’s neck and demand surrender, but Selendis immediately sheathed her sword and saluted.

Beatrice, regaining her composure, also bowed, concluding the spar.

“You’re truly amazing. Who are you? I’ve never heard of this swordsmanship, no, this defense technique. Does something like this even exist?”

“I’m just a sword serving my lord.”

“It seems it wasn’t luck that you were able to withstand those high-ranking knights during the territorial war. Why didn’t you use techniques back then?”

“I had to conserve my aura and stamina. We didn’t know when the enemy’s main castle would be captured.”

“I see…”

The princess laughed wryly and offered Selendis a handshake. Selendis took her hand with both of hers.

Everyone watching cheered.

The most excited was Jericho. He had bet on Selendis.

“Hahaha! Everyone who bet on Lady Selendis, gather around! Hey, Hassale! Bring the hats!”

On the other hand, Hassale, who had been dragged out against his will, lost both money and time. It was a truly despairing situation for him, who had a lot of work to do.

His feelings were clearly evident on his face.

Still, I heard he had become quite close to Jericho. He silently started distributing the winnings.

“I lost the bet, Sir O’Brien. Did you anticipate the outcome? You bet a thousand gold, didn’t you?”

“No, I just trusted my subordinate. It was also a good opportunity to boost her morale.”

Duke Kalisto chuckled and stood up. It seemed my lie was a bit obvious.

Lucia smiled at me and returned to her quarters with Duke Kalisto. I went down to the training ground and praised the two for their impressive spar.

“Good work, Selendis. Thank you, Your Highness. It was a wonderful spar. I learned a lot.”

“What good is it if I lost?”

“Someday, you’ll understand why you lost today.”

I gave the princess a hint so she wouldn’t be too disappointed. Selendis’s swordsmanship wasn’t ordinary. The princess forced a smile.

In my opinion, the princess needed to tone down her competitive spirit and impulsiveness.

Losing to a knight of commoner origin would be a fresh shock to her.

“It seems I lacked training. Now that my wounds have healed, I should go on another training journey.”

“Do you have a destination in mind?”

“I have to return to the capital first. I’ll conclude this matter and continue the investigation. I need to find Muon.”

I didn’t try to dissuade her, as it was dangerous. The Imperial Family held the most responsibility for this incident.

“We can discuss that later. House Walker will assist you with this matter.”

“That’s reassuring. Hehe.”

I instructed Selendis to rest instead of training today and approached Jericho. He must have made a lot of money from the bet, with a thousand gold at stake.

“Oh, my lord, you’ve made a fortune. Including the dividend, it’s about 1,300 gold. You should treat us today.”

“I heard the Lady bet 500 gold. You’re not planning to be disloyal and pretend you don’t know, are you?”

“Tsk.”

In the end, I received the Lady’s share from Jericho. I called her maid and sent 700 gold to the Lady. 50 gold was a bonus.

Looking around, I saw the knights were excited.

It seemed everyone had learned a lot from this spar.

I called Administrator Balzac, who was collecting his 300 gold dividend.

“Administrator, I’m throwing a banquet for the knights today. Anyone who trains today will be severely punished, so serve them plenty of food and drinks.”

“As you command, my lord.”

I wasn’t doing this out of pure generosity. In any organization, if you don’t create opportunities for members to share their experiences and insights, there will be no progress.

This fight must have been a meaningful experience for the knights who walk the path of martial arts.

“Where is the prince now?”

“I believe he’s in the investigation room. He’s been there since yesterday.”

I headed to the inner castle to meet Prince Karma.

But Selendis was standing there.

“I told you to rest.”

“I was waiting to speak with you, my lord. I heard you’re throwing a banquet.”

“There are no exceptions, even for the Knight Captain. Don’t train secretly and get punished.”

But Selendis’s expression was too serious. Was she angry about the training ban?

“Is there something you want to say? We can move to a different location if you’re uncomfortable.”

“No.”

Selendis looked at me with determination.

“I remember the Lady saying something when you were about to duel Arthur. She asked you to fight for her, not for the family.”

“…That’s right. But why bring that up?”

“When the princess first requested a spar, I was going to refuse. But I also wanted to fight for you, my lord, so I accepted.”

The atmosphere became strange. Selendis averted her gaze after those words.

“Today’s victory is thanks to you, my lord.”

“I’m grateful you think so.”

“…”

There was a brief silence. Not knowing what to say, I changed the subject.

“I’m going to see the prince now. I’m a bit concerned that he didn’t observe the spar. Go rest and attend the banquet later. I’ll be there too.”

“Yes, my lord.”

I entered the investigation room.

As expected, Prince Karma was standing in the room where Arthur’s body was kept. He seemed deep in thought.

“Your Highness, did you spend the night here?”

“Could I sleep? I still wish this was all a dream. I don’t even know where things went wrong.”

Our gazes simultaneously fell on Arthur’s withered body. He was no longer struggling. As the demonic energy faded, so did his resistance.

“The Inquisitor will arrive soon. We’ll conduct the investigation immediately and conclude this matter.”

“Even if this is resolved, there’s still one problem left. The north. Do you know what the Margrave is doing?”

“I have a general idea.”

It was a significant issue, even discussed at the Kalisto vassal meeting. I understood why Karma had stayed up all night.

“If you need any help, I’ll gladly assist you. If you speak to Lady Lucia, she’ll also be willing to help.”

Karma didn’t respond. I bowed silently and left.

Just then, I received the news I had been waiting for.

“My lord, Inquisitor Godfrey requests an audience.”